Don’t Let Him In, by Author Lisa Jewell.

What a great book. This was really an enjoyable read by an author that I have come to really like and count on.

I must say that this was so good from start to finish. A very suspenseful storyline with a character who you just can not help but hate.

It if full of intertwining lives, and stories and full of charm and deceit.

There are a few women who are blinded by love and a man with many pasts and secrets.

Well Done to this author for another hit. A must read for those who like to read good thrillers.

Thank You to NetGalley, Author Lisa Jewell and Atria Books for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley #atriabooks #lisajewelluk

When I first heard the premise of Don't Let Him In, I was genuinely excited. The idea of being inside the mind of the antagonist and watching him manipulate those around him felt unique and promising. Given Lisa Jewell’s strength in psychological suspense, I was hopeful for a gripping and original read.

Told through multiple viewpoints and timelines, the story slowly builds toward the antagonist’s downfall. While this narrative structure has potential, it didn’t fully work for me here. The pacing dragged at times, and some elements felt repetitive, which made it difficult to stay consistently engaged. The repeated use of lines like “let’s get away for the weekend” became particularly grating. While I understand this was meant to show the character’s patterns with different women, I wished we had explored his charisma and manipulative power in a deeper or more varied way.

Perhaps because so much of the story is told from inside his head, I also felt it lacked the tight, simmering tension I typically associate with Jewell’s work. And ultimately, the ending didn’t deliver the level of resolution or impact I was hoping for.

That said, I admire the ambition of the narrative concept, and I’m sure many readers will appreciate the unsettling, character-driven elements that Jewell consistently brings to her novels.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book takes a fascinating and unconventional approach to the thriller genre. Rather than relying on the suspense of uncovering the identity of the "bad guy" or anticipating when the “bad thing” will happen, the narrative lays everything bare early on—you know exactly who’s responsible and what’s going on. The tension instead comes from watching the antagonist’s carefully constructed facade begin to unravel, and the inevitability of that downfall becomes the driving force behind the story. Adding to the intrigue, several chapters are told from the antagonist’s own disturbing perspective.

Though this was my first time reading a thriller structured this way, I was fully engaged and eager to see how it would all unfold. That said, the ending—especially the epilogue—felt somewhat unsatisfying. Still, the lead-up had me hooked, particularly in anticipating how the women would ultimately confront and hold the antagonist accountable.

The antagonist himself is truly vile, and the author did a compelling job of illustrating how his manipulation ensnared the women around him. At times, though, I found myself frustrated—wanting the women to see through his lies and stand up for themselves.

Of the supporting cast, I was especially drawn to Ash. Her character stood out, although I found her relationship with Jane—and Jane’s overall role in the narrative—a bit perplexing. Personally, I preferred the first half of the book to the second, but overall, it was an engaging and thought-provoking read.

I always like to stop and take a good look at a cover before turning the first pages. Lisa Jewell's new novel - Don't Let Him In - had me curious. About halfway it struck me! Very clever!

And it's not just the cover that is clever. The plot is wonderfully byzantine. I am going to be purposefully obtuse and hope that I don't give anything away! There are three players who have who have something in common...

The narratives change rapidly. The reader has all of that information but the characters are limited in what they know. I had more than a few words for one of the players.

Jewell kept me up turning pages. I just had to know what happens.

You must add Don't Let Him In to your beach bag! See for yourself - read an excerpt.

Lisa Jewell's writing is so addicting! The chapters jump around in timeline and pov which was confusing at first but also had me unable to put the book down. It did get a little repetitive at times to me and I was just soooo over this guy's lies! The story just kept getting crazier and crazier. A great thriller you can read in a day. 3.5 stars.

I love a good Lisa Jewell and this one was unputdownable. I was so enthralled and hooked. The villain in this one is absolutely despicable and I was here for it. The story did start off slow but once it picks up you just can't stop reading until the final bang. It is so chilling and intense, I absolutely loved it.

I'm going to need a few minutes to gather my thoughts and compose myself. This book left my blood boiling! Okay, let's start the review.

Once again, Lisa Jewell has written a book with a one-of-a-kind plot that hooks you from the get-go. You think you know that story that is about to unfold, but you really have no idea what you are about to get into.

The way this is written is brilliant with the current, modern day narrative being written in third person and the past narrative being written in first person. It makes the timelines blend and flow, and also provides a way for the reader to distinguish between the two presences without too much thought, as there are quite a lot of characters to remember.

Speaking of characters, each was so well written. The emotional state of every single person was perfectly portrayed. Their ups and downs, the vulnerability, their meanness, their complete openness and trust, their fears and suspicions- all written out perfectly so the reader could get a full picture of each character's state of mind.

Go into this read blind. Don't search too many reviews because there are some out there that will spoil this ending for you. The ending... how do I describe it? I was so angry, until I wasn't. Like other plot twists in this book, I thought I knew, but I didn't know.

Thanks To Netgalley and Atria books for allowing me an advanced e-copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 4 star read!

"Don't Let Him In" is available now wherever you buy or borrow books. It's a great way to start your summer!

Happy Reading!

LISA! How dare you make me so uncomfy yet again!

This book was giving the creepy vibes from the start. The characters were slowly developed as the story went along and it kept the book moving. There was a lot to this story but it was done in a manner that kept me wanting more.

As a woman, the idea that men function like this is beyond scary. His justifications, his lack of ownership, and his overall mission in life were just so messed up. Lisa Jewell's books make me so scared to live life sometimes.

I gave this book 3/5 stars just because I never really believed the characters or their actions. The storyline was so insane that it was comical at times.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Don’t Let Him In - Lisa Jewell

This is Jewell at her very best—sinister, suspenseful, and impossible to put down. If you loved Dirty John or The Tinder Swindler, this one is for you. Jewell masterfully weaves together multiple POVs and timelines to build a chilling portrait of charm turned toxic.

Nina is grieving when a charismatic stranger from her husband’s past steps in with just the right words—and all the wrong intentions. Her daughter Ash isn’t buying it and quietly starts digging into his past. Meanwhile, in another town, a young mother starts suspecting her husband is not the man she thought he was. As the stories converge, the tension ratchets up to a truly jaw-dropping reveal.

This is psychological suspense done right—every chapter reveals another layer, and by the end, I was breathless. Jewell proves once again that she knows exactly how to lull you into a false sense of security before ripping the rug out from under you.

Have you ever trusted someone who turned out to be a total stranger? Let’s talk!

#DontLetHimIn #LisaJewell #PsychologicalThriller #ThrillerBooks #BookstagramReels #BookReview #SummerThriller #DirtyJohnVibes #TinderSwindlerEnergy #ReadingWithBrian

Lisa Jewell never fails to deliver and Don’t Let Him In is another chilling, addictive read that hooks you from page one. The atmosphere is tense and unsettling, the characters are complex and layered, and the writing is sharp and immersive.

Lisa Jewell is a fantastic story teller and one thing she does extremely well is allowing the reader to deeply understand her characters.

This book follows a man who spends his life scamming woman after woman after making them fall for him, it also follows several of his victims. As painful as it is to watch the women fall for his lies, I couldn't help but to keep reading to see if "Nick" ever got what he deserved.

I enjoyed this read very much and recommend it to anyone who likes reading a thriller that incorporates female revenge.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc copy of this book

Several women find themselves in relationships with men who keep disappearing. When one woman’s daughter feels like something is off with her mom’s new boyfriend she decides to investigate. Why did this person say he knew her late dad when things aren’t adding up. As she digs deeper, she uncovers more than she expected when it’s one man in all of these relationships and wants to save not only her mom but anyone else that had been a victim of their disappearing spouse!

i love lisa jewell and was super excited for this book but unfortunately it just didn’t quite hit the way her thrillers normally do. i liked it okay, but i definitely wouldn’t come back to it or highly recommend.

the concept was fun - a good con artist is always gonna make for an interesting main character. however, there were a few main issues:
1) the story dragged for long segments. the first 25% could have been 10%. there was a lot of unnecessary content that made me fight not to lose focus
2) you’d go from being really aware of one scene to being in another timeframe with characters you don’t know while the voice assumes you’re up to date. i understand what jewell was trying to do here but it honestly just makes everything more confusing and takes you out of the story.
3) you’re not connected to the characters very deeply. at least in my opinion, i felt like i had such surface level knowledge of every character that i didn’t have the same level of investment in what was going on. i obviously cared the most about ash and even then i was like… eh?

without a doubt, F! the villain in this story. a true and evil psychopath, there was not a redeeming bone in this man’s body. may this energy NEVER find me!!!!!!

this was super fast paced and did make for an easy thriller to knock out, but it definitely sits at the bottom of my LJ list.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Pub Date: 6/24/25
Format: ebook/audio
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Going to keep this review short and sweet because I love Lisa Jewell, but this specific book just was not for me. As always, she is fantastic at writing an everyday villain, but the way this story unfolded was difficult for me to stay engaged.

This is certainly more character study than thriller, and I don’t mind that! I more felt like the different POVs jumped around too much where I couldn’t get invested in anyone’s story. With the lack of connection and interest, I just didn’t feel compelled to keep picking it up and it took me a while to get through it.

That said, I will always read what Jewell writes. Still a decent book, just not my favorite by her.

Big thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

Kind of hard to follow. I listened and read and it was hard to follow all the characters and timelines. I did enjoy it but needed a little help from other reviews to understand better. Ending was open ended. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I've enjoyed the author's previous books but this one might be my favorite yet! I was completely engrossed in this story the entire time, and I think the back and forth between different POVs really worked to hear the characters' own voices, though it took me a while to keep everyone straight. My theories changed every couple of chapters, and I was suspicious of everyone at some point! I did guess one of the twists and the story went a little off the rails toward the end, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of everything else. Would highly, highly recommend and I can't wait to see what Lisa Jewell does next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

”The world, she now knows, is not what it seems. Nobody is what they seem. Everything is an illusion.”

Don’t Let Him In is Lisa Jewell at her best—layered, twisty, and complex, with a truly evil villain at the center of it all. It’s a unique thriller, in that there is nothing grisly or gory or “blood-and-guts” about it, and yet the MMC manages to be utterly horrifying, even without any of that.

”The man she’s loved for four years, been married to for two, the father of her daughter and stepfather to her sons, is a con artist and a fantasist and a liar and a freak.”

This book is for you if you…
* can tolerate a main character that you’re supposed to despise
* watched Lost for Sawyer’s villain story, not his redemption arc
* actively monitor your local “Are We Dating the Same Guy?” page because you’re a girl’s girl and you’ll gladly spill the tea about the creeps you know
* know that sometimes the worst psychopaths don’t have to lay a hand on you in order to absolutely ruin your life
* won’t get confused in a book with dozens of characters, multiple POVs, a slightly-unclear timeline, and unlabeled chapters

”She hadn’t noticed it until it was destroying her life.

I did get a little lost in the complexity of the narrative style, but the payoff was worth it. I really enjoyed this one!

——

A huge thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lisa Jewell has done it again! The hype is totally real with this one.

The MMC in this book is just... I mean I suppose charming? But also absolutely terrifying! A true con-man who is swindling these (smart?) women and feeding them sob stories, while taking money they don't have. This book was SO GOOD and I found myself hooked on the story from the start, mostly because I couldn't fathom how so. many women could be so stupid?!? I'd like to believe more women than not would kick this guy to the curb after being ghosted for days on end only to blame it on your ADHD? Come on.

I loved how the characters were weaved together because of his deceit, and I mean props to him for being able to keep each of his personas straight? But also, you're a terrible person my guy.

I was a little confused on the ending because... just how? But overall this was a fantastic read

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this one!

Lisa is truly the queen of thrillers, somehow managing to make disturbing reads feel cozy. I’ve never read a book of hers that didn’t cause me to lose at least a night of sleep rushing to finish. This book was no different!

Following the story of a man that is truly too good to be true, and the web of lies and deceit that he has built and the lengths he is willing to go to get what he wants. How do women fall for men like this? Wit, good looks, charisma, and the promise of a perfect life.

This book has multiple POV and multiple timelines which are pretty much a must for me 🤪

I love me some Lisa Jewell so I was STOKED when I received this ARC. I thought this book was good and it kept me intrigued through out. I’m not going to lie all of the different characters and then the different names for the same male character did throw me off a bit but eventually I caught on lol. There was not an “ah ha!” Moment for me, but I thoroughly enjoy this book! Lisa Joel has strikes again!