Lisa Jewell is so creative in the way she sets up stories, and this one might be my favorite one yet! I loved the podcast/documentary interspersed in the story to help move things along, answer questions, and bring up more questions! I loved how the characters were written and thought they were so relatable in today's world. We all know an "influencer" and Jewell painted her so well. I think this one is going to be the book to read this fall. Overall, incredible!

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I can always count on Lisa Jewell for a fun, twisting, and maybe, at times, disturbing read. With none of this is true, she really hit the mark on all 3 . I normally read a few books at once, but I couldn't with this book, as I couldn't put it down. These are my favorite books the ones that have you so invested you stay up all night to find out how this roller-coaster ends.

Spoilers: This book does contain pedophilia and grooming of a minor. If this is triggering for you, I would avoid it.

Josie is out celebrating her birthday, like a sadsack, with her husband she can barely stand, quietly sipping on soup. She sees a gorgeous blonde with a gaggle of friends also celebrating her birthday, and she can't help but follow the blonde (Alix) to restroom. She tells Alix they are "birthday twins" and learns they are the same age and were born at the same hospital. Alix turns out to be a prevalent podcaster with a large social media presence. Josie begins to place herself in the position to see Alix and sparks up conversation, which leads to Josie inserting herself in Alix's life when she suggests they do a podcast together.

First off, let me say that I inhaled this page-turner of a book. I loved the format of podcase/netlfix documentary style, then the switch off between Alix's point of view and Josie's point of view. I love a good unreliable narrator. This book was positioned to be my favorite read of the summer UNTIL then end. And man oh man, what a let down. In order to keep my review spoiler free I will say that I was so gravely disappointed by the redemption arc of a certain character. There is no redemption for that man, and also the sentence about "some would say a bad man" is so mind-boggling infuriating. Another undeserving man gets a redemptive arc at the end, of course a man. But then the complete and utter woman-shaming/blaming of one particular mother is absolutely bonkers.

"Her boy sits inside every night with eyes wide staring at a screen. Her girl cries over mean things said to her by other girls on a piece of plastic and glass she allows her to have access to. Her husband hands her cash as if she put a gun to his head. She sits in her recording studio pulling words out of women who've had a much harder life than her, who have suffered and survived, who have worked so hard and succeeded against all odds.... [but] she is not a feminist, she is not anything, she is a trinket, a flibbergibbet..."

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Atria Books, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to Atria for the physical ARC and NetGalley and Atria for the eARC. This was excellent. I was simply enraptured by this novel. The concept was interesting (who doesn’t love a good podcast?) the characters were intriguing and the story was incredibly engaging. I had to know what happened next. I thoroughly enjoyed the podcast elements and I found this to be the best Lisa Jewell novel I have read yet. I also listened to the audio version and I cannot recommend it enough - incredibly immersive and expertly captures the tone and vibes. Five stars!!!

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell llives up to all the praise you hav heard. Josie Fair and Alix Summer discover that they are birthdat twins when they celebrate their 45th birthdays at the same restaurant. But they are as different as they can possibly be - both in looks and lifestyle. Josie becomes obsessed with Alix and soon has wormed her way into Alix's life to work on a podcast together. Alix has many problems of her own but she just can't shake Josie. Soon Alix's husband is missing and all evidence points to Josie. I kept the title of this book in mind as i was readig yet I was surprised by the many twists. I love a book that is full of weirdos and this one did not disappoint.
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Twisted and twisty! Lisa Jewell pulls you in to a tale of dysfunction and manipulation you’ll never see coming. And the format is ridiculously compelling, melding narrative, podcast transcript, and documentary footage to give us such a rich POV. There were a couple of things I felt were missing from the big revelations at the end, but generally a great, tense thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Audiobook Rating: 5/5

None of This Is True is unlike any novel by Lisa Jewell that I have read/listened to thus far and the end of the book is what kept me from loving it as much as I could have. Hear me out and let's go through this story. Off the bat I was completely obsessed with Alix having a podcast and that she and Josie met in a pub on their same birthday. And not just any birthday, their forty-fifth to be exact, and they were even born in the same hospital! Now if that isn't a huge coincidence, I don't know what is. Now flash forward and all of a sudden Alix has started interviewing Josie for said podcast, and the reader gets to learn Josie's life story and how absolutely horrible a part of her teenage years was. I was thoroughly engrossed in the storyline, and I loved getting to know both of these women through their viewpoints.

There are a ton of moving parts in this one, and it might be one of the more complex plots I have read lately as well. There is a lot to unpack here, and Jewell broaches sensitive subjects with seeming ease... until the end. I finished and felt like something was missing or felt off, and then I figured out what it was. There is heavy victim blaming at the end and a line that is completely disgusting and should never have been used toward a victim. I don't know what the author was thinking bringing that into play and without an author's note no less, but it was icky, and I had to remove an entire star for it. That being said, I LOVED the rest of it, and this could have been an incredible book. It WAS an incredible audio, that's for sure, and the full cast and special effects made the podcast element completely shine. If you are going to read this you should definitely listen to it, and just make sure you keep the book close by in case you need it.

I really like this book.

I wouldn’t call this book scary. It’s more suspenseful.
Don’t read this and be upset that it’s not a super fast paced thriller.

I was super interested in the plot the entire time;however, I don’t feel like the book ended neatly. It definitely seemed to leave potential for a book two in the future? Could be just me.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Lisa Jewell is an auto-buy author and my favorite thriller writer. None of This is True is her latest release, and many reviewers have stated that this is her best novel yet. For me, that honor still goes to the Family Upstairs and the Family Remains, but this was still a solid thriller.

The novel is narrated via two POVs. One is Alix, a podcaster whose series, showcasing successful women, was a huge hit. By chance, she meets Josie on her birthday, and the two discover they're the same age and even share the same birthday. Alix decides to make Josie the subject of her next series, and that's when things go awry, as she realizes Josie may not be who she says she is.

I am a fan of podcast series, so I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. Interspersed throughout the novel are excepts of the podcast and the Netflix documentary based on it. I started off feeling sorry for Josie until she started revealing more about herself and her home life. Josie, in addition to being eccentric, gave me the creepiest vibes, and reading her POV made me extremely uncomfortable. Alix, on the other hand, came off as very gullible, but to be fair, Josie put her in positions, which would make it hard for many empathetic people to say no to.

As for the ending, it came off as ambiguous, and this isn't a spoiler, but I attended Lisa Jewell's book signing a few weeks ago, and she said the ending is what it is. There isn't any ambiguity to it. However, I'm still not sure what to think, especially considering the nefarious lengths one of the MCs went to.

What a page turner this was! I love me a good psychological thriller. It's the mind trickery for me! This was exactly that. Disturbing, dark, and twisty.

The podcast and Netflix show element within was also such a cool touch. This is where all the details and backstory are laid out.

The element of telling you only just enough to make you want more was well done. I definitely say go in with an open mind. Try not to make to many assumptions because they will change many times throughout. In the end what is true?? That's for you to interpret.

Thank you @lisajewelluk @netgalley @atriabooks for allowing me to read and give my honest review.

This title for Lisa Jewell's NONE OF THIS IS TRUE accurately captures the essence of the story. At the end of the story, you will definitely be questioning how much of any part of the story is actually true. I guessed a major plot point earlier on as it was foreshadowed quite heavily, but it was still an entertaining read. I really liked the alternative viewpoints and the inclusion of the podcast transcripts. The story unfolded well, and the last chapter made everything even more interesting.

NONE OF THIS TRUE feels very GONE GIRL, but the writing quality is less consistent. The opening pages definitely felt more polished. Ultimately, the reason why I am giving the story three stars instead of four is that I think there could have been much more condemning of the pedophilia overall.

I'm a fan of Lisa Jewell’s books and this one fell right into step with what I’ve liked about previous reads - I was so excited to be approved to read it.

From the title alone you know the narrator is unreliable, but in this case, which narrator? And what are they not telling the truth about? Not at all what I was expecting and certainly nothing that I guessed. To be fair, I’m not really sure what happened, but I was definitely hooked trying to find out :)

This one was a page-turner. You think you know what's happening and have a grip on where the story is going, and then toward the end of the story — as is typical with Lisa Jewell — there's a twist that changes things. It was one of those books that had me screaming at the characters a bit and sometimes, that feeling of being frustrated is just too much, so even though I wanted to keep reading I had to make myself put it down.

I really enjoyed this book! It started off a bit slow for me, but once it picked up I was really into it. I loved the twist at the end!

First of all, omg wow I can’t believe I got an ARC of this!? I’m still so incredibly shocked and grateful for that opportunity so thank you!!!

My favorite thriller of the year! And my favorite Lisa Jewell book to date!

I’m literally obsessed with this story and I can’t wait to have book club discussions about it. I was hooked from the ominous prologue.

Alix Summer is an influential podcaster. She has a chance meeting with Josie Fair, a married mom of two, and they realize they were not only born on the same day but in the same hospital. Josie asks Alix if she’d be interested in sharing her story as a new type of podcast series.

Something about Josie makes Alix believe this could be the story of a lifetime. Josie wants to come clean about her tragic life, and Alix thinks this could be the thing that launches her career to stardom. These two form a strained and tenuous bond, as Josie becomes more obsessive of Alix’s seemingly glamorous life, and Alix struggles to take her mind off her own troubling marriage.

I loved that the narrative was broken up by screenplay excerpts from the podcast turned Netflix documentary. And I just kept thinking the entire time how freaking cool this would be as an actual Netflix mockumentary. I would love to see that happen.

Jewell is a master composer of thriller fiction. She has the perfect formula for suspense, dropping lines of intrigue throughout the story, little bits of foreboding tension. She hooks you from the start and keeps you absolutely enthralled for the entire journey until its dramatic crescendo.

It’s harrowing; it’s sickening; and I could not put this book down. There were times that were so gut-wrenching my heart was breaking for them. I binged this in two days and I never wanted it to end. It’s disturbing and unsettling, and I never imagined the directions that this book would end up taking.

The story is more than a little creepy and there were many moments I actually got goosebumps while reading. Things got wildly out of control and I was soaking up every minute of it. The disgust I was feeling over the things that were happening in that house was visceral.

The twists! The turns! And my favorite trope of all, I still don’t know who was telling the truth! This was batshit crazy at times and even after everything, we are still left wondering who to believe. I freaking love it so much.

There were characters that I hated, characters that I loved and wanted to succeed, and some characters that my opinions of changed dramatically (and more than once). I mean I was literally gripping the pages and hanging on every word. It’s all so freaking twisted.

I mean… wtf did I just read!?!? In the absolute best way possible. I want all of my books to give me an experience like this. Also, the title is perfect. Honestly, this is the best book she has ever written. If you haven’t read this yet… what are you doing??? Move it to the very top of your tbr list and pick this one up immediately.

What a wild ride this one is! I think this one started as a slow burn, where you have a sense of unease and foreboding but you can’t quite put your finger on why. Right around the 60% mark, this book takes off and gets super twisty. I flew through the second half to see how it all played out. The ending left a little to be desired for me, and you finish the book again with a sense of unease and not knowing what exactly is true. This is definitely a great domestic thriller if you’re looking for something with no gore!

Anytime I see Lisa Jewell wrote a new book, it's immediately added to my tbr. While I practically finished this book in one sitting, it's only a 3/5 stars for me! The writing and the plot were very intriguing, however, the setup of a documentary/podcast style for all the important parts, was not my cup of tea. Although I did like this style in some places, towards the climax of the book that we've been waiting for since the reveal of the "three dead" characters in the first chapter, it felt just dropped into the story? Like, "oh by the way, this happens." I felt the most important parts of the novel were not drawn out enough or even given the time of day of the page.

I've read most of Lisa Jewell's books. I've enjoyed them all. This one is, without a doubt, my favorite. I was so intrigued from literally the first page. The construction of the story itself---inserting snippets of a Netflix show with the story itself is so smartly original! I could easily visualize the show in my head.

Josie and Alix and are two women that are not only born on the same day, same year---but at the same hospital. But their lives are vastly different. Where Alix is modern and at ease with people, Josie is clunky and awkward. By chance meeting on their 45th birthday, they celebrate at the same restaurant. This is the beginning of a creepy as hell story.

I was so absorbed in this story I could not turn the pages fast enough. Jewell even says in the afterword that she has never written a book as quickly as she wrote this one---but you wouldn't know it. The results are sheer amazement. I will not forget Josie and Alix for a long time to come.

4.5 stars

I've read many of Jewell's books, and this is probably one of my favorites. It's creepy, confusing, twisty, and it keeps the reader guessing the entire time. I had a hard time putting it aside, but, alas, life happens. I loved the multiple POV's (Alix, Josie, and the Netflix podcast). Characters are realistic and well-developed. Alix is an easy character to root for, and it's fun to try and figure out the mystery along the way. Fans of psychological thrillers will want to add this to their TBR pile!

WOW. This thriller is twisty! What is real what is a lie? This book kept you asking what! What a ride.
Another hit by Lisa Jewell.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?