i was so invested in this book. the formatting was so unique and different and i really did find it so bingeable. the entire time i thought it was going to be a 5 star read and the only reason it wasn’t is because i expected the ending to be more dramatic. however, overall it was such a good, quick, unique and entertaining read - i would recommend this book to literally anyone

thank you netgalley, i still cannot believe i got this as an ARC

This was an amazing book - it twists and turns and leaves the reader wondering until the very last chapter. I loved the way she weaved between the podcast, Netflix documentary and the current story. This is Lisa Jewell at her finest and am sure the screen writers are all frantically bidding for this book

None of This is True is that kind of book that keeps you gasping and turning the pages. Hint: read the title again! It's my first book by @lisajewelluk but definitely not the last! I finished it in 2 short nights and still think about it- there are lies, and twists and turns up to the last page!

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💃🏼 Vibes: Inception of the unreliable narrators.
📕 If you like ______, you’ll like this: Single White Female; Rock, Paper, Scissors
📖/🎧 Read Type: E-book (ARC)

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday, podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with her birthday twin, Josie Fair. They briefly bond over this, but go their separate ways. After fixating on Alix, her podcast, and her life, Josie finds a way to “bump into” her again. This time, she suggests that she may be a good subject for a podcast because she has some big life changes coming about. Josie is awkward and grating, but her life has been a train wreck that Alix can’t look away from. Things take a few (hundred) turns and Josie successfully inserts herself into Alix’s life and her home. Based on the events that follow, the podcast quickly turns into a true crime podcast with Alix and her family as the ultimate subjects.

Lisa Jewell always understands the assignment. This was such a page turner and I read it in one sitting. I’ve never read a book told through cross-over media. Interspersed with Josie and Alix’s POVs are snippets of Alix’s podcast, as well as various interviews filmed for a Netflix documentary on the incidents. The characters are written to be complex, all with negative and redeeming qualities. There are several dark themes that Jewell explores that leave you feeling a bit icky, but it honestly adds to the thrill factor. Don’t sleep on this one.

HUGE THANKS TO Lisa Jewell, Simon & Schuster, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. None of This is True is available for pre-order and will be officially published on August 8!

This is definitely one of my favorite Lisa Jewell books and one of the best thrillers I’ve read all year! It kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put the book down until I finished. I was extremely surprised by the twists and really enjoyed this.

This is the thriller I have been waiting a long time for! Non-formulaic with perfect pacing- I devoured this in 2 days. It is so rare for me to give a thriller five stars - this Lisa Jewel story fully earned it!

Two women randomly meet while celebrating both of their 45th birthdays and call themselves birthday twins. This chance meeting sets in motion a podcast exploring Josie’s life and the changes she is making to take back her life. Alix is a well known podcast host and is ready for her show to be about something different from her current one.

I love going in blind to thrillers, and I highly recommend doing that here. Just know that you will be second guessing yourself and waiting for the other shoe to drop the ENTIRE time. The writing keeps you tense as you see vulnerabilities everywhere. The character development was excellent. The stage was set and the players were placed on the board. There were creepy elements, twists, unreliable narrators and an ending that leaves you questioning everything.

Highly, highly recommend - I loved this book! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to read and review.

Like many people, I will read whatever Lisa Jewell writes, I don’t even need to read a synopsis. So when I got a sneak peek at None of this is True, I went in not knowing a thing about it. As I hoped, it was excellent. For those who read and love Lisa’s books, you will not be disappointed!

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer 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?

This is out now so go grab it! Go!

Alix Summer has a pretty perfect life. She has two young kids, a rich husband, and is the host of the podcast, All Woman. Josie Fair feels like she wants a fresh start. She thinks that her life has been wasted with an abusive husband, troublesome adult children, and virtually no freedom. When Josie Fair introduces herself on their shared birthday, Alix finds herself not only hosting a podcast, but becoming an integral part of a true crime documentary.

This was one of Lisa Jewel’s best books yet! I absolutely loved this twisty story with unreliable narrators and podcast/documentary excerpts. The writing was fantastic and the characters were so well thought out. I did predict most of the ending, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it. I thought the end was twisted and wild! Sometimes I think books about podcasts are cheesy, but I thought it was perfect. The only thing I would change is the title of the podcast “Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin”. I thought it was a little long and kinda weird. It would have been better as just “Birthday Twins”, but that’s just my opinion. Everything else was flawless!

Oh my goodness! Lisa Jewell is the queen of dark, twisty stories and this one is no exception. Alix and Josie are randomly brought together on their birthday night, as they happen to be born on the exact same day in the same year. The ‘birthday twins’ begin working together on Alix’s podcast, revealing dark secrets of Josie’s past. Alix gets more and more involved until it is too late, and her world gets turned upside down. I completely devoured this one! I could not put it down. You can feel the suspense building and building, and almost feel suffocated at times. There were so many cringey moments, and I honestly didn’t know what to believe even right until the very end. This story seeps under your skin, and will keep you thinking about it for days to come. It quickly turned into one of my favorites by Jewell. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this e-ARC for my honest review.

Wow I finished this in less than 24 hours because I could not stop. What a hot mess this was, and in a great way. I was shook at that ending! I was shook all throughout the book. Just wow

Wow - that’s all I have to say about this one really ! It was hard to put down and I finished it in less than a day ! Whatever you think you know or you think is coming up next, you will probably be wrong 😂

I’ve only read a few books by Lisa Jewell, so I was excited to read her latest. I’m happy to say it falls solidly in line with my ratings for the others i’ve read, at 4 stars rounded up from 3.5. None Of This Is True is an entertaining read with unreliable narrators, fast pacing, and interesting characters. Theres’s also some dark and unsettling themes, as well as the typical twists and turns we come to expect in a thriller. I loved the addition of the podcast/Netflix episodes as a means to slow the pacing and help tell the story. I think that fans of Lisa Jewell and thrillers in general will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My new favorite Lisa Jewell book. Without a doubt. Let me give you a real life example of how engaging this book was. Like couldn’t put it down. I had been reading a book that I was really struggling to get into, like it took me three days to get to 22%. I decided to put it to the side and pick up 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐞. I made it to 30% the first night I opened it!

Some of the things I loved:

• it was truly a riveting psychological thriller
centered around the production of a podcast
• the concept of “birthday twins”
• there were so many red flags, so many “omg, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” but you just can’t stop. You can’t look away. You’re staying on this twisty ride
• the story was told by date and time. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book in this format, and I found it worked really well
• it switches between the podcast production and present day

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. This is the best thriller I’ve read in ages. Jewell kept me guessing the whole way through and that almost never happens. I also loved the way the Netflix script was woven into the chapters. So smart!

SUMMARY
How many times have you felt fate played a part in your life? That's what happened between Alix Summer and Josie Fair. Both women at the same restaurant for their 45th birthday, Josie seeks out Summer to tell her they are "birthday twins". This encounter leads to Alix, a famous podcaster, interviewing Josie for a new podcast idea.

As the podcast begins, Josie spills secrets to Alix, and Alix also finds herself confiding in Josie. Josie shares secrets about her life, her marriage, and her daughters. Alix feels as if Josie is not someone to trust, but being the kind person she is, she continues to support Josie during her troubling times.

That is until Alix's life turns upside down, and Josie Fair is brought forth to be a liar. But is she a liar, or is everyone else lying? Who is Josie Fair, and what has she truly done?

REVIEW
In true Lisa Jewell fashion, her characters are richly developed and strong-willed; they are complex and break stereotypes. I admire Jewell's boldness regarding her characters walking the line of politically incorrect or "icky". Characters who don't fit the ideal or the norm are sometimes looked down on, and I enjoy how Jewell takes their shortcomings and uses them to better the storyline.

The book's format was brilliant, with podcast episodes and a documentary filmed within the text. The audiobook was phenomenal when it came to cutting between the text, script, and documentary film. I felt as if I was right there, watching a Netflix documentary, so clearly.

I must say, the ending left me speechless. In true Lisa Jewell fashion, we are left with our jaws hanging to the floor. This is such a great book that I held onto my seat the whole time.

I recommend this book, and I'm so thankful to NetGalley for this ARC copy of None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

“As awful as it sounds, death is a clean break. There are no grey areas. No ambiguity. It’s like a blank canvas in a way.”

“She wishes the dog could talk. The dog would know, she thinks, the dog would know everything.”

I’m gonna need a minute here. Woah. I feel like I just witnessed the most messed up real life murder mystery scenario unfold in real time! This is fiction, right? Just making sure because if I didn’t know any better I could swear I just watched this unfold on the screen with real people that I can vividly picture and…wow. Just wow. All of the stars.

I just could not get this book out of my head. If I wasn’t reading it then I was thinking about it. None Of This Is True is a completely immersive experience. I almost wish I had waited for the audiobook because, with the podcast portions, I’m sure it it absolutely superb!!

Thank you to @netgalley, @atriabooks, and @lisajewelluk for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Add this to your tbr asap! You’re welcome.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria for providing me with an arc!

This is my 8th Lisa Jewell book that I’ve read, so needless to say I was super excited to get my hands on None of This is True!

Josie Fair is deeply unhappy with her life on her 45th birthday. She is out to a birthday dinner at a posh restaurant with her much older husband, Walter, when she becomes entranced by Alix Summers, who is also celebrating her 45th birthday. Alix is celebrating at the restaurant with her husband, friends and family, and as Josie watches the party from the outside, she can’t help but feel a connection to Alix. She follows Alix to the bathroom and announces that they’re birthday twins, marking the start of a chaotic, terrifying journey for all involved.

Josie searches Alix online following the dinner, and finds that she is a popular podcaster focusing on the stories of strong, successful women who have overcome terrible situations and still managed to do wonderful things. Alix wants to take her podcast in a new direction, and Josie convinces her that doing a story about Josie’s life as she works toward a better future would be just the thing. Alix is intrigued by Josie’s oddness and senses a darkness within her life, and as the podcast progresses, Josie tells Alix some disturbing, mind blowing things. Things get darker and darker As Alix puts the pieces of the puzzle that is Josie’s life together, leading up to a nightmare that’s unimaginable.

If you are looking for a book to binge, look no further. I absolutely could not stop reading, needing to know what would happen next and what was true or not. Lisa Jewell takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions, keeping us guessing until the very end. None of This Is True is the mystery thriller of the summer!

Josie Fair meets Alix Summer on their mutual birthday. Alix is a professional podcaster and Josie… well, Josie is UNHINGED!

Josie proposes that they do a podcast together featuring women who are changing their lives. She tells Alix her story- her childhood, marriage, and motherhood. I can’t say more without spoiling it but I can say that this book is unputdownable.

Jewell let the story unfold through a series of podcast interviews and a Netflix documentary. I loved this format. I could not tell where the story was going and I’m still unsure what was true and what was all fabricated. The characters, pacing, and plot were all perfect and the ending was oddly satisfying even though we’re left with lo of questions. I highly recommend this one.

I really don’t have a lot to say except that I really enjoyed this, loved the audio, read it in 2 days, and got to the end feeling 95% satisfied. One final twist had me on the fence a bit? But overall I think you gotta preorder this August release and immediately put it on your end of summer TBR! So fun!

Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Read This Book If…you love true crime podcasts/documentaries!

Genre: psychological thriller
Spice Level: 0/5🌶
Setting: London
POV: multiple, 3rd person, present tense

What I Thought: The title of this book tells you everything you need to know - believe no one! This thriller had me hooked from page one with its compelling characters and fast pace. I enjoyed the bits of documentary-style script woven in throughout, as well! I will say this gets into some pretty dark themes, so check the content warnings or send me a DM.

Memorable Quote: “She’s not who she makes out to be. Not at all.” “Yes. I think there is more to her than meets the eye.”