This book was a lot of fun! I enjoyed the linking of separate characters who don't seem to fit. I do wish some of the stories of characters were given a clear ending. There are also a lot of very British terms that I think I understood but I don't know exactly what they were. I would recommend this book, it is entertaining and an interesting way to look at how unrelated lives can connect and are we really seen by other people.

I loved this book! The Authenticity Project is a character-driven, delightful story about five very different people who are drawn together because of an insignificant notebook that challenges each of them to “be authentic”. As they each contemplate the question “what would if you shared the truth” they become friends and confidants but not without some bumps along the way.

The characters in The Authenticity Project are varied and unique. Julian is a 79-year-old artist who is flamboyant and dramatic, Monica is a former barrister who owns a coffee shop that she has put her heart and soul into, Hazard is a recovering addict, Riley is an Australian on his first trip to Europe, and Alice is a new mother who is finding it difficult to adapt to the changes in her life. During the course of the story there are other characters that add multiple layers to the lives of these five people, thus creating a story that is interesting and relatable.

This book is well-written, well-conceived, and clever. When I find myself worrying and thinking about fictional characters, then I know I have a winner. It is truly an entertaining story that I didn’t want to end. Thank you, Ms Pooley, for creating such a wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have already recommended it several other people.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley is an entertaining, refreshing read about sharing personal truths with both yourself and others. In the book, Monica finds a notebook, originally left by a seventy-nine year old artist, in her coffee shop that encourages those in possession of the notebook to add their personal truths and stories.

I loved how realistic each character in the book is. Clearly none were written just for the pleasure of the reader but written in a realistic, raw way that better represents the average person, flaws and all. Each character shared their story leading us to believe that every person is inherently good. Their stories were all interesting, complex, and captivating.
Hopefully in reading this book people understand that we need more compassion and care for others in society as a whole.

This was a wonderful escape from my day-to-day life. All of the characters in this book added something different to the story. Monica, the Type-A lawyer turned cafe owner, Hazard the recovering addict, Riley the sweet Australian, Julian the eccentric older man, and Alice the Instagram mom. One notebook brings these strangers together, and they assume an incredible bond, friendship, and maybe even romance.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

The intriguing premise of this novel, although perhaps unbelievable, is that a notebook containing genuine personal insights has been started by an elderly artist and left for others to continue. After she finds it in her tea shop, Monica adds her own introspections, and leaves it to be found by Hazard, and so it goes. All of the six people who contribute to the notebook bare their souls so that readers--and the people who find the notebook--see a secret side of them. In a time of social isolation, this is a satisfying read about what meaningful connections can be.

Reading this book was a balm for my soul during a particularly difficult time. I’ve spent my career believing in the power of words to reveal and heal, and Clare Pooley accomplishes that in this heartwarming story. Being authentic, truly authentic, is terrifying for most people. Would you ever reveal your deepest secret, and if you did, would it be in a notebook that you leave on a table in a coffee shop for a complete stranger to read? That’s what happens here, but instead of strangers remaining strangers, the people who find the notebook and read the contents become friends who help each other move on from particularly difficult parts of their lives.

This will make a great book club selection and will be a popular read for those who are craving happiness and human comfort.

THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT by Clare Pooley is a new, entertaining novel which is the top pick for the LibraryReads list for February 2020. The story revolves around a journal which Julian, an elderly lonely man, leaves at Monica's London café. Moved by reading about his plight, she arranges for art classes and thereby provides purpose and even some excitement to Julian's life. Eventually, Monica adds her own thoughts and desires to the journal which, in turn, ultimately travels around the world with entries appended by Hazard, a former trader, Riley, a carefree Australian, and Alice, a weary new mother. References to Emmeline Pankhurst, tai chi, and Instagram frame questions about truthfulness and life's meaning for the characters. Friendship, adventures, and romance feature in this "feel good," escapist story.

LibraryReads link: https://www.libraryreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/February-2020-Final-Flyer-site.pdf

Just what we all need right now! I absolutely love this book. When a story has more than 3 or 4 characters, I often find myself trying hard to keep them figured out through the whole book. Not this one. So well written that you sink your teeth into each lovely character and enjoy how they fit into the whole picture. So honest. I can relate to the notion that you really don’t know what a person is going through sometimes. We can put on a good act to hide our grief and loneliness when we are secretly wishing for companionship/friendship. I would love to read more - this could make a lovely series! How many of us will be tempted to start our own Authenticity Projects?

I received a copy of The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars The Authenticity Project is completely delightful. What would you do with a notebook in which you could write your innermost thoughts/fears and then just dispose of it? Would you in fact write your authentic truth or the lies you tell yourself? A brilliant premise that was built into a well-developed story. Pooley quickly delves into the lives of 6 strangers that come in contact with the journal. Each contribution to the journal has led the recipient to expand their world and connected them to each other.

I couldn’t believe that this novel was Pooley’s debut in fictional writing. Her character development and storylines were finely honed. You felt as if you knew the characters and were invested in their lives. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Reviews have been posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Instagram and Twitter.

This book was not what I was expecting, but I totally loved it.

One green notebook left purposefully behind is impetus for everything that ensues and brings together a community of love, friendship, and mystery.

Filled with interesting characters, some more memorable than others (Julian!), Clare Pooley gives us a winner in The Authenticity Project. The overall message here seems to be that the grass is not always greener: you don't always know what burdens the next guy is carrying.

Julian is a colorful, flamboyant old man, a fashionista even, but he thinks people should be more honest with each other, beginning with himself. He pens his own truth in a notebook and leaves it behind for someone else to find, to add to, and to pass along. By the time several characters have found the notebook and written their own truths, we are fully enmeshed in their lives and are rooting for each of them.

Charming and engaging, I loved this book and while I will never give spoilers, I thought the ending was absolutely beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Authenticity Project is a novel filled with hope, kindness, friendship, and love. It is the story of six strangers whose lives intersect because of a notebook left behind in which the writer has challenged the person who finds it to live their most authentic life, "Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you share the truth instead?" It is the perfect feel-good read during trying times - a reminder of the power of kindness and our interconnectedness.

Each chapter of the novel is told from the point of view of one of the characters who finds and reads the journal. As each person adds their own story and passes the journal along, their lives deeply connect, which becomes the driver for the narrative. To see how strangers become friends, caregivers, lovers, and boundless support for one another will keep you reading to the end.

"The Authenticity Project" is based on an interesting premise: What if you found a notebook written by an elderly widowed man seeking for friendship amidst his loneliness? I loved the idea of this book and its novelty! Unfortunately, I didn't really feel a connection with any of the main characters, apart from Julian. The other characters didn't feel quite fleshed out enough.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a great story about a social experiment set up by an elderly man who is lonely . He keeps a journal about his true feelings and purposefully leaves the journal in a coffee shop. It is picked up by the owner and she sets in motion his project. She writes and leaves the journal for someone else to find. Finally the writers decide to meet and compare their journal entries. A good story that has people examining their lives and decisions. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Authenticity Project was difficult to put down. It’s a feel good story that gets to the heart of loneliness, friendship, and what’s possible when you open your heart to others.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

A lighthearted read about finding what life really means. Monica wants a husband and children while Alice has both and is incredibly unhappy. Julian wants to be adored, but his adoring wife died years ago. Everyone’s life looks perfect from the outside, doesn't it? In the age of social media, it’s easy to see everyone’s best shots. It’s what’s behind those best shots that we struggle with the most.

Julian Jessop is an eccentric, lonely artist. He leaves a notebook with a version of his life story in a cafe & invites others to do the same. Little did he know how much that book would change the lives of so many people. Touching stories, great characters, wonderful book! I really enjoyed it & definitely recommend it!

A green notebook brings together people of vastly different backgrounds together to forge unlikely friendships. Julian Jessop, an aging artist, starts a small revolution when he leaves a notebook titled "The Authenticity Project." in his local cafe. Through the notebook, a recovering drug addict, a cafe owner with a ticking clock, a floating traveler, a new frazzled mom and others come together to forge a friendship.

I always enjoy a story where unlikely people form a friendship group. Pooley does a great job of this by showing the differences in the characters (through varying points of view) but displaying how they could still be friends. I also thought the Julian's last chapter was beautifully done.

I thought this was perfect! I enjoyed the characters and how they grew. I read it in one straight sitting. There were parts that seemed predictable, but there's a twist that keeps things moving. The emotions stirred by this book were similar to A Man Called Ove. The author left this open for a follow-up book, which I will definitely pick up. This is a huge winner in my book.

What a sweet, thoughtful book. The Authenticity Project is filled with flawed, but very likable characters. The idea of the book starts with Julian, an elderly gentleman that just wants to come clean about his life and his regrets. He feels he has never been his authentic self. Eventually the book makes its way through several characters, and their lives begin to intertwine. The book often takes you where you didn’t see coming. It’s well written and an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this story of how circumstances can turn groups of strangers into friends. An aging artist with a flair for the dramatic creates a notebook entitled "The Authenticity Project", and it gets passed around, slam book style, bringing together a cafe owner, a burnt-out financier, an Australian backpacker, a gay couple, and an Asian auntie/restaurateur. There's a fabulous twist to the story, and there's enough humor, pathos, and depth here that makes this an excellent book club discussion title while also being just a really good read.