A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey is a pulse-pounding psychological thriller that explores the complexities of regret, longing, and the dangers of revisiting the past. Eden Miller’s life is in turmoil—she’s grappling with a painful divorce, a strained relationship with her daughter, and a yearning to reclaim the lost opportunities of her youth. In a bid for escape, she reconnects online with Justin Ward, her college crush, igniting a rekindled emotional connection that challenges everything she thought she knew about her life and relationships.

Bailey expertly builds suspense as Eden begins to question the true identity of Justin. What starts as a harmless attempt to relive the past quickly spirals into a terrifying realization that someone has been watching her for years, and the consequences of her actions could be deadly. The story masterfully blends elements of obsession, deception, and psychological tension, as Eden races to uncover the truth about Justin—and about a long-buried secret from her past that could destroy her family.

With its gripping pace and twists that keep you guessing, A Friend in the Dark is a taut, engrossing thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Bailey delves into themes of emotional vulnerability, the dangers of online connections, and the haunting question of what might have been, all while delivering a heart-stopping, suspense-filled narrative. It’s a must-read for fans of dark, twisty psychological thrillers.

A twisty, gripping thriller that will keep you engaged to the very end. 'Small but mighty' most certainly comes to mind!! A must-read author for any thriller fans out there.

Lonely on a Friday night, months after her daughter moved to college and her husband announced he was leaving her, Eden sends a friend request to the one that got away in her college days. Justin is coincidentally going through a separation too and the sparks begin to fly immediately. Justin is extremely charming, but he might have a bit of a temper... and did he enter Eden's home?

I could not put this book down. I had to know each characters angle and motivation, and what would happen next. While I found some of the "twists" to be a bit predictable, there were other parts that left me reeling. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and left me on the edge of my seat.

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

A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey is a small, but mighty thriller that will keep readers guessing. I have read other books from this author, and she's becoming a must-read author for me.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Really enjoyed this story. Kind of scary how true some of the themes are. Didn’t love the main character but liked her enough to keep reading. Wasn’t shocked at the twist and felt like something that I have read before but overall enjoyable read. Would recommend and looking forward to more from this author

Eden’s whole world is falling apart around her. On the day she dropped her only child off at college her husband chooses that day to tell her he wants to separate. Having been married for over 20 years Eden is at a loss for what her life will now look like. When she friends her college crush on Facebook and starts to correspond with Justin, she wonders if this is her second chance. If only she knew it might be the last hoping she ever does.

This was a solid thriller. Somewhat far fetched in parts, but twisty enough to make it worth reading!

A FRIEND IN THE DARK was such a suspenseful sexy thriller that was so addictive I finished it on one sitting. If you're looking for a wild ride, this is definitely the book for you!

Eden and her husband Dave have been together for twenty-three years, so she is blindsided when he says he wants a divorce. Eden is heartbroken, so she decides to Facebook stalk her old crush Justin and friend him. To her suprise, he immediately follows back, and they first start chatting in their PMs and then on the phone. He makes her feel wanted and sexy again, but he somehow knows a lot about her. Is he following her, and should he be trusted?

SOOOOO GOOD !

I love every book by Samantha Bailey and this one totally shocked me with how dark it was, I wasn't expecting that! Definitely her darkest of the bunch I would say and it WORKED , SO WELL!

This book totally gave me 'Last Mrs. Parrish' vibes . Savage and twisty , addicting and engaging.

Highly recommend FOR SURE!

"A Friend in the Dark" was my first book by Samantha Bailey. It was twisty and fun, and definitely kept me on my toes throughout.

Eden and Dave are college sweethearts who have recently sent their daughter, Ava, to college. Eden is excited to begin her empty-nest phase of life, and rekindle the romance that she and Dave once had. However, Dave drastically changes when his father passes away, becoming ever distant from Eden and eventually asking for a divorce. Eden is absolutely crushed, and lonely in her new, single life. Until one night, after a bit too much to drink, she contacts an old college flame, Justin. What begins as a simple internet flirtation quickly becomes a sizzling, erotic endeavor. Within a matter of days, Eden becomes completely infatuated with Justin....until she finds out that he is married.

Eden is confused and heartbroken once again. Is Justin playing with her, or does he truly want to end things with his wife? As Eden is caught up in the drama, she develops a friendship with a woman whose past seems to be riddled with secrets. Does the woman know something about Justin and his past?

As Eden tries to work out Justin's motives, she is also trying to fix a fledgling relationship with Ava. Until one day when the unthinkable happens, and Eden is forced to figure out Justin's ulterior motives....or possibly lose her family forever.

This was an interesting enough book, but it had a LOT going on, much of it fairly unrealistic. (The whole story basically takes place within a week's time period, and it seems ridiculous how invested/obsessed Eden became with Justin within that time frame). There was also a backstory of a college mystery, mental illness.....I felt that the author tried to throw too much together to see what would stick. Overall though, it was a quick and entertaining read, and I would not be opposed to reading more from the author in the future.

I loved this novel. It kept me entertained and guessing the whole way through and I couldn't read this one fast enough. Highly recommend this one and I look forward to more titles by this author.

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.