I thought this book was fantastic and hit all the right notes for me. It was part mystery/thriller, part celebrity gossip column, part Easter egg hunt. I thought it was great! Even though the book is about pop star Harlow Hayes, it is told from the perspective of a celebrity gossip columnist, Naomi, and shows how far she will go to get a story. Naomi is a bit of a mess but you feel for her and want her to figure it all out. The book kept me guessing most of the way through, but I only figured out what was happening slightly before the authors wanted you to! This was a very engaging, truly fun read and I wish I could read it again without knowing how it ends.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

When I was reading this I kept picturing Britney Spears. What would happen if she was convicted of murder. Naomi goes down such an interesting rabbit hole looking for all the Easter eggs and clues. In that way Harlow Hayes reminds me of Taylor Swift. The story was very twisty and engaging. I loved it.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. There were so many formatting issues (which may be due to it being an ARC, so I won't rate it based on that) that it was difficult to read. Plus, the red text on the white page actually made my vision strobe and triggered a migraine. I tried to push through, but the writing just felt very unfinished. Ultimately, this felt like a messy first draft with a few good ideas that just needed to be better refined and fleshed out. I'm going to give it a 3 since it may have gotten better later on, but what I read so far was a 1.

The plot of this book was interesting but the execution didn't quite work for me. There was a lot of social media comments and articles that broke the flow, a little would have been fine but i found myself skipping over a lot of parts of the book, maybe a good third of it. the writing style doesn't didn't keep me engaged but I did finish it to see what happened. 3.5

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly this storyline moved without getting confused by the shifts in timeline. The Easter eggs were a nice touch, but not up my alley. So the shift back and forth to bold was more a distraction than a secret message to the fans. The storyline flowed well without getting stuck on one particular character. Overall, the book has a very scary premise.

I adored this book so much! As a fellow conspiracy theory pop music lover I ate this up. I loved that every twist and turn took you somewhere you didn't expect. I genuinely didn't guess the twist until really late in so I think that's really impressive. I didn't love how it was sometimes hard to read (Maybe that was my arc's kindle format) But sometimes it was confusing on timeline or whose POV it was. Otherwise I thought this was a very clever and unique concept I really adored. Amazing work.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I hadn’t heard of this book till it was on the camp NetGalley page and I am so glad I picked it! For a debut book this was so great! I loved Harlow she was the coolest. I am such a true crime girl! Highly recommend.

This book was PAINFUL. I could not like the characters, and the writing style was just OFF to me.
I am glad I did not pay for this

ARC review

I read "Rumoured" by Kelly Mancaruso and Kristina Mancaruso in one day because I just could not put is down.

I received an advance review copy from Bloomsbury.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

The book is a mystery thriller that starts with the news that Harlow Hayes, a pop star, was arrested.
In the first part of the book we find out information from what Naomi, a journalist, is investigating.
Also, there are some articles quoted and online comments.
Naomi slowly starts to find a lot of conspiracy theories and when she finds connections to her sister's death, she is no longer being objective.
I like that in the second part we have also Harlow's perspective and, through flashback chapters, we find out more about what happened.

The pace of the story is fast, there are many easter eggs, real conspiracy theories are discussed and it also has lyrics.
The characters are morally gray and the twists were unexpected.

Naomi has so many theories about what happened and the connections between the murders that at one point you question her mental health.

If you like music, celebrities and murder mysteries, you should like this book.

This book gripped me from the first line. Harlow Hayes is the kind of main character who commands every page famous, flawed, fiercely human. Rumoured pulls you into the glittering highs of pop stardom and the crashing lows of public scandal, all with razor-sharp writing and so much heart.

It’s messy, raw, and full of tension in the best way. You’re constantly questioning what’s real, what’s being performed and who Harlow really is behind the fame, the headlines, and the rumors.

If you love morally gray characters, media chaos, and stories that blur the line between truth and persona, Rumoured will absolutely keep you hooked. I devoured it in a single sitting.

I really enjoyed this! I loved the pop culture references, the easter eggs hidden throughout, and trying to guess what twist or turn was coming up next! The plot kept me on my toes, constantly rearranging information much like the main character.

Took a star off because I found the foreshadowing to be a bit heavy-handed in places, and because the big reveal seemed extremely far-fetched to me. It took me out of the story a bit. Overall, though, a very compelling read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

3 1/2 ⭐️

The synopsis and premise of this book sounded exactly like my type of book, an investigative journalist covering a pop star accused of murder and all the twists and conspiracy theories that come with it. While I ended up enjoying the book, the pacing during the first half felt like it dragged at times, and I was finding it hard to feel invested in the main character Naomi, or the murder case. Once Harlow’s point of view started however, the story and action picked up, and I found myself reading through until the end to find out if I was correct in my theories on the twist (I was, but it was still satisfying.)

If you are looking for a book that you can't put down and reminds you how easily is to fall into the rabbit hole of crazy theories about your favorite artist, this is the book for you. I got to say that this book surprised me in the best way! I couldn't stop reading and the foreshadowing was good enough that I was able to follow where the story was going without it being super obvious. The first half of this book is solid and while the second half is not, I was eager through it all to know how it was going to end. The ending was surprising but it made sense that that was how it ended. I was able to root for Naomi and Harlow even if there were some parts where Naomi was a little frustrating. The twists were surprising and the Easter Eggs were pretty cool! I will be definitely keep an eye on the Mancaruso Sisters going forward.

This book was a complete miss for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I found the author’s writing style to be too pretentious. The constant switching between present, past, and social media became overwhelming and distracting.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

I was a little disappointed that the book focused on Naomi, a reporter for a celebrity magazine doing a investigative piece on Harlow Hayes at first as I wanted a insider view and I just felt like the reporter was too far away from the actual crimes. Then it all started to unfold and I actually loved how we started with Naomi and then switched POV with Harlow. I honestly did not see the reveal coming - I thought Naomi had lost it and was just an unreliable narrator at first. I loved the Easter eggs and all of the discoveries. It was all a little far fetched but that is what made it fun. I really enjoyed the ride and now I want to do some research into the Beatles... Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The fun, vibrant colors on the cover are what first drew me in to this book and I’m so glad it did! This is a must-read! It’s packed with adventure, mystery, thriller vibes, music, Easter eggs, Taylor Swift vibes, twists, turns, and surprises around every corner. I loved this from beginning to end!

I read this for Camp Netgalley. I tend to judge books by their covers and this book caught my eye the most from the selection offered. I do really enjoy pop culture and reading about celebs - real or made up. I was concerned this might be too YA a pick for me but I was hoping for a fun and breezy palette cleanser after reading a lot of other books. Books about pop stars are definitely having their moment. I enjoyed The Griffin Sisters by Jennifer Weiner, as well as Make Me Famous and extremely excited to read the Future Saints ARC.

I really tried to like this. But it felt too much like reading US Weekly, TMZ and/or blogs. There's an overuse of cheesy song lyrics to try to drive the story forward.

Harlow is described as having money. Power and connects. She is supposed to be "far from cliche.". But unfortunately she seemed like a poor imitation of Taylor Swift. I'm an OG who attended 1984 with my sister 10 years ago and had front row seats to Reputation. Harlow is an only child. But her songs are filled with tons of Easter Eggs. She wears Loubatains, her song lyrics are about her personal relationships and her Kennedyesque ex Colton Scott (who is compared to Ryan Gosling) grew up in New England so of course she bought a vacation beach house near his family's property. Total turnoff.

By 40% in, I'm annoyed by so much, especially a mutual FB friend shared by a few dead characters. Also there is no way Naomi would have slipped through the funeral's security so easily for a major celebrity. I realized I didn't even care who murdered Jade 3 years ago. I decided I was wasting my time with an additional 2 hours & 10 mins left and DNFed instead of reading Part 2.

Can someone please tell me how it ends?

This is an intriguing and well written book. I thought for a bit that this was a true story when I was first starting the book just from the way the author wrote it. The sisters have so much rich back story and investigative story that it reads as a true crime book. I really was impressed with this book and how well it was written and the story line is just, wow!

Naomi is a reporter for C*Leb News.She has lost both her mom and her sister Faye whom she was, she thought, very close to. She was living in New York when her sister died of a drug over dose. She asked for a transfers to California as she couldn't stay in New York because everything reminded her of her sister.
One morning as she was getting her story ready to be edited and out to publishing, when the office started getting really loud. She looked up to over hear that Harlow Hayes the pop star has been arrested for murder!

That was a huge story and no one knows who she has been accused of killing. Of course lucky her has been asked to go back to New York and cover the story and dig for all the information.

Thank goodness she still has kept in touch with quite a few of her friends and informants. She met with an informant and friend and found out who Harlow is supposed to have murdered. Rumor has it, it is her ex-boyfriend, Colton Scott. Then as the story goes she finds out she is also being held for a models death named Jade Dutton who died back in 2021.

Fast forward, Naomi finds out how twisted and disturbed Colton really is, unfortunately she has to find evidence to proof it. She also connects her sisters death to Jade and to Colton. Along with a few other young girls that are still missing.

The coroner's report says that Jade and her sisters cause of death are both drug overdoses. After finding out how Colton was with his ex Naomi doesn't believe for a second that Colton didn't have something to do with each and every one of these girls and her sister as well.

Fast forward again who killed Colton then... did Harlow do it or did some one else.... Is Harlow being framed or even worse yet is it that Colton isn't really dead after all.....

Fantastic book that will keeps you reading late into the night. I loved and I am sure that you will as well!

Happy Reading!!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Thank you NG & The Mancaruso sisters!
-Rumored-

“It’s because you’re a Capricorn and I’m a Pisces. That’s why we get along so well. I’m the dreamer and you’re the logical one” <- you know I love astrology talk (xo a Taurus)

A must read if you love celebrity gossip & drama. This is like reading the enquirer back in the day slapped with mystery and thrill.

Many twists and turns and a very good debut!
It definitely seems more YA but that could also just be the kind of thriller it is! Different than anything I’ve read.

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7737682945

Glitz, fame, obsession—and murder. Rumoured by The Mancaruso Sisters is a sleek, high-octane thriller that pulls back the curtain on celebrity culture and leaves readers questioning everything they think they know about truth, perception, and power.

At the center of the storm is Harlow Hayes, a chart-topping pop superstar beloved for her raw lyrics and electrifying stage presence. But the pop world is rocked when Harlow is arrested for murder on September 24th, sending her fans—and the media—into a frenzy. Is she a misunderstood artist caught in a nightmare? Or has her carefully curated persona been a performance all along?

The novel unfolds through the eyes of Naomi Barnes, a sharp, haunted investigative journalist determined to uncover the truth. With a personal connection to the case that slowly unravels, Naomi serves as both observer and participant in this tightly coiled mystery. Her voice is compelling—equal parts vulnerable and relentless—as she peels back layers of lies, trauma, and manipulation.

What sets Rumoured apart is its dual commentary: not just on the crime itself, but on the machinery of fame, the parasitic nature of media obsession, and the ways women—especially famous ones—are both deified and destroyed in the public eye. The narrative pulses with energy, shifting timelines, and plenty of misdirection, keeping readers second-guessing up until the final, chilling twist.

Stylistically, The Mancaruso Sisters write with cinematic flair. Flashbulbs pop, headlines fly, and beneath the glossy surface lies something much darker and more human. Fans of Gone Girl, The Club, and The Paper Palace will find familiar thrills—but Rumoured adds its own voice to the conversation: one that’s unapologetically modern and deeply aware of how fame distorts identity.

Rumoured is a dazzling and disturbing dive into the dark side of celebrity. Unreliable, unflinching, and unforgettable, it’s a thriller that hums with urgency and doesn’t let up until the final page.

Gripping, stylish, and scarily relevant. You’ll race through it—and question everything afterward.