Eden Miller's life is in freefall—divorce, estranged daughter, and a desperate need for connection. But when she reconnects with her college crush, Justin Ward, what starts as a nostalgic escape quickly spirals into a chilling nightmare.

The premise of revisiting the past and wondering "what if" is something we can all relate to, but this book takes that idea and twists it into something far darker. The suspense builds masterfully, with every interaction between Eden and Justin leaving you on edge, wondering just how deep the deception runs.

What I loved most is how the story explores the dangers of clinging to the past and the illusions we create when we're desperate for a way out. The revelations about Justin and the fateful night that changed Eden's life had me turning pages late into the night.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

This book was so good that I read it in a couple of hours. These characters frustrated me but also made me want to keep on reading to see what happens. Eden and Olivia are the two main characters. Eden and Olivia are connected to each other through Justin who is Olivia’s husband and the man who got away for Eden. Eden is going through a divorce with her husband after they drop their daughter off at college, the same college where they met and fell in love. Eden decides to send Justin a friend request because she’s feeling lonely and having doubts about herself. Eden begins talking to Justin and not acting like herself. Her daughter starts acting out and pushing her away. Then Eden meets Olivia not knowing who she is and learns that she was pretending to be Justin to show her how dangerous he was. Justin abuses and gaslights Olivia every chance he gets and makes her believe that what happened to Tyler was her fault. Tyler was Eden’s coworker and has been missing since a college party and has never been found. Eden’s daughter decides to confront Justin at his house and she gets hurt and Eden ends up kidnapped but Olivia saves them and pushes him to the basement like she did her mother years ago and her brother took the fall. I think Justin got what he deserved in the end. And I am glad that Eden and her husband made up and they are trying to be a family again. I very much enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.

Eden has just dropped her daughter off to college when she is blindsided by her husband asking her for a divorce in the parking lot of their child’s dormitory at their mutual alma mater. Eden thought her and Dave were just stuck in a rut after his father’s passing but didn’t imagine he wanted their marriage to end. A lonely night for Eden takes a trip down memory lane and soon she is on social media typing in the name of the one who got away from her in college. Justin Ward.

Eden connects with Justin on social media and soon their connection takes off running and Eden begins to fall fast and questions everything she ever had with Dave. Weird things start transpiring at every turn and Eden soon wonders who she can trust and if the men in her life really are who they say they are. When her daughter Ava disappears shortly after Dave is also injured, Eden is in a race against time to find out who is at the center of all this so she can save the people she truly loves.

I wanted to like this book. It fell flat for me and I felt the plot was a little out there and cheesy. Bailey introduces the reader to an interesting cast of characters but once the storyline fell down the rabbit hole of the dead brother and Olivia hearing her dead brother’s voice while constantly rubbing a stone made with his ashes, I felt like I was reading a daytime soap opera plot and not a thriller. There weren’t really any big twists or unexpected scenes. The ending was predictable, and the epilogue certainly closed out the book with no loose ends, but the storyline was not one that will stick with me for long and definitely did not pack a punch.

This was a thriller that got me very excited but I ended up not finishing it. It just didn’t keep my attention. I think that the plot is super interesting and maybe I’ll give it another go later.

I adored this book. I read it so fast and was guessing the whole time. i loved the ending too. it kept me guessing and i did not see the ending coming it was not what i was guessing it would be

This is my first time reading Samantha M Baileys books and I will definitely be picking up another one. I really enjoyed this book.

Eden’s life is falling apart. She’s in her 40’s and her only daughter is off to college. Her husband Dave suddenly ends their 20 year marriage with no significant explanation to what is going on. He’s keeping secrets and she has no clue what is really going on. Eden’s trying to move forward with her life when it feels like it’s imploding. On a drunken whim she sends a Facebook message to her college crush. Soon she is in the middle of a lust driven reconnection with a man that may not be good for her.

This book was fast paced and hard to put down. I was really empathizing and rooting for Eden. She was going through so much and her character was really easy to identify with. After 20 years of focusing on being a wife and mother she had lost her identity. I thought this was a twisty thriller that also dealt with real issues like self acceptance and mid life crisis. I can’t wait to read another book by this author!

I dnf'd this one at 20%. I couldn't get over how fast she decided to just start talking to Justin and professing her love. Seemed very unlikely and childish. Plus i hated the narrators of the audio so that didn't help.

If you love fast-paced, gripping thrillers that keep you turning the pages well into the night, then make sure to pick up A Friend in the Dark when it’s out next March! Can’t wait for this author’s next novel!!

I was skeptical of a thriller that was only 200 pages, but I was proven so wrong. I thought this story was well-developed and had ample time for all of the twists to be explored.

The premise is that Eden's husband separated from her suddenly and she's lonely so she turns to her college crush and starts to message him on Facebook. She starts an emotional and sexual online relationship with him but weird things start to happen...

Overall I really enjoyed this thriller--it was a very quick read (about 1.5-2 hours), very fast-paced, and kept me interested the whole time.

I got an ARC of this from NetGalley for free, but I think the book has already been published? Anyway, thank you for the ARC!

Wow! This was such a great book! I finally see why Samantha M. Bailey has such a strong following. I finished this book in a single day. Partly because it was such a fast paced, quick, read and partly because I just couldn't put it down! I need to start reading more from Samantha M. Bailey!
Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A Friend in the Dark is a thriller. Some twists but nothing earth shattering. A lonely woman reaches out to a high school crush as her own marriage is crumbling. In an online romance that is discovered by her teen daughter, the complexity of the situation unravels. Lot of emotions involved but no triggers.

Would recommend to a friend for a quick, easy read.

Thank you Netgalley, Samantha M Bailey and Thomas & Mercer publishers for the eArc of A friend in the Dark.

After Edens Husband Dave, blindsided her asking for a divorce. Eden decides to escape to the past to avoid the present and sends an old crush a friend request and Justin Ward accepts. One night 23 years ago at a party, a door was swung shut on Justin with Eden, and opened the door for Dave. Will Justin get a do over?

What's the old saying? If the past comes a knocking, don't answer the door. It has nothing new to say. This is what came to mind with this domestic thriller but it's not till near the end you realise what the past had to say!!

I really enjoyed A Friend In the Dark. It's a quick read as its medium paced with a nice character build up at the beginning. This is a duel point of view narrative, Eden and Olivia and it becomes very apparent early on who Olivia is. There are plenty of little twists and turns, a few sexual moments and the play off I felt was well executed. I can definitely relate to Eden and.really liked her. Justin, well, you have to read to find out who and what he is!

I had the pleasure of also listening to the audio version. Alex Picard and Libby McKnight did an ok job of narrating but did feel that they didn't quite have the right pacing for this book which let it down a little.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Amazon/Netgalley/ Goodreads

Eden and her husband Dan had just dropped their daughter off at college when Dan drops the bomb that he wants a divorce. Eden has no clue who exactly she is without her daughter and husband. She is lonely and reaches out to the guy she liked during college. He start messaging her right away and is in a similar boat as Eden. Justin is also still technically married, but going through a divorce and clearly unhappy. Eden can't help the strange feeling that someone is watching her every move. Eden is determined to start living for herself , even though she's not sure what she wants.

I had no idea what to expect from this book but I could never have guessed how it turned out. I really enjoyed getting to see Eden start to discover herself again, because as a mom I can relate completely. I really liked how the story was told and the characters were developed well too.

I started this book first by listening to the audiobook and the two female narrators for this book were awful. The narrator for Eden’s part was extremely monotone. The narrator for Olivia’s part was even worse because she was basically whispering through that whole part. The audio kind of ruined this book for me, I might have liked it better if it was narrated better. I did end up reading the last half of the book. But this book also drove me nuts, the main character Eden, was extremely desperate for male attention, to the point that it was pathetic. The book did keep me engaged and I was not expecting the twists and turns. Overall not terrible but if you’re going to read it, do not listen to the audiobook.

“𝐈𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫?”

Samantha M. Bailey's 2022 release Watch Out For Her was a enjoyable cat-and-mouse domestic suspense read, and so I was excited to dive into her latest (plus I love reading a Canadian author!)

Bailey crafts a page turning story about the dangers of desire and loneliness. Protagonist Eden is at a crossroads in her life: she's used to looking out for others first, and pretending things are fine when they are not. Her daughter has left for college, her husband has asked for a divorce, and her friends feel far away. Being lonely and vulnerable, she reconnects online with her college crush, Justin, and starts making some risky decisions. Eden's overwhelmed feelings as she navigates change are relatable, while also questioning who she is at this point in her life. Some of the decisions she makes were both concerning and understandable, as she gets swept up in the possibilities this relationship creates. The narrative feels intoxicating narrative full of characters that create a lot of doubt on their trustworthiness. I was surprised that there was a shift in perspective partway through, but it helps drive home Bailey's point that looks can be deceiving. Some pieces are over-the-top (especially in the second part), yet still dances on the edge of being fully believable.

A Friend In The Dark is a story of pretending, loneliness, relationships, and subterfuge. I think it may be Bailey's strongest novel yet that offers mixes the right amount of spice and darkness with foreboding and unease. It would make a perfect binge read, especially in the summer by a pool or beach. Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was one of those quick reads that I read in a whole two sittings- not necessarily because it was short, but because I read it well into the night, then picked it right back up upon waking the next morning. I legitimately didn't see the curveball coming that was thrown halfway- I figured Justin was just another jerk. Once Olivia and Eden's narratives converged, I sped through this book, eager to see the outcome. (Which, again, I didn't see coming). I'll definitely be recommending this book (easily), and will obviously be looking for future books by Samantha M. Bailey. (Hello Juliet is already on my Barnes and Noble/Amazon wish list.).

I enjoyed both women's stories and the way the story jumped in time and POV as we get to know what happened with each woman's relationship with a bad boy drummer and the fateful frat party that ended with one of their friend's dying.

Edgy, relatable and filled with trauma, catfishing, stalking and tons of twists with a killer ending. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Robyn Harding and Samantha Downing. 7+

I saw someone else’s #review (and I am so sorry because I cannot remember whose it was) about this being one of those #suspensethrillers that you CANNOT put down and will end up finishing in one night. The #bookreview was accurate. It is short and you cannot put it down - it is addicting - albeit laughably unrealistic (although I still would recommend it just for the pure entertainment and fast paced nature of this one). If you need out of a #readingslump and need a #quickfix, this is perfect!

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A woman finds herself in the depths of hell when her husband unexpectedly leaves her and her only child - who appears to blame her and her alone for their failed marriage - leaves for college. She finds herself in a thrilling and unexpected newfound correspondence with the only man she’s ever loved before her husband, however - a combination of “what if” and desperation at rock bottom.

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Unfortunately, everything is not what it seems. And sometimes certain people are better left in the past. And sometimes… the people that enter your life are not who they say are.

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Again, extremely ridiculous at parts, particularly the woman’s appearing to inflate a texting relationship to some sort of deep, endearing love. Still, this one is just so wildly entertaining and holds your attention so well, it is absolutely worth it. Would recommend to anyone if you need a solid non-deep #thriller to spice things up.

They say we never really know who we are talking to online and A Friend in The Dark by Samantha M. Bailey is about to prove that as we first start with a party happening twenty years ago in college where Eden went along hoping to hook up with singer Justin, only to end up in the bathroom blacked out and saved by Dave - her now-husband. The pair have just dropped off their daughter to college and Dave has told Eden he wants a divorce. This drives Eden to hop on Facebook and send a spontaneous friend request to Justin Ward - the guy she believes got away. That party has always stuck in her mind as it's also the party where one of their college friends disappeared and never was found. Of course, some people know what happened and have been hiding the secrets for the past twenty years but like any secret, when that person is pushed- they are willing to go to lengths to have that secret out in the open - no matter what the cost. That cost happens to be Eden as she falls into an online romance with Justin, but is it Justin or someone else from her college past who was also at the party? How deep will Eden fall and will it cost her relationship with her daughter Ava? Find out in A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey. A deadly cat-and-mouse game of catfishing.

I didn't love this one. The plot was very rushed to be believable.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own