I didn’t like the main character Ivy and that made it tough to like the story. I did enjoy the mix of past and present timelines and the narrator did a good job.

📚: Hello, Juliet by Samantha M. Bailey
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding down on #goodreads)

Hello, Juliet, a soapy teen drama from the 2000s could slot right next to Gossip Girl, Dawson’s Creek, or The OC. With a cast bringing just as much drama in real life, it was no surprise when its star, Ivy Westcott leaves LA after a particularly devastating fight with her costars.

A decade later when she’s asked to take part in a top secret reunion, she reluctantly agrees, only to find her former best friend and costar, Lauren, dead. Who’s behind Lauren’s death, and what really happened all those years ago?

This book hooked me early - I love a read that has a dose of 2000s nostalgia. The mixed media does a great job of narrating the past, and calls back to the US Weekly era so well. That said, the ending came across flat, with a rushed reveal that feels thrown together.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Hello, Juliet is out on 4/29.

Usually I FLY through Samantha M Bailey’s books. They’re always autobuys for me. This one missed the mark though.

The biggest issue I had with this book is the main character acted far more like a teenager than a 22 year old and later 30ish year old woman. I don’t understand nor did I like the characterization of her. I think the plot could have worked even if she had even remotely acted her age. I also didn’t feel the tension. Maybe it’s because Ivy didn’t jive with me that I wasn’t invested in what happened. I also saw the plot twist coming. The foreshadowing was pretty blatant.

I love Samantha Bailey. She writes the most perfect popcorn thrillers. This was no exception. I love sinister reunion thrillers and I loved the tv aspect. If you liked in my dreams I hold a knife, you’ll live for this.

3.5 stars

Hello, Juliet was a fast paced mystery that focuses on the 4 actors in their early twenties starring as high schoolers in the new Hello, Juliet series. It was filled with all the drama you'd expect there to be on a film set, with a then/now timeline and lots of secrets.

None of the characters were particularly likable, which was expected. The story kept me hooked the entire time, however, some of the twists were predictable. Overall, this was a good mystery!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy!

A juicy blend of Hollywood drama, second chances, and murder mystery, this suspenseful page-turner follows Ivy Westcott as she returns to the spotlight—and the scene of her greatest heartbreak. A decade after scandal shattered her career and friendships, Ivy reluctantly joins a secret reunion of her once-beloved show Hello, Juliet, only to find herself entangled in a deadly mystery when a former castmate turns up dead. With sharp twists, buried secrets, and a simmering romance, this is a compelling whodunit set against the glitzy, cutthroat world of fame. A perfect pick for fans of celebrity scandals, dramatic reunions, and murder with a side of glam.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer for a copy of this!

This was an interesting one, I tend to love books focused around a tv show or something like that, especially reality tv. This one was a little different than what I expected going in, but I really liked it, I think the author did a great job keeping the twists coming.

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!