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
March 2024 Must-Read Books
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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!

I did not finish this book- I rarely don't finish a book. I had to force myself to pick it up but could not get into the story. Did not like the plot or characters.

4.5 STARS

A Friend in the Dark was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and I was thrilled when I was asked to join in on the book tour. Having read and loved Samantha Bailey’s first two books, Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her, I knew I was in for a twisty treat.

A Friend in the Dark follows Eden, a 45 year old mother of one, whose husband just asked for a divorce on the day they dropped their daughter off at college. Feeling confused, lonely, and unwanted, Eden reaches out to a former college crush. Surprisingly, he answers right away, and thus begins an online relationship that will reveal a web of dark secrets and lies.

I went into this one blind because I didn’t want any spoilers, and I already knew Samantha Bailey wouldn’t disappoint. The start of the book is more of a slow-burn, but I was incredibly curious where it was all going, especially since everything seemed tame and innocent at first. I also had mixed feelings about Eden. At times I wanted to yell “what are you doing” and other times I completely understood her feelings. But one thing is for sure—I couldn’t keep my eyes off the page. I needed to know what she would do next and where it would lead. She is most definitely a character that will draw you in, regardless of what you feel.

In part two the pace really picks up, and we are introduced to a new POV, one that I totally didn’t see coming! As the two POVs converge, my pulse was pounding. There are several surprising plot twists and many red herrings along the way to really make you second guess yourself.

If you’re looking for something quick, dark, and with just a little dash of spice, then this book is definitely for you. Bailey gives us her signature strong female characters but went a little on the darker side here and it totally paid off.

Thank you so much to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Samantha Bailey for my gifted ARC, and for including me on this tour.

It all started with a simple drunk friend request..😳😂… Which resulted in this FANTASTIC thriller!! 👏👏

Like I was saying… Eden is newly seperated…and it’s her first birthday 🎂 alone… 🥺… OMG step away from the Facebook Eden!! Please!! 🍷🍷🍷 After having a couple of drinks.. she decides it a good idea to look up her crush from college… 😬… This could go one of two ways… 🤔..

Umm stalker much?!! 😳 This quickly turned into quite a crazy, creepy, twisted ride!! Who is following Eden?? How does her long lost crush know her every move??? 😳🤷‍♀️ Don’t even getting me started on her husband!! 😯 I had no clue what he was up to either!! 😳 Just how many SHOCKED face emoji’s can I include in my review?? 😂

This book was such a fast binge read!! I couldn’t put it down! This was my first @sbaileybooks .. Crazy right?! I need to grab her backlist!! 😍😍 Highly recommend adding this!!! 😉

Thanks to #NetGalley and #ThomasAndMercer for the book #AFriendInTheDark by #SamanthaMBailey. This book had me on the edge of my seat with the digital romance that starts between ex lovers. It is steamy and pack with drama and danger.

A Friend in the Dark is like one of those Lifetime Mystery Movies, but waaaaaay better. So pretty much anything you would expect out of one of those movies, expect that with this book and more! This was my first book by Samantha M Bailey but it won’t be my last! I love the different POVs that we get in this story. The main character, Eden, can be a bit naive and frustrating at times. But given what she was going through, it can be expected. We also have Olivia’s POV which gives more depth to this story. We really get to see multiple sides to it but it also kept me wondering what exactly was going on! This is a fast paced book that you won’t want to put down. There are so many twists in this book! Definitely recommend it!

If you could reconnect with someone from your past would you? What if they were a person you were very attracted to and you are just getting out of a marriage? Eden is faced with this exact situation and jumps at the chance to reconnect with an old flame (or missed flame). What I loved about the book is how well you get to know the characters. I knew something was up but didn’t know what it was. The book has a twist that I was shocked and I can’t say more without spoiling it. This is a book you will love if you enjoy a good gaslighting story. I loved this book and am glad to add it to my Read pile!!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars for A FRIEND IN THE DARK

This book lived up to the hype. It was OUTSTANDING. Eden is wallowing self-pity after recently separating from her husband and after a few drinks reaches out to an old friend room college. This book takes off at an unbelievable fast pace making it very easy to get into. Eden was vulnerable and didn't realize what would happen or what can of worms she was opening up by reaching out tho her college classmate Justin. Immediately Justin comes off as creepy and you just get a general feeling that something isn't right. This book was packed with suspense, a little spice, and you can easily finish it in one sitting it's so addictive!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another twisty, dark, and addictive thriller that I absolutely loved by @sbaileybooks !!! Samantha Bailey ALWAYS keeps me guessing, and there were so many layers to uncover in this book. Eden was a really relatable character…even though she was a tad bit unhinged. I loved how she was middle-aged and starting her life all over again. What woman doesn’t want to feel desired by an old flame?? Is Justin too good to be true? This book had me invested until the very end!!!

Add this wild, spicy, creepy ride to your TBR NOW!!