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.

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!