This was a WILD ride! I loved this book, such a juicy thriller/drama showing behind the scenes of a good classic teen drama, filled with twists I didnt see coming!

This was my first Samantha Bailey book and it will not be my last. I did not read the blurb prior to starting (I do this with authors I haven’t previously read). I’m so glad I did. I was kept in suspense and didn’t want to put it down.

I will not go into details. Just read the book for yourself and enjoy the ride!!!

I absolutely love Samantha Bailey and will always read what she writes! I was so excited for another book by her and lucky to get an early copy. The premise of this one has been done a lot in thrillers and books in general, the teen stars, coming back years later to reunite. This didn’t have enough originality for me. I feel like it could have had some promise with a little more editing and adding to the story. I’m not sure exactly where it fell flat, but I kept waiting to really get pulled into the story and it never happened. It was just an ok thriller for me. While I will still look forward to more from this author, this one wasn’t my favorite of hers.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for the gifted digital ARC.

I unfortunately decided to DNF this one just over halfway through. I couldn't connect with the story, didn't care about the characters, and if I'm honest didn't really care "whodunnit."

I fully recognize every book is not for every reader, and I love Samantha Bailey's books so I will not hesitate to read whatever she writes next.

Perfect for fans of a dark thriller that involves TV celebrities. Full of drama, suspense, and betrayal. It took me a bit to get into it, but once things started moving I was completely hooked! The book quickly went from a 3 star read to a 5 star read. The twist at the ending was unexpected and jaw dropping. I never saw it coming! I love the different modes of delivery such as social media posts, news articles, etc. between chapters which breaks things up and made things more interesting. This is one dark and twisty thriller not to miss!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ivy Westcott is desperate to make a comeback, and get some financial issues taken care of for her mother. When she is called back for a TV reunion after ten years, and a expose that nearly totally ruined her career, she hopes that the future looks promising, until one of her co stars in dead.
Ivy finds Lauren hanging in her old dressing room, and is tortured by the past, and present as she struggles for find out who the killer is. The target is on her, but IS it her????

Another well told story by Samantha M. Bailey!!!! I will (and have) read everything this author writes! She draws you in quickly, and has you guessing up till the very end!!!1

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 3.5 rounded up for me. It was an entertaining story and def made you want to figure out what was going on… however… the twists were coming left and right and while I never saw it coming I was just not buying the ending.

I didn’t really love the main character. She was still like a child and it was annoying to me.

Most I think will love this for the twists alone but it does take a bit to get there!

As with all of Samantha Bailey’s books I stayed up way too late reading it but it was definitely worth it. This book had me hooked from the first page! Everyone at @thrillerbookloversthepulse is so excited about this one. Thank you for my free review copy! This is a fast paced domestic psychological thriller. Ivy was once one of four stars in a TV series. When the show came to an end it was with Ivy’s name tarnished and her confidence shattered. She didn’t know who to trust and what to believe. Ten years later her name is again in the news for even more unfavourable reasons and she is thrust back into the world of her Hollywood past. Again she doesn’t know who to trust and with the great twists and turns we don’t know what to believe either. This book keeps you guessing until the end. Make sure to add this to your TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Samantha M. Bailey’s mind-blowing new release Hello, Juliet. I literally canceled plans today so that I could finish this unpredictable, twisty gem.
When Ivy gets the role of a lifetime in the teen drama Hello, Juliet she finds friendship and family in her three costars. Lauren takes Ivy under her wing and the two become inseparable, and Jesse steals her heart like nobody has before. Caleb is like a brother to them all, and Ivy’s mother Elizabeth nurtures them all as if they’re her own.
But after the death of one of the castmates, life as they’ve known it quickly heads toward a downward spiral. Ivy is down and out and living paycheck to paycheck to help support her mom. Then an invitation to star in a reunion special seems like it could be the key to Ivy’s redemption until tragedy strikes yet again.
This is a five star, completely unexpected thrill ride from the always original Samantha M. Bailey.

So thrilled that Samantha puts her trust in the team over at The Pulse to be early readers for her, because we LOVE her books.

Ivy Westcott is a shunned has-been. She shot to stardom with a starring role on the hottest teen soap, Hello, Juliet, the show was cancelled after just one season due to an IRL death of one of the cast members. Ivy was blamed for everything, losing her first love and best friend in the process.

Now, a decade later, a reunion is scheduled with the three surviving members of the main cast and Ivy sees this as her chance to air her grievances and hopefully reconnect with those she once considered family. However, those plans shift as she arrives the morning of the taping to find her ex-best friend hanging in her dressing room. Back in the spotlight, again for the wrong reasons, Ivy is on a mission to clear her name and discover what happened to her friend…because it absolutely was not the suicide it appears to be.

Okay, why have I not read Samantha M. Bailey before now?! I have a couple on my TBR and one sitting on my kindle, but I’ve deprived myself of the pleasure until now. Won’t make that mistake with her backlist, that’s for sure.

This was fast paced, juicy, and oh-so-twisty. Samantha expertly drops crumbs of info for us to come back to later with an …OHHHHH moment.

I did not love any of the characters, but I was so absolutely invested in either their triumph or downfall (I didn’t really know or care which I wanted, honestly). I always love when an author can get me so invested in characters that I don’t like.

Elder millennials will absolutely eat. this. up. It made me want to rewatch The O.C. and Beverly Hills, 90210 immediately.

If you grew up in the 90s and early 00s and you watched The WB, you're gonna want to read this book! Omg was it good! Samantha Bailey writes amazing psychological suspenseful thrillers that always leave you speechless and wondering how she comes up with these ideas. The ending will leave you breathless. I don't want to go into too much more because it's just that good! This will be one of my favorite books of 2025 and I look forward to more books written by Sam!

3.5-3.75⭐️

I was drawn to this book as I loved A Friend in the Dark.

Ivy is a failed young actress after appearing as a lead in a teenage drama series. Tempted by the offer of a reunion screening Ivy is drawn back to the studio, only nothing is as it seems. Ivy needs to get to the bottom of what’s going on as she finds herself implicated in a crime.

It uses some mixed media input.
It’s an interesting premise using the stars of a tv show.
It starts off really strongly grabbing my attention straight away, and it ended really strongly, there’s some shocking revelations and twists. it’s just that it lost my attention during the mid main section which I found too slow going.
I didn’t like Ivy, although I found her character to be realistic. It’s a struggle to know who you can trust. The one person I did like, I really shouldn’t have done as it turns out, so that left me feeling slightly cheated.
I loved the beginning and the end but got a bit bogged down with the mid section. I think I’m in the minority as it’s got an impressive overall rating on Goodreads.

While the concept is intriguing, the execution left much to be desired.
One of the novel's strengths lies in its use of dual timelines, which added depth to the whole Hello, Juliet cast’s story. Shifting between past and present is what kept me invested, even when other aspects of the book fell short.

However, the pacing of the book was lukewarm at best. While it wasn’t painfully slow, it lacked the tension and urgency needed to make the story truly gripping. The revelations, while significant to the plot, felt spoon-fed, often told outright rather than shown through meaningful interactions or subtle cues. This made the story feel less immersive, it felt like I was being handed a summary rather than experiencing the drama unfold organically.

Another area where the book faltered was its portrayal of the Hollywood setting, which seemed central to the premise but didn’t come through vividly in the narrative. The supposed glitz and glamour of the filming world felt distant and underwhelming. Another thing is that the themes, tone, and writing style seem better suited for a younger audience, which isn’t necessarily a negative, but it may leave adult readers feeling out of sync with the book's intended depth.

In the end, Hello, Juliet was okay. It had its moments, especially in the use of dual timelines, but the overall experience felt lackluster. With more dynamic pacing, a stronger commitment to showing rather than telling, and a more vivid Hollywood vibe, this book could have shone much brighter.
As it stands, it’s a decent pick for fans of light YA stories but may leave those seeking a deeper, more immersive read wanting more.

I've been so excited to read this book since the author first announced it and it did not disappoint! Hollywood, actors, teen dramas, pop-culture: it's my catnip and this book was SO fun and full of surprises and twists that I did not see coming. Loved the backdrop of Hollywood/LA, all the mixed media sections, which gave the book extra pizzazz, and a main character who was put through so much trauma, you couldn't help but root for her to get a win! Can't wait to read her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Samantha Bailey and Thomas & Mercer for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This may be a new favourite from Bailey! It’s such a binge read and I wanted nothing more than to just sit and read this book for hours! It’s so addicting, twisty and fast paced. Loved it! The ending was amazing - did not see that coming.

This novel was a thrill ride from beginning to end, There are so many twists and turns that will have you guessing right to the very end, with some many thrills and chills along the way.

I enjoyed trying to figure out who was responsible for all of the turmoil and events that were happening, who was telling the truth, who was lying and conniving, and trying to guess what was going to happen next.

I highly recommend this novel!

Book Review
Hello Juliet by Sam Bailey

What Its Got
Actors/actresses
Single parent
Teen soap opera Sunset Shores
Social media paparazzi mess
Drama on drama
Crushes/ romance
Friendship
Dual timeline
Fame and fortune and the sacrifices that get you there

Characters
Think cast of Beverly Hills 90210, Dawsons Creek or Gossip Girl
Are you Team Jesse or Team Caleb
The MCs/ Cast all have Strong personalities that leap off the page and the complicated dynamics between them all are dizzying

Thoughts
I love all the the little extras Sam embeds in her stories- the pieces of the world outside that make the world you enter in her books feel soo real ( vanish mode; converse; Friends, social media ) - each time I came across one I smirked and smiled at myself
This is a slow burn read; like a good tv drama- the reader is strung along as the story builds and then suddenly shock after shock and I was left SHOOK

Overall
If you love bingeable Netflix series full of angst, secrets and dead bodies- then you will love this book

Publishes April 29
Thanks to the author and publisher for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own

Former TV star Ivy Westcott returns to LA to film a reunion special with her old cast mates from their hit show Hello, Juliet, which had ended in scandal after one season. But deadly secrets still haunt the cast…

Everyone at @thrillerbookloversthepulse has been raving about this one and it deserves all the hype! With dual timelines and mixed media snippets, there is a lot of drama that unfolds leading up to a twisted ending that definitely shook me! I loved how everything tied together at the end. I can’t recommend this one enough for thriller fans!

Rating 4.5⭐️

Something about this title just jumped out at me. The synopsis caught my attention and I could not wait to read it. it did not disappoint! Old scandals, a TV reunion, lots of drama...all the ingredients to a great thriller. I read it in one sitting. I love this writer's style and how there are "clues" scattered through the story in a purposeful way. I really felt for these characters and I was sad to see it end. I did feel a little like a viewer of a horror movie that wants to yell, "Stop! Don't do that! This is not a smart decision!" 5 stars all day! Fantastic read!

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

I’m not going to lie; this book is incredibly addicting!
Its short chapters and easy-to-read writing style had my eyes glued to my Kindle. I devoured this fast-paced story in just one day!

The story starts with a strong opening, told in dual timeline —the past and present—from our main character Ivy Westcott's perspective set against the glamorous yet dark backdrop of Hollywood.
It offers a glimpse into celebrity life, filled with dark secrets, glamour, and popularity.

Seeing things from Ivy’s POV, being a celebrity is not an easy job. Her lack of confidence doesn't help her case with the scandals and gossip. Additionally, Ivy doesn’t seem like a 32-year-old woman during the present timeline, which feels slightly odd.
However, after discovering the truth, everything finally makes sense, and I could understand Ivy’s character a little bit better. Her journey is complex and adds depth to the story.

The real culprit identity comes as a shocking reveal—I wasn’t expecting it at all!
The ending was wrapped up nicely at the end which I really appreciate, as most thriller books I read end tragically or have an 'open ending,' which can be quite frustrating.

Overall, this is an enjoyable and entertaining thriller. The mystery element kept me interested from start until the end.
If you like fast-paced thriller stories centred around entertainment industry with complex characters and dark secrets, then you can give this one a try.