What a fantastic, quick, cozy read. This was a cute, funny, historical fiction, mystery, romance, coming of age story set in the glitz and glamor of old time Hollywood. It was surprisingly diverse, with strong, dynamic characters that I loved. Especially brave, smart, inquisitive Kate.

The story itself lightly highlighted sexism and racism of the time. It dealt with ptsd, and the importance and impact of facing one's fears, and recognizing unnecessary self blame. It also held amazing messages about female power and strength and finding independence.

It was emotional and thrilling. It gave me Thin Man meets the The Holiday vibes. It was utterly satisfying, and I can definitely see myself rereading in the future, as one would enjoy rewatching a favorite, nostalgic movie.

The glamour of Hollywood, the intrigue of a murder mystery, and the charm of the 1920s come together in Chasing Starlight by Teri Bailey. This historical fiction novel takes readers on a thrilling journey through the Golden Age of Hollywood, with a story that’s as captivating as the stars themselves.

Why You Should Pick Up Chasing Starlight:
Historical Fiction Set in the Glamorous 1920s:

The setting of 1938 Hollywood is brought to life with exquisite detail, from the glitzy movie studios to the bustling streets lined with palm trees. The era's allure and charm make for a fascinating backdrop.
Intriguing Storyline with Many Mysterious Plot Twists:

The plot is a rollercoaster of suspense and surprise. Kate Hildebrand’s journey to solve a murder mystery in her grandfather's mansion is filled with unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Lovable Yet Suspicious Characters:

The characters are a delightful mix of the endearing and the enigmatic. Kate’s washed-up silent film star grandfather and the boarders in his mansion add layers of complexity and suspicion, making every interaction a potential clue.
Why You Should Dive into Chasing Starlight:
📚 Rich Historical Setting: Experience the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood.
🔍 Mystery and Suspense: A murder mystery with twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
💫 Engaging Characters: From charming to suspicious, the characters bring the story to life.
🌠 Unique Plot: A blend of Hollywood magic and astronomical ambition.
💖 Romance and Drama: A touch of romance amidst the intrigue adds an extra layer of depth.
Chasing Starlight is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, murder mysteries, and anyone enchanted by the magic of old Hollywood. Teri Bailey masterfully weaves a tale of suspense, love, and ambition that will leave readers both satisfied and yearning for more.

Don’t miss out on this star-studded mystery! Pick up your copy of Chasing Starlight today and step back in time to the Golden Age of Hollywood. 🌟🎬📖

This book almost has it all! A kick-ass female main character, a lovely, sweet and interesting love interest, a house full of weirdos, a nice aesthetic, interesting family dynamics, a loving grandpa-granddaughter relationship that made me tear up, a murder mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat!

To be perfectly honest, this was nothing like I was hoping/expecting it to be. I was hoping for an engaging mystery, with maybe a touch paranormal (hey, she has pink hair and an air of mystery on the cover so I made assumptions) but instead this was a historical fiction about a lonely girl finding new friends and the inside of early Hollywood- with a splash of a very mediocre mystery at like the very end. Keep in mind this could easily be me and not the book's fault, but I struggled to get through the story and to stay engaged. I could easily set the book down and move on, never once thinking about it again until I forced myself to pick it back up. I was not a fan but I think this might appeal to YA historical fiction fans or old Hollywood fans.

I DNF'd this book at 25%. I'm hesitant to review it simply because I feel like I wasn't the intended audience. I started reading this book a few times thinking maybe I wasn't in the right place or in the right mood but I think it's just me since there are people I know who had loved reading this. For that reason I won't be adding anything more to this review.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Chasing Starlight by Teri Bailey Black is a historical fiction aimed towards young adults. This is a thriller and mystery, which was a fairly interesting read. I am rather surprised this book did not get more hype, as the cover is intriguing and striking, and the story within holds up to that.

Ms Black has a large following at my high school library and I buy all her books. They circulate well and I rarely see them once I get them.

First of all, this book was badass.

Very much like the Netflix minisseries "Hollywood", this was full of characters that were inspiring and ahead of their time.

Chasing Starlight is about Kate, a girl who goes to Hollywood to move in with her grandfather and gets into some adventures with these strange men that she has to live with, but also as she experiences working on a movie set as assistant producer.

The characters were great (and there were lots of them), I really enjoyed the idea of a murder mystery in the Golden Age of Hollywood, the writing was also quite good.

I'd still recommend this, cause I found it to be quite unique. Just don't go with too high expectations.

When Kate's aunt marries , she heads off to live with her Grandfather . Upon arriving Kate finds that the house leaves much to be desired. Her former movie star grandfather has become a hermit refusing to leave the house , he's lost all his money , and wore yet taken in budding male actors of the most unsavory sort.

Kate soon finds herself in a strange new world the film making industry is much shadier than she thought , and as she's learned before people aren't always what they appear .

Old Hollywood noir story with a kickass lead! I throughly enjoyed this book with the 1930s Hollywood backdrop and the mystery. Kate goes to live with her hermit grandfather after her aunt marries. He’s a has been movie star and now has random boarders stay at his house (they were the best part of this book!). She practically walks right into a whodunit and we get to go along for the ride! So glad I picked this up finally!

I was very intrigued by the premise for this book. I dont read much mystery and certainly dont look for it when reading YA. I was quite impressed reading this and thought it was fun and intriguing.

This book was so good! I was immediately drawn into Kate's world, and I cared about what would happen to her. I loved how she was into astronomy and wanted to go to school to study it. I also loved the romance between her and Hugo.

The setting and atmosphere were great! A creepy old mansion and the glamour of old Hollywood sets. And even though it started out rocky, I loved seeing how Kate's relationship with her grandfather developed into one of true and trusted family. I also really liked the way Kate came to terms with what happened in her past and became stronger for it.

And I loved the Nancy Drew references in the book! If you're a Nancy Drew fan, you'll love this book too! I think it will also appeal to fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson and the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson.

Interesting premise that painted a beautiful image of old Hollywood while following an ambitious, witty, and talented protagonist Kate. Both the mystery and romantic elements of the novel were quite interesting and didn't follow a predictable format that tend to plague mystery novels.

3.5/5.0 contradictory stars

I requested an ARC of "Chasing Starlight" by Terri Bailey Black from NetGalley forever ago then totally forgot about it - which isn't generally a great thing to say about a book. I mean, who wants to read something forgettable? Thankfully, while I can’t say "Chasing Starlight" is my new all-time favorite read, “forgettable” definitely isn't a word I'd use for it now that I've read the book!

"Chasing Starlight" begins with Kate Hildebrand stepping off a train, expecting to be met by her estranged grandfather. She hasn't seen him since she was eight years old. But he never shows at the station and she's forced to take a taxi to the last address she has for him…one from an old birthday card envelope from years ago!

I found it pretty unbelievable that he still lived in the same house, given the downward cycle his career is hinted at having taken, but I suspended my belief to go with it. There ended up being quite a lot of other instances of unbelievable scenarios like that throughout the story that just really made it hard for me to truly love this story. Which sucks because I loved the story itself. (Yes, I know that sounds contradictory.)

I’m a sucker for classic films, so something I absolutely loved and that made "Chasing Starlight" a fun read was how much it reminded me of an old black and white movie. I'm not sure if it was the writing itself, or the fact that the book is about old Hollywood, but it kept playing in my head like an old movie, so in that respect, it absolutely worked and I think it’s worth the read for anyone else with a soft spot for old films!

The characters really pulled this story along for me and the main character, Kate, was great! I loved the interactions between her and the other characters, but it was pretty disappointing that I realized who the killer was VERY early on. Normally, that would ruin it for me, but with "Chasing Starlight," it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the story. I found myself up late last night trying to finish reading, unable to put my Kindle down and was literally angry with my eyes for betraying me and forcing me to chose sleep over getting to the end.

So do I think "Chasing Starlight" is going to be your all-time favorite story? Probably not.

Do I think it’s going to be a fun way to spend your time and worth at least one read through? Definitely!

Thank you to Tor Teen for sending me an earc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞."

If you're craving some old school Hollywood glamour, look no further than 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤'𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

Set in 1938, this slow-burn murder mystery channels all those classic cinematic vibes & makes for a perfect weekend escape.

Opening with 17-year-old Kate "Kitty" Hildebrand forced move in with her estranged -- and formerly famous -- grandfather, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 delivers drama from its very first scene.

Upon arriving to her grandfather Ollie's home, Kate discovers what she believes to be a robbery turned murder. Frantic and scared, she flees to the neighbors to call the police. When the cops arrive, however, it's revealed that the "crime" Kate witnessed was merely a rehearsal involving the actors that live in her grandfather's home. Shocked and embarrassed, she returns to her new home to meet the "unsavory" boarders that occupy her grandfather's spare rooms.

From the cranky bookkeeper-turned-musician Reuben, the dancing ladies man Aurelio, and the captivating, devil-eyed Hugo Quick, this charming cast of characters will lead our MC down a path of drama & cover ups as they attempt to solve a classic whodunit.

I won't say much about the murder -- or the mystery behind it -- but I will say that it's not the star of this atmospheric story. In fact, my favorite portions of this novel were Kate's scenes with Hugo, a romantic lead I would have fallen 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 for in my teens. Between their fact-finding missions & flirtatious, late-night chats, I was swooning like a proper silver-screened starlet.

And although this book's mystery wasn't the best I've read, the setting and nod to "the golden age" make it worthy of a callback.


TW: death of a parent, murder, gun violence, kidnapping, suicide, cancer

This has an interesting premise and I wish I liked it more but it just wasn't for me sadly. I loved Teri's last book but this one didn't pull me in for some reason. Most people seem to have loved this one though, so don't go by my review.

Set during Hollywood's glamorous golden age, Chasing Starlight follows the infamous Kate Hildebrand, a wannabe astronomer and the granddaughter of a washed up silent film star, who is unwittingly thrust back into the spotlight when her tragic past lands her a job on a movie set AND she discovers a dead body in her grandfather's boarding house. From the intriguing murder mystery plot, to its whip smart lead, and the adorable grandfather-granddaughter relationship, Black's sophomore novel is a fast-paced tale perfects for fans of thrillers and/or 1930s Hollywood.

Most often I read high-fantasy or contemporary books, but I have always been fond of stories that keeps tickling my curiosity. This is one of those. From the moment I read the synopsis up to the very last chapter, I had questions waiting to be answered.

Following Kitty Kate Hildebrand’s story as she adjusts to living with her grandfather in an old, almost dilapidated mansion with boarders she did not expect to have had been intriguing. Add the fact that a murder happens exactly the day after she comes live there, it’s no wonder why Kate becomes the talk of the town.

Kate is one of those girls who loves to pursue facts and get herself involved with science. She is also one of those girls who are unafraid of making sure that the men around her know how she wants to be treated. Although all those things were also due to how she was brought up and what happened to her when she was younger, it is still something for a girl in the 1930s. I’m glad that she is the protagonist of this book.

Seeing the story unfold in her perspective just makes everything more exciting because there is so much to know, but I would also admit that it is [kind of] frustrating because we have a different way of thinking and sometimes I wish she would just stop concluding things like that. Needless to say, this book made me just want to know more and got me a little impatient because I couldn’t read fast enough for my questions to be answered. It was beautifully written with very intriguing characters that would open doors for lots of possibilities you wouldn’t figure out who the murderer was. At least I didn’t, not until Kate figured it out.

As for the romance, it was definitely not cringe-y. Sometimes it’s dancing but mostly it’s eyes staring at each other and soft whispers in a dimly lit setting. Just like Kate, I couldn’t help but like the “unruly” boarders. But don’t worry, there is no love triangle, only sweet, enchanting allure.

Chasing Starlight offers you a mentally-stimulating story. It is for the people who likes to keep asking questions and likes to seek the answers. It is for the people who wants to play Nancy Drew. But if you’re not one of those people, there’s still the aesthetically pleasing grandeur of life in Hollywood to lure you in. This book is worth the chance.

Hollywood is something that's always interested me and more so in the early days of movies. So the fact that Chasing Starlight takes place at the end of the 1930's, I knew it would be fun. I really feel that the author did her research on this time and I loved the references to the bigger names in the spotlight at that time. Also the way the characters talked and the phrases they used were very fitting!

Chasing Starlight started out a bit slow for me and it took me a second to figure out where the story was going. Once it got there though, this book was a pageturner. I needed to keep on reading, because I really started liking the characters and needed to know who the murderer was. I loved that there was a split between Kate helping on the movie set and the murder mystery side of the book. I feel it fit well together. Trying to figure out who did it was one of my favorite parts about reading and I didn't expect it to be who it was in the end. I'm normally good at guessing, so this was a nice surprise!

The characters in this story are pretty likable (for the most part). Kate was an interesting one. She didn't have the easiest childhood and had a lot of trauma to deal with. Also, being shipped off to the grandfather you barely talk to, because your aunt's getting married is pretty rude. Kate didn't let that stop her though and she was determined to still follow her dreams. I feel she really gets stronger and and overcomes a lot during this book.

The cast of side characters were also a lot of fun. I adored Hugo and Ollie. They made me laugh and I really enjoyed reading about them. The other boarders and Bonnie were interesting as well and all of these characters definitely added to this amazing story. I do wish some of them got a bit more depth, but all in all, they definitely completed the puzzle.