Since I "discovered" this author I have pounced on every new book she has released, also peppering the in between time with ticking off her back catalogue.
In this book we meet Alix Summers, popular podcaster, who is celebrating her 45th birthday in her local pub. Coincidentally, there is another birthday celebration going on in the same establishment. Another 45th - that of Josie Fair. They meet in the bathroom and declare themselves "birthday twins".
A few days on and they bump into each other again. In the mean time, Josie has been listening to Alix's podcasts and thinks that she herself could be a good subject... a different spin on the usual - "how you changed your life", looking back, theme. Instead, she explains that she is about to make big changes, and wouldn't it be different to be "in at the start" and document it all "live"?
An so begins a wild fantastic ride that shocked, saddened, and entertained me... How quick we are to trust, and how badly that trust can go wrong... be exploited. It's dark and twisty and blew my mind on occasion. It starts off quite gentle, with just a few things that started to make me think. Then things escalated pretty rapidly and some of the previously innocuous incidents were turned upside down with hindsight... but I will leave you to witness all that for yourself...
Suffice to say that everything else I need to make a good book a great read was front and centre herein. Great characters, good pacing, great story, tight plotting, no waffle. The real deal!
All culminating in the perfect and most satisfying ending. Basically, she's done it again, stop reading reviews and just read the darned book. You can thank me later!
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another brilliant novel from the incomparable Lisa Jewell. She really is the doyenne of the psychological thriller, her books the very definition of a page turner.The title itself is the only incitement you need to read this wonderful tale; as usual, we don't know who to believe! The premise is fascinating; two women born on the same day meet while celebrating their birthdays and one becomes obsessed with the other. Both have a lot going on, needless to say, and the novel is engrossing throughout. Wonderful!

Alix Summers and Josie Fair meet in a bar where they are both separately celebrating their respective 45th birthday's. Alix a podcaster happily married to Nathan with 2 young children in a lovely home and Josie a mother of 2 twenty something "odd" children and part time sewing machinist and not so happily married to Walter more than 30 years her senior couldn't be more different.

After meeting in the pub Josie, having looked Alix up on the Internet, decides she must meet up with her again and consciously bumps into Alix outside the school gates of the school Alix's 2 children attend which happens to be the same school her own children attended years earlier.

Josie persuades Alix, who is looking for another podcast subject to do a podcast about her not so fulfilling life which she is hoping to turn around. It soon becomes apparent to Alix that Josie's life is hugely troubling and her life becomes increasingly embroiled with hers. However, Alix really wants to tell her story. As Josie's story evolves things that are being divulged are very disturbing and Alix is not sure if she should continue but, the idea of having a gripping podcast she continues it albeit reluctantly.
This is a fast paced book that draws you in and leaves you gasping at the revelations.

I am a big fan of the author and whilst her other books are all excellent, this is by far the best. We'll deserving of my 5 star rating.

Thanks to NetGalley UK the author and publishers Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for providing me with this ARC copy of the book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I always get extremely excited when Lisa Jewell releases a new book and None of This is True is an exceptional read.
#thebirthdaytwin.
Josie Fair has just turned 45, she is married to a man nearly twice her age and has two grown up children, she works part time as a seamstress and her life is very dull and predictable. She never buys anything new and she only ever wears denim! Her husband has recently retired and she is being to hate her life.

Alix Summers has just returned 45, she has a very successful podcast that promotes aspiring women.
She has a wonderful husband and fantastic friends two amazing small children and is extremely happy.

By sheer coincidence both Josie and Alix share the same birthday, born in the hospital but with two completely different lives.
What are the chances of them both booking the same restaurant at the same time on their birthdays.

When Josie realises that Alix shares the same birthday as her after introducing herself in the ladies room at the restaurant, Josie starts to listen to Alix's podcasts and starts to become obsessed.
After accidentally bumping into Alix Josie asks Alix to do a podcast around birthday twins and her life.
Alix gets excited by the new challenge.
But what secrets is Josie hiding and has she really accidentally bumped into Alix?
As the podcast and story unfolds you get a sense that something big is about to happen and boy does it!

None of This is True is by far my favourite book of 2023. I could not put it down; when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and I even gave up an episode of my favourite series so that I could read more!

Alix is a successful influencer with her own podcast featuring empowered women, but she feels like she needs a new challenge. When a chance meeting with her 'birthday twin' Josie presents her with a unique opportunity, Alix can't resist.

When Josie starts to tell her story, Alix can't quite believe what she is hearing; from estranged daughters, a potentially grooming husband and a whole lot worse, Josie has lived one hell of a life. But things are not plain sailing for Alix either, whose husband likes to go on all night benders without a second thought for his family.

As you move through the book, events start to turn fairly sinister, and Josie's behaviour becomes increasingly erratic. This is what is so gripping about the book, as the reader you just don't know what to believe. There's one path with Josie the victim, who is desperate to escape her life - but how much of that life is really the truth? Can Alix get to the answers before it is too late?

Be prepared to be completely sucked in!

This book is absolutely amazing with a perfectly paced storyline. I was completely engrossed and could not stop reading. The plot and story were well-crafted and incredibly thrilling.

Another belter of a book by Lisa Jewell! She is swiftly becoming one of my favourite authors. - I could not put this book down and loved every second of it!
Go read this book, you WILL NOT regret it.
Thank you for letting me read an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review!

Ooft this was a good one. I've been reading Lisa Jewell for years and recently I've found I'm reading less psychological thrillers than I used to. This made me wonder if I'd enjoy her latest release as much as I enjoyed her previous ones, but it seems I had nothing to worry about!

'None of This is True' is unbelievably tense (and stressful... in a good way!). We're following two women, Alix and Josie, who although they're the same age, are completely different. I enjoyed the contrast in their personalities and their personal lives, and how they reacted as the story developed. The story focuses on Alix's podcast as well as a later Netflix adaptation which was brilliant, and broke the story up nicely. I really liked how it was structured.

I weirdly don't like the title of this book - I was reading it on my Kindle and completely forgot what the title was. Checking it halfway through (I sped through the book!) it actually changed my perception of what was happening quite a bit, and I preferred when I didn't know it! I don't think I've had that happen before but thought it was interesting.

None of this is True. Of course, that depends on who is talking, doesn’t it? And truth collides spectacularly with fiction in this dark, disturbing mystery by Lisa Jewell. Glamorous podcaster Alix Summers meets Josie Fair at a restaurant where both are celebrating their 45th birthdays. Alix is looking for a new subject for her program and Josie is looking for a new life. Josie, secretly thrilled, agrees to be Alix’ subject. Things do not go well. Both women are hiding behind the façade of a perfect relationship and both prove to be unreliable narrators. The pacing of None of this is True is perfect! You watch as, page by page, lives unravel toward an ending that you see coming but are unable to stop. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Lisa Jewell for this ARC.

None of this is true is a dark and disturbing read that, although it does start off quite slowly, soon you will be dragged in and you won't know where the last few hours have gone!

Focusing on two main characters, Josie and Alix, who have very different lives, but do have something in common. Randomly crossing paths while both out celebrating their birthday, it also turns out that as well as the same birthday, they were also born in the same hospital. This makes one of the ladies become obsessed with her 'birthday twin'.

I don't want to say too much as I think the less you know going in the better, but if you are in the mood for a twisty read where you have no idea who to believe from one page to the next, this one is definitely for you!

Oh this was dark and twisty! I was not expecting some of the revelations at all and as it progressed it was increasingly hard to know who to trust and believe! Really well done, couldn’t put it down!

Expertly written, this book is an addictive, pacy psychological thriller. The author draws you into this story with brilliant characters ( not all likeable), crisp narrative and lots of twists and turns.
A must read if this is your genre.

Incredible book that’s beautifully paced. I could not put it down. It was a really thrilling read with a well developed plot and story.

I’ll start by saying that so far this is one of the books I’ve enjoyed the most this year. It was fast paced, well written and did slightly differ from Lisa Jewell’s usual style but I really loved it.

The book is set out like the script of a documentary/podcast and does switch between the POV of different characters but it does generally flow in chronological order which I did like as a change.

The characters were so clever and I loved all the little twists and turns. Another excellent domestic thriller!

This is Lisa Jewell at her best. Not that she never is!
This is an explosive book which I could not put down. An absolute page turner from start to finish. This book is not to be missed.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the family upstairs when I first read it a few years ago (still have the family remains on my TBR 🤦‍♀️) so I had to request this one from her gallery when it came up ! Over the last couple of years I have really gone off thrillers but this book I couldn’t put down ! There were so many twists to the story and in the end you didn’t still didn’t know what was the truth and what was a lie.

This book is stomach churning and not for the faint hearted I feel. In places I didn’t think it could get anymore gruesome but it surprised me and did (I maybe weak stomached though haha. Also slowly through the book you could also see Josie’s story start to slowly fall apart with a change in the story now and again and her her behaviour was very off

Lisa Jewell does not disappointed once more! I was so gripped throughout and I love how we didn’t know exactly what was the truth and what was lies! Will be recommending this one to everyone!

Let me start by saying this novel was a 4★ for me, so good and I highly recommend you check this one out!

This novel follows two women who share the same birthday – this all we know at the start, when they meet in a restaurant as they both celebrate their 45th birthdays at the same time (“Birthday Twins!”).

One of our main protagonists, Josie, starts to become obsessed with her birthday-twin, Alex, she discovera Alex’s podcast where she interviews women about their lives, struggles and events they have overcome. In the midst of the obsession, Josie befriends Alex and requests to be a guest on her podcast to talk about the changes she is going through in her life, believing she will provide Alex’s audience with a unique and interesting story…

One aspect I really enjoyed about this book is that, in between the chapters of these two women getting to know each other, we get little brief chapters of a Netflix true-crime documentary that was made about these two women and the event that followed from their “friendship”. Thus, as a reader, you know something conspicuous is going to happen but you do not know what it is.

This is one of the many feature that makes this book extremely entertaining – add to that unhinged characters and twists-and-turns – you have a recipe for an un-putdown-able, interesting and fun read!

From being fairly well acquainted with Lisa Jewell’s books, I must admit this is definitely one that is up there with my top favourites from her – highly recommend!


Please check out my review posted on my blog "Read with Tessa" - linked below.
https://readwithtessa.wordpress.com/2023/07/15/book-review-none-of-this-is-true-by-lisa-jewell/

Two women celebrating their 45th birthday at the same restaurant and born in the same hospital Alix is a podcaster and decided to interview Josie for her show but is everything Josie is saying the truth and is she friendly or a stalker.
The story gets very creepy and confusing at times but it is a quick read with an unexpected ending that left you more confused so it just didn`t work for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC and I`m leaving my review voluntarily

None of this is true is yet another amazing release from a consistently great author! Lisa Jewell never fails to deliver captivating reads, and this book is no exception. In fact, it’s easily one of my favourites by her!

None of this is true is a thrilling, dark, and addictive tale. While it may start off at a slower pace, don’t let that discourage you. Jewell’s writing style is so engaging that it’s impossible to put down. The story revolves around two main characters: the mysterious and peculiar Josie Fair, and Alix Summers, a well-known podcaster. Their lives are vastly different, but they cross paths one evening while celebrating their 45th birthdays in contrasting ways. Josie becomes obsessed when she realizes Alix is her “birthday twin.”

I don’t want to spoil too much because I genuinely believe that the less you know going in, the better. Jewell had me completely engrossed in the narrative, even though many of the characters are seemingly ordinary and Josie appears to lead a relatively mundane life. Each character felt authentic and multidimensional, adding to the realism of the story.

Jewell skillfully unveils more details about Jodie and Alix’s relationship and their individual lives, keeping readers guessing about what really happened. The story is filled with delightful twists and a growing sense of unease as we gradually uncover the truth.

One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the alternating chapters from Alix and Josie’s perspectives, interspersed with podcast transcripts and scenes from the Netflix documentary titled ‘Hi, I’m your birthday twin!‘ The inclusion of a podcast and documentary within the book added an extra layer of intrigue and made for a unique reading experience.

I devoured this book in no time at all. It’s incredibly engaging, just like all the Lisa Jewell novels I’ve read so far, and I found it absolutely brilliant.