I flew through the pages of this book. Dave tells Eden he wants a divorce on the day they drop Ava off at college. Eden is stunned. Although Dave has been distant she did not see it coming. Eden starts to think about what could have been with an old college flame. They reconnect or so she thinks, but is Justin who she remembers? Odd things start to happen. Then her soon to be ex-husband gets hit by a car and Ava goes missing. Pieces of her past are front and center. Can she save herself and her daughter?

You will definitely want to add this one to your TBR!

I’m so excited to share my review with you today. This one isn’t even on NetGalley yet. You need to add this to your tbr as it’s wild.

As I started reading I thought the main character was a little needy but still likable. I grew to like and relate to her midlife identity crisis. And unlike most domestic suspense books I’ve read lately this one had danger. I could not figure out where the danger was coming from. My heart raced in a couple of spots and more than once I wanted to shout WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!! Danger. Danger.

It was fast paced and I did not want to put this one down. Full of secrets and a few twists, this was a heck of a ride!

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by Thomas & Mercer. The opinions given are my own and freely given.

The day that Eden takes her daughter, Ava to school, at the same college that she and her husband, Dave went, her husband tells her he wants a divorce. On her birthday, after a few drinks, sitting at home alone, and feeling sorry for herself, she decides to look up the "one that got away", Justin, on social media. They exchange messages back and forth and become very intimate, without having met up in person. Eden meets Lila at an open house, where Eden is the selling realtor. She then runs into her while shopping. They become friends.

In the meantime, Olivia, Justin's wife is stuck in an abusive, controlling marriage, with no way out. Everyone thinks that Justin is GREAT and so she can't rely on anyone, but her brother. Eden also starts finding out things about Dave, and how he had changed in the few months prior to his request for a divorce and she starts investigating.

This is the story of a woman who wants to reconnect, a wife who wants out and a daughter her wants her parents back together.

This book is not what I expected at all. There are mental health issues, abusive husbands, cheating husbands, an illicit club and the daughter that blames her mom for everything.

I recommend this book.

This will be posted to Instagram @kuhlreads on 10/22/23

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I was thrilled to be given a very early copy of this book and to be participating in an exclusive book tour to help promote this upcoming book of Samantha Bailey’s. I loved her first one, Woman on the Edge, and while I still need to read her second book, Watch Out for Her, she is definitely an author I want to read more from…and this new one totally exceeded my expectations and then some!

I totally binged this book in one sitting – it is so addictive and twisty that I just could not put it down. It moves so fast and pulls you in right away and I totally got some Verity vibes from it, which kept me totally intrigued. This book delves into obsession and secrets and pushes some boundaries but you just can’t stop reading. The characters are all flawed and I loved that. Reading about a female in the later part of her life is so refreshing as I can relate to that…I’m right there with her, though I don’t find myself wanting to make any of the choices Eden does here – just saying!

This is a dark, complex story that went in directions I was not expecting and I could not have loved it more. It had twists I didn’t see coming and an ending I felt was completely satisfying. This is one thriller you don’t want to miss!

Wow! Do I need to say anything more!

I loved this book and devoured it so fast. There is just something about Bailey’s writing that immediately hooks you and doesn’t let go until the very end. I loved the dual POV and it really increased the suspense. There were so many plot twists that left my jaw on the floor! I highly recommend that you add this to your TBR because is this one you don’t want to miss! If I could give more than 5 stars, I would!!!!!

Many thanks to Samantha Bailey and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for allowing me to be apart of this exclusive tour!

I will be posting my review on Instagram (@thriller_book_sisters) on 10/27/23.

What did I just read? This story has so many twists and turns that I had a hard time keeping track. This had me swiping on my kindle until all my questions were answered. I love theo books where we get one character's side of the story, and then it switches to another character's side. I will say that I didn’t know where this was going at some points, but it all came together beautifully in the end. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
Don’t miss out on this one when it comes out in March! You will be on the edge of your seat reading just like me!

WOW it’s giving Housemaid and Verity vibes!

I loved this and devoured it right up until the very end. It was fast-paced, short chapters, dual POV, and LOTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TWISTS! Exactly how I love my books and now Samantha is an absolute must read author for me.

I thought at first it might be difficult to relate to a middle-aged FMC with a college-aged kid and marital problems but Samantha did an amazing job at making the FMC relatable and likable to anyone regardless.

I’ve already recommended this to all of my friends and to bookstagram and I can’t wait for it to release so I can make everyone read it!

Thank you SO MUCH to Thomas & Mercer, Samantha, Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, and NetGalley for the advance digital review copy!

Buckle up for this fast paced psychological thriller loaded with twists and a bit of spice! This storyline is gripping and highly excitable never knowing what to expect.

Each character added something unique to the plot that allowed the storyline to play out in unexpected ways! MC Eden is a relatable character as many know someone just like her trying to rebuild after a life-changing upset. I found myself pondering the “what ifs” of the past with the emotional connection Eden felt with Justin with thoughts of the one that got away.

Samantha Bailey has written a powerful novel that kept me engaged throughout with distinctive characters facing intense circumstances.

This book was SOOO bingeable! I finished it in less than 24 hours. This one had me hooked from the start, the chapters were quick, and it had multiple POV’s.

This one is focused around a woman who was blindsided by her husband with wanting a divorce right after they dropped their daughter off at college. Eden, the MC finds herself alone, confused, heartbroken, and questioning everything. After some time, she reaches out to an old crush from her college days and they immediately hit it off. THINGS GET WILD!

Eden drove me crazy, and was very unreliable but I also loved her at the same time! This book was so well written and I loved the twists! An absolute must read, in my opinion!

Eden Miller’s life is in chaos. On the day they drop her daughter off at college, Eden’s husband tells her he wants a divorce. Crushed and lonely, when she comes across an old flame on Facebook, she sends him a friend request. Soon she and Justin are sharing flirty, sexy messages and before she knows it, Eden is in deep. Eventually Eden realizes something’s off about the whole situation – Justin knows way too much about things she never told him. Is Eden’s romance putting her and her family in danger?

Holy CRAP, this book! Fast-paced, twisty, dramatic, and a little steamy, it grabbed me right away and kept me gripped the entire time. I’m only a few years younger than Eden, and even though she’s a bit naïve and makes some bad decisions, she’s also super relatable. The short chapters and non-stop action kept me turning the pages, and I ended up reading this book in just two sittings. I didn’t want it to end, but I also couldn’t stop reading – it’s just that good!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for inviting me to be a party of this exclusive early tour and for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you @sbaileybooks and @thrillerbookloverspromotions for the #gifted copy of this book!

Wooo hoo! This was a wild crazy ride. I flew through this book as it was non stop twists and turns. It starts out with Eden dropping her college daughter off at school and her long time husband Dave promptly asking for a divorce! She was nervous about being an emptynester but wasn’t expecting for her nest to be so empty with no hubby either! As she fumbles her way through the next few weeks she stumbles upon a past love interest online who completely sweeps her off her feet. All the attention makes her feel like she’s 18 and in love for the first time. As time goes on however, Eden senses something is off in her life. Is it her soon to be ex? The new love interest? Or something else all together?

This was my first by this author and what I loved was the action packed storyline! It was stressful to watch the blast from the past obsession unfold and how Eden’s reckless behavior dug her a deeper hole than she could climb out of. The desire to be wanted was definitely a driver here and it felt a bit like watching a midlife crisis unravel. Eek! Without giving away any spoilers I will say there is a very frustrating character that gaslights Eden in a way that I found myself wanting to yell “Run!” the entire time! This was a perfectly bingeable, relatable, dark thrilling book that I flew through. I cannot wait to read more by Ms. Bailey! Make sure to add this one to your TBR!

Ohh this book. It took me a bit to get into it, admittedly. Eden was a frustrating lead character - naive, easily manipulated, and a bit whiny. But about 35% in, I was totally hooked.

Eden's relationship with Justin - a flame sparked after 20 years - was a bit sad but it was also so very entertaining. Eden was clearly desperate for some positive affirmation and fell hook, line and sinker for Justin's charm. Red flags were jumping out at every corner and I was shouting at Eden through the book - ARE YOU STUPID?! But sometimes it's just so fun to be so invested in a protagonist!

I also loved all the little nuggets strewn throughout. Had someone been in Eden's house? Was someone following her? Was something more sinister going on? When the book takes a turn for the darker world of BDSM, I was truly enthralled! I didn't know who or what to trust and kept questioning everything.

While some of this novel was a little bit predictable for the experienced thriller reader, it was such a stellar ride. I had so much fun seeing how everything fit together, experiencing the character growth, and watching the train wreck unfold.

This is one of those books that you can totally binge in a sitting or two, and I definitely recommend doing just that! Once I was hooked, I really didn't want to put it down!

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions and Thomas & Mercer for the copy.

A dark, twisty and sexy ride from one of Canadas Thriller Queens. Baileys 3rd novel takes us to Ann Arbor Michigan while our main character Eden struggles with her present and her past. When the two come colliding together, no one is safe! I always enjoy Baileys writing and her ability to switch between narrators. A bit more development on the characters themselves would have been welcomed.

I really enjoyed Samantha M. Bailey previous book Watch Out For Her so couldn't wait for this one. When I saw early reviews appearing my FOMO was twitching and I begged to get a copy.

I didn't read the blurb, I went in blind and recommend you do the same to experience the full shocking whiplash...

Eden Miller's life is in tatters, her husband has left her, seeking divorce, her teenage daughter barely speaks to her. An impulsive decision to revisit her youth and escape the present sees her messaging her college crush, Justin Ward.

Could the flirty messages with hunk Justin be the start of an new exciting love or is she asking for trouble?

At the start it feels familiar, another unhappy newly single woman relearning to live after marriage, but hold on tight, because this goes deeper, darker and more twisted.

Samantha M. Bailey creates this comfortable suburban scene, tapping into Eden's need to move on and rebuild her life and then though expert plotting sets up a succession of huge twists and reveals that had me completely hooked. The threat and tension ramps up beautifully and the acceleration in pace will take your breath away.

The build up to the finale and the finale itself is breathtaking. There's a very real nerve jangling threat to the characters while your brain is trying to piece together all the reveals.

A wild ride and definitely highly recommended.


Thanks to Thriller Book Lover Promotions and Netgalley

Well this was a fun one! Told from two POV in three parts, this was a wild ride of bad decisions and the consequences of messing with the wrong guy (even when they seem like the right one). I found I enjoyed Olivia’s POV better than Eden’s as Eden seemed a bit too OTT with her denseness at times but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment this book provided me…I could see this being a great beach read so would recommend for sure!

The back of my head slams against the wall…

…I close my eyes and fall, unafraid, into the moment.

These are the bookends of Samantha M. Bailey’s A Friend in the Dark, the very first and very last sentences, and, if you think those are explosive, you should read all of what’s contained between them.

This is my favorite Samantha M. Bailey book so far. It's an easy one-sitting binge, because it's impossible to look away from once you're drawn in by the very first sentence. It's also impossible not to want Eden to find happiness, even though you know she's going about it in all the wrong ways. I loved it!

A Friend in The Dark by Samantha Bailey is an evocative, thought provoking read. Eden, our main character, is 45 (my age) and brings up the question of the path not taken. As she navigates a whole new life after being abandoned by her husband, she begins to explore a whole new side of herself. Her journey is relatable in some aspects and it’s really nice reading a book that focuses on a woman in her 40’s. The second POV really ramped up the tension and fear. I was stunned by each revelation as they kept coming at me. Bailey has created the perfect thriller, one with suspense, steam and superb writing.

Eden, recently separated, begins an online relationship with a man from her past, one she had a crush on back in college. Her soon to be ex-husband Dave has always been nice and safe but Justin has awakened something within her, making her feel wanted and desired. But with each interaction, Eden starts to question why Justin seems to know details about her life that she’s sure she hasn’t shared 🤔.

I loved the direction @ took with this book! Not only was it a fast paced and twisty domestic thriller, it was a look into the life of a wife and mother who finds herself suddenly discarded and alone, grasping for answers and questioning her life. Eden is one of those characters that you kind of want to shake but she’s also very relatable and you can feel her desperation and need for validation. Buckle up and enjoy some questionable characters, secrets and lies and all the juicy drama.

Definitely put this on your radar, you won’t be disappointed 😉. Binge worthy, addictive, sexy and a bit risqué, this was such a fun read.

This one was a bit different - definitely more 🌶️ than most books in this genre . Each part of the book had me thinking the book was going in a certain direction and the boom - it went a different way ! So of course I ended up staying late to finish the book because I just had to know the ending.. which was good but I dunno I wanted a different ending for these characters somehow 🤷🏼‍♀️

The book is gripping and unputdownable. It’s a real page turner. It has twists and turns. Things changes unexpectedly when Eden decides to revisit the past to rekindle the love and heal herself but things takes a different turn and the truth unveils. She had a husband and a daughter but after divorce, all she has left with is loneliness. Justin Ward makes her feel good but there are secrets he is keeping from her. What if his secrets will keep her life at stake? Will things work between Eden and her daughter? Will she find her happiness again?

The author has written a twisty domestic psychological thriller with a deceiving characters. I liked the revelation about Olivia. The suspense and mystery kept me at the edge of my seat. The ending was a bit terrifying but good. It has secrets, truth, revenge and complicated relationships. The author has also expressed the pain of a mother and wife when things fall apart. This is such a brilliant and twisted book.

Thank you Netgalley, Author and Publisher