Could not shake the chilling feeling that something bad is about to happen the entire time I was reading this, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

This thriller was disturbing, creepy, eerie, twisty, all around consuming, and far more intense than any other Lisa Jewell novel I have read.

I'm sure I'll be thinking about None of This Is True for a while to come, and I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

Alix is a popular podcaster who meets Josie randomly when both are celebrating their birthdays. They discover they are birthday twins (born the same day, the same year, in the same hospital), and Josie uses that to leverage herself into being a podcast subject. Josie is, of course, not what she seems. Married since she was 18 to a man she met when she was 13 (and he was 46!), Josie has one teenage daughter who ran away and one who is a total recluse. Or so Josie says. She manages to move into Alix’s house, wearing her clothes and makeup, before disappearing mysteriously.

Let me start by saying this book has a 4.36-star rating on GoodReads. I’m clearly in the minority, but I didn’t like the book, mainly because Josie and everything about her disturbed me. To be fair, psychological thrillers aren’t my favorite, and I need some likable characters to keep me engaged. Alix is a complete pushover, with Josie and her own husband’s odd behavior. Don’t get me started on Josie. Is she damaged? Deranged? Manipulative? Brilliant? A sociopath? All of the above?

The writing is compelling, and I kept turning the pages, reading late into the night to finish, but I just felt icky after. This is my second by Jewell, and I think we aren’t a good fit.

Thanks, NetGalley and Atria Books, for a Digital Review Copy. NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is available now.

Absolutely stunning book!! This is the best Lisa Jewell book yet!! When podcaster, Alix Summer, meets Josie at a pub on their birthday, they become birthday twins. Josie pitches a podcast idea to Alix, and Alix falls for the suggestion. The more time Alix and Josie spend together, the more drawn into Josie's life story Alix becomes. It's salacious, dark, mysterious and has all the makings for an amazing podcast episode.

But when Josie disappears, Alix begins to wonder how much of the story was actually true!

“None of This is True” by Lisa Jewell starts when two women meet on their birthday. They are in the same restaurant, celebrating the same age, and it feels like a sign. Alix is a podcast host looking for her next story, and Josie is a seemingly average women ready to make a big change in her world. They decide that together they will create a podcast. As Josie shares the peculiar stories from her life, Alix can’t help craving more of the story, while simultaneously wanting nothing to do with her. But it’s too late, Josie has carved a space into Alix’s world- the only question is, what will she do when that space is in jeopardy?

Lisa Jewell, as always, is a master storyteller. She takes average people and adds a sinister twist that you can’t look away from. This book was truly a guessing game because the title immediately tips you off that something is a lie. The question is, what parts are a lie and who is the liar? I was suspicious of everyone all the time.

Overall, this book was a solid 4 star read. I love the theming of a podcast and the tv show special. I am not hating the trend of showing us other media within a book and making the story an extra dimension. If you like a good mystery, this is a great one to pick up!

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!

4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books eGalley for the EARC. This book made me feel so much I felt stumped, then repulsed, then WTF and then in true Lisa Jewell fashion I questioned everything I just read. Just go in blind trust me you dont need to know anything because even if you read the summary is it even true?

4.5/5!

What a bingeable thriller! Lisa Jewell hit it out of the park with finding a way to keep me glued to the pages of this story and completely invested in what was happening with our main characters.

From the start of None of This Is True, readers know that something is off. There is this sense of unease and dread constantly building as we learn more and more about Alix and Josie. Jewell methodically reveals more about each of the characters and their building relationship over the course of several days. I loved getting to know each of the characters and how Jewell alternated who was narrating to the reader what was happening.

In addition to following the story chronologically, there are snippets from Alix’s podcast mixed into the story that reveal to the reader issues with Josie’s narrative and hint at something traumatic happening in the future.

There is a lot to unpack with the plot of None of This Is True and as the title would lead you to believe, there were several times where I caught myself thinking “not a chance that’s real” or “that sounds suspicious”. The unreliable narrator vibe is present, but not in a stereotypical way and not in a way that’s in your face. I think the subtle doubt that builds from our character’s interactions and the podcast snippets are what made this story really work for me. The constant mental game of trying to decide what was true kept me coming back for more and more.

A huge thank you to Atria Books for my gifted copy!

A psychological thriller by Lisa Jewell never disappoints and this one is no different.

When “birthday twins” Alix and Josie meet, their lives become more intertwined and more confusing… this book is insane and best to go in blind so hold on to your hats and dive into this thrilling story!!

I ate this book up, it was so fucking delicious! I haven’t read any of her books before but this one makes me want to immediately read her entire backlist of books!

I was super on Josie’s side and rooting for her and feeling sorry for all the things in her life that had happened and then just holy shit! This was done so incredibly well and I still have questions and I adored the breakup of chapters with the podcast dialogue and the Netflix documentary visual.

And I’m so so happy that Roxy and Erin turned our to be in a good place at the end. I’ll be recommending this to everyone I know!!

I really enjoyed this book and that came as a huge surprise to me. After reading Lisa Jewell's "Then She Was Gone" and giving it 2 stars, I was really happy that the problems I had in that novel were not repeated in this one. None of This is True has really compelling characters, an exciting and twisty plot, and a phenomenal audiobook. Seriously, if you're planning on reading this one you have to give the audiobook a listen, it felt like I was genuinely watching a Netflix true crime documentary. I was hesitant about the podcast element because I think podcasts are becoming a little oversaturated in books at the moment, but honestly, I thought this interpretation of it was so unique. Combining the podcast clips with documentary clips was a perfect way to keep the suspense going and to give us little clues along the way! I think both of our main characters were really interesting so I never minded the switching of their povs and the ending was really good too! That's honestly all I have to say about this one because I just really liked it. 4.5 stars from me :)

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
Thriller
Pub Date : August 9, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited to get an advanced copy of Lisa Jewells new book! Her books are always one of my favorites.

This book is about a popular podcaster Alix Summer. We meet Alix while she is out celebrating her 45th birthday with her husband and all her friends. While she is there Alix meets a woman called Josie Fair who is also celebrating her 45th birthday, they are birthday twins.
A few days later they bump into each other again, Josie believes she would be a good subject for Alix’s podcasts. Josie says she is on the cusp of great changes in her life. Alix is very intrigued in Josie and her strange complicated life. Josie begins reveal a lot about her life and her life is starting to get entangled into Alix’s life.
Alix ends up realizing she has become the subject of her own true crime podcast.

This story was so good and had me questioning every angle. I enjoyed the unreliable narrator and the aspect of living through the podcast. The characters were all so interesting and the plot kept me hooked the whole time.

This one comes out today so make sure you head out and pick it up!

Thank you @atriabooks @bookfavorites and @lisajewelluk for the gifted e-arc and hardcover copies.

This book was WILD. I love the theme of podcasts being in the plot of books, probably because most of my time is spent listening to podcasts. None of This is True is the story of Alix, a well known podcaster, who is convinced by a stranger named Josie to do a podcast on her, under the guise of discussing the fact that they are “birthday twins”. (Side note, my birthday twin is Adam Sandler J). The problem is that the more research Alix does into Josie’s life, the less she knows about Josie. I assumed that I saw the ending coming, but I wasn’t entirely wrong, and the book ended without me truly knowing what had happened, which I think was the point. I definitely think this is going to be a huge thriller this year. I want to read more of Jewell’s works!

Wow!

A chance meeting of two women, born on the same day in the same hospital 45 years ago, will have life changing effects for both women.

This was a crazy story full of complicated, unlikable characters that will keep you turning the page well past your bedtime.

Thank you Atria books and Netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange of an honest review.

I love Lisa Jewell and I was not disappointed with this one!

Two women, Josie and Alix, happen to meet on the evening of their 45th birthdays. Josie reconnects with Alix in a "chance" meeting and hopes to convince Alix , a podcaster, to make her the subject of her next podcast. What follows is a twisty tale that leaves you wondering what is true?

I tend to be a big critic of thrillers and though this one wasn't the most mind-blowing one I've ever read, I really enjoyed the story and process of reading it. I found myself wanting to pick it up every day and I didn't want to put it down at night. I didn't absolutely love the ending, but since I did enjoy reading it, I'm giving it 4 stars!

I was hooked from the start- when Josie Fair approaches Alix Summers at a restaurant where they're both celebrating their 45 birthdays. They're birthday twins! Right away we know something sketchy is going to happen since the book informs us that a Netflix series is being developed based on a podcast called "Hi! I'm your birthday twin." For me, the book is a bit of a wild ride, seeing what Josie would do next and wondering about her motivations. Not to mention, Alix's husband's antics!

I do want to mention there is a relatively creepy pedophilia/grooming aspect to this book that I could have done without, especially with the cringy victim blaming.

Lisa Jewell does it again. She just doesn't get it wrong. If you are looking for a thriller to get lost in that won't make you want to throw it across the room (a rarity for me) read None of This is True!

she’s done it again. lisa jewell has such a knack for creating absolutely unhinged characters. i devoured this in two days, i just had to know how it ended. the titles says “none of this is true” and it was such a wild ride trying to figure out how much of the main character was fabricating.

This book was really great and full of suspense. I was hooked very early on and couldn't put it down. I found the premise very fascinating

Boy are you in for a ride with the latest from Lisa Jewell! This may be my favorite one from her yet!

This novel focuses on Alix and Josie- birthday twins! They meet at a local pub whilst out celebrating their 45th birthdays and discover they were born on the same day, same year, and at the same hospital. Alix is a well-known podcaster which intrigues Josie to tell her her story. Josie begins having meetings with Alix where she begins to divulge her deepest, darkest secrets.

This one draws you in from the get-go! There are so many red flags it's unreal. Josie is envious of Alix and her seemingly perfect life, but Alix's life is not as perfect as it seems. Josie seems to have stalkerish tendencies and becomes obsessed with Alix.

I can't say much more without giving away major plot points. However, I will say do yourself a favor and grab this gem! You're in for a thrilling ride!

Lisa Jewell's new psychological thriller, None of This is True, is a masterfully crafted work of suspense that will keep you guessing until the very end. The story follows two women, Alix Summer and Josie Fair, who meet by chance on their 45th birthdays. Alix is a popular podcaster who is looking for a new subject for her show, and Josie is a mysterious woman with a dark past. As Alix gets to know Josie, she begins to realize that she is not who she seems. Josie is hiding a terrible secret, and Alix is in danger of becoming the next victim.

Jewell is a master of suspense, and she does a masterful job of building tension throughout the story. The reader is never quite sure what is going to happen next, and the twists and turns are truly shocking. The characters are also well-developed and believable, and the reader can't help but root for Alix to solve the mystery and survive.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, then you will definitely want to read None of This is True. It is a well-written, suspenseful, and satisfying read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I really enjoyed None of This is True. It is a well-written, suspenseful, and satisfying read that I would definitely recommend to fans of psychological thrillers.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• dark & twisty psychological thriller
• podumentary transcripts
• unreliable narrators

Wow! I was so uncomfy (in a good way 😂) while reading this book. The characters were so bizarre and disturbing. I really had no idea who to trust. I wanted just a littleeee more from the ending.

🗣️ Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.