Thank you to Transworld Publishers and Random House UK for a digital review copy - my thoughts are my own.

After seeing great reviews for this book, I finally started reading my review copy last night. I read about half last night and then used our enforced staying at home time to finish the book this morning. I was desperate to find out what happened but also didn't want to stay to finish.

I loved the story telling in this book, the way the lives of the strangers become entwined as they each embark on their journeys of self discovery, how they face up to what happened in their pasts and how they move forward, all aided by The Authenticity Project book.

I would love to be able to go a visit Monica's cafe, to sit with a hot chocolate in the Library area.

As other reviewers have commented, this would make a good film or TV series. One of my favourite books of 2020 - uplifting and enjoyable.

When Monica finds an old exercise book entitled The Authenticity Project abandoned in her cafe, she has no idea how it will influence her future. After reading the sad story written by lonely old artist Julian, she resolves to help him find new friends, having been mourning his wife for the past 15 years. Monica records her wish to settle down with a husband and children, before passing the book on to the next unsuspecting stranger. And so, the Authenticity Project continues.

I really enjoyed reading this. The different issues the characters were struggling with were well thought out and believable issues. I especially liked the way each person managed to connect with the previous ‘owner’ of the book, and their lives became intertwined. The fact that this is also a typical romance story - boy meets girl, both dislike each other, etc - is almost immaterial at times, such is the bond that grows between all of the characters.

I have already recommended this book to many people, and will continue to do so. It’s a real page turner and feel good story, with nothing to fault.

This book has been labelled an uplifting read and I completely agree! This was the perfect book to read, particularly during these uncertain times when I needed bit more hopefulness in my life.

The Authenticity Project tells the story of six individuals, the characters are slowly introduced with their own narratives throughout the book instead of from the beginning which I thought was brilliant. As soon as we began to progress with one character a new addition would be brought in to mix things up!

It was a very refreshing read. There's bound to be a character everyone can connect to in some way or another, that's something I love about multiple points of view, there's more representation and diversity when done well. If I didn't like a character or two there were four others to root for!

I think this a book told from the heart, you can tell the author has poured her heart and soul into this novel in the hopes of helping someone find their truth. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for an uplifting read.

What a lovely feel good book! It was an ideal choice of book to read while in lockdown due to covid-19.
It's full of well rounded characters, all with their own stories. I enjoyed meeting them all, some were more likeable than others but by the end of the book I was rooting for all my 'new friends'. Julian, Monica, Riley, Hazard and Alice are all intertwined through their writings in a pale green journal. The subjects of the elderly in society, loneliness, addiction and grief are all handled with care by Claire's skilled writing, but she is also well able to inject laugh out loud humour- often when you least expect it. This is one book I will definitely recommend to friends and family. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Claire Pooley for an advanced reading copy of The Authenticity Project.

The Authenticity Project is not the type of book that I normally read (I’m a crime and thriller junkie!), but I had heard so much about it and the premise of the story was so intriguing.

I’m so glad that I did read this novel, because it’s fantastic! It plays out like a Richard Curtis film (albeit in a more realistic and less saccharine sweet way) and initially I thought it would be quite a predictable story. I was so pleasantly surprised when multiple unexpected plot twists took the narrative off in directions that made the story itself far more authentic!

Clare Pooley’s writing is lyrical and engaging - she tells each character’s story really wonderfully and I was fully invested in each character and each subplot.

I’d seen claims that this was the feel-good book of 2020 and I can honestly say that I agree! I found myself uplifted with each character’s story and the overarching theme of showing kindness to others upon truly understanding their lives is so relevant in our current times. The Authenticity Project has the power to become a true modern classic, with its wonderful intertwining of characters and situations. I found I couldn’t put it down as I was so desperate to find out what was going to happen next for each character and ultimately how their story would end.

It was a real pleasure reading this novel and it has made me think strongly about broadening my reading preferences. I highly recommend this book!

Julian used to be a well known artist who's friends including Vivienne Westwood; he's now lonely and approaching his 80th birthday. He starts The Authenticity Project by writing his own life story in a green notebook, while prompting the reader to question how truthful they are being to themselves and others in their own life. After careful consideration he leaves the notebook in Monica's cafe; not only does Monica decide to add to the notebook but she also decides to do something to help Julian; as more people come across the notebook they're brought into this mix of unlikely friends.

The book switches between seven perspectives which may sound a bit overwhelming but as the characters weave in and out of each others lives I just found this added to the pace and as this book is all about how other people perceive us compared to how we see ourselves I think it was important to hear from each point of view in turn.

Overall this book had a really positive atmosphere around it which was exactly the kind of book I needed to read at the moment, the overriding themes include thinking and doing things for others as well as allowing yourself the accept help from others, there's a real sense of community which builds up around Monica's cafe that's just so heartwarming.

What a fabulous book. It is so wonderful to see how life can take a different turn and change your world forever with the meeting and unwitting intervention of others. A good feel story of loneliness, lack of confidence, friendship and love. How the strangest of people, whom you would not necessarily talk to can become your best and closest of friends

If you enjoy Libby Page and are looking for a similar community feel-good novel, then Clare Pooley's Authenticity Project should fit the bill very nicely.

Julian, a lonely artist in his late seventies, starts an art project by confessing his "reality" to a work book and then leaves it for the next person to pick up, read and add.. This starts of a chain of events that bring a whole group of different characters together to share their lives and reveal their true identities. It has a love story, a few twists and a nice gentle humour.

As a reader, it felt that I became friends with all the characters and didn't want the story to end.

I’m going to jump right in there and say that I loved this book!
In essence this book was a character study, an in depth look at individuals, their lives, how they saw themselves and how they were seen by others. I loved this and how it was established so early on, for example on page 4, Monica “paused to turn the page and take a mouthful of wine. She wasn’t sure she liked Julian very much” when reading Julian’s message. Then on page 28 we have a completely different opinion from Hazard even though he was reading the same thing Monica read, “Hazard Read on, He rather liked Julian.”
I found it utterly captivating and could not put it down. It was light and fun whilst covering some serious topics. If you enjoyed the 24-hour café then you will like this!

Absolutely lovely, one of the nicest books I've read in a while. Full of positivity and warmth, fabulous characters and a feel good plot with no nasty surprises, although there are some twists. A warm hug in a book and a worthwhile concept.

I loved the premise of this book 🖤 a little notebook being circulated around for people to share the ‘real them’. No more lies, or hiding behind a mask. The authenticity project is about being … well, authentic 🙌🏻⁣
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🔎 The first few characters that shared their stories were fantastic, and I really enjoyed learning about them - there was a sadness about all of them. A deep down loneliness 💔 I loved how the stories was so interwound, that the more the notebook was used, the more connected the characters all became.⁣
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😔 The second part of the book, wasn’t as good in my opinion. A few more characters were introduced, which I felt was a bit too much. I did however understand from the author’s note that, each character was a part of her own true story. I found that fascinating!⁣
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📘 This book was a huge reminder not to judge a book by its cover. If you are looking for a quirky, somewhat light read, this would be a perfect one ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley

The story begins when Monica a local cafe owner finds a notebook that has been left behind and she reads Julian’s story. He’s an elderly man who now has no friends left they have either lost contact or died so Monica sets out to find Julian and try to make his life better. As Julian was a famous artist in his day she talks him into doing an art class/ supper evening in her cafe. She also writes her story in the notebook and then the book finds it way for others to read about the lives of the previous people and they all write their personal story as they perceive it to be. Thus many people find the note book and strangely it takes twists and turns as their lives become intertwined in strange ways and life isn’t always as it initially seems.

Loved this book it wasn’t what I expected . Lovely book about life good and bad . Full of eccentricity , problems sadness laughter. Very good read showing there is nothing stranger than life itself. Well written well worth the read.

A mixed bag for me. I found it to be a nice and easy read, with an absolutely wonderful idea at the heart of it, but personally I found the execution to be a tiny bit weak. Some of the characters were really strong and vivid, others were weak and lacklustre. The stories became a bit overwhelmingly sad at times, but it did have a strong message at the heart of it to become more focused on your community and appreciating and paying attention to those around you.

Julian is of the opinion that people never tell one another the truth about their lives, to remedy this he writes down his own story in a small green book and leaves it in a cafe for someone to read and add their own story. Here begins the Authenticity Project, when the book travels with different characters, through different countries, each telling their own true life story.

A very enjoyable read.

This book had elements of Saving Missy- an elderly protagonist, lonely and unsure of their position in life and wondering where their life was heading. An array of characters, each with their own troubles and issues come to the rescue and in doing so, rescue themselves.
An entertaining novel, nicely tidied up at the end, with no surprises.
If there is a moral here, its that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and people aren't always how you perceive them to be.

Julian used to be a famous artist, but now he's old and lonely. He writes down his story in a small notebook, titles it The Authenticity Project and leaves it in a neighbourhood café in the hopes a stranger might pick it up and continue the project of sharing something nobody else knows about them. This sets in motion events that don't just change Julian's life, but also the lives of everyone who comes into contact with the little green notebook.

The story bounces back and forth between a small group of characters who have all shared their own story in the notebook. There are a few plot twists along the way, some you can probably see coming and others that are a total shock. The plot seems a bit far-fetched, but the author made it work and managed to make me fall a little bit in love with every character. There were two characters whose stories didn't seem to have gotten an ending, but that's the beauty of this story: life continues for the characters after the reader turns that final page.

I loved the idea of writing your story down and then leaving it for the next person to find, and while there were perhaps just a few too many coincidences this was a fun read that is just a little deeper than other uplit books. I didn't get completely invested in the characters but I found it a compelling book and a real page turner.

Sweet, heartwarming and original, I LOVED this book! A positive and comforting read. I felt that the characters were my friends by the end as they were so well drawn and developed. Everything fitted together so well and progressed at a steady pace.
I will be recommending this book for lots of friends and family to read and enjoy.

I was drawn by the concept of this book but...it lacked quite a lot for me. The concept was interesting at first, but somehow the execution made it feel weak and unbelievable

We begin with Monica, a café owner, finding The Authenticity Project: a notebook containing the life story, warts and all, of octogenarian Julian. Monica then adds her own honest life story to the notebook, before leaving it for someone else to find, and someone else, and someone else...

It's not always bad when a book's characters are devoid of depth, but when the complexities of humanity is supposed to be the central theme of the book...this lack becomes a problem. We were told all about these characters, rather than ever seeing any evidence of these characteristics

The concept itself that originally intrigued me was also fairly weak. The connections these people made were vapid (disguised as deep and meaningful) and developed beyond strangers to lifelong pals faaar too quickly

I just wasn't a fan of this one unfortunately. I think it could definitely work for people looking for a light, adult contemporary but it didn't work for me

This ticks all the boxes if you want a nice uplifting feelgood read and if you loved Eleanor Oliphant / Saving Missy then you will love this. A group of mismatched friends come together in this lovely tale and you soon become absorbed into the characters own stories. It's a very realistic portrayal of society today and makes you realise how other peoples lives aren't always what they seem. It 's a book that will appeal to all ages and I will definitely read more from this author.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced copy.