Holy moly 🤯🤯 I’m still trying to wrap my head around all that happened throughout!! I’m sure this is a story that will stay with me for a while!

I switched between the audio & following along, & wow the audio was so well done 👏🏻👏🏻 I was HOOKED!!! This was the first Lisa Jewel book for me, & I already know I’ll be checking out more!

Two women. Birthday twins. Marriages. A podcast. Tons of secrets. And a rollercoaster of twists & turns!

I was hooked from the first page, & just needed to know what happened. I loved how it mixed in the show/podcast throughout, & how you got to hear from so many characters. I really felt like this could be a show I would watch on Netflix 🤯

What to expect:
✨short chapters
✨gripping story
✨intriguing characters
✨podcast
✨plot twists
✨psychological thriller
✨suspense

Check for TW if you need as this does have some strong topics (domestic abuse, unhappy marriage, relationship with a minor).

Overall, this was an incredibly gripping story that will have me questioning the ending for a long time!

Josie, a mother of two, was celebrating her 45th birthday with her husband at a restaurant. Coincidentally, she noticed another woman, Alix, also celebrating her 45th birthday in the same restaurant. Intrigued, Josie struck up a conversation in the restroom and learned they were not only born on the same day but also in the same hospital. Alix is a popular podcaster 🎙️ & this chance encounter led to them working on a podcast together & very terrible things happening.

The book transitioned seamlessly from podcast recordings to a Netflix adaptation, weaving in real-time events and captivating throwbacks.
The character ‘Josie’ was unnerving and very unreliable. She kept me on edge the entire time. The author did well with maintaining the suspense throughout. 😲😱

While I enjoyed reading it, I found the ending underwhelming and this is exactly why it reminded me of Verity. The ending almost felt like an after thought.

That being said, If you're in the mood for a fast-paced psychological thriller, this one is definitely worth picking up! 📖🔥

Lisa Jewell is an author that will never let me down, her books are so consistently good, and no matter what her new releases are about, I know that every time I pick one up Im going to enjoy it. They're suspenseful, and twisty, and often quite unique in their plot.

This is truly a book where you cannot trust any of the characters, Im quite honestly still not sure what to believe after reading it. I loved the Psychological aspect to this book as well, and really enjoyed following along with our characters while watching the story unravel. The pacing of this book is very quick, this was a hard book to put down since I just kept wanting to read "one more chapter".

The ending of this book was unsettling, and I found this book almost read as if based on a true story. So many elements of this book felt real to me. Lisa is a master at crafting unpredictable trillers and I really loved this one.

I feel like the obvious thing here is that you can’t trust anything that you’re being told by these characters. I mean the book title is literally telling you it’s full of lies, and yet… You still believe, or at least I did. I followed the trail that was clearly marked for me, thinking I knew what was going on, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The Good:
Lisa is fabulous at spinning a tale that catches you off guard. She tells you she’s lying and yet, you still fall into the trap she’s laid. Truly the markings of a phenomenal writer. The book is written in alternating chapters, between the story itself and a documentary style playback. It’s a neat concept and one I quite enjoyed. As long as things are clearly laid out, then I have no problem with dual timelines, and Lisa is very good at laying it all out. The end twist definitely wasn’t what I was expecting, and it had me pondering whether or not I could have seen it coming. If I read the signs wrong, or perhaps was a little too trusting?

The Bad:
Again, I really don’t have much to say. I had a good little streak of reads this summer.

The Mentionable:
Trigger Warmings to keep in mind:
Domestic violence, gaslighting, sexual assault/rape, mental health struggles, physical/mental/emotional abuse, cults, miscarriage, murder, pedophilia, alcohol/drug use and grooming.

Lots to be aware of, but if you can handle these triggers and you love a good domestic thriller, then this is one you’ll want to pick up soon!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the gifted e-Arc and the opportunity to read this incredible book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Title: None of This is True
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: August 8, 2023

I received complimentary eARC copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad

T H R E E • W O R D S

Bingeable • Gripping • Psychological

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

💭 T H O U G H T S

My interest in thrillers has really waned over recent years (for a variety of reasons), yet Lisa Jewell's is one author that continues to capture my attention and offer fresh takes on the psychological thriller. I honestly never quite know what to expect, which is what I like. And the same can be said for None of This Is True.

The format of this novel is genius! With podcast transcripts interspersed throughout, they offered small snippets of what was to come without giving anything away until the exact right moment. I don't say this often, but this is one of those books that is definitely meant to be listened to. The audio production is fantastic and adds a whole extra layer of tension.

The characters are all equally twisted and unlikeable. I came away not knowing who or what to believe, which I just have a feeling is what the author intended. There are a lot of lies, secrets and acts of revenge.

However, as much as I loved the pacing and entertainment value, I did have conflicting feelings concerning the content. Some of what happens is highly unsettling and I don't feel was handled with care or concern. At different points throughout the narrative there's a certain level of need to suspend belief in order for the plot to progress as it does.

Upon finishing, this one left me with that 'wtf did I just read' feeling. I keep having to remind myself it isn't true-crime, because that's exactly how real it all felt. The ending left me unsettled - which doesn't always work for me, but in this case was perfectly fitting. None of This Is True genuinely felt like nothing I'd ever read before, and since I have consistently enjoyed Lisa Jewell's books, I continue to pick them up when I am in the mood for a thriller.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Lisa Jewell fans
• unreliable narrator enthusiasts
• bookclubs

⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, toxic friendship, mental illness, alcohol, alcoholism, adult/minor relationship, pedophilia, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, gaslighting, grooming, misogyny, violence, murder, kidnapping, stalking, eating disorder, death, child death, death of parent, pandemic/epidemic, infidelity, confinement

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"And there it is, the point which it all boils down to eventually. The point where there are no words, no theories, no explanations for behaviors that baffle and infuriate and hurt."

Alix Summers is a podcaster who crosses paths with a woman named Josie Fair. They happen to share the same birthday and soon enough, Josie approaches Alix with an offer to tell her story on Alix's podcast. Interspersed between chapters are extracts from Alix's podcast and interviews for a Netflix documentary. The audiobook production is SUPERB. There is music, sound effects, and a full cast narration. It was such an immersive experience.

I will keep this review brief because I think it's best to go into this story blind. I can see this book being controversial because it deals with some sensitive topics in an unconventional way that will piss off some readers. From my perspective, I thought it was fascinating that all of these characters exist in shades of gray, despite the despicable acts they committed. There were so many things about this book that made me feel uncomfortable. But hats off to the author for making some bold choices and creating nuance where I didn't think it was possible.

The ending is also left open, which I surprisingly liked. There are things left unanswered. Each character has their own version of the truth, and you're left wondering which character is telling the truth. I have my own theories on whose version of the truth I believe. Despite the open ending, I'm gonna give this book a 5 star rating because 1) the audiobook production was simply amazing and 2) it's been a while since a book stayed with me long after I finished it. There's definitely room for a sequel here!!

This was definitely Lisa Jewell's best book! I loved the plot of this one and found I was reading it at such a fast pace in order to know what happened. Her story was so twisted and kept me interested the whole time.

This story begins with two women- Alis and Josie who mysteriously cross paths and learn that they are birthday twins. Alix is a famous podcaster looking for her next big interview and Alix is having a bit of a midlife crisis and her relationship life seem to be crumbling. Alix agrees to make a podcast with Josie to highligh the big changes she plans on making in her life. Josie begins frequenting Alix's home and taking things here and there while visiting. Things begin to get weird and Alix receives warnings from her husband about the weird behaviour of Josie.

This story begins to make some very unpredictable turns and ends in a way you wont predict. I highly recommend this title if you are a Lisa Jewell fan- I promise you wont be disappointed.

Popular podcaster Alix Summers meets her birthday twin Josie at a pub while celebrating her birthdays. Alix and Josie meet again and Alix decides to podcast about Josie's story. Things get suspicious with Josie disappears and Alix starts figuring out who she really was and things may turn deadly.

I could not stop reading this book from the moment I started. I love true crime and I was really pulled in. I love twists and turns and this book was amazing!

Binge worthy page turner!
Wow this feels like a Netflix true crime series I’d totally want to watch.

From the unreliable voice of Josie Fair to the journalistic intrigue of Alix Summer this was one wild read.

As for the Fair family … WOWZAH!

This one really leaves you wondering what is true …

Open to discuss with anyone needing a debrief of this roller coaster of a read!

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE was a wild ride on the cray-cray train and I refused to get off.

The story goes like this: Alix, well-known podcaster and Josie, a peculiar plain Jane, cross paths at a local pub while celebrating their 45th birthdays and realize they’re birthday twins! Several “coincidental” meetings later, Josie is the new subject of Alix’s podcast. Josie finagles her way into Alix’s life and slowly begins to reveal her own secrets. Her behaviour is odd and she quickly becomes captain of the cray-cray train. The question is: how much of it is true?

Jewell lays out a compelling narrative and her excellent storytelling impresses as it it utilizes various mediums including podcast recordings and a Netflix series called “Hi! I’m Your Birthday Twin!” I could not look away and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough; the crazy grew with every new chapter!

There’s an open ending which I don’t always love. I didn’t hate it here, but I wished for a little more from the ending — I needed more details on some things; an explanation that separated truth from lie and why. Alternatively, that ending begs for a sequel.

The lies are thoroughly mixed in with truth and I now want to reread the whole thing to see what I may have missed.

Recommend to a friend? Fans of the cray-cray train will love this one! Fans of definitive endings will grumble.

PS: I listened to part of this on audio and the narration was outstanding. It was around the part where one character was screaming at another and it felt so real. It was a particular type of scream that had to convey irrationality, madness and manipulation and it delivered on all of them. 5/5 for the narration!

4.5 stars

What in the world did I just read!!! Lisa Jewell!! What the heck. My brain itches. This entire book was like trying to scratch an itch you just can't reach. What is true, who is lying!? I'm so confused haha. This gave such similar vibes as strange Sally Diamond which was also SO good. Definitely recommend!!

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I've done a lot of thinking about whether this book should get one star or five. I've decided to go with 3 and here's why:

1 star - this book features a storyline of pedophilia in which the victim is written as part of the problem, and even as the perpetrator. While I'm ok with looking at some of the complexities behind this = for example young girls feeling as though they wanted the relationship/not realizing they had been groomed etc - I'm not down for books that make them out to be the responsible party. I also don't agree with pedophilia being used as a plot point for entertainment more generally but I especially can't deal with including this plot point when it serves no actual purpose. Like at all. This entire storyline could have been removed and literally nothing would have changed. The man could have been given literally any other character arc and the outcome of the main character's store would have been the same. Instead it was almost glorified and romanticized and the victim was played off as some sort of crazy lady. Not good. Not cool. Not ok. 0/10 do not recommend.

5 stars - the way this book was written was honestly amazing. It uses the idea of multimedia (in person, podcast, video) so effectively that I felt that I was listening to the podcast or watching the documentary years down the road while it unfolded in present time in front of me. I think that had this aspect not been done so well it would have been a huge flop. It was risky and new (for me at least) and went beyond just multiple timelines and POVs to include something new, special, and surprising. I don't even think the story would have been that interesting on it's own, but the way it was told was really captivating.

I don't know that I've ever read a book that has had me feeling so much love and hate at once. I just really wish the author would have the sense to not needlessly incorporate pedophilia the way she did.

When I open a book by Lisa Jewell I know that I'm unlikely to be disappointed. "None Of This Is True" was a compelling and disturbing psychological thriller.

Honestly, how does she conceive these twisted, damaged, and dysfunctional characters so well?

Josie Fair and Alix Summer meet for the first time on their forty-fifth birthday. They are at a local pub celebrating the occasion. They discover they were born in the same hospital, on the same day... they are 'birthday twins'.

Alix is a podcaster of some renown, but now her series of podcasts has come to an end and she wants to start something a little different. Alix is intrigued by Josie, yet she is at the same time repelled by her. When Josie suggests she do a podcast about her, and her wish to steer her life in a new direction, she agrees. This decision will impact her life in tragic and disturbing ways.

Jewell has a way of putting the reader in a position where you don't really know whom you can trust. Who of these well drawn characters is telling the truth, OR, as the title suggests... none of this is true?

Some of the themes incorporated in this novel are very, very dark. The Fair family are the epitome of dysfunction. Toxic relationships permeate the family.

The fast paced plot kept me on the edge of my seat, rapidly turning pages. As Josie's life seems to implode, she goes to Alix's house and stays, and stays, and stays... created a creepy, cloying, menacing, and claustrophobic atmosphere.

Highly recommended to all those who enjoy an expertly crafted psychological thriller. Lisa Jewell never disappoints. I'm always on the alert for her next novel.

Tag Line: A podcaster interviews a middle-aged woman about to change her life and discovers a wealth of dark secrets in her past.

Review: Okay wow, and yikes, and what a wild ride! Like what did I just read? This book was a serious PAGE TURNER. Although it sometimes felt like I was speed-reading out of some morbid curiosity rather than actual enjoyment lol. Either way, I could not put this one down! And it absolutely should have been a 5-star read for me, until the last few pages, where my racing heart just kind of dropped. I have such mixed feelings about the ending! While I appreciate Jewell’s whip-smart real-life commentary it also felt like an unsatisfying way to wrap up such a great novel. But overall this one is pretty unputdownable and worth the ride! I'd give it like 4.75 stars. So close to a perfect read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

Absolutely fantastic book. I've been a Lisa Jewell fan since her debut, Ralph's Party, and None of This is True is my favourite of her suspense novels yet. I devoured it in two days and loved every thrilling page.

So, it took me a while to get into this book. But, it’s Lisa Jewell, and I’m buying whatever she’s selling! What an imagination this lady has! I especially loved hearing where she got some of her ideas from, in the acknowledgements at the end of the book.

At first I thought the book was going to have some sort of “influencer” spin to it, so I was quite prepared to hate the plot even before I realized how creepy and twisted Josie’s character is. I have a hard time reading books with an unlikeable main character. And Josie is definitely unlikeable. Alix turns out to be a podcaster and the book alternates between Alix and Josie’s point of view, as well as excerpts from both the podcast and scenes from a Netflix special on the same story line.

The story was difficult for me to read, but only because it was so bizarre and made me feel so uncomfortable and worried from start to finish. In a good way. Really. I wouldn’t say I normally like books that make me feel anxious, but Jewell has a very unique style with this one, revealing bits of the outcome in a way that kept me completely engrossed.

I’m still not sure how I feel about the ending. But the book is called “None of this is true” after all, so it’s probably perfect. In any event, it was 100% entertaining.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the digital copy in exchange my honest review.

4.5/5 stars


This was definitely my most anticipated thriller of the Summer. It is my 8th book by this author.

This book is divided into 4 parts. It is a psychological thriller about two women who are birthday twins.

I really enjoy this author's thrillers. So I was very excited to read her newest book. Especially since the buzz for it has been fantastic.

Alix and Josie are birthday twins. They are the same age (45), born on the same day in the same hospital. Alix has a popular true crime podcast. The two women begin meeting. And Josie tells her the story of her husband Walter and daughters.

The book starts with a scene from the middle/near the end of the book. I honestly had no idea what was happening in this scene or when we would get back to it. Whenever authors do this I always go back and re-read this scene at the end (as I love being able to see which characters the prologue is about and how it relates to the story).

This book has Josie and Alix's 3rd person POVs (these are the main POVs). But it is also interspersed with parts of podcasts as well as bits from a Netflix documentary.

The story was definitely very interesting. Although it took me longer than I would have expected to read the book. It was definitely a fascinating thriller. Although parts of it were quite disturbing.

The end was definitely the best part. It was riveting.

This book would make a great book club read. I have now re-read the ending and talked to multiple people about it. I enjoyed discussing this book so much. And it honestly made me like this book even more!

Got to check off yet another highly anticipated reads of 2023 and holy moly cannoli Lisa Jewell! I really am equal parts fascinated and terrified of your mind and officially vying for the position of your number one fan!

This book was incredibly fast paced, dark, twisty, feisty, scary, and captivating all at once. I LOVED the podcast element to this and the coming together of two completely unrelated women in such an intricate web of lies and deceit. Lisa has a way of giving a crucial tidbit of the story where you don’t even realize what just hit you and you’re left reeling to grasp it. When I tell you how loudly I GASPED while reading this, at least 8 times, I’m not kidding at all.

I absolutely can’t say enough good things about it and you need to get your hands on this now!

A HUGE thank you to @simonschusterca and @netgalley for a digital ARC of this amazing book. I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my shelf soon!

I’m writing this review immediately after I finish this book because I need to capture all of my excitement about this book.

This right here friends - is the thriller to beat of 2023 for me.

THE PERFECT THRILLER.

Creepy, icky, unsettling, dark and completely unputdownable.

I felt on edge the entire time I read this book. Found myself having to take short breaks because my heart was pounding and my brain was spinning.

This is what every thriller lover hopes for right?!

Blown away.

My new favourite Lisa Jewell and one of my favourite thrillers in the past few years.

5⭐️ ….YES the elusive FIVE STAR thriller - they’re so rare!!!