Wow!!! What a read! I absolutely loved every second of this amazing book. On the edge of my seat at all times!

I really enjoyed this modern and fresh storyline where a podcast is woven around the story. Alix and Josie share the same birthday, they are birthday twins.

You have a inkling where the story is going, how it's going to play out and you get settled into the ride. Then the twist comes and throws everything up in the air! I definitely didn't see it coming. I loved every minute.

A Thrilling Book Review of Lisa Jewell's None of This Is True
Blog Introduction: In her latest book, None of This Is True, Lisa Jewell tells a thrilling story about a family that is rocked by a scandal. The novel follows the lives of Alix Summers, a podcaster and Josie Fair, her birthday twin. It's an exciting, edge-of-your-seat adventure that will appeal to readers who love suspenseful stories. Let’s dive into this review!

None of This Is True follows the lives of Alix Summers, who is a well-known podcaster and her birthday twin, Josie Fair whom she meets at the pub on their 45th birthday celebrations. Josie has a great new idea for Alix’s podcast, the story of her life as she changes. Typically, though, all is not as it seems, and Josie is completely different to what Alix thinks she will be. The story unfolds through several twists and turns as we find out more about both characters and their families and the dark secrets that hide behind both of their lives.

The characters in None of This Is True are well-developed and will keep readers hooked until the very end. Alix and Josie are very different characters, Alix is very together and has what seems to be a perfect life, and Josie is much more rough and ready though professes to want to change and have Alix document that through her podcast. There are a number of minor characters whom we see throughout and which add perfectly to the intrigue. Each character has flaws and strengths that make them relatable and real.

I felt that Josie’s character was strange from the outset, but I couldn’t have guessed the full extent of what was about to happen, and I couldn’t take my eyes off the page until I knew everything!

Lisa Jewell's writing style is fast-paced and engaging. She keeps readers on their toes with unexpected plot twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. Her use of vivid descriptions also helps bring the characters to life, which usually makes it easy for readers to connect with them on an emotional level. However, on this occasion, didn’t connect as much as I would have liked either main character.

However, in None Of This Is True the format is much different to her usual format and from the opening we get the idea that this is a Netflix series which has been produced from a number of interviews rather than just a podcast. We know it leads to something big and not what we are expecting from the outset but it's not until near the end that we find out what that is. I loved this format; it was slightly confusing in places but it all ties together perfectly by the end.

Overall, I don’t think this was the best Lisa Jewell book I have read, and I’ve read quite a few of hers as she's one of my favourite authors but I enjoyed the new format and the premise of the book. I sometimes get concerned when an author brings out new releases so quickly that they will lose their appeal, often becoming very similar, this wasn’t similar to the others but didn’t have the usual pizazz she normally produces.

None of this is True by Lisa Jewell

Couldn't wait to read this , the author is one of the favourite in this genre , and she never fails to delight in her fantastic plots.
This time we meet fairly sedate Josie out with her husband for a quiet evening out. The much more outgoing Alix, well known as a podcaster and with a posse of followers is also out at the same venue. Strangely they are both celebrating their 45th birthdays.
A brilliant and complex story with lots of twists .
If you have liked Lisa Jewell’s other books you’ll definitely like this and I would recommend it.
Loved it.

This was just so brilliant I couldn’t put it down the tension and shocks took your breath away. Josie and her husband go to the pub to celebrate her birthday then Josie finds out that another girl in the pub is celebrating her birthday they are both the same age and was actually born in the same hospital. Josie then becomes obsessed with Alix and makes sure she is involved in her life especially when she finds out she is a podcaster as she wants to tell her story.

I can’t praise this book enough it was so good.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

Another masterpiece by Lisa Jewell. I found myself up far too late, for two nights in a row, unable to put this newest offering from one of my favourite authors down. The plot is fresh and utterly compulsive and just wholly brilliant. All the stars!

Absolutely wonderfully dark, intense, and gripping. One of the most thrillers I've read in years! I'm off to read everything Lisa Jewell has written!

I've just finished this book and had to come and post my review because it's absolutely compulsive. I've read Lisa Jewel before and admittedly I have a soft spot for her. This has to be her best novel yet. Just WOW

I absolutely devoured this story. As always so well written and believable. Lisa jewel is my favourite author and she covers some hard hitting subjects. But what an absolutely brilliant story. If you love crazy documentaries on Netflix or real crime podcasts, you will love this book!!!

Wow what an amazing book! This really was an utterly compelling read with plenty of twists and turns throughout as everything unfolds.. An incredible mix of characters who developed as one tries to work out the mystery. A strongly and highly recommended thriller

4.5 rounded up

Josie Fair and her much older husband Walter go to a gastropub to celebrate her 45th birthday. It’s not their usual style but hey, why not once in a while! In walks a blonde, well dressed, attractive ‘Birthday Queen’ and this proves to be podcaster Alix Summer with a big crowd including husband Nathan. It’s quiet and reserved versus noisy and effervescent energy, the proverbial chalk and cheese. Josie is mesmerised and fascinated and then she realises that Alix too is 45 today, they really are birthday twins! When Alix leaves her table and heads for the ladies, Josie follows…..The story unravels via alternating points of view and via a Netflix podcast/documentary entitled ‘ Hi! I’m your birthday twin’. This format works very well as it’s slickly and skilfully told in this experienced writers hands.

This is just soooo good that it is very hard to put down. The characterisation is excellent and I’m going to say little about either Alix or Josie as that is one of the joys of the book to discover for yourself! Your views on both of them undergo several U-turns via the plot revelations which makes for fascinating and at times, horrifying reading. One character in particular is a puzzling conundrum to say the very least!

The Netflix extracts are particularly powerful as they pile intrigue on intrigue, to say nothing of the building suspense. Things escalate to such a degree you find yourself furiously turning pages in disbelief and yes, there are some jaw droppers! If you add in bad vibes, off notes and some weird and uncomfortable situations that your reactions switch between sadness, concern and shock in equal measure. Oh boy, does the plot ever become intense with examples of dysfunction on a level that beggars belief. The plot twists, turns and barrels it’s way at a fast pace to a good ending which isn’t neatly sewn up but which feels real as, let’s face it, life frequently isn’t tied up in a pretty bow.

Overall, this is a cracking read from a very accomplished author who sure understands how to entertain her readers.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed other books by Lisa Jewell so was really pleased to receive an advance copy of None of this is True, out in July 2023. Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone, and NetGalley for my copy.

Alix is a podcaster, known for interviewing women about their successful lives. Out celebrating her birthday, she bumps into Josie who’s also celebrating her birthday. Josie refers to them as “birthday twins”.
Josie becomes obsessed with Alix and convinces Alix to interview her as part of a new podcast series about changing her life.
Little does Alix know the devastating impact the seemingly harmless Josie will have on her life.

Josie’s character is done really well. On the surface she seems innocuous, always dressed in denim and carrying her little dog. The reality is she’s extremely devious and manipulative with a lot of issues.
The other characters are also well done and there aren’t too many of them. The focus is on the relationship between Josie and Alix.

The format of the book is interesting and gives snippets of information, allowing you to try and work out what’s really going on. There are sections set in 2019 when Josie and Alix first meet, transcripts from the podcast, and the subsequent Netflix documentary.

I liked the plot and the format keeps you guessing. There were a couple of parts I had worked out and were a bit predictable. The ending was a little flat, and there wasn’t a huge twist or shock like I had expected. Despite this, the book is a page turner and I couldn’t put it down! I read it in a day.

If you have liked Lisa Jewell’s other books you’ll definitely like this and I would recommend it.

Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie is also celebrating her 45th 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 Alix's series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

From the very first page of this book, I was stunned, mesmerised. Written with a ferocious passion and totally gripping that'll knock the wind out of you!

A brilliant book yet again from Lisa Jewell. From the very first page to last i was hooked in and just couldn't put it down. It's one of those books that just keeps you guessing and not knowing what will happen next. Highly recommend.

Another unputdownable novel by Lisa Jewell! I was hooked from the first page and kept telling everyone, including the dog, ‘I’m reading such a great book!’ It’s a clever idea with lots of contemporary themes. I loved the way it was structured with the podcast and Netflix original series scenes.

Alix and Josie are 45 year old strangers who share a birthday. These birthday twins’ lives collide with ultimately devastating results. First I liked one of the characters best, then the other, as more and more is revealed. The twists are excellent and I felt drawn into Alix and Josie’s worlds, holding my breath towards the end as secrets came to light. It’s a fast-paced, fabulously written novel. Five stars!

And she does it again I devoured this book in one sitting.
I always love the books Lisa Jewell writes and I am not a fan of crime fiction this one centres on a podcast writer who is writing a Netflix series the story flows beautifully and it is an absolute pleasure to read.

Wow! A story weaving between two female 45 year olds who were born on the same day in the same hospital, and who met at a local restaurant in London.

Ms Jewell uses podcast recordings Alix made with her new 'best friend' Josie, and then Netflix scenes to add to the story of Josie's 'hard life' with a much older husband and two daughters both with dysfunctional labels. Indeed, all the characters are well drawn and I kept switching who I liked the best - Alix or Josie.!

The author seems to like having a little dig at men in general but there was plenty of evidence submitted!

Great ending... if that is the end!??

Loved it, and thanks to Net Galley and Random House for the chance to read and review.

Josie and Alix are birthday twins. Alix is asked by Josie to do a podcast about her life which she is breaking free from. But as Alix interviews Josie she has to decide what is the truth and what are lies. A compelling read. I couldn't put it down. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Another brilliant book by Lisa Jewell I was lucky to be allowed to read this early as doesn't come out til July but I highly recommend pre ordering it

The story is based around 2 women who meet randomly and find out that both of them are celebrating their 45th birthday and that they were actually born at the same hospital on the same day. This slowly turns into a story of obsession, murder and secrets

Absolutely couldn't put this down

Wow! Lisa Jewell has produced another corker of a book!

It wasn't next on my list to read, but I thought I'd just take a quick look. Ha! A quick look involved the whole of Sunday in a chair by the fire and a very immersive read.

The characters of Josie and Alix, the birthday twins, zing off the pages: that sense of entitlement, the assumptions of another person's life, the feeling of having stepped rather too close into a stranger's world with little hope of escaping it unscathed.

The creeping sense of unease as the story begins to unfold really does have you glued to the pages. I absolutely had to find out what was going on behind that bedroom door!

Thanks to Lisa Jewell, NetGalley and to Random House for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.