Omg I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down! Read it on world
Book day which was very apt! Full of suspense, shouting out loud noooooo or wtf moments! Highly recommend

Don't Trust Him is the first book I have read by Karen King, but it certainly won't be the last! It's fast paced and full of tension and I really struggled to put it down!

The novel is narrated by Sarah, and there are occasional chapters narrated by Alice. It's Alice's chapters that really shine a light on how well the characters are developed as it quickly becomes clear that Alice does not have completely honourable intentions. She's not the only one though; as Don't Trust Him gathered pace, it's clear that no one can be trusted and I wasn't sure who was telling the truth at all.

Around a third of the way into Don't Trust Him, I did feel that I had guessed what was going on. However, there are so many layers to this story and so much happening that I was totally blindsided by many parts of it and loved reading as it unravelled. There were several twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very end.

4/5⭐️ Don’t Trust Him is a psychological thriller that tells the story of Sarah, a single mother to her son Liam, and Charlie, a single father of two girls, who both have secrets from their past that keep creeping back in. This book definitely had a slow start for me and it wasn’t an “on the edge of your seat” kind of thriller. Sarah’s poor decision making kept pissing me off. It was so maddening that she never put the safety of her child (or herself) first. Her behavior had my jaw on the floor; she wouldn’t know a red flag if it smacked her across the face. It was almost comical to me that she didn’t begin to realize that maybe something was off about her situation until well over halfway through the book.

The title of the book tells you not to trust him, but I don’t trust his mother!! Her constant meddling had me suspecting her from the moment her character was introduced.

The ending of this book was definitely a redeeming factor. Did not see that coming at all!! Wow. While this book did have a slower start and was more of a light thriller, I still really enjoyed the twists and turns that the author wrote!

Thanks again to Karen King and Bookouture for the ARC!

Name :- Don't Trust Him
Author :- Karen King
Genre :- Psychological Thriller
Don’t Trust Him by Karen King is a chilling, twist-filled psychological thriller that keeps you on edge until the very last page. With its dark secrets, mounting tension, and unreliable characters, this is one of those books you’ll devour in one sitting. When single mother Rachel meets Charlie at the school gates, she’s instantly drawn to his charm and warmth. Their connection grows quickly — and soon Rachel is falling hard for him. But Charlie’s life comes with complications: his ex-wife Lynn abandoned their two daughters and disappeared without a trace, and his overbearing mother Alice doesn’t hide her disapproval of Rachel. As Rachel moves closer into Charlie’s world, things start to feel off. When she discovers Lynn’s journal hidden in his house — along with a sapphire ring and a silk scarf — the pieces of the story stop adding up. The more she learns, the more Rachel starts to fear for herself and her son. Is Charlie really the perfect man he seems to be? Or is there a far darker truth waiting to be uncovered?
Likes and Dislikes :-
Likes :-
1 Fast-Paced and Gripping: Every chapter leaves you with more questions and more tension. It’s impossible to stop reading.
2 Unreliable Characters: Nobody in this story can be fully trusted — not Charlie, not his mother Alice, and maybe not even Rachel herself. The constant suspicion keeps the suspense sky-high.
3 Unexpected Twists: Just when you think you have things figured out, the story takes a sharp, shocking turn.
4 Emotional Depth: Beyond the thriller elements, the book explores love, trust, and the desperate need to protect your child.
Dislikes :-
1 Slightly Rushed Ending: While the twists are fantastic, the conclusion feels a bit hurried. A little more time to explore the aftermath would’ve made the ending even stronger.
Overall :- Don’t Trust Him is an addictive, nerve-wracking read perfect for fans of domestic thrillers. Karen King expertly builds an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, where every character hides something dangerous. If you love stories filled with secrets, lies, and shocking reveals, this book won’t disappoint.
My Rating :- 4/5.

I have read a few of this authors book and always enjoyed them but this one was definitely my favourite. I loved how well developed the characters were written and how the story just flowed throughout. It was a story full of secrets and drama.

Sarah is a happily single mother to a seven year old son she has been living in constant fear of the day that her abusive ex is released from prison. When she meets a single a father at the school gate she feels an instant connection. With things moving fast between them Sarah realises she might not be the only one to be keeping secrets but who’s secrets are more dangerous.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to recommend it to everyone thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

This is a great, quick read! Very twisty and lots of fun to guess 'whodunit'.

A man with an insane, controlling mother meets a woman with a past that's given her major trust issues. Throw in a deranged ex and a jealous best friend and you've got yourself a good book!

This is a must read!

Don't Trust Him by Karen King is s a dark twisty psychological read .It is a fast paced well written book which is made even more interesting due to the unlikable characters and a surprise ending that I didn't see coming

I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

Don’t Trust Him by Karen King is a twisty, suspenseful read that kept me second-guessing everything. The title itself is a bit misleading as there isn’t a single character in this book that can truly be trusted.

Told from two different POV’s I really enjoyed the tension King built throughout the novel. The ending, while it tied up all loose ends though , felt a little rushed.

Overall, Don’t Trust him is a quick, entertaining read with plenty of suspense and twists that keep you guessing until the end.
I would like to thank Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review

Wow this book was absolutely brilliant I couldn't put it down . So much going on in it it was a real page turner .

This novel is an absolute rollercoaster, packed with thrills and suspense. I have to give a massive shout-out to Karen King for crafting characters that really got under my skin. She made me want to strangle some of the character's naivety. That means she put her efforts and mind into shaping them that way. In addition, trust is a tricky thing in this story; I found it hard to rely on any character because they all seemed a bit dodgy, each hiding their own secrets and skeletons in the closet.

Take Sarah, for instance: she is a single mum and, let's say, "a typical woman in love." I could relate to her naivety when it comes to relationships. We often invest so much trust in our partners that we end up overlooking the warning signs—those "little red flags." Some would think "they can fix their partners" or let themselves get swept away by obsessiveness and jealousy. The novel was fast-paced and started strong. Some POVs jump from the present to the past before meeting Charlie and the girls, adding depth to her character and decisions.

Albeit the book was good, there were some aspects I couldn't overlook. For one, I found it hard to believe that Charlie didn't bother looking for Lynn. I get it. There's a note, but wouldn't you at least look to confirm it's legit? How come Sarah's ego reached three years of not talking or checking with her mum after the incident? She knew where they lived, so reaching out wouldn't have been that difficult. Was she too prideful or just plain naive? But, wouldn't three years be enough for you to realise what you have done was also wrong and that her mum's words came from a place of concern and anger about you and your 4-year-old? Why ran away? How did Sarah and Charlie's relationship develop that fast? It's way too fast. And lastly, I was disappointed with the ending. I was a bit overwhelmed by the surge of information; the conclusion felt hurried and scattered, leaving me feeling a tad unsatisfied.

I wouldn't say I have a favourite here, but I did find Claire and Liam to be likeable characters. Despite Claire taking years before she looked for her sister, she ultimately made the smart move to involve the police once she learned the other side of the story. Liam, poor lad, went through a lot, yet he managed to find it in his heart to forgive.

Overall, despite a few flaws, I really enjoyed the ride!

This book is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while! I loved the twists and turns and I really had a hard time putting it down. Every time a chapter ended I found myself craving more! Karen King really did an amazing job and I cannot wait to read more of her work! Thank you to bookouture publishing and to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book! I cannot wait to buy a physical copy!

Psychological thriller
His ex is missing am I next?
Solihull singles dad and mum Charlie Harris and Sarah Foster outside the school gates. He's a hunk leaving all the mothers drooling Sarah leaves them to it she's done with men.
This story has it all who do you trust? Friends family and loved ones all carrying secrets.
As you keep reading you find not everyone are who they seem.
Mind blowing read Loved it.

The premise of the book is very intriguing. I was kind of looking through a few books on my Kindle to decide which one to go for and the first page absolutely gripped me.

When it comes to the general storyline, it's interesting enough. Gave me a netflix series vibes with the smalltown and "mom gang" and "hot single dad". The writing style was a tad too simplistic for my taste and the book itself could've been edited better, but when I moved past that, it went by fast and was interesting enough.

However. I feel like the book told me how I was supposed to feel and who I was supposed to be suspicious of instead of making me feel those things. It also tried a bit too hard to do way too many things and as a result, most of it wasn't believable. The main relationship developed too fast, other side characters were very one-sided and simply there for the plot. The bones were there, but the author didn't pack enough meat on them for me.

This was a quick and light kind of suspense/thriller. I was certainly not on the edge of my seat, but I did breeze through it pretty quickly.

Sarah is a single mom with a secret past who has vowed to always put her son first to protect him and keep her past from catching up with them. She meets Charlie, whose wife has abandoned him and their two daughters and their relationship very quickly goes from strangers to acquaintances to friends to living together and raising their children together in Charlie's house, all while his overbearing mother inserts herself into their lives and home. For me, the development of Sarah and Charlie's relationship was just too fast, especially considering that they were both supposedly being very protective of their children. I wouldn't say that anything in this story was over the top, but maybe the severity of some storylines was a bit exaggerated, while others just felt generally unbelievable. Despite that, I attempted to suspend my disbelief and just go with it, but the twisty ending just didn't work for me.

Early on in the book, there were some sentences with misplaced commas that just didn't read properly. I almost gave up on the book entirely because of this, but it did quickly get better.

3 stars for this quick and easy read.

With thanks to Bookouture Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC.

Cannot give this book enough stars!!! I was already recommending to friends who have netgalley before I was half way through and let me tell you it did not disappoint. I was actually annoyed I had to go to uni and had to stop reading for a few hours. Cannot wait to explore more of this author. Absolutely outstanding read.

The title of the book is slightly deceiving as we really cannot trust a single character in this book. The plot is twisty and complex where various things converge making me question everything. This all lead to multiple unexpected reveals.
As someone who prides themselves on figuring out book plots, this one left me unsure.
I can't say I liked any of the characters, but Sarah's naivete bordered on annoying. The fact that she so easily coupled up with Charlie forgoing her vow to focus on her son left little to like about her. Get with it woman!
Sarah's description of the event on Arran and then later references kept Makin by me think there was more to that story coming later. Yet nothing materialized.
This was a quick easy read where the end wrapped up all plot points yet was slightly unsatisfying, feeling a little rushed.

Single dad heart throb.... or is he.
So many twist and turns that I never saw coming.
Such a great book. Couldn't stop reading it. Thank you for my advance reader copy. Can't wait to look up other books from this author.

Even the title is mysterious…secrets and red herrings kept me guessing…suspenseful and ,mysterious…this talented author has written a page turner. Thanks Netgalley

One of my favorite of 2025 yet. An amazing fast-paced thriller that you can read in one-sitting. For fans of Lisa Jewell. This is for you.

Charlie seems lovely but his wife left and hasn't even been in touch with there daughters?
Sarah still has trust issue's from a previous bad relationship.
There is plenty of drama and an enjoyable read trying to understand who is doing what?
Great author with well written characters.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy..