I really enjoyed Samantha M. Bailey previous book Watch Out For Her so couldn't wait for this one. When I saw early reviews appearing my FOMO was twitching and I begged to get a copy.

I didn't read the blurb, I went in blind and recommend you do the same to experience the full shocking whiplash...

Eden Miller's life is in tatters, her husband has left her, seeking divorce, her teenage daughter barely speaks to her. An impulsive decision to revisit her youth and escape the present sees her messaging her college crush, Justin Ward.

Could the flirty messages with hunk Justin be the start of an new exciting love or is she asking for trouble?

At the start it feels familiar, another unhappy newly single woman relearning to live after marriage, but hold on tight, because this goes deeper, darker and more twisted.

Samantha M. Bailey creates this comfortable suburban scene, tapping into Eden's need to move on and rebuild her life and then though expert plotting sets up a succession of huge twists and reveals that had me completely hooked. The threat and tension ramps up beautifully and the acceleration in pace will take your breath away.

The build up to the finale and the finale itself is breathtaking. There's a very real nerve jangling threat to the characters while your brain is trying to piece together all the reveals.

A wild ride and definitely highly recommended.


Thanks to Thriller Book Lover Promotions and Netgalley

Well this was a fun one! Told from two POV in three parts, this was a wild ride of bad decisions and the consequences of messing with the wrong guy (even when they seem like the right one). I found I enjoyed Olivia’s POV better than Eden’s as Eden seemed a bit too OTT with her denseness at times but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment this book provided me…I could see this being a great beach read so would recommend for sure!

The back of my head slams against the wall…

…I close my eyes and fall, unafraid, into the moment.

These are the bookends of Samantha M. Bailey’s A Friend in the Dark, the very first and very last sentences, and, if you think those are explosive, you should read all of what’s contained between them.

This is my favorite Samantha M. Bailey book so far. It's an easy one-sitting binge, because it's impossible to look away from once you're drawn in by the very first sentence. It's also impossible not to want Eden to find happiness, even though you know she's going about it in all the wrong ways. I loved it!

A Friend in The Dark by Samantha Bailey is an evocative, thought provoking read. Eden, our main character, is 45 (my age) and brings up the question of the path not taken. As she navigates a whole new life after being abandoned by her husband, she begins to explore a whole new side of herself. Her journey is relatable in some aspects and it’s really nice reading a book that focuses on a woman in her 40’s. The second POV really ramped up the tension and fear. I was stunned by each revelation as they kept coming at me. Bailey has created the perfect thriller, one with suspense, steam and superb writing.

Eden, recently separated, begins an online relationship with a man from her past, one she had a crush on back in college. Her soon to be ex-husband Dave has always been nice and safe but Justin has awakened something within her, making her feel wanted and desired. But with each interaction, Eden starts to question why Justin seems to know details about her life that she’s sure she hasn’t shared 🤔.

I loved the direction @ took with this book! Not only was it a fast paced and twisty domestic thriller, it was a look into the life of a wife and mother who finds herself suddenly discarded and alone, grasping for answers and questioning her life. Eden is one of those characters that you kind of want to shake but she’s also very relatable and you can feel her desperation and need for validation. Buckle up and enjoy some questionable characters, secrets and lies and all the juicy drama.

Definitely put this on your radar, you won’t be disappointed 😉. Binge worthy, addictive, sexy and a bit risqué, this was such a fun read.

This one was a bit different - definitely more 🌶️ than most books in this genre . Each part of the book had me thinking the book was going in a certain direction and the boom - it went a different way ! So of course I ended up staying late to finish the book because I just had to know the ending.. which was good but I dunno I wanted a different ending for these characters somehow 🤷🏼‍♀️

The book is gripping and unputdownable. It’s a real page turner. It has twists and turns. Things changes unexpectedly when Eden decides to revisit the past to rekindle the love and heal herself but things takes a different turn and the truth unveils. She had a husband and a daughter but after divorce, all she has left with is loneliness. Justin Ward makes her feel good but there are secrets he is keeping from her. What if his secrets will keep her life at stake? Will things work between Eden and her daughter? Will she find her happiness again?

The author has written a twisty domestic psychological thriller with a deceiving characters. I liked the revelation about Olivia. The suspense and mystery kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending was a bit terrifying but good. It has secrets, truth, revenge and complicated relationships. The author has also expressed the pain of a mother and wife when things fall apart. This is such a brilliant and twisted book.

Thank you Netgalley, Author and Publisher

Holy cow, stop my speeding heart! The epitome of a fast-paced thriller, A Friend in the Dark can only truly be compared to the one and only Freida McFadden. Twisty to the extreme, unbelievably dark, and with just the right amount of spice, my mind was well and truly blown away by Bailey’s magnificently plotted domestic thriller tour de force. I mean, I, for one, didn’t see that first twist coming AT ALL, and the blindingly good bombshells didn’t stop there in the least.

The characters were truly something to behold as well, in my opinion. With motivations and behaviors that ran the gamut from innocently naïve to deeply disturbed, this dual POV tale had me second guessing everyone from start to finish. Don’t get me wrong, each was just the right amount of over-the-top, but only in the best possible way.

The plot was where this story utterly shined, however. A rocketing rollercoaster of foreboding and suspense, each time I thought I had it all figured out, I was happily proved one hundred percent wrong. And that climax! What can I say? Delivered at the perfect moment and in the ultimate setting, it kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.

If there was anything at all in which I could find fault with, it had to do with the mildly open-ended conclusion. For someone who lives and dies by finales that are wrapped up with perfect, tiny, little bows, this one was somewhat missing that piece of the puzzle. So here’s hoping that it merely means a sequel is on the horizon, because if there’s one thing I’d love, it would be the reprisal of all things borderline personality disorder.

All in all, this book was a ride and a half. Already a diehard fan of Samantha M. Bailey, A Friend in the Dark merely cemented her name on my auto-buy author list. Driven both by the sublime characters and the action packed plot, it also made me think long and hard about the road not taken. After all, it was a rare fictional glimpse into middle-aged life, only this one was filled with blinding obsessions, long-buried secrets, and hidden desires. Take it from me, this book is not one to be missed so be sure to add the title to your TBR ASAP. Rating of 4.5 stars (upgraded).

I truly admire Samantha Baileys’s ability to weave imperfect characters that you can’t help but root for while driving suspense from start to finish. She strikes a perfect balance between a character driven and a plot driven story. I connected with main character Eden, and found myself invested in her story and all the insanity she faces. So much so, I gobbled up this book in less than a day. I love everything Samantha Bailey’s written, and I can’t recommend her books enough.

Samantha M. Bailey's latest is a tense, acerbic domestic thriller. Intricately plotted, Bailey is a master at manipulating her reader—she cleverly delivers on so many levels. Her characters are well-developed and propel the expertly paced story.

And the ending...I was completely gobsmacked.

A FRIEND IN THE DARK is slick, twisty, and suspenseful. HIGHLY recommend!

This is my first Samantha Bailey book. It starts out sexy, when Eden finds herself separated and completely alone after dropping her only child off at college. I was so devastated for her. She reaches out to her college crush,Justin, and their online interaction has the heat turned up to 11. Eden feels like she's getting her mojo back.

It's a thriller, not a romance, so it's not all sexy times. Things start to go terribly awry for Eden, and the intensity turns up. This is an edge of your seat thriller, and I had no idea what was coming. So many brilliant twists and turns.

It was addictive and compulsively readable. I highly recommend it!

Holy wow! This one was so suspenseful and I found myself holding my breath at times!

After dropping their daughter at college, in the parking lot there, Eden's husband Dave tells her he wants a divorce and drives away. She is heartbroken. After wallowing a bit, she has a bit of wine on her birthday alone and looks up Justin, a college crush, on social media. They begin chatting and things get spicy fast. Eden finds herself doing things she never thought she'd do.

Things get a little odd and Justin starts to know things about her that Eden could swear she didn't tell him. Eden finds herself in a situation she isn't sure she can get out of. And she's in for a wild ride!

This one was very twisty and fast paced, and it took some turns I didn't see coming. Having been in that divorce situation, I found Eden somewhat relatable, but man some of the choices she made had me wondering!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer, Samantha Bailey and Thriller Book Lover Promotions for the ARC! “A Friend in the Dark” releases in 2024!

Eden Miller’s world is falling apart. On the day she brings her daughter to college, her husband blindsides her with a divorce. Her daughter blames her and they barely speak anymore. On her birthday, after a few too many glasses of wine, Eden sends her former college crush Justin a friend request. After all, Justin was essentially the one that got away before she met and married her husband. She’s startled, but delighted, when Justin gets back to her almost immediately. He knows just the right things to say and makes Eden feel alive in a way she never has before. But Justin seemingly knows too much about Eden and her family. Just who is this man Eden has opened up her life to?

When I first started reading this story, I found myself thinking how relatable Eden was. I think most women have felt the way she was feeling, maybe not in such extremes, but to the point of being lonely and just wanting to be seen, wanting someone to choose you. But she had no idea what she was getting into with Justin! Told in dual timelines, Eden’s past with Justin unfolded as she embarked on a new relationship with him in the present. I was immediately sucked into both stories, wanting to know more about Justin and Eden’s prior relationship and how it played a role in the present. Unable to put this book down, I was shocked when I saw I had 70% read in one sitting. Definitely binge worthy, I finished it in a day and was sad that it had to end! This was my first Samantha Bailey book but definitely won’t be the last!

Wow, this book is a WILD ride!

I just want to start my review by saying, I read this book in a day. I absolutely could not set it down. It’s quick and fast paced. I really enjoyed the multiple POV and seeing the story from both women, it definitely kept me wondering what in the heck was going on. I was clued into some of the plot twists but was totally wrong about how they actually played out. I really enjoyed the plot in general, online dating is so popular anymore but I have yet to read a book where it is the forefront. This book not only did but did it well. I was throughly engrossed in the world Bailey created.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy was how unbelievable the ending felt. I don’t want to spoil anything but there are things at the end that didn’t feel realistic to me.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy!

This book went to the top of my TBR the second I read the synopsis.
Can I just say how much I loved reading a book with a FMC that's my age, and going through relatable life events? Eden was an absolute wreck in every way imaginable (I loved it and I couldn't look away), and her failure to see all the flashing red flags made for quite a thriller! This was a quick, exciting read!

Thank you so much to Thomas & Mercer, and @thrillerbookloverspromotions for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: February 29, 2024

🩷𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸🩵
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰/𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰(
🗓️save the date!)
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟱 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

🤏𝖳𝖾𝖾𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗂𝖽𝖻𝗂𝗍
One night 23 years ago changed the course of Eden’s life. It closed the door on her college crush & opened it to her meeting her husband. Now, she may have a do over when she reaches out to this crush after she was blind sighted by her husband with a divorce. This digital romance turns deadly & it turns into a fight for her & her family’s lives…
Scroll if you want the full synopsis.👉
💻🩷🩵💻🩷🩵💻🩷🩵

💭𝖬𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌...
Wow! OMG! 🙌That tidbit is not even close to what all happens in this fast paced domestic thriller. 😱I knew I was gonna like it, but I absolutely LOVED it! I was gasping at so many parts that my kids were worried about me. We were on the beach & I would put a hand over my mouth & just make these crazy “oh my god eyes” and stop to just take that moment in. 😳😯 They both said “I don’t think you should read that. You don’t look well.” I was very “well”, thank you very much! 😆 The twists were fantastic. The beginning, the middle & the end were all 🤌. Oh…it even has some super steamy moments🌶️. I gobbled this gem up fast!! Mark your calendar for March because you want to read this book right away. 🗓️It has a great preorder price on Amazon and the cover is hot pink. My fav🩷

👏Thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotions
and @sbaileybooks for having me on the exclusive tour! What a friggin blast! 💥🥳

This is one of Samantha Bailey’s best books in my opinion. You will want to get your hands on this book. I read it slowly because I wanted to savor every word and did not want it to end.

✨ drama
✨ separation, coparenting (17 yr old child of MCs)
✨ single MC, realtor
✨ soon to be ex husband who has secrets
✨ creepiness
✨ high school party back in the day gone wrong

Awesome book!!!!

A friend in the dark by Samantha M Bailey
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

" A digital romance turns deadly..."
Say no more! I'm here for it and the hype surrounding this one did not let me down!

I feel like the relatable tone of this one gives the book a distinct advantage. New-age sexting and real-life feelings twist you up in its grip and don't let you go until the bitter end.

When a woman's needs lead to a forbidden infatuation, she ends up figuring out that sometimes it's too good to be true.

I realize this one is highly anticipated and I'm here to tell you it's 100% worth it. Get your preorder in, and find out why some things are better left unknown.

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions and @sbaileybooks for an early copy of this one! I am SO happy 😊

Wow this book was beyond amazing! When I was asked for ARC readers I immediately said YES! From the very first word until the gripping ending I was hooked! This book had great character development, amazing twists and turns you do not see coming, and the plot blew me away! This book is easily in the top 10 great books for me this year!

This book was something else.
Something else on so many levels.
Good? No, it was better than good.
It was weird, it was anxiety-inducing, it was fast-paced, but it was not an easy read. There were way too many of those weird moments when you stop and ask yourself “Did I just read what I think I did? What exactly happened there?”
If you think you have read books with WOW twists, think again. This was not a wow-twist-book. This was a wow-book. There were so many moments that made me feel like I was not reading a book with twists happening now and then, instead, I was reading a story that itself was a twist unfolding and then unfolding some more, or maybe it was more like opening those stacking dolls where you open one and find another inside, and then you open it to find yet another one – this is what this story was, like those dolls.
If you think you have read some unreliable narrators, think again. This one takes it one step further and then cranks up the volume some more. And then, you start questioning your own perception of this unrelatable narrator’s unrelatable-ness – was it really there? Was it there all along? Did I read it right? Am I sure I didn’t miss something?
Yes, there are triggering moments, and it might not be the easiest read if you have lived through abuse. But then again, if you have, then this book might be therapeutic also, the way it is written.
I want to mention that I’m not a fan of happy endings. Not a fan at all. This book does have a happy ending. Yet it doesn’t feel tacky or weirdly sweet. It makes perfect sense there. After all the horror the book is, the ending is perfect. Everyone is traumatized, and everyone has life-long issues and consequences because of alllllllll the horror that happened in the book, but still, the ending is good.
Also, it has been a few days now since I finished reading this book. I started reading it the day I got it. And now it seems to be stuck with me. It lives rent-free in my head. And, I don’t mind having it there. It makes me think about it again and again. The most unrelated little things make me remember it, and think about it.
I’m one of those weird readers who read to forget. I read, immerse myself, feel all the feels, think all the thoughts, live all the lives of the other people, and then I’m done with it. I read something and let it go and move on to the next thing. This one, no, it sticks with me, and it looks like it’s sticking with me for quite some time.
Also, this is one of those books that make me feel incredibly thankful and grateful to all the awesome people I have met on my book journey and all the events that have led me to this moment, where I’m so grateful for all the awesome books I get to read. Thank for for the copy of this book!