I liked the alternating timelines, I feel bad for Ivy; her life didn't go so well after the show, Hello, Juliet, abruptly ended.

I love how twisty this mystery is and I absolutely loved the ending. There were some just desserts served to the characters that needed a serving and it ended exactly how it needed to end for everyone else.

Looking forward to reading more of Samantha M. Bailey's work in the future.

A great twisty thriller read. I really enjoyed this one!

Ivy has been out of the spotlight for years now. After Hello, Juliet was cancelled amongst a tragedy and took minor roles and ended up out of the spotlight. However, a reunion has been planned or so it seems and Ivy turns up to the studio but, no one is there…until she goes to her dressing room and finds her old friend and costar dead.

This story kept me interested from the first to the last page, the ending was WILD and I was not expecting it at all! Loved it! A definite must read! 4️⃣⭐️‼️

Hello, Juliet is a compelling thriller that draws you in with its well-paced suspense and engaging characters. The story balances tension with emotional moments, making it both gripping and heartfelt. I enjoyed the layers of the plot and the depth given to the main character. It’s a solid read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers with a personal touch.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early copy.

What's a child turned young adult star to do when all of Hollywood and all of her former's show fan's have shunned you? You move to a town where no one knows you and hope no one recognizes you. This is exactly what Ivy Wescott has to live with as she has so many regrets losing not just her career but also her first love and her best friend. So when the producer of her old show reaches out to do a reunion, Ivy jumps at the chance to not only hopefully make amends but pay for her mom's surgery with the money she is offered. I mean, all she's ever done is try to make her mom be proud of her and what she's accomplished. Her mom had given up so much for Ivy to live out her dream so that's the least Ivy can give back to her. Yet it all goes wrong when ivy turns up to not only an empty set but a dead body hanging in her old dressing room!

Once again, Samantha Bailey did NOT disappoint me and knocked yet another book out of the park! She had me guessing and realized I was wrong each time until the end! Samantha has an amazing writing style to bring the past and the present beautifully woven together where it's not confusing but helps the story in just the right moments.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you Samantha Bailey for this book. I absolutely loved it!

If you're looking for a dark and twisty thriller, loved the WB/CW shows of the early aughts and early celebrity bloggers, pick up Samantha M. Bailey's latest, Hello Juliet. When once-famous actress Ivy Wescott is approached to do a 10-year reunion of her popular show Hello, Juliet she is as far away from her previous life as possible, Having moved out of Hollywood and working at a grocery store, she has tried to keep her head down and avoid the notoriety that came with the popular teen show she starred in for one season along with her spectacular fall from grace. Desperately needing the money the reunion is offering plus the potential for it to be picked up and future royalties, she grudgingly agrees to participate. The show had a meteoric rise before it aired, due to the PR machine surrounding the network and the stars attached. Ivy, the newcomer, unexpectedly landed the lead as Juliet which was the catalyst in many ways for the events that followed. A tragic death ended the season before it finished and led to seismic rifts. Now, reunited, tragedy strikes again and Ivy finds herself not only as a suspect but in major danger. With Bailey's trademark twists (she keeps readers on their toes), propulsive writing and celebrity nostalgia, this is not one to miss! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This is my first time reading this author & I probably won’t read anything else.

The writing was very bland and I found Ivy very annoying. She made poor decision after poor decision

This was advertised as an adult thriller but it felt more like a YA.

This was my first book by Samantha M. Bailey and I really enjoyed it. When Ivy Westcott lands a starring role on the new TV show "Hello, Juliet", she thinks she's finally made it. But then tragedy strikes, the show is canceled, and everything is blamed on Ivy who now has become known as #PoisonIvy. Ten years later, Ivy has no career and no money, so she reluctantly agrees to participate in a secret reunion for the show. But once again, tragedy strikes and Ivy has to uncover deep, dark secrets to prove her innocence. This is a quick, easy read that's perfect for summer beach reading. I look forward to reading more of Samantha M. Bailey's books. Thanks to #netgalley and #Thomas&mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Solid 4.5 for this one. I was drawn into the story immediately, unreliable “cast” of friends that meet on the set of a new show where art demonstrates life or vice versa. You have your main character, Ivy, who is cast as the main character of a new series- despite being insecure and unprepared. Having led a somewhat sheltered life finding roles as background cast or unnamed “victims”, being thrust into the spotlight not only catches her off guard, but also her costars.

Ivy finds friendship in her costars who help her adjust to the limelight, in this split timeframe story, current day is a far cry from the trials and tribulations of working her craft. As friends and costars start ending up dead, there’s no shortage of suspects!

I really got sucked into this story from the start! The paranoia, backstabbing, love “triangle?”, murder! The story flowed well through the chapters, and with only a few minor bumps and bruises, it was well paced. The author made it impossible to peg the murderer in this twisted tale where everyone has secrets. While I wasn’t an immediate fan of the twist, the author made sure to conclude the story to make it easier to digest. When I finished, I REALLY wanted to give this one 5 stars, but I found myself still a little irritated at some of the redundancy in the plot line- that may actually have been for distraction purposes. Either way, a great summer read, a fun “story in a story”.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for this ARC!

Samantha Bailey's newest thriller is perfect for fans of early 2000s sun-soaked dramas like The OC. In this propulsive story, the cast of a quickly cancelled but white hot TV program are called in for a reunion that will bring them all back into the spotlight, including their notorious trainwreck of a lead, Ivy Westcott. But as Ivy reluctantly arrives to set, everything is off from the jump. And someone is dead. Kudos to Bailey for building a story that examines the terrible ways we treat young talent on their rise to the top, in particular at the birth of 24/7 paparazzi culture. This one hooks you in and has a killer good twist on who the culprit is that may feel reminiscent of a recently iconic bestselling memoir, though I won't spoil you and tell you which!

This was a well executed and cleverly plotted psychological thriller with all the most flawed and complex characters. The ending was a shocker and left me feeling utterly satisfied.

Hello Juliet was filled with secrets, suspense, and sly revelations. When Ivy Westcott fled LA after her acting career collapsed she also lost her first love & closest friends. A decade later, a celebrity exposé brought her old show's scandals back into the spotlight. Ivy hoped for a fresh start so she joined a secret reunion episode. While Ivy was poised for a comeback, her past betrayals became a present danger when she and the man who once broke her heart found their costar dead. Ivy quickly became determined to find justice and clear her name as she teared down facades of the cast and crew while uncovering chilling secrets that had plagued the Hollywood set from day one. I was attracted to this thriller because it offered a dark, behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and the challenges of being in the spotlight.

I appreciated how this story alternated back and forth between present day as Ivy prepared for the TV reunion and the past when she was a budding actress and had her first break on the set of Hello Juliet. I loved both timelines. They made the story engaging. In the present there was the intriguing murder mystery and in the past it was challenging to figure out what went wrong leading up to the murder.

I also loved how authentic and relatable Ivy, the protagonist, was. I loved her determination to learn what happened to her former best friend. There were heavy themes discussed including suicide, drug overdose, violence, and cyber harassment. All made for an engaging read.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the arc.

#bookstagram #bookrecommendations #thrillerbooks #thriller #newreleases

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

I DNFed this book as it took a while for me to get into and whilst the writing was well rounded, it was not my style. The dual timelines confused me when I put the book down and tried to rerun to it after, so this book is probably best read in a few settings

Samantha M. Bailey's Hello, Juliet is a dark and electrifying thriller that drags a former TV star back into the toxic world she barely escaped, only to find the drama and betrayals are now deadly. Ivy Westcott's acting career imploded a decade ago, leaving her branded as #PoisonIvy and heartbroken by the loss of her first love and her Hello, Juliet chosen family. The question of who turned her closest friends against her has haunted her ever since.

Now, a celebrity exposé forces the Hello, Juliet cast back into the limelight, resurrecting old scandals Ivy desperately hoped to bury. Driven by a need for a fresh start and financial stability for her mother and manager, Ivy reluctantly agrees to a "top-secret reunion episode."

Ivy's comeback is poised for success, but past betrayals quickly become a present danger when she and the man who once broke her heart discover a costar dead. Determined to find justice and clear her own name, Ivy must strip away the carefully constructed facades of everyone on set. As she uncovers chilling secrets that have plagued the Hollywood production from its inception, Ivy realizes she's not just solving a murder—she could be the next victim. Hello, Juliet promises a high-stakes, suspenseful ride where the line between acting and reality blurs, and the drama off-screen is far more lethal than anything in the script.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

A disquieting sense of unease permeates every page of Samantha Bailey's Hello, Juliette, a psychological thriller that masterfully blurs the lines between perception and reality. From the outset, Bailey plunges the reader into a world where the familiar becomes menacing, and the comforting façade of domesticity slowly erodes to reveal something far more sinister.

The narrative is a carefully constructed house of cards, each chapter adding another layer of unsettling detail, ratcheting up the tension with a quiet, insidious dread. Bailey's strength lies in her ability to craft characters who are simultaneously relatable and deeply flawed, their vulnerabilities serving as fertile ground for the escalating psychological torment they endure. The reader isn't merely observing the unraveling; they're experiencing it alongside the protagonist, questioning every motive, every interaction, and most unnervingly, their own judgment.

What sets Hello, Juliette apart is its sophisticated exploration of trust – its fragility, its betrayal, and the terrifying void left in its wake. The narrative doesn't rely on cheap scares or sensationalized plot twists. Instead, it opts for a slow, agonizing burn, the suspense building through subtle hints and whispered doubts. The atmosphere is thick with unspoken anxieties, the kind that settle in your bones and refuse to leave.

Bailey's prose is sharp and evocative, painting vivid pictures without resorting to excessive description. She understands the power of implication, allowing the reader's own imagination to fill in the most shocking blanks. The pacing is deliberate, each revelation carefully timed to maximize its impact, leading to a conclusion that is both shocking and disturbingly logical within the context of the chilling world she has created.

Hello, Juliette is not a book for those seeking a straightforward whodunit. It is a nuanced and unsettling journey into the darker corners of the human psyche, a compelling study of how easily truth can be distorted and how profoundly we can be deceived, even by those we believe we know best. Prepare to have your nerves frayed and your perceptions challenged, long after you've turned the final, haunting page. This novel is a chilling testament to Bailey's considerable talent.

This was a fun and suspenseful read about the stars of a Dawson's Creek type show, who have as much drama off-camera as they do on camera. The newly discovered star or the show, Ivy, begins to suspect that the real-life drama is being manufactured on purpose by someone involved with the show. But to what end?

Told over dual timelines, the first ten years ago or so when the show was a hit and then the second one years later when a reunion goes wrong and ends in murder. There is a little more romance and YA-feeling content in this book than your usual suspense novel, and it's done very well and had me riveted to the characters and all their Hollywood exploits and gossip.

A very juicy and interesting insider's view of a hit TV show that feels real and dramatic. Ivy has no one she can trust, and as people who were associated with the show start dropping like flies, she has to solve the mystery of who is committing the murders so she can make sure she isn't next.

Really liked this author's writing style, and would love to read more by her.

This book was so enjoyable! The twists, were twisting!! I was totally blindsided and I love when that happens. Everything I thought I knew, I did not. I knew nothing. I enjoyed the time jumps back and forth, they were very well done and clear and understanding. I really enjoyed all the characters, and was so glad to find out that what was portrayed was real and genuine. I highly recommend this book, HIGHLY!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Hello, Juliet in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a fan of Samantha M. Bailey’s books since her debut novel, Woman on the Edge, and was thrilled to finally get to this latest book, especially as I knew I’d be seeing her at the @MontrealMysteryFestival. And let me just say…it did not disappoint!⁣
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This book just might be my new favorite by her…I mean any book that manages to give me one of my favorite “It shows” from back in the day vibes – and yes, I’m totally aging myself here, but 90210 was all the rage at one time!!! ⁣
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Give me all the juicy drama of a reunion TV show and flashbacks to the original show and how an unknown gets the lead role? Toxic friendships, romance, mother-daughter relationships–this book explores it all, with a darker lens than I was expecting but couldn’t have loved more. The twists and turns kept me guessing where it was ultimately headed. This is the perfect example of a story that builds in intensity and just when you think you have it all figured out, the floor drops out from under you. I cannot recommend this one enough!

This book is, overall, a decent read. The plot is a bit predictable, but I did enjoy it. Readers should give it a chance.

Hello, Juliet is the name of the short lived series that is the only notable thing on Ivy’s resume. So when she’s asked to do a secret reunion show, she jumps at the chance. But while she hopes to make amends with her for cast mates, she arrives to find one of them dead.

What follows is an investigation with a lot of twist. They are revealed a bit too slowly for my taste. And the timeline was a bit confusing for me. The main character, Ivy, seemed to be incredibly young and immature for her actual age. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but would’ve preferred a quicker pace.

Title: Hello, Juliet
By: Samantha M. Bailey
Pub. Day: April 29, 2025

Genre:
Fiction, Mystery, Suspense

Trigger Warnings:
Drugs, Overdose, Murder, Death, Sexual Harassment, Suicide, Violence, Cyberbullying

Summary/Review:
In this fast paced thriller, four former childhood stars Jesse, Lauren, Ivy and Caleb, once inseparable, now mostly estranged—are invited back for an unexpected reunion by the same producer who first launched them to fame. But when Ivy arrives, she’s met not with treasured memories of the past, but with something far more disturbing. As tensions rise and old memories resurface, the lines between past and present emerge, and a deadly game begins. Will the stars confront the darkness that connects them—or will the reunion become their final curtain call?

This is my first read by Samantha Bailey. The premise and plot line for Hello Juliet was fast paced, action packed and the transitioning from the past to present was created smoothly which added an element of engagement for the reader. While the novel had suspenseful moments, many felt predictable, diminishing their overall impact. For me, the main characters needed additional depth and greater details..
Hello Juliet is worth the quick read.

Thank you to Samantha M. Bailey, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my review.

#HelloJuliet
#ThomasandMercer
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley

When I saw the author was releasing another book, I knew I had to read it! Samatha M. Bailey is definitely a “must read” author for me based on her other three novels, two of which I rated five stars.

This one was no different. Her books immediately hook me and I love how the plot hits the ground running!

From beginning to end, I was on the edge of my seat (well, my bed 😊) and holding my breath. I quite literally read this in one day.

Hello, Juliet is available in both book and audio format - AND, as of this review (5.25.25) you can read and listen to the book free if you’re a Kindle Unlimited member!

Thank you NetGalley, Samantha M Bailey, and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to devour this five star thrilling novel!