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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

Terrific read was immediately drawn in could not put down.Will not reveal the plot just recommending this book as loud as I can.#netgalley#simon&schuster

This book was gripping from the first chapter. The author immediately gets you invested into the characters and you are INVESTING in this story. A few times I thought I knew what was going on but boy was I wrong. Great book, great characters, great plot.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Wow....absolutely intriguing. Definitely a page turner that keeps you wanting more. The story draws you in quickly and has you guessing to figure out what twist will come next and wondering how these people are connected.

WOW great debut novel by Samantha M. Bailey. Woman on the Edge grabs you right from the beginning and never lets up!

Though I was right on my assumption the rollercoaster ride was full of deep plunges, twists and turns, tunnels into darkness, butterflies in your stomach, and then the final ending leaving you breathless. I read very few mystery, thrillers but love when I pick a good one, yes this was a good one.!

Woman on the Edge is about two women, Nicole and Morgan and told in alternating chapters. Nicole goes from confident CEO of her own company to becoming a nervous mother on the verge of collapse. Morgan is a social worker who works at a woman’s shelter. She feels very alone after her husband is caught embezzling moneyL You will feel sorry for both Morgan and Nicole, their pain will become your pain, you will want to save them both. It is also about two babies Amanda and Quinn. The story keeps moving, it is fast paced and will evoke feelings of fear, pain, love, sorrow and keep you turning the pages way into the night. An absolutely entertaining read from beginning to end. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Can’t wait for Samantha’s next book!

Woman on the Edge was loaded with wild plot twists and turns. Told in two perspectives, and in before and after format, this book is near impossible to put down. Both main characters - Morgan and Nicole - are unique in both their situations and their characteristics. One woman has lost it all and dreams of being a mother, the other has it all and feels her best option is to give up being a mother. Obviously there is a lot more than that, but you'll have to read the book for those details.

This book was incredibly fast paced and leaves the reader with a lot of questions. Not to mention, the supporting characters aid the book in moving forward. Honestly, there is a lot going on at almost all times. Between failing marriages, paranoia, trying to figure out who to trust... it is a lot to take in. A lot of information is being thrown at the reader. Bits of it did feel pretty rushed. I would have loved if things were a little more drawn out to give the reader a bit more of a apprehensive feeling. Also, while I did enjoy the characters some of the actions did not make the most sense to me.

All in all, I did enjoy reading this book even though there are quite a few major things that I would change. If I were to break the rating down, I think I would go with just under 3.5 stars.

This was a great debut for Samantha M Bailey and I look forward to reading her next book!

This debut psychological thriller started off with a huge bang and kept me captivated throughout. Total binge worthy and page turner. It's fast-paced, a bit twisted and unbelievable at points, but entertaining to say the least.

Woman on the Edge is told in two POVs. From Nicole and Morgan. Two women. Two strangers. One subway. One child. A slew of questions. Told in past and present from Nicole and Morgan, we get to see the build up of what led the woman to be on the edge and who is chasing the woman who witnessed the travesty. I don't know how much more I can say without ruining the story, so I'll leave it at that.
The story was compelling and left me wanting more. I didn't really connect or care for any of the major characters until the end, but they all played off one another well to create a plot that moved along quickly and coherently. With the mystery of the connection between Morgan and Nicole being pieced together from the past and present POVs, the story intrigued me and had me questioning everything and everyone.
The ending had the perfect twist, but was perhaps too "clean" for a domestic thriller. I might have guessed where it was going early on, but it still played with our emotions and was a powerful work of suspense.
For a debut and the way the story was crafted and put together, I would say this is totally worth a recommendation. 3.75 stars

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a copy of Woman on the Edge in exchange for an honest review. 

I'll admit it: I do not have an impartial view of this subject matter. As someone who has a mental illness (bipolar II) and who has dealt with postpartum depression, I can not judge Nicole. Nor can I say that this is an unlikely or melodramatic scenario.

Some reviewers say Nicole should realize that her mental state is disintegrating. Or that she lacks common sense. Or that others around her wouldn't overlook her disturbed mental state. These sound unduly harsh to me. 

A mentally ill person might not realize how bad her mental state is. It's difficult to judge from the inside out, especially when one's mind is lying and not fully grasping reality. If people close to the mentally ill person don't take positive action (rather than walking away, as Nicole's acquaintances/friends/family do), then the ill person may have no resources to reach out for help: no energy, no ideas, nothing.

And yes, people WILL walk by an obviously hurting person. Even people you know. Believe me, that hurts. Plus, it minimizes the pain, as if others think the person should simply "get over it" and "deal with it." As if the person--exhausted, edgy, isolated--knows how to handle it.

(How many times have you passed someone who looks disheveled, distraught, and desperate? Maybe you knew them. Maybe not. But you were too busy to help? Too afraid? Too uncertain? Sadly, I admit that I've done this.)

Anyway, here's my point: 

Nicole's increasingly distraught and isolated state resonated with me. It felt real. Raw. It mattered to me in ways that novel conflicts rarely do, no matter how well-crafted they are. 

It broke my heart seeing how delusional and mentally broken Nicole becomes. Knowing that her death is coming makes it all the worse. I kept wanting to beg her to live, plead with her for her baby's sake, and snatch her away from the edge where she teeters, mentally, emotionally, and physically. If I could've reached through the words on the page and grabbed her, I would've. 

I couldn't. But the author made me want to do that. Despite any unsympathetic, self-sabotaging choices Nicole makes, despite any seeming dumb mistakes, despite anything else, Nicole Markham had my sympathy. 

Morgan had my sympathy, too. (This is another woman who is often makes dumb choices; ignoring one's attorney's advice to leave investigations to the police is a bad idea, but most fictional protagonists do a horrible job following a lawyer's orders!)

Ryan, her late husband, killed himself. A financial broker, he had embezzled clients' funds to invest in a corrupt hedge fund. When that went badly and everyone--including family--who had trusted him lost everything, he died, leaving Morgan to be a suspect in his scheme. She didn't know what he was doing. Almost no one believes her. As a result, she's been found guilty in the court of public opinion, though not in court.

She judges herself harshly, too. But the emotions she feels echo what I've heard from suicide survivors: Why did they do it? Why didn't I see? Could I have stopped it? Honestly, she seems to be suffering from PTSD and needs therapy ASAP. She's also longing for a child but unable to have one. At points, her grief seems to overwhelm her personality. 

Even her attorney doesn't fully trust her. Morgan is as alone as Nicole. The author does a great job painting a picture of a woman who is lonely, even when standing on a crowded platform, waiting for a train.

There are issues with the story, of course.

Certain twists are obvious to anyone who reads many suspense/thriller novels.

I also never understood the motivations of certain supporting characters. Without giving spoilers, I can't say much. But I felt like the antagonistic characters' motivations weren't fleshed out enough. I didn't feel that I had enough information to see the full picture of what had been happening outside of Nicole's and Morgan's points of view. As a result, the ending felt rushed. 

There are other aspects that seem unbelievable. The detective who investigates both Nicole's death and Ryan's suicide seems intent on blaming Morgan for both the death and the embezzlement. Yet even supposing Morgan was complicit with her late husband and helped steal other people's investments and squander it in an corrupt hedge fund, there's a huge difference between fraud and murder. It does not logically follow that a thief would become a killer.

As well, there is a lot of backstory introduced early in the book. While it is important, it felt like too much, too soon for me. 

Yet despite the flaws, Woman on the Edge haunts me.

This is a story about grief and regrets, and what makes one person able to move past those traumas and another person succumb to them. I am willing to overlook many writing flaws because of my emotional connection with these characters. It was a powerful, poignant experience for me to journey alongside these two women. It will haunt me for a long time. 

(This review will appear on my blog on March 9, 2020.)