The Firewall Between Us: A Dark Psychological Romance Thriller

by Aria W. Fox

A psychological romance thriller where safety becomes a prison and trust is the ultimate risk.

Five years after surviving a brutal abduction, cybersecurity expert Sloane Carter lives behind digital firewalls and physical ones—until an online connection threatens everything. A gripping tale of trauma, trust, and finding courage when your greatest fear returns.

Trapped within the fortress she built to survive, Sloane Carter controls everything in her isolated world. By day, she's a brilliant cybersecurity expert who protects others from digital threats. By night, she escapes into online gaming with friends who've never seen her face—the only human connection she allows herself.

But someone is watching through the cracks.

When she connects with "Kade," a tactical player whose protective nature draws her in, Sloane feels something she thought had died years ago. What she doesn't know is that Kade is actually Logan Kincaid—the SWAT officer who rescued her five years ago, and who has been watching over her ever since.

As their relationship deepens across digital lines, disturbing breaches appear in Sloane's perfect security. Anonymous messages. Inexplicable digital traces. A sense of being observed that her cameras can't explain.

With her stalker locked away, Sloane begins questioning her own sanity. Are these new threats real, or echoes of old trauma? As virtual and real worlds collide, she must decide if she can trust again—not just Logan, but her own instincts.

Because sometimes the walls we build to protect ourselves become the very things that trap us.

This psychological thriller An agoraphobic heroine fighting to reclaim her lifeA protective cop with a secret online identityDigital cat-and-mouse suspense that blurs virtual and real threatsGaming culture and found family through online connectionsSlow-burn romance between two damaged soulsThe terror of being watched when all your security failsPTSD recovery portrayed with emotional authenticityA fortress home that becomes both sanctuary and prisonA hero who would burn the world to keep her safeTrust issues that must be overcome for survival
Through alternating perspectives, this dark psychological thriller explores the aftermath of trauma and the courage it takes to trust again. As Sloane fights to identify the new threat circling her carefully constructed world, she'll discover that safety and imprisonment sometimes look exactly the same.

Some firewalls protect. Others trap.

THE FIREWALL BETWEEN US is Book 2 in the Offline For You Duet. This psychological romance thriller cannot be read as a standalone. Start with Book 1, THE GLITCH IN HER WORLD.

Genres: Thriller

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2025

About the author

Aria W. Fox dives deep into the darkness of the human mind, crafting psychological thrillers that explore trauma, obsession, and the terrifying power of control. Her work doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable—instead, it lives there, peeling back the layers of her characters until all that’s left is raw nerve.
Her books, including The Glitch in Her World and The Firewall Between Us, explore survival in the digital age, toxic relationships, and the quiet horror of being watched. If you love morally complex women, unreliable narrators, and stories that keep you up at night, Aria is your new favorite risk.
When she’s not writing, she’s collecting research tabs like red flags, arguing with her cat “Fat Albert” about keyboard access, and forgetting to eat until a plot twist slaps her in the face.

Reviews

[Nikki B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES!!! If you read book 1, Glitch In Her World, then you have to read this, The Firewall Between Us. Book 1 ended on a cliffhanger and left us up in the air about Sloane's life and whether she survived or not. Spoiler Alert, book 2 pics ups with Sloane a few years later.
She survived and after the trial, she went into hiding. Not because she needed to hide, because Derek is behind bars. But because what happened to her for those almost 30 days that Derek had her, plagues her mind. She has a hard time people-ing, even with people she knew. Her only relief from it all is playing this online game. Through playing this game, she meets Kade. The online friendship her and Kade build becomes one of her strongest lifelines. Kade also doesn't know who he's playing with at the beginning. Kade is actually Logan Kincaid, the officer who found her bleeding on the cabin floor in the last book. Sloane's case is one that he can't let go of because they were almost late to rescue her and that almost cost her her life. Now Kade has found her and continues to build this friendship with her online until Sloane starts telling him about the weird things happening to her, the online user that keeps showing up with random messages about what she's wearing, what she's drinking, the packages she's receiving, the truck that sometimes sits outside her house, watching. Logan, having inside knowledge of what's going on within his department is scared for her life and ends up showing up at her door.
I love Logan's character. The way he took things so slow with her and allowed her to come to terms with things at her own pace was so endearing and sweet. He was everything she needed. Most of the book left that unsettling, chilling feeling, but the moment Logan stepped into the picture, the story felt lighter. The ending was absolute perfection! It's exactly what Sloane needed.
You have to check these two books out. I enjoyed them way more than I thought I would. The plot was so captivating, it keeps you hooked to the story. The characters are both amazing Logan brings that layer of protectiveness and safety, while Sloane brings that debilitating fear of what happened to her. But when it came down to it, she kew how to handle business in her way. The writing is amazing. Aria knows how to keep you sucked in a story! Definitely bumped these 2 to the top of your tbr!

[Jessika S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to have an ARC of this book and I can't recommend this series to psychological thriller lovers enough.

Book 2 has us being introduced to Sloane as an older woman and has unfortunately acquired agoraphobia(extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places, of leaving one's own home, or of being in places from which escape is difficult.) In the end of Book 1 we had left off the with Derek being taken into custody for the harm he caused Sloane - and she had been left bleeding out. With her past and her trauma Sloane had in-turned created her own safe box to live in. The trauma she had suffered from Derek has definitely carried over to this book, and though she is working through it at her own pace- she rarely goes outside as she is constantly afraid he will come for her regardless of only being charged the little years he was for his crimes.

Though she works for herself and limits all of her communication to the outside world to phone calls and video chats, to a small group of gaming friends, her close family and her best friend.... things change when she is introduced to Kade. He ends up breaking down Sloane's carefully crafted walls over time as they become closer with each other. Kade becomes the rescue team when yet again another threat shows itself in Sloane's life... can she ever catch a break?.... make sure to read and find out yourself!!! This book definitely keeps you on your toes trying to put two and two together to figure out who is messing in her life with Derek being behind bars!

I just want to say thank you again to House of King Publishing for the ARC of The Firewall Between Us!!! I'm really looking forward to Aria's next book!!!!!!

[Heather Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜 ARC REVIEW 💜

📖 The Firewall Between Us by Aria W. Fox is available now!

The Firewall Between Us takes place five years after Sloane was stalked, kidnapped, and assaulted by Derek Raines.

Sloane Carter has since built strong walls around her home and in her cyber world. Sloane is working on rebuilding herself while using precautions, but she still hasn’t left her home.

A new video game places her in an interactive cyber space with another player named Kade. Kade and Sloane become close online without realizing they know each other in real life.

Kade is played by Logan Kincaid, the officer that rescued Sloane after Derek’s attack. Logan eventually learns that he’s playing with Sloane but keeps that from her so she doesn’t become more paranoid.

Sloane’s safety is soon threatened again, bringing her and Logan together in real life. Logan is suddenly in Sloane’s space all the time.

Sloane learns she can trust Logan. Their relationship quickly turns romantic during their time together.

Logan is there to comfort and protect Sloane when her life is again threatened.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💜 Psychological Thriller Romance
💜 Agoraphobic Heroine
💜 Protector Alpha Cop
💜 Cyber Suspense
💜 Online Identity

I really enjoyed reading this ARC. It was great to see Sloane heal and get stronger after everything she went through.

Watching Sloane and Logan become partners in a virtual game then in real life was beautiful!

This was the perfect ending in the Offline For You series.

And.. I absolutely loved Fat Albert. He’s definitely the King. 👑

Thank you, @ariawfox and @hokauthorcollective for letting me join you on this journey. 🖤

[Joy Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I opened the book, "The Firewall Between Us" completely consumed me, drawing me into this incredibly suspenseful conclusion to the duet, and I was absolutely unable to put it down! Aria W. Fox has once again demonstrated her exceptional talent as a writer by masterfully crafting a narrative that relentlessly grips the reader and keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat, refusing to let go. Logan Kincaid was an instantly endearing character, and I became completely engrossed in the dynamic created by the multiple points of view that unfolded throughout the entire story, making the experience even more captivating. The intricately woven plot twists kept me guessing and yearning for more, right up until the very last page, leaving me breathless and utterly satisfied. What truly distinguished this novel from others was the exceptional depth and development of the characters; I felt as though I had formed genuine connections with them on a deeply personal level, which made the emotional journey all the more poignant and impactful. If you consider yourself a devoted fan of dark psychological thrillers, then this book is without a doubt an absolute must-read; prepare to be completely and utterly immersed in a captivating world brimming with suspense, intrigue, and unforgettable characters!

[Storm In A Teacup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and nerve shredding, this continuation of Sloane’s story had me hooked. Now living in her self imposed isolation, her fortress of a home is her sanctuary and her prison, walls lined with cameras, security systems humming, panic protocols at the ready, every inch under her control. She rules her world from behind a screen, her only real connections being the friends she games with online.

Then she’s matched in game with Logan Kincaid, the man who saved her life five years ago when Derek abducted her. Logan has never forgotten Sloane, always wondering if she was still safe and living a good life. But when strange messages start appearing, her system is hacked, and shadows from the past creep closer, he knows she’s not safe.

As danger closes in, Logan becomes her shield, but with every shared glance and every moment of trust, a deeper connection builds, just as the unthinkable happens. Derek is free.

From that moment, the clock starts ticking. The air hums with the same sharp, suffocating tension as the first book, the sense that every step could be the one that pushes them over the edge. Sloane and Logan are locked in a final, high stakes battle for her freedom, where love and survival are tangled in a fight neither of them can afford to lose.

[Twisted Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Firewall Between Us by Aria W. Fox isn't the kind of book that rushes in with explosive heat—but don’t be fooled, the emotional detonation does come.

Sloane, a reclusive coder with a past carved by trauma, lives behind cameras and code—until a familiar stranger enters her life through an online game. Kincaid, the officer who once saved her, becomes her accidental anchor. Their slow-building online bond is rich with tension and regret, even when the pacing feels like it drags.

But the final act? Gripping. Gutting. Worth every slow-burning beat. When her past comes clawing back, and safety feels like an illusion, Sloane chooses strength. And this time? Kincaid is right there—on time.

This is a story of protection, trust, and a heroine who fights like hell to hold her ground.

Spice: Low, but simmering.
Tropes: Protector Hero, Online Connection, Second Chance Energy, Healing After Trauma.
CW: Sexual Assault (referenced), PTSD, stalking, betrayal of trust.

[Louise Smalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sloane Carter is a woman living in a digital and physical fortress. Five years after a life-altering abduction, she has reconstructed her life through the lens of cybersecurity—controlling every byte of data and every inch of her perimeter. Her only social outlet is the anonymous world of online gaming.
But the "perfect" security of her life begins to crack when she meets Kade, a tactical gamer who manages to slip past her emotional defenses. The twist? Kade is actually Logan Kincaid, the SWAT officer who saved her years ago and has never truly stopped watching over her. As their digital connection deepens, Sloane's real-world security begins to fail in terrifying ways, leaving her to wonder if her savior is actually her stalker—or if something much darker has finally found her. The "Cat and Mouse" Tension: The dual identity of Logan/Kade creates a delicious layer of dramatic irony. You’ll be turning pages just to see if his "protection" crosses the line into obsession.

[kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect full circle in this ending to the duology!! Aria had you going through all the twists and turns, trying to figure things out, getting paranoia with Sloan, and falling in love with our leads - Logan and Sloan. Derek still creeps around every corner in her mind, making her trust no one and not exit the household in years. She gets involved in a new game where she accidentally runs into Kincaid, the officer who found her at the end of book one, under the guise of Kade. Both start to peruse this new friendship, not realizing who the other is, all while new threats linger. Sloan has to fight through her paranoia she has and the anxiety she acquired to face the threats that she feels are at every turn...all while one is awaiting his time. This sequel is phenomenal - showing us the difference between Derek and Logan’s versions of love and protection.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 brings us Sloane a little bit older, wiser, and she's acquired agoraphobia. When we left off on book 1 she was bleeding out and Derek was being taken into custody for harming Sloane.

So, Sloane created a secure box to live in and rarely goes outside. Her trauma from Derek has carried over into this book and she is working through it but she is still fearful that he will come for her regardless of only being a sentence of a few years for his crimes.

Sloane works for herself and limits communication to a group of gaming friends, her best friend and parents via phone calls and video chats. Until she 'meets' Kade...

Kade breaks down walls that Sloane had up over time and they become close. When a mystery threat comes to strike on Sloane (again!) Kade comes to the rescue to help support her in fighting the demons that hit her at night and the people who are currently wreaking havoc in her life currently.

This book is going to keep you on your toes until the last few chapters trying to figure out who is meddling in Sloane's life now that Derek is behind bars.

Thank you to the House of King Publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an intense and captivating read! I loved every minute of it too!!
There was danger, suspense, lots of feels, some spice, and more!!
Sloane's life has changed so much. At times I felt like I was there with her. Wondering who was telling the truth, suspicious of everything, and loneliness.
I was so proud of Sloane. The progress and growth she made in the end. I loved Logan. He protected her, but most importantly supported her.
I think this was a great duet and I loved the ending!

[Samantha billion · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a minute to get into this book but once I did i didn’t wanna put it down!! It had me fighting off sleep to try to finish it, which is rare for me. There were so many surprises and twist I was legit on the edge of my seat!! Had me feeling all of the emotions!! Which to me really makes me love a book because if it doesn’t make u cry, laugh, and clutching your pearls did u truly enjoy it??