Enjoyable light read with a twisty turn. I did guess the twist before it happened but it didn’t spoil the book

This was a 3.5 star read for me. It was a quick read and It is relatively fast paced. It pulled me in right away and I wanted to keep reading.

There were lots of twists in this book. Some twists I figured out right away, but the main twists surprised me.

This book shows that not everybody is what they appear to be and you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book.

This is a fantastic thriller! Immerse yourself into Edens world, a lost, lonely, middle aged woman who just needs a little attention.
Eden finds herself in her 40's newly separated from her husband who is all she has ever known, with a teenage, college aged daughter who appears to hate her.
Eden sends a DM to an almost flame from college and her life spirals from there.
The twist was a bit unexpected, but I should have seen it coming. Great read, fast paced and entertaining!

Eden a 45 year old mother and soon to be ex-wife reconnects with her old college flame.
This dark and twisty book takes readers on a physiological adventure right to the very end.

I am really conflicted with this one, it started off really good, I thought it was set for a 4 or 5 star and I couldn’t put it down but when it got to around 60% I thought it just went downhill and I lost interest. I did finish it and thought the ending was far fetched.
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Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to review this book.

Binge-worthy unputdownable romance thriller (check cons)

Her marriage is a mess, in the brink of a divorce due to reasons she doesn't know, her only child is leaving for college, and the void left along with a few drinks made her add her college ex-situationship on facebook!
And things went tumbling downhill from there.

You should NOT expect a strictly romantic scenario. The writing style and the twists and reveal are very much in the style of the known Freida McFadden ( less the repitition)

Pros:
1- bingeworthy, page turner with a very smooth writing style that keeps you on edge and makes you devour the book in 1 or 2 sittings!

2- Even though i expected the twists, they were really interesting and not at all short of worth it!

3- the pace of the way things are going, the mess that is happening, the problems, the secrets that were revealed, the issues that were uncovered about several characters doesn't leave you any time to get too bored!

4- The action and ending are satisfying, and what is expected of a popcorn thriller (check cons)

Cons:
1- Some of the history revealed was a bit far-fetched, too perfect for my liking!

2- The characters were shallow and slightly dumb (maybe too dumb). Did it get on my nerve? Slightly! But it's not too bad, i mean, it's what i expected from this thriller

3- don't go in expecting great mystery, and masterfully plotter thriller, because you will be disappointed, as i stated its a popcorn thriller, something light and easy to read, not too much thinking is required!

4- Some things did not add up in the book. Some of the coincidences were weird ( when she met him in front of his work as a surprise and the act and excuse that happened after)

This book was absolutely insane! I did not see any of that coming. I really enjoyed the plot and it had several twists and turns. I can't wait to read more from this author. Definitely pick this one up if you love domestic thrillers.

This isn’t usually my kind of book but I thoroughly enjoyed it and finished it in just a couple days. I ended up not being able to put it down!! Very well written and very twisty. Can’t wait to read more!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Samantha Bailey. Although all the characters seemed naive, it was a quick read. There is no jaw dropping twist but more like a stalker thriller.

A Friend in the Dark is a riveting stalker thriller that keeps you guessing with its plot twists. What sets it apart is its realistic portrayal of the dangers of obsession, making it a chilling reminder that anyone could become a target. With each unexpected turn, the tension mounts, delivering a gripping read from start to finish.

This was a good read, fast paced after about 40% in. Only thing that turned me off from giving it more stars was there were just passages from the past and I felt confused if it was the past or the present I'm reading.

To keep the shock factor, the jumps to the past were abrupt like one paragraph would be past and the very next paragraph would be present and the reader has to figure it out.

Also there are few plot-holes that made no sense to me. I hate when people in the book lack communication and the whole drama ensues. I just feel that it happens in books only so it gets on my nerves.

Overall a good mystery thriller which keeps reader on the edge.i finished it in a day which rarely happens. So it is definitely good.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Star rating 3.5 stars

4.5/5 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC of A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey.

I got this during the "Read Now" promotion and glad I got to grab this before it went away. It was a quick easy read but the beginning did take a while to pick up. Makes me scared of online dating/conversation nowadays. The unexpected twists kept me interested and love how quick it was to tell the story. This is my first book by this author and she delivered! I will be checking out her other books.

A friend in the Dark took me a bit to get it but once i got about 30 % in it really picked up and I couldn't put it down, it was very faced paced.

If you suspend your disbelief in things and don’t think too much this was 3 star for me. Just don’t think so much and enjoy the ride. I will say it kept me wanting to know what’s going to happen.

Some things were off putting and were a bit strange but nothing bothered me more than the flashbacks and present day passages that were only separated by a space and a sentence. It was very confusing

Pulse-pounding top notch thriller right here. I couldn't wait to get to the end and find out all the secrets! Bailey does a wonderful job brining us into the world of Eden, a relator who's struggling with a divorce from her husband while her only daughter has just started college. Eden is lonely and down when she decides to send a friend request to her college crush Justin. He quickly excepts and a cat and mouse game ensues. Each chapter weaves a bigger and bigger web until the final secret is revealed and it's nothing that you were expecting it to be. I cannot wait for the possible sequel to this novel.

I loved the alternating viewpoints--there is a part one told by one character and a part two by a different character. Part three is told in alternating views. The only downside to this is that when it is Olivia's view--it is written in third person as opposed to first person and it comes off a little disorienting and confusing when switching between the two in part three.

I highly recommend reading this book if you are a fan of thrillers and dark domestic novels. This one is one that you shouldn't pass up!

The age of online dating is intense in this thriller by Samantha M. Bailey as Eden engages in an online conversation that leads her on an adventure for the truth. A drama-filled entertaining read with great characters and an ending I did not see coming. As the end of the book nears one goes down a winding road to a realization that nobody really knows who is on the other end in the digital world.

I received this eARC from NetGalley and 8th Note Press in exchange for an honest review.
📚THE PLOT:

This is an easy read that I flew through in one sitting. Eden, a 45-year-old woman whose husband has just asked for a divorce after they dropped their only daughter off at college, one day Eden gets drunk and decides to look up her college crush. Justin Ward was gorgeous in college and every girl wanted him, begins chatting online with him to rekindle their old relationship and he gave her everything she needed. She's even sexting for the first time in her life and she's never felt more desirable and alive. Only the unexpected happens.

💭MY THOUGHTS:

This was a twisty thriller. I had no idea where it was going, but had to keep reading with every chapter. I loved the plot twist. I didn't see it coming, to be honest, until the end, when it all came together.

Twisty book that keeps you interested until the end. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review.

A Friend in the Dark is a fast paced and suspenseful thriller filled with twists, secrets, lies, and so much more. I flew through this novel, I couldn't put it down. I love the writing style and how chilling the dual POVs were written, I was utterly captivated.

Thank you netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for my review copy!

This uses the domestic thriller elements perfectly, it had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed about the genre. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and enjoyed how realistic it was. Samantha M. Bailey writes a strong story and making characters that you care about. I was engaged with what was happening and enjoyed reading this.