ARC Review

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaurbooks for sending me this advanced electronic copy of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. I requested this book because I read All the Dangerous Things by this author in 2023, and I really enjoyed Stacy's writing style.

Only If You're Lucky is a slow-burn, academic thriller. The book draws you in with its plot and the mystery surrounding each character. It drops hints as you read, but you don't really find out much until the last 20%. I definitely was guessing the whole time.

I am rating this a 3.5 because when the twists finally came, I didn't quite get the "shock" value that I wanted to feel after everything it took to get there. In addition, I felt like we needed to dive a little deeper into the character's relationships. All in all, I still enjoyed reading this book though, and I would recommend.

Only If You’re Lucky is narrated by Karissa Vacker, one of my favorites, so I must recommend the audiobook as the way to read this one for sure. This was a twisty read, set at fictional Rutledge College, with Margot living with Lucy, Sloane, and Nicole, grateful she has found her friend group, the group she’s always wanted. And then. Lucy goes missing, Margot’s past can’t quite escape her, and we are left wondering what in the world is going on while she tries to figure out the same thing. One thing is for sure, this friend group sticks together no matter what.

I am a huge fan of Stacy Willingham and really enjoyed this one. I liked the twists in here, enjoyed the college setting, and how it all wrapped up. I was hooked into this story from the beginning and this held my attention until the end.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

The story takes place in university and we follow students. As well as the present primary timeline we move between past and future to tell the story. Our main character lost her best friend and is trying to deal with her grief and somehow move on. She makes some new friend and things evolve from there. I often think with mystery and thrillers its best to go in blind. So I’ll leave it at that.

Right of the bat i didn’t like or connect to our characters and we have a few. The way the story is structured wasn’t working for me either and there was nothing that really interested me or kept me hooked.

The revelations were not that great and the ending was not for me.

I know that books that explore toxic friendships, are well loved. In my opinion it just wasn’t done well here. No idea what was so fascinating about Lucy.

My first book from this author was All the dangerous things wich i loved. Eager to read more from her i picked up A flicker in the dark, this got 2 stars but mainly because the tropes used were ones i disliked. So my hopes were still pretty high. Sadly this didn’t work for me.

Thank you to netGally and the Publisher for the e- Arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Willingham's third novel is a slow burn thriller, with a relentless pace towards the finish. I was lulled by the first half of the book and then anxiously turning pages as fast as I could to find out the twists that Willingham writes so well.

A great read that's going to be a hit.

✨Arc • Review✨

Only If You’re Lucky

By: Stacy Willingham

4⭐️


This was definitely a SLOW BURN book. It wasn’t like any of her other books she wrote. It took a really long time for me to get into this book about % in, until things picked up. The twists at the end of this book! I would have never guessed some of them. Stacy Willingham always has a way of ending a book perfectly! This is why she will always be an auto buy author for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc of Only If You’re Lucky, for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Maggot's best friend died at the start of the summer. She didn't get to go to college with her best friend but the guy she blames for the death is there until he too turns up dead.
Margot is broken without her. Until Lucy. Margot has to wander why she was chosen. & if Lucy is capable of murder.
There was quite a bit of repetition & the execution of the story was a bit slow. The last few chapters (last 25%) were faster and more gripping. There were definitely things I didn't see coming. I didn't quite trust any character though they were all interesting. I felt like everyone was hiding something. & really they mostly were.
A nice break from reality.

I thoroughly enjoyed this slow burn thriller from Stacy Willingham! I loved the college campus setting and hated all the characters, which was a great combo for me and made the story interesting! I liked that the timeline worked through a before and after, which was an exciting lead up to the reveal of what happened. I thought both the before and after chapters were well done and kept me wanting to learn more! My one small issue with the book is that I didn’t understand the severity behind Margot’s hatred of one of the other characters - it just didn’t quite make sense to me and could have used added reasoning.

Overall, this book was pretty good. The plot was good and the twists were strong. But dang, did it take me forever to get into. The writing is sooo slow. It’s too reflective. I could skip entire pages of internal thoughts that didn’t alter the story. It was so boring until the final 100 pages. The pacing was so off. I listened to the author’s other books as audiobooks so I’m not sure if this is her typical writing style, or if it just didn’t translate as well as a physical book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book, but unfortunately, I thought was a little weak at times. It didn't hold my attention as much as I hoped it would. I felt that the book was a little long. With that being said, I do enjoy Stacy Willingham's books, but ultimately, I felt that this story wasn't as strong as her previous ones. With that being said, I would still read another book by her as overall her stories are entertaining. I will probably also pick this book up again and give it a second chance at a later date.

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"...When so many lives become so intricately entwined, one snag, one single loose thread, and it all threatens to become undone."

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham has all the makings of a twisty, turny thriller with female friendships at its center, but it can't help but get bogged down by awkward dialogue, and far-fetched behavior from its characters.

Margot is preparing for her sophomore year in college, trying to move forward from the tragic death of her best friend the summer before her freshman year. When she becomes obsessed with Lucy, who reminds her of her best friend, she starts to feel a huge shift in her life…but is it for better or for worse? When someone from their circle turns up dead, Margot and we as readers learn the grass might not always be greener on the other side. 

I really loved A Flicker in the Dark by this author but I have to be honest and say this one was a struggle for me. I realize that there is always a bit of a suspension of disbelief with thrillers but what really took me out of connecting with this one was the characters and their behavior. Yes, I realize they're college students but maybe I'm out of touch. 🤷🏻‍♂️ I thought to myself multiple times, who says or acts like this?? Margot in particular was kind of unbearable from a narrator's standpoint, and since we depend on her to tell the whole story, it was tough to root for her. We can tell from the beginning that there's more to the story than she's telling…another unreliable narrator.

I did appreciate the dual timelines and how everything was pieced together but for me, it couldn't overcome the struggles I listed above. 

Have you read this one? What did you think? Am I missing something?

Thank you to St. Martins press for sending me a copy of ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY. This one is out now.

This one was just okay. It left me disappointed after reading Stacy Willingham's previous books. It was mostly boring up until the ending which I had mostly figured out. I can't recommend this book but I highly recommend Willingham's two previous books.

“If you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?”

I want to thank NetGalley, and Minoatur for the advanced reader copy of Only If You’re Lucky.

The novel is set in a college backdrop and told in present, past and after timelines. A lot is going on for a book. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a slower-paced mystery.

I will say I’ve read Stacey’s other two books; A Flicker in the Dark and All The Dangerous Things (These were four and five-star reads) and I enjoyed them, but I wasn’t a fan of this one. I’m thinking because it’s the college setting and felt more like a YA book.

That being said, I’m excited for future works, as Stacey is an auto-buy author for me!

I saw a lot of mixed reviews for this book, and I think because of that, I was hesitant to read it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The main character took me back to my college days when I felt young and naive. You want to fit in and find the right group and you aren’t sure what choices to make. I am glad I went with my choice and not the ones the character does in this book. But it sure made for a good and suspenseful read. There were a lot of complexities and background that definitely added to the questions and the doubt.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Minotaur for a gifted ecopy of the book. I highly recommend the audiobook version!

BOOK REVIEW

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

"If you knew you could get away for murder, would you do it?"

Margot was obsessed with her best friend Eliza, who tragically died after their high school graduation. While away for college, Margot meets Lucy, who was a larger than life kinda of girl. Lucy was very much alike, Eliza. They both loved being the center of attention, being the life of the party, and always choosing 'dare' over 'truth'. When Lucy asked Margot to move in with her friends off campus, it was an easy yes for her. She found herself belonging to a group again and finding out what college life was all about. Fraternity boys, parties, late nights, and little studying. Mid semester, one of the fraternity boys next door was murdered and Lucy had disappeared without a trace. Margot and the other roommates are questioning by detectives, and Margot will learn that Lucy knew her longer than she realized.

The book was a little bit of a slow burn for me, but the ending did have some twist I didn't see coming. It took me back to my younger years, so that was a fun little flashback. While I enjoyed the book, it won't go as a favorite thriller of mine.

"Only If You're Lucky" offered a decent thriller experience, keeping me engaged as a definite page-turner. While enjoyable, I couldn't help but compare it to the author's previous works, finding them more compelling. Nevertheless, the story was fun and managed to hold my interest, making it a worthwhile read with a solid 3-star rating.

Honestly, I DNF'd this book about halfway in. It was slow and I just didn't connect with the storyline.

Margot is obsessed with her best friend, Eliza, until Eliza dies in a mysterious accident. Trying to move on with her life, Margot goes to college and becomes obsessed with her new friend Lucy. It seems like she’s finally getting the lift she’s always wanted, until one of the boys in the fraternity next door (who also happens to be Eliza’s ex) is killed.

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately so I was looking forward to picking up this much anticipated thriller. Unfortunately this book was just so…. boring. The setting and atmosphere was really interesting and had so much potential. But the main character’s POV was so monotonous and bland. And the plot was practically nonexistent until the last 10% of the book. The story was also presented in two timelines, which I don’t really think added much to the story. I’m so disappointed because I loved Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things. Ugh ☹️ Skip this one but definitely check out her other two books if you haven’t already!!

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A dark academia thriller set in college with alternating timelines that is steeped in secrets, betrayal and murder.

I love a good dark academia thriller and once again Stacy Willingham delivers with a twisty and suspenseful mystery about friendship, envy, secrets, loyalty and obsession. I loved All the Dangerous Things and A Flicker in the Dark and while this is a slower burn and focused on younger characters, I was absolutely engrossed and actively trying to figure out the twists.

Margot is adrift. Her best friend fell to her death just weeks after their graduation.
She spent the year shrouded in memories & adrift in depression. Until Lucy Sharpe comes into her life and convinces her to move into off-campus housing with her and her two friends. Lucy is everything Margot isn't and has a pull about her. Margot gets swept up in Lucy's life, finally enjoying her time in college until a boy from her past shows up. Soon, things take a darker turn and Margot isn't sure who she can trust.

Only If You're Lucky is filled with shady characters and young adults behaving badly. You definitely have to be willing to stretch your levels of believability but I had no problem doing that. I loved the alternating timelines and was kept on my toes - switching what i thought the twists were. I never guessed them all and a few things I never saw coming! If you enjoy character driven, slow burn thrillers based in academia you won't want to miss this one. (

3.5 stars!
The plot was a bit long as well as the story wasn't as captivating as Stacy's other books which I was sad about. The premise was excellent but I wasn't gravitated into the book as much as I would of have liked. There were times I had to take breaks to finish this book. :(

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is an exciting psychological thriller set at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot's best friend Eliza died 3 weeks after graduation and Margo blames Eliza's boyfriend for her death. Margot goes into a deep funk, but ultimately decides to attend the college she and Eliza planned to attend together. Margo spends her freshman year cloistered with her plain jane roommate, never making other friends or participating in social events. The only thing she does notice is Lucy, who is bold and dangerous - and reminds her so much of Eliza.

At the end of freshman year, Lucy approaches Margot and invites her to move into an off-campus house with two other girls, Sloan and Nicole. The house is owned by the next-door fraternity and one of Margot's roommate is dating the fraternity president. Suddenly Margot is coming out of her shell, partying, and having fun. She and Lucy grow very close and by the end of summer are almost inseparable - until one of the fraternity boys from next door is found brutally murdered and Lucy goes missing without a trace. Suddenly Margot and her remaining two roommates are in the middle of a murder and missing person investigation, and cracks are forming.

Told in short chapters that alternate between the time just before and after Eliza's death before college, and the present timeline while Margot lives in the off-campus house, the book is an addictive read. I had a hard time putting it down and read it in a day and a half. The book is a great example of an unreliable narrator and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next and what the truth really was. Pretty much everyone was despicable in one way or another, other than perhaps Nicole and Sloan. But even they had their moments. The middle was a bit slow, but it quickly picked up the last fourth of the book until the climatic ending. If you like psychological, suspenseful books with plenty of twists and turns, pick this book up now.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books. All opinions are my own.