An interesting concept for a novel, consisting of murder, conspiracy theories and more! It could have gone one of two ways, but it was clearly well thought out and planned and is gripping from the first note! When you think you have it all figured out, there are more twists and turns to keep you guessing until the last page! It is a book that you wish you could read again and again for the first time.

Rumoured

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the ARC!

I was immediately drawn to Rumoured from the blurb. I am a pop culture addict - I’ve been gulping down celebrity gossip since I was old enough to buy Heat Magazine and log on to the Mail Online’s showbiz sidebar. So I knew I’d like this: celebrity meets murder.

In Rumoured, we meet Naomi, a journalist grappling with her sister’s death, who catches the biggest story of her career when pop icon Harlow Hayes is arrested for murder. Who’s the victim? Did she do it? Is all what it seems?

Over the course of the story, the authors unravel the secrecy and deception surrounding the world of Harlow, and keep you guessing throughout.

I really enjoyed this book - it flowed seamlessly, despite being written by two authors, which I always find so impressive, with great pacing and twists and turns.

The addition of social media posts and articles really helped make the story more immersive, adding some realism in the form of the infamous internet armchair detectives.

As a Swiftie, I enjoyed the Easter eggs throughout and I know readers will have fun with this!

A fun thriller that fellow celebrity culture fans will love!

A fantastic novel about celebrity journalist Naomi Barnes who is tasked with covering the arrest of global pop superstar Harlow Hayes.

It's a great story packed with twists and turns.

This was a great piece of writing! I loved the characters and the suspense. I will be looking out for this author more!

Fantastic book. I loved the storyline line, & the characters . Kept me up all night as I couldn't put it down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn’t love this. I found it too far-fetched for my liking and the characters two-dimensional. Apologies that I can’t give this a better review, but thanks to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC in return for an honest review.

Just finished Rumoured by the Mancaruso Sisters, and WOW—what a ride! A celebrity reporter digging into the shocking arrest of a superstar? Yes, please. But the best part? They included her actual articles, complete with likes, comments, and internet chaos. It felt like scrolling through a real scandal in real time! Plus, the deep dive into conspiracy theories? Absolute perfection. I was hooked from start to finish!

Harlow Hayes is a pop star, a global sensation and then, she is arrested on suspicion of murder. The world thinks they know her but really, they have no idea.

Naomi is a reporter and sent to write a piece on the arrest but what she finds is so much more! I loved the mixed media in this one and the way the authors weaved the various threads through the story, it was so cleverly written. It was dark in places and the secrets that were uncovered piece by piece really drew me in.
This was such a fabulous debut and I look forward to more by these authors.

Loved that as a reader you were also finding information out as Naomi did. Worked out the ending a few pages before the reveal, which is exactly how I like thriller books to be.

I saw a couple of resembelences to Taylor Swift, mainly at the beginning of the book, but not so much that it felt like fan fiction.

I hope once the book is released, the list of Easter eggs and anagrams is posted somewhere, either in the book or on the authors website - because I can never find them myself!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

This gripping thriller plunged me into a whirlwind of suspense, keeping me on the edge of my seat as I frantically searched for clues alongside the characters. Though I confess my detective skills could use some sharpening, the intricate plot kept me guessing until the very end.

The author masterfully weaves social media into the narrative, providing a captivating glimpse into the court of public opinion and the power of online sleuths. The inclusion of humorous and outrageous comments added a touch of realism, mirroring the often-absurd nature of online discussions.

While the story expertly explores the aftermath of the crime, I found myself craving a deeper dive into the initial investigation. Unraveling the chain of events that led to Harlow's arrest and delving into the evidence that painted her as the prime suspect would have added another layer of intrigue to this already captivating tale.

With its clever plot twists and exploration of social media's influence, this book is poised to become a sensation upon its release. The line "When we said SLAY QUEEN, we didn't mean literally" perfectly encapsulates the story's dark humor and chilling implications.

Gratitude to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this thrilling read.

3 / 5

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers Aria & Aries for this ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book but I expected more. Harlow Hayes is an A-list pop star who gets arrested for the murder of a Hollywood actor. Naomi is the journalist looking into the case for a celebrity gossip magazine.

I love the premise but there were just too many unrealistic things that were niggling away at me - lots of things Naomi wouldn't have gotten away with in real life and she would've been fired for immediately. Everyone she interviewed and asked tips from were so easy to open up and tell her everything - it all felt too easy at times. Her journalism was always based on nothing - a random rumour or quote. I didn't warm to Naomi as a character either and I felt she lacked emotional depth. I struggled to really care about any of the characters as they all seemed very surface-level.

I would've liked more perspective from Harlow as I thought she was more interesting than Naomi. But Harlow reminded me way too much of Taylor Swift and it was distracting. I also felt it dragged in the middle and there was a lot of repetition in Naomi's mind - constantly asking the same questions and mulling over the same theories over and over, so the story didn't move forward.

I enjoyed the ending however, it was satisfying and I liked how everything tied together with the plot really picking up pace during the last 15%.

A servicable thriller, and the authors clearly understand the celebrity world they write about. However I found the writing somewhat pedestrian and the author's enthusiasm for their topic didn't compensate for a lack of style.

Thank you to NetGalley and the authors for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Rating:
3.9/5

Summary:
Good beach read of a thriller if a little slow to get going. Read it if you enjoy popular culture, easter eggs etc and playing spot the Taylor Swift inspiration points.

Review:
Harlow is a global sensation adored by millions, and my star only seems to keep rising. Then at the height of her fame she is arrested for murder.

So far so good right? And honestly it's a decent book that is an enjoyable read but the first half took a while to get going and all I could do was spot the Taylor Swift inspiration. I called the ending within the first 29% of the book (yes I noted it down). Knowing this didn't ruin the book for me but once I knew it I wanted the book to get there faster. I almost wished there were more Harlow chapters instead of it being so Naomi focussed as the book is supposed to be about Harlow.

It's a fun read if you are into swiftie easter eggs but I wasn't inclined to try and solve the easter eggs or anagrams etc as I went. I still have no clue about them as they didn't seem to push the story forward nor were they revealed in the book (not even at the end of it which would have been fun).

The inclusion of social media, fan theories etc were good but I felt could have been explained more to try and pull the reader in.

If however, you are after a light beach read of a thriller set in the pop world with a bit of a look behind the curtain then this book is a fun read.

Colton Scott, a famous and popular actor, is found dead and Harlow Hayes, a mega selling and popular singer/songwriter is arrested for his murder and that of an unknown woman.

Naomi Barnes, a journalist working for a celebrity gossip website, is given the job of reporting this breaking story.

Rumoured is a crime thriller set in America and the plot is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Rumoured and think it would make a very good film. The story is mainly told from Naomi’s point of view but also features short parts from other media sources, fans of Harlow Hayes and users of many social media platforms. Harlow Hayes later on adds her point of view which is a good twist, as it can be difficult to develop empathy for a diva who had been arrested for murder. I liked how this story was told, with the authors starting off by telling the reader how many musicians over the years have added “Easter Eggs” to their output that give clues to fans looking for hidden gems within their music. The reader is encouraged to look out for the many Easter Eggs hidden within this story to find out who-dunnit before Naomi solves the mystery.

I liked how celebrity culture was explored and what it must be like living the role of a popular, successful musician. I liked how Rumoured dealt with how social media engages with celebrity gossip and how rumours gained momentum. There were elements of conspiracy thrown into the story, which when you have finished reading this book make you wonder if these actions happen in real life but never become public knowledge.

The writing quality from the authors is very good making this a focused and entertaining read. I found it very hard to believe that Rumoured is a debut novel and I can’t find anything wrong with this OUTSTANDING 5 star read.

The authors are sisters born in New York and Kelly now lives in Nottingham, England. This fact shows the effect her move has made on her when I read this little snippet and being English myself, made me smile…

Amelia pulls Naomi in for a hug and kiss. She smells of expensive perfume mixed with fake tan. “You alright?” Naomi’s smile drops, worried she must look a hell of a lot worse than she thought. She really should have gone heavier on her makeup. “I’m okay. Just exhausted. Why, do I look tired? I took the red-eye-”

“Babe…” Amelia says. “Remember, when a Brit asks if you’re alright, it just means ‘Hi.’ Or ‘What’s up.’ Don’t need your life story, do I?”

This was an enjoyable read. Loved the layout and the modern day social themes and use of social media input.

Refreshing to read something unique, interesting and current

I enjoyed reading this book! I find that having read a lot of crime thrillers, they can get quite repetitive and predictable, and while I did expect some plot points, I was also completely engrossed and entertained by the story. I loved the use of Easter eggs and connections to artists like Taylor Swift and The Beatles.

I found the writing engaging and easy to read and loved the exploration of celebrity journalism, celebrity culture, and sisterly love.

Harlow is a pop star who writes lyrics about aspects of her life that captivate her audience, fans from all over the world that absolutely love her. But Harlow is then accused and arrested for murder. Naomi Barnes is a journalist who investigates this crime and has a personal interest in Harlow’s life and it is through her the majority of the story is told.

I can’t say that I was overly impressed with the book and feel that the role that Naomi’s character played in this may have added to its downfall as it was all a bit long winded regarding her own sisters death although I do understand why the author presented the story as such, connecting the two storyline’s but did feel it and could have been greatly condensed. The reason I say this is it makes up the majority of the book but does not lead to the answers the reader is looking for, which is why and how she did it. I do agree it was a novel way to present a story which I think would have appealed to a younger reader than a more mature person like myself, a reader whom is more interested in social media and pop culture.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I wanted to love this and I just didn't!! The start dragged far too much, at 30% it felt like the only thing we'd learned is that Harlow Hayes writes her own songs and that our MC's sister died. When I read a thriller or mystery, I want the world to be built up quickly so the action can start unfolding and this was not the book for me because of that. As a swiftie, there were too many Swift references for me and it felt a little cringe and try-hard.

Glad to see so many people have enjoyed it, maybe I'm just not the target audience!