I really wanted to love this book. I thought the concept was interesting and wondered what I would do if I came across a similar notebook. What would I write myself? But the execution of the Authenticity Project just fell short for me. Some characters were so colorful and well thought out while others were so flat.

Monica owns a coffee shop, and one day she finds a small journal left in the cafe. When she looks inside to find information to connect her to the owner, she instead finds a challenge to be authentic - to write into the journal the thing that defines her, and then pass it on. As the journal makes its way through a small group of people, it has unanticipated ramifications.

I thought this was an interesting premise, and enjoyed getting to know the characters - some more fully realized than others. With such a diverse cast of characters, everyone should be able to relate so some aspect of one of them. Full of fun and irony, this book was an engaging light-hearted read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this feel good novel. Told in multiple voices, Julian an octogenarian begins the authenticity project by writing in a little green journal about his loneliness and mistakes he has made. He leaves the little green journal in Monica's Cafe. Monica continues the project by adding her story and passing the book on. As the little green journal travels the world and more stories are added, the characters' lives change. They acknowledge past mistakes and assumptions, creating new friendships and forming a community.

I have already started recommending this book. Because it was somewhat predictable in the second half, I have given it four stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I think it has some great discussion points and plan to recommend it for my own personal book discussion group.

The Authenticity Project is a sweet, light, and fun read. I'm not always a fan of a "sweet" story, and even though this book does wrap up very neatly and avoid feeling heavy or dark(even with very heavy subject matter like drug abuse) it doesn't feel annoyingly positive. I can't say I felt overly invested in any of the characters, although I certainly did relate to a few. Overall a good read, but not life-changing by any means. 3.5 stars

This is the story of a cast of characters brought together by an unassuming little green notebook.

Julian is lonely and feels invisible - which is a complete contradiction to the life he once had, where he was a well known artist with a bursting social live and now he's just an old man who nobody notices. So he creates the Authenticity Project - a little green notebook in which he writes his truth and leaves it at Monica's Cafe for someone to find and hopefully write their truth and continue the chain. At Monica's, Monica, the owner of the cafe finds the book and adds her truth and leaves it at the wine bar across the street. We meet the other charters as they too end up at Monica's Cafe trying to connect their truths with themselves.

This delightful, charming, and uplifting story about a group of individuals learning how to be their true selves is a real gem. Julian Jessop, a lonely, elderly artist, writes in a notebook, "Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead?" He then leaves this notebook in a cafe, where it begins its journey through the lives of four people who all struggle to find balance between their public selves and their authentic selves.

The characters are what make this book stand out. They are complex and believable. The reader can see a bit of themselves in them. Monica's insecurities and Alice's struggles with parenthood are similar to what many women battle. Both women try so hard to appear to be in control and have it all sorted out, but the reader can appreciate the reality of their imperfections. One of my favorite lines from the book, "It took a lot of planning and hard work for Monica to be this relaxed," rings so true to me. Pooley seems to "get it." The male characters are just as flawed and intriguing. Hazard's struggle with addiction is portrayed as ongoing, not something that is easily fixed. It isn't sugar-coated.

The plot has just enough bumps and turns to keep the reader interested. Just when you think you have a character figured out, something surprises you. The end is mostly satisfying. I would change a couple things in the romance aspects of the book, but overall, I think the book finished as it should.

In the end, I finished this book with a smile on my face. I would definitely recommend it to any reader that enjoys a character-driven book in which people deal with real life struggles and learn to be their best selves.

Are you living your life authentically? Are you honest with yourself and with those in your life? These are the type of questions that the Authenticity Project has the people that encounter it asking. Julian is an artist that all but vanished from the world 15 years ago, it is his musings and story that he leaves in a notebook in a coffee shop that result in profound changes in all that encounter it.. It creates an unlikely community trying to find their authentic selves. A beautiful story that leaves you considering the authenticity in your own life.

The Authenticity Project has captivating, flawed characters all struggling with making relationships in our very disjointed world. They manage to create their own community in the most non-tech of ways -- through a journal.

Get a cup of tea and settle in for a totally absorbing, light-hearted, feel-good read.

The Authenticity Project tells us the story of a group of strangers that get pulled together by a left behind notebook with a purpose. This notebook asks , Who are you, really? How well do you know your neighbors? And how much does anyone really know about the real you?

I don't want to give too much away, but the characters that you meet throughout are all well developed and some just become totally alive. It's like there was a movie reel playing through my head as I read this.

There were twists, personal difficlties , and unexpected moments as well. Some of these elements may have seemed a bit glossed over when in truth they are very difficult struggles (as the author knows) but that didn't fit the purpose of this book. Therefore, I was satisfied with how the author treated this. However, there was one character situation that didn't feel resolved for me. I actually went back to see if I missed something. Or maybe this means a sequel? I hope to see more about this. Which, ultimately, isn't that a good thing? To actually know that your readers want to know more about the characters and for their story to continue

I’ve had this on my kindle far too long. I’ve picked it up 3 or 4 times and can’t get interested. Finally going to admit defeat and pass on it.

What a fun, sweet, romantic story of unlikely friendships! There are a few weak moments, and some predictable plot points, but overall, it is an enjoyable, feel-good book.

Monica is the owner of a small cafe and is trying to make the rent. As she's cleaning up one day, she finds a notebook titled Authenticity Project and she begins to read. Julian is an octogenarian artist, and he wrote the first essay in the notebook and included an invitation for others to search their honest selves for their truth. Monica writes her story and leaves the book in a nearby pub for someone else to find.

This begins a 'round the world tour of the notebook and the many lives it touches.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. I especially enjoyed the formation and development of the characters of Julian, Monica, and Alice. I felt like it lacked some of the depth and complexity that other, similar novels have, but I still liked it. The ending had an interesting twist, which I did not see coming.

The Authenticity Project starts in a notebook. Julian who was a huge artists in the 60s, 70s, and 80s is also a lonely widower. He writes his authentic feelings about his life in a notebook and leaves it at Monica's Cafe in hopes someone else will read it and write down their true feelings. Monica finds the notebook and reads it. She left her world as a lawyer to open her dream cafe. Monica leaves the book across the street in a bar where Hazard finds it. Hazard reads the notebook leaves for the South China Sea in hopes of helping Monica with the feelings she wrote in the book. The story continues to follow Julian, Monica and Hazard and adds in more people who have read the notebook.

How honest are we, with whom are we honest? This tale begins with a notebook in which a man has written the truth about himself. He challenges the finder of the notebook to continou the project and write their truth. Hmmm, but do we really know our truth? This is an enjoyable journey with a variety of characters as they discover their “authentic” selves. Have fun. start your own project!

Predictable but sweet. I'm not always a fan of stories being told from a variety of characters' viewpoints, but Pooley did a great job keeping an even pace without overly rehashing prior events with each new character and also not losing the thread of the plot along the way. I easily predicted how it was going to end for all of the characters shortly after their respective introductions, so it didn't keep my interest as well as it could have as there was no tension or suspense of how things were going to turn out. Satisfying if you are looking for light, fun, sentimental read with a little romance included.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful read. “The Authenticity Project” by Clare Pooley weaves together stories of several unforgettable characters – all seeking their ‘real' selves. Julian, the colorful, lonely and fairly eccentric artist uses a simple composition book to write the truth about his life. He then leaves the book in a café where it’s picked up by the intelligent, enterprising and seemingly joyless Monica. The book continues on its path picking up several interesting characters along the way. The lives of these individuals then intersect and perhaps, a bit unbelievably, lead to new revelations and new relationships between these once strangers. Pooley’s writing is delightful and the characters are vivid and endearing. It’s a good, old-fashioned read.

A fun, feel-good piece of British chick-lit with an interesting twist. Like a snowball picking up new characters and stories with every roll, the titular Authenticity Project is a notebook passed from stranger to stranger which contains each writer’s honest feelings about their life. This results in bringing a group of disparate people together into heart-warming friendships and surprising romantic outcomes. The writing is good, the characters quirky, imperfect, and lovable and plenty of introspection on friendship, the lies we tell ourselves (and others) and how to be true to yourself.

Good read.

3.5 stars
I thought the first half of this book was much stronger than the second. I was engaged from the first page, loved the writing and felt at home with the characters. The idea of the book allowing us a glimpse of the real lives of the characters as it traveled between them felt like a fun take on the multiple perspective narrative. As it went along, though, it started feeling too well-worn and familiar with easy answers. I still enjoyed it but felt a bit let down at the end.

What a delightful book! I thoroughly enjoyed both the premise and the execution of this story. The characters are wonderfully alive and unique, and I found myself routing for each of them in their turn. Hazard, in particular, who undergoes the biggest transformation in the book, I went from really disliking to hoping so much he could reach his goals and be happy in his life. However, I loved each of the characters in all their flaws and glories. The ending was particularly moving, and very fitting with the story. This is one of those books that really stays with you long after reading. Highly Recommended!