I LOVED this book!! I was hooked from the very beginning. The amount of plot twists had me devouring this book. I read it in less than 24 hours. The cat fishing, the murder, the betrayal, the narcissistic husband…so many things. I loved this. Great book!

Book Review
A Friend in the Dark by Samantha Bailey @sbaileybooks

Tropes
Mental illness
Divorce
Abuse
Stalking
Assault

Characters
Ava- angsty young adult who is struggling with her parents split
Justin- sexy douche canoe and extreme asshat
Dave- Provider, Protector , People pleaser; he loses himself in the roles he’s assumed
Olivia/Lila- I was blindsided by the scope and depth of her complexity ; she could have her own book, a prequel; I would totally read it
Eden - I hated her.. she was every midlife insecurity manifested… she constantly doubted herself, wouldnt ask for help, questioned her lifes path and made some bad choices with
Extreme consequences, her desperation stunk……Ugh
I think I understand and can appreciate where the author was going with this type of personality and story arc
But
There was a point early on in the book where I was like.. “I get it already,
Does she die?”

Thoughts
This book started slow for me and then the pace picked up and everything seemed to come to a head really quickly.
There were some expected red flags and obvious red herrings but after getting over my hatred of Eden I flew through the pages and binged this book in one go.
I have come to expect “fucked up” from Sam. Her warped, dark and distorted brain creates disturbing characters. Her stories never make sense til the end- when the reader is blindsided.
I love that.
Its always comforting to know that there is someone else in the world who also has messed up thoughts that go THERE.
Thanks for being my “friend in the dark” Sam (pun intended)

Overall
Read it for the mindfuck at the end……

Thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions and Sam for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Hey y’all ! This little mouse has been chillin’ with the OG, Mickey, these past couple of days .

The lights, the glitter, the attractions, all have me over stimulated with an attention span of said “mouse”.

So far, I have danced around the world, watched the sky explode with fireworks and ate at Japan’s best hibachi restaurant (yum!)

I also spent my very anxious plane ride consumed with Samantha Bailey’s new book, A Friend in the Dark!

Eeeeeeeek!!!!!

I have yet to see a bad review and now I know why! This book is off the charts!!!

The flight from NJ to FL is about 3 hours. I read from the minute I sat down until the minute I was forced to get up.

I was faced with a dilemma, I had to finish this book!!!

As soon as we got to our hotel room I was forced (yes forced) to fake a stomach ache . The only comfort when glued to the toilet is if you have a book in hand, I apologized to my travel buddy and headed for my throne, book in tow.

It
Was
Worth
Every
Minute

This book is deliciously twisted and I just could not get enough! I’m telling you, from the opening sentence to the last word, you will be numb.

Cue the shock factor! The storyline thrusts you in many direction directions. The suspense was ever present and the amount of psychological angst will have you gripping at your own throat.

I’m sure it’s clear, I love Samantha Bailey but this book right here screams Book of the Year!

Check out this teaser:

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.

This is an easy read that I flew through in one sitting. I have to admit that I was eye-rolling a bit with the naivety of Eden in the beginning of the story. She was distraught so I understood. She was lonely and wasn't thinking clearly. After all, her husband had just left her. She was desperate for something positive in her life.

Eden reconnects with her college crush, Justin Ward, after 20 years, via the Internet. When he responds/accepts to her right away she is thrilled/nervous/excited. This is where I thought she was being very naive for a 45-year woman.

Who is Justin now? She doesn't know him, and he seems to know a lot about her when she was the one who messaged him first. Has he been watching her?

I loved the twist in part two. I guessed it somewhat, but not all of it. This story is so bingey. Once I started, I didn't want to stop.

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

𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆

A FRIEND IN THE DARK - SAMANTHA M. BAILEY
 
“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚜 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔...𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝‘𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝...𝙸‘𝚟𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎.“

Story time. A couple of years ago, when I discovered the wonder that is NetGalley, the very first ARC I received was “Watch Out for Her” by Samantha M. Bailey. I loved it and immediately started following Samantha. As it happened, she was not only a fantastic writer, but also a wonderful human being. So, when given the chance to read and review her newest book through a Thriller Book Lovers Promotions Exclusive Tour, I jumped in with both feet.

“𝙸‘𝚖 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕.“

This story is about two very different women who are more alike than they realize. Both are desperate for love but neither know what that looks like anymore. Eden and Olivia are perfect strangers who are brought together through a yearning for connection and ghosts of the past. What results is shocking, catastrophic, and never to be forgotten.

“𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚝.“

This quick paced read was taut & twisty and oh, so compelling. It releases March 1st so be sure to grab it when you can!

“𝙸 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚑. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖.“

Thanks so much to Samantha & Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for including me in the exclusive book tour and for the advanced copy!

Ohhhh my goodness Samantha Bailey has done it again but this time it’s even BETTER! This book grabbed me from the very first page and sucked me in so hard I could scarcely breathe for the two days it took me to DEVOUR it! Told in first person alternating between two characters (which I LOVE) and the wild and crazy ride toward the explosive ending that I did NOT see coming! This is an absolute must read!!!

Holy Guacamole!! This book is AMAZING! Fast paced, secrets, lies, twists 🤯 and some risqué spice 🫣 This book has it all!

This is a 5 ⭐️ read and I highly recommend it! Add it to your TBR and your wishlist because you will not want to miss this one!

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions and @sbaileybooks for the gifted copy and allowing me to participate in this exclusive tour! I truly loved this book!

This is now the 3rd book I e read by Samantha Bailey and I can honestly say, she really knows how to write a thriller.
Thriller loving friends will definitely want to add this to your TBR list. Eden's husband has asked her for a divorce, she barely speaks to her daughter and she is desperate for something to make her feel better. She reaches out to Justin online (her college crush from 20yrs ago). She is immediately pulled into the attention she's getting from Justin. She feels desired and he's making her feel better. But is Justin who he really says?! How does he know so much about her life? Wooo….this was so bingeable. It took me a bit to get into this one BUT once I did I flew through it. It's deceptive, and twisty and suspenseful. I did predict one of the twists but there was another big one that I totally did not expect.

This is definitely the kind of thriller I love. It was juicy and full of drama!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Thrillerbookloverspromotion for the gifted copy. My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes!

All the stars for A Friend in the Dark. I have read and really enjoyed the author’s previous two books. Samantha is an auto buy author for me and I highly recommend adding this to your TBR.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I knew instantly I was going to love it and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my digital review copy!

On the night of her birthday, alone and distraught because her husband wants a separation, Eden drinks too much and sends a friend request to her old flame from high school, Justin. Soon, she embarks on a full-fledged online sexual and emotional relationship with him. Is Justin the one who got away?

The author paints the perfect picture of a middle-aged woman going through a separation and not feeling loved or wanted by both her husband and distant college aged daughter. I found Eden’s character very relatable and the storyline realistic. I think everyone knows someone who has had an online relationship. I love a good Prologue as it sets the tone of the book for me. The Prologue sucked me in, and I could not put my Kindle down! This author really knows how to write a spinetingling thriller and I'm officially obsessed with her writing 😍.

Fans of domestic thrillers who like a little spice will devour this book!

Holy Smokes!! This was good!! Eden and her husband Dave drop their daughter off at college and in the learning lot he asks for a divorce.

On the night of her birthday she's been drinking & friend requested a man, Justin, whom she had a huge crush on in college. He seemed to know a lot about her but as a realtor her life is pretty public. No big deal right? This is how the book starts. No warm-up. We're off to the races so to speak. Y'all we're on a fast & wild ride!

I don't want to give any details away. Just know I enjoyed this book!! I couldn't put it down! Thank goodness for it being on my Kindle! I could read late into the night. You won't regret picking up this book for your next thriller or recommending it to your thriller-loving friends!!

This was my first book by Samantha Bailey, and it definitely won't be my last.  This was a wild, twisty ride, and I enjoyed it.

Eden Miller's life is turned upside-down the day she drops her daughter Ava off at college. Dave, the man she thought she was going to spend her life with, asks for a divorce, and her relationship with Ava has never been a good one. She comes back to an empty house, feeling unwanted and very alone.  One night, after a little too much wine, she decides to friend request an old college crush, Justin Ward.  He could have been the one, but instead, it was Dave.  Justin accepts the request, and they start to talk.  Things quickly escalate into a steamy online relationship.  Eden's doing things that she'd never thought she would do, even jeopardizing her career.  But he seems to know a lot about her life. Things she hasn't told him.  Has he been stalking her?  She needs to find out the truth about Justin and what really happened 20 years ago. Her life and her family's may depend on it.

Told in dual POV, this was an engrossing read.  It definitely kept me turning pages with all the unpredictable twists.  There were some spicy scenes and some cringe-worthy moments.  A few times, I actually wanted to yell at Eden and ask her, "Why are you being so stupid?"  Overall, this was a good psychological/domestic thriller, and I would definitely recommend it.

"Her husband might own her money, her body, and her life. But he doesn't own her mind. Or what she does when he's not around."

I really enjoyed this one, and it had me on the edge of my seat. I found myself unable to put it down and read it in the space of a few hours.
Olivia's parts of the story reminded me a little of Behind Closed Doors, but it went in a completely different direction and I loved every part of it.
This was my first book from this author and I can't wait to read her other work.
Thank you so much to @sbaileybooks and @thrillerbookloverspromotions for my gifted copy and chance to be part of this awesome tour.

A friend in the Dark is a twisty and exhilarating ride - Samantha’s best book yet.

Sam Bailey became an auto-buy author for me after her first book, Woman on the Edge, which I literally could not put down. I remember reading it, sitting on the side of my bed wrapped in a towel fresh out of the shower because I couldn’t stop falling into the story. Sam captivates the reader because her books are spooky, creepy and oh-so-real. These are the stories that could happen to someone you know. Or you.

Sam’s latest book features Eden - at 45, suddenly separated from her husband and with a daughter acting out in her first year of university - all she wants is some support and care. And then she stumbles onto a crush from university—someone she desired but who ghosted her after a messy party. Eden gets attention from him, and it feels so good to do naughty things over the phone. We get caught up in Eden’s emotions and, turmoil and needs. And then, she meets Lila at an open house she’s hosting. And they keep running into each other. And Eden can’t help but feel that she’s being watched.

And then, her separated husband gets into a car accident, and her daughter goes missing, and Eden is suddenly not sure what is happening. A Friend in the Dark is told from two different points of view and really looks at the basis of a relationship - how much do we know about the people we marry and live beside? Both Eden and Lila have big secrets, and their partners are not who they seem. What makes a perfect relationship? And what do we tell those we love, and what do we tell our friends?

And do we ever really know the people we trust with our intimate secrets?

A Friend in the Dark is intimate and dark. I couldn’t put it down, and I didn’t want to leave Eden, Lila and their angst and fragile lives. I liked how the book, although it was super fast-paced, also focused on the past when Eden was in university and went to a final house party that got out of control. It was also when a good friend of hers went missing and never was found. I loved how Sam weaves past and present and reminds us about the people we carry with us even when they are gone. How much do certain parts and people in our lives affect us? How much are we defined by them? Sam asks these questions and has both Eden and Lila answer the questions, whether they want to or not.

If you loved the TV show, Desperate Housewives, then you will devour A Friend in the Dark.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this and it didn’t disappoint. I read it in two sitting, staying up way to late - since it was psychological/domestic thriller that gave Verity vibes. There was some spice early on in the book, which was unexpected for a thriller, but I loved it! I enjoyed the dual POV, but would have loved some more POV from the past.

As the reader, it was tough watching Eden miss all the red flags with Justin, but it made the twist that much better.
At times, it was a little predictable, but I was so into the story that it didn’t bother me.

What a quick and fun read! I really enjoy this author’s writing. The characters and their multiple POV’s kept me hooked. There is a lot of drama and suspense with some spice too!

A new novel from one of my favourite authors, the amazing Samantha Bailey, is always cause for celebration!! So when I got the chance to read an early ARC of her latest thriller, A Friend in the Dark (out March 1/24) I jumped at it. And let me say, it is so good!!

This is a dark, twisty, action-packed ride about a relatable middle-aged main character, Eden, whose husband has asked for a divorce and who is also struggling in her relationship with her teenage daughter. Eden decides to reconnect with an old college flame and gets caught up in events that turn her and her family’s lives upside down. Just who and what has she invited into their lives?

This is a fast-paced story that grips you immediately and keeps up the intensity to the very end. The writing is so smooth and easy to read that the pages practically turn themselves. The story flows seamlessly between dual viewpoints and the twists and turns and reveals keep coming one after the other. It’s so dark and twisty and suspenseful! It’s another winner from this author!

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!!

A huge thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Thomas and Mercer and the author for my advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was such a quick read. I was consumed from page one. I cant believe I haven't read anything by this author. Her writing is truly a treat. She grabs you and takes you on a wild goose chase.

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅, 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕....

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions @sbaileybooks and @amazonpublishing for this 𝓔𝔁𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓿𝓮 tour and ARC.

MY REVIEW:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so f*cked-up, but in a good way, it left me wanting more. I was so intrigued and captivated that I had to physically make myself stop and sleep because I had to catch a plane the next day (but of course, I finished it on the plane).
The spiciness was added extra feature that I personally loved. And the twists - had 👏🏼 me 👏🏼 shook 👏🏼.

I think if you love a great twisty thriller with some spiciness , this one will be PERFECT!

PUB DATE:
March 1, 2024

QOTD❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever reached out to an old flame to see if the heat is still there?

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#thrillerbooks #suspensethriller #thrillerreader #thrillerlover #thrillerobsessed #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #bookaholic #booklover #bookstagrammer #booklove #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookishfeatures #tbr #tbrpile #bookbuzz #mysteryandthrills #BookstaBFF23 #thrillerbooklovers
#afriendinthedark #samanthambailey #thrillerbookloverpromotionsexclusivetour
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4,5 stars

Wow, this was such a pleasant surprise! Fortunately the blurb didn't reveal much, so I literally went into this book blind, thinking it was going to go in one direction, when in fact it went in a completely different one.

Eden is still struggling with the end of her marriage when she impulsively decides to send a friend request to Justin Ward, her college crush. To her surprise, not only does he respond promptly, but soon she finds herself having an online relationship with him. This not only awakens all sorts of desires in her, but also reminds her of a painful time some twenty years ago when her friend Tyler disappeared the same night she went out with Justin. Too bad she was too wasted to remember what had happened.

I loved how this kept me on my toes!

The beginning was a bit slow as we got to know Eden and her marital problems, but then the story picks up speed and I couldn't put the book down! What happened the night Tyler disappeared is crucial to the development of the plot and the ending was a crescendo of dread that kept me on the edge of my seat!

Thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions & @sbaileybooks for having me on the exclusive tour.