Wow this is Lisa Jewel at her best! This is part story, part podcast/Netflix documentary but it's easy to follow despite the changing format. It's mainly told from the POV of Josie and Alix, and you soon begin to realise that you're not quite sure what is true and what isn't... I'm still not sure!
It's divided into four parts and by part three I was reading it with my heart racing, wanting know what happens and what the truth is. It's fast paced throughout and full of twist and turns, many of which you don't see coming.
A great book, will definitely be recommending it to everyone.

Lisa Jewell at her absolute best, a brilliant book, full of twists and surprises with three-dimensional characters, brilliantly and beautifully written. Loved it.

I think this is Lisa's best book yet. So cleverly plotted, you are constantly trying to second guess the motives of the main characters, who is reliable and who not. But still I didn't guess the ending. Great characterisation, really pacey and well-written.

Oh my days,
@lisajewelluk
! This is my new FAVOURITE!
What a rush this #sleepstealer is.
Just finished & I'm beyond gobsmacked. I can already feel the #bookhangover kicking in! My head's a mess!
A little lost for words right now, so I'll just say, THANK YOU 🧡
#NoneOfThisIsTrue

None of this is true is the new psychological thriller from Lisa Jewell.

The story centers around two women who meet by chance one night and discover they are in fact birthday twins. But it’s here where the similarities end. Alix Summers is a popular podcaster who lives in a beautiful house together with her wealthy husband and two small children, while Josie Fair is a struggling seamstress who lives with her very old husband in a small flat with her one adult child.

Josie proposes that she be the next subject for Alix’s podcast, and despite her misgivings Alix agrees. She has so many questions, like why did Josie marry such an older man, what happened to her daughter Roxy, and what is wrong with her first child Erin?

Before long Josie has worked her way into every aspect of Alix’s life, but with so many dark secrets coming to light you can’t help but wonder if she’s going to come out of this new friendship unscathed.

While there is a sense of mystery in the book, it goes hand in hand with a foreboding. A knowledge that despite not knowing exactly what will happen as the story unravels, that it’s going to be both terrible and sad. And so you’ll find yourself almost trepidatious to read the next chapter.

To be honest I found myself not liking the characters very much, obviously Josie is designed to raise your suspicions but for Alix to blindly pursue a course of action despite every warning bell telling her not to left me feeling a bit despondent. While there were some important themes raised, including manipulation, toxic relationships, mental health and alcohol abuse, the story wasn’t able to rise above my dislike of the main characters and the fact that I found the Netflix chapters jarring.

Oh I love Lisa Jewell and this book is the reason why.
This was so good and yet at one point I had to put it down but it was not comfortable reading!
Josie and Alix meet on a night out when they are both celebrating their birthdays. Alix is a podcaster and Josie finds her, persuading Alix that she has a story to tell, of her life with her very much older husband.
At first we hear about Josie being groomed by her husband and how she is determined to change her life. But as the story moves on, Alix knows that things aren't adding up.
A gripping psychological thriller, with great characters.

Lisa Jewell never disappoints, I loved it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Another fantastic and gripping psychological thriller from Lisa Jewell!

In None of This is True, we meet two women with completely contrasting lives, who happen to meet at a local pub one night whilst both celebrating their 45th birthdays.

Alix Summer – the woman who appears to have it all – the successful podcaster with two gorgeous children, a successful husband and instagrammable house. And Josie Fair – a timid woman with no friends and a husband much older than her, with one daughter who she hasn’t seen for years and another who stays mysteriously hidden in her bedroom.

After their meeting, Josie becomes fixated on Alix and orchestrates another meeting with her, suggesting that she might be a good topic for her podcast – a woman on a journey to change her life and break free.

The story switches between Alix and Josie’s perspective – alongside transcripts from a Netflix series based on the podcast ‘Hi! I’m your birthday twin!’ The snippets from the future provide an ominous glimpse as to what is going to happen as the two women get further interconnected as they work on the podcast.

None of This is True will truly keep you on the edge of your seat and reading into the night – Josie’s story becomes darker and darker whilst at the same time throwing up hints that she may not be telling the whole truth. I couldn’t stop thinking about which parts could be true and what might not be – and what secrets she might be hiding!

As it reaches a crescendo towards the end, I was surprised and delighted by the way the story was woven together and the revelations. The very end was a masterpiece!

Dark, creepy and page turning. What more could you want in a book? When Josie celebrates her 45th birthday with her husband at a restaurant she is surprised to discover another lady Alix, there doing exactly the same, albeit in a different way with a large group of friends as opposed to just the two of them. Snatching a quick chat with her it begins the makings of a coincidental relationship of having a ‘birthday twin’. Josie becomes obsessed with getting to know Alix with a warped admiration for her life, her home, her family and once she finds out Alix has made podcasts with various women, she offers her own story. Curiosity gets the better of Alix and so begins the unravelling of a complex and shocking story. With death, disappearances, lies and secrets this story will reel you in and each explosive revelation will have your sympathies with different characters. Who to believe? Well, the title is one thing but who does it refer to? A superbly written psychological book that is full of tense, suspense filled pages that have you guessing to the very end.

This dark, twisty book from Lisa Jewell kept me gripped right from the start. The story follows the lives of podcaster Alix Summers and Josie Fair, two women who were born on the same day, in the same hospital. They meet by chance on the night of their 45th birthdays and after bumping into each other again outside Alix’s children’s school, they begin a friendship.

Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts about influential women and feels that her life, under the topic of ‘birthday twins’ would make a good subject for Alix’s new podcast series. Although unsure at first, Alix decides that this is the new idea she has been looking for. She begins to interview Josie but as she tells her life story, dark secrets emerge. With each new recording, Alix feel increasingly uneasy. Who is Josie Fair? Is she telling the truth? And why does she have such an intense focus on Alix’s life and family?

This story is full of twists and turns and nothing is what it seems. Josie is one of the most interesting characters I have read about in a while. She sees the podcast as an opportunity to change her life and the reader can see her gradually becoming obsessed with Alix’s privileged life and seemingly perfect family. I also enjoyed the true crime element, as the story is told from the points of view of Alix, Josie and also in flashbacks from Alix’s podcast, which has been made into a Netflix series.

The domestic settings breathe life into this story. A stark contrast gradually builds between Alix’s comfortable home, full of the noise and bustle of family life and Josie’s quiet, eerie, dysfunctional existence with her older husband and mysterious daughters she rarely sees. As Alix learns more about Josie, Josie also learns more about her and this is where Alix may regret inviting her birthday twin into her life.

I highly recommend this book. I enjoyed the unusual structure and felt it was unique and interesting.

Two women who were born on the same day meet by chance.
Alix is a podcaster and likes telling stories, Josie is a woman with a story that she wants to tell.
A disturbing tale with some twist and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

So so so good!!! It has to be one of the best by far! I loved the plot, the characters and the style! Such an amazing book! Do not miss this one.

A very cleverly written plot, switching between the two protagonists points of view, a pod cast and a Netflix documentary, it's not only unique but utter genius storytelling!

The night of Alix's 25th birthday she meets another woman, also out celebrating her 25th birthday and it also transpires that they were both born in the same hospital much to the delight of the other woman, Josie, who then declares they are birthday twins.

Alix is a popular podcaster who has just finished her series called 'All Woman' about successful women, and it is from these podcasts that Josie see's a way into Alix's life. She asks Alix if she would do podcast about her life and how now at age 25 is on the cusp of real change, and she thinks Alix is the perfect person to tell her story.

As her All Woman podcasts have come to an end, and also intrigued by what Josie has to say she agrees to a trial recording session, turning into a podcast called 'Hi i'm your birthday twin', but whatever Alix thought Josie's was going to tell her soon turns into something dark and disturbing.

I got sucked into this book right from the start and binged read it in under two full days, i literally didn't want to put it down.

Although the premise of the book being told in several different ways may sound strange, but trust me, it works, if anything it works too well, it leaves parts on cliffhangers so you can't stop reading as you need to know what happens next!

None of this is true will be published on the 20 July 2023 it is available to preorder now from your local bookshop, library
A massive Thank You to the author Lisa Jewell, publishers Random House UK and NetGalley for my digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest, independent review.

A very cleverly written plot, switching between the two protagonists points of view, a pod cast and a Netflix documentary, it's not only unique but utter genius storytelling!

The night of Alix's 25th birthday she meets another woman, also out celebrating her 25th birthday and it also transpires that they were both born in the same hospital much to the delight of the other woman, Josie, who then declares they are birthday twins.

Alix is a popular podcaster who has just finished her series called 'All Woman' about successful women, and it is from these podcasts that Josie see's a way into Alix's life. She asks Alix if she would do podcast about her life and how now at age 25 is on the cusp of real change, and she thinks Alix is the perfect person to tell her story.

As her All Woman podcasts have come to an end, and also intrigued by what Josie has to say she agrees to a trial recording session, turning into a podcast called 'Hi i'm your birthday twin', but whatever Alix thought Josie's was going to tell her soon turns into something dark and disturbing.

I got sucked into this book right from the start and binged read it in under two full days, i literally didn't want to put it down.

Although the premise of the book being told in several different ways may sound strange, but trust me, it works, if anything it works too well, it leaves parts on cliffhangers so you can't stop reading as you need to know what happens next!

None of this is true will be published on the 20 July 2023 it is available to preorder now from your local bookshop, library
A massive Thank You to the author Lisa Jewell, publishers Random House UK and NetGalley for my digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest, independent review.

Wow. I am not sure I can literally find the right words to describe this book, it absolutely blew my mind. Lisa Jewell has created an absolute masterpiece! I had to keep putting it down as I didn’t want to finish it too quickly, I knew when I had finished it that I would have a book hangover,

Based on a web of lies and deceit, the reader spends the whole time wondering what is the truth, questioning everything, fearing what will happen next.

An exquisite story!

A very cleverly written plot, switching between the two protagonists points of view, a pod cast and a Netflix documentary, it's not only unique but utter genius storytelling!

The night of Alix's 25th birthday she meets another woman, also out celebrating her 25th birthday and it also transpires that they were both born in the same hospital much to the delight of the other woman, Josie, who then declares they are birthday twins.

Alix is a popular podcaster who has just finished her series called 'All Woman' about successful women, and it is from these podcasts that Josie see's a way into Alix's life. She asks Alix if she would do podcast about her life and how now at age 25 is on the cusp of real change, and she thinks Alix is the perfect person to tell her story.

As her All Woman podcasts have come to an end, and also intrigued by what Josie has to say she agrees to a trial recording session, turning into a podcast called 'Hi i'm your birthday twin', but whatever Alix thought Josie's was going to tell her soon turns into something dark and disturbing.

I got sucked into this book right from the start and binged read it in under two full days, i literally didn't want to put it down.

Although the premise of the book being told in several different ways may sound strange, but trust me, it works, if anything it works too well, it leaves parts on cliffhangers so you can't stop reading as you need to know what happens next!

None of this is true will be published on the 20 July 2023 it is available to preorder now from your local bookshop, library
A massive Thank You to the author Lisa Jewell, publishers Random House UK and NetGalley for my digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest, independent review.

None of this is True is a well written psychological thriller that is full of unexpected twists. The story revolves around Alix, a podcaster and Josie a stay at home mother. They meet on their respective 45th birthdays and thus discover they are birthday twins. Josie inveigles herself into getting Alix to agree to undertake a podcast about her life. This is where the darkness begins and you are drawn into the complex tale which leaves you thinking to the end and beyond. Highly recommend.

Alix and Josie are birthday twins - born on the same day they meet purely by accident in their 45 birthdays.
Josie becomes obsessed with Alix who is an established podcaster. The two women are from very different backgrounds, Josie manages to ingratiate herself and become the subject of a new series of Alix’s podcast.
Josie is married to Walter who she met when she was sixteen and he was forty two, they have two adult girls with whom they have a very fractured relationship - Alix starts telling their story
Josie would like the truth behind her life to be told but it soon becomes clear that Jodie’s version of the truth may be very different to others.
I was totally absorbed in this and did not want to put it down. I loved the way the plot is revealed, we are fed little bits at the time so know that things aren’t necessarily as they seem
Can’t recommend highly enough- do read it!

4.5 ⭐️

I don't know how Lisa Jewell does it, how she writes about such dark, twisted characters with such layers of depth.

This book had me in a chokehold, that I couldn't get out of till I turned the last page. I kept aside all my current reads and picked this book up as soon as I got an e-ARC, and I'm so glad because Lisa Jewell didn't disappoint at all.

The characters in the book had me questioning everything at every turn! Beautifully nuanced darkness that made my thriller-loving heart filled with happiness. This book will stay with me for a long long time.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House, Cornerstone UK for providing me with a digital proof of this delicious thriller in exchange for my honest review.

It’s been a long time since a book kept me up all night because I simply had to know what happened next but this one did it and did it with style.

The story is gripping, exciting and entertaining. Using the idea of podcasting and Netflix Original documentaries to tell part of the story was inspired.

I can tell I will be thinking about this book for a while and I’m sure it be be high on my list of best books at the end of the year.