Book Report #1 January 2026

 

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

This is the first book I finished in January 2026.

Title of Book:  The Authenticity Project

Author:  Clare Pooley

Fiction:

Started:  December 20, 2025

Finished:  January 4, 2026

Published: 2020

352 pages

Setting:  London

Themes:  Honesty, Loneliness, Connections

Tone:  Charming, uplifting

One sentence summary:

The Authenticity Project is a romantic fiction novel where six strangers are brought together through  the serendipitous discovery of a shared notebook.

My Favorite Quote from the book:

"Maybe the only way to get to really know someone is to be brave enough to tell them the truth about yourself."  Clare Pooley

What I Think:

This was a good book, easy to read, with interesting characters.  Not deep, just a fun winter read.  My takeaway is a reminder that social media tends to portray a fake persona compared to reality. Which I already knew.  But, it was a good reminder.  Especially around the holidays. 😉

My ratings on a scale of 1-5:

Readability - 5

Setting - 4

Enjoyment - 4

Writing Style - 4

Characters - 3.5 (kind of predictable and typical romance-style)

Overall impression:  Fun read