I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've read all of Bailey's books, while I enjoyed Hello, Juliet it was not my favorite. I am beginning to dislike dual timeline stories. I understand that they add suspense, but they also break the pacing. Hello Juliet has a stronger "now" / present timeline than the one ten years ago.

Ivy Westcott is an aspiring actor who gets a lead role on a teen soap / primetime on a network similar to the CW. I was imagining a comparison to The O.C. or something similar. Her mom is very much a helicopter or stage parent as her manager - even though Ivy is 22 when she landed the part after auditioning for Skyler.

Ten years later, Ivy manages an air b&b and works at a market. She's invited to participate in a secret reunion of the show, which made her famous and critics dubbed her Poison Ivy. Only when she gets to set, nobody is there and she finds her former costar dead.

I could have done without most of the flashbacks. It felt like a distraction from the suspense revolving around the murder mystery. Ultimately, the person responsible isn't the person I thought was- but I was mostly relieved to finish the book. There are some very unhealthy toxic relationships and boundary issues here , and it became a little convoluted and contrived to me. I'd imagine the BTS of most similar shows might be interesting, but Hello, Juliet didn't really work for me. 3 out of 5 stars, available 4/29/25. Trigger warning for drug and alcohol abuse, disordered eating, and pressures.

thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review!

this was a pretty good idea that was let down by overall blandness. I rarely say this for thrillers, but I think it actually needed to be longer to develop the characters more, because I found that I barely cared for them or understood where the relationships were coming from. also, I thought the stuff the protagonist went through was sooo over the top... writing a woobie is fine and valid but you have to make me care about the character first!

this wasn't a terrible read or anything, but it feels generic in the end, and it didn't make me feel the emotions it so clearly wanted me to feel.

This is my 3rd book by Samantha M Bailey and this one kept me up reading into the late hours of the night. Hello, Juliet is filled with secrets, lies and it has an epic ending that I did not see coming. It made think twice about real actors and actresses and how much pressure they face with the public. Another great book by this great author! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

Hello Juliet is Samantha Bailey’s 4th novel, she’s one author I have managed to stay current with.

Hello Juliet is told in dual time periods. Current day Ivy has discovered the body of a former friend and castmate. A decade earlier on Ivy was cast in the lead role in a teen drama that ended with her reputation ruined - social media handles that role.

Hello Juliet is a twisty story that goes into the life of a celebrity and how one wrong move can ruin a career. It's a story of friendship and what can divide them, secrets because everyone has them, and the search for new beginnings. A captivating slow burn mystery with nice short chapters, making it a perfect fit for just one more chapter (pun intended). Along with the right amount of tension amongst the many layers that revealed a satisfying ending.

Coming in at 303 pages it didn’t take long to zip through this, but don't let the size fool you into thinking this is a cozy mystery because it isn't.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review

It’s been ten years since the teen drama she starred in ended and Ivy’s career has not gone the way she had hoped. She works at a market, now, and hasn’t really acted much. She needs money to help with her mother’s health issues.

When she gets an email for a reunion for the show along with a big sum of money Ivy has no choice but to go. But when she gets there Ivy finds one of her co-stars (and former BFF) dead. She ends up in the middle of a homicide investigation.

This story, told in dual timelines (when she was on the show and the present) is full of twists and turns. It’s so good! The chapters were relatively short and had cliffhanger endings that had me anxiously turning the pages.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse, NetGalley and the author for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I recommend Hello, Juliet to anyone looking for a thriller with a unique plot. I read many thrillers, and a plot about child stars navigating their youth and chaotic adult life stood out. Bailey does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere, and the ending was memorable and something I didn't see coming. Ivy is insecure but an interesting character.

Thanks for the advance review copy. I love this author.

If Samantha M. Bailey writes it, I am going to devour it! Her books are just that good. Do I need to say more?

Ok, ok, I loved this twisty book! I was hooked from page one and I didn’t want to put it down. I was on the edge of my seat and every time I thought I figured it out, Bailey would throw me for a loop!

I went between the ebook and audiobooks and both were amazing! The narrator, Kira Fixx is a new to me narrator but I love her narration!

****Many thanks to Amazon Publishing and Brilliance Audio for my gifted copies.

Rating it 4.5 stars rounding to 5 stars.

I was hooked from the beginning. I love that it was different time lines. Bailey is a new favorite,I need to read all of her backlist.

If I could describe this book in one word, it would be whiplash. There are so many twists and turns that I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up way too late, and read every minute I could cause I just HAD to know what happened next. I started one day and finished the next, I couldn't put it down. If you enjoy being totally engrossed in a book, preorder it now, I was hooked from the beginning. And the layout is exceptionally clever, the then, now and press snippets make the read that much more interesting. I highly recommend this read, just be prepared to pick your jaw up from the floor!

Easy to read thriller with dual timelines. Good twists and keeps you guessing would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

A decade after being branded #PoisonIvy and exiled from Hollywood, former teen star Ivy Westcott is thrust back into the spotlight when a shocking exposé reignites the scandal that ruined her life. Desperate for redemption, she agrees to a secret Hello, Juliet reunion—only to find herself at the center of a deadly mystery when a former castmate turns up dead. To clear her name and survive, Ivy must unravel the dark secrets of the show that made her famous… before she becomes the next victim.

I had been hearing so many great things about this book, so I was really excited to read it. It gave me total Beverly Hills, 90210 behind the scenes drama vibes, and I loved it! The beginning set up the story perfectly for the mystery, and it was dark and full of suspense. While the characters weren’t totally likable, I did vibe with Ivy. The TV show reunion was done perfectly, and I honestly can’t say anything bad about this book, except that I did figure out whodunnit early on. That’s a me thing though because other people have said the opposite. I don’t want to say too much about the plot though because I loved going into this one blind. This was my first book by Bailey, and it won’t be my last!

Kira Fixx is a new to me narrator, and I thought she was the perfect voice for Ivy. She brought suspense and moodiness to this story, and it fit perfectly with the dark vibes Bailey was going for. I look forward to listening to more books narrated by her.

Thank you to the author, Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse, Thomas and Mercer, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

In 2014, when Ivy Westcott was cast as one of the four main characters in the new dark teen drama, Hello, Juliet, it seemed like everything was finally coming together for the struggling actress. Fast forward ten years to the present and things didn't turn out as Ivy had hoped. The show didn't survive its first season, and when it ended, Ivy's reputation was left in ruins. Social media was particularly cruel, blaming Ivy for the demise of the popular show. But when Mack Foster, the show's creator, invited Ivy to film a reunion with her castmates, she jumped at it. She hoped for redemption, but at the very least, it offered a much-needed paycheck to help with her mother's medical expenses. Upon Ivy's arrival, she discovers one of her castmates dead in her dressing room.

Hello, Juliet grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. Samantha M. Bailey sure knows how to write suspense. This thriller offers a dark, behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and the challenges of being in the spotlight. Ivy is determined to uncover what happened to her former friend, but every turn she takes proves that there isn't anyone she can truly trust. As the shocking surprises unfold, you won't want to put this book down.

4.25 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. I had several theories on who the killer was, but none of them was right. It was so good. It was a fast read for me and I really enjoyed the social media/news media chapters!

Hello, Juliet completely threw me for a loop. I didn't know who to trust or believe, but I did know one thing. I felt really bad for Ivy. She was like the underdog in Hollywood, and I wanted nothing but to see her shine. Hello, Juliet follows the cast of a former popular teen high school drama and is told in dual timelines. I was hooked into the petty drama of the past and the whodunnit murder of the present. Samantha Bailey's writing is absolutely addictive. The best part is that I had zero clue about anyone’s motives for anything. This one kept me guessing until the very end. Whew! What a thrill ride this one was.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 4/29
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This book was absolutely fantastic and I ate up every second of this one.
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I have been super into these “stars comeback” books and this was just so different and intense that once I started I couldn’t stop.
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Hello, Juliet is told in a dual timeline during the present and the most recent suspicious death and then in the past during the time of the show Hello, Juliet. I loved both timelines, I found myself completely captivated and unable to pull my eyes from the screen/ears from the narration. The characters are all fantastic. I love how during the entire book I suspected everyone at different times.
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This is a fast paced book right from the start. I flew through this in a night and stayed up way past my bedtime. The ending was incredible and everything I needed for the story.
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I listened to this while reading my eARC. It was narrated by Kira Fixx and I think she was fantastic. This was such an addicting story!
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Overall, huge win for me. I think that all my thriller lovers will love it! Be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Samantha M. Bailey, Brilliance Publishing and Thomas&Mercer for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4½✨⭐️
HELLO, JULIET
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 303 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🎬🌴😱🚔💕🤫⛓️‍💥🔍✉️💊🤯👀
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 4/29/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ Hollywood drama
◽️ twisty, popcorn thrillers
◽️ forbidden romance
◽️single POV/dual timeline

💜𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲💜

Thank you @samanthabailey @thomasmercer for the #gifted copy!
@thrillerloversthepulse is raving about this for good reason!

I absolutely loved this book! It was such a fun & addictive read—I couldn’t put it down & was genuinely sad when it ended. Bailey has an incredible talent for crafting binge worthy thrillers that instantly pull you in, & I’m so glad I still have more of her books to read. This one felt like a steamy, drama-filled TV show, & I only wish I could actually watch something like it on screen! 🤣

Told in a single POV with alternating then/now chapters, plus gossip articles & tweets woven in, the story was immersive & packed with juicy drama. The opening chapter was a total shocker, immediately setting the stage for all the Hollywood glamour, betrayals, & chaos that follow. There were so many red herrings & twists that I never knew who to trust, making it all the more addictive. This book delivers a thrilling ride from start to finish, but nothing will prepare you for the jaw dropping twist at the end! 😮 Just when you think you have it all figured out, the story takes a shocking turn that will leave you reeling 😵‍💫 . It reads fast, keeps you guessing, & is the perfect escape—so mark your calendars for 4/29/25 because you won’t want to miss this one!

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: Ivy Westcott fled LA after her acting career collapsed, losing her first love & closest friends. A decade later, a celebrity exposé brings her old show’s scandals back into the spotlight. Hoping for a fresh start, she joins a secret reunion episode. When a former costar is found dead, Ivy & her ex must uncover the truth. To clear her name, she must expose long-buried Hollywood secrets—before she becomes the next victim.
#HelloJuliet #mystery #murdermystery #suspense #thriller #thrillerbooklover #crime #kindle #giftedbooks #netgalley #bookaddict #whattoreadnext #botwxbs #bookcollector #booksaremylife #booksonbooks #crimewithaclaw #cozycorner

If you enjoy reading thrillers and have ever watched 90s sitcoms such as iCarly, you will love this one! It was a quick read with dual timelines and a twisty plot! My suspicion as to who the killer was ended up being correct, although I second guessed myself right up to the reveal. I loved that there was mixed media scattered throughout the book. It really added to the Hollywood vibes!

This was a roller-coaster of a story, diving into a mysterious death within the first few pages. The protagonist, Ivy, was relatable and realistic, portraying the emotions of an insecure teenager turned woman. We are given dual timelines, exploring the relationships of what was once a close-knit group of actors in a highly successful teenage drama show. I didn't know who to trust. No one seemed to have the purest intentions, casting suspicion every which way. While I did briefly wonder about the culprit early on, I did not see the motive whatsoever. This was shocking, tragic, and nostalgic all at the same time. This was another great read from Samantha Bailey. Four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

So good! Teen TV show reunion is one of my favourite settings ever, so twisty and unputdownable. I read in a couple of evenings, just couldn’t stop.

The past collides with the present for the cast of Hello, Juliet, a once-beloved teen TV show reminiscent of 90210 or One Tree Hill. Back in its prime, the Hello, Juliet drama was not just on-screen; it spilled over into real life, with Ivy, the young star, bearing the brunt of it when her castmates turned against her. Fast forward a decade: a celebrity exposé pulls the cast back into the spotlight and sparks a reunion show. But instead of a triumphant comeback, Ivy finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery when she finds one of her former co-stars dead. To clear her name, she must navigate the tangled web of manipulation that stretches from the past to the present.

I couldn’t put this book down! The short chapters, interspersed with social media posts and gossip magazine snippets, kept the pace brisk and engaging. The story moved seamlessly between the past and present timelines. Like Ivy, I considered everyone a potential suspect! The final third of the book is a whirlwind of twists, with some surprises I never saw coming, culminating in a jaw-dropping ending.