Wow, this book should come with a warning! This is exactly why you should never try and befriend an old flame on Facebook!
This book also delves into topics such as marital issues, parenthood and past trauma, and they are exquisitely handled. A great read!

A Friend in the Dark follows Eden, a woman in her mid-forties going through a divorce, as she embarks on a new relationship with an old flame. But is he really who he claims to be? Eden knew Justin in college, but has recently reconnected with him via Facebook. There are some steamy scenes and you start to wonder if Justin could be too good to be true. Eden's life is at a crossroads, her long-term marriage is splitting up and her daughter is now in college. I found the first half a little slow, but then was fully invested in the second half when things really started happening. Strange things keep happening to Eden leading her to believe that she's being stalked. I loved how we're not entirely sure what's going on with Justin until the second half of the story. It really kept me guessing. I wasn't sure who the villain was or where this story would go. I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a book that will keep you interested and guessing.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Wow! This book is a book you CANNOT put down. It was so well written and I loved it from beginning to end! This is a quick read that you can finish in a day or two, and you will—trust me! I loved the multiple points of view! I felt like Eden was relatable- a woman going through a separation with her husband looks up a guy she was super into in college on FB and friend requests him. From there they start chatting and having a “sexual” (sexting) and emotional relationship. She meets Lila, another divorced woman and befriends her. Little does she know there is more to Lila than meets the eye!

You will 100% want to read this when it comes out on MARCH 1!

I’m unsettled. I guess that’s how I can best describe how I feel after reading this. I love a book that I keep thinking about after finishing and this one is definitely on my mind. The end really left me hanging and dying for another installment!

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a great twisty thriller that kept me guessing. Eden's husband just left her and she is feeling lonely and vulnerable and decides to look up her first love, Justin. She becomes friends with him on Facebook and reconnect via chat. She is excited about this connection and starts thinking about what life would be if she chose him.

I will say that though this is a romantic suspense, there isn't much romance. Eden's naivety sort of drove me bonkers and would not consider this romance because there on wooing and just exchange of texts and not a lot of feelings.

The second half of the book picked up with the twists and I really enjoyed it.

Well, now I can see why people rave about this author! I have 2 of her other books on my shelf unread and will need to rectify that asap. Talk about a wild ride! So many shocking twists and turns, I certainly didn’t see any of them coming.

Our main character Eden was so frustrating! I just wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up. I get it, she was in a bad place and just wanted to feel good about herself again but there are better ways to do that girl! The dangers of the online world , so easy to get carried away.

This is a juicy and highly bingeable read. There was certainly much more steam than ai am used to in a thriller, but it all went with the storyline so it worked.

Thanks so much to Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley and Thriller Book Promotions for my advanced copy to read. Published on March 1st

What happens when a divorcèe, an asshole, a battered woman, and a sociopath all get together? Samantha Bailey’s 𝘼 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠, that’s what. This one had me hook, line, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 sinker right from the prologue all the way until the end!

Read this if you:
✨are likely to use Facebook DMs to reconnect with an old flame
✨have ever snapped a dirty pic—and sent it
✨find a 45-year-old divorcèe with a snotty teenager entirely relatable

This was my first taste of Bailey’s work and I’ll absolutely be going back for seconds! 𝘼 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 releases March 1st—and it’s a binge-worthy one you’ll want to add to your #thrillerlovingtbr!

Thank you kindly to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, @sbaileybooks, and @thrillerbookloverspromotions for the review copy & exclusive tour opportunity!

The word "dark" in the title of Samantha Bailey's newest release is certainly fitting!
Thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotions for my eARC of A Friend In The Dark for the book tour review!
I've been a fan of @sbaileybooks books since her debut with Woman On The Edge, then her follow-up Watch Out For Her.
A Friend In The Dark definitely keeps the streak going. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down.
This novel is Sam's wildest yet. It's dark, edgy, and doesn't hold back on the reveals and twists.
But it's also about damaged women trapped in painful relationships and past events that are spilling into the present.
Told from the dual-POVs of Eden and Olivia, I was second-guessing the entire time. Both women are lost souls, in questionable marriages, but one is much more damaged than the other.
A Friend In The Dark will be released on March 1 - you can preorder now! Recommended.

Pub: March 1, 2024

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions for including me on this tour!

I’ve been a big fan of @sbaileybooks writing since Woman On The Edge and it was a literal birthday gift to receive an early copy of A Friend in the Dark to read and review!

Brace yourself for wild characters, secrets, lies, and loads of juicy drama. A Friend in the Dark reminds me of the ‘90s and early 2000s “romantic” thrillers like Unfaithful and A Perfect Murder that I’ve always loved. Bailey totally nails (pun intended) that same addictive combo of spice and suspense. The plot is fast-paced, the writing is descriptive and the twists are so well done.

Eden, oh, Eden…. I want to give you a big hug and tell you to put down your phone. At the same time, her desire to feel loved and wanted as a woman is relatable. Bailey writes strong female characters. They may have flaws or be vulnerable, but they are also multi-dimensional, have agency and are just plain interesting to read.

This is a must-read that won’t disappoint—binge-worthy and addictive. It may only be January, but I know this will be one of my 2024 faves!

A FRIEND IN THE DARK is the second book that I've read by Samantha M. Bailey. It was a story that kept me up late. I couldn't stop thinking about it and was shocked by the ending. These are all the things that I enjoy the most when I read a good thriller. I highly recommend getting a copy!

Many Thanks, to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Samantha M. Bailey for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! (And to Thriller Book Lovers for the exclusive access!)

This was a fantastic, twisty, bingeable thriller. And if you don’t believe me, I finished in less than 24 hours!

The twists seemingly never stopped coming, and I loved that we got more POV chapters than just Eden (I won’t say who since I feel it’s a spoiler).

Fans of Bailey’s previous books will undoubtedly enjoy this one as well.

A Friend in the Dark will be on US bookshelves March 1!

A digital romance turns deadly in this sensual domestic thriller from USA Today bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey.
Eden Miller’s world is crumbling. Her husband blindsided her with divorce, and her daughter barely speaks to her. In an impulsive decision to escape her present and revisit the past, she sends a friend request to her college crush, Justin Ward.
One night twenty-three years ago changed the course of her life. It closed the door on Justin and opened the door to her husband, Dave. But what if Eden could have a do-over?
Eden begins an online relationship with Justin that awakens her in ways she never thought possible, and his voice and words make her take bold risks. But something’s off. He knows too much about her and her family…he’s been following her.
Eden is forced to awaken from her fantasy and look for answers—who really is the man on the other line? The truth about Justin—and about what happened that fateful night two decades ago—puts her and her family in a fight for their lives.

An original, creepy, and compulsive thriller. I read it in an afternoon because I needed to know what happened. I loved how relatable Eden was and the authentic anxieties a 45 year old would have after being away from dating for 20 years. I also enjoyed getting the different POV’s. This is a fast paced story and there is a very good twist I didn’t see coming. I love when that happens! This is my first Samantha Bailey book and I’ll be looking into her previous novels.

Publication date is March 1, 2024!

Thank you to @thrillerbookloverspromotion and @sbaileybooks for my advance eArc of A Friend in the Dark. I’m so happy to be participating in this exclusive book tour!

This was well done with believable twists. I enjoyed the mystery as it had me on the edge of my seat.

#bookreview

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I promise you, this will be one of the biggest hits of 2024 !!!

It’s about a woman that is facing an unexpected divorce, that connects with an old crush on Social Media. That’s all you should know going into it!

Samantha Bailey is a deep well of talent and raw emotion and she drilled to the bottom of that well for this book.

This book is definitely her best work, and that’s saying something because her other books set the bar pretty high!

TRUST ME, do NOT miss this book!

Dark, deceptive, and sexy! And I'm obsessed with the pink in this cover! I didn't quite devour this like I did Sam's previous two books, and it took me a minute to get into this story. But, when part two starts and we are given another perspective, I had whiplash! At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that shift, but as the story progressed and I saw that character in a different light, I had a change of heart and started to really feel for the character and their story. And THAT ENDING?!

I was honored to once again find my name in the acknowledgments at the end of this book. I'm proud to be Sam's hype woman and will continue to read and promote anything she writes! Add A FRIEND IN THE DARK to your 2024 TBRs, and watch for it when it comes out on March 1st! You can pre-order it now at the link in my bio!

Thank you so very much, Sam and Tonya, thrillerbookloverspromotions on Instagram, for the e-ARC and for including me on this promotional tour!

Loved this thriller!

Starting as steamy domestic drama and spiralling with twists till the very end - what the hell did just happen?? Several jaw dropping turns, very interesting characters- loved Olly and Ally.
Super fast paced, I’ve read it in two days, great storytelling and plot and very atmospheric.

Sam has created something dark and twisty in her new domestic thriller “A Friend in the Dark”. More sensual in nature this book explores ideas of obsession, painful relationships, and past trauma encompassing the present.

Thank you Thriller Book Lovers Promotion for my eARC. It was one that I couldn’t stop reading. Sam has been one author that I fully invest in the story from Woman On The Edge, leaning into this novel.

Eden is a lost soul whose world has turned upside down in an instant. She is lonely, vulnerable and lost when someone from her past starts giving her attention. From here her world is not the same. The twists and turns that Sam adds into her books kept me reading and wanting more. The vulnerability of the characters added to the suspense of what was to come.

A Friend In The Dark will be released March 1 - you can preorder now.

Ah! One of the best books I’ve read this year (2023) with high tension and interesting plot there was nothing about this book that I didn’t like.

I recommended to all my friends.

In Samantha M. Bailey's latest thriller, prepare for an absolutely gripping experience that demands to be devoured in one sitting. The narrative unfolds with relentless pacing, immediately entangling you in a complex tapestry of marriage drama, betrayal, concealed secrets, and specters of the past that refuse to fade.

Meet Eden Miller, a 45-year-old realtor thrust into upheaval after her husband of two decades, Dave, abruptly ends their marriage without explanation. Nursing her wounds with the solace of alcohol in her now-empty nest, Eden reflects on the pivotal moments that led her to this juncture. The story takes a dramatic turn as it revisits a fateful night at a fraternity party where, in a drunken haze, Eden missed an opportunity with her longtime crush, Justin Ward. Driven by curiosity and perhaps a tinge of regret, she impulsively sends Justin a Facebook friend request, initiating a flirtatious and heated exchange that quickly spirals into unforeseen territory.

Yet, as Eden's connection with Justin deepens, a series of bizarre events ensue—missing house keys, disconcerting comments from Justin, an eerie sense of being surveilled. Doubt creeps in, prompting Eden to question if Justin is an obsessive admirer or if a vengeful force lurks in the shadows. Adding another layer to the mystery is Eden's estranged husband, Dave, whose cryptic behavior and hidden secrets intensify the enigma. The narrative takes an unexpected turn when an alternate perspective emerges, exposing concealed truths and presenting multiple facets of the story.

The novel maintains an exhilarating pace, ensuring readers are kept on the edge of their seats with its enthralling and unputdownable narrative. While some twists may be anticipated, a surprising revelation at the conclusion enriches the story's depth. Acknowledging certain events may seem far-fetched, and the swift development of Justin and Eden's relationship feels instantaneous, these elements contribute to the overall brisk pace, further immersing readers in the storyline.

With a rounded-up rating from 3.5 to 4 stars, this mind-spinning thriller comes highly recommended for enthusiasts of suspense, mystery, and psychological thrillers—offering a perfect, quick-fix solution for those craving an intense reading experience.

A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Tonya Cornish for generously providing me with this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my candid thoughts.

Such a fun and propulsive thriller!

I really enjoyed this book and devoured it so fast. There is something about Bailey’s writing that hooks you right from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end.

I love a well done dual POV and it really increased the suspense for me on this one. There were so many plot twists that kept me guessing and surprised the whole time! I highly recommend that you add this to your TBR because this is one you don’t want to miss!