Lisa Jewell knows how to write a taut book. It’s so easy to be pulled along by the narrative. With any mystery you know that things are not likely to be what they seem and the twists here deliver a punch even if you think you know what some of the answers are.
I both read and listened to the audiobook for this one, having received early and ARC and an ALC, and both are great, but the audiobook is really spectacular because of all the different mediums referenced in the book.
It is a very disturbing read and not everything comes to a satisfying end, but it’s a hell of a ride.
See my review on StoryGraph for a full list of trigger earnings.

Over the past several years, I have generally read and enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s books including I Found You (2017), Watching You (2018), The Family Upstairs (2019), and Invisible Girl (2020) o I was happy to receive a copy of sNone Of This Is True from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Still in a slow spot in my pandemic reading frenzy, I was hoping for one of those books…you know, the ones where if you are reading and someone interrupts, it is REALLY annoying, no matter how much you love that person? Yeah, one of those. Over the years, my rating of Jewell’s books dropped, with a 5-star in 2017, 4 in 2018, only 3 stars for 2019’s The Family Upstairs, then 4 for Invisible Girl. I was definitely hoping the latest book would rekindle my Jewell appreciation!

I’m a big fan of the “domestic thriller” genre, and spend a fair amount of time listening to podcasts, so a book featuring a podcaster as one of the main characters sounded intriguing. Josie Fair is out for dinner on her forty-fifth birthday, when she sees and meets popular podcaster Alix Summer. Josie is a mess, totally insecure, and she feels that “…everything, literally everything about her is wrong and that she’s running out of time to make herself right.” Although Alix seems like one of those women who gets everything right, her marriage is less than perfect. Looking at her husband Nathan, “…she is struck by the sheer blandness of him, the impenetrable wall of nothingness between his physical being and the rest of the world.”

Alix and Josie are birthday twins, born in the same hospital on the same day. Josie approaches Alix with an idea to make a podcast about the huge changes she is planning in her life. Alix finds Josie unsettling, but she can’t quite resist the temptation to make the podcast. In a story that draws the reader in with increasing creepiness and tension, Josie’s dark past and secrets both old and new just keep coming.

In recent years, there have been several novels about podcasts and podcasters, and none of them really grabbed me and kept me reading all night. UNTIL NOW. I could NOT stop reading this. Deliciously unsettling and well-written with interesting characters, it was a solid five star read, and I am grateful to Atria and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review.

Josie and Alix first meet on their 45th birthday and learn they not only have the same birthday but were born in the same hospital and enrolled their children in the same school. But the similarities end there.. Josie proposes an idea to Alix, who runs a successful podcast. Make a series about her and how she plans to make a big change in her life. She tells Alix about her dark and unorthodox past, and while Alix, is, at first, hesitant, with her instinct telling her to deny the opportunity, she eventually agrees and gets drawn into Josie's life. But then she learns that maybe she did make a mistake after all and that getting Josie out of her life won't be so easy.

This was an engaging read and kept me hooked from the beginning. But around the 50% mark, I started to get tired and wondered where the story was going. It was obvious from the beginning that Josie wasn't to be trusted and I found it farfetched that Alix kept extending her grace and courtesy, even if she was drawn to Josie's story. I also thought the Netflix transcript at the end jarring and distracting. It would have been better if the author just stuck to transcripts from the eventual podcast itself. The ending wrapped up nicely but it wasn't that surprising because of Josie's behaviour throughout the book.

Overall, this was a decent read and a book I'd recommend for readers who are fans of Jewell and her previous work.

I alternated between print and audio for this one because I just could. not. stop. listening. The audio is absolutely fantastic; it’s fully produced so it feels like you’re listening to a movie. And the story itself is utterly absorbing, with narrators you can’t trust and reveals that can only be described as completely unhinged. The characters! The reveals! This was one of the best Lisa Jewell books I’ve read.

if life would have allowed, i would have finished this in one sitting!!

i absolutely devoured Lisa Jewel’s new novel, None of This Is True. first off the formatting was the coolest i think i’ve ever read. told in past tense of first person & a mix of podcast interviews… so cool! then we saw glimpses of the present day told in the format of a Netflix documentary! it was just such refreshing & new format to read that made it impossible to put down!

& let’s talk about the VIBES in this book!!! Alix was so relatable yet so “cool girl” that made her such a wonderful MC! Josie had such creepy, sinister vibes about her but Lisa wrote her character so well you found yourself rooting for her throughout many parts in the book.

the way it was written, you almost know what the “twists” are going to be but it doesn’t make them any less shocking because of the connection i grew to the characters throughout reading, just such a wonderful domestic thriller!🤩

thank you to @atriabooks & @netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, author Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a wild ride!! I loved the premise of a podcaster revealing a story throughout that is not quite what it seems, and I thought the book was really well-paced with flashbacks and flashforwards. It always felt like just the right amount of suspense, as things were revealed in a timely-enough manner but yet still delayed enough to keep me on the edge of my seat while reading. Jewell does a fantastic job writing really complicated characters that are easy to hate. There were some absolutely horrid moments in this book that made me so absolutely disgusted towards characters, but then it would flip on its head. The book was pretty straight-forward in the approach of what sort of story it was trying to tell, but the great storytelling and character-building kept me engaged the entire time. There were even a couple of twists at the end that caught me off guard! I could totally picture this actually being a tv show and podcast because it was so realistic, and I'm excited to check out more of Jewell's backlog (besides The Family Upstairs that I've already read) now!!

Lisa Jewell is like my home girl! I mean I didn’t even have to read the synopsis of her newest book because she can do no wrong! I was reading it even if it was about watching water boil. This one was fab. A home run. A plus. Yes yes yes! 💯🤌

None of this is True comes out on August 8th so mark your calendar to🏃‍♀️ & grab a copy of this! 📖

Quick overview: Josie & Alix meet while both celebrating their 45th birthday in the same restaurant. They introduce themselves & also find they were born in the same hospital too! True Birthday Twins! 👯‍♀️🥳 Josie later becomes obsessed with Alix & basically stalks her in order to “bump” into her again & pitches a story for Alix to use for her podcast. The podcast is later turned into a Netflix documentary, but y’all, sooooo much more sinister stuff is involved, but I am not giving one shred of detail away on that!💁‍♀️

🌻This book was unputdownable! Twisty, spine tingling, mind bending… all the things you want in a good thriller. What sets this one apart is it follows a normal timeline, but throws in tidbits of the actual Netflix series & audio from the podcast too(with many others characters). You will not know the relevance of these until later, but it’s not confusing. You will be engaged the entire time & yearn to keep going(I actually missed my kids cheer practice because time got away from me reading this one..whoops🫣). It’s so super rad, y’all. Unique to this genre. Read it. Do it. On shelves in 6 days. 🏃‍♀️5 stars but duh. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks @netgalley and @atriabooks for this ARC & the thoughts are my own, but I think that part is obvious. 🤭

Just how much is anything true? Beware of a birthday twin when you are out for your 45th birthday. Alix Summers is a podcaster focusing on women and their achievements. Josie Fair is a homemaker with two daughters married to a man who is very much older-she has been with him since she's 15. She encounters Alix in the lady's room and begins to stalks her until Alix agrees to do a podcast about her. This is Josie's opportunity to tell her "truth". Kidnappings, murders, lies combine for a fast paced read.

4.5 One of the best/creepiest books I've read this year.

Josie and Alix meet off-chance at their 45th birthday dinner. Josie is there with her much older husband thinking about how her life has gone and Alix is there with several friends and her perfect husband having the time of their lives. Alix is a famous podcaster and they decide to tell Josie's story.

The format of this book is fantastic. We are in the present, from Alix or Josie's POV then we are reading the actual recording of the podcast, THEN there is a Netflix series *about* the podcast being done. Because you know, the murders. The story unfolds as it goes and gets creepier by the second and I couldn't put it down. And that ending!!

Closest thing I've read to Verity.

Where do I even start!!! This book has the perfect amount of twisted/creepy vibes. I couldn’t put it down because I couldn’t stop thinking about what was coming next. I felt like I was watching a show on the ID channel AND the ending!!! Im embarrassed to say this is my first Lisa Jewell book but it definitely will not be my last. This book would definitely make a great Netflix series!!!

This was my first Lisa Jewell book and I loved it! It was such a crazy story and I really had no idea how it would end. I loved the overall story and how it was a mix of podcasts and a Netflix show. I really am still confused about this book but in the best way! I definitely recommend this one if you like true crime podcasts and really unexpected twists and turns.

Lisa Jewell’s newest novel is a wild ride of twists and turns. A story of twins, birthday twins. Alix and Josie first meet each other while celebrating their birthdays at the same swanky restaurant. Both born in the same town, same date and same hospital but with completely different lives. Alix is a successful podcaster looking for new material for the show. Josie quickly convinces her that she would be an excellent subject on the next podcast. As Josie begins to share confidences about her life, secrets are revealed and Alix and her family are quickly swept into her world.

Told through witness stories, interviews, stories from the podcast and scenes from a Netflix documentary, Lisa Jewell has created a thrilling mystery. Touching on serious topics of mental illness, narcissism, addiction and domestic abuse, Jewell has created complex characters and a compelling plot. A fast paced read with clues that keep you guessing and wanting to read more. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title in return for an honest review.

This book was so good. First time author to me. All the twists and turns were outstanding to make this book great.

Great job Lisa. Another great book for you.

4.5 overall!

Ok this one has saved Lisa Jewell for me. I’ve read one other book by Lisa Jewell and was sadly letdown by it and didn’t understand the hype with it. When I saw this one though the summary definitely had me intrigued and I’m so glad I decided to give Jewell another shot. I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the start and was invested in finding out what was going to happen, which is why I ended up reading it in three days. It was such a wild ride from start to finish with all the twists and turns throughout the story. You really could not trust what anyone said in this book. And that ending!! It definitely has left me questioning everything all over again. I did find it to drag a little bit at times and there was details thrown in that really didn’t need to be in and could’ve done without and the story would’ve been still just fine.

Overall, I highly recommend this one to any Lisa Jewell fan or anyone who loves a twisty thriller that has a podcast aspect. I’ll definitely give Jewell another shot with more of her books after reading this one.

I was excited to finally read a book by Lisa Jewell, but None of This is True just wasn’t for me. There are some stories that I can tell relatively early on that I’m not the right reader for—the reason can range from the characters, to the writing, to my lack of interest in what’s going on with the plot, and etc. And that’s essentially what happened with this book: the first few chapters were just so-so for me, and I found it too easy to set None of This is True aside.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

5 ⭐️ alert!!!! HOLY MOLY. I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan, but she has truly outdone herself here. Y’all know I’m a huge thriller fan and I really think this is now my all time fav in my favorite genre. Once you start reading it, you won’t want to put it down.

Feminist podcaster Alix Summers is celebrating her 45th birthday at a swanky restaurant when she meets a stranger named Josie, who’s also there celebrating her 45th. The two are birthday twins, born in the same hospital but their lives couldn’t be more different. The pair meet again, and Josie confides that she would be an excellent person to interview for Alix’s podcast. Alix agrees- but before she knows it, Josie has infiltrated herself into her life and home. Alix is suddenly making a true crime podcast that centers around her own life.

The pacing of this thriller is off the charts! Alternating perspectives between the birthday twins was fantastic, but Jewell also threaded podcast interviews and descriptions from the true crime documentary that tells the birthday twins story throughout. This gives the reader glimpses and foreshadowing of what’s to come in a brilliant way. I highly recommend this to all thriller fans!

✨Trigger Warnings: Adult/Minor Relationship, Incest, Alcoholism, Domestic Abuse, Murder, Child Death

When Josie fair and her husband Walter or at a local inn celebrating her 45th birthday she notices a group of people celebrating another woman’s 45th birthday when Josie sees the other woman go to the restaurant she gets up and follows her she tells her they’re birthday twins and that is when the woman introduces herself as Alex Summers, they even find out they were born at the same hospital. When Josie goes home she googles the other woman and finds out she is a podcaster and doesn’t live far from her home. This is when Josie on purpose accidentally runs into her and tells her she should do a podcast on Josie her birthday twin and goes on to say Josie is about to change her life and wants Alex to document it. Alex has gotten pretty popular by interviewing famous and or motivated independent women and can tell Josie is none of these things as a matter of a fact she seems quite different than normal people but something tells Alex she should do it and so she agrees. Before Alex is even aware of it her motivational podcast becomes one of True Crime and by the time that happens she is a part of the story. There is so much goodness to this book it is deathly plotted well put together stealthily told and a doozy full of twist and won any thriller lover shouldn’t miss! I wasn’t that familiar with Lisa Jules books before but after reading this one I went on a down loading frenzy and will soon probably be her biggest fan. This is a great book of lies but they do have a couple of triggers such as sexual abuse child abuse and gaslighting but it all makes for a one great book. I want to thank net galley and atria books for my free arc copy
Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I don't even know where to start with this book. I LOVED it and was hooked from the beginning! I didn't know who to trust -- every character seemed to have a hidden agenda. Josie came across as harmless at first, but the longer the story went on, the more I was thinking.."what the hell?!" I really hope there is a sequel to this one because these characters were so intriguing and I need to know more about them, especially Josie's daughters Roxy and Erin.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an e-ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

None of This Is True
Lisa Jewell
Pub Date: August 8, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really have no words! This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read and I just LOVED it!

When Alix Summers and Josie Fair cross paths while out celebrating their birthday, they quickly discover they are birthday twins, born in the same year and at the same hospital. After realizing that Alix is the host of a podcast, Josie starts to bump into Alix at various times. She eventually tells Alix that she has a new idea for a podcast, as she is about to make some big changes in her life. After Alix decides to pursue Josie’s idea, it’s not long before she realizes all the secrets that Josie is hiding and that Alix and her family are quickly getting pulled into Josie’s dark life. Is Josie Fair who she says she is? What has she done and is she telling the truth?

No description can prepare you for this book and what you are going to read. My best advice is to read this book NOW! This is hands down my favorite thriller of 2023.

Read if you like:
❓Unreliable narrators
❓Domestic suspense
❓Dual POVs
❓Podcast Interviews/Netflix Documentaries
❓Dark themes

Thank you Atria Books, Lisa Jewell and NetGalley for a #gifted copy of None Of This Is True!

Posted on Goodreads on August 1, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Mini Review - August 2, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- August 8, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on August 8, 2023
**-will post on designated date

This was full of surprises and almost impossible to put down. Many times these books are predictable or have too many unbelievable twists to really create suspense, but this was a great success! A really fun read!