NONE OF THIS IS TRUE - Lisa Jewell

𝘈 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩.

⭐️ | 4.5/5
📖 | 384 pages
📆 | ARC - to be released 8/8/23! DON’T MISS IT! 👀
📨 | publisher: Atria

Phew I flew through this book in a hot minute. This kept me on the edge of my seat! Josie was incredible creepy almost right off the bat and left you wondering what secrets she was hiding. 😶‍🌫️

Alix is a fairly relatable character - she knows Josie is complicated, strange, and seems to be up to something, but Alix just can’t help but to keep probing to figure it out. It’s almost like you drive by a car crash and you can’t help but looking to see what happened.🫣

The way the story was written was really intriguing, a back and fourth timeline 🔁 with the future presented in a Netflix series documentary. “The camera pans around an empty room” - just to give you an idea of how clear the documentary pieces are depicted. You feel like you’re actually watching the documentary unfold while living in the present wondering what will happen between Josie and Alix. 🤫

Synopsis ➡️ Josie sees Alix from across the room at a restaurant and wants to know more about her and her life. Alix is locally famous for her podcast series interviewing women, and Josie presents an idea to Alix to get onto her podcast. When Alix begins to learn more about the strange life Josie is living, she finds herself too deeply involved in Josie’s life to back out. Soon Alix becomes the subject of her own true crime documentary. 😨🫢

Thank you to @netgalley @atriabooks @atriathrillers and @lisajewelluk for my advanced copy!

Because of the title of the novel alone, you begin to doubt the veracity of one of the two characters telling their story. They meet at a restaurant where they are both celebrating their 45th birthdays. They were born the same day at the same hospital, but their lives couldn’t have been more different.

Neither of these characters have lives similar to mine, but Alix leads a life I could imagine, Josie, on the other hand, even though I don’t know how much to believe, is unfathomable, no matter how many true crime stories I’ve read or documentaries I’ve watched.

Alix is a podcaster. She doesn’t make much money from it, but she doesn’t need to because her husband does just fine. Josie bumps into Alix again shortly after their meeting when they discovered they were birthday twins. She convinces Alix to make a podcast about how she’s changing her life, and Alix get sucked in, even allowing Josie to stay in her home for a short time. Letting in her life at all has dire consequences for many people.

This got more creepy as it went along and kudos to Jewell for originality with the character of Josie.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JULY 20, 2023.

Lisa Jewell does not disappoint!

Josie and Alix meet by chance on both of their 45th birthdays at a swanky pub. Alix is a popular podcaster and after their chance meeting, Josie seeks her out to do a podcast centered around her and her story. Little does she know, Alix signed up for more than she bargained for.

This book is full of unreliable narrators and I didn’t know what to believe. I liked the way the book was set up with dual POV following a timeline and jumping to podcast transcripts and a Netflix special on the case.

The story gives you crumbs throughout and you are compelled to keep reading to find out what happens and try to figure out the truth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 None of This is True - Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell does it again! Everyone in this book is an unreliable narrator so it was interesting to see the book unravel with the character's hidden secrets. Alix Summer has a succesful podcast where she features women who have overcome hardships. While celebrating her 45th birthday at the local pub Alix is approached by Josie Fair in the bathroom and she tells Alix they are "birthday twins" as its her 45th birthday too. Josie then bumps into Alix and tells her she's been listening to her podcast and asks if she can feature her on her podcast. Alix agrees and thinks it might be a different approach to her podcast and something about Josie seems mysterious. Josie then integrates her life into Alix's and as the podcast gets more in depth things are revealed about Josie and her life but it's too late for Alix to go back. A great thriller with a twist at the end!

This book will be released 8/8/23!


*Thank you to @netgalley and Random House UK for the arc!!


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God I love Lisa Jewel’s books and this one goes in my top 3 books she’s written.

When a podcaster is thrust into a new type of podcast suggested to her by her new “friend” and birthday twin her life becomes intertwined with this same friend who then becomes truly obsessed with her. And what was supposed to be a podcast about a woman breaking free from an unusual marriage and creepy family becomes a true crime documentary on Netflix.

This book had so many twists and turns. These two ladies celebrating their 45th birthday exchange a few words and then they become friends. Alix Summer is a podcast producer and Josie is her birthday twin. They began discussing things on the podcast. Alix has drama in her own life but finds Josie had even better drama. Josie takes Alix for a ride and even has her husband killed. The book will keep you on the edge of your seat. Another great psychological thriller by Lisa Jewell.

I knew I would love this because Lisa Jewell is my top tier thriller author, but this one was probably her best one yet!! I could tell right away that Josie was unreliable, but the twist at the end was next level. Lisa's settings and characters are so vivid, and this book was no exception to that. I started it at 7 pm on a Monday night and actually DELAYED logging onto work in the morning to finish because I just couldn't stop!! If that's not the mark of a good thriller, I don't know what is.

I absolutely flew through None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. The story is so fast-paced and took over my day yesterday. This psychological thriller is definitely her best work yet and I loved the podcast format.

Super quick synopsis:
Josie and Alix run into each other at a restaurant while both celebrating their 45th birthdays. Both women are going through a tough time at home and Alix decides to feature Josie on her next podcast series titled "Birthday Twins." While diving into her life, she realizes there are a lot of dark, morbid things going on with Josie and soon Alix is consumed by her and becomes part of her twisted story.

Pick this one up if you love true crime and are in the mood for a fun psychological thriller. The ending was predictable but I still really enjoyed it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

None of This Is True comes out August 8th. ❤ Thank you to #netgalley and Atria Books for the copy!

A great thriller that I can see being a big hit with book clubs. I really enjoyed this one.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

I read an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I kept reminding myself throughout that the title of the book tells you from the beginning to not take anyone’s story at face-value but I still managed to be surprised by where the story ended. Josie Fair is definitely one of Lisa Jewell’s most memorable characters. I recommend.

OH WHAT THE HECK.

WHAT
THE
HECK

This was so incredibly intense, I couldn't take it. I have never had this physical of a reaction from a book. I was mad, Grossed out. Intrigued. Pissed off. Invested in the characters and what was going on. Wow, I feel like my brain needs a shower. This was horrible and addicting.

This one is dark. Soooo dark. So gross. Lots of triggers. But wow, the setup and formatting is so unique. Told in third person but alternating from Josie and Alix, but also told as her podcast but also a Netflix interview. Super cool, but slightly hard to follow only because the timelines are not in sync.

Wow, this one is going to be received well, I think. As long as you are aware of the triggers beforehand. I don't offend easily, but this one was just too good and dark. I love dark books. I felt like I was in a movie screaming at the MC saying "GET A DAMN BACKBONE!!!"

Thank you so much for the early copy. I loved this one.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before its publication date.

I am always up for a good thriller. I have not read Lisa Jewell before, but have a bunch of her books on my TBR. I can't wait to read more.

This novel follows Alix, a podcaster, as her life becomes its own weird podcast. As we learn more and more about Josie and her family, it truly feels like we know less and less about what is really happening. Who can you trust when no one seems to be telling the whole truth?

Lisa Jewell is the suspense queen! This one hooked me from the beginning. There were some great twists and some very dark characters. I loved the alternating points of view between Alix and Josie. The ending was incredible! Highly recommend this thriller!

I will admit to being a big fan of Lisa Jewell but this may be my favorite of hers by far. The concept is quite fun to begin with - meeting your "birthday twin" (someone with the same exact birthday as you) and comparing how different your lives are - and the book goes from that little encounter to a fast-paced thriller that you keep you guessing throughout. We have the addition of exploring their lives through the clever idea of a podcast that the MC hosts and, although this could be a bad modern trope, it works very well within the confines of this story. There are plenty of twists and turns and Lisa Jewell just keeps getting better and better at this. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I binged this book in 24 hours. It's been a while since I read a Lisa Jewell book - this one made me remember why she is one of the only thriller authors I ever read. Like the other books I have read by her, this one pulled me in right away. The mystery and suspense builds slowly but perfectly - I wouldn't describe it as a nail-biter but it's definitely a page turner.

The story is told through two points of view: both are married 45 year old women living in North London who discover they were born on the same day at the same hospital. Alix is a successful podcaster who is mostly happily married with two young kids. Josie is a part-time seamstress who is unhappily married to a much older man with whom she shares two young adult daughters. When Alix and Josie have a chance encounter on their birthday, Josie becomes obsessed with being part of Alix's life.

The story is dark and disturbing at times but most of the violence is alluded to rather than described in graphic detail. If you enjoy domestic thrillers that don't have you jumping in fright, this is a good one to pick up.

I love the way Lisa Jewell's books always have premises that seem so familiar and basic, but they become stories we haven't read before. This was a read that I enjoyed for that reason. The dual POVs of unreliable narrators, the podcast/docuseries element, and the ever-present lingering question of "who's actually telling the truth?" (and once you get to the end, you STILL don't know the answer to that question!) made this one a fun read. The only thing I didn't love was the fact that Alix, the main character, came off quite naive and stupid & the ending was a bit anti-climactic. But outside of those things, it was a good, twisty mystery!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

None of This Is True follows podcaster Alix, who shares a birthday with a woman named Josie. They meet at a bar on their birthday and spark a friendship. In a creative rut, Alix decides to dig into Josies story and create a podcast called "Birthday twin". She soon finds out that Josie isn't who she says she is but struggles with wanting to still finish the podcast. But at what expense?

I enjoyed the podcast element and the dual POVs. I dont typically like unreliable narrators but this kept me engaged. I didn't quite know what to make of Josie which kept me reading. I knocked off a few stars because Alix, a 45yr old mother of 2, was so incredibly naïve. I also found the ending to be anti climactic. It wasnt all that surprising and I was left wanting more.

This book... Literally from page one it had me hooked! This book had twists and turns in nearly every chapter, and had me second guessing every single theory I had about the ending!

And don't even get me started on Josie Fair... This woman had me feeling sorry for her one second, then thoroughly creeping me out the next second! Honestly, I hope I never meet my birthday twin.😂

I also loved the podcast/Netflix documentary element in this story. I'm a huge true crime person, so this was right up my alley! Definitely one of my favorite thrillers of the year so far!

⭐ 4.5 stars! ⭐

*Check TW for this book.*

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lisa Jewell is an absolute master at telling stories that are so outrageous, that keep you on the edge of your seat with your brain trying to keep up and piece together the bits. None of This is True is no exception!!

I was so stressed out the entire time I was reading this. Not bad stressed, but stressed in a “omg I know there are so many layers to what I’m reading but I don’t have all the info yet so I know this will be a sinister thing once it comes together” way.

The characters are so multidimensional it’s crazy. I had no idea who was the good guy, and which parts of the book were truth or lies. There were multiple twists that only added to the web of this book.

Overall, solidly the best Lisa Jewell I’ve read. And I usually rate her books five stars. This is sure to be a bestseller—I will be reading it again for sure!

I could NOT put this down! Compulsively readable, perfect for summer, twisty, perfectly paced. All of the things a frequent reader of thrillers wants from their newest read. I will be recommending this to everyone!