Josie Fair is 45 and hating her life. When she goes out to dinner for her birthday, she meets podcast host Alix Summer, who is also celebrating her 45th birthday, and is exciting and glamorous- everything Josie is not. Josie decided to wedge herself into Alix’s life by proposing a new podcast focused all on Josie making changes to her life after years of trauma and abuse. As Alix interviews Josie and learns about all of the horrors in Josie’s life, something just doesn’t add up. Josie is also a little aggressive and trying to get Alix to leave her husband. As everything comes to a boiling point, it has Alix questioning if anything Josie said is actually true.
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💭Thoughts💭
Lisa Jewell does it again with a twisting and turning thriller that creeps you out just enough and makes you guess at every turn. I loved the podcast/Netflix documentary aspects of this book. My only gripe and reason I gave 4.5 instead of 5 stars is the way that she holds both husbands totally unaccountable for the horrible actions they committed.
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⌛️Favorite Moment⌛️
The in-depth interviews with Josie, Walter, the kids, and all of the random people in Josie’s life. It added so many layers and perspectives to the story.
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🎉 Theme Ideas 🎉
Alix makes Josie and Walter a meal of pasta Alfredo on the night that everything starts to turn sour. Wash it down with some wine (beer for Walter) and listen to a true crime podcast!

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I am a big fan of Lisa Jewell and is definitely one of her best! None of This Is True follows birthday twins Josie and Alix. Alix is a podcaster who features women who have over come obstacles. Josie seeks out Alix to present her with a new twist on her podcast featuring her own story. As the two set out to record this new podcast, Josie’s story becomes more and more unbelievable and Alix finds herself wondering what/who to believe. The reader is left to wonder if Josie is the innocent she paints herself to be or crazy.

If None of This is True does that mean all of it is a lie? That's the eternal question of Lisa Jewell's latest novel, None of This is True. The plot is mostly a cat and mouse game between Josie and Alix, but with so many head turning spins you'll be the one chasing your tail. Alix is an upcoming podcast host and when she meets Josie, her "birthday twin" (Alix and Josie were born on the same day), Alix senses Josie has a story to tell that could make her a star. And what a story it is-where the truth is a moving target and lying is an Olympic sport. As Alix wrestles with what to believe, and as Josie insinuates herself into Alix's life and home, figuring it out becomes urgent. Is Josie's husband an abuser and sexual predator? And what happened to Josie and Walter's daughter Roxy? When Josie finds Alix's weak spot-Alix's husband Nathan has a serious drinking problem- Josie sees this as further proof that she and Alix are "kindred spirits." None of This is True is timely with a social media influencer, and terrifyingly creepy because the "bad guy" is not a shadow moving in the night, but a friend in broad daylight. With an cagey ending there's room for more of Josie and Alix's story. Let's hope there's a sequel!

Thanks to Atria for the copy of this ARC!

What a great psychological thriller!!! This one was fast-paced and left me saying "WTF is going on" pretty much every chapter... Definitely give yourself a chunk of time to just sit down and read this.

Alix is a popular podcaster who meets a drab, unassuming, all-denim-wearing woman named Josie when they discover they're both celebrating their 45th birthday - they're birthday twins! From there, we find out that Josie is a little... unusual.

Told in a date/time format interspersed with Alix's podcast recordings and Netflix documentary content, this book slowly reveals the story of Josie and her family and you'll quickly become very unsettled. I loved how unique this book was and really enjoyed the ride, but absolutely check trigger warnings before diving in.

Read if you:
- want to binge a book
- like when you can't tell who's telling the truth
- love a mix of formats in a book
- enjoy psychological thrillers

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An absolutely mind numbing, dark and twisted tale of an ill fated friendship that takes you on a wild ride every single page. If you're a fan of true crime podcasts this one is for you!

Some main points to consider,

* It's a thriller
* You won't be able to put it down
* Heavy, dark topics including abuse

TBH, I just finished this book and I'm still not quite sure what happened. 🤣 What did I just read?! It was a fantastic read in every way. The story and characters are so well developed in this book that I had to give it a 5 star rating. This is an absolute binge worthy book that will leave you second guessing EVERYTHING!

*Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC copy.

A thrilling mystery revolving around a podcast creator Alix who finds her new subject in "birthday twin" Josie. What starts out innocently enough quickly unravels into a dangerous story of deceit, violence, and murder. I found this to be an interesting read that felt like it split into two radically different sections. The first section felt quite slow and had several sections that I felt were difficult to read and uncomfortable, both due to Joise as a character as well as the subjects covered like her relationship with her husband and daughters. However, the second half was impossible to put down as the intensity ramped quickly. The book also ended fantastically, I felt like I was never truly sure what to believe which kept me on my toes

Birthday twins, creepster wins! Admittedly I am the world’s wimpiest reader of thrillers, but I’m coming around.! This one had me on the edge and excited to get my hands on all of the Lisa Jewell books I’ve been missing out on. Twisty. Weird and I was never quite okay.

Lisa Jewell knocked it out of the park again! I couldn't put this one down - it had everything you want in a modern psych thriller, without being over the top. The characters were great and the twists and turns kept me engaged. Highly recommend this one!

I love every Lisa Jewell book I read and None of This is True is no exception! Talk about a total mind f@#$!! I spent every page questioning who was telling the truth, who was lying, and what in the world was going on?? I loved this book so much! Lisa Jewell will continue to be one of my all-time favorite authors!

I LOVED this book. Maybe my favourite Jewell to date. I loved the structure and how different forms of media were used (doc interveiws, journal articles and regular prose). And the open, / ambiguous ending was awesome and really powerful. well done!

Lisa Jewell is one of my auto-buy authors, and when her latest 2023 novel was announced, I jumped on it; thankfully, NetGalley granted my wish early and sent me an ARC of None of This Is True. Told from the POV of two women, Josie and Alix, this suspense novel has readers wondering not if one of the women will crack but when she will. Born in the same hospital on the same day, they meet 45 years later in an unexpected birthday celebration at a bar. Alix is a podcaster who documents stories about women overcoming major problems in their lives and Josie, well, she seems normal but is looking to change her life. Alix agrees to re-engineer the format of her podcast and work with Josie on her journey to overcoming a problem. As Alix discovers all the mysterious events and issues, she's equally shocked and intrigued. Things go too far in her homelife, and Josie ends up moving in with Alix for a few days, which causes everything to spiral. Alix is also dealing with her own problem, an alcoholic husband who often disappears for days without calling when he's on a bender.

Quality writing. Great setting. Smart conversations. A few stupid moves but those are necessary to transition the plot forward, and sometimes, people don't clearly see how they're being manipulated. Alix is smart, but she holds on a little too long, and when she realizes what's happening, it's too late. Her own life is upended, and this time, she may not be able to save her husband from his own undoing. Meanwhile, Josie's family secrets begin exploding in spades, and we hear different sides of the story from her husband and daughters. Which is the truth? Jewell knocked it far out of the ballpark in this one, and it's pretty close to 5 stars. I held back because in the ending, there are enough seeds of doubt that leave me wondering what to believe, and that always frustrates me!

Short synopsis: Josie meets her “birthday twin” a podcaster Alix Summers at her 45th birthday dinner, she decides to befriend her and share her life story.

My thoughts: I devoured this one! Such a twisty thriller that will keep you flipping pages far into the night to know what happened and who is telling the truth. I actually tried really hard not to make assumptions or predictions in this one, and I loved that I had no idea what the synopsis was. I’d suggest going in blind, but beware this is Dark and does have some triggers including grooming, pedophilia, murder, and abuse.

I loved the ending and how it was somewhat left to the interpretation of the reader! Both of the main characters were unreliable in my opinion, but I loved that we got their perspectives throughout the story.

The Netflix and podcast sections kept the storyline flowing so well, and gave us glimpses into the past and somewhat into the future as we saw the story unravel.

Read if you love:
- Podcast elements and Netflix documentaries
- Psychological page turners
- Who’s telling the truth?
- Multiple perspectives
- Open endings

Thank you so much to Atria and Netgalley for early copies of this book! Publication date is set for August 8, 2023.

Creepy, claustrophobic and chilling. Nothing is what it seems with this relationship thriller. I thought I had the answers halfway through and a new twist from a different perspective threw me.
Alix is so trusting, letting a woman into her life who she met in the bathroom on the night of her 45th birthday. Both women born on the same day are at a crossroads in their lives and they both see their next steps in each other. But as Alix unearths Josie”s secrets via her podcast, she starts to question what is true and who is the true villain in the tale.
Read this in one afternoon, so easy to connect with the characters, to feel the tension and doubts of the women. Loved the way the podcast flowed within the story. Another gem by Lisa Jewel!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

My new favorite Lisa Jewell book! This is fine praise because I'm a huge fan, but NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is a step up in terms of unreliable characters and perspectives. From the very start, the reader questions whose point of view reflects reality, and by the end, it's more about how far away each character is. Both Josie and Alix are intriguing characters and put each other and themselves in sticky situations throughout the novel. I wasn't sure about the Netflix sections because "telling" what's on a screen seems like a tricky technique. however, even though they were probably my least favorite parts of the book, I think the author pulled them off nicely. In those sections, her choice to bring in marginal characters to the plot works well and gives those scenes energy.
Lots of twists, engaging characters, and high tension right to the end. Terrific book!

Alex and Josie meet at a local pub, both celebrating their forty-fifth birthday, with Josie formulating a plan as soon as she figures out who this "Alix" is.. They meet again days later where Josie approaches Alix with her idea. They are "birthday twins", Alix is a podcaster, so why not create a podcast about this!

They begin meeting at Alix's house, recording Josies life, which starts to reveal shocking details.

The ending will most definitely leave you saying, "what"???

Thank you Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am a HUGE Lisa Jewell fan so I was thrilled to get an advance copy from NetGalley! I had heard that this book was going to be different from the rest of Lisa's books that I love, so I was a little nervous going into it that I wouldn't love it like I love the rest of her books, but boy was I wrong!!! This book does not employ dual timelines and flashbacks the way her past books do; instead, it has a singular, linear timeline. The story was just as engaging as her others, and the story propels itself! The characters are magnetic. The title rings true throughout the story, and I still can't decide who or what to believe.

Reading this book felt like reaching into a bag of potato chips - you start with one chip/chapter, and you try to eat/read a reasonable amount at a time, but invariably you finish the bag/book in one sitting. Suspense is still not my favorite genre, but when I get the rare urge to take the plunge, Lisa Jewell is my go-to author.

From the book's opening, the script for a Netflix trailer promoting an upcoming true crime documentary, we know that podcaster Alix Summer's encounter with her "birthday twin" at a local gastropub will end in tragedy. But it's a long way from an accidental meeting in the ladies room to three dead bodies. Lisa Jewell is skilled at gradually ratcheting up the tension and creepiness. It's right there in the title, but if none of this is true, are either Alex or Josie reliable narrators? Is it possible to feel empathy for someone who does monstrous things? Were there points along the road where the story could have gone a different way if there had been earlier intervention or fewer concessions made?

By the book's final page, you will be reasonably certain that you know the truth, but there will also be a seed of doubt. Because the truths we tell ourselves are often the biggest lies.

Lisa Jewell is known and loved for her realistic thrillers, and this book does not disappoint.

"Birthday Twins" Alix and Josie meet at a bar on the night of their 45th birthdays. They some realize they were born in the same hospital and their kids go to the same school. Alix has a podcaster about woman who overcome odds that Josie is a fan of. Josie is inspired to be like one of the women featured on Alix's podcast and suggests a plan to Alix. After Alix agrees, she soon is not sure what to believes the more she learns...

NetGalley & this author/publisher provided the ARC I read for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

By far the best Lisa Jewel yet!!

With all the darkness, the grit, secrets, & lies you could ask for, None of This is True by Lisa Jewel is a MUST READ!

A gripping psychological thriller that pulls you in on the first page. I could not put it down! One of Lisa Jewell's best if not the best book!