Eden is celebrating her birthday night alone.. because a couple weeks earlier she and her husband dropped their daughter off at college for her freshman year and her husband told her in the parking lot he wants a divorce. She’s scrolling through social media and decides to friend request the bad boy in a band she was obsessed with in college - the one who left her at a party drunk - and she went home with Dave that night instead. He messages her and they begin a whirlwind of spicy texting that leads to her making decisions that go from bad to worse.

This story is told in 3 parts from 2 POVs which reminded me of gone girl (the book.. not the movie) with the turn of events. The first part gets a little too spicy for my liking for a thriller and I started to think this wasn’t going to be for me but then it cooled off. Part 2 adds another character to the mix.

The ending left you wanting more as it was left with a cliff hanger with more questions then answers - but it also leaves the ending up to your own interpretation.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this read.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately this one was not as good as the premise sounded. Our main character Eden is incredibly frustrating and makes idiotic decisions throughout the book. The ‘twists’ in this were very predictable - maybe I’ve read too many at this point but they seemed to be glaringly obvious from early on. I did finish the book and it was a quick read. Some people seem to be loving this so maybe I’m the outlier on this one. 2 stars.

I found myself entertained. I loved how Bailey has had crafted this with atmosphere full of suspense, building to an unpredictable conclusion. It definitely enhanced my reading experience.

Unfortunately this one missed he mark for me.

Eden’s husband Dave left her six weeks ago after dropping their daughter off at college with little explanation. Now, drunk on her birthday she reconnects on Facebook with the guy before her husband, Justin. Is this fate for her and Justin to have a second chance?

I found part one to be such a quick and easy read, but once we changed perspectives I found the entire book changed for me. I was enjoying the slightly creepy feel of things not adding up, and Eden questioning reality, but the change really took the book way from me and I didn’t enjoy it as much. There was a lot of intermingling and overlap to get to the story we got and I didn’t fully enjoy the way it played out. The characters were all very unlikeable in my opinion, making it hard to connect.

OHHH Ms. Samantha! I was hesitant about this one due to the “romance” aspect, but I sure am glad I gave it a whirl regardless. There were times that I thought I had it ALLLL figured out, just to be proven wrong. It was more sinister than I could have conjured up in my tiny brain.

Eden was a frustrating MC. She made a lot of poor choices, but I am less harsh on judgement when one is grieving and feeling loss so I was empathetic towards her.
Olivia on the other hand… I KNOW she was suffering but she didn’t need to bring EVERYONE down with her. Idk. Maybe as I sit and reflect I will grow a soft spot for her.

This was a complete page turner!

When Eden’s husband asks for a divorce, she’s completely blindsided. She uses it as an opportunity to reconnect with a college crush, Justin. They begin and online relationship that leads her to risky behavior.

This was a twisty thriller that I had no idea where it was going but had to keep reading with every chapter. I like books with an evil character and someone trying to escape, but there was so much more to this than that. The twists and turns just keep coming until the end when it all comes together.

“Their castle was really a prison.”

A Friend in the Dark comes out 3/1.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC copy of A Friend in the Dark.

The premise of this book sounded really promising and I did enjoy the fact that it was a short and face-paced read. I did not enjoy how, frankly, pathetic both female main characters were..their decisions throughout the book were not logical and extremely irritating. My other major complaint is that SO many improbable things happened all at the same time. It ultimately got to the point where it was so unbelievable I could no longer enjoy the story.

This unfortunately was not one I would recommend. 2.5 stars.

I have nothing but high praise for this book! It is a fast-paced thriller about Eden who is separated from her husband. She takes a walk down memory lane and gets more than she bargained for.

Here's why I loved it:
*It is evenly paced with no dull moments
*The characters are interesting. You'll love them or hate them but you won't be bored with them.
*I found the past scenes interesting. The characters are constantly comparing their college selves vs. now and wondering about what would happen if different choices were made. I find that realistic and it made the characters feel authentic.

Eden’s world seems like it’s falling apart, her husband wants a divorce and her daughter doesn’t like to be around her. One night she friend requests her college crush. She has an online relationship with him but something seems off.

What a twisty book. It’s my first book by Samantha M. Bailey and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it. I did want to yell at the m/c several times, and every time it was to yell “omg do you not know what a red flag is?”

3.5 stars

I really liked the pacing and found it difficult to put down, so overall, I did enjoy my read. What I didn't like was that the twists and overall plot were just too... incredulous and required too many characters being stupid and gullible, from the reason for the marriage breakdown to certain people being cowards even when there was nothing left for the villain to hold over their head.

Unfortunately this book was not a hit for me. I’d honestly prefer not to get into too much detail about why I didn’t like this book, but it just didn’t mesh with me at all. Judging by the other reviews I’ve read, I’m a huge minority so I’ll just chalk it up to a difference of interests.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Immediately turned off by this book from the first chapter. The female main character comes across as pathetic and desperate.
The plot was shallow, boring and frankly redundant.
Unfortunately, wouldn’t recommend to others nor eager to read another book by a female author who portrays women so negatively.

A Friend in the Dark by S.M. Bailey, published by Thomas & Mercer, is a dark thriller of its finest.
Eden is a separated living from her estranged husband middle aged woman with a teenage daughter.
She decides to reconnect with an college friend, but soon she gets roped in events that will turn all their lives upside down and inside out.
I started reading and was intrigued right from the start. The suspense had me til the last page just like the twists and unexpected turns that had me guessing til the very end.
A dark and twisty, action packed read.

A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey is an electrifying, lightning fast and just as powerful thriller that left me coming up for air at its conclusion, and the glorious thing is, there is potential for more. For. More.

I am gobsmacked by the brlliance of this thriller. I devoured it and while it was a quick read, it does not detract from the strength of the narrative, the black mamba of a storyline that writhes and twists, gripping you tight until that bite! Eeshhhh! I cannot, even.

In today's digital world, the sinister behaviours were all too real a threat, all too relatable as were the characters, we know them, we've seen them and we've given them a hella wide berth at that. Ooof, I got chills just reading about them Bailey is a powerhouse of suspense and I am here for it

A spanking good read that leaves you wanting more and that is a perfect result. Glorious

Thank you to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and the incredible Samantha M Bailey for this awesome ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This one is tough to pin a rating on. Some of the characters make mistakes they wish they could undo. Others are just plain evil and drag those around them down as well. Eden and Olivia are our storytellers. They are in opposite sides if this coin. Samantha Bailey has given us a thought-provoking read. Happy Pub Day! If you like John Marrs, this book will also appeal to you.

The story was all over the place, and the twists gave me severe whiplash but not in a good way. While this book is reasonably short, it took me longer to read it than it should have because I could not stay focused on the unrealistic plot lines. There were sooooo many times I had to re-read a part because it either a)made zero sense or b) was so incredibly ridiculous that I was genuinely in shock….

Here’s the breakdown of this story in a nutshell:
- Extremely unlikeable characters…. Literally every single one of them 🫣

- The FMC makes such mind-blowingly terrible decisions that it physically made me cringe 🥴

- The plot & the twists were so completely all over the place that I’m still not sure I understood what all happened. It’s like the author tried too hard to create twists and shock the reader, when what she actually did was throw a ton of convoluted text on a page to confuse the reader enough into thinking she caught them off guard. 🫠 My head hurts just thinking about it.

I enjoyed the story at first and am very grateful it’s less than 300 pages. Trust me when I say I’m being extremely generous with 2.5 ⭐️

TW: untreated mental health issues, extreme domestic violence, some X-rated material

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Okay that one was alright. Not a big fan of this trope but I gotta say the plot was filled with miscommunications. Had there been more conversations, lots of things could have been avoided. I felt for Eden, blindsided by her husband's sudden divorce decision and then dealing with the daughter. The pacing was slow in the beginning but then it started taking off. I don’t think it was a memorable read though.

Ah that overwhelming human urge to look up exes when things in the present are not going well! Eden’s drunken decision to virtually reconnect with her college crush Justin, just as her marriage is falling apart, leads to all kinds of turmoil in her life. But are resurrected crushes ever all they’re cracked up to be?

Twisty, turny with just a dash of spice this domestic thriller had me wanting to yell stuff at Eden and the book the way I usually do at my TV screen when I become too emotionally invested in a show or a movie! Though Eden continues to make some fairly poor choices, Samantha Bailey does an amazing job of painting a picture of a woman who’d be driven to act that way. It’s those imperfect characters who make for best stories!

I’m intentionally sharing the bare minimum about the storyline because I don’t want you to miss out on the joy of getting swept up in this one. Don’t be surprised if this ends up being a one sitter cause you’ll be compelled to keep reading!

A huge thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Samantha M. Bailey returns following Watch Out For Her and Woman On the Edge with her latest domestic thriller, A FRIEND IN THE DARK —a complex marriage and dark secrets of the past create a sizzling, twisty thriller, leaving you quickly turning the pages.

Eden Miller is a 45-year-old realtor, and her husband, Dave, has ended their marriage and wants a divorce without a logical explanation. Her daughter, Ava, is leaving for college, so now she is an empty-nester— alone.

Drowning her sorrows in a bottle and drunk one night, her best friend sends her a birthday message with a photo of them in college. Eden starts thinking about her college days and her crush, Justin Ward. Twenty-three years ago, she was in love/lust with the bad boy drummer. Everything changed one night at a party, and she married Dave, who rescued her. Still, in a haze blinded by booze, she sends a friend request to Justin, and he accepts, starting a banter of messages back and forth. She thinks she needs this to make her feel alive again— starting an online relationship and more.

But then things seem off, and Justin seems to know more than he should about her. Is something sinister going on? What happened all those years ago? When the past collides with the present, it is explosive!

A FRIEND IN THE DARK is a dark, gritty, sizzling, dark domestic thriller with twists that will have your head spinning!

With a dual timeline, you will be second-guessing and waiting for the next ball to drop in this action-packed psychological suspense—from marriage, betrayal, past dark secrets, trauma, and lies.

A big fan of the author, have read all her books, and always look forward to the next.

A FRIEND IN THE DARK is for fans of authors Robyn Harding, Wendy Walker, and Michele Campbell.

Thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for providing a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my candid thoughts.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 1, 2024
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First thoughts as I picked up this book were "Let's get twisty!" ... um, did she ever!😳

I binge read this book. Could NOT put it down! The storyline is fast paced and we've got ourselves some deeply flawed characters. There is so much to unpack here but this is a SPOILER FREE zone!😉 So here's what I'll say. The twists are the real deal, and while I did figure out one... there's a twist I DID NOT see coming! Whaaaaat!?👀 Very clever indeed!👏

I would highly recommend this as a book club read. It would make for such an awesome discussion!

Huge thank you to Thriller Book Lovers and Sam Bailey for inviting me to join this exclusive tour!

Haven't read any of Sam's books?

Here's my list in order of favourites...
🔸Woman On The Edge
🔸A Friend In The Dark
🔸Watch Out For Her

Fun fact! These were all 5 star reads for me!