It did take me a little bit to get into this book because of the cringy texting back and forth in the beginning but it all made sense in the end. I also thought I had the entire plot figured out in the first 10% of the book but I was wrong. This thriller is FULL of twists. Every time I thought I had it figured out Samatha Bailey threw in another curve ball. This was a fun quick read. Definitely worth picking up.

I read this quickly and was entertained. I didn't quite have an idea what to expect, because the summary seems to encompass pretty much all of part 1. When part 2 came with a change in narrator, I was annoyed. But I think the book actually got better after that. Eden made dumb choices, yet she was sympathetic, and Olivia was a really intriguing character. I would read another book by this author.

OMG this book. You need to pick it up ASAP!

Eden and her husband are recently separated. It's Edens first birthday alone. Her 17 year old daughter is in college and her soon to be ex husband Dave moved to his own place. Eden has a couple of drinks and ends up adding her crush from college on facebook. This book will take you on a wild ride that will have you invested in the drama, lies, and secrets. I loved that it was a quick read, with multiple POVs, and plenty of suspence and twists.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book was just over the top. 😂entertaining but insane. It was a lot to follow but a quick read. Started off strong then just went off the rocker

A book that definitely gets your head reeling. So much going on but easy to follow. A must read thriller. It has so many twist and turns made for a brilliant read. I throughly enjoy this book.


Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.

This was 100% not for me. I finished it out of spite.

I wish I could give this read more stars because I hate giving less then 3.
This book was just thriller trash. The plot didn’t even make a ton of sense and the characters were just kind of the worst. I haven’t read a thriller this bad in a long time. Wish it could have been different, but I barely got through it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This one was given so many fantastic reviews and was raved about for its plot twists but I was bored.

I think these reviews were the only thing that got me as far as I did. It was a little too spicy for my liking especially for a thriller and was very concerned about some of the aspects coming into play.

I’ll be honest, I Dnf this one so take that into consideration when deciding if you want to pick it up or not. Maybe the plot twists really are redeeming qualities

A friend in the dark has a decent plot with the character lonely after a seperation and finds her old crush on social media. She instantly falls back in with him but doesn’t realize how much is going on behind the scenes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

Samantha's books have always been winners for me and this one was no different! I was in the mood for a good thriller with some exciting twists and I got it!

While I did manage to figure a couple things out, there were also a couple parts where I was very surprised! Spoiler free zone and I don't want to give anything away with this one. It was dark and mysterious and there were some dark themes present, including domestic and sexual abuse. It was one heck of a ride and very easy to binge read! I finished this one so fast because I couldn't put it down.

If you've enjoyed this author's other works, or if you're looking for a dark, twisty thriller, this one will be right up your alley! Definitely recommend! I will read anything Samantha writes and already can't wait for what she'll write next!

"A Friend in the Dark" is a tightly plotted thriller that explores the emotional dimensions found in a shattered, two-decade long marriage. The characters feel plausible yet try to defy their circumstances on a regular basis. The risks that characters take are grounded in reasonable conclusions. I never really felt like there was a moment where something happened that was totally out of left field, once given the explanation.

I look forward to diving into more books written by Samantha Bailey.

This was a wild ride from start to finish! Huge thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the eARC. This book lured me with its messy, unbelievable plot and characters making questionable decisions left and right. I guess that’s what makes a good thriller? Despite the chaos, I couldn't put it down, and I'm impressed with how the author managed to tie up all the loose ends by the end. The fast-paced nature of the story meant there wasn't much room for character development, but for a quick, suspenseful read, it hit the spot. I must admit, some of the dialogues between characters had me cringing. If you're in the mood for a twisty-turny thriller that'll keep you guessing until the end, give it a try.

A great thriller that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. This was a quick read for me and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Solid thriller/suspense lot of twists I did not see coming l. My second book by this author and will continue to read them. Giving this 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fast pace thriller that was easy to devour. I was on the edge of my seat with each new revelation and plot development. The style of this book reminded me a lot of Lisa Jewell’s. I felt a lot of empathy for Eden. I would recommend this book to others.

A drunken Facebook request blooms into an online flirtation before spiralling into a dark and twisty finale.

45-year old realtor Eden Miller is devastated when Dave, her husband of twenty+ years decides to divorce her. In the midst of a solo pity party on her birthday, a drunk Eden, cruising down memory lane, pings Justin, her old college crush. What begins as a curious conversation, soon explodes into a full-blown online affair, prompting the staid Eden into daring acts that she never would have attempted otherwise. Meanwhile, all around her strange things begin to occur, but it takes the newly-in-love Eden a minute to realize that not all is as it seems. An evil from her past has reared its head and it threatens to take down with it everything that Eden holds dear.

My thoughts on this book are very much conflicted. Eden - a product of overachieving, unappreciative parents - is shown to be insecure and clingy; and this is further amplified when she is blindsided by the divorce and their daughter laying blame squarely on Eden's shoulders. Not going to lie - I really did not understand what the fuss was about Dave's dilemma. Ava, Dave and Eden's teen daughter was an absolute brat - I wanted Eden to disown her for that obnoxious attitude alone. Olivia - I initially appreciated the intrigue her character brought to the plotline. Towards the end, she just gave me a headache; I am assuming this was the intent owing to her unpredictable character.

The author creates a sense of apphrehension and foreboding right from the first chapter. The explicit chats, while welcome in a steamy romance, evokes second-hand embarassment in the reader because you just know this is going to come back to bite her (Eden). The plot was chock full with every perceivable trope - gaslighting, narcissism, domestic abuse, coercive control, physical abuse, mental health issues, murder, kidnapping, stalking, BDSM, cold case - did I miss anything?

Overall, I have mixed feelings on this one. I was definitely not on board with Ava's role in the climax - it felt too contrived. I liked the premise and was hoping to be wowed, so rounding it off to 4 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just fine....
Told in three parts this was the story of a woman going through a separation, struggling to have a relationship with her daughter and being taken advantage of by an old school sweetheart who she thought she knew

The twist wasnt predictable but it wasnt the way in which i would have taken the book, there was so much potential for more gripping chapters but to be honest I didnt really care for any of the characters by the end.

3 stars

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just wow! I really loved this book from Samantha M. Bailey.

After Eden and Dave are dropping their daughter, off at college, Eden is excited to start their lives as empty nesters yet her husband, Dave decides to drop a bombshell. Shaken by this news and how everything is changing, Eden decides to make a drunken friend request on social media to her college crush. Doesn't she know don't ever do drunken texts or anything on social media? That is always a bad idea. I mean, how well do you really know the person behind a screen? The author, Samantha takes you through so many twists and turns it makes you uncomfortable and screaming at the characters to not do what they're about to do it. I love it. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. Thank you Samantha for the incredible writing! I can't wait to read your other books!

WOW. WOW. WOW. A Friend In The Dark was my first book by Samantha M. Bailey but absolutely will not be my last. I was completely hooked from the very beginning. I thought I knew where this was going then hit Part Two & I was thrown for a loop. I couldn’t stop reading & devoured this in less than 24 hours.

When we meet Eden Miller, she’s drunkenly sending a friend request to her college crush, Justin Ward, on the evening of her birthday. His response brings her out of her slump as she’s been blindsided by her husband asking for a divorce after moving their only child into her college dorm. Her online relationship with Justin makes her feel young & desirable and she ignores clear red flags. Why does he know so much about her family? How does he know where she lives? Her daughter’s name? Who she married? Where she’s working?

When we meet Olivia Walker, she seems to be an emotional prisoner of her husband, who recently lost her brother, & is looking for any way out of her currently life.

The two cross paths & as this story unfolds we find out what really happened at a college party 23 years ago which set the course for both womens lives.

This book is a 10/10 for me. Thank you so much to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Samantha M. Bailey for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I’ll be on my way to download her other titles!

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eden is 45, her daughter has left for college, and her husband has informed her he wants a divorce. On a drunken night at home, she send a friend request to a guy from college whom she had a crush on. He responds and things get hot and heavy quickly but Eden has to start wondering what is really going on in this relationship.

This book was a quick read and I thought it was just ok. I didn't think anyone's behavior made any sense and I struggled with that. I mean, I get Eden doing something stupid while she is drunk and even following through the next morning, and I was engaged until then, but after that, things turned a bit farfetched for me. I didn't think anybody's behavior or motivations made a lot of sense, and that was my main problem with this book.