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!

Wow! I think I've read one other of her books and I remember it being good, but wow this book was amazing. It really made you think about who is telling the truth and who is lying. It really kept you on the edge of your seat and I love the idea of writing as if it was a podcast or Netflix documentary, since I watched so many of them it was really interesting!
Thank you netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lisa Jewell is an auto-buy author for me so you can imagine how excited I was when I received approval for this ARC.

IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

I have read everything that she has written and I have to say, None of This Is True has hands down made it into my top 5 of her books, possibly even the top 3!

I love how twisty this one is, and watching the characters develop and unfold. You can tell early on that not everything is as it seems, but my goodness! THIS WAS EXCELLENT.

Josie's obsession with Alix and desire to become closer made me so uncomfortable at times.
I enjoyed the format this was written with the sections of the podcast and Netflix script. It was incredibly well done and I honestly did not anticipate that ending.

Hats off to Jewell for doing it again. This is easily going to be one of the best books I'll read this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my ARC eBook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @atriabooks for the gifted copy of None of This is True {partner}

Genre: Thriller
Trope: Psychological Thriller
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 8.8.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

“The people who seem boring can sometimes have the most interesting stories to tell. You just need to get it out of them somehow.”

Say hello to my new favorite Lisa Jewell book!

There was something about this entire book that had me uneasy. It was perfectly paced without a single dull moment. I continuously felt like I was holding my breath, waiting for the next shoe to drop.

I had countless moments of feeling like I needed to pick my jaw up off the floor with one juicy (and disturbing) reveal after another. It felt like page after page of scenes that were shocking, uncomfortable, and downright sad, and when I thought I would find a lull in the story, the next startling thing happened.

😳 A story that will stay with you
🎥 Podcast meet documentary
🤯 That ending
💯 A true psychological thriller
📖 Will make a great book club discussion
👌🏼 Perfectly paced
🤩 New favorite

None of This is True cemented why @lisajewell is an auto-buy author for me. Her storytelling abilities are unmatched, and I am counting the days until she publishes her next book.

Wow! Lisa Jewell’s new book None Of This Is True blew my ever loving mind!

Loved it.
It’s psychological mind numbing at its finest.

When Alix, a podcaster, has a chance meeting with Josie it’s an epic crash and changes everything for them both.

Is Josie telling the truth here about her horrible husband and family? Is the podcast info she gives Alix the truth?

You won’t know till the bodies fall and the epic ending. You might still not know.

I loved loved this fun twisty read and ate it up! Lisa, give me more please!

Five stars from me and for a thriller these days that’s rare indeed.

Woooo! Lisa Jewel is back. I have loved most of her previous books, so I was excited to receive an ARC. I love a good, dark, twisty psychological thriller, and this is exactly what it was. I have read so many thrillers and sometimes it’s hard to find a good one, but Jewel did not disappoint!

Josie is out celebrating her 45th birthday at a posh restaurant when she notices another beautiful woman also celebrating her 45th birthday named Alix. Alix is a popular podcaster, she is immaculately put together and is the polar opposite of frumpy, denim clad Josie. They connect in the bathroom and realize that they were born on the same day at the same hospital. So begins the idea for a new podcast: The Birthday Twins. How two women who started their lives on the same day at the same place took very different roads to their respective lives.

This story was WILD. Lisa Jewell’s ability to write the most complex characters astounds me. I both felt immense sympathy for Josie while being completely terrified by her. She is the definition of deranged but I was also… cheering her on? Oh the levels of conflict this book made me feel.

Alix was the perfect juxtaposition to Josie. Her marital issues showed that even those who are seemingly perfect are carrying hurt and grief in their everyday lives.

I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan and having read so much of her backlist I can say with full authority that None of This Is True is unlike anything else she’s ever written. The setup of both a podcast and Netflix series is so compelling and also… can this please be made into a Netflix series?! Please??

None of This Is True was an easy five stars and I can’t wait for it to publish so everyone will get to experience this twisty, smart, and captivating read!

I haven’t read something this dark and twisted since Verity! A must read if you enjoyed that one! Domestic suspense with dark undertones both in Josie’s backstory with her much older husband and in the scant details provided about their two troubled kids. There is heavy foreshadowing littered throughout, with details coming out very slowly but the style/ formatting between the narration of Alix and Josie, and the podcast elements keep you begging for more!

It was very hard to predict which direction things were going to take, and whether the narration itself was even reliable. You waver between wondering whether Josie is a byproduct of control and abuse or whether SHE is the one trying to control the narrative to her benefit. It’s worth the wait to find out!