Lisa Jewell's latest novel is her darkest yet, and I loved it!

Keeping the subject matter bang up to date the chief protagonist of this story makes podcasts, Alix Summers is having lunch to celebrate her 45th birthday when she bumps into Josie Fair who is her 'birthday twin!' Right from the opening, it is clear that these two women are quite different people. but Alix ceases the chance to make a quite different type of podcast using Josie as her subject.

Suffice to say, Alix got far more than she expected.

There are clues from the start that this is going to be big, not least because we have extracts from a true-crime documentary titled 'The Birthday Twin.' That eerie feeling just grows and grows as we witness Alix wanting to help Josie, miring herself in a story that is far from straightforward.

This book has dark secrets (and let's not mince our words, outright lies), dysfunctional family and the author is not afraid to turn the obvious on its head,

A great read!

This is one of the best of Lisa Jewells books, I simply adored it.The story was so full of twists that until the end wee not really explained and even then the closing words bring doubts to everything that had been read so far. The characters were so real and therefore so easy to relate to and the London locations and descriptions made me very nostalgic.
A great book that I read very quickly as I just wanted to see what was going to happen next.

Lisa Jewell is back and this has to be the most compelling book I've read of hers!

As a woman, as a feminist, would you believe the story of a survivor? Even if it feels off and goes against your instinct?

As the title suggests, this book is twisty and has a reliable narrator. But how much is she lying about and what's the truth? I flew through the book the book because I wanted to so badly find out everything. This is a gripping suspenseful read that hooked me from the beginning. While the last bit dragged, I might be one of the few people who thought the ending added to the book's quality. It took to from 3 stars to a solid 4 stars and will make this one stand out from the author's other works.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the advance readers' copy!

4/5

This is a brilliant psychological thriller.
Josie and Alix are in the same restaurant both celebrating their Birthday. Josie sees Alix in the Ladies, and they realise they are both 45 so are Birthday Twins.
Josie is intrigued by Alix so does some digging and realises she does podcasts.
Josie then ‘bumps’ into Alix and persuades her to do a podcast about the next stage in her life and how they met.
Alix isn’t sure at first but there’s something about Josie that intrigues her so they start to record and Alix learns all about Josie.
I can’t say too much more but this is a great read that has a few surprises in store.
I loved the way the story was told with excerpts from the podcast interspersed into the chapters.
Thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Raced through this in two sittings, I couldn't put it down.
Alix Summer is a podcaster who is out with friends celebrating her 45th birthday.
Josie Fair is also out celebrating her 45th birthday in the same restaurant with her husband.
Josie is fixated with Alix and scours all her social media. She soon finds a photo of her children with the same school uniform as her children's when they were younger.
Josie 'bumps' into Alix outside the school and asks to meet her.
Alix is intrigued by what Josie has to say, so she starts a podcast detailing her life. Josie invigels her way into Alix's life.
Is all that has happened to Josie true?
This is by far my favourite book by Jewell.
The way it's written just has you hanging. You have to keep reading on, wondering what Josie is going to say next. Some of it is truly shocking.
It's a very clever plot.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

#NoneOfThisIsTrue #NetGalley
A good read.
Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer 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.
Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?
This was a fun read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone Century for giving me an advance copy.

Very gripping, I loved the podcast/series element added to it. I couldn’t stop reading it until I knew what was going on, although I’m still not sure giving the open ending, which I love with Lisa Jewell!

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. Such a clever revealing of things with small subtle twists and turns throughout.
It’s taken the idea of a podcast and kind of turned it into a book and a Netflix series at the same time.
I thought the characters were excellent and I’m still left wondering if none of it is true, or is it, who to believe? If I could give this 6 stars then I would.

Most of this book is set over a six-week period, with new chapters working through day after day, which was a really interesting way to write it. It showed just how quickly someone's life can change.

I've only relatively recently discovered Lisa Jewell's books. I knew of her but hadn't read any, but got sucked into the My Family Upstairs series, and I instantly loved them. And I'm slowly collecting her others. And this one is exactly how I expected it to be. It's slick and crisp and thrilling and what I want now from a Lisa Jewell book.

I have only ever listened to one podcast episode, even though there's hundreds I'm interested in. And it probably wasn't the point of this book, but it's definitely made me want to dive in to some. But maybe I'll leave the true crime ones for later.

Josie was an...uncomfortable character. Brilliantly created, but just so. It's hard to explain. She's an awful person, that much is obvious pretty quickly. She's very unusual, disquieting, uneasy, and just made me feel so uncomfortable. And Walter. I liked him by the end, but, I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to spoil it, but there was definitely this creepy aura about him. To begin with, I wasn't too sure of Alix. There was something hiding behind the perfect surface that I was wary of, but she probably became my favourite out of everyone.

It doesn't go full in straight away. It's a slow drip-feeding story. Gives you enough to latch onto but holds enough back to keep you hooked. And then by the time you realise you're caught, BAM! It twists and turns and goes full steam ahead and you're sat there wide eyed with your hand over your mouth, wanting to take the time o process it all but desperate to see how it ends.

For me, it felt more about the complexities of humanity more than the thrill of the plot. Yes, there's clearly a story happening - a stinking good one as well - but it's this development of the two main women that I found so intoxicating.

It's not written in a "normal" linear way. The present scenes are. But she's also added podcast notes, TV scripts, interviews etc. And at first I wasn't sure how I felt about it. It took a little while to figure out but in hindsight, I don't think the story could have been told any other way. It needs this complexity, this disconnection. It's so visual, and she's able to drip you little clues, so the story is partially building in your head and you're eager for more, more, more, and it's simply perfect.

It's a real...I don't want to swear...a head-fudge, if you will. You're left wondering who or what to believe, who or what to trust, trying to read through the lines. It's utterly fabulous.

As with each Lisa Jewell book I read, I long for the wait until the next one to be short. I just wish there was a new one to start every day, as my reading life is so much more enriched by her work.

Lisa Jewell knocks it out of the park!

Alix is a podcaster with a successful series focused on inspiring woman. Josie is a part time seamstress. Both woman turn 45 on the same day and just happen to be in the same restraunt celebrating.

Hi, I'm your birthday twin!

This reads like a podcast but also like a true crime netflix series. It's so addictive that you just have to know what happens next. Highly recommend!

This is LIsa Jewell at the absolute height of her powers. Do not open this book if you have any other plans for the day because it's extremely hard to put down, the characters leap off the page and the plot is gripping, enjoyable and plausible.

Nobody does foreboding like Lisa Jewell,. Another deeply creepy thriller in which you know something terrible is coming yet you can’t put it down. Five stars.

Recently I read the two part series for the Family Upstairs and just like that this book is fast paced and quite frankly hard to put down. Judge this book by the title 100% as none of this is true had me guessing so much until the very end (I was proud to guess a couple of aspects correctly!).

This psychological thriller focuses on Josie and Alix (birthday twins) whilst they record a tell all podcast for Alix’s renowned channel. This book has a lot of twists and turns and I was finding my own paranoia towards both the main characters and their partners - who do I trust!? If you want a must read thriller this summer this is your book!

The characters book have such different personalities and at different times I warmed to one more than the other - and I still feel way too lucky to have received this ARC.

Spoiler - I hated Walter throughout the book and when I realised Jodie’s issues I felt very sorry for him and wanted to read again with a different perspective!

Josie and Alix meet unexpectedly in a London restaurant when they both realise they are birthday twins, not only the day, but the year and the hospital.

Their lives are very different. Alix is a successful podcaster and is surrounded by family and friends for her celebration. Josie is married to a much older man and lives quite a solitary and quiet life.

Josie approaches Alix not long after their accidental meeting to suggest her traumatic and unusual life could be the basis of a very interesting podcast, and off we go…

…Lisa Jewell has, as ever, written a really sinister page turner. The weaving through of the Netflix scenes was really clever, and the sense of threat was palpable through, without the outcome being obvious.

Yes I did stay up until after midnight finishing the book and I’m glad I did - really great and gripping read.

Oh this was very good! It got very dark at times and there were some deliciously hideous characters!
Josie inveigling herself into Alix's family was tortuous to observe! A slow feeling of dread because you know this is leading up to something hideous. What I did like about this book was there were no overtly 'bad' or 'good' characters, they all had their flaws. Some more than others right enough! I have to admit I stayed up far too late finishing this book, I just had to know how it ended. Fantastic read.

4.25 🌟

This was a very good read from seasoned thriller writer Lisa Jewell. I loved the concept of birthday twins and how their very different and separate lives collided. I also loved the story being told as a Netflix series within the story too.

Downsides for me were that it felt a bit slow going in the beginning and the somewhat ambiguous ending. That said the second half really had me gripped and I was raving to finish it so I would definitely recommend.

With thanks to Atria & Netgalley for the ARC

When celebrating her 45th birthday at a popular restaurant, unassuming Josie Fair happens to cross paths with well known podcaster, Alix Summers.

It turns out they are birthday twins. Born on the same day of the same year and in the same hospital.

Josie seems to be going through a midlife crisis, questioning her lifestyle, samey routine and dull existence and she looks at Alix’s fun and joy-filled life and decides she wants some of the same.

Josie seeks Alix out after this and offers to tell her life story for a new podcast, selling it as her being on the cusp of great changes in her life.

When Alix takes on the challenge she has no idea that she may well have bitten off more than she can chew. Josie has managed to inveigle her way into Alix’s life, and into her home.

I felt the tension from very early on in this book. Josie felt like an unreliable narrator, more and more as time went on. When she starts to retell her story, which is both traumatising and tough, with an older husband who groomed her as a child and a mother who doesn’t love her, I felt like things were getting dark.

But I had no idea just how dark and extreme things were going to go. Plenty of twists and shocks along the way, the book envelops you into it’s anxty and uneasy atmosphere.

Another win by Lisa Jewell. This woman can write a book for sure!

4.25/5

What an absolutely insane ride! This book keeps you guessing right up until the end - and beyond, to be honest. Gripping and tense, I couldn't put it down. A must read for anybody who loves and edge of their seat thriller!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Some of Lisa Jewell's books are amongst my favourites, but they don't always hit the mark for me so I'm always eager to see how I will feel about her latest release. But one thing's for certain, I'm always excited to pick up a book by her, and she's definitely on a winning streak with me.

None Of This Is True is another one of my favourites! An absolutely wild ride of shocking twists, untrustworthy characters, and dark secrets, this one had me absolutely hooked with its binge-worthy entertainment.

Told through various points of view as Alix's podcast is turned into a Netflix series (already, we love it!), a creepy tension builds throughout as you get to know Josie better through her own crafted narrative and also through Alix's more questioning perspective as someone less naïve.

The tale that Josie weaves is very unnerving, but you never know how much of it is true. The title alone makes you question everything that you're reading, and I loved that confusion of who to trust and which parts of the story to put your faith into. So the revelations that come are brilliantly shocking, and it constantly had me gripped in anticipation for more answers.

I had often been told to expect a big twist at the end, but the hype can sometimes let you down when you're waiting for something major to happen. So this is the only thing that prevented me from giving this a full five stars because the ending wasn't quite as twisted as I was hoping it would be. I liked where the final twist was going, but it needed to be a bit more assertive for me, as the vagueness of it didn't really do much overall as my opinions had already been set.

But pretty much everything else left my mouth hanging open in aghast, and I absolutely loved it. This is definitely a book you need to read this summer!

Lisa Jewell has written over 20 books and they just keep getting better. Where does she get these ideas from?
Alix Summer is a podcaster who has a chance meeting with her birthday twin on her 45th birthday. Josie Fair, the birthday twin, persuades Alix to record a podcast about her. Josie seems a little dull and frumpy, but as Alix delves deeper into her life, there's nothing dull at all!
Told in various styles - interviews, narrative, Netflix soundbites, podcast recordings, and moving around in time, this book goes at a cracking pace and I couldn't put it down.
Absolutely brilliant!