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A Dangerous Friendship: A Novel
With dark humor, this women’s fiction novel is about obsessive friendship, secrets, and a life-changing summer in the wild 1980s of New York City.
In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike bond in a complex, all-consuming friendship that will change their lives forever.
Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, twenty-nine-year-old Tina embarks on a thrill-seeking journey to feel alive again. When she meets thirty-five-year-old Spike, a beautiful, seductive, seemingly invulnerable woman, she becomes enthralled by the older woman’s stories of NYC power brokers, sex, wealthy men, and her past. Tina latches on to Spike as someone who can save her from mediocrity and show her how to be the kind of woman who can have power over men—both in romance and in life.
Chasing adventure and the writing life, Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the rural backwoods. There, they go on a wild, manic, darkly humorous journey involving dive bars, drugs, men, and all-night dancing, becoming increasingly psychologically entangled in each other’s lives along the way. But eventually Tina realizes just how dangerous Spike is, and is forced to act to save herself.
Filled with New York wit and fast-paced dialogue, this is a story of loss, betrayal, survival, and blurring the line between attraction and peril.
In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike bond in a complex, all-consuming friendship that will change their lives forever.
Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, twenty-nine-year-old Tina embarks on a thrill-seeking journey to feel alive again. When she meets thirty-five-year-old Spike, a beautiful, seductive, seemingly invulnerable woman, she becomes enthralled by the older woman’s stories of NYC power brokers, sex, wealthy men, and her past. Tina latches on to Spike as someone who can save her from mediocrity and show her how to be the kind of woman who can have power over men—both in romance and in life.
Chasing adventure and the writing life, Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the rural backwoods. There, they go on a wild, manic, darkly humorous journey involving dive bars, drugs, men, and all-night dancing, becoming increasingly psychologically entangled in each other’s lives along the way. But eventually Tina realizes just how dangerous Spike is, and is forced to act to save herself.
Filled with New York wit and fast-paced dialogue, this is a story of loss, betrayal, survival, and blurring the line between attraction and peril.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
dnf
November 13, 2025Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 30%, and I didn't think it was enough to rate the book, even if it was enough for me to give up. Instead of a starred rating, I'll just be giving a review.
This sounded like a really intriguing read, although it didn't really come through.
The book starts out very slowly. As in glacially slow. This is much more of a character driven story than I'm used to, and for the first 30%, there wasn't really anything much that occurred aside from the fact that Tina and Spike became friends and decided to rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere for the summer.
The writing style felt stilted and jarring, with dialogue that didn't quite come across as realistic. I really struggled with the characters. Tina, especially, felt like an underdeveloped character. For a woman who is nearly 30 and emerging from a divorce, she came across as immature, and I wouldn't have been surprised if she was ten years younger.
I was really interested in learning more about Tina when she was first introduced, but there isn't a whole lot of background information about Tina's life - we learn a little more about Spike, but it's difficult to tell what is real or not. Spike was basically a walking red flag, although I can understand what leads us to connect with people who are bad for us. That is something I've been known to do in the past, although I have gotten better about it as I matured.
It was difficult to connect to either woman, because honestly, neither was very likable. I know there are certain people who just unconsciously ooze charisma or sex appeal, although Spike really does give off a lot of warning signals. I wasn't surprised at the foreshadowing that starts on the very first page, and it gave me the expectation of a Thelma and Louise type story. Spike comes across as a problem waiting to happen, and she didn't seem like a very reliable narrator, even when discussing events from her own past. Tina, whose name I only could recall after reading a quarter of the story, is just blah. She doesn't seem to have any personality traits or character aside from being Spike's friend, and I found myself not liking her very much. Tina (or Whirly, as Spike calls her) comes across as filler, even though she is the narrator. I couldn't tell you anything about her other than that she aspires to be a writer and doesn't seem to have a clue about functioning socially.
I found both Tina and Spike not to be likable. It was tough to continue reading about them because I wasn't captured by the story or either of the women. The men in the story are instantly forgettable, and I honestly didn't care enough about either of them to push myself to continue reading further about the problems they are creating for themselves.
Initially, I was confused about why this story had to take place in the 1980s, until the women fled NYC for the summer to rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere, upstate. Naturally, Spike finds the crappiest cabin in the history of crappy cabins, and falls in love with it, overruling Tina's common sense and renting it. However, once they got out into the woods, I realized that setting this story in the 1980s meant that people didn't have cell phones or internet, and weren't easily reachable. This increases the sense of isolation in the story once they reach the cabin. They were basically cut off from the outside world, especially without television or newspapers, which they never mentioned having.
This wasn't an enjoyable read for me, so I decided to cut it short and DNF rather than pushing myself to read something that I didn't connect with. On to bigger and better books, hopefully!
DNF @ 30%, and I didn't think it was enough to rate the book, even if it was enough for me to give up. Instead of a starred rating, I'll just be giving a review.
This sounded like a really intriguing read, although it didn't really come through.
The book starts out very slowly. As in glacially slow. This is much more of a character driven story than I'm used to, and for the first 30%, there wasn't really anything much that occurred aside from the fact that Tina and Spike became friends and decided to rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere for the summer.
The writing style felt stilted and jarring, with dialogue that didn't quite come across as realistic. I really struggled with the characters. Tina, especially, felt like an underdeveloped character. For a woman who is nearly 30 and emerging from a divorce, she came across as immature, and I wouldn't have been surprised if she was ten years younger.
I was really interested in learning more about Tina when she was first introduced, but there isn't a whole lot of background information about Tina's life - we learn a little more about Spike, but it's difficult to tell what is real or not. Spike was basically a walking red flag, although I can understand what leads us to connect with people who are bad for us. That is something I've been known to do in the past, although I have gotten better about it as I matured.
It was difficult to connect to either woman, because honestly, neither was very likable. I know there are certain people who just unconsciously ooze charisma or sex appeal, although Spike really does give off a lot of warning signals. I wasn't surprised at the foreshadowing that starts on the very first page, and it gave me the expectation of a Thelma and Louise type story. Spike comes across as a problem waiting to happen, and she didn't seem like a very reliable narrator, even when discussing events from her own past. Tina, whose name I only could recall after reading a quarter of the story, is just blah. She doesn't seem to have any personality traits or character aside from being Spike's friend, and I found myself not liking her very much. Tina (or Whirly, as Spike calls her) comes across as filler, even though she is the narrator. I couldn't tell you anything about her other than that she aspires to be a writer and doesn't seem to have a clue about functioning socially.
I found both Tina and Spike not to be likable. It was tough to continue reading about them because I wasn't captured by the story or either of the women. The men in the story are instantly forgettable, and I honestly didn't care enough about either of them to push myself to continue reading further about the problems they are creating for themselves.
Initially, I was confused about why this story had to take place in the 1980s, until the women fled NYC for the summer to rent a cabin in the middle of nowhere, upstate. Naturally, Spike finds the crappiest cabin in the history of crappy cabins, and falls in love with it, overruling Tina's common sense and renting it. However, once they got out into the woods, I realized that setting this story in the 1980s meant that people didn't have cell phones or internet, and weren't easily reachable. This increases the sense of isolation in the story once they reach the cabin. They were basically cut off from the outside world, especially without television or newspapers, which they never mentioned having.
This wasn't an enjoyable read for me, so I decided to cut it short and DNF rather than pushing myself to read something that I didn't connect with. On to bigger and better books, hopefully!
August 25, 2025
I got an ARC of A Dangerous Friendship and it completely pulled me in. The dialogue is sharp, the tension builds quietly, and before I knew it, I was caught up in the intensity of Tina and Spike’s connection.
Women in their 20s and 30s will see themselves in the fragile, powerful bonds of female friendship, how we choose our people, how we lose them, and the justifications we make when we stay too long.
Set against the gritty, magnetic energy of 1980s NYC and the eerie stillness of the upstate woods, the novel captures the high of new connection and the slow unraveling of trust with incredible nuance.
Spike is the kind of character you can’t look away from: charming, dangerous, and impossible to pin down. And Tina? You feel for her, root for her, and want to shake her all at once.
This is a bold, literary exploration of the gray areas of human connection told through two vibrant, unforgettable women. Highly recommend.
Women in their 20s and 30s will see themselves in the fragile, powerful bonds of female friendship, how we choose our people, how we lose them, and the justifications we make when we stay too long.
Set against the gritty, magnetic energy of 1980s NYC and the eerie stillness of the upstate woods, the novel captures the high of new connection and the slow unraveling of trust with incredible nuance.
Spike is the kind of character you can’t look away from: charming, dangerous, and impossible to pin down. And Tina? You feel for her, root for her, and want to shake her all at once.
This is a bold, literary exploration of the gray areas of human connection told through two vibrant, unforgettable women. Highly recommend.
July 28, 2025
I got an advanced readers copy of this book, and I loved it. The ending?? Wow. The writing is amazing and quick-witted. Everytime I picked it up, I felt myself in the drunk haze with Spike and Tina dancing at The Starlite. The men in this book cracked me up, and the things these women put them through was hilarious. There were so many strong characters in this book, and the dialogue was great. Tina and Spike were both such interesting and larger than life characters in their own way, and seeing how they and their relationship evolved throughout the story was stressful, shocking, and entertaining. This is a must read!!!
October 6, 2025
Robin Merle’s A Dangerous Friendship tells the story of Tina, a woman navigating heartbreak, loneliness, and the lure of risk, who is drawn into a powerful and consuming relationship with Spike, a magnetic yet volatile woman whose energy feels both liberating and destructive. The book unfolds as a mix of confession, memory, and cautionary tale, with Tina’s voice pulling readers through the strange encounters, reckless adventures, and raw emotions that define her search for meaning and connection. At its heart, the novel explores how desire, loss, and self-deception intertwine when we reach for love in places that might destroy us.
The writing is sharp, sometimes even intoxicating, as if the sentences themselves were alive with the same restless energy that fuels Spike. There were moments I felt swept along by the chaos, unable to look away even when the scenes grew uncomfortable or unnerving. The style often felt conversational, almost like overhearing someone at a bar late at night telling you the truth they hadn’t meant to say out loud. That rawness worked for me. It made me trust the voice even when I knew the choices being described were dangerous or misguided. Still, there were times when the sheer intensity wore me down. I caught myself needing a pause, needing to breathe, because the book doesn’t really let you step away from the emotional heat. That relentlessness is its strength, though.
I kept coming back to the theme of how easily people mistake chaos for passion, or instability for depth. Spike is fascinating because she’s equal parts irresistible and terrifying. I understood Tina’s attraction to her. Who doesn’t want to be pulled into someone’s orbit when they seem larger than life, when they make you feel braver than you are? Yet I also felt a knot in my stomach, knowing where such relationships might lead. The book never pretends that this friendship is healthy, and I liked that honesty. It made me think about the kinds of people we let in when we’re at our most fragile, and how often the need to feel alive can push us right to the edge of destruction.
A Dangerous Friendship left me unsettled in the best way. It’s not a comforting read, but it is a truthful one. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy stories about flawed characters, messy emotions, and the dangerous beauty of being swept up in someone else’s storm. If you’re drawn to novels that explore obsession, betrayal, and the thin line between love and ruin, this one will keep you turning pages.
The writing is sharp, sometimes even intoxicating, as if the sentences themselves were alive with the same restless energy that fuels Spike. There were moments I felt swept along by the chaos, unable to look away even when the scenes grew uncomfortable or unnerving. The style often felt conversational, almost like overhearing someone at a bar late at night telling you the truth they hadn’t meant to say out loud. That rawness worked for me. It made me trust the voice even when I knew the choices being described were dangerous or misguided. Still, there were times when the sheer intensity wore me down. I caught myself needing a pause, needing to breathe, because the book doesn’t really let you step away from the emotional heat. That relentlessness is its strength, though.
I kept coming back to the theme of how easily people mistake chaos for passion, or instability for depth. Spike is fascinating because she’s equal parts irresistible and terrifying. I understood Tina’s attraction to her. Who doesn’t want to be pulled into someone’s orbit when they seem larger than life, when they make you feel braver than you are? Yet I also felt a knot in my stomach, knowing where such relationships might lead. The book never pretends that this friendship is healthy, and I liked that honesty. It made me think about the kinds of people we let in when we’re at our most fragile, and how often the need to feel alive can push us right to the edge of destruction.
A Dangerous Friendship left me unsettled in the best way. It’s not a comforting read, but it is a truthful one. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy stories about flawed characters, messy emotions, and the dangerous beauty of being swept up in someone else’s storm. If you’re drawn to novels that explore obsession, betrayal, and the thin line between love and ruin, this one will keep you turning pages.
December 7, 2025
📚A Dangerous Friendship
✍🏻Robin Merle
Blurb:
With dark humor, this women’s fiction novel is about obsessive friendship, secrets, and a life-changing summer in the wild 1980s of New York City.
In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike bond in a complex, all-consuming friendship that will change their lives forever.
Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, twenty-nine-year-old Tina embarks on a thrill-seeking journey to feel alive again. When she meets thirty-five-year-old Spike, a beautiful, seductive, seemingly invulnerable woman, she becomes enthralled by the older woman’s stories of NYC power brokers, sex, wealthy men, and her past. Tina latches on to Spike as someone who can save her from mediocrity and show her how to be the kind of woman who can have power over men—both in romance and in life.
Chasing adventure and the writing life, Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the rural backwoods. There, they go on a wild, manic, darkly humorous journey involving dive bars, drugs, men, and all-night dancing, becoming increasingly psychologically entangled in each other’s lives along the way. But eventually Tina realizes just how dangerous Spike is, and is forced to act to save herself.
Filled with New York wit and fast-paced dialogue, this is a story of loss, betrayal, survival, and blurring the line between attraction and peril.
My Thoughts:
The dialogue is sharp, the tension builds quietly, and before I knew it, I was caught up in the intensity of Tina and Spike’s connection.
Women in their 20s and 30s will see themselves in the fragile, powerful bonds of female friendship, how we choose our people, how we lose them, and the justifications we make when we stay too long.
Set against the gritty, magnetic energy of 1980s NYC and the eerie stillness of the upstate woods, the novel captures the high of new connection and the slow unraveling of trust with incredible nuance.
Spike is the kind of character you can’t look away from: charming, dangerous, and impossible to pin down. And Tina? You feel for her, root for her, and want to shake her all at once.
This is a bold, literary exploration of the gray areas of human connection told through two vibrant, unforgettable women. Highly recommend.
Thanks NetGalley, She Writes Press and Author Robin Merle for the advanced copy of "A Dangerous Friendship" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#SheWritesPress
#RobinMerle
#ADangerousFriendship
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏻Robin Merle
Blurb:
With dark humor, this women’s fiction novel is about obsessive friendship, secrets, and a life-changing summer in the wild 1980s of New York City.
In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike bond in a complex, all-consuming friendship that will change their lives forever.
Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, twenty-nine-year-old Tina embarks on a thrill-seeking journey to feel alive again. When she meets thirty-five-year-old Spike, a beautiful, seductive, seemingly invulnerable woman, she becomes enthralled by the older woman’s stories of NYC power brokers, sex, wealthy men, and her past. Tina latches on to Spike as someone who can save her from mediocrity and show her how to be the kind of woman who can have power over men—both in romance and in life.
Chasing adventure and the writing life, Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the rural backwoods. There, they go on a wild, manic, darkly humorous journey involving dive bars, drugs, men, and all-night dancing, becoming increasingly psychologically entangled in each other’s lives along the way. But eventually Tina realizes just how dangerous Spike is, and is forced to act to save herself.
Filled with New York wit and fast-paced dialogue, this is a story of loss, betrayal, survival, and blurring the line between attraction and peril.
My Thoughts:
The dialogue is sharp, the tension builds quietly, and before I knew it, I was caught up in the intensity of Tina and Spike’s connection.
Women in their 20s and 30s will see themselves in the fragile, powerful bonds of female friendship, how we choose our people, how we lose them, and the justifications we make when we stay too long.
Set against the gritty, magnetic energy of 1980s NYC and the eerie stillness of the upstate woods, the novel captures the high of new connection and the slow unraveling of trust with incredible nuance.
Spike is the kind of character you can’t look away from: charming, dangerous, and impossible to pin down. And Tina? You feel for her, root for her, and want to shake her all at once.
This is a bold, literary exploration of the gray areas of human connection told through two vibrant, unforgettable women. Highly recommend.
Thanks NetGalley, She Writes Press and Author Robin Merle for the advanced copy of "A Dangerous Friendship" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#SheWritesPress
#RobinMerle
#ADangerousFriendship
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 1, 2025
Overall Rating = 4.17
Storyline & Concept = 4
Writing & Delivery = 4.5
Editorial = 4
Set in 1980s New York, A Dangerous Friendship follows the combustible relationship of two women desperate to rewrite their lives. Told from the point of view of Tina, a woman recovering from a broken marriage, we witness her entanglement with the magnetic and intoxicating Spike, who is brimming with stories of rich men, sexual freedom, and tales that sometimes defy belief. They embark on a summer adventure in a remote cabin fueled by drugs, dive bars, late-night dancing, and a string of men eager to join their entourage. Their journey quickly spirals from thrilling to toxic.
This novel captured my interest from the beginning as I saw how Tina was obsessively drawn to Spike as if the other woman’s chaotic glamor would help her shed her past and her old identity. Their friendship is intense and fast burning. Spike is by turns empowering and manipulative, mesmerizing and menacing, and the author uses sharp dialogue and Tina’s internal thoughts to take the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. The changing atmosphere of the remote setting is used to its full advantage as it contributes to the psychological tug-of-war, where love, envy, and power over another human being are deeply entwined. The ending surprised me, as I’d expected something more from the toxic havoc of their relationship, but the novel is a captivating portrait of friendship, identity, and the thin line between freedom and destruction.
Sublime Line: “A gripping tale of friendship, obsession, and the danger of losing yourself in someone else’s story.”
Storyline & Concept = 4
Writing & Delivery = 4.5
Editorial = 4
Set in 1980s New York, A Dangerous Friendship follows the combustible relationship of two women desperate to rewrite their lives. Told from the point of view of Tina, a woman recovering from a broken marriage, we witness her entanglement with the magnetic and intoxicating Spike, who is brimming with stories of rich men, sexual freedom, and tales that sometimes defy belief. They embark on a summer adventure in a remote cabin fueled by drugs, dive bars, late-night dancing, and a string of men eager to join their entourage. Their journey quickly spirals from thrilling to toxic.
This novel captured my interest from the beginning as I saw how Tina was obsessively drawn to Spike as if the other woman’s chaotic glamor would help her shed her past and her old identity. Their friendship is intense and fast burning. Spike is by turns empowering and manipulative, mesmerizing and menacing, and the author uses sharp dialogue and Tina’s internal thoughts to take the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. The changing atmosphere of the remote setting is used to its full advantage as it contributes to the psychological tug-of-war, where love, envy, and power over another human being are deeply entwined. The ending surprised me, as I’d expected something more from the toxic havoc of their relationship, but the novel is a captivating portrait of friendship, identity, and the thin line between freedom and destruction.
Sublime Line: “A gripping tale of friendship, obsession, and the danger of losing yourself in someone else’s story.”
September 28, 2025
I received this book as an EARC. Thank you Robin Merle and She Writes Press.
Usually this genre isn’t really my thing but I ended up loving this book.
Two women living in NYC one in her 20s (Tina) who is well mediocre to say the least trying to find her way in life and urning for wild adventure. One in her 30s (Spike) who is a HOT MESS of nothing but wildness.
They form a friendship where Tina looks for Spike to fill that void of carelessness and bring her out of her shell. Spike whom Tina helps ground and keep from losing her mind.
Sex, weed, men, and a cabin in a podunk town leads to an adventure I don’t either were actually ready or cut out for. The attraction and tension between the two characters so thick it could literally be cut with a knife.
A friendship that is nothing but TOXIC.
10/10 wild ride and an awesome ending.
Now to the part I wasn’t crazy about: the first 10-20% really pulled me in as our two main characters form their relationship and the dynamic of toxicity starts. Then the middle of the book kinda lost me, just the same shenanigans over and over (meet at cabin, smoke some weed, go to the club, hook up with guys, go back to the city, never admit their feelings for each other, and repeat). Once I got to the last 30% I was reeled right back in and finished the rest in one day.
Overall with book gets 4/5 stars from me.
Usually this genre isn’t really my thing but I ended up loving this book.
Two women living in NYC one in her 20s (Tina) who is well mediocre to say the least trying to find her way in life and urning for wild adventure. One in her 30s (Spike) who is a HOT MESS of nothing but wildness.
They form a friendship where Tina looks for Spike to fill that void of carelessness and bring her out of her shell. Spike whom Tina helps ground and keep from losing her mind.
Sex, weed, men, and a cabin in a podunk town leads to an adventure I don’t either were actually ready or cut out for. The attraction and tension between the two characters so thick it could literally be cut with a knife.
A friendship that is nothing but TOXIC.
10/10 wild ride and an awesome ending.
Now to the part I wasn’t crazy about: the first 10-20% really pulled me in as our two main characters form their relationship and the dynamic of toxicity starts. Then the middle of the book kinda lost me, just the same shenanigans over and over (meet at cabin, smoke some weed, go to the club, hook up with guys, go back to the city, never admit their feelings for each other, and repeat). Once I got to the last 30% I was reeled right back in and finished the rest in one day.
Overall with book gets 4/5 stars from me.
November 29, 2025
We're with narrator Tina for 300 long pages and having just finished, I still don't know her, let alone like her. I know her "pal" Spike much better. Definitely didn't like her either. Tina meets Spike at a writing workshop and is enamored with her attitude, her red hair, her bizarre stories (that makes one of us). For some reason they think it's a great idea to rent a cabin in the woods for the summer together where they can write to their hearts' content.
Let's just say that not a lot of writing takes place. There is a lot of flowery language though. Pages and paragraphs of it.
I was almost done when a "new" Anne Rice novel was mentioned, and realized it was taking place in the 80s. Then there was drama over typewriters (well, maybe there was some writing) and I wondered what the big deal was, why weren't they writing on...oh yeah. IT'S THE 80'S.
Spike's stories were nonsense, Tina (who let Spike call her "Whirly") tolerates her abusive behavior, her attraction to Spike isn't believable, the cabin is a pit, the men all interchangeable (and in love with both of them, of course), and the potential for something really compelling was missed.
My thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub. date 10/28/2025)
Let's just say that not a lot of writing takes place. There is a lot of flowery language though. Pages and paragraphs of it.
I was almost done when a "new" Anne Rice novel was mentioned, and realized it was taking place in the 80s. Then there was drama over typewriters (well, maybe there was some writing) and I wondered what the big deal was, why weren't they writing on...oh yeah. IT'S THE 80'S.
Spike's stories were nonsense, Tina (who let Spike call her "Whirly") tolerates her abusive behavior, her attraction to Spike isn't believable, the cabin is a pit, the men all interchangeable (and in love with both of them, of course), and the potential for something really compelling was missed.
My thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub. date 10/28/2025)
October 19, 2025
Tina and Spike's relationship is like a car accident that is unraveling in slow motion and you aren't quite sure how it will end. Spike is that intoxicating friend that brings mystery, whirlwind and trouble to any relationship and yet Tina is drawn to her and all of the drama her life seems to create. Tina in a way does what she can to keep Spike stable, while Spike is pushing Tina outside her comfort zone. Forcing her to find out who she is, what she likes or doesn't like and how to navigate the unexpected world of men, drugs and love. The two decide to get out of the city and rent a cabin in the words for the summer, with a few minor rules in place they head off. With this adventure it brings about the tension that has existed between them, as well as the exploration of secrets, lies and obsession that comes to light. Sometimes I struggled with Spike as a character, although she often was the friend where the truth is stranger than fiction with the life she lived and dragged Tina into. Thank you to the author, publisher and Mindbuck Media for the complementary novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
October 12, 2025
This story did had potential but it really fell flat for me. First of all it has typos, so to be a soon published book with that many typos, it felt for me that there were no editing done. For sure it could be a way shorter Novel, it should had been a novella, there were a lot of scenes that didn't move the plot foward, and about the plot it had a good concept for really toxic friendship dynamics and explore that, but it only scratch the surface, so it made a weak plot. Some of these unnecessary scenes explained in depth things that it didn't matter, for example: how to make a down payment for a mortgage, that it didn't go anywhere. The characters a few times acted way off of their personalities, for convenience purposes I guess. The ending really through me off, like it felt like a surprise cause the author really didn't hint it anywhere at all, just a plot twist to this boring story. It's sad, cause I was digging it at first and the writing style really did have something but it felt less edited the further you go. I was expecting something else really.
December 15, 2025
I read A DANGEROUS FRIENDSHIP in a week. It was hard to put down. Tina, the narrator, is trying to forge a new life for herself after the end of her marriage, and she is drawn into a friendship with Spike, a bold, smart, creatively adventurous woman whose highly spontaneous and very risky lifestyle is deliciously different from her own. Pot smoking and drinking and various interesting men are very much involved. The close friendship the two aspiring writers build might sound ill advised, even toxic, but I think we all recover from broken trust in different ways, and Robin Merle shows us that Spike was just what Tina needed up to the point where things got crazy. There were times in reading this novel when I wanted to shake Tina and tell her to get out of there. Don't hang around this woman any longer and for god's sake, don't buy property with her. But Tina is smart enough to see the relationship from all sides even when she’s immersed in it. (This well written novel vividly evokes the spirit of the 1980’s in rural New York state where Spike and Tina share a cabin on weekends.)
December 16, 2025
Robin Merle’s imagery stands out as truly exceptional. Throughout the book, the sensory details are so vivid that they create an immersive experience for the reader. The narrative often makes you feel like a bystander just out of the camera’s view, witnessing each moment as it unfolds. Scenes such as Tina and Spike’s escape from the city allow you to feel the sharp mountain air, while moments by the lake convey a sense of coolness and introspection, as their thoughts simmer beneath the surface. The smoky, whisky-soaked nightlife of the mountain bars they frequent is brought to life, filled with the parade of men they party with and drift into the night alongside. These sensory details are so compelling that they almost become a character in their own right.
The story explores an obsessive, complicated friendship between two aspiring writers whose personalities and life experiences are remarkably different. This novel is nothing short of a wild ride.
The story explores an obsessive, complicated friendship between two aspiring writers whose personalities and life experiences are remarkably different. This novel is nothing short of a wild ride.
July 11, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Loved the 80s setting of this book right off the bat. This is a relatable book in that we all at some point have known or will known a friend like Spike, wild and entertaining. Spike gives off the empowering vibes of a woman who is fearless and Tina becomes completely consumed by the friendship. I was laughing at some of their banter but also was nervous and shocked at times at what the two would get into. This is a powerful book about female friendships and the chaos and enjoyment that can come out of them. I felt like I really knew this characters in person and couldn’t stop thinking of them afterwards.
August 6, 2025
This book is like hopping in a time machine back to the 80s—big hair, great tunes, and wild friendships. Tina and Spike’s relationship is messy, magnetic, and oh-so-relatable if you’ve had that friend who’s equal parts empowering and exhausting. Their banter had me laughing, the chaos had me gasping, and the men in their orbit… well, they didn’t stand a chance.
It’s a quick-witted, fast-moving ride packed with obsession, secrets, betrayal, and moments that will make you pause. The characters feel so real you’ll swear you’ve met them, and by the end, you might just miss them. Bold, funny, and heartbreaking, this is female friendship in all its complicated beauty.
It’s a quick-witted, fast-moving ride packed with obsession, secrets, betrayal, and moments that will make you pause. The characters feel so real you’ll swear you’ve met them, and by the end, you might just miss them. Bold, funny, and heartbreaking, this is female friendship in all its complicated beauty.
October 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ I received this ARC a while back, started it and then stopped. And picked it up again.
I really enjoyed this. The writing is sharp, quick-witted, and completely immersive—I felt like I was right there in the hazy glow of The Starlite, dancing alongside Spike and Tina.
The cast is full of strong, memorable characters, and the dialogue is great. This book had me hooked at the start, made me drift a little in the middle and when I gave it another chance, was drawn back in toward the end. Solid read.
I really enjoyed this. The writing is sharp, quick-witted, and completely immersive—I felt like I was right there in the hazy glow of The Starlite, dancing alongside Spike and Tina.
The cast is full of strong, memorable characters, and the dialogue is great. This book had me hooked at the start, made me drift a little in the middle and when I gave it another chance, was drawn back in toward the end. Solid read.
December 7, 2025
DNF at Chap 8 (60 pages) -- I realize I am not the ideal reader for a book like this. I can't stand characters this chaotic, who are toxic and unable to tell the truth -- I know people like this exist in real life but I avoid them and don't enjoy reading about them either.
January 20, 2026
A Holiday Gift I Devoured
I received "A Dangerous Friendship" as a holiday present and ended up tearing through it way faster than I expected. I kept telling myself I’d read “one more chapter” and suddenly it was late and I was still going.
What really grabbed me was the voice. It feels immediate and honest, and it has that rare quality where you’re not just following a story, you’re inside someone’s head as they make choices you don’t always agree with but completely understand. The writing is sharp, funny in a dark way, and emotionally intense without being melodramatic.
And once Spike shows up, the whole book takes on this charged, unpredictable energy. The friendship at the center is fascinating and unsettling at the same time, and I loved how the author lets it be complicated instead of forcing it into something tidy or easy.
This is the kind of novel that stays in your mind after you finish, not because it’s flashy, but because it feels real. I genuinely couldn’t put it down, and I’m already recommending it to friends who like smart, character-driven fiction.
I received "A Dangerous Friendship" as a holiday present and ended up tearing through it way faster than I expected. I kept telling myself I’d read “one more chapter” and suddenly it was late and I was still going.
What really grabbed me was the voice. It feels immediate and honest, and it has that rare quality where you’re not just following a story, you’re inside someone’s head as they make choices you don’t always agree with but completely understand. The writing is sharp, funny in a dark way, and emotionally intense without being melodramatic.
And once Spike shows up, the whole book takes on this charged, unpredictable energy. The friendship at the center is fascinating and unsettling at the same time, and I loved how the author lets it be complicated instead of forcing it into something tidy or easy.
This is the kind of novel that stays in your mind after you finish, not because it’s flashy, but because it feels real. I genuinely couldn’t put it down, and I’m already recommending it to friends who like smart, character-driven fiction.
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