5 stars
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TW: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Murder, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse
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As a huge Lisa Jewell fan , you won't be let down by this one at all! The plot had me hooked from the moment I started reading, although Alix and Josie are birthday twins, the two women have never met. That is, until one night out the two connect by chance. The once again a few days later outside of Alix's children's school. Josie has been listening to Alix's podcast and feels that her life story, the truth, would make for a great next installment. Alix agrees to interview Josie, not knowing where it would lead. This true-crime podcast hit, eventually leads to a Netflix special. I loved the format of the book, it really helped with the flow of the book to have excerpts from the Netflix special, it really set the scene for what was to come.

As we dive into Josie's life story, we start to realize that things aren't as they seem - in fact, her life is quite sinister and odd. Alix can't help but want more of the story, but doesn't realize that being connected to Josie will cost a price (and put her life into danger). Being the reader, I was hooked on everything Josie had to say, it really brought in the whole "things aren't always what they seem" plot. Josie is a smart, manipulative character who find herself unhinged most of the time, it's hard not to feel bad for her at times, but then again you really don't know what part of her story you can fully trust.

None of This Is True is the perfect fast-paced thriller that will keep you on your toes, just when I thought I had it all figured out. Another element was added to the plot that would change up the entire thing. This is Jewell at her best, and does an amazing job at creating multi-dimensional characters. It's hard for me to give out five stars to thrillers now as they all seem so similar, but None of This Is True certainly deserved it!

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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

LISA! LISAAAAA! MS. JEWELL?! You never miss.

This book was insane. In the best way possible. It's hard to explain the plot without giving too much away. Lisa has such a way of telling a story and writing characters who are so peculiar, it's hard to look away, or guess the ending!

What I liked:
- Netflix documentary podcast-esque scenes
- Odd and at times unreliable characters who make questionable decisions
- The suspense! I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on
- Truly unputdownable
- Ending up for interpretation

5 stars! One of my new favorites by Lisa Jewell!

Lisa Jewell's None of This is True is dark, so deliciously dark. During a chance encounter at simultaneous birthday dinners, 45 year old Josie Fair meets Alix Summers, a podcast star who happens to have been born at the same hospital on the same day as herself. Eager to break free of her frumpy image and difficult family life, Josie sees Alix as the perfect ticket out. As Josie increasingly takes root in Alix's life while revealing her own life story through podcast interviews, Alix comes to terms with the fact that none of this may be true and that her own life will be changed forever.

'None' is a stunner from the very first to the final page. Interspersed are interview transcripts from an in-story Netflix documentary eventually made about the events, and these are written extremely well. If this documentary were real as Jewell writes it, it would be a standout among the likes of Keep Sweet Pray and Obey, Wild Wild Country, and Evil Genuis. Each of the characters is highly dynamic, and the major plot points and disturbing details are all enthralling. 5/5 all the way, I wish I could give a higher score!

Note: I received a free ebook copy of None of This is True from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I’ll start this review by saying I’m a Lisa Jewell fan girl. Her books never disappoint, but None of This is True is a new favorite! I was wholly entertained and did not want to set this book down. More importantly, the ending left my head spinning, and I immediately wanted to discuss it with someone which is my favorite.

Popular podcast host Alix Summers crosses paths with her “birthday twin” Josie Fair, while they are both out celebrating their 45th birthdays. When they run into each other again, they decide to collaborate on a new podcast, and madness ensues.

I purposely kept the synopsis brief and vague because it’s more fun to go into this book knowing very little! There is a sense of unease that permeates this book and makes you hesitant to trust anyone. I hadn’t read a truly satisfying thriller in a long time, but this one delivered. A few minor issues kept me from giving it five stars, but it is 100% something you should read if you enjoy thrillers and is the perfect page turner to pick up this time of year! Definitely recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

None Of This Is True - Mini Review 🎙️⬇️

ARC - Pub Date August 8th

I can’t even begin 🤯🤯🤯. You all know I don’t normally like Suspense/Thrillers but @lisajewelluk knows how to write a great story 😊

This book is creepy and addictive and pulls you in from the second you start reading it. And then leaves questioning everything you just read. As the title states "None of this is true" 💀

Lisa Jewell is the MASTER of incredible, jaw dropping, talk to myself outloud while I am reading, amazing suspense writing! This book was something I could not put down and absolutely neglected the responsibilities of my life while reading! I could not get enough. There are twists and turns around every corner and my family thought I was nuts with the audible gasps that I would make when she would throw another loop into the mix! I cannot recommend this book enough as it is SURE to be a gigantic hit!

This was my first Lisa Jewell book , even though I have a few by her in my TBR!! And now can’t wait to read ! When I first got into reading thrillers , she was the one everyone told me to get ! So anytime I was out and saw a Lisa Jewell book I grabbed it!

I went in completely blind! I was hooked from page 1 and couldn’t wait for answers !! I didn’t trust anyone because of the title of the book , I didn’t know who to believe and I’m still not sure who I believe 😅

The format of this one is really different and fun too ! I loved the podcast recording element to it ! I’d actually love to listen to this one on audiobook too!! ( and I’m not an audiobook girl) but for this I think it would be perfect !! So I’m 100% going to do that!

If you’re looking for a thriller that makes you feel like you’re watching a real life documentary, this one is for you !!

I gave this one a 3.5 ⭐️( rounded to 4 on here ) because for me it wasn’t “mind blowing” by any means, which is what I love in a thriller. I need heart racing , eye popping , hold your breath twists and turns, which I didn’t get from this. But it was a fun read! And I still highly recommend it!

Review will be up on my IG soon! Thank you so much for the ARC !

@books_andmakeup

🏡𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞🏡

Loved it. Thriller lovers- you NEED this book. It blew me away. All the stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘In this edgy thriller from bestseller Jewell (The Family Remains), meek housewife Josie Fair and true crime podcaster Alix Summers meet by chance in a pub where both are celebrating their 45th birthdays. Immediately obsessed with her more successful counterpart, Josie engineers several “chance” meetings with Alix—including one outside her children’s school—in order to forge a friendship. Instead of feeling threatened, Alix decides to feature Josie on a podcast about the lives of ordinary women. Before long, though, Josie divulges that beneath her modest middle-class home life lie instances of pedophilia, child abuse, and even murder. But are any of Josie’s stories true? As Alix digs deeper, she begins to question her new friend’s motives for meeting her in the first place, and through a series of reversals, comes to fear she’s been set up in a twisted game of cat and mouse.’

VERY few thrillers surprise me at the end and this one did not disappoint. THE RISING TENSION!! Ugh chefs kiss. It was so good!!

I do just FLY through Lisa Jewell's prose and this was no exception - I truly never got ahead of it.

I loved the warped relationship between our two main characters, and found myself oddly rooting for the "bad one". And I was STILL shocked by the end.

Though more tightly contained than her other books, the deeper dive into the individual characters supported this structure. The rare psychological thriller that doesn't make you feel cheap at the end.

This book was fantastic!! Twisty and dark, this thriller by Lisa Jewell held my attention all the way through till the end!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This is exactly the type of thriller I like to read - one that keeps me on my toes and keeps me guessing at each turn of events. Josie makes her way into Alix's enviable life and ushers her into starting a podcast on Josie's life. The story Josie tells eventually unfolds into a true crime podcast Alix didn't see coming. A lot of did she or didn't she, this girl is crazy, sprinkled with twist and turns up until the end. Definitely recommend for my thriller-reading friends!

In None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, we meet two women, Josie and Alix. Josie is out for dinner with her husband to celebrate her 45th birthday, when she sees Alix across the room, also celebrating her 45th birthday. Here starts Josie's intense obsession with Alix, where she discovers she's a famous podcaster. After putting herself in several coincidental run-ins with Alix, she convinces the woman to interview her for her new podcast. She tells her she has an extraordinary story and is ready to tell it. What Alix discovers about her new friend, however, is way more than she ever bargained for, for it seems Josie is not the person she is portraying herself to be. I really enjoyed this premise, with the Netflix and Podcast episode scattered throughout the chapters. The pacing of the information revealed I thought was very clever and grasped the reader's attention. Lots of plot twists in the end, some I saw coming and others I didn't. By the ending, I felt like there was something missing from the overall story, but I can't put my finger on what exactly. It seemed unfinished. There were a few questions I didn't feel were fully answered (like what was up with the baby food bit, and what about the other trinkets in Josie's drawers that weren't Alix or Brooke's), but nonetheless I give this 3.5 stars (round to 4). It would be awesome if Netflix actually picked this novel up, because I think it would play out on the screen really well.

This was an exceptional novel. I chose to listen to it on audio and by far it is the best audio performances uni have ever heard. I’m familiar with the author’s name but assumed she was writing another one of those Gone Girl books. But from the first few lines I was completely enraptured with the story. My all-time favourite writer is Ruth Rendell and this book comes the closest to her type of writing and wonderful odd,creepy characterizations. I will recommend this book to everyone I know. Just a riveting read. I can’t wait to read other books by this author. Fantastic experience!

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Well written and held my interest throughout the book.

Wow! I devoured this book in just 24 hours and I don't think I'm ready for it to be done. I will jump at any chance to read a Lisa Jewell book and this one just blew all of her other one's out of the water. The format was intriguing, the story line was addictive and the characters were captivating.
You know from the start the Josie is going to be a hard character to relate to but she's purposefully written that way. You want to feel bad for her, but you can't quite tell how reliable she really is. Alix is looking for that next story for her podcast and although she finds Josie odd, she still sees potential in the story she has to tell. Until their seemingly all business relationship starts crossing the line into the personal and Alix doesn't know how to stop it.
The suspense was real. Not in a scary way, but in a way where more information was craved. I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when. I loved how my brain interacted with this book and the writing. My head is still spinning and I want more.

5⭐️

<b>Please, tell the world that I’m not a bad person. That I’m just a normal person coping with bad things.</b>

Alix Summer is a podcaster who interviews strong women who inspire her and her listeners, and is out celebrating her 45th birthday with her loved ones. Josie Fair is in the same restaurant, and also celebrating her 45th birthday, and approaches Alix in the restroom to tell her that they are birthday twins. What Alix thinks is a small passing moment with a stranger becomes increasingly more complicated and strange when she bumps into Josie again. Josie has an idea to be interviewed for Alix’s podcast because she feels that she is on the cusp of changing her life for the better and wants Alix to document it. Alix agrees, and ends up with a lot more trouble than she bargained for.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Josie’s so weird, and it was interesting to get glimpses into her crazy brain. The juxtaposition of adding the scenes from the TV series with the story was so interesting and really just added to the mystery of it all. I really enjoyed this and think it’s probably my favorite book from this author so far.

I really enjoyed this new Lisa Jewell novel. The multiple perspectives gave the story some great depth and I always love an unreliable narrator. The twists and turns in this story kept me entertained the whole way through and I didn't find the story predictable which I really enjoyed, Would definitely recommend this book!

Podcast thrillers are becoming popular within the last couple years and in my opinion getting a little overdone.

Lisa Jewell is an auto read author for me though so of course I picked this one up. I ended up listening to the audio version and thought the narration was well done.

A lot of people are saying this is her best yet but I personally disagree because I felt it got a little long and convoluted. I do think it would make a fantastic movie or tv series though. 3.5/5

This is the first book I’ve read by Lisa Jewell (I know I know!) but it won’t be my last.

This was a great read and I flew through it in a day. It definitely kept me wondering what was going to happen next and if Josie was telling the truth or if she was insane.

I loved the Netflix/Podcast element and how we got to see the story through ‘interviews’ with different characters throughout.

Be sure to check trigger warnings if you plan to pick this one up cause it does touch on dark topics.

4.5/5 stars

Basically 2 women discover that they are 'Birthday Twins' - born on the same day and the same age. But they couldn't be less similar, Alix is a glamourous and successful journalist/podcaster who thinks it could be interesting to interview her Birthday Twin Josie to learn more about her odd and interesting life.

As they begin recording random items from Alix's home start to go missing, and the things she learns about Josies life are dark and disturbing.

This was such a smart thriller with a twist ending that I didn't see coming.

Highly recommend for all the thriller lovers!