3.5

None of This Is True follows podcaster Alix, who shares a birthday with a woman named Josie. They meet at a bar on their birthday and spark a friendship. In a creative rut, Alix decides to dig into Josies story and create a podcast called "Birthday twin". She soon finds out that Josie isn't who she says she is but struggles with wanting to still finish the podcast. But at what expense?

I enjoyed the podcast element and the dual POVs. I dont typically like unreliable narrators but this kept me engaged. I didn't quite know what to make of Josie which kept me reading. I knocked off a few stars because Alix, a 45yr old mother of 2, was so incredibly naïve. I also found the ending to be anti climactic. It wasnt all that surprising and I was left wanting more.

This book... Literally from page one it had me hooked! This book had twists and turns in nearly every chapter, and had me second guessing every single theory I had about the ending!

And don't even get me started on Josie Fair... This woman had me feeling sorry for her one second, then thoroughly creeping me out the next second! Honestly, I hope I never meet my birthday twin.😂

I also loved the podcast/Netflix documentary element in this story. I'm a huge true crime person, so this was right up my alley! Definitely one of my favorite thrillers of the year so far!

⭐ 4.5 stars! ⭐

*Check TW for this book.*

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lisa Jewell is an absolute master at telling stories that are so outrageous, that keep you on the edge of your seat with your brain trying to keep up and piece together the bits. None of This is True is no exception!!

I was so stressed out the entire time I was reading this. Not bad stressed, but stressed in a “omg I know there are so many layers to what I’m reading but I don’t have all the info yet so I know this will be a sinister thing once it comes together” way.

The characters are so multidimensional it’s crazy. I had no idea who was the good guy, and which parts of the book were truth or lies. There were multiple twists that only added to the web of this book.

Overall, solidly the best Lisa Jewell I’ve read. And I usually rate her books five stars. This is sure to be a bestseller—I will be reading it again for sure!

I could NOT put this down! Compulsively readable, perfect for summer, twisty, perfectly paced. All of the things a frequent reader of thrillers wants from their newest read. I will be recommending this to everyone!

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for a copy of None of This Is True in exchange for an honest review. The queen of suspense has DONE IT AGAIN! Is this my new favorite book by Jewell, probably?! Right away we get drawn in as Josie (FMC #1) becomes fixed on Alix (FMC #2). We see their paths cross and Josie inserts herself into Alix's life by becoming a subject on her podcast. We are then brought on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as we listen to Josie tell her story and justify her actions in a variety of ways. She continues to immerse herself into Alixs life and Jewell keeps you engaged and turning pages as fast as you can throughout the whole story. Lets just say that as this continued, I kept saying WHAT THE HECK is going on over and over. I was very happy with this ending because it has me still pondering what was true and what wasnt. As always, I cannot wait for Jewell to grace the world with her next book. This one is available on August 8th and is a must add to your TBR!

This was really good! I had no idea what was happening the whole time and what to believe - which kept me reading and always on my toes. The parts with the sisters at the end was perfectly played out, and that little twist at the end from Roxy was wild. Overall definitely a thriller I'd recommend. Josie was such a weirdo I could not decide how I felt about her the whole time.
This didn't have my jaw dropping anywhere, but still kept me fully immersed, so a very solid 4 stars.

Thank you @netgalley & @atriabooks for the arc of this in exchange for my honest review

Alix Summer & Josie Fair cross paths on their 45th birthday, they’re birthday twins. Josie seems to think this happened for a reason so she looks Alix up and learns she runs a well known podcast and she has this idea of wanting to be on it. She goes out of her way to run into Alix and presents this idea to her and Alix thinks it will make for a good podcast series. As time goes on and the two women become closer it seems as though Josie wants much more from Alix then just the podcast. Josie injects herself into Alix’s life after a bad fight with her husband. While Josie stays with her, Alix soon realizes she doesn’t really know Josie at all, and she has some dark secrets looming over her. As quick as Josie enters her life she is gone, leaving a mess and so many unanswered questions. Who is Josie Fair really and what did she want with Alix?

I gave this four stars because I loved the podcast series element. It kept me on my toes and I really didn’t see what was coming and what Josie was going to do. The ending definitely left me questioning who really did what and why. I highly recommend if you’re into domestic thrillers and like a podcast element.

None Of This Is True follows the intertwined lives of two women who share the same birthday, birthplace, and their 45th birthday celebration. Alix Summers, a podcaster, who empowers women's success, finds herself yearning for a distraction from her own marital problems. Josie Fair, a dissatisfied woman with unfulfilled dreams, deliberately crosses paths with Alix, seeking solace and a platform to share her traumatic life experiences.

As Josie gradually reveals her troubled past during podcast recordings, Alix becomes increasingly unnerved by the extent of Josie's confessions. Is Josie a survivor of long-term abuse, neglect, and trauma? Can Alix assist her long-lost twin in breaking free from her torment? Or has Alix inadvertently invited trouble into her own life by agreeing to produce this podcast?

The tension escalates when Josie intrudes on Alix's personal space, lurking around her home and casting judgment on her marriage. When Josie unexpectedly shows up at Alix's door one night, Alix realizes that things are spiraling out of control, and the truth may be far more complex and dangerous than it appears.

This book had me HOOKED from the first page. The characters are messy and you are unsure the entire book what the truth really is. I read this in one sitting- I had to know what was true and what wasn't. The ending did not disappoint and everything wrapped up nicely without loose ends. It's a messy domestic thriller that will have you hanging until the very end.

None of this is true comes out August 8th, 2023, Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I cannot wait to pick up a copy to add to my collection in August!

I couldn’t put this book down with its many twists and turns until the very end. None of this is true really made me question everything the characters were saying or thinking. Some things are not so black and white and this novel really makes you think of what would you do if these events happened to you? Highly recommend.

This book was interesting, well written, and well paced. It’s the first Lisa Jewell book I’ve ever read, and so was impressed by how she kept me invested in the plot the entire way with just enough of an unexpected outcome and ambiguous ending that I was never sure what to believe.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted digital advance reader’s copy.

Although Alix Summers and Josie Fair were born on the same day at the same hospital, they couldn’t be more different. Josie married young and feels as if her life has settled into dull monotony, while Alix lives a far more glamorous life as a famous podcaster. Their paths cross during their respective 45th birthday celebrations, and Josie comes to Alix with an interesting pitch for a new podcast that Alix is immediately intrigued by. What Alix doesn’t know is that she won’t be able to hear Josie’s story without getting wrapped up in it herself, a situation that has some seriously dangerous consequences.

Holy moly, friends. Strap yourselves in and prepare for one wild ride. This epistolary novel juxtaposes a linear timeline with snippets of Alix’s podcast and is packed to the brim with details that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you race to figure out the truth.

If I had to give Lisa Jewell a high school yearbook superlative, I’d choose Most Improved because over the course of three years, I’ve gone from feeling quite meh about her books to being absolutely riveted to the past two I’ve read.

I am still thinking about this book a few days after I have finished it. I don't know who to believe, or what was real, which the title even warns you before going in.
Excellent twisty plot, with an ending I hadn't figured out until it happened

Lisa Jewell does not disappoint with her new thriller.
Alix is celebrating her 45th birthday out with friends when she meets Josie, who is also out for her 45th birthday. They are birthday twins. Alix is a successful podcaster, and Josie asks Alix to record her story as she embarks on a big life change. As Alix interviews Josie, Josie inserts herself deeper and deeper into Alix's life and shocking secrets are revealed.
I love Lisa Jewell and this book was great. I was totally sucked into Josie's insane life and almost finished in one day. It has Jewell's typical twists and turns and dark, unsettling themes. The characters are well developed and the plot is fast-paced. Some have said this is Jewell's best yet and while I wouldn't completely agree, it's still another solid from an author that is consistently great.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

Just… WOW! Creative writing through use of interviews to tell the story like pieces of a puzzle that don’t make sense individually, but link together to form a complete picture. Mysterious, suspenseful, psychologically intriguing. And none of it is true (title)!!!

4 out of 5 stars and my respect to the author.

As a Lisa Jewell fan, I was so ecstatic to be eligible to be selected to review an advance copy of her new thriller : None Of This Is True. As always she does not disappoint with a psychological thriller that will have the audience breathless with suspense.

Do yourself a favor when book store open August 8, 2023 be first in line to get your copy; better yet pre-order it (you won't be disappointed).

The premise of the book is Josie and Alix are celebrating their 45 th birthday, coincidentally they not only are blowing out candles at the same resturant they have been born in the same hospital. Birthday twin, must be fate!! Josie finds this connection as a sign to propose them starting a podcast on Alix channel for women empowerment to discuss Josie life. The clever way Jewell creates the chapter as days and inserts podcast discussions has the chapter flowing so smoothly and keeps the reader engaged longing to figure out the truth behind the lines.

This book would make a wonderful audiobook or even a netflix series dialogue between the characters really made great imagery for the reader and hearing the words spoke out loud in different voices could only add to the impact of this novel. Overall, truly a great suspenseful book for your shelves and will totally be a book I'm recommended to everyone.

Thank you again Netgalley, Atria Books, Lisa Jewell and publishers for this privilege for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review :)

It took me awhile to sort out my thoughts on this one, as it was not quite what I expected, but that isn’t a bad thing. I buddy read this with my sister Irina, and part of the reason I love reading the same book as a friend or friends is due to the fact that you can really hash out your book review content ahead of time. We both ended up with similar feelings on None of This Is True, and foremost agreed that it was a compulsive, must read suspense tale.

Lisa Jewell is an incredibly talented storyteller, as she can really take the odd day-to-day occurrences and entwine them with clear and concise character development, giving birth to novels that allow the reader to fully engage with the cast of characters, no matter if they are likable or despicable. This book is no different, and the multiple povs really give us insight into the various narrators inner thoughts and feelings while the tension ramps up around them. Josie and Alix couldn’t be more different; they come from different lifestyles and circumstances, and yet… Could they be more similar than originally meets the eye?

No spoilers, but there are some heavy themes discussed here. In fact, the build up of 85% of the novel is such a beautiful master class on slow burning suspense, and how to do it so that you don’t lose the reader in the process, that I was sure this would be Jewell’s darkest novel yet. The final 15% is what threw me for a loop. There are a few aspects that I had to overlook up until this point, behaviors and lack of affirmative action in the characters that I don’t think would play out the way it did in the book in real life, but understandably needed to be done to progress this particular story.

However, my reason for not giving this a full 5 stars is that this final 15% felt as if it just lost steam and wasn’t sure of how it wanted to end, so it took a milder finale that had me feeling a little deflated, going from full speed ahead to a little bit of, “Wait, that’s it?” I believe the ending was designed to give the reader some authority over how they perceived not only the entire story, but also what happens after the final page is turned, although I would have been more satisfied with full closure.

That said, this game of cat and mouse was such a deviously delightful read that I can’t help but highly recommend it for your 2022 TBR. While not my favorite Lisa Jewell novel, it is an immensely enjoyable read that will be a fantastic book club choice, brimming with copious discussion material.

🏡NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell🏡

📆Pub date: August 8th, 2023
➡️Swipe for synopsis
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: E-book
Read if you like:
📚Mixed media books
🎙️True crime podcasts
📖Short chapters

I’ve loved all of Lisa Jewel’s books and I think this is her best yet! Josie comes into Alix’s life after seeing her at a restaurant celebrating the same birthday as her. Soon Josie becomes obsessed with Alix, a popular podcast host, and tells Alix that Josie thinks she would be a good subject of her next podcast. Josie says her life is not what it looks like, and there is a lot of darkness. You’ll never be able to guess what happens next as Josie starts to weasel her way into Alix’s life.

I could not stop reading this book! Mainly because the chapters are super short and you can always read one more😅. It’s told through Alix and Josie’s POV, and there’s a constant sense of uneasiness while reading because you know something is off with Josie but you aren’t sure what. I loved the mix of scenes from a Netflix special based on the story because if they made a Netflix documentary about this story, it must be crazy right? And it definitely was. Highly recommend picking this up in August!

Thank you so much @atriabooks for the advanced copy of None of This is True!

This was a good read. Definitely a page turner and many events that took place throughout I wasn’t expecting, so it was good at making it very believable and creepily realistic. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a fan of Lisa Jewell but this latest is not one of my favorites. A caveat though – I felt the same way about Then She Was Gone. Jewell writes psychological thrillers; sometimes, the characters are just too sick for me to fully enjoy the story. Other times, I am fascinated by the character studies. With Then She Was Gone I was more disturbed than fascinated, and None of This is True comes close to being the same way for me.
Josie and Alix meet on their 45th birthdays at a restaurant where they are both celebrating their day. Alix is a semi-famous podcaster and Josie is a seamstress. Their worlds seem to be very different. Josie finds Alix a few days later and suggests that Alix focus her next podcast on her, Josie, as she claims to have a very interesting story to share. Alix is wary, as her instincts tell her Josie is weird, but agrees. From there, things go haywire. And then more haywire.
To tell more is to give away the fun of the plot reveal, but suffice to say that things are not as they seem, there are numerous unpleasant characters beyond just Josie, a lot of frustrating moments, and a story that careens towards an ending I kept fearing I was wrong about. My visceral reaction to the book and the horrors within is a testament to her writing skills - she really makes you feel uncomfortable. It's just not always how I want to feel when reading. That said, I think this will be a success.

3.5 stars. True to past form, Jewell delivers a propulsive domestic psychological thriller that is compulsively readable and entertaining. As the title implies, unreliable character(s) build the tension and suspense along with numerous calamitous events that are carefully apportioned. Maybe I’m being a bit stingy, but can’t round up to 4 stars as it lacked the mystique, shrewdness, and cunning that separates the good from the great.

Netgalley and the publisher provided this book for review consideration, but all opinions are my own.