Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this book, with my honest review below.

I can’t get Hello, Juliet off my mind, it was the perfect slow burn read that has you wondering, as you go to bed, if you can’t just stay up a little longer to to see what happens next. Dual timelines capture the mid 2010’s against today as Ivy Westcott, who was just breaking into stardom in her early 20’s, reflects upon that time as she literally walks into a tragedy that breaks her.

Ivy is representative of every actress who doesn’t seem to fit on the teen shows of our youth (looking at you, Tori Spelling), but because she isn’t already famous entering the lead role of the show she’s on, Hello, Juliet, where she just can’t seem to measure up to the rest of the cast in talent. But they’re so gracious and kind you have to wonder if it’s in her head. When one of her castmates and best friends from that time is found dead by suicide, later determined to be murder, we find out what Ivy went through on the show and why she is called Poison Ivy and has hidden over the last ten years.

This definitely took advantage of some nostalgia for me as well as just all around being a solid mystery. I wondered about whether Ivy had been in her head back then, what had happened, what had actually happened within what happened, and who the murderer was - and I could not guess at any of it. Now, Ivy was not a character I loved as her insecurity and general stuck in development vibes were strong and not appealing. Nor did I feel we got to really understand why her castmates and her were so close or their personalities. But everything just worked for this story, the lack of character development making the mysteries that much harder to guess at (who was friend and who was foe), and having me not trust Ivy as she ultimately was pretty basic, making the real villain at the end all the more believable. I could have happily seen this story doubled in page count to be able to continue reading!

My dad used to tell me if you look a ginger in the eye, they will steal your soul…

What happens if they steal your life?

Meet Ivy

Red hair, green eyes and a fearless woman .

The rumors

Do you believe them ?

Sweet baby Jesus… do not believe a word you read . Bailey put my soul in a blender.

I’m an honest little lass, I’ll tell you the truth, I love Bailey so I know without a doubt I’ll read everything she writes but when I read the description, I may have taken a step back . It sounded a little too “YA” for me .

I was so SO wrong.

Sex. Lies. Secrets. Drugs. Manipulation

My tummy hurts a little bit
That ending
Gosh, it was good
I wasn’t prepared

If you can’t trust the ones you love, who can you trust?

Check out this teaser :

In a dark thriller from USA Today bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey, a TV reunion brings costars back for the drama and betrayals their viewers once craved—and this time, the stakes are deadly.

Ivy Westcott fled LA as her acting career imploded. In a flash, she lost her first love and chosen family—her Hello, Juliet castmates. But she never discovered who turned her closest friends against her. Now the whole world knows her as #PoisonIvy.

A decade later, Ivy is horrified when a celebrity exposé thrusts the Hello, Juliet cast back into the limelight, dredging up the old scandals she hoped to escape. Desperate for a fresh start and some financial stability for her mother and manager, Ivy agrees to participate in a top-secret reunion episode.

Ivy’s poised for a comeback, but past betrayals become a present danger when she and the man who once broke her heart find their costar dead.

Determined to find justice and clear her name, Ivy must tear down the facades of cast and crew to uncover chilling secrets that have plagued the Hollywood set from day one. Or she could be the next to die.

This thriller has everything I want—social media drama, reunions, old friends brought back together, buried secrets, and a fictional TV show so well-conceived that I wish it actually existed. If only this book could go on forever!

In Hello Juliet, we meet Ivy Westcott, the once infamous lead actress of the failed television show Hello Juliet. Ivy rose from a bit player to have her moment in the spotlight, but unfortunately, she never crystallized into a lasting star. Since then, Ivy and her mother—her biggest supporter and steadfast manager—have been scraping by, taking on odd jobs and attending open roll calls, always hoping for that one incredible opportunity to come along.

When Ivy gets a call inviting her to participate in a reunion show for Hello Juliet, she doesn't hesitate. She signs the contract, takes the money, and heads back to the set that once held so much promise. But the moment she opens her dressing room door, everything changes. What she finds inside unravels old secrets and puts not just her, but all of her former co-stars, in immediate danger.

The stakes continue to rise as Ivy is thrown back into a world she thought she had left behind. Old friendships are tested, long-buried rivalries resurface, and the thin veneer of nostalgia quickly turns sinister. The reunion is not just a chance to relive old memories—it’s an opportunity for someone to settle scores, and Ivy soon finds herself in a deadly game where she can trust no one.

The book is peppered with scenes from the original TV show, flashbacks of Ivy's relationships with her co-stars, and a sense of nostalgia tinged with darkness. The tension builds as each character’s true intentions come to light, and Ivy must navigate the blurred lines between reality and the scripted drama that once defined her life. This is a gripping thriller for anyone who loves teen dramas, media sensations, and rooting for an underdog. Samantha Bailey does an incredible job of building a believable world where Hello Juliet feels like a real hit show and Ivy is a character you can't help but cheer for, all the while, holding your breath!
#thomas&Mercer #HelloJuliet #samanthambailey #netgalley #thrillbookloversthepulse

This is my new favorite from Samantha M. Bailey!! I got such nostalgia for some of the old shows I used to watch, especially The OC. I was totally enthralled by the characters and the plot. I kept trying to figure things out and found myself in the completely wrong direction. I suspected everyone except the real killer and was blown away when all was revealed.

Hello, Juliet be new to me author S. M. Bailey, published by Thomas & Mercer is a stand alone, suspenseful, dark novel.
Ivy was on top of her world whrn in the blink of an eye she lost everything. Now 10 years later she's on the brink of a comeback, but she's in great danger. Only she doesn't know anything about it.
An intriguing, goosebumps giving, twisty and full of unexpected turns read that had me on the edge of my seat till the last page.

𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑰 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉...𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒔.

Ivy Westcott yearned to make it big in the acting world. But with her shy demeanor and head full of red curls, she didn't have the looks or the charisma to land leading parts. When she reads for a part in a new teen drama, the mercurial director and creator of 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐, 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒕 Mack Foster stuns her with his brusque, dismissive critique. Lauren Malloy possesses everything Ivy doesn't--looks, charm, and confidence, but she's also incredibly kind, and the two form an unlikely friendship.

When Ivy receives the incredible news that she, not Lauren, has landed the coveted role of Juliet in the series, their friendship remains steadfast. But when small acts of sabotage toward Ivy begin happening on set and the script begins to mimic real life in uncomfortable ways, Ivy begins to wonder if her best friend could be responsible. Then when a cast member dies before the finale airs, the entire show and its relationships implode.

Ivy finds herself relegated to a series of hateful memes and venomous tweets until a decade later when she and the show are the subject of a scathing tell-all docuseries. In an attempt to capitalize on the fame that the show once had, Mack reaches out for a
reunion of the surviving cast. Because of the financial boost it will provide for both her and her mother, Ivy grudgingly agrees. But when she arrives at the top-secret location, no one else is there--except for the body of a co-star hanging in the closet.

HELLO, JULIET is a stunning thriller that peels back the layers of fame, exposing the dark, seedy underbelly that the Hollywood lights never shine upon. It's also a commentary on the public's obsession with celebrity and how the media can pen any narrative that we just blindly accept. Finally, it's a reminder that when the lights of fame and adoration are shining upon you, you will never truly belong to yourself, perhaps best stated by Terry Pratchett: “𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒅𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘.”

Thank you to much to Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for this early read. At the time this review was written, this title was expected to publish April 29, 2025.

I could NOT put this down. Narrated by Ivy (both past and present), and it also includes articles and posts (I love mixed media). I did not have this figured out by the end. It was a pretty good twist in my opinion. Fast paced and super enjoyable. I promise this is worth your time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This will be out in April of 2025.

This one was not for me. The storyline didn’t flow well and I could not connect with the characters.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

I loved this book! It combines mysteries with the guilty pleasure of celebrity gossip and rumors leaving you completely unsure what is true and who you can trust. Ivy was the surprise star of a teenage drama show, her first leading role that she was completely unprepared for. But she made fast friends with her costars, had a fleeting romance, and ultimately was cast from the limelight after a blowup with her best friend became viral. It's now a decade later and she's asked to participate in a reunion show. She accepts because she needs the money, but a little part of her hopes deep down that maybe she can reconnect with her old friends. Until one is found dead. And the nightmare begins all over again.

The book is a true page-turner, you can't help but feel for Ivy as the underdog with her single mother who works hard to support her struggling acting career. I did think it veered into unbelievable territory because anyone wanting a career in show business would be used to eyes on them and non-stop attention, but Ivy's portrayed as quite meek and naive, even after she worked in the industry for several years. There's also the cliche of her costar and 'It Girl' Lauren being tall blonde and beautiful while Ivy is 'different' because she's a short curvy redhead. I can't be the only one reminded of Mean Girls - Ivy as the Lindsey Lohan character and Lauren as the Regina character. But come on, blonds are a dime a dozen and I don't think the author accurately portrayed how the two would be seen in the media - everyone automatically hates Ivy just because she's not Lauren.

But anyway, the narrative is split into the past and present, with fun little blurbs between chapters that mimic news articles and social media feeds reacting to the costars and the publicity they receive. It all builds up to the unspecified event in the past that led to Ivy and Lauren's fight and that mirrors the present timeframe as she copes with the death of her costar and balances being a suspect or the next target. I absolutely loved the conclusion of the story and the many revelations that unfolded. I'm sure many readers will be surprised and delighted as I was because the ending could have gone in a much more basic and unsurprising way.

I read this all in one sitting and was disappointed when it was over! It was the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. Such a fun read, the book is the epitome of escapist entertainment that everyone can use!

A TV reunion brings costars back for the drama and betrayals their viewers once craved, and this time, the stakes are deadly! Good book! This book had suspense, murder, mystery, interesting characters, and a few twists and turns! The story was interesting, it wasn’t one of my all time favorites but still a good read! I would recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

This was my far the best book by Samantha Bailey i've ever read, she kept me up onto late evening yesturday to finish it all.
It was gripping, twisting plot after plot. I did not see the end coming.

5 STARS!!!!!!

Thank you Samantha and Netgallery for the ARC.

I can't wait to buy my copy at the montreal mystery festival and have it signed to put has trophy in my bookshelves.

Ivy could not believe it when she was chosen to play the lead in Hello, Juliet. She gained a best friend, is finally able to afford care for her sick mother, and even finding love means all of Ivy’s dreams are coming true.
Yet……. 10 years have passed, and Ivy is not a star. Something happened during her time on this show and sometimes she thinks that it was all just a dream, or maybe a nightmare. An offer to take part in a reunion special has her wanting to run in the other direction. But Ivy needs the money and maybe just maybe, she can regain some of what she lost.
Well, without giving anything away, can I just say the more I read, the more I had to read. Try cooking a Thanksgiving dinner while sneaking in one more chapter while things boiled, baked, and roasted. Spoiler alert: dinner was not harmed by my reading, and the food and the book were good!
Told in the present and in the past, we learned what led to Ivy’s downfall and the hateful #, PoisonIvy. I did not guess who was responsible or why. Go figure. This time I can blame that on my turkey brain, or I can give credit to the author for writing such a clever book. I’m sure that Hello, Juliet has claimed the top spot of my favorite books by this author.

Rezension: "Hello, Juliet" von Samantha M. Bailey
Mit "Hello, Juliet" liefert Samantha M. Bailey einen düsteren, fesselnden Thriller, der in die glänzende, aber gefährliche Welt Hollywoods eintaucht. Diese Mischung aus Intrigen, Verrat und tödlicher Gefahr macht den Roman zu einem spannenden Pageturner, der nicht nur Fans von Krimis, sondern auch Liebhaber von Geschichten über die dunklen Seiten des Showbiz begeistert.

Ein komplexes Netz aus Geheimnissen und Verrat
Die Protagonistin Ivy Westcott ist eine vielschichtige Figur, deren Geschichte sofort fesselt. Einst ein aufstrebender Star der beliebten TV-Serie Hello, Juliet, wurde Ivy durch Verrat und Intrigen in den sozialen Medien zur persona non grata – die ganze Welt kennt sie nur als #PoisonIvy. Die Autorin porträtiert Ivys Leben nach dem Absturz mit Tiefgang und Empathie: eine Frau, die nach Jahren der Scham und Isolation versucht, ihr Leben wieder in die Hand zu nehmen, auch um ihrer kranken Mutter zu helfen.

Die Dynamik des Wiedersehens mit ihren ehemaligen Castmates, besonders mit ihrem einstigen großen Liebesinteresse, ist elektrisierend. Die Spannungen aus der Vergangenheit brodeln unter der Oberfläche, und alte Wunden werden neu aufgerissen, während sich gleichzeitig ein tödliches Rätsel entspinnt. Als eine ihrer Co-Stars ermordet wird, beginnt für Ivy ein Wettlauf gegen die Zeit, bei dem sie nicht nur ihre Unschuld beweisen, sondern auch die dunklen Geheimnisse ihrer Vergangenheit ans Licht bringen muss.

Hollywood-Glamour trifft düstere Realität
Samantha M. Bailey entwirft ein schillerndes, aber gnadenloses Bild der Unterhaltungsindustrie. Sie zeigt, wie Ruhm und Reichtum oft auf Kosten von Loyalität und Menschlichkeit erkauft werden. Hinter der glitzernden Fassade verbergen sich Neid, Manipulation und Verrat. Dieses Setting verstärkt die beklemmende Atmosphäre des Thrillers und sorgt dafür, dass man als Leser ständig hinter die Masken der Figuren blicken möchte.

Die Wiedervereinigung der Hello, Juliet-Darsteller bietet zudem eine faszinierende soziale Dynamik: alte Freundschaften, unterdrückte Feindseligkeiten und die Frage, wem Ivy überhaupt noch vertrauen kann. Bailey meistert es, diese Spannungen greifbar zu machen und die Leser immer wieder auf falsche Fährten zu führen.

Ein Thriller mit Emotion und Spannung
Bailey schreibt mit Tempo und emotionaler Tiefe. Die Perspektive von Ivy erlaubt es den Lesern, ihre Unsicherheiten, Ängste und Entschlossenheit hautnah zu erleben. Die düsteren Wendungen und überraschenden Enthüllungen treiben die Handlung voran und halten die Spannung bis zur letzten Seite aufrecht. Gleichzeitig gelingt es der Autorin, Momente der Verletzlichkeit und Menschlichkeit einzuflechten, die Ivy zu einer greifbaren und sympathischen Figur machen.

Besonders stark ist Baileys Fähigkeit, die Vergangenheit der Figuren mit der Gegenwart zu verweben. Während Ivy versucht, das Geheimnis um die Mordnacht zu lösen, entdeckt sie nicht nur die Wahrheit über ihre ehemaligen Freunde, sondern auch über sich selbst.

Fazit
"Hello, Juliet" ist ein intelligenter und emotionaler Thriller, der die Schattenseiten des Ruhms beleuchtet und gleichzeitig mit einer spannenden Kriminalgeschichte punktet. Samantha M. Bailey erschafft eine dichte Atmosphäre voller Verrat, Misstrauen und düsterer Geheimnisse, die den Leser bis zur letzten Seite in Atem hält.

Für Fans von Thrillern mit psychologischer Tiefe und Geschichten über die Intrigen hinter den Kulissen der Glamourwelt ist "Hello, Juliet" ein absolutes Must-Read.

⭐ 4,5 von 5 Sternen – Ein packender Hollywood-Thriller voller tödlicher Wendungen und menschlicher Abgründe.

I could not put this book down!!! I literally read it in one sitting!! This is an auto-buy author for me!!! Just when I thought I had it figured out, enter another plot twist!!!

Hello, Juliet by Samantha M. Bailey showcases, yet again, the author's remarkable skill at weaving a tale so dark and sinuous that we are blindsided by the diabolical twists that lurk just out of sight. I have loved Ms Bailey's writing since I first picked up Woman on the Edge and, to my mind, she just keeps getting better.

Ivy Westcott has fled Hollywood after being plagued by scandal, even becoming known on social media as #PoisonIvy. Years later, seeking financial stability for her mother, Ivy agrees to take part in a reunion special with her Hello, Juliet castmates. But a shocking discovery will dredge up years of secrets and betrayals, and Ivy finds herself in a desperate bid not only to clear her name, but to save herself.

This is a novel that dares to delve into the dark side of fame, the sordid underbelly of life in Hollywood, and what it really means to be famous. Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC.

Hello, Juliet is a unique, well written thriller. I loved everything about it. The characters were constructed well and the story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

A unique thriller that had me off my seat.
A very good read for a thriller.
Highly recommend.
I couldn’t stop reading.

this was a strong thriller novel, it had that element that I wanted and was on the edge of my seat. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the use of the TV reunion. I was engaged with what was happening and thought the suspenseful atmosphere worked with the story. I thought the Hollywood element worked with the concept and was glad I got to read this, the characters had that element that I wanted and was glad I was able to read this. Samantha M. Bailey has a strong writing style and am excited for more from the author.

This was a wild and intoxicating wild. I love Samantha's ability to weave together a story that packs a punch and leaves you wanting more. ALL the Stars. Amazing read.