This was a cute new little story. The premise of the book I just loved. The characters are just lovable. I recommend reading this book

It all started with a little green notebook in a neighborhood. Each person listing how they feel and what they are going through. One a widow, one trying to survive a career change, and one trying to get clean. The green notebook tangles in other lives as well.

A delight to read! I enjoyed the perfectly imperfect characters, and was able to relate to each of them in some way. A true-to-life story about what it means to live our authentic lives. Thank you, Clare Pooley, for sharing your talent and to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advance reader copy.

This was delightful. 

It's light-hearted and has Liane Moriarty vibes, is ultimately satisfying, and is an easy read. 

The pursuit of authenticity is certainly worthy and there is a lot of value in self-awareness and humility; each of the characters was flawed but charming, and it was really easy to become invested in every single one of them. 

Very highly recommended if you're looking for something light and easy but not shallow.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

For me, a solid 4 star read. The characters were likeable, relatable, and unpredictable. It was a story of truths, lies, appearances and assumptions. A laugh out loud, cry real tears sort of feel good story. I dock 1 star because the beginning took a bit to grab me, but once I was hooked, I couldn’t stop. Great read.

The Authenticity Project is a story of how a green notebook weaved together the lives of a diverse group of characters.

Julian, a lonely elderly artist, came up with the idea to put is deepest thoughts inside the notebook, along with explicit instructions for its finders to follow suit.  He leaves it inside Monica’s café. From there, the notebook makes its rounds through its various finders and ultimately brings the group of strangers together in person. 

This is an interesting concept, but the story did not win me over. The characters are very relatable, as we learn about their struggles and baggage. I found that the story bounces back and forth between characters and time and space a little too much, which didn’t keep a good rhythm for me. At times, it was difficult to follow along with when the events were taking place and whose story was being told.

There were also characters included in as part of the notebook, that weren’t written in with as much depth and background as the first few finders. I felt like they should have been introduced earlier on and given the same depth, or left out completely.

If you’re looking for a light read, this might be for you! It’s a sweet story of friendship and healing that will probably hit you in the feels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

This was such a cute story about what happens when a group of people come together and share their stories. It's a bit like a sisterhood of the travelling pants as a simple green notebook gets passed from person to person, and each write a section about themselves. What they discover is that while nobody is perfect and they all feel lonely, they also discover that they are all connected.

So good! Catches your attention with a relatable main character and keeps you moving through stereotypes and hard conversations. A must read to not hide from the real.

At the start of the book I was a bit confused when it switched from one character to the next. After I got used to that and was able to build an idea of each character from the authors descriptions, I was able to follow along more easily. Although I found the end of the story to be sad, it did fit with the story. I would love there to be a sequel

Wow this book really reminded me of a mixture of “Jane Austen’s book club” and “the guernsey potato peel pie society” mixed together. I like reading from everyone’s perspectives and how it all came together. I thought there was some drama added in that could’ve easily been avoided through conversation but I’m glad everything worked out. Also that ending though!!!

Thi ook was adorable, I loved the whole concept of being more authentic and writing thoughts into a journal, Meeting Julian was really endearing and I enjoyed how he was able to have a new outlook on his life by opening-up. I loved how the characters wrote in the book and eventually their lives intersected, Monica was also a lovely character, I loved her perspective. 

I received this as an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review

DNF @23%
2020; Viking/Penguin Random House Canada

The Authenticity Project is such a cool premise, but I just could not get into the novel. I had just read another quirky contemporary novel so maybe it was too similar, but not as engaging. The novel has been compared to the movie Love Actually. It basically has interconnecting stories of people picking up a notebook entitled "The Authenticity Project". In being more authentic and honest, how will life change. I'm sure it's all for the better and is a great beach read. The Authenticity Project is quite popular on book sites so give some star reviews a shot to see if this should be your next read.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

A well written read that allowed one to ponder what you would right about the truths about yourself in a book where others had already done so.  And you had to pass it along.  A great book to read during this pandemic time and about how friendships can come from the most unusual places when you open your eyes and heart.

If you had the opportunity to be 100% completely honest, putting your story out into the world and not knowing where it would end up, would you? Pensioner Julian is a lonely soul, who one day decides to ask the question about being honest and authentic. He decides to start a project by writing some questions in a book and leaving it for someone to find. He asks the reader of the book to think about what would happen if instead of lying about something in your life, you told the truth, instead? 

Thus begins the journey of The Authenticity Project. As the notebook travels from person to person, each new individual has the option to tell a part of their own story. This is a book about first impressions, about loneliness, and friendship, about losing yourself and finding yourself in a totally new place. Clare Pooley does an amazing job of developing the characters, making them feel like someone you already know, and letting the readers see themselves in the book as well. 

I absolutely loved The Authenticity Project. It was a light, easy read that absolutely drew me into the story and characters from the first chapter. Sometimes books that are written from the viewpoint of several different characters can be hard to follow, but this one was written in a way that made it feel more like a movie. 


This book is exactly what the world needs right now. It is fun, and serious, and will make you think about the what ifs. Who knows? It may even inspire you to start your own Authenticity Project.

In an era where outward appearances have significant value and live our lives out on social media platforms, what would be your truth? What would be your authentic self and would you have the strength to accept it and live by it?

When Julian, a 75 year old artist writes about his loneliness in a green notebook and then leaves it in Monica’s café he inadvertently sets into motion a chain of events that will bring together a group of strangers, bound together by their desire to find their truth, their authentic self.

A wonderfully sweet, uplifting and charming read with definite Sophie Kinsella vibes. The characters are quirky and relatable and you can’t help but root for them and their journey. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for providing an advanced digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

Contemporary New Adult | Adult
When Monica discovers a green notebook in her London cafe, titled The Authenticity Project, she opens it to discover it’s a kind of diary. The first entry is by Julian Jessop, an aging artist who writes it’s time to tell his truth. “Everyone lies about their lives. What would happen if you shared the truth instead? The one thing that defines you, that makes everything else about you fall into place?” Julian starts it off by writing his own truth, his shameful story, of how badly he treated his wife. It’s a story of regret, and Monica is fascinated. It ends after a few pages, and the rest is blank. Waiting for the next story. After giving it some thought, Monica writes her own truth, her desperate longing for a family of her own, a hope that is fading as time marches on. On an impulse she pops the book into a stranger’s pocket – a stranger whose own messed-up life needs close scrutiny.
The book travels from person to person, each of them reading the stories of those who come before, and adding their own truth. The book travels around the world but makes its way back to London. Monica’s cafe ends up being a kind of homing beacon for the storytellers, serving to gather the threads into a beautifully written story of love, loss, longing, friendship, hope, and peace. The characters are beautifully drawn – filled with good intentions gone awry. It’s heartwarming, funny, touching, and tragic. The perfect solution for those dreary days when you need to curl up with a great book and ignore the world around you. I loved this one, a gentle beckoning toward a more authentic life. Sure, it’s the pandemic that’s leading us all to rethink our priorities, but it helps to have a story that shows what a well-lived life can look like, at any age. This is Pooley’s first novel, and she is a writer to watch. Grand Forks residents will find a copy of The Authenticity Project at the library, when it opens again. My thanks to Penguin/Random House Canada for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51332635

A sweet, lovely story full of characters that you wish you knew in real life. Very relatable in many ways, with enough of a romantic edge to keep you rooting for your favourites. Enjoyable read.

This story is told from multiple points of view as “The Authenticity Project” comes into each of their lives. It was really fun to have all their lives interconnect. There were a lot of ups and downs in each of the characters lives which came about in surprising ways and overall this is a book that leaves you with a good feeling.

I wasn't sure about this story when I started. The characters didn't grab me and I thought it plodded along too slowly in the beginning. But it soon picked up speed and I enjoyed seeing the various characters who found the Authenticity Project interact. The writing was well done in general.

Because of its unique premise, The Authenticity project reminded me in a way of the Dinner List by Rebecca Serle. This title however, was less emotionally resonant and more a light romp to make you think about the myriad ways your life could change in an instant. I enjoyed the quirkiness of this title and its encouragement to engage in self-reflection, however I felt that slightly more depth would have elevated this book even higher. 

I will be recommending this book to my seniors' book clubs.