The best thriller I've read in a while. Josie Fair is discontent with her life when she meets her "birthday twin", podcaster Alix Summers on their 45th birthday. She latches on to the more confident and glamorous Alix and persuades her to do a podcast on Josie's life and how she's planning on changing it. Alix finds Josie's stories sad but compelling with elderly husband Walter, who seems to have groomed Josie since the age of 14. But Alix could never have predicted the outcome. Is any of it true? Nothing is as it seems. By the end I was doubting which way was up. Shocking. #netgalley #noneofthisistrue

Alix is celebrating her 45th birthday with her friends in a restaurant when she meets Josie in the toilets, who says they are birthday twins. They were both born at the same hospital on the same day.

Alix is well known for her podcasts about successful local women.

Josie thinks her story will make a great podcast as she is going to make some big changes in her life.

This story is dark with twists galore, there were several jaw dropping moments and I didn't see that coming!!

Just simply brilliant.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Alix and Josie meet randomly on a night out they realise that by pure coincidence that they share a birthday. After googling Alix and finding out that she hosts a popular podcast, Josie pitches her an idea for a new show and this sparks the beginning of a strange and dangerous relationship for the pair. Are all of Josie's stories true or is everything she says done for attention or worse? It's up to Alix to make that decision and deal with the consequences.

None Of This Is True had everything I love in a psychological thriller - family secrets, betrayal, obsession, suspense and a murder mystery. On top of all of this, sections of the book are told through the format of a True Crime Podcast which is one of my favourite tropes!

This is hands down the most exciting thriller I've read this year and if you listen to the companion podcast alongside reading the book it provides a truly immersive experience. Just brilliant.

★★★ 3.5 stars

Her lies could kill you...

Man, what did I just read? Where do I even begin to start a review for this book? I love Lisa Jewell and I'm always excited when she has a new release coming out. I had heard such good things about this book and yet once I was in there I found myself drowning and unable to get out.

First of all, I loved the format Jewell undertook with this one. Excerpts of a podcast and upcoming Netflix documentary drama. You just know with these interspersed throughout that something big is coming.

"Hi! I'm your birthday twin!"

That's how Josie Fair quite literally stumbles her way into Alix Summer's glamorous Instagram life. Watching her from across the same gastropub both women celebrating their forty-fifth birthdays, Josie can't help but want just a little of what Alix has. And so when she sees the other woman head to the ladies she orchestrates a chance meeting. But a few words exchanged in the ladies wasn't enough...Josie wanted more. And so later that night, after Walter had left their bed, she googled Alix Summer and stalked her social media wanting to find out more about her "birthday twin".

What comes next is not by pure chance. It is all carefully curated and orchestrated by Josie in which she swoops in and offers Alix the chance of a lifetime. A podcast about a woman embarking on a new direction in life, following Josie step by step as she undertakes these changes, from the boring caterpillar that she is and emerging as a beautiful butterfly breaking free.

Of course, Alix has no idea of the avalanche that is about to become her life. The podcast reveals some very disturbing facts and too late Alix realises she might have made a very big mistake. And as Josie slowly inveigles her way into Alix's life, into her home, she is about to discover that her new friend isn't all she claims to be.

This is such a difficult book to review. There is so much that could be said that really can't without giving anything away. Plus I found it very heavy going. Although I managed to plough through it in a day it was somewhat exhausting! I can only imagine what writing it would be like! As it is very character driven there isn't a lot of dialogue throughout which I really prefer, but having said that, this is still a very clever story. But it's not my favourite of hers.

The story itself is somewhat disturbing, if you were to believe half of what was said because the clue is in the title...which is kind of a spoiler in itself. The entire thing is a tale shrouded in ambiguity and Jewell keeps you guessing the whole way through.

While it wasn't one of my favourites, I still found it addictive and couldn't put it down until the very end. Josie is very much a train wreck of a character. You will love to hate her. And while her initial relationship and then marriage to her husband Walter were certainly not age appropriate, I do believe that Josie knew exactly what she was doing. She was a psychopath with no remorse, no empathy and no regard for others. She was controlling and narcissistic and a very disturbing individual. There was no victim blaming. Josie was a product of first her environment and then of her own making.

Overall, I found this to be a heavy read. It is chilling and somewhat disturbing in parts. But it is also very cleverly done.

I would like to thank #LisaJewell, #Netgalley and #RandomHouseCenturyBooks for an ARC of #NoneOfThisIsTrue in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Really enjoyed this thriller from Lisa Jewell. It had me hooked from the start.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

#NoneOfThisIsTrue

Another brilliant thriller from Lisa Jewell, this is the story of Josie and Alix, 45 year olds who share the same birthday and meet by chance. Josie is married to a much older man, and is feeling trapped. Alix's husband is almost perfect, but when he keeps disappearing after drinking heavily, Alix starts to wonder what life would be like without him.

Josie and Alix team up to record a podcast about Josie's life, which has been chaotic, disturbing and troubled. Alix gets drawn into Josie's world, the lure of finding out more about her past leading her to even allow her to move into the family home. Can she really trust Josie though?

On her 45th birthday, Alix Summer celebrated with a crowd of friends in the Landsdown pub on Salisbury Road when she encountered Josie Fair. She, too, was out celebrating her 45th birthday, only she was just with her husband, Walter. It turns out that not only are Alix and Josie birthday twins, they were both born in St Mary's hospital. That's where the similarities end, though: Alix, with her husband, Nathan, are in the midst of a joyful, monied group of friends and whilst they're not exactly rowdy, they're enjoying themselves. Josie, on the other hand, holds her handbag close to her tummy and you get the sense that Walter's not too happy. He's not used to spending this much money on a meal - but it is Josie's birthday after all.

Just a few days later, Alix and Josie run into each other again. I say 'run into' but whilst it was accidental on Alix's side, it had been carefully engineered by Josie. Alix is an established podcaster who has been doing a series on influential women. Josie suggests that Alix should interview her - not because she's influential, but because they're birthday twins and it would be good to explore the similarities and differences between them. She also convinces Alix that she's about to make real changes in her life and it would be good to document them.

Alix had known that her old series was coming to a natural end and this would be a good one-off. She finds Josie unsettling, but she can't quite resist the temptation. She should have done, because it isn't long before she realises that Josie has wormed her way into her life - and her home.

Normally, I'm not keen on the scenario where someone inveigles their way into a family's life and then wreaks havoc: it's usually only too easy to see an obvious point at which this simply should not have happened but this is Lisa Jewell and you're in safe hands. The plotting is superb and the characterisation is brilliant. You'll quickly come to respect Alix: she's the person who genuinely does her best. Josie, on the other hand, is different. It's not long before you wonder if she's an unreliable narrator. We know that Walter is twenty-seven years older than Josie but how did they get together and when?

We soon find out that there are faultlines in Alix and Nathan's marriage. Nathan's a high earner and generous. He's also a drinker. Alix wonders if his habit of disappearing without warning and then reappearing looking guilty the next day is going to spell the end of their marriage. The night-time disappearances are one of the few things that she has in common with Josie apart from the coincidence of their birth. As soon as Walter thinks that Josie is asleep he leaves their bed and is away all night.

I was going to say that I couldn't put the book down but I listened to an audio download, which I bought myself and I couldn't tear myself away from it. A large part of that was the story but the narrators are Nicola Walker and Louise Brealey. Brealey is excellent but Nicola Walker is beyond even that. I've long been a fan (Unorfotten. The Split, Last Tango in Halifax and most recently Annika) so this was a real pleasure. I'm certain that she could read a shopping list and I would be riveted.

Then - when you get to the end, there's a twist which will leave you wondering all over again. Superb.

For more from Lisa Jewell, try Invisible Girl.

Yet again a fantastic book from a brilliant author! Lots of twists and turns ro keep you going throughout!

A gripping read with twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout! One of my favourite reads for a while.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors, I have read most of her books. In truth, if Lisa Jewell published her shopping list, I would read it.

I was very excited to read None of This is True and it didn’t disappoint and I was gripped and very invested from the first page. It’s probably my favourite of her books to date.

Josie and Alix are birthday twins, Both 45 years old and couldn’t be more different.

I give this a very easy five stars and didn’t want it to finish.

With Lisa Jewell you know you are in for a nerve-wracking story and this one certainly keeps you reading. The fact that the setting could be so closely related to our own lives adds to the chill factor.

The characterisation is skilfully written with Josie, a compelling and intense loner, contrasting so well to Alix, an open, welcoming and happy, fun person.

What held it as a 4 rather than 5 star review was the pace, which I felt was drawn out in the first half of the book. Once the action really gets underway, the story licks along quickly gaining tension and a variety of possibilities as the momentum builds.

The premise was unique and unnerving and will keep your pulse racing as the story rushes towards its twisty ending.

Review: this is one of those Lisa Jewell novels where you just don’t trust anyone! What I love about Lisa Jewell is that she writes characters which are definitely not all likeable, but they are so so intriguing and also just so easy to relate to. This kind of thing could have happened to any of us. The other big takeaway I loved in this novel is that it features the whole podcast situation. There has been a lot of talk recently about true crime podcasters getting sucked into their work and going too deep. This is so the case with this one. Poor Alix didn’t know what was coming for her when she invited Josie into her life. This mixed media format which cracks open the world of podcasting and just what a risk you could be setting yourself up for is just wonderful.

As already mentioned, I didn't love Josie or Alix, or any of the other characters for that matter but oh my goodness they were intriguing. They stayed with me for a long time. I also really sympathise with both of them. I felt for Josie because of the life she has led, whether she chose to live that way or not and I sympathised with Alix because she just didn’t see what was coming for her. They both have fully formed lives and they’re about to be ripped apart by this story.

I don’t know why I am surprised but I am always just so amazed at how dark a Lisa Jewell novel can get. This wasn’t dark in the same way that The Family Upstairs and The Family Remains was dark, its not scary in that way but the way Lisa Jewell weaves in the level of deception and the depth of twists, turns and lies that go on over the course of this story-it’s just truly remarkable. I absolutely flew through this, I didn’t see a lot of it coming and I really do feel like this ending was left the way it was for a reason. If this is your first Lisa Jewell novel-you’re in for a treat and if you’re already a fan then rest assured, this is every bit as good as her usual offerings, you won’t be disappointed.

I absolutely loved this book! It took a turn that I was not expecting at all and I definitely loved the direction it took. There was an edge to Josie that had you a little on edge especially with her relationship with Walter, you could feel from page 1 which was written so well into the book. Alix frustrated me that she wasn't able to question Josie more with her actions but I liked Lisa had written it so that the nervousness that you felt when reading the book came through Alix and her interactions with Josie.

It was so well written and i loved the interlacing of the interviews that went forward in time, it added depth to the story that made you just want to keep on reading!

I haven't read a book of Lisa Jewell's that I did not love and this one is firmly on the love list!

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#NoneOfThisIsTrue by @lisajewelluk @centurybooksuk

⏩for synopsis

Well this was a delicious slow burn of a mind bending read… does that even make sense?😂 anyway…

This is an author I’ve been meaning to read for a long while now and after this I’ll defo bumping up her books to the top of the pile.

What a great read this was; as I’ve said it was a slow burn but that definitely wasn’t a bad thing. Time was needed to lay the foundations, gain your trust, get the know the characters on a deep and personal level while the seeds of the plot were dotted around and then the author just smashed everything you thought you knew to pieces. I loved the format with the snippets of podcast added in - they really filled the plot out and kept your interest right there. The story was ever changing and I’m still not sure I know what was true, the characters were flawed and I had constantly conflicting feelings towards them as at times they could be very unlikeable but next second you were emphasising with them. Well I loved every second of it and definitely recommend it!

With thanks the author #lisajewell, @netgalley and #centurybooks for allowing us to read this one early!

RELEASING: July 20th

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

When two women celebrate their 45th birthdays in the same restaurant they have no idea how their lives will become interwoven. Alix is a podcaster, looking for her next project. Josie is trapped in a dull life which she is keen to escape from.

As Josie begins to worm her way into Alix’s life and family, it is clear that there are dark things in Josie’s past. As she begins to tell her story the unease ramps up. I couldn’t put this book down. There were many times when I wanted to scream warnings to Alix. I loved that Alix and her husband were portrayed as flawed characters in their own right and enjoyed reading different characters’ views of Walter.

This was a gripping psychological thriller with so many plot twists and turns that kept me guessing to the last page. I have read other books by the same author but this has been my favourite as the pace didn’t let up once.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell is a ‘hit and miss’ author for me and her latest book None of This is True falls probably somewhere in between. It certainly intrigued me, especially the first half, as it was suspenseful and had plenty of twists. However, the plot occasionally became repetitive, and some events were overly explained. As the story progressed, it ventured into the realm of the absurd, prioritising shock value over narrative quality. Though it held my interest, the book didn't leave a lasting impression, making it a decent but not particularly remarkable read.

A tense and thrilling book! Grips you from the very first page with its dark and mysterious characters. Just as enjoyable as Jewell’:s previous books, if not more so!

None of this is true

Celebrating her 45th birthday, Alix Summers, a podcaster crosses paths with Josie Fair and discovers they're, in fact, birthday twins.
A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series.
As the podcast unfolds, Alix starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets.
Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

Oh my !! What a ride that was !! I absolutely devoured this book. I was slightly disappointed by the ending but still a massive 5 Stars (as I'm hoping a sequel will be in the future 🙏) This book was utterly heartbreaking and disturbing and the twists in this book had my head spinning. Brilliantly written, and I loved the podcast element and that we have a real podcast to go listen to definitely gives a new spin to the reading experience. Highly Recommended!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, and Lisa Jewell for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is no doubt one of the best books that I have read in a long long time. Lisa Jewell really is spectacular and has mastered the art of keeping the reader well and truly on their toes.

Alix Summers and Josie Fair couldn't be more different but a chance meeting on their 45th birthdays, making them birthday twins, leads to true devastation, destruction and incredible lies.

Alix is a popular and glamorous podcaster who seems to have it all - money, children, good looks and an exciting life. Josie on the otherhand leads a dreary life along with her significantly older husband, who groomed her as a 14 year old child, and her special needs daughter Erin.

Alix is bewildered when Josie approaches her with the idea of a podcast based on Josie's life. Surely this woman has nothing significant to offer? However, as Alix delves into Josie's background she feels unsettled with the revealations that are uncovered. But as Josie establishes herself into Alix's life is all as it truly seems and can Alix really trust all that Josie is saying?

This book will have you on the edge of your seat. The twists and turns really are incredible and I literally devoured this book.

I recently had the pleasure of reading this new psychological thriller by Lisa Jewell, which I did not pick until after the release date!

This novel proved to be a captivating literary work. From the very beginning to the very end, it fully engrossed me in the storyline and found it difficult to put the book down. The characters, while fascinating, were intentionally unreliable, which added depth and intrigue to the overall experience. I was so invested in their world that I read the entire book in one sitting. The story is carved into four parts, which I loved, and the writing is exceptional.

This book has quickly become my favourite by Lisa Jewell and I am confident readers will adore this across various demographics. An absolutely flawless five star read that I highly recommend!