Cover Image: Woman on the Edge

Woman on the Edge

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Member Reviews

A very captivating read especially for a debut thriller! I was engrossed from the beginning and definitely could relate to the emotional toll a newborn takes as a mother myself.

I enjoyed the two points of view and getting the history of both women combined with their present state.

The book was slow in some areas but nothing off putting and I enjoyed the twists and turns. It was well written and flowed flawlessly!

I would recommend this book to my thriller reader friends! I rate is a 3.5/5 stars!

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Woman on the Edge is a gripping thriller that focuses on the lives of two women in the before and after. Before is the life of Nicole, a remarkable and strong woman still living with the scars of a traumatic experience in her past. After giving birth to her daughter, she is suddenly haunted by memories and paranoia centered around the event in her past. After is the tale of a survivor. Morgan has lived with a blight on her character since finding her husbands body after he committed suicide. Standing on the platform for her subway headed home, Morgan is shocked when Nicole thrusts her baby into Morgan’s arms after pleading with her by name to keep her safe, and then takes her own life. Soon Morgan’s character is again in question as police question her connection to Nicole and the even bigger question, did she push her?
First, my deepest thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced copy. This book led me on a rollercoaster of emotions. As a mother I easily related to Nicole’s obsession with her baby and not being aware of her own deteriorating mental and physical health. Through social media in recent years, more and more women are speaking out about their experiences with postpartum depression. This book is one such experience of how symptoms ignored and unchecked can have disastrous consequences.
Both Morgan and Nicole were relatable and fearless, until they weren’t. This book tells the story of how one woman’s fall was another woman’s salvation. This was the only part of the book that I didn’t like, the survival of one, rests on the death of the other. We know from reading the synopsis, or the book jacket, that death is a huge role in the telling of this tale. What you don’t expect is to fall for the characters hopelessness. To want to reach through the pages, pull her up, and say, “you’ve got this!” Samantha Bailey wrote these characters as realistic as possible so that when you turn the final page, you are crying over the loss of a friend, while cheering on the life of a new one.
You can ask Goodreads, 5 stars are hard to come by from me. It takes something truly amazing and miraculous to pull that final star from my grasp, and this one did just that. I could not put this book down. I was enchanted by the words and with each turning page became a bit distraught that my journey with these amazing women was coming to an end.

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I can not believe this is Samantha M. Bailey's debut novel!! I was hooked from the first page and didn't let go until the very end. There are so many mysteries to solve in this book! How does Nicole know Morgan? What really happened to Amanda from Nicole's past? Is Nicole suffering from postpartum depression or does it go deeper? It goes deeper, trust me!
The chapters alternate between Nicole, up to her death, and Morgan dealing with the aftermath. I have to admit that there is an extra eerie factor for me when I know a character is going to die, but until that happens you're reading about their lives up to the day that happens. Ugh!
Morgan, with the help of Nicole's brother, begin to investigate the days leading up to that day on the platform. However, someone doesn't want them to find out the truth. The truth about Nicole's past and her untimely death.
This book has so many good twists and turns. I did not think it was predictable at all. The author does such a good job of keeping the reader hooked. I was surprised at who the killer was, although now that I think about it, I shouldn't have been.
If you're looking for a fast paced, suspenseful book I would highly recommend this one.
Grab your copy on March 3, 2020. Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the Advanced Reading Copy.

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Woman on the Edge
Rating: 4 stars

This is the first book that I have read by this author and it will not be the last. It had me at the edge of my seat from the first chapter till the very end. It's dual POV was very easy to follow. Morgan and Nicole's lives were intertwined with so much grief and desperation. In the end they both wanted to survive the past that wouldn't let them live peacefully. It was a great story and I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed all the twists and turns it took me through.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for a review.

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I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on March 3, 2020

This book was amazing, so many twists and turns. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong. I believe everyone will be talking about this thriller, it is action packed well written and keeps you guessing until the very end. I read this in several hours and would definitely recommend it to everyone.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my fair on honest review.

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Thank you Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for this fast paced, thrilling book! I was very intrigued by this book, I kind of figured out who the main bad character was but was never fully confident of it until the ending. When people want to mess with your head, they really will. I loved Nicole and my heart went out to her, this was a real good book.

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I wasn’t sure where this book was going, so many twists and turns but it held my interest and I highly recommend it

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Fantastic intense thriller! Very fast paced, impossible to put down. Nicole is a powerful CEO of a successful company who seems to have it all, until she becomes a new mom and her life begins to unravel. When she hands her baby to a stranger and jumps in front of a train, her family and the stranger who held the baby try to piece together the events that lead to this tragedy. Powerful story of mental illness and backstabbing friends and family. Total nail biter with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommended.

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This is a fiercely tense read. From the first to the last page, you will be flipping the pages and occasionally holding your breath in anticipation of what is going to happen. One deeply psychotic woman decides to mess with the lives of several others for financial gain. Two very hurt and desolate woman accidentally meet online and form a lasting bond. An innocent baby is the center of all the pain. The writer pulls together a great story as she digs into the psyche of all the characters to increase and build the tension as she takes you along to the conclusion. As a first piece of work for this author it is magnificent.

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My first read by this author and I'm pleased to say that I really enjoyed it. There's no slow burn whatsoever. The action starts right from the beginning as one woman is standing at a train platform waiting for her train and all of a sudden another woman trusts her baby into her arms begging her to please take care of her right before she plunges onto the tracks. The rest of the story is told in parts. One in the present, as Morgan tries to find out who she is and why this distraught woman chose her to hand her baby to. The other is in the weeks leading up to the incident as we watch the mother, Nicole spiral into a psychotic state where she sees no way out other than giving up her baby.

There were parts toward the end that seems a little forced or conveniently tied up a little too nicely. Overall though, I really enjoyed this story and will definitely try this author again.

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While waiting for the subway, Nicole Markham hands her baby to a complete stranger, Morgan Kincaid. She asks her to love her baby then jumps in front of the approaching subway car. At this point, the story begins switching, by chapters, back to Nicole’s past and what led up to her death. Then we move forward to the present to Morgan as she deals with Nicole’s death, the baby and the police detective who thinks Morgan was involved in Nicole’s death. This continues through the remainder of the book as Morgan begins her own investigation to discover what caused Nicole to end her life. The switching back and forth from the past to the present was confusing and for me made the story less interesting. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

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Imagine waiting for your train and someone says ‘take my baby’ and hands her to you before she jumps in front of the oncoming train. That’s exactly what happens to Morgan and her life is instantly changed. Morgan doesn’t know why this woman gave her her baby, but now she is being questioned by the police about it and they are suspicious of her. Did this woman really kill herself or did Morgan push her? The story is being told in dual perspectives; by Morgan in present day and by Nicole, the mother, leading up to this incident.

Each woman's chapter was very gripping as you got further into the book and learned more about each of them. I couldn’t put it down as I wanted to know what happened in Nicole’s life that she’d do this as well as why she picked Morgan to have her daughter.

There was a lot going on in the book, which was a good thing because it kept it fast paced and enjoyable. Although I do wish it was slowed down maybe just a little bit. You were given a lot of information and a lot of things to process all at once, and they kept coming. It did keep me reading and I finished this in a day, but I also wish it spread out the suspense a little more.

Overall I enjoyed this book and was hooked from the beginning. Unfortunately there were a few things that were just too unbelievable and the ending was wrapped up too perfectly that I couldn’t give it a higher rating, but I did enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This book hooked me from the start and kept the pace until the slightly little too neatly tied up end.

A business owner and her husband have an unexpected pregnancy. The baby is born and Nicole the mother starts to spiral downhill. She shoves her baby at a woman in the subway station and then proceeds to throw herself off the platform.? Was it suicide or was she pushed?

This had lots of twists and turns. Unreliable characters abound. I was just a little disappointed how neatly it wrapped up at the end. That’s why it gets 3.5 instead of four.

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

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An emotional story built in layers that pulls the reader in quickly. Two women cross paths in a train station that will leave one woman dead by suicide and another deeply involved in the mystery of why. I'm not easily surprised by a mystery, but this one had me changing my mind every couple of chapters. Samantha Bailey tells a great story that will leave you wondering how she came up with the idea.

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Very intense thriller!
A stranger hands Morgan a baby, begs her to take care of her, and then jumps in front of a train. The rest of the novel is spent exploring what drove the baby’s mother to make that decision and what happens to Morgan in the weeks afterward.
I adored the characters, especially the two main women. Everyone seemed familiar, as if I knew their personality already. The twist was one of the options I had considered, so I wasn’t terribly surprised, but I did like that there was so much doubt that I did not guess it for certain. The timeline and POV switching in this book was well done. I will be checking out more by this author!

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Woman on the Edge is a twisty thriller that is actually incredibly sad. This book kept me guessing until the last few pages! Our main character, Morgan, is kind of an idiot at times (she puts herself in some dangerous situations!) but she’s also very brave and selfless.

The chapters from Nicole’s perspective become more disorienting and sad as the book progresses. You can’t help but feel for her, and for sweet baby Quinn.

This is a quick read, perfect for devouring in a sitting or two. I would recommend having something light on hand as a follow up - although it’s a pretty standard thriller, it’s likely to leave the reader slightly emotional at the end.

I look forward to reading more from this author!

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I really liked this thriller, with its fast pace that kept me reading until I finished it in two days. From the first line, it will grab your attention and not let go, as bit by bit the pieces start to fall together.

It starts with Morgan waiting for her train and a stranger comes up to her holding a baby and looking crazed. The stranger pushes the baby on her and tells her to keep the baby safe and then uses her name. The woman then backs up and falls into the path of the oncoming train.

The book tells the story of Morgan and Nicole in alternating chapters. Through Nicole's story, we learn about what led up to her giving her baby to Morgan, a woman she'd never met in person but had connected with on-line, and her suicide that day. With Morgan, we meet a woman who was destroyed by the suicide of her husband, who had fleeced many people of their life savings and left her to pick up the pieces. At the center of all this is Quinn, the baby that was an unplanned surprise for Nicole and a dream come true for Morgan.

While I did figure out some of the subterfuge before the ending, there were enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. I was never really sure who was involved and how and why. This was my kind of book.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Woman on The Edge was a fun, fast read with some jaw-dropping, WTF moments. I had my suspicions from the start about this one would end, and it turned out that I was right. But hey, I basically only read thrillers and horror so it would be kind of sad if I wasn’t very good at figuring out how the story was going to end. All in all this was a fast, twisty thriller. A solid 🌟🌟🌟🌟 read.

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The Woman on the Edge was a heartbreaking suspense novel full of twists and turns. Told by dual narration lets you see the perspective of the book from the two main characters, Morgan and Nicole. While reading from Nicole's POV I found myself just wanting to help her, completely engrossed in her story, then also being thrown into present day with Morgan and all the drama that accompanied that. Excellent book, non predictable, great writing. ⅘ stars

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What was extremely disappointing for me was the low quality of this ARC. The name of the author and/or the name of the book showed up randomly throughout. I almost put it down without reading.

Morgan is the widow of a ponzi scheme broker. Nicole is the CEO of her own company, who's recently given birth to a baby girl. Their lives come together on the platform of the El in Chicago. Nicole is desperate for her baby to be safe and has chosen Morgan to raise her.
Most of the rest of the story is Morgan trying to figure out how and why Nicole did this, and Nicole's process of choosing her. As far as Morgan knows, they have no history.
We find out about 2/3 of the way through that Nicole knows Morgan, but not the other way around. At this point the plot became very predictable for me. I knew who had a hidden agenda against both Nicole and Morgan but finished the story anyway.
I wish I could recommend this book wholeheartedly, but I can't.

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