This book had so many twists and turns. I was hooked from the start and had no idea where it would go. I said “wtf is going on?!” so many times while reading this! This was probably Lisa Jewell’s most dark/twisted book yet, and I loved it!

I loved the podcast element and looked forward to those chapters as we would learn more about Josie. All of the characters were unique (some crazy) and added to the storyline well.

Would've been 5 stars if not for one thing. <spoiler>If she hadn't killed the other's husband. That ruined for me.</spoiler> I was fully involved in this until that happened and I really wish it hadn't happened. But otherwise, really great book, so twisty.

Miss Lisa Jewell really said HOLD MY BEER I’m about to rock your whole world (sorry LJ if you don’t like beer🤪). And that’s exactly what she did with this one. She rocked my wholeeeee world, turned it upside down, and shook it all about. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. I read this one in under 24 hours, in just a couple sittings. This one is worth ALLLL the hype and even more.

The prose immediately drug me in. While Josie is celebrating her 45th birthday in a restaurant, she spots another woman (Alix) also celebrating her 45th birthday. They have a little convo about it in the bathroom about how cool it is they are birthday twins. Turns out, Alix is a well-known podcaster. A few days later, Josie confronts Alix and wants to tell her “truth” on her next podcast series. Alix agrees and quickly realizes that Josie is keeping some darkkkk secrets. Josie becomes obsessed with Alix and things start going downhill fast.

The characters had such great development and you have no idea who to trust or what to believe. At times I felt sorry for some, felt curious about others, and despised the rest.

This one was absolutely mind-bending. I was addicted the entire time. This being my second LJ book, I can confidently say I love her writing style. All of her books will now have a comfy home on my shelves and I’m not mad about it. HUBS GET OUT THE WALLET!

🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️<< this is me running to purchase Lisa’s entire backlog.

Whoa-what a read! Twisty, dark, compulsively readable. It is clever in that there's the story, the podcast and the we know it's a hit because there's also the scene script of the Netflix adaptation. It reminds me that we are surround by bizarre people who have uniquely bizarre stories to share. I am still unsure what the "truth" of the matter is and who is lying about that night. I highly recommend you give it a go. I also can see that it will be easily adapted for the big (or small screen) in the future--assuming the strikes end.

Whenever a book receives such huge praise before publication day, it always makes me wary. Has it been so hyped up that I’m putting undue pressure on it to be amazing? That is not the case with None of This is True.

This book reads like a true crime documentary. The subject is the enigmatic Josie Fair. You’re not really sure what to think of her as she comes off as both naive and intelligent. The story is told mostly from the third person POVs of Josie and podcast host, Alix Summers, who have a chance meeting at a pub when both are celebrating their birthdays.

As Alix interviews Josie for a new series, we learn more about Josie, about her past, present, and what she hopes the future will hold. And as the story goes on, the more strange and stalkerish Josie comes off. Transcripts from that podcast and other interviews are placed in the middle of chapters to make for a unique storytelling experience that I absolutely loved. Throw in some twists and an ending that left me questioning what I read, but in a good way, and you have the recipe for an extremely successful, psychological thriller.

Thank you so much NetGalley for selecting me to receive an ARC copy of this book! I loved the Netflix series/podcast element of this story - it was definitely unique + added something extra to the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but couldn’t help thinking “but none of this is true” and the title gave way to a slightly predictable twist. I will never not pick up a Lisa Jewell book - her creative writing techniques will always keep me coming back for more!

This was a wild ride and a page turner; I stayed up way later than I should have telling myself "just one more chapter." There's just something about an unreliable narrator, and that twist during the ninth inning had me screaming (in the best way).

This was the first thing I've read by Jewell and I will definitely be going into her back catalogue.

Are you one of those girls who easily makes friends in the bathroom? Do you ever just have a lighthearted instant connection with someone...? ... Have you ever seen that person again and laughed at your paths crossing again? If so - this is the thriller you NEED to read in 2023.

THOUGHTS:
- My first Lisa Jewell book was Then She Was Gone and in much the same vein, Jewell's latest, None of This Is True, is dark and unhinged. I've been using that word to describe thrillers a lot lately because there are race-against-the-clock thrillers, psychological thrillers.. etc... but I'm realizing that the thrillers I've been loving the most are where the characters have truly lost their grip on reality.

- I tagged this one as a feminist read for a couple of reasons. #1 - when we look at age gaps in relationships, it's pretty normal to see older men/younger women. But as soon as the tables are turned and it's an older woman/younger man.. people aren't always as accepting. In None of This is True, we explore the uglier side of those older man/younger women age gap relationships that no one openly discusses. #2 - I loved that our heroine/FMCs are discussing their lives in relation to their husbands throughout and letting us in on all those intrusive thoughts we try so hard to file away!!

- None of This Is True would make a great audiobook for those of us with longer commutes!!! You'll be to work or home and not even know how you got there because this story sucks you in so much!!!

NOTES:
- CWs: Child abuse, ped0philia

**Thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 “Podcast books are so hot right now,” -Me, trying to make books about podcasts happen. #sofetch

🥂𝒫𝒶𝒾𝓇𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽: 12-pack of White Claws: binge drinking, binge reading, tomatOH, tomAHto

✍️ Yikes! Worst book I’ve ever read. Struggled for weeks to get through it. Avoid at all costs.

Actually…none of this is true! 😛🙈Ha! Couldn’t resist.

In fact, I devoured this book in two days. Lisa Jewell is BACK with what I believe is her “bingey-est” book yet.👏

If you’re like everyone I see on Instagram taking long plane rides to Europe this summer, I highly recommend bringing this on the flight. Eight hours to Italy? No ti preoccupare! Crack this baby open and the plane ride will feel quicker than Lizzie McGuire exposing Paolo for the fraud he really was. That lip-syncing POS.

Speaking of frauds and getting back to the book, who’s lying? Who should we trust? This story about a podcaster interviewing a woman looking to re-invent herself will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page, where you’ll probably fall off your seat.

Hey how. Hey now. This is what thriller dreams are made of.

📊 Lisa Jewell rating on the way.

⚠️ May cause readers to wonder what their birthday twin is doing these days.

Podcaster Alex Summers is out celebrating her 45th birthday at a local pub when she crosses paths with a meek woman named Josie Fair. As it turns out they are birthday twins. Later they bump into each other again and they get to talking and Josie ends up talking Alex into doing a podcast about her. It’s not long before Alex realizes that things with Josie are extremely strange. Soon she starts to think it might have been a horrible idea to bring her into her life.

Y’all Lisa Jewell has done it again! None Of This Is True might actually be my favorite book of hers. It’s a fast paced psychological thriller that will quite literally have you saying WTF several times. I mean seriously some of the plot twists on this one were mind blowing crazy. I can’t say I loved any of the characters but they were very well developed. The chapters were also short so that made this a fast read. It’s also a mixed media book and I love that she wrote it in that format. I’ve become a really big fan of mixed media books. They’re just so fun to read and usually it makes the pacing faster. Anyways this was solid 5 star read and definitely one of my top reads of the month.

What a twisty ride!! I was hooked from the first page and could not put this book down. I really enjoyed this one, and both wanted it to end so I knew what happened but also keep going because it was so good. Thank you for this ARC NetGalley!!

I found this to be an entertaining psychological thriller novel. It was a fast read and I couldn’t wait to see how things played out. It gave major dark and creepy vibes.
Chapters alternate between Josie and Alix. Each one have a fascinating story full of secrets and lies, and it becomes clear early on: trust no one; nothing is as it seems.
Although, both characters were complex and I couldn’t get over their train wreck lives, I was really drawn to Josie. She was the most entertaining to read about and I had a hard time deciding if I was more fascinated or appalled by her.

None of This is True is an unputdownable rollercoaster!

What was this? I don’t even know. It’s right there in the title: none of this is true- but WHAT WAS TRUE?? That ending left me questioning so much. All I know is I could NOT put it down. I was invested.

In fact, I’m still invested. (AKA, I need to know what was in that room. It’s haunting me. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I finished this book this morning.)

If you enjoy:
Unreliable narrators
Podcast documentaries
Ambiguous endings (and I mean ambiguous- were my predictions right, were they wrong? Who knows 😂)
… then you’ll enjoy this!

One thing I do take issue with: I don’t like the suggestion that a minor may be responsible for a pedophile’s actions. Minors cannot consent. Period.

I read the ebook version of this story, but I think it would also be really cool to listen to the audiobook. I would love to hear the podcast/ Netflix parts come to life.

4 out of 5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. None of This is True comes out 08/08/23.

This has got to be one of her best yet. So many twist and turns. I was constantly changing my mind of what I thought was true. I loved how it was told. It was dark and twisty.. two of my favorite things in a thriller!

Definitely a plot driven novel so it lives up to its suspense label. The title is a bit of a tease/giveaway though as I spent the entire book doubting every character’s story. But this is a novel with multiple twists so, by the end, I wasn’t sure I could even believe the author’s conclusion! I enjoyed it a lot even though I’m left with an unsettled feeling fueled by a trail of lies…but whose?!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

This is my first Lisa Jewell book. I am really enjoying it and find it quite compelling and addictive. I imagine this will lead me to read others of her works.

Oh my goodness, this was SO good! Two women, Alix Summer and Josie Fair meet coincidentally at a pub on the night of both their 45th birthdays. They then realize they were both born at the same hospital as well, but that is about as far as similiaries between the two women extend. Alix is a podcaster, with a beautiful home, two adorable young children and a loving husband. Josie lives in a much more humble flat with a husband who is almost thirty years her senior and a daughter she hasn't set eyes on in years. The two women quickly form a relationship while Alix ends up interviewing Josie about her life for a new podcast she is working on. Josie has quite a tale to tell, but is it true? Wow, this was just so well done and it will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the very last chapter! A perfect, unsettling thriller to wrap up summer!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing this to be my first review!
Lisa Jewell has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. Her quick chapters, balance of spine chilling creepy stories that carry an element of reality. And this book is certainly at the top of the list for me! The premise of the birthday twin meeting, followed by a bizarre story of a woman named Josie with a traumatic past looking to change her life. I will be thinking about the ending for some time- it gives readers the opportunity to reach their own conclusions. Five stars!

Lisa Jewell's latest thriller, None of This is True, draws from the current cultural zeitgeist by telling a story that revolves around a true crime podcast and its television adaptation. The story follows Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, who invites the peculiar Josie Fair into her studio when they discover that they are "birthday twins." The interactions between the two seem innocuous at best, but it is very quickly revealed that there is something off about Josie and her family.

Jewell's writing is as sharp as ever as she jumps between the perspectives of Alix and Josie. The novel reveals twist after twist and relishes in a complicated story created by a number of unreliable narrators. It will leave readers guessing at the truth all the way to the end.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
Narrators: Nicola Walker, Louise Brealey, and full cast
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub Date: 8/8

This was my first book by Lisa Jewell, and it definitely won’t be my last. Wow! This book was an adrenaline-pumping, wild ride I devoured in a little over a day.

The story follows Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, who crosses paths with Josie Fair, an unassuming woman celebrating her forty-fifth birthday on the same day as Alix. What starts as an innocent encounter at a restaurant takes a dark turn when Josie weaves her way into Alix's life, offering to be the subject of Alix’s next podcast.

Jewell skillfully wove together the lives of two fascinating women with vastly different backgrounds. Alix, with her seemingly perfect life, and Josie, a woman with a troubled past, collide in a way that will leave you breathless. By the time Alix realized that she shouldn’t have let Josie into her life, it was too late to do anything about it.

I mostly listened to this on audio, and the use of music and excerpts from the Netflix documentary and the podcast made for a riveting listen. Both narrators did an incredible job with the characters, and I enjoyed the full-cast narration. The short chapters kept me engaged, and I fell in love with Jewell’s writing style.

While "None of This is True" is nearly perfect, I must confess that the ending left me feeling a bit conflicted. The book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through, but the final chapters left me wanting just a bit more.

Overall, this was a gripping thriller that hooked me from the start. It was an addictive journey full of twists, turns, and jaw-dropping revelations. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for my ARC to read and to Simon Audio for my free ALC.