Lucy is the alpha of a friend group consisting of sweet Nicole, sassy Sloan and shy Margot. She encouurages the group to move out of their dorm at a small SC college and move to a rental house that is right next door to a rowdy frat house complete with a gap in the hedge connecting the two houses. Lucy leads the girls in a semester of frat boys and wild parties. It comes to a screeching halt when one of the neighbors turns up dead and Lucy goes missing. A taut twisty thriller about the secret lives of young adults .

Margot and her best friend Eliza had big plans to go off to college together. But when Eliza’s tragic death happens after their high school graduation everything suddenly changes for Margot. Spending the first year of college all alone Margot meets Lucy. Lucy is the complete opposite of Margot. Margot joins their fraternity house which is rented out by one of the college fraternities. Margot is excited to be part of a bigger social scene. A new student that has ties to Margot’s hometown and to Eliza enters the scene , Margot shares her past trauma with the girls. Lucy expresses her concern for Margot and interest in the past events and claims she wants to help her friend. Lucys weird mind games and obsessive behavior start to reveal a dark streak. It makes Margot uncomfortable. Margot finds herself and new friends entangled in a web of lies, deception, secrets, and murder and not all of them will make it out alive. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Stacy Willingham for this memorizing book. I have read all of her books and enjoyed them. This one was a tad different than her typical. I am a bit late giving my feedback as I was unable to read sadly for several months but I wanted to take the time to note that she put her heart into this book and the mystery was present and the twists and turns made you question the missing individuals. Grab it if you want that mystery and especially if you like a plot twist.

Only if you're lucky centers around college student Margot as she tries to heal from her best friend Eliza's death. She quickly becomes enthralled with Lucy, who is said to be charismatic. However, the reader was never shown any of Lucy's charisma or appeal, we were just told about it. Margot's voice became repetitive and boring. She kept referencing Eliza's death without telling us how she died. This made the reveal near the end pretty predictable. A few of the other twists at the end seemed pretty implausible.

I loved Stacy Willingham's previous books, but this one fell very flat for me. I started reading it long long ago and only recently was able to pick it back up to try to finish it. Not much happens aside from Margot obsessing about Eliza and Lucy, and college students partying.

I am looking forward to the author's next book though and hoping this was just a fluke.

This was interesting enough, but I didn't love how it ended. This is a story of toxic female friendships in college. Margot is looking to fit in, to belong, following the death of her best friend Eliza. She finds herself in the web of Lucy and her two friends Sloane and Nicole. (Sloane and Nicole didn't really stand out as having any kind of personality at all).

There are plenty of drugs, alcohol and frat boys. Bad decisions galore. One boy ends up dead, one girl ends up missing. There's a bit of a mystery to find it out with some twists along the way. I think that one of the twists in particular was just too much. This could have been better, but it felt a bit cheap toward the end.

Okay, so you know how you have those authors you just adore? Stacy Willingham is one of those for me. I've been obsessed with everything she's put out, so I was counting down the days until Only If You're Lucky dropped. And, well…it was okay. Just okay.
Look, Stacy's got this talent for creating these super creepy, atmospheric vibes, and that was definitely there. I was intrigued by the whole "found family gone wrong" thing, and I was turning the pages, wanting to know what happened. But, and this is a big but for me, I just didn't click with the characters as much as I usually do with her books. They felt a little…distant?
And the twists? I saw some of them coming, which is a bummer, because usually, Stacy's surprises totally get me. I still appreciate her exploring those dark, twisty psychological themes she does so well. It was still a solid read, but it didn't give me that "OMG, I need to tell everyone about this!" feeling her other books did.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge Stacy Willingham fan. This one just wasn't my favorite. If you're new to her, I'd say start with A Flicker in the Dark or All the Dangerous Things. But if you're a die-hard fan like me, you'll probably still find something to enjoy here. Just maybe lower your expectations a tiny bit.

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

Margot isn't living the college life, she's surviving it. Until, one day a girl named Lucy talks her into moving into a house with her and two other girls for the summer. Once there Margot starts to take back her life. Things are going well...until they aren't...then the neighbor boy is found murdered.

What can I say about this book? It just wasn't for me. It was a slow burn with characters I didn't really like. I called one of the twists early on. If you like slow burns in college settings this is definitely for you!!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies of the book in exchange for my review.

Another gripping thriller from Stacy Willingham! Set against the backdrop of academia, this novel follows Margot, whose dreams of starting college with her best friend, Eliza, are shattered when tragedy strikes—Eliza dies just weeks before graduation.

Determined to move forward, Margot heads to college, where she meets Lucy, a girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to Eliza—with the way she carries herself. As Margot navigates her new life, another tragedy unfolds: the boy next door is found dead, and Lucy has vanished without a trace.

Told through alternating timelines, this psychological thriller will keep you on edge with its unexpected twists and shocking revelations. A must-read that will leave you guessing until the very last page!

This book was a bit slow but as we got deeper in I was fascinated with the girl group dynamics. For some reason the missing people and past was less interesting to me. I love this authors thriller books and I was more into the characters for this one.

We follow a college aged girl group of four ladies all separate and just have their choice of college in common they are partying and meeting boys and living pretty regular/fun college lifestyles. Lucy is the leader and may be most mysterious, sloan blends in the background and Nicole is too nice for her own good Margot is the outsider with less to say but a lot she’s thinking about all the time. It is narrated from Margot’s perspective so it can be a bit timid in the way she describes things. Margot has already lost one friend in the past who she references a lot and the boy Levi that was with her friend is now her college neighbor. when Lucy goes missing Margots senses are up that something is not right they start to be amateur detectives and uncover more and more.

Closer to 60 or 70% through the book this became fast-paced and I could not put it down. Did not guess the ending which I love.

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham is a gripping and intense psychological thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. The story centers around a young woman named Annalise, who is struggling to come to terms with her past while dealing with the sudden disappearance of her childhood friend. Willingham does an incredible job at creating a tense, suspenseful atmosphere, and I found myself eagerly turning pages to unravel the mystery. The writing is sharp, and the way Willingham slowly unravels the truth behind the events is masterful. Every chapter left me with more questions, making it impossible to stop reading.

What really stood out to me, though, was how Willingham weaves themes of guilt, memory, and the complexity of human relationships throughout the novel. The characters, especially Annalise, are layered and flawed, which makes them feel incredibly real. I found myself torn between sympathizing with her and questioning her actions, which is a testament to Willingham's skill as a storyteller. The twists and turns kept me on edge, and the book's ending had me completely floored. Only If You're Lucky is a dark, atmospheric novel that delves into the depths of friendship, trust, and the secrets we keep. It's a must-read for anyone who loves a psychological thriller with emotional depth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I've loved every book I've read by Stacy so was beyond excited to get my hands on this. This is one heckuva story - OMG the twists and turns will make you gasp outloud. And the ending - buckle up!

Normally Stacy is 4-5 star read for me but this one I couldn’t get into, it fell a bit flat and I had to DNF it around 60%. I wanted to love it but it just didn’t hit for me.

I forgot to give feedback for this book at the time but I enjoyed it, which I’ve come to expect from this author. Twisty and turny!

Stacy Willingham has become an auto read author for me. Ever since her first novel, her books have captured me and "Only If You're Lucky" is no exception. This book feels different when compared to her two previous novels. The pacing of this one is slower, taking its time to carve out this mystery. While I personally enjoy a faster paced thriller, Willingham makes the wait worth it.

I will read anything Stacy Willingham writes. Only If You're Lucky was a bingeable read that explores female friendship and jealousy. A Flicker in the Dark is still my favorite by this author but this book is definitely worth checking out.

Unfortunately this wasn’t my favorite of Stacy’s books, but nonetheless it was still enjoyable. I adore her writing style and the way she paces the book so well to keep the reader engaged!! This one just felt a touch slower than her previous books. Dark academia is one of my fave subgenres so I loved that setting here. I enjoyed the use of toxic female friendships, murder mystery, and flawed characters too.

I love love loved LOVED this one. @stacyvwillingham books just keep getting better and better, and she’s definitely become an auto buy author for me.

I did a read/listen combo for this story thanks to @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress and you can not go wrong with either format.

I loved @karissavacker narration she’s amazing like always. She really does a great job in making me feel like she’s telling me the story and not just reading it to me. I love her ability to do voices for other characters in the book.

As for the story Dark Academia is probably my favorite thriller troupe. If you enjoyed In My Dreams I Hold A Knife you would probably enjoy this one as well. This is told in 2 timelines before and after and explores toxic female friendships. Get this one if you are a sucker for college based thrillers like me!

This book was just okay for me but I had very high expectations as I LOVED the last two books by this author. I really enjoyed how well the setting contributed to the overall spooky vibes of the story and the dark academia themes really set the scene well. I was super engrossed in the first half of this book and then found the rest of it to drag on a bit. I found this one to be predictable, too many characters and it just fell flat.

"Only If You're Lucky" by Stacy Willingham is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the dark undercurrents of female friendship and the allure of belonging. Released on January 16, 2024, this novel has quickly garnered attention for its twisty plot and atmospheric setting.
The story follows Margot, a shy college student still reeling from the death of her best friend, as she becomes entangled in a dangerous friendship with the magnetic Lucy Sharpe. Set in a small liberal arts college in South Carolina, the narrative alternates between two timelines, building tension as it unravels the mysteries surrounding a brutal murder and Lucy's subsequent disappearance.
Willingham's strength lies in her ability to create a palpable sense of unease. The author masterfully crafts an atmosphere of creeping dread, using the sweltering Southern Gothic setting of the campus and a decrepit off-campus house to heighten the sinister undercurrent of the story.
The character development is particularly noteworthy. Margot's transformation from a withdrawn freshman to someone caught in a web of obsession and potential violence is skillfully portrayed. Lucy Sharpe emerges as a complex and enigmatic figure, described as "magnetic, addictive, bold and dangerous"
While some readers found the pacing in the first half of the book to be slow, many praised the riveting and concise chapters that maintain engagement. The novel's conclusion has been widely commended for its shocking twists, with Willingham delivering multiple unexpected yet plausible revelations.
Critics have drawn comparisons to works by Paula Hawkins and Gillian Flynn, positioning Willingham as a rising star in the psychological thriller genre. However, some readers noted that while enjoyable, it may not be Willingham's strongest work to date.
In conclusion, "Only If You're Lucky" is a tantalizing exploration of the darker aspects of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. With its clever plot construction and atmospheric prose, it offers an engrossing read for fans of psychological suspense, even if it occasionally stumbles in pacing and character likability..

TL;DR: I remember listening to this on audiobook, but honestly couldn't tell you what happened. I think it was fine, but not as memorable as Willingham's other domestic suspense novels.