I’ve long been a fan of Lisa Jewell but her last few books left me wanting a little more from her. I was really excited about the premise of “None Of This Is True” and the inclusion of the podcast aspect. This was definitely a page turner and kept me wanting to read more as each page went by. This was one of those novels where you’re not really in love with any of the characters but I was okay with that because of the mystery surrounding all of them. I really enjoyed this book and I think the only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was the ambiguous ending and the lack of connection I had with any of the characters. Otherwise, this was an entertaining and enjoyable read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this book! I would definitely recommend this one!

Alix Summers and Josie Fair while completely different, are both on the cusp of change. When their paths cross on their shared 45th birthday, their lives will never be the same. Josie has a story to tell and she wants Alix, as a successful podcaster, to tell that story. But Josie is not who she says she is. As Alix gets the root of the story and Josie integrates herself into Alix’s life and home, Alix will find herself in the middle of her own true crime podcast.

I love that Jewell took a break from using flashbacks, and instead incorporated the podcast dialogue and the documentary footage. It gave us a good view into what others important characters were saying and thinking without making the cast of narrators too convoluted. The fact that this is told through just Josie and Alix’s narration really gave the reader control of interpretation.

Josie’s character from the start is unsettling and I went on a roller-coaster of emotions while learning more about her. She’s such an unreliable narrator and her obsession over Alix was the perfect level of creepy. Alix is our more stable character, but even then, we get to see behind the curtain of her perfect life. The contrast of the two characters was wonderfully done, and really made their personalities stick out and clash.

This is probably the darkest of Jewell’s books and boarder on Jennifer Hiller’s style of writing. There are some trigger warnings for sexual abuse, grooming, pedophile, and alcoholism but without any spoilers, they never get graphic.

I enjoy Lisa Jewell’s books. They’re easy thriller reads for me, and I generally know what to expect. While I had an inkling on what the ending was going to be, I still really enjoyed the journey to get there. This is my new favorite book from Jewell and is honestly one of the most attention grabbing of her books in recent years.

None of This is True comes out August 8, 2023. Huge thank you to Atria Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.

“None of This is True” by Lisa Jewell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: Psychological Thriller. Location: London, England. Time: June 2019-March 2022.
 
Hi, I’m your Birthday Twin!

Glamorous, ambitious podcaster Alix Summer is married to Nathan with 2 children at home. She’s celebrating her 45th birthday at a local pub when she meets shy, retiring Josie Fair, married to 72 year old Walter, with 2 grown children. Josie’s also celebrating her 45 birthday-Birthday Twins! Josie thinks her strange, complicated life would be an interesting subject for Alix’s podcast.

As Alix records Josie’s life, she slowly realizes Josie hides dark, bizarre secrets. Before Alix realizes it, Josie has wormed her way into Alix’s life and home. Then Josie disappears, and Alix discovers Josie left a terrible, terrifying legacy. Alix becomes the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her family members’ lives in danger. Nothing is what it seems.

Author Jewell has written a book as full of layers as an onion. As each layer peels away, another secret slips out: Past trauma, current problems, PTSD, lies, omissions, revenge. She adds in scenes from Alix’s Netflix series “Hi, I’m your Birthday Twin”, which give us more dark secrets and future events. As usual, Jewell’s book is character-driven, and full of fast-paced, evocative prose. That’s why she’s a “must-read” for me! It’s dark and very very twisty, the characters are unreliable, it’s pure Lisa Jewell-and I couldn’t put it down! It’s 5 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to Aria Books, NetGalley, and Lisa Jewell for this early copy. Publishes 8/2/23.

Lisa Jewell has truly done it again. Her books never fail to re-energize my reading and make me fall back in love with thrillers.

This may be my favorite of hers yet.

Jewell weaves a compelling tale that, true to its title, has the reader consistently second guessing what is fact and what is fiction. None of This is True tells the story of two women—both turning 45 on the same day, celebrating in the same restaurant. The two women, though “birthday twins” are polar opposites—one strange and striving to be different than who she is, another seemingly glamorous and living the life everyone dreams to, filled with friends and fun. We see that this glamorous woman, Alix, is actually a famous podcaster with young children, while the other, Josie, works part time in an alterations with adult children. These women could not be more different, yet, they were born on the same day in the same hospital—in the grand scheme, a meaningless connection. They meet in the bathroom and from here, our tale unfolds.

Josie convinces Alix to tell her story on her podcast—her narrative of what has occurred in her life, from her upbringing, to her family, and truly every facet of her life. However, all is not as it seems and it becomes clear very quickly that Josie is manipulating Alix. This story is told from two points in time—the first being snippets from a Netflix TV show adaptation of the podcast in “current time” and the second being the time where the events unfolded. I loved this and thought it really added depth to the story.

This is a great thriller with the amazing twists and turns you would expect from a Lisa Jewell novel. Truly, one of the best thrillers I’ve read lately and perhaps one of my all-time favorites. If you’re looking for a compelling, well-developed “True Crime”-esque novel, please pick up this book!

Could not put this one down! Full of twists and turns, this story keeps you in its grip and won't let go. Even after reading the book, I keep finding myself thinking about it!
Alix Summer and Josie Fair have a chance encounter on both of their 45th birthdays that will lead them both to get to know each other and put them on a disastrous path. Through Alix's decision to include Josie in a new podcast project, she will realize that she is becoming a character in her own true crime story.
Readers of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley, if you aren't reading Lisa Jewell, you need to add her to your rotation!

Lisa Jewell once again writes a book that blows my mind!

When Josie Fair meets podcaster Alix Summers, she uses their being "birthday twins" as an in to get Alix to tell her story on her podcast... As disturbing as parts of Josie's story are, Alix knows this is going to make for a podcast you can't stop listening to.

The writing on this one - spectacular. You get "excerpts" from the podcast recordings AND a Netflix documentary made from the situation?? Yes, please!
The story itself? There are so many uncomfortable parts and then you start to question if any of it is actually true (love when a title plays in the way it does!). The twists keep you turning the page, but the ending made me wish for a little bit more closure.

This would make a perfect book club pick, sooooooo much to talk about with this one!

Thanks, NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Creatively Woven Psychological Thriller

SUMMARY
Alix Summer meets Josie Fair for the first time in a London restaurant bathroom. They were at the restaurant, both celebrating their forty-fifth birthday. They had even been born in the same London hospital. Alix is a wife and mother of two young children and the creator of a well-known podcast series about successful women. Josie is a stay-at-home wife and mother of two adult girls.

Alix and Josie bump into each other a week later outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie pitches an idea to Alix. Josie thinks she should be the subject of Alix’s next podcast series since she is on the verge of making significant changes to improve her life. Alix is intrigued enough to listen to and record Josie’s stories.

As Alix gets to know Josie, she becomes increasingly distressed by the stories about Josie’s childhood, mother, husband, and children. At 3 am one morning, Josie appears on Alix’s doorstep after a physical fight with her husband. She had nowhere else to go. Josie masterfully insinuates herself into Alix’s home life and becomes the unwelcome guest who will never leave. On the day she finally gets Josie out of her house, Alix’s husband heads to a bar with some friends, and Alix’s life turns into a nightmare, and she becomes a major player in her own podcast series.

REVIEW
Maybe that bathroom meeting should have been a sign of things to come. NONE OF THE IS TRUE is a creatively woven tale of Josie, an outlandish woman who wants to change her life, and Alix, who tries to capture the story. This story is a psychological thriller about womanhood, our choices, and our secrets. It is a gut-wrenching character-driven drama.

Author Lisa Jewel’s writing is smartly structured, and Josie and Alix’s characters are intriguing. Who is Josie Fair, and why does Alix feel drawn to hear her stories? Despite being born on the same day and in the same hospital, their characters could not be any more different. Alix is smart and sparkling and has made a happy life for herself and her family. Josie is self-centered, dark, and miserable with the life she chose over thirty years ago.

My favorite part is Alix’s character, who allows herself to be caught in Josie’s chilling unraveling. The podcast tapes draw us in like a moth to a flame. The stories are horrendous, and the tension is unrelenting, but you just cannot stop reading this entertaining and diabolical story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Atria Books
Published August 8, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

Every time I read a Lisa Jewel book I feel like I’ve been hypnotized and spellbound by an author who is a master at her craft. I always think I don’t like slow burn suspense until I read one her books and then think, ok wait I actually do like it if it’s done as well as she does it. Not an easy feat but she’s so damn brilliant at writing books about everyday type of characters the end up in odd situations. There was a quiet sense of being unsettled the entire time I was reading this, waiting for the other shoe to drop and when it did drop things got really, really good. You hear from both Josie and Alix and there are also occasional excerpts from a Netflix documentary that left me totally dying to know where this twisted tale was headed. If you like dark thriller with well executed twists, fascinating characters and plenty of suspense and dread this was so good.

This was my fourth book by Lisa Jewell, and it just may very well be the best yet! I was hooked right from the beginning, and I loved the unique concept of Josie meeting and forcing herself to have a connection with her “birthday twin.” I questioned the truth the entire time and ended the book with my head spinning. If you are looking for a gripping thriller with a main character that is completely psycho, I highly recommend this one!

This was so hard to put down! A psychological thriller for any true crime fanatic, and made all the more disturbing because there are stories just like this one that have played out in real life.

I particularly enjoyed how the book was formatted. We have Josie and Alix's points of view (and both read very differently), transcripts from the interviews with Josie for Alix's podcast, and we also get to read snippets from the true crime documentary as if it were a script. The documentary is made up of interviews from people who knew or interacted with Josie in some way, so it was a lot of fun putting the pieces of the story together.

My only critique would be the ending. You are made to question the validity of what you've put together up until the end, so some readers might feel a bit cheated, but overall this was an engrossing thriller. This was my first Lisa Jewell and I will definitely be giving her other books a try!

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
LISA JEWELL ABSOLUTELY DELIVERED! I am blown away 🤯 WHEW! I loved every second of this book and how it made me question everything. This is totally a bingeable read that I consumed in two days as I couldn’t put it down! I had to keep reading as I needed to know what happened next. This book was dark at times, twisted, creepy, and had me second guessing everything I thought I knew. I loved the unreliable characters, the secrets, and the twists. Jewell is such a phenomenal and talented writer, and she definitely shows it with this unique, fun, and addictive thriller! Jewell has been an auto-buy author for me for a long time, but she totally blew me away with this one, and it may just be my new favorite book of hers! THIS WAS SO UTTERLY SATISFYING! I loved the fact that it left me with such an unsettling and creepy feeling, and I mean that in the best possible way! This is definitely a top contender for one of my favorites of 2023 so far!

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞?
EVERYONE needs to read this one and I think all thriller fans, non thriller fans, Jewell fans, and anyone will enjoy this twisted, dark, creepy, fun and mysterious book!

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5

Thank you to Atria Books for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

Lisa Jewell can do no wrong. She really has yet to disappoint me. I put off reading this one because I knew I’d be drawn into not just the story but the characters themselves. This was a highly enjoyable read and if you like unreliable characters then you have a winner. The ending wasn’t entirely surprising to me which is a tiny bit of a disappointment. Overall an engaging read that is sure to please readers and fans.

Lisa Jewell is the absolute queen of psychological thrillers!!! She does not disappoint!! This book had such a unique concept and although I was a bit skeptical at first, I was sucked into this plot and so invested by the very end. I loved the characters, especially the dynamic between Alix and Josie. They had me on the edge of my seat and I was flying through the pages.

This book is full of twists and turns and is such a rollercoaster, but in a good way! I never knew what to expect, but that's what makes Lisa Jewell's writing so special. The plot never lost its spark and kept my attention all the way until the very end.

I highly recommend this one for all of the mystery and psychological thriller lovers out there!! This is definitely one of Lisa Jewell's better books. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

This juicy story was the perfect vacation read. I loved it! I was fascinated by the main characters and their bizarre relationship, and I couldn't wait to find out their secrets. In fact, I couldn't put it down and flew through it. Expertly written, suspenseful, with fascinating characters that you can't decide whether to love or hate. No spoilers so I don't want to say more, but trust me--it's worth it.

Lisa Jewell is an auto-buy author, and None Of This Is True is no exception to this rule. In fact, if I were to rank her books it would be somewhere near the top.

This is the perfect book to lose yourself in when you need a break from real life this summer. I also think it would make a perfect book club book--there is certainly a lot to discuss!

Lisa Jewell has really outdone herself and given a new meaning to a psychological thriller with her new novel! This book is so well written that the reader will have no idea what is true and what's not, even until the end...where you're still wondering who's telling the truth! You will not be able to put this book down! Thanks for the advanced copy!!!

When Alix and Josie meet on each of their 45th birthdays it seems like fate. Josie has a life she wants to change and Alix, a podcaster, thinks her story could be worth broadcasting. But when Josie’s story becomes more unbelievable Alix is unsure who she is and if her family is safe by allowing this woman into their lives.

I LOVED this one. I don’t give 5 stars easily. And I don’t read books in one day (because hello children). But I devoured this one and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish because I could not put it down. It is twisty and told in such a captivating way. Although I read the book this is set up in a way that I think an audiobook could be fantastic as well. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC!

“None of this is True” by Lisa Jewell is a meta fiction multiple murder mystery within a meta fiction ‘Made for Netflix Show’ that just doesn’t work for me because as the title says it all — none of this is true. Unreliable narrators are one thing, but multiple unreliable narrators and unreliable narratives are just too weird for my taste—especially when the reader is left more confused at the end of the book than at the beginning.

TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Lisa Jewel, and Publisher Altria Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) for review.

This was one of my favorite books from this author. It was an interesting concept to have the story be told through a podcast lens and I like the way it slowly revealed information based on who was being interviewed. I admit I didn't love the interview format at first (just like I didn't like it in Daisy Jones). but it grows on you and then it gets into a rhythm. The pacing was great and I kept wanting to go back to this book to find out what WAS true amongst all the lies. Definitely recommend for a fast-paced read!

Thank you @netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Whew- this one was a wild ride yall! I hadn’t found a thriller in awhile that I couldn’t put down and kept me guessing, and this one was definitely that! I went into this one blind and it kept me on the edge of my seat.
This has all of the twists, unreliable characters, and questionable actions that make for a great suspense read. It’s also very dark, so check trigger warnings if needed. I’ve previously read novels by @lisajewelluk , and have always loved her writing! I highly recommend grabbing this one when it releases on August 8.

Josie Fair is celebrating her 45th birthday. She and her much older husband Walter have dinner at a chic London pub, not their typical fare. Nearby is a large boisterous group of people also celebrating a woman’s birthday. The birthday woman is beautiful and sophisticated and Josie cannot stop staring. They coincidentally wind up in the loo at the same time and Josie introduces herself. Immediately announcing that they are birthday twins and it turns out - born at the very same hospital. Josie begins a little innocent online stalking of this perfect woman named Alix Summer who has a very successful podcast with a large following. She gets the idea in her head that Alix should do a podcast about her life. Josie thinks it is time to be truthful with the world and her birthday has prompted her to reveal the dark secrets that have been lurking since the day she met her much older husband. Josie quickly reappears and smoothly persuades Alix to the podcast idea. She immerses herself fully into Alix’s daily life and her psyche. Alix admits things are not as perfect in the Summer home as they appear. As the women work on “Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin!” podcast their power struggle for who is in charge of the narrative becomes apparent. Alix gets pulled deeper and deeper into this horrifyingly dysfunctional family and no longer knows who is telling the truth. Unable to let go, Alix tries her best to complete the podcast as the race to the finish line becomes deadly. This page turner is full of unexpected plot twists and turns at every chapter. It moves really fast and is an addictive summer thriller!