All you really need to know is that Samantha M. Bailey is a highly skilled thriller writer, but I will give you more than that. I never know what is going to happen in her novels, and they are such a wild ride as a result. Her upcoming thriller, A Friend in the Dark, is no exception to that!

This was a fast read as it was hard to put down. When I had to get back to real life, I was thinking about the characters and what would happen next for them. There were lots of interesting twists. I thought I could figure some things out, but then other parts would completely surprise me. It was definitely suspenseful and some parts were even disturbing.

My only concern is minor, in that I was expecting the prologue to come back into play somehow and was confused when it didn't. However, that didn't take away from how well executed this story was.

I am always going to be a fan of Samantha's writing and already can't wait until her next thriller, even though this one has yet to officially be released. (Be on the lookout in March!)

(Trigger warning below)

Movie casting suggestions:
Eden: Rachel McAdams
Olivia: Rose Byrne
Justin: Colin Farrell
Dave: Eric Winter
Ava: Kylie Rogers

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TW: Domestic violence; potential date rape

This book was such a page turner, how do I know ?
I sit down to read this book and the moment I want to stop reading it, I didn’t realize I was already more than halfway through reading it!

The story is told in multiple POVs and also divided into three parts. I really like the 2nd and 3rd parts where the truths start to come out one by one.
There’s also a couple unexpected twists throughout the story especially near the ending that really surprised me as well.

As for the characters, it took a while for me to really like Eden’s character because I got annoyed with her poor decision making skill, however at one side I also can understand her feelings regarding the situation she's in which can cloud her judgment.

Then there’s Olivia, I don’t know what to say about her to be honest… she’s a very complex character and it was interesting to get to know her story. I really enjoy following this story through her POV.

One thing I wish differently is only about the flashbacks, sometimes it happen too abruptly in the middle of something going on in the present time which can be slightly confusing.

Nevertheless, I feel satisfied with the ending, it was wrapped up nicely – the mystery from that night party 20 years ago is finally solved along with the main characters finally on the process of healing and to a better future.
I’m looking forward to read more books from this author in the future!

Thank you to ThrillerBookLoversPromotions, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: stalking, kidnapping, mental illness, domestic abuse, death

Samantha Bailey is a new to me author and I can’t wait to read her other books! This book kept me on the edge of my seat, there was so much!

Eden drops her freshman only-child daughter, Ava, off at college and wonders what she will do with her life. When her and her husband return home, he informs her that he wants a divorce turning her life upside down. Her 45th birthday comes up and she begins reminiscing about the past. She thinks about a former flame and sends him a Facebook message, they begins virtual friendship that seems strange from the get go. I found myself yelling at Eden to do the opposite of what she was doing throughout the book.

This book was truly a roller coaster read, o couldn’t put it down. I wanted to devote a day to it but I was so busy. Each twist was better than the last. If you are looking for a fast paced, easy to read thriller, get this book in March!

Thank you to Samantha M. Bailey, Thomas & Mercer, NetGalley, and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Funny enough this is my first book I've read by Samantha Bailey! I know, I know...... but I can tell you it definitely won't be my last!

Have you ever been so vulnerable in your life due to a loss, divorce, death, or just the hardships in life? And, your longing for a friend to help take that pain away. We have to be careful when were in that deep state of vulnerability because we can attract the wrong type of people or energy.

Eden has been going through a tough time with her daughter gone to college and her husband asking for a divorce. She is lonely and can't stop thinking about the "one" that got away in college bad boy Justin. She decides to friend request him and he accepts and it takes off from there.

I had my reservations on Eden. She was a little over the top with being naive and very easily manipulated. At times, I was so frustrated with her decisions based on red flag city I was screaming girl are you dumb? Justin also just creeped me out to begin with..... I knew he was already lying from the beginning but wondering about what.

But, I was invested and so many twists and turns and it Bailey definitely leads you onto a darker path then readers expect.

While, this book was a bit predictable for our experienced thriller readers, it was still a a fun ride to jump on. I definitely appreciated watching the train fall off those tracks ;).

It is definitely a bingeable book that you can read in a day or two!

Thank you so much to Thriller Book Lovers Promotion and Thomas & Mercer for my copy.

Pub date: March 1st, 2024

Eden's world is crumbling. Her husband blindsided her with divorce, and her daughter barely speaks to her. In an impulsive decision to escape her present, she sends a friend request to her college crush, Justin. One night twenty-three years ago changed the course of her life. It closed the door on Justin and opened it to her husband, Dave. Eden begins an online relationship with Justin that awakens her to take bold risks. But something's off. He knows too much about her and her family. Eden is forced to track down the truth about Justin—and about what happened that fateful night two decades ago that puts her and her family in a fight for their lives.

A FRIEND IN THE DARK is a suspenseful tale of a woman yearning to feel wanted that leads to an unexpected game of survival. Eden is sometimes relatable, although her lonely mentality overpowers her personality considerably. I can understand why since her husband, Dave, blindsided her with divorce, and her teenage daughter didn't treat her the best. Eden had no one else to make her feel seen until Justin, her past crush, returned to the picture. Their blooming online relationship, oof, was spicy! Samantha, if you ever decide to write smut, I may read it. The sexy scenes were body tingling, even if I didn't necessarily like Justin, for reasons you'll have to find out!

Once the secondary POV comes into play and we're introduced to another narrator, that's where all the fun begins! I couldn't stop reading until I figured out what the heck was going on. The twist packed a punch, and there was a moment when I was legitimately on the edge of my seat. Eden's family were put through the wringer! I wouldn't want to wish that on my worst enemy. It was so deliciously messy that I couldn't contain my excitement as it unfolded. By the end, I thought it wrapped up a bit too neatly, but then Bailey said guess again! That last page now has me questioning if a possible sequel is underway. Need answers, Sam! The grass isn't always greener on the other side, and A FRIEND IN THE DARK will show you just that.

A Friend in the Dark is a deliciously twisty, deeply addicting, dark and sexy domestic thriller from the absolutely fabulous @sbaileybooks and I loved it!

I love books that kick off right into the action. From Chapter 1 you know you are about to go on a ride, and every chapter following did nothing but deliver the salacious, juicy, dramatic goods. I devoured this book, and loved the Desperate Housewives-esq vibe - a wife unexpectedly abandoned by her husband, a university bound daughter who resents her, a birthday alone that inspires a reconnection with an old flame…but what happens when that old flame might be more dangerous than you could know - literally a recipe for spicy reading.

This is genuinely perfect escapism reading, that will delight suspense readers and anyone who enjoys a good dramatic soap opera. Put this one on those spring wish lists, you cannot miss it!

Thank you to the publisher for the copy. @sbaileybooks I truly cannot figure out how you dream these books up but I hope you never stop.

4.5 STARS - To say that I was excited that Canadian author Sam Bailey has a new book coming out is an understatement.

I loved her debut Woman on the Edge and her second book Watch Out For Her so I was eager to see what dark and twisty story she would share with us next. Sam is the sweetest person you will ever meet, but the woman has a dark side y'all!! And this reader is oh-so-thankful that she lets it loose on the pages of her thrillers.
A Friend in the Dark is another ominous and tension-filled read that has a bit of a slow burn start with a believably flawed main character in Eden. Eden may take a bit of time to grow on you, but I loved that through her, Sam explores issues that impact women - their roles, expectations, insecurities and identity. You’ll soon feel Eden’s desperation to figure out who she is now that her roles have changed since she is no longer a wife, and her only child has left home. And when you add in sinister happenings and a ‘blast from the past’ relationship, things get spicy and compelling fast!

Buckle up, dear readers! A Friend in the Dark is full of secrets, deception, drama, and pasts that come back to haunt you. It publishes in March 2024, but get ahead of the book nerd herd and preorder your copy today.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

This is hands down my new favorite Samantha Bailey book! It is extremely fast paced (I read this in just a few hours…it was that 𝐔𝐍𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄) with so many jaw dropping twists that you just don’t see coming…especially at the end!
The characters are well developed + well written but let me tell ya, Eden is one unreliable narrator 🫨
I can’t forget about the spice. The steam. It felt hella sexy & risqué! 🥵
I recommend 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 to all my thriller lovers, you will not be disappointed whatsoever!

ARC Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first Samantha Bailey novel and I will be back for more!

Wow! On the edge of my seat the entire time. I had no clue where she was going to take us on the journey. All the feelings throughout the novel of being a mom of a teenager and trying to navigate that relationship while everything else is going on in womanhood…

But oh the tangled web Eden wove for herself. I was sad, happy, mad, embarrassed, and terrified for her. Samantha really made Eden real with her writing and story telling! So good!

Oh my. This might have been one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. I was just sitting here thinking I knew how this would go, and nope, here comes a crazy twist. Trying to recover from that and I’m hit with another one, STILL had not recovered from those two and here come maybe two or three more and I was about on the floor. All of them were very well done, all of them got me, and all arrived at just the right time. I will be swiftly picking up Bailey’s backlist because how was this my first read of hers? But I digress…

I went into this one blind and I think you should too, although I have included the synopsis for you below if you need it. I don’t have much else to say on this one other than I loved it, and again, you know it is huge for me to read something this early without audio, but I could not put this down once I got to part two, from there it was pretty fast paced which I loved. I hope you have this on your radar, March will be here soon…

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Samantha Bailey for letting me be a part of this exclusive tour!

As a longtime fan of Samantha Bailey, I am always excited to get my hands on her new books. A Friend in the Dark is a fun sexy thrill that will surprise you with every twist and turn and is definitely one to look forward to come March 2024.

Thank you to my partners, Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and NetGalley, and the author. I appreciate the gifted eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑼𝒑 - Eden is just all willy-nilly going into this online whatever-it-is with Justin. Talk about some creepy yucky vibes from this dude.

2. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝑭𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒚 - Whether it is Justin or Dave, something just doesn’t add up. The reader is left pondering what in the world is happening and how the past will come into it.

3. 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒐𝒘 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 - And here we are again with something just not feeling right. Eden coincidentally meets up with Lila from her open house and now they are all buddy-buddy. Questionable vibes from her, too.

4. 𝑩𝒆 𝑶𝒑𝒆𝒏 - Marriage is tough no matter the struggles we face, but if you can’t be open and honest, it makes it even harder. This is a tough lesson for Eden and Dave to face.

5. 𝑭𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑭𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 - Eden’s life quickly became a cluster, and she has to figure out who to trust in order to save herself and their daughter, Ava. By keeping her strength, she gives herself every opportunity to do so.

Samantha Bailey is an expert at writing complex female characters that illicit such strong responses from the reader. Eden was a really infuriating character as her situation was awful so as a reader you felt like you should feel sorry for her but also her behaviour was so erratic and she was so gullible that I found myself utterly frustrated by her! Anyone familiar with a British panto will know what I mean when I say I wanted to scream at Eden, “he’s behind you!” Olivia, I felt a whole spectrum of emotions around, from sympathy, to understanding, to utter horror at some of her behaviour.

I didn’t read Samantha Bailey’s latest offering, I devoured it, and in less than 24 hours, which is so rare for me these days, I can’t even tell you the last time it happened.

This feels like a darker, steamier turn than the author’s previous books, but it is definitely just as addicting and just as high in the levels of wtf’ness!

I was hooked on this book from the first page! I nearly read it in one sitting as I couldn’t put it down. Eden is blindsided and heartbroken by her husband requesting a divorce just as their daughter moves away for college. She thinks her life is improving when she surprisingly reconnects online with her college crush. Eden is thrilled but wonders if he is too good to be true! This is a twisty fast paced domestic thriller. The suspense is palpable throughout and I loved all the great twists! I don’t want to say anything else and give anything away as this is a thriller. I absolutely loved this book!

I loved @sbaileys first two novels do when I was asked to be on the book tour for a friend in the dark it was a no brainer for me.
The book starts with an intense and unforgettable prologue that immediately had you wanting to dive right into the story which is told in three parts. After the prologue the novel turns into more of a slow burn thriller. part one we get a lot of background and information into the main character Eden, and her life. Newly separated on the verge of divorce Eden begins reminiscing about the past and the one that might have got away. Eden makes a quick decision to send a friend request that suddenly turned into a bunch of messages to this high school crush. Then just as we think we know where the book is going we have a sudden turn of events as we hit part two. We do an immediate point of view change where things begin to get twisty and messy, just the way I like my thrillers. Part three is the most intense as we go back and forth between the two characters as secrets, revenge and all things twisty begin to reveal themselves,
If you love a slow burn, crazy, twisty thriller that has some steam you definitely need to pick up A Friend In The Dark coming March 2024

Eden Miller's world falls apart after she takes her daughter Ava to college. Her husband blind sided her by asking for divorce in the parking lot. Eden is shocked and saddened by this so she goes home to drink and then looks up her old crush from college Justin. She send him a message through facebook and they start chatting. She loves all the attention he is giving her and she starts going out of her comfort zone.

Soon she will begin to wonder how does Justin know so much about her life? She will put her whole family in jeopardy and need to fight for her life.

You will get the rug pulled out from underneath you as the twists this book takes but buckle up and enjoy the ride.

A dark, twisty fast-paced action packed psychological thriller. The author book is the embodiment of a well executed plot. It is told in dual pov that builds the intensity to the very end. The characters' motivations are slowly revealed, delivering an intricate web of suspense and deception. Brilliantly written, I devoured in a day because I wasn't able to put the book down.

Eden is thrilled when she starts to communicate online with the man that got away, Justin. As they get to know each other again, it becomes apparent that Justin knows too much. So, I had my suspicions on what was going on here but never did I expect it to go the way that it did! This story had me so intrigued and I enjoyed reading the messages interspersed throughout the book. Get your favorite beverage and a snack and sit down with this one. It's such a bingable read. I guarantee you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

I began A Friend in the Dark before bed and stayed up until 4:30am reading. It is beyond propulsive, and my theory of what was going on kept shifting until the very end. Well constructed and fantastic pacing. Really enjoyed reading a Main Character who is over 40. Bravo!

🚨🚨‼️BANGER ALERT‼️🚨🚨

When Tonya @thrillerbookloverspromotions offered me the opportunity to be part of this exclusive tour I said ABSOLUTELY - sign me up!! Total no brainer!! 🤩🤩

This was such a twisty page turner - I INHALED this book 🖤📕 I was gripped from the start and couldn’t read it quick enough. Fast paced, punchy chapters and multiple POV - what more do you want?! It was so refreshing having a female MC in her forties as well 😄😄

When her husband blindsides her with a divorce literally minutes after dropping off their daughter to college (I mean, wtf 😳??) Eden finds herself alone and in her forties. So she reaches out to an old crush from her college days… 🖤 things escalate pretty quickly… in more ways than one 😅😅 If it feels too good to be true…

I can say with absolute certainty - get your preorder in now. This one is going to be covering your grid next year and we all know how easily FOMO can take hold 🤣 Oh, and a wee bonus was seeing so many accounts that I follow in the acknowledgments 😍😍