"Julian Jessop is tired of hiding the deep loneliness he feels. So he begins The Authenticity Project – a small green notebook containing the truth about his life.
Leaving the notebook on a table in his friendly neighbourhood café, Julian never expects Monica, the owner, to track him down after finding it. Or that she’ll be inspired to write down her own story.
Little do they realize that such small acts of honesty hold the power to impact all those who discover the notebook and change their lives completely."

A lovely light summer read, and thankfully something a bit lighthearted but different to a fluffy romcom. I loved and connected with all the different characters, my only criticism is that the ending was a bit too predictable.

I don’t know was i disappointed with myself because I couldn’t get on with this book and I really wanted to like it or with the book itself.
Sadly I couldn’t gel with the book.

Oh i just loved this! The Authenticity Project was full of heart and such a great premise. I enjoyed the dual perspectives of the different characters and their differing stories. Really shows how you may never really know a person just by looking at them and surface level/ judgement.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Authenticity Project has a great premise but unfortunately it just didn't hit right for me. The plot is quite predictable and the characters were quite one dimensional. Not for me but I think others may enjoy!

An engaging, warm and uplifting read. I'm often sceptical about the scenarios in this genre of book but I found the characters here compelling enough to park my cynicism, and I’m glad I did. I’d recommend this to anybody looking for something to inject a bit of hope into their life.

The lives of six strangers collide when they pick up a notebook and confront the truth about their lives. A lose-yourself, uplifting read with a serious theme to ponder.

Monica runs a cafe which is the hub of her community.

One day she realises that we often don’t know people as well as we think. Polite and friendly exchanges over coffee very rarely reveal the lives we are really leading.

A customer has left behind a green notebook in which he has revealed the terrible loneliness he is experiencing. There’s no name or way of knowing how to reach him, but Monica is determined to track him down. And in the process she and four other people confront the truth about their own lives.

It’s a book about honesty, friendship and forgiveness. It’s a warm, feel-good book full of hope, and it’s based around an unusual and quirky idea, but that is ultimately quite thought-provoking. Great characters and a clever idea.

Thank you to Netgalley for a pre publication copy. In return for an honest review! #theauthenticityproject #netgalley

Monica has given up the world of law to follow her dreams to own her own cafe. Julian is an artist whose wife died 15 years ago and since then Julian has hardly left the house bar his Friday date at 5pm at the cemetery with the admirals grave. Hazard is an addict and spends his time drinking, taking cocaine and having sex with woman whose names he doesn't know. Riley is travelling around the world, living an innocent life with no complications. Whilst Alices life as an influencer and mother isn't straight forward. One notebook brings these 5 together but how? And where will they end up?

I was recommended to read this book by a friend.

This book is a great read. It is a beautiful story that gently unfolds making nothing feel too heavy.

After some research this is the authors debut fiction novel. There is no way you would know this and the author should be so proud of the piece she has achieved.

I love how this book is set out chronologically with each character taking turns to have a chapter. Moving the story forward with each chapter. Allowing you to see the story through everyone's eyes. As opposed to it being a repetitive use of voice which it could have become.

All the characters have their own unique personality which shines through at every point. They are all strong independent people who have love and life lessons to tell. They just need to confidence to tell them and the love of company to release their potential. . The lessons and wisdom they provide throughout this book has such a light spiritual feeling that I know every reader will take something from this book.

This book covers some emotional subjects such as; divorce, adoption, death, estranged parents, addiction, mental health, cancer, suicide, relapseand low self esteem. However none of these subjects detracts from the read. It just allows for extra character building, overcoming the worst in life when surrounded by those who build you up and more invaluable life lessons come of this.

Also this book is a page Turner from the very first sentence. I read this in 48 hours. You will not want to put it down and you just want to hug all the characters.

You never know where the book is going, you feel it heading a certain way and then the track bends and your off on your wya somewhere else. This is the same right until the last chapter.

Everyone must read this book and is certainly my top book for 2020.

The wya the ending has been left I cna only hope this means it is going to be made into a series. I can keep my fingers crossed.

What a fabulous, uplifting read this is! And most of all... authentic. The characters were well drawn and human, their stories intertwined with ease and the storyline kept the reader interested until the end. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

I enjoyed this, although at first I felt there were too many characters. I’d just get used to another one and then there would be a new chapter and new character. I wanted to get to know them all more before new ones were added. Such an original premise and something very much for the times we’re in. Would make a great movie!

I'm not sure what drew me to read this book, maybe it was the lovely cover of the cafe. Reading the description now I'm not sure I would rush to read it, but I am so glad I did! I just loved it and couldn't wait to get back to it each time, and spent the time in between thinking about the characters.

I will admit it had a little bit of a slow start, but once the Authenticity Project notebook began its journey to the next person it really took off. Julian is the first to write in the notebook and leave it in Monica's cafe - for him it truly is the beginning of something he could never have dreamt of. One of the saddest parts of the book is when Monica is in Julian's cottage and she opens a canister of peppermint tea. There is a note from his long ago dead wife, reminding him to offer his guests biscuits, and he says, "oh that's a new one" I haven't come across a new note for a while.

Monica writes in the book next and then when the following person writes in the notebook it takes a trip overseas. As each person writes in the book their lives become entwined eventually until at a point about three quarters into the book I exclaimed out loud "OH !!!". I don't do spoilers so to find out what had me shouting out loud you need to read this extraordinary and wonderfully written book. Just when I thought I could second guess what was going to happen it all changed and then there were more changes which had me gripped as much as any thriller.

I could reveal so many tidbits about the characters, but really I think it's best for you to discover them for yourself, bit by bit, or page by page of the notebook.

Oh my goodness this book ❤️ I hate using the term “all the feels” but it sums The authenticity project up perfectly. For me this book is the perfect uplit, it has really interesting characters, a storyline that I became so invested in and it just really warmed my heart and thankfully pieced it back together after the heartbreaking parts! The chapters just flowed so seamlessly even though they were told from several different perspectives. It’s very much a “one more chapter” book and I liked that the chapters were short and sweet. I highly recommend this book, it was a perfect read for me and is 100% on of my favourite reads this year, maybe ever 🤷🏻‍♀️ Loved it and I’m obsessed with the cover 😍

I loved the concept of this book and how the characters came together. The set up was unique and the cast a motley crew indeed. There were many heart felt tender moments but something felt missing to this story. Was a good read but not a favourite due to lack of character development and some plot holes.

Thanks to #negalley for my free copy, in exchange for an honest review.

“How well do you know the people who live near you? How well do they know you? Do you even know the names of your neighbours? Would you realize if they were in trouble, or hadn’t left their house for days?”

Recently the distinction between truths and lies has been circling on my mind. What does it mean to be straightforward, truthful, honest, ‘authentic’ (though that’s a word I dislike): in short, to avoid lying? And how possible is it to behave this way consistently? Lying of course can never be avoided completely, nor should it. White lies, otherwise called ‘social lies’, form an important part in our lives. ‘The authenticity project’ goes one step further though, and wonders how others would react to us if they really knew us.

Clare Pooley used to work in advertising. She then became a blogger called ‘Mummy was a secret drinker’, which led to a memoir: ‘The sober diaries’. This is her first novel, and as she explains, it was inspired by the process she herself had to go through to tell ‘the truth about her life’.

For a debut light, chick-lit-type novel, this is surprisingly accomplished and comfortable to read. It belongs in the category of cozy reads, similar to ‘The flatshare’. The central idea involves a notebook- entitled ‘The authenticity project- moving from hand to hand within a London community. As each person reads the previous one’s true story about their lives, they ‘pay it forward’ by making a change that will benefit them.

What I liked was the strong sense of a community coming together in this novel. A seemingly disparate group of people, all lonely and slightly lost in their lives, come together in surprising ways. I have always had a soft spot for books that create a heart-warming sense of community, as having a sense of community and belonging is a very central part in my own life: so I enjoyed this novel, which I experienced as a light, page-turnery, ‘palate cleanser’ book.

A lovely read full of interesting and intriguing characters. Even managed to weave in some twists and turns. I did see one storyline coming but all in all a great read. Monica's Cafe sounded like somewhere I would like to visit. Would like to see a follow up.

What a clever hook!

An old man leaves a green notebook in a cafe to be picked up by whoever happens upon it. Inside he tells his truth, revealing his loneliness to an unknown stranger and leaving what happens next up to them. Gradually the book is passed from person to person, and the individuals who dare to write their own truths in the notebook find themselves inextricably linked together in a chain of disparate – and in some cases, desperate – strangers. What follows will change all of their lives, but whether for the better or the worse is yet to be seen.

The characters here are all fabulous: each one engaging and interesting, with their own quirks and flaws. There is Julian, the lonely and fabulous aging artist; Monica, the reserved perfectionist who secretly longs for a family of her own; Hazard, the addict trying to get his life back onto a healthier track; Riley, the laid-back Aussie wanderer; Alice, the Instagram yummy mummy with her baby Bunty accessory; Lizzie, the nosy nanny; then the many delightful side characters, like Benji, Baz and Mrs Wu – each one an individual and a delight.

We are taken from chapter to chapter through the different character’s lives as they take their turn with the Project and also look back and meddle with what went before them, so we get to see different perspectives on each character and build up a full and intimate picture of their regrets and desires.

The whole story is infused with the warmth of community, neighbourliness, looking up from your own concerns and looking out for others, and – as the title suggests – the importance of honesty and openness in making changes for the better. Here is friendship, acceptance, understanding, and even some romance, leaving the reader feeling like they’ve been hugged by a close friend.

Recommended to anyone who loves a good people-centred story about the kind of families we make for ourselves when we really take the time to look at the strangers around us.



She had tried to return the book. As soon as she realized it had been left behind, she’d picked it up and rushed after its extraordinary owner. But he’d gone. He moved surprisingly swiftly for someone so old. Maybe he really didn’t want to be found.

It was a plain, pale-green exercise book, like the one Monica had carried around with her at school, filled with details of homework assignments. Her friends had covered their books with graffiti of hearts, flowers and the names of their latest crushes, but Monica was not a doodler. She had too much respect for good stationery.

On the front cover were three words, beautifully etched in copperplate script:

The Authenticity Project

– Clare Pooley, The Authenticity Project


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

A witty, exciting and fast paced read. I enjoyed this book so much I was sad when it was over.

The gradual introduction of new characters was so sharply written into the story it was effortless. You believed each character was real and fully developed.

The concept of the book was genious, but how this was played out throughout the book was exciting and a real page turner.

It was thought provoking and a real life changer in the way I will think going forward.

I especially enjoyed the twist in the plot and how each character had their own journey to discover themselves in a crazy modern society. The use of Instagram was cleverly intertwined and will help to appeal to a wide audience of readers.

I will be recommending this book to everyone!

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

An Indie coffee shop, a notebook and a cast of interesting and diverse characters all in one lovely little novel. What more could you ask for at this strange and surreal time? Springtime 2020

The Authenticity Project is yet another book I’ve read of late which had a great premise but fell down when it came to the actual delivery.

The ‘project’ is actually just a notebook into which 79 year-old Julian, a flamboyant artist who was part of the ‘it’ crowd in his day, writes admissions of being a lonely old man since his wife, whom he underappreciated completely, died. After writing his ‘authentic’ story in the book, he leaves it lying around for someone to pick up and read. The idea is for them to then write their own story before leaving it for the next person, and so on. We follow the story of all those who find his book and the relationships they have with each other because of the book.

Pooley was obviously going for a Love, Actually/Four Weddings and a Funeral type interconnecting characters feel. However, the whole thing didn’t work as well as it should. I didn’t find the book particularly funny, nor did I believe in the romance. At the very least, for this type of multi-character book to work, you need to fall in love with the characters and their plights. In this, their plights/plots were bland and boring and I’m afraid I had trouble liking some of the characters, let alone loving them.

Julian is probably the one Pooley was counting on us finding the most charming. However, I found him to be a selfish git most of the time. His timeline also felt completely wrong. As in, a man his age would have been well into his 40s during the 80s and, therefore, his love for the clothes and music from that decade felt a little confusing and wrong.

Other characters include Monica, a germophobe neurotic mess; Hazard, an alcoholic with a stupid name; Alice, a yummy-mummy insta-star; and two gay couples who play such a minor part it’s obvious they’ve been thrown in so Pooley could check off her ‘must have for diversity’ list.

And don’t get me started on the Australian character who Pooley uses as a dumb blond ignoramus which, for obvious reasons, made me mad. (Note to everyone who reads this, the only people to call toilets a dunny would be over 60 and everyone in Aus knows who Nigella and Jamie Oliver are. *hmph*)

The book also suffers from the same problem as a lot of others on the market at the moment -- it’s about 100 pages too long. The plot and characters were far too weak and the writing too pedestrian to expect it to stretch out to almost 400 pages. I did read to the end of the book but maybe that was out of sheer stubbornness on my part.

I guess, considering the addiction storylines (all the characters are addicted to something, alcohol, social media, cleaning etc), Pooley had the best intentions when she wrote this book. Unfortunately, I’ve come to discover that good intentions (and, in this case, a good idea/premise) doesn’t necessarily mean a good read. I’d rate this maybe 2 ½, 3 at a pinch.

A good read that makes you think about authenticity, your place in life and appearances - but not at the expense of a good story.

My full review here from 04 May https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/?p=13733&preview=true