Release: April 3, 2025
Author: Karen King
Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 4 25 ★ 

From the moment Sarah met Charlie at the school gates, dropping off his daughters as she said goodbye to her son, she feel an undeniable connection. Being a single mother has been tough, but his captivating green-blue eyes and warm smile make her wonder if she's finally found happiness—and a chance to escape her own past.

Charlie and Sarah grow close, sharing late-night conversations in the beautiful home his mother, Alice, gave him. He tells her his ex-wife, Lynn, abandoned their children for another man, leaving him heartbroken. Alice struggles to accept Sarah, and she can only hope she never learns the truth about her past.

Then Sarah find Lynn’s hidden journal, along with a sapphire ring and a silk scarf. A terrible feeling creeps in—something isn’t right. As a shadow falls over her, her heart pounds. Did something awful happen to Lynn? And who can Sarah really trust—Charlie, his mother, or the woman who vanished? She needs to protect her son… before it’s too late.

Karen King delivers an engaging psychological thriller in Don’t Trust Him, keeping the suspense high with its intricate web of secrets, deception, and manipulation. The novel effectively builds tension, making it difficult to determine who is truly trustworthy. The pacing is steady, with well-timed twists that keep the reader questioning the truth.

The characters are well-developed, particularly the protagonist, whose struggle with doubt and paranoia feels authentic. The story does an excellent job of exploring the psychological impact of gaslighting and emotional manipulation. While some twists are predictable, the way the narrative unfolds remains compelling. The book strikes a good balance between mystery and psychological tension, making it a satisfying read for fans of domestic thrillers.

Favorite Quote:
"some people wear masks so well, you forget there's a real face behind it."

I loved this twisty read. Sarah has been through a lot, and her only priority is making sure her son is safe and sound. She's not interested in the hot single Dad, until she was. I found the book hard to put down, it made my heart race, sometimes I screamed at Sarah "RUN", I felt for the kids. My heart went out to them. They don't understand " (mental) games' some adults play.

3.5⭐️. An enjoyable quick read thriller. Gripping from the very start. Can anyone be trusted in this book? Really liked Sarah and felt sorry for her at times. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoutre for ARC.

Definitely a sloooooow burn. Thorough story telling. Not too many unhinged characters 😆 but good story!

Sarah is a single mum, with no family nearby. She always puts her son first after an incident when he was younger that made her flee from where she was living with her parents.

Charlie is a single dad, his mum lives close by to help him with his two daughters. His wife disappeared when his youngest daughter was a baby, she’s not been seen since.

When a series of unfortunate events occur, Charlie invites Sarah and her son, Liam, to stay at his. The house is large with plenty of extra rooms. Sarah takes him up on his offer and they also begin a romance.

When more strange happenings occur, Sarah starts to wonder if she can trust Charlie and his mum. What really happened to his mum and were they both involved in her disappearance?

I enjoyed this story, although I did find Sarah’s character a bit irritating at times.

There are plenty of secrets to try and uncover in this tale. There were plenty of twists to keep me guessing too.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Don't Trust Him* by Karen King is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on edge from start to finish. The novel centers around the complicated dynamics of trust, betrayal, and deception, offering a dark and suspenseful narrative that will resonate with fans of twist-filled mysteries.

The story revolves around a woman who, after getting involved with a man who seems perfect on the surface, begins to uncover unsettling truths about his past. As the plot unfolds, the tension rises, and the reader is drawn into a dangerous web of lies and manipulation. Karen King does an excellent job of building suspense, keeping the reader guessing and uncertain about what will happen next. Every revelation is timed perfectly to maintain the story's pulse-pounding pace.

King's writing is engaging and effective, with sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions that immerse readers in the characters' experiences. The novel is tightly plotted, with a slow-burn build-up that intensifies as the stakes become higher. The psychological aspects of the story, particularly the manipulation and mind games played by the characters, add an extra layer of intrigue, making it hard to put the book down.

The protagonist’s journey of realization and self-discovery is compelling. As she unravels the truth about the man she thought she knew, readers are taken along on a rollercoaster of emotions, from disbelief to fear to empowerment. The emotional depth of the story, combined with the suspense, makes it both thrilling and thought-provoking.

While the book’s pacing is generally well-managed, some readers might find certain plot twists a bit predictable, but the execution of these twists still keeps the suspense intact. The overall atmosphere is tense and unsettling, which is exactly what fans of psychological thrillers will enjoy.

In conclusion, *Don't Trust Him* is an intense and well-crafted thriller that explores the dark side of trust and relationships. Karen King delivers a story full of suspense, mystery, and unexpected twists that will captivate anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. It’s a fast-paced, engaging read that will leave readers questioning who they can really trust.

This was a quick and easy read and a pleasure to get lost in! It's not too complicated with a million characters and a dozen plot lines, it's clean and focuses on the story it wants to tell. The characters are well written and Brough to life and I did spend a fair bit of tbe book not entirely sure who to trust and completely captivated and needing to find out more. It gets under your skin and is definitely one of those books you have to read just one more chapter of!

I genuinely felt sorry for Sarah throughout the whole book. I did; however, think that she was so silly a few times, with hiw fast the relationship with Charlie developed.

This was a fast paced book, with a few too many exclamation marks, but it was very enjoyable and I only half guessed the ending so I still got a nice little surprise at what happened.

An absolute gem of a read.
A brilliant tale that thrills you and chills you to the bone with astonishing twists you would never guess.
I devoured this gripping story over two evenings as I just HAD to get to the conclusion and it was bloody fantastic.
Highly recommended and thoroughly absorbing it’s a must read for fans of the genre.

Don't Trust Him kept me hooked from beginning to end. I found myself drawn into the mystery surrounding Charlie’s ex-wife, Lynn. The discovery of her journal, along with the unsettling items hidden in his house, added a layer of suspense and doubt that kept me questioning everyone’s motives. The tension builds up so well, and I couldn’t help but feel on edge with each new reveal. While some parts of the plot could have been fleshed out more, the twists were definitely gripping, and I enjoyed how the story kept me guessing until the very end. Four stars for its well-crafted suspense and emotional depth.

Ok this book starts out with trouble, and it continues with different things that make you question the whole time. I enjoyed this book a lot. I don't think I could handle Alice and all her controlling issues. Charlie definitely needs to stand up to her. I couldn't put this book down and was so shocked by the ending. It did make sense when looking back on some of it but man that reveal was so good. I feel bad for Liam as he seems to always be losing out, but he at least has a loving mother trying her best. The number of times I was like wait did that really just happen then wondering if Sarah was imagining being targeted or if they were just mistakes happening. Overall, a great book.

Utterly compelling I was engrossed right from the start and couldn't put it down. I finished it in a couple of hours

This book follows Sarah, her young son Liam and Charlie, a single dad she meets at the school gates.
Sarah falls for Charlie but it is not straightforward as she is confronted with an interfering mother, vicious ex and shaky best friend.
The twists and turns kept me engrossed to the end

Karen is one of my favourite authors and this is another great novel from her! A great family thriller that pulled me in from the start. I loved the twists and read this in a day!

mind-bending psychological thriller that keeps you questioning everything. The story follows [protagonist’s name], whose life spirals out of control after [inciting incident]. As paranoia sets in, reality blurs, and the line between truth and deception vanishes.

Tense and troubling as Sarah and her young son meet the gorgeous Charlie and move in with him, getting sucked in to a family full of secrets and resentments. With a dangerous ex on the loose, and estranged from her own family, Sarah has nobody to turn to but her best friend Tasha. Sarah is falling for Charlie. But someone is out to harm her and, as the scary incidents and accidents start piling up, it's not safe to trust anybody.

This is a brilliant family drama.

Charlie is now a sinlge parent after his wife ran off with someone else . now he meets someone at the school gates and a romance is definitely on the cards..

Secrets and lies are the name of the game and what happens is just mindblowing.

There is a lot of drama with this tale and it is very well told. I was hookedm intrigued and not disappointed by the outcome

it's just superb

Charlie takes my breath away from the moment we meet, when he is dropping his adorable little girls off at the school gates at the same time as I’m waving goodbye to my son. Being a single mother has been hard. So when his gorgeous green-blue eyes hold mine and his lips curve into a smile I wonder if this is my chance to find happiness and escape the secrets in my past.
Charlie and I connect on the deepest level – talking late into the night in the stunning home his mother Alice gave him. For a long time, it’s been me and my seven-year-old son Liam against the world but soon I’m falling for this handsome man. He promises to be honest with me and, in my gut, I trust him.
As he gives me a lift to work one morning, Charlie shares his heartbreak: his ex-wife found another man, abandoned her daughters and never looked back. That’s why Alice finds it so hard to accept me, the new woman in her precious son’s life. I hope I can win her over, and that she’ll never find out the truth about what I did…
Then I discover his ex-wife Lynn’s journal hidden away in his house with a sapphire ring and a silk scarf. My stomach twists as I sense something is very wrong.
Sizzles with tension, desire, and a forever-escalating sense of menace! Let this supremely enjoyable thriller whisk you up, up and away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another brilliant book from this author which I think for me personally has to be her best yet

Extremely well written, I particularly liked the short chapters and the storyline was great. I was involved in the storyline from the very beginning and couldn't stop reading. I was on the edge of my seat throughout wondering how it would end. Great storytelling with an even greater ending and I can thoroughly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC and I can't wait for this author's next masterpiece.

Wow! This book had me in all my feelings! I giggled, blushed, got pissed off and wanted to throat punch, was scared and even jumped a few times… I thought the author did a great job with the character development and also with the envisioning of the story. But I really thought I had it figured out but the plot twist were twisting and I had it all wrong! I do wish we would’ve had more story line of Lynn but maybe a second book?! I definitely will be recommending this book to people!