Celebrity slander lawsuits and trials are newly popular so the when heartthrob Ethan Simmons files suit against his estranged wife, girl band singer Tori, the case draws massive press coverage. Ethan alleges that he lost a career making role because his wife told his director he had been unfaithful to her which violated his contract morals clause. Riley Grey is using her podcast to find clues in her twin sister Alice’s disappearance a year ago. Mysterious messages sent to Alice have linked Ethan to that disappearance. Tension builds quickly as both Ethan and Tori threaten to disclose career destroying secrets about each other. What could these secrets reveal? Could they lead to violence…or worse?

Slander is an exciting fast paced thriller. There are so many twists and turns that you’ll never figure it out. Those plot surprises did feel overdone in the final pages especially in the last chapter so 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper collins UK and Rhiannon Barnsley for this ARC.

I loved this story about a celebrity couple airing their dirty laundry in court in front of the world. As the warts and all of their relationship is played out in court and influencer following the case is investigating another crime and she is convinced the movie star husband is somehow involved and an anonymous account is feeding her a trail of breadcrumbs to the truth. This is a great thriller with a brilliant twist! Love it!!!

Slander is a 4.5⭐️ rating for me.
Tori and Ethan are a celebrity couple, married and loving life on the up until Tori finds out that Ethan has been unfaithful a fair few times. Ethan says he hasn’t been unfaithful and is suing his wife for making this accusation that has led to him being sacked from his high profile acting job. Riley Grey a true crime influencer gets tipped off by an anonymous source that this court case could answer her question on where her sister is. It becomes apparent that both parties will do anything to win this court case and so the dirty washing comes out and this may not be what Ethan was hoping for.
I really enjoyed this book the court case doesn’t really last that long so is mixed with a crime read and works really well. The pace was good all the way through and it really made me want to pick the book up. I liked how the main characters had their own POV chapters, getting you right into the thick of it. The plot line was something different for me and the ending was sufficient.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this one as it drew me in immediately! Ethan and Tori are both celebrities, married to each other, and now suing each other which makes fans rabid to see who will win. The podcaster #thetruthisalwaysgrey is following them for a different reason as her sister is missing and somehow connected to this scandal. It's a race against time, loaded with secrets, lies, affairs, and scandals. It certainly proves what we all know: once something is online, it can't be undone!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Slander delivers a gripping courtroom drama that pulls back the glamorous Hollywood curtain to reveal the messy, dark underbelly of fame and secrets. The high-profile defamation case between Ethan and Tori is captivating, with plenty of twists and jaw-dropping moments that kept me hooked.

Riley Grey’s involvement adds an intriguing true crime angle, raising the stakes as the story delves into the mysterious disappearance of her sister. The interplay between public scandal and private pain is well done, making the narrative feel both timely and emotional.

While some plot points felt a bit predictable, the fast pace and sharp dialogue kept the momentum going. Fans of legal thrillers with a modern, celebrity twist will definitely enjoy this one.

Excellent legal thriller that pulled me right in.

Easy to read, entertaining and clever.

I enjoyed the drama and the twists and turns, kept me guessing and interested.

I enjoyed this book. It was quite a quick read and i liked the social media parts which were a bit different to normal books. The characters were largely unlikeable but that doesn’t really bother me. I thought the ending was fitting. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to Rhiannon Barnsley, Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter, and Netgalley for the ARC. My review is voluntary, and the opinions are my own.

A slander lawsuit by a husband against his wife. How can two people go from head over heels to heads lost. Ethan and Tori were the darlings of the gossip mags until cracks started showing. This book has you thinking the story is about one thing until it pulls the rug out from under you. All I can say is you won't want to stop reading til you get to the end! Definitely a page turner.

Loved this book, what I loved about this book was the characters. I am also a fan of podcasts, so I loved the fact Riley (whose sister is missing) covered the trial. Love an unpredictable ending which this book has.

Overall this book was pretty good. It kept me involved and kept my interest.
The characters were pretty good and great backgrounds. I wish they gave a little more info on how they got where they are currently in the story but it gives enough so you know and understand what’s going on.
There were a few instances that were predictable and a little that was surprising.

Overall not a bad weekend read.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

A legal thriller mixed with a crime thriller this book has everything.

The courtroom drama comes from a court battler between a celebrity couple when one accuses the other of slander.
The crime thriller element is introduced by a third main character, true crime TikTok star Riley who is searching for her missing sister whilst reporting on the slander case.

The whole story is cleverly unfolded and kept me turning the page to find out the truth.

Would love to see this on TV, it would be a perfect binge watch.

I have previously read Barnsley's debut novel and loved it so much that when I saw this was available to request, I think I screamed at the top of my lungs.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I really loved the premise, it felt really current but also not forced if that makes any sense. I love how Barnsley writes with such conviction that every POV felt real, thorough and honest. The main narrative was fantastic, and I loved that we as readers followed the court case, but also the side-narratives were equally as engaging and it was wonderful to see how they interlinked. Characterisation was on point, didn't know who to trust and that is what made this novel such a blinder.

I honestly have no notes. This was such an easy five star read for me and this absolute legend of an author will be absolutely ruling the roost of my shelves from now on. I urge you to read this.

When Hollywood actor Ethan Simmons sues his wife Tori for allegedly lying about his infidelity, the world is captivated. Once the darlings of the social scene, the case will tear apart their perfect exteriors.For Riley Grey, a true crime influencer, the case might hold the key to the disappearance of her sister, Alice, after an anonymous source tips her off. As the high-profile trial begins, it soon becomes clear that both parties are willing to air their dirty laundry in public. And when Tori hints at an even darker secret, Ethan’s reputation could be destroyed once and for all. And as the media frenzy intensifies, and the courtroom holds their breath, who will win the defamation case of the century?

I have enjoyed previous books by this author, but this one fell short of expectations.. The story is told in the alternating POV’s of Riley (#thetruthisalwaysgrey), Victoria “Tori” Simmons, and Ethan Simmons,. There are also sociial media posts scattered throughout, that make up a large portion of the book. Neither Ethan nor Tori were likeable and I just had a hard time getting invested in their story. Overall, maybe this was just not the book for me.

An interesting easy to read err read that takes a celebrity defamation case ( husband and wife ) and a missing sister case and manages to mix the two really well, there is links between the two and that’s where the crux of the story is and as we get to know the characters its easy to make assumptions, I did and was wrong, then right then wrong again 😀

Using TikTok stories and then viewers of these stories comments and points of views of the 3 main characters we get good insight into Social Media desperation and Celeb toxicity and the need for all of them to be validated

Its more a whatsbeendun than a whodunit but elements of who, why, where and when are there to be discovered

A chatty, friendly read where you are a part of the proceedings inc the formal but written informally Court Case and a lot is packed in

Tried to give little away but the book offers a lot lot more than I can say!

When Hollywood actor Ethan Simmons sues his wife Tori for defamation, accusing her of publicly lying about his affairs, the explosive trial captures national attention. True crime influencer Riley Grey sees more than just a scandal, she believes the case may hold clues to her sister Alice's disappearance long ago. As courtroom secrets unravel and the media frenzy intensifies, Riley must decide how far she's willing to go to uncover the truth, no matter who gets burned.

Slander is the first book by this author that I have read and I must say that I really enjoyed it for the most part. This is a psychological thriller that blends celebrity scandal with true crime obsession in a way that is both timely and unsettling. With a twist filled narrative, this book grabs you from the first chapter. The courtroom drama part is sharp and layered. The parallel mystery of Riley's missing sister adds emotional depth and urgency. My main issue lies with the ending. The last 25% or so was a bit too over the top in my opinion. Add this one to your TBR if you love thrillers with a side of media chaos!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rhiannon Barnsley, and One More Chapter for this ARC! Publication day is August 8th 2025.

At the centre of the controversy are a celebrity couple who are determined to air all their grievances in a very public, and live-streamed trial, in which one is attempting to sue the other for slander. This story captures the imagination of Riley Grey who is a true crime influencer, with a growing following onTikTok and with her own agenda very much forefront she is determined to discover more about the disappearance of her twin sister, Alice. How this is blended into the plot forms the basis of this engrossing story of who did what, to whom, and why.

Cleverly blending the trial itself, which is only a small part of the overall story, with the nitty gritty of why celebrity couple Ethan Simmons and his wife Tori have so publicly fallen out of love with each other makes for interesting reading. I enjoyed the alternate chapters from Tori and Ethan’s point of view and the social media posting from Riley Grey adds an altogether different dimension to the story and makes it feel really current.

The story kept my attention, there were surprisingly clever twists which I didn’t see coming and an ending which left me with a wry smile on my face. Great escapism, and a good book to get lost in, hence my reading it over the space of a couple of rainy afternoons.

An original plotline featuring the trial that social media was waiting for. A married A list celebrity couple is embroiled in a court battle. He says she has ruined his reputation by accusing him of an affair. She says the truth hurts. Each of them is standing by their story as the trial is played out online. At the same time, a journalist who hunts the front page celebrities has received a tip. Her sister disappeared a year ago and this informant says the couple knows what happened. Can you see the wheels spinning?

The book is a solid hit, sure to please the Instagram/TikTok generation, while the triple POV story kept this mystery fan happy.

Slander by Rhiannon Barnsley kept me captivated right off the bat and I needed to know what would happen.
Fast-paced, thrilling, full of enticing mystery, and so many great twists I did not see coming.
I enjoyed this book very much. It was well paced and kept my interest the whole way.

Well we all love a bit of a drama and scandal and slander has this in abundance. This is a he said/she said courtroom drama with some shocking twists. I was gripped from the first page and was eager to see how the pacy plot unfolded. I can’t wait to read from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and the author for the chance to review.

A Hollywood couple’s divorce ends up revealing more than their dirty laundry.

I enjoyed the premise of this book but found it was much lighter than I would have expected it to be. There are elements of the missing persons cases that are gripping but the book doesn’t hold its pace well.

A good read for those who love the drama and a little mystery too.