With many thanks to Grace Edwards and Netgalley for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.
The Clique was a fabulous debut by Rhiannon Barnsley and her second book is equally as good. Every time I put this book down I wanted to pick it up again. It's gritty, nicely formatted with the social media content and the pace is on point. Tori and Ethan are embroiled in a court case, Riley is trying to find her missing sister and as their worlds collide it makes for a gripping and addictive read. Some good twists in this very engaging well written story and Ms Barnsley has firmly put herself on my go to author list. 4.5⭐️

The headline says courtroom thriller, but it is a lot more than that. A quick thrilling read with so many twists and turns:! A celebrity couple in the midst of a huge lawsuit and cheating scandal. Pretty normal right, But nothing is at it seems! I enjoyed this read although didn’t particularly like any of the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

2 superstars meet and fall in love , the same 2 superstars fall out of love and end up in court with the court case of the century . Who is telling the truth and who will win the case. In the middle of this court case debacle is an American crime blogger whose sister has gone missing in London in very suspicious circumstances ,she has been secretly informed that her sisters disappearance is connected to the 2 superstars currently in court. This becomes a tangled web of lies and deception and the American will stop at nothing to find her missing sister.
This is a fast paced book and it’s hard to dislike any of the characters who tell their own version of their story.
4 stars

In an effort to keep the case of her missing sister in the public eye, Riley becomes a true-crime podcaster. A mystery follower lures her to London to cover a celebrity defamation trial by hinting the case will reveal what happened to her twin.
Hollywood actor Ethan is suing his British popstar wife Tori for slander after she whispered in the wrong ear that her husband was having an affair. With a morality clause in his contract, Ethan lost his staring role in a lucrative film franchise.
How can this possibly connect with the disappearance of Riley's twin?
A celebrity defamation trial a la Johnny and Amber, a true-crime podcast, a media frenzy and a missing woman - the complex plot is deftly handled.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Upon publication, I will post my review on my blog and on GoodReads.

Slander is an absolutely fabulous book. The two main characters of Ethan and Tori are really well written and the story moved along at a good pace.
5 stars from me!

Hollywood drama , social media drama and ego . This book has it all . Fast pace and gripping and a good twist towards the end . Good holiday read would recommend

Hollywood Scandal..
Hollywood scandal, egos, a media circus, secrets and lies in this courtroom drama with multiple layers. As golden couple, Ethan and Tori, go to battle the whole world is watching as their dirty laundry is aired. As the case intensifies and battle lines drawn what else will come out with the wash? Pacy, engaging and entertaining.

I have to admit, I hesitated at first about whether or not to read this book, simply because English is not my native language and I was afraid I wouldn’t understand all the legal terms and might miss parts of the story because of it. But the blurb intrigued me so much that I decided to take the leap — and what a good decision that turned out to be!

Yes, the story revolves around a court case, but it’s written in such a way that it’s easy to follow for everyone. The main focus is on the celebrity couple and how, with the help of their legal teams, they try to outsmart each other and prove they’re in the right. And of course, since they’re constantly trying to tear each other down, it’s hard to pick a side. You’re always doubting whether to believe Tori or Ethan, because with each secret that’s revealed, your loyalty is pulled back and forth between them.

The story also shines a light on how celebrities often lead double lives and can turn out to be very different people on- and off-camera. Some choose to present themselves differently because they value their privacy — which is absolutely their right — while others use that facade as the perfect cover to hide a darker side.

And then there’s Riley, desperately searching for her missing sister. An anonymous tip leads her to suspect that the answers might be found here too.

This is an incredibly gripping book that kept me turning the pages. The writing style is excellent, and the story is absolutely delicious. It perfectly reflects the power of (social) media.

The characters were all brilliantly developed, and I loved the twist at the end — though I personally wouldn’t have minded if it had hit even harder. :)

This was my first book by this author, but I can already say with full confidence that I’ll be adding all of her past and future work to my must-read list.
5 stars, without a doubt.

Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, OMC for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Slander seems like a salacious tale about a Hollywood couple’s divorce and subsequent defamation trial but it quickly reveals some additional layers when podcaster Riley, whose twin sister vanished, gets a tip that the trial may be the key to discovering just what happened a year ago.

I kept imagining the initial premise as Depp and Heard given the defamation trial and the media frenzy over this being one in the latest. While the couple, their claim to fame, and circumstances isn’t quite the same it definitely had me feeling like at face value it wasn’t so far fetched given some larger celebrity court cases and how the media has covered them. When Riley’s plot line and how it played out in the trial though this definitely became fiction, though it was incredibly well done and tense.

I loved the twist especially and found this to be a unique take on a thriller.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
In Hollywood everyone watches your life. Riley has been looking for her sister Alice who was last seen dating Ethan. Ethan is married to Tory but is a chronic cheater. He decides to sue Tory for her lies about his cheating. The world watches—- who will win? So many secrets will be revealed!

I love, love, love thrillers having anything to do with social media and this one certainly didn't disappoint. Tori and Ethan were well-written characters and the Barnsley moves the plot along deftly. The multiple POVs were easy to keep straight and the legal angle was fresh and intriguing.

Easy 5 stars!

Thank you to Harper Collins, One More Chapter for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

The golden couple, or so the world though! Are people what they really portray? Not in the case of this mystery novel as the sister of a missing person, gets fully focused in hunting down the truth. Twists and turns as each step brings to light new facts for Riley, once she arrives in the UK. The parallel trial of the two celebrities, Tori and Ethan, opens up a can of worms. I quite liked the storyboard, but couldn’t really find it in me to feel the same about these two individuals who believed that their public persona exonerated them from justice.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins One More Chapter for this ARC mystery thriller.

In a clever variation on a "ripped from the headlines" story, this book looks at the media circus that has become part of our everyday lives now, and what happens when one of Hollywood's celebrity couples suffers a very public split that leads to a defamation trial.

As it turns out, the real story is even worse than what's onstage - and decidedly darker. Riley Grey is a podcaster who has entered the true crime arena primarily in an attempt to locate her twin sister Alice, who disappeared a year ago.

And when she starts receiving messages telling her that her sister's disappearance is linked to the celebrity trial underway, Riley's investigation receives a boost. But who is the mysterious informant? And what could Alice possibly have had to do with a Hollywood Golden couple?

This story is immensely entertaining, and offers some very clever twists. A suspension of disbelief is needed for the second half, but that's a small price to pay for the enjoyment the book offers. I had a good time with this one!

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?! Wow! Gripping thriller! This book had great suspense, dark past secrets, murder, mystery, gaslighting, and a few shocking twists! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

‘Slander’ by Rhiannon Barnsley is a gripping thriller that explores people’s voyeuristic obsession with celebrity trials, true crime TikToks and he said/she said narratives. The novel follows divorcing spouses Ethan and Tori as they prepare for a high-profile legal showdown, through their own eyes, as well as through the lens of content creator Riley. As media interest intensifies, dirty laundry is aired and Riley learns that the courtroom may hold the key to the truth about her missing sister.

I really enjoyed the multiple viewpoints in this book, and the abundance of twists and turns. The plot was fast-paced and captivating, and felt utterly modern. While it was sometimes hard to know who to sympathise with, meaning I felt less of a connection to each individual character, I was swept up in the salacious story and didn’t want to tear my eyes away until the conclusion!

I absolutely loved the author’s debut, ‘The Clique’, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book too! This gets 4 stars from me and I’m excited to read whatever Rhiannon Barnsley turns her imagination to next…

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Harper Collins, One More Chapter via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I absolutely loved The Clique by this author last year (see my review at The Clique Rhiannon B) and was extremely excited to be contacted by Grace at One More Chapter with the offer to read Slander ahead of publication. No spoilers here, but I am going to say that this is a very strong follow up novel (not a sequel, just her next fantastic book).

I chose to read this during my recent trip to London, and perhaps the fact that a big part of the book is set there helped me get a feel for the story? I don't know - whatever it was, it worked for me. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not a follower of celebrities and their associated gossip, but I am a lover of a courtroom thriller and that's probably what swayed me to opt to read this book. The two main characters are darlings of the celebrity gossip columns, drop-dead gorgeous TV star Ethan Simmonds and his popstar wife Tori. After both achieving celebrity status for their respective roles, things have spiralled pretty quickly downwards when Tori, who's a bit tipsy, spills the tea at the Christmas party to Ethan's director that he's been having an affair. It transpires that this is a mega no-no, as Ethan has a morality clause in his contract which means he has to be 100% squeaky clean in the respectability stakes, and an affair would be a huge breach of said contract. Ethan gets fired, no questions asked and all his lucrative sponsorship deals go out of the window with the job. Cue the defamation trial and multimillion claim against Tori for loss of earnings which is the backbone of the book.

Alongside this, there are chapters featuring a podcaster named Riley Grey, a young woman from the USA whose sister Alice went missing a year before in London. She's battling to keep her sister's name in the news until she finds out what happened to her and indeed whether she's even still alive. But what's the connection between Alice and our celebrity couple? There are no clues, but my gut was telling me there's more to this than meets the eye.

I was completely absorbed by this story, despite only being able to read short sections at a time - I would have loved to binge read it all in one go, but sadly this was not an option. Who is telling the truth? Ethan or Tori? The way the author has written this book gives nothing away - you don't know who to trust, whether anything anyone is saying can be believed, and why on earth would Tori risk losing everything by blabbing about Ethan's infidelity? Did it even happen? Then, just as I was getting a sneaky chapter under my belt before work one morning, I was left at the end of a chapter on the biggest precipice of a cliffhanger possible! I had a whole 8 hours plus to wait before I could possibly find out what was going on - once you've read the book, you'll know where I'd reached in the book.

I found the pacing of this book absolutely spot on, the story worked so well with tiny hints of information along the first two thirds or so of the book, enough to get you forming theories and making connections which may or may not be real. The final third turns those drips into bigger drops, then the climax to the book pours out the whole reservoir of facts into your brain. The deluge blew my mind, and impressed me so much with the how the author managed to smoke screen so many details for so long. Did justice play out in the end? In some ways I'd say yes, but as in real life court cases not everyone gets what they deserve. That's as much as I'm saying because I think that part of the story is very subjective. I strongly recommend you give this book a go, even if you're not a courtroom drama lover or - like me - don't really "do" the whole celebrity gossip scene. There's so much more to this book, but it still didn't quite make the full 5 stars for me. A shiny 4.5 feels more accurate.

Rhiannon Barnsley has done it again. I loved her first novel The Clique so I had huge hopes for this one. Slander blew me away and exceeded all expectations! What a wild ride, an absolute page-turner and solid 5-star read!

Slander by Rhiannon Barnsley navigates the gossip columns and the TikToks to follow the relationship of Tori (Singer) and her actor husband Ethan and the trial related to their infidelity.

This is a gritty novel that is told from multiple perspectives - that of Ethan, Tori and of #thetruthisgrey aka Riley Grey. Riley is trying to uncover what happened to her missing sister Alice and is prompted to follow the trial around Tori and Ethan’s marriage to uncover the truth of what happened to Alice.

This is a captivating novel that has surprises hidden in its pages. Definitely not disappointed by this new novel by Rhiannon Barnsley. With Slander she has become my new auto buy author.

I enjoyed this book. Was very fast paced writing and the storyline was good.
5 stars for this book.

really fun read!! Netgally book from an author I've read before and loved. super happy they're still writing.

The headline says courtroom thriller, but it is SO MUCH more than that. it's a not of lies and deceit but it somehow all makes sense and wraps up nicely.

my only issue was certain things weren't introduced early enough on so it felt kind of like it was just thrown in to round the story out. if some of the twists at the end had some more breadcrumbs I think it'd be an even better book.