Rumored by Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso is a YA mystery that follows investigative journalist Naomi Barnes as she digs into the shocking case of pop star Harlow Hayes, who’s arrested for murder at the height of her fame. The story explores fame, identity, and media perception, all told through a third-person narrative that at times feels more like reading a transcript or descriptive closed captioning than traditional prose. While the concept is intriguing and timely, the style may feel overly descriptive for some readers. A solid choice for fans of YA celebrity thrillers with a journalistic twist.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
📖 ARC via NetGalley

I really enjoyed this one! I’ve read a ton of crime thrillers, and they can start to blend together — but even though I saw a few plot points coming, I was still totally hooked. It was fun, engaging, and had a great flow. I loved all the Easter eggs and references to Taylor Swift and The Beatles. The writing was smooth, and I appreciated how it tackled celebrity journalism, pop culture, and the bond between sisters. Definitely worth the read if you want something familiar but fresh..

Fun fact:
I had not heard of this book until I signed up for NetGalley's CAMP NETGALLEY, and boy am I glad I did.

One of my top reads of 2025 now, this book is KILLER 🔪
If you love:
Thriller/Mysteries
All things Taylor Swift-ish
Easter eggs in music, lyrics and photos
Music conspiracy theory

Then YES- this book is for you!

Harlow Hayes is one of the top pop stars in the world, and she's just been arrested for murder....

When Naomi Barnes, an entertainment journalist, is put on the story she has to return to NYC. Her old stomping ground, every corner has the ghost of her sister, who she lost recently.

Can Naomi work to investigate the Harlow Hayes story and stay objective as she navigates the dark underbelly of the music industry?

5 stars, 10 stars- just say it's on my top 10 reads of 2025! Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury USA and The Mancaruso sisters for the chance to become a Hayes-ie myself.

This is one of, if not my favorite thriller/mystery book of all time! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time trying to figure out what was going to happen. As a massive fangirl and Taylor Swift fan, I also LOVED the inclusion of Easter Eggs and now that I’ve read it once, I can’t wait to reread and try to find all the clues. I will be recommending this to everyone and I cannot wait for physical copies to be released in North America so I can buy one!
I’ll also be posting my review on my TikTok: @emjusthappytobehere

First thank you to Net Galley for the ARC. This book is so campy and fun. I chose it for the cover but this is bound to be a smash hit. Super fun, well written. Worth every second reading. Highly recommend.

In this fast paced thriller, a journalist for a celebrity gossip site investigates a pop star who is arrested for the murder of the stars ex boyfriend. Naomi is convinced that Harlow Hayes killed her ex and possibly two at her girls, one of which is her sister. As she digs deeper, Naomi discovers truths about Harlow and the cutthroat industry that she is a part of. Well written story and a great over the top twist, this was an entertaining read. The song lyrics and Easter eggs throughout were great as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for the arc of this book.

Rumoured is a fast-paced, pop-culture-packed read perfect for Taylor Swift fans and people who love some twists along the way. I loved the way the story had social media posts and comments, articles, and strategic lyrics woven throughout. The Easter eggs were a fun bonus for Swifties and the layered narrative made the drama even more compelling. I didn’t see the twist coming, which made the ending all the more satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

#CampNetGalley

I love when debut novels knock it out of the park! This was so freaking good!
First off I really enjoyed the social media aspect of this book it felt very familiar and with the short chapters the book flew by!
If you love conspiracy theories and pop stars this will be one for you! Also I’m a sucker for a good cover and this one was chefs kiss!

Okay, Mancaruso Sisters, I see you!

From the gorgeous cover...truly glorious, to the sharp dialogue and vivid descriptions, it's hard to nail down what I liked best about this book but mostly it just really works. You know how sometimes you pick up a thriller and you are simply "in it" from page one, word one? This is that, Friends. I had to see how Naomi was going to get the answers to her questions about her sister's death and the whole Harlow Hayes piece was just whipped frosting on the messed up cake.

Brilliantly written with great pacing, believable characters and sharp dialogue...I was "all in" until the very last page. This will be the break out hit of 2025.

Thank you to Bloomsbury USA for gifting me a copy. It was my pleasure to write an honest review.

This reads like fanfic and I don't know that that's a bad thing!

Rumoured is a super fast-paced thriller that is going to be an absolute homerun with its target audience. Admittedly, I am probably not that person but I still enjoyed this as a bit of literary eye candy.

Harlow Hayes is a mega pop star akin to Taylor Swift. (The similarities are such that I'm sort of impressed there have been no lawsuits over this book!) Everyone talks about her, fans dissect her every lyric and liner note yet no one really knows the TRUE Harlow. When she is arrested under suspicion of murder, social media is on fire as her stans fight it out with her haters. Celebrity news journalist, Naomi Barnes, finds herself sucked into the fray while trying to distinguish Harlow's carefully curated public persona from the potential murderer behind the designer duds. Her investigation turns to obsession as Naomi begins to unravel a twisted web of deceit, passion, revenge and the relentless pursuit of fame.

Pros: VERY fast pace - can easily be binged in one sitting
The authors invite you to find clues hidden in song lyrics
Has a fun sort of voyeuristic aspect to it - like spying on the rich and famous
The epistolary fiction aspect adds a nice feel of being involved in the story in real time

Cons: Has a definite YA feel to it
I grew a little weary of reading song lyrics
If you aren't prepared to COMPLETELY suspend disbelief, this is not the read for you

I think we can all remember, to some degree, what it was like to be a teenager and have everything be so damn meaningful and important and life changing. This book took me back to the times of wattpad and LiveJournal, the days when a social media status was everything and when every song lyric was just wrought with meaning for my angst or joy. It evokes those feelings and the very capricious changes of emotion that come with the territory. Apart from all the drugs and sex, I think this would have been a wildly successful YA thriller.

It will absolutely find an audience with fans of celebrity and gossip websites, Swifties and other pop culture fandoms and anyone who loves a fast-paced thriller. It doesn't make any real sense and that's part of the fun of it. A fantastic beach read. 3.5 stars

This took a bit to get into.

Parts felt so over the top and unrealistic but about three quarters of the way through I couldn’t wait to find out the ending

Overall, it was okay.

This debut novel is a fun and fast read! Naomi is an investigative journalist for a celebrity magazine, working in Los Angeles since transferring from the New York office after the death of her sister. It's a regular day in the gossip world until Naomi's boss calls her from NYC, informing her of a high-profile story he wants her to fly cross-country to cover. International pop star Harlow Hayes has been arrested for murder, and the case is unfolding, and Naomi is set to investigate.

The narrative mainly follows Naomi's thoughts and actions, and she is a likable and interesting protagonist. The story also interweaves gossip articles, interviews, song lyrics, and social media posts and comments, which creates a very modern feel. The experience is similar to following a current media scandal, and it's an entertaining ride. Halfway through, the point of view changes in part to first person in Harlow's voice, and the perspective of the accused is examined. Naomi's third-person narrative alternates with Harlow's as the book continues, and the plot develops as we learn the truth.

The book is sure to appeal to pop culture fans and those who enjoy a mystery with celebrity trappings.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for a digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5⭐️ I really struggled with the format of this book, for context I read it on my kindle, but I don’t think it came across the same way it would in a physical book. The plot itself was interesting and the Easter egg concept was super fun. I ended up getting very confused towards the end and feel like I started to skim more than actually read it.

Thank you to The Mancaruso Sisters and NetGalley for providing me an ebook of Rumoured. I started out enjoying this book, but then it got a little too predictable. I was about 12%-20% in when I completely knew how this book was going to end. It was one of those predictions that’s so wild you don’t think it can be right, and then it is, and you are extremely disappointed. At times, the writing was too “wordy” and I felt like some things were repetitive. Some of the clues discovered were way too obvious and the constant changing of third person to articles to social media posts to, eventually, first person, gave me a headache. For a debut novel, Rumored is an okay start to the world of thriller.

RUN. DO NOT WALK. If you want a thriller that’ll keep you guessing at every second, here you go!!

Reasons why I loved this book: the relationship between the sisters, the constant questions, the social media/news article add-ons, the Easter eggs and the THRILLS.

5 stars all the way.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloombury USA for giving me an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

More successful than Taylor Swift? That’s like Mariah Carey level to me. I love the conspiracy element to this book. It makes it entertaining and a lot of fun on top of the grief element as well.

The quick cut: A reporter gets sent back to her old home of New York City when a pop star is arrested for murder.

A real review:
Thank you to Bloomsbury USA for providing the arc for an honest review.

Celebrities get their lives put in the spotlight all the time, but what about when they commit a crime? Are they subject to the same laws and punishments as everyone else? These are questions for Naomi, the investigative journalist.

Naomi is a journalist in LA who is used to covering celebrity stories, but one she didn't expect was pop star Harlow Hayes being arrested for murder. When the trial sends her back to New York City, a home she left after her sister's death, she finds that going back is harder than she thought. Did Harlow commit a crime? Or is there a deeper conspiracy?

Adult thrillers are some of my favorites to read, especially when they twist in unexpected ways. This one in particular becomes surprisingly distorted and personal for Naomi in a way that I don't think anyone could handle well.

Harlow is written in such a way to feel like Taylor Swift who never left her reputation era. She's mysterious, powerful, and enigmatic with a dark history relationship wise. With so many people who adore her, it's easy to quickly hate her. The more the story unfolds, the more you see how tragic her life is. It's hard to not hate what fame brings.

Naomi left New York so that she could hide from her demons. Wow, did those come out in full force. When the trial of the century takes an unexpected turn, she ends up chasing a lead no one else sees. Is it because she's a great journalist or because it's gotten too close for comfort? It's a question you're left asking until the end.

A fun and exciting thriller that will leave you asking questions until the end.

My rating: 5 out of 5

I didn't care for this book. I always want to leave honest feedback. This one just wasn't for me. I don't want to discourage anyone on reading it because it may be for you. The author did a wonderful job I just personally couldn't connect with the book.

What a fun and wild ride this was! I really enjoyed following Naomi on this journey as she uncovered all the hidden secrets. This is one of those thrillers that I love because the Mancaruso Sisters have left all the clues for you to find and once it’s all revealed you can go back and read it again and everything reads completely differently and makes so much sense; you can’t believe you didn’t see it all before. I always love a celeb story line and this one delivered.
Part of me felt like I wanted more from Harlow’s perspective earlier, but once she came along and things started to fall into place, I realized why she only came in 60% of the way through. Having her pov introduced earlier would have spoiled a lot.
There were a few small loose ends for me, like where Jade came from (how did she know these celebs?) and the time between the accident and the epilogue felt a little rushed, but I’m already looking forward to the Mancaruso Sisters next book!

*A note that the e-arc formatting of this book was confusing. The chapters blended into each other, different fonts were used, there were even some parts of the book written in red. This is the first time I’ve encountered this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I have never read a thriller book before! I decided to choose this book for Camp Net galley for that reason to step out of my comfort book zone. I'm happy to say that I absolutely LOVED this book! The twist the turns, finding myself obsessing over what was going to happen next in this book! I really enjoyed the entire plot coming from someone who read everything about my favorite celebrities when I was younger. This book will have you guessing and when you thought you were right...you won't be...trust me ! I would recommend this book ten out of ten times. Naomi's point of view showed how vulnerable she was to find out the truth and the love for her sister is everlasting!! Naomi is exactly someone you would want as your big sister. I do like hearing the stories of other characters in this book , what they had gone through, and giving a little true crime feels! Also, who doesn't love little Easter eggs to figure out for yourself throughout the book? Truly a great first thriller for anyone who is looking to get into this genre.

Thank you for this opportunity @netgalley this review is my own honest opinion.

#CampNetGalley