3.5 This one was a slow start but with some pretty good twist at the end. This story follows Margot as she is about to begin her second year of college. Margot is a loner but we find out that something in her past might be causing these feelings. When Lucy the IT girl asks Margot to room with her and her two friends over the summer and next year Margot agrees but is there more to Lucy than we know. We follow a few different timelines from Margot perspective her final year in high school with her best friend , the girls second year of college , and finally we follow the girls after a death of a student and another one missing and the investigation that followed. My main issue with this book was I had such a hard time getting into this book. I started this three times before it finally stuck. I feel like all the timelines at the beginning with the limited info we were given was a little hard to follow. Once I got the storylines straight the story was ok but is definitely a slow burn and really didn’t pick up and become faster paced and engaging until the last 30 percent or so. I still enjoyed this book but just want to warn it is not for those who don’t like slower paced thrillers. I look forward to picking up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

3.5 stars--This is my first book by Stacy Willingham, and I was very excited to be granted an early copy, since I had heard great things about her other books. Only If You're Lucky is a bit of a slow burn, but it definitely had me feeling the 'creepies' from the first chapter.

Margot, a college freshman, is struggling with grief over the death of her best friend from home. When 'it girl' Lucy asks her to become the fourth roommate in a rental house, Lucy jumps at the chance, feeling noticed and special. Told in multiple timelines, the novel is the story of Margot's friendship and loss, of the year living in the rental house next to a fraternity, and the police investigation into Lucy's disappearance following a suspicious death at a frat party.

The multiple timelines were, at times, a bit difficult to follow, but they were effective in building suspense and confusion about what was really going on. None of the characters are especially likeable, nor do they seem trustworthy, and it is clear that more is going on than meets the eye. The twists are surprising, albeit not terribly believable. The wrapup was a bit disappointing for me.

I did enjoy how the author built suspense and misdirected the reader throughout the book. My distrust of the narrator and her roommates left me feeling disconcerted throughout the novel, and many of the circumstances had me squirming in discomfort. Having read reviews of Ms. Willingham's other novels, I look forward to reading them, as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press-Minotaur Books for the digital ARC of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. The opinions in this review are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated books for this month and even this year! Stacy’s previous two novels are among my favorites, I even made my book club read one and they all loved it! This book was set on a college campus with dorms, sororities and frats, girl drama, truth or dare… all the makings of a great dark academia! I will agree that this book was somewhat of a slow burn, but not at all in a bad way! There was still so much going on and getting a little backstory here and there, kept the pacing great and I was able to binge this in just a couple days! This book was a great addition to Stacys previous books, with twists that I would never have guessed! I honestly cannot wait to see what is in store for her next!

Margot is a freshman in college, but it’s not the experience she thought it would be. Her best friend, Eliza died three weeks after graduation, the girls were supposed to be roommates, they were inseparable and now she has no one. Lucy Sharpe walks into the dorm meeting the first night commanding attention and getting it all. She is magnetic and everyone is drawn to her, Margot included. So when Lucy pulls her aside at the end of freshman year and asks her to stay in a house with her and some friends for the summer and upcoming school year, she is all in. So Margot moves into an off campus house with three other girls. Lucy is obviously the one in charge, Sloan is sarcastic, and Nicole is the nice one. They couldn’t be more different, but also become so intertwined. Lucy helps Margot come alive at school and in a way heal from losing her best friend. But when halfway through their sophomore year, one of their neighbors in the frat next door is found murdered, Lucy goes missing and the three girls are sticking together.

I loved Willingham's other stories but this one was a bit of a let down. While the ending was very interesting the rest of the book struggled to hold my interests. Margot is slightly boring which makes it extremely hard to like her.

I will always check out Willingham's reads which always have amazing plot, worthwhile and sometimes insane characters and even though this one didn't do it for me I think a lot of people will still enjoy it with the plot twists and consistent pace of the overall story. While her last two books are amazing there's bound to be a dud eventually. Im just sad it was this one for me.

This was my first Stacy Willingham read and it probably won't be my last as I own "A Flicker in the Dark" (but haven't read it yet). This book had all the makings of a dark and twisty. It easily moves from before to after, and adds in 'now' when the story calls for it. It starts off by telling us about the main character Margot and the passing of her bff, Eliza, just before they start college. Eliza the extrovert, had chosen the college thry should both attend and Margot feels the pull to attend on her own. Once there, she's still a bit of a wallflower who eventually gets swept up into a more exciting college experience by the charismatic Lucy, and Lucy brings her into the "cool kids club". There's something not right about Lucy that nobody can pinpoint, but they're so deeply connected that they don't inquire more until things get weird. I felt like the character development took way longer than it should have. It almost had me filing this away as a DNF. But I was invested, having given so much time to it, I wanted to see it through. Once I hit about 62% in - the story really took off. I didn't guess the twist for quite a while and even once I'd mostly sorted out the 'who', the "why" and the "how" eluded me. I'm glad I finished it; I didn't love it, but I liked it. Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was expecting to love this one but found it kind of predictable. I thought the characters were frustrating and almost unlikeable. I liked the flip back between Before and After but thought the twists were too easy to guess. (Maybe i've read too many thrillers -tbh). The ending with a few extra twists switched my review from a 2 star to a 3 star. People love this author for her previous work so i'm interested to see what other people think as well. Overall just ok!

ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY by Stacy Willingham is coming soon! I’m sure many of you know this already but this is available Tuesday 1.16.24.

Margot has lost her best friend, Eliza, just before beginning the college life together. Eliza was always the one that shined, full of life, and the life of the party. Margot is careful and quiet. At the end of her freshman year at college, she meets Lucy who is so similar to Eliza that Margot longs to be part of her inner circle. Soon Margot finds herself living and partying with Lucy and her other roommates alongside fraternity boys. Margot is finally feeling like she has found her place when one of the frat boys is murdered and Lucy is gone without a trace.

I am a big Willingham fan for her fast pacing and nail-biting style. Only if You’re Lucky felt a little different to me as it was much slower paced than her previous books. There was a lot of inner monologue from Margot which could’ve been cut down in my opinion as some of it feels repetitive. But once I was 60-ish% in, I didn’t want to put it down. At that point, I was getting to the good twists and turns that left me staying up late. This novel has two timelines: the before and after of Lucy’s disappearance.

I loved peeling back the layers especially the last half of this book. I also loved the setting of a college frat house too (read the author’s note— the setting/house was based off of her college living quarters). Her writing is smooth as always, and I’ll keep looking forward to whatever she writes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks @minotaur_books for sharing this egalley with me through @netgalley!

Now, I can’t say I disliked this book but I also didn’t love it. It was okay. If you enjoy a slow burn mystery, not really a thriller, then pick this up. The last 15% is really when everything hit the fan, and as surprised as I was about everything that unfolded, I still wasn’t “omg” shocked.
Lucy is intense and you can tell she’s going to be bad news right away.

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

Posed on a drunken night in a bowling alley afterhours, a group of college kids play truth or dare. They have no idea of the different secrets they are all hiding.

"The only thing that makes bad things bad are the consequences"

This was a such a fun, dark read. The chapters are short and the plot is pushed tight - it keeps you flipping the pages and wondering at each turn, what new secret you will learn. The kids are light and loose, easy with their drink and parties. There's only one POV, Margot, but she opens the world to the boys' house next door (a frat house) and their little house of roommates. She also gives you her own story in flashbacks, told in varying chapters to let you know more about her. It's a perfect story to not really love any characters but to still love the story. The twists and turns were so good, the ending so fun to finally get to. I loved this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

🔥Can we take a second for this cover?! 👏 One of my favorite thriller covers in a while! ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY is the latest book by Stacy Willingham (same author as A FLICKER IN THE DARK) and was a quick, twisty read!

🔥Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Margot is a shy, quiet college freshman. Lucy is one of the most popular girls on campus and seems to draw everyone into her orbit. Margot has always admired Lucy from afar, wondering what it would be like to be friends with someone like her. When Lucy approaches Margot out of the blue and asks if she’d like to live with her and acouple of other friends, Margot can’t believe her luck. Gone are the days of sitting at home alone wishing for friends and a social life. But things start feeling too good to be true and Margot wonders when it will start crashing down…

🔥This one had a slooooow start. At the beginning I kept waiting for the action/excitement to start. But once the book hit about 70% in it was a wiiiiild ride. The plot twist caught me completely off guard and I truly had no idea how this one would end. I like the college setting in books and this was no exception! The book felt a bit YA given the age/maturity of the characters but it was definitely an enjoyable read! I felt like the pacing was a bit off and wish that it hadn’t taken so long to get to the excitement. Overall I definitely liked this one and would recommend it if you want a quick, bingeable mystery/suspense. I will definitely read whatever this author releases next. 👏

🔥Thanks @minotaur_books, @stmartinspress, and @macmillan.audio for my advanced e-book and audiobook copies! ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY publishes Tuesday, January 16th!

Absolutely loved Stacey’s last two books, so when I received a NetGalley for this one, I was thrilled. Unfortunately there was nothing thrilling about it.. it was extremely boring, dragged out, and the ending felt rushed. The plot didn’t suck me in like I had hoped. What I did like was the back and forth between past and present.

I may not recommend this book, but I will forever recommend this authors last two books. And I will continue supporting Stacey Willingham- she’s incredibly talented. This one was just a miss.

Thank you NetGalley, Stacey Willingham, and Minotaur Books for an eARC of Only If You’re Lucky in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars

Only If You're Lucky is the third novel I've read by Stacy Willingham. Even though I have mixed feelings about the book as a whole, the ending is her strongest to date. If you can handle a slow burn mystery with a cast of unlikeable characters, you do get a decent payoff in the end.

Margot is one of those people who just blends into the background, never attracting much attention. Lucy is the opposite as her personality draws people in. Margot spent her freshmen year in college pretty much only studying and hanging out in her dorm room. When Lucy invites Margot to room with her and two other students in off campus housing, she accepts. It might give Margot the opportunity to step out of her shell. Will she come to regret this decision?

There's a lot going on in this story and I chose to be vague on purpose when describing the premise. Feel free to check out the publisher synopsis as it provides way more details but personally I think it's better to just dive right in without too much info ahead of time. The story bounces around from the present day in which someone has gone missing, and the past which shows everything leading up to the disappearance as well as Margot's life before college. As the reader you are looking for answers to several mysteries.

I hate saying this but it was a bit of a slog to get thru this book because the characters just aren't people you want to hang out with if that makes sense. I can handle unlikeable characters if I feel some sort of investment but I didn't care what happened to any of them. I was only interested in seeing what the author came up with because I have a good track record with her books. It's a decent book with an above average ending but it wasn't a fun popcorn thriller read for me.

If you have never read a Stacy Willingham book, I'd start with A Flicker in the Dark.

Unfortunately, this story really dragged for me with nothing happening until the end, and even then, it was underwhelming. I loved Stacy Willingham’s last two books so I was sad that this one fell flat for me.

I love Stacy Willingham so much and her third book did not disappoint. Set in college, it had a bit of a younger feel than the others, but it was just as fascinating and intriguing, a study in human behavior. Tightly-plotted and surprising.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this novel which has a pub date of January 16, 2024.

This book was a bit of a slow burn for me that got more exciting in the last 25 percent. The characters were all unlikable in my opinion. I have really enjoyed Stacy Willingham's book in the past and this one was definitely my least favorite. I look forward to what she comes out with next.

Stacy Willingham’s brain is dark and twisty, and I love getting to read the stories she writes.

I enjoyed this book immensely, and there was so much that I didn’t see coming. It was thrilling from start to finish, but I can’t say much more without giving parts away.

It’s worth going into this book not knowing much about it. That made me enjoy it so much more.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Stacy Willingham did not disappoint with this newest read. Only If You're Lucky had many twists and turns that left me curious how I missed them as I the end unfolded. Thriller without the gore or unreliable narrator. Just pure unspoken details that gave way for a twist ending. Bravo!

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. I made it to the 30 percent mark, then I decided not to finish it. The characters weren't very likeable, and it had a distinctly "YA" feel.

This is my first Stacy Willingham book. Shocking, I know, considering how many thrillers I read and review. This is the first title of hers I’ve been approved for, though, and I really enjoyed this book, even if it was somewhat predictable and the ground is pretty well-trodden.

I empathize greatly with our protagonist, Margot. I never felt like my best friend was as good of a friend to me as I was to her (that’s a long story) or did as much for me as I did for her. It felt like a very unbalanced friendship. All of my friendships felt like that. That’s eventually why I stopped allowing people to get close to me. I was tired of being hurt. Back when I was in my late teens and early twenties, though? I didn’t know any better. Just like Margot. I just wanted to belong. I just wanted to find my people. I wanted love, safety, and acceptance. Just like Margot, I found that at that age, most people don’t know what they’re doing or who they really are yet. They make a lot of mistakes. A lot of accidents happen. They do a lot of things they can’t take back.

The well-trodden ground of fraternity culture gone wrong in thrillers has been done better in recent years (see Lauren Nossett’s The Resemblance). Willingham does put a nice spin on it with the fraternity having a questionable power exchange dynamic over the girls and their housing situation next door, but it feels rather dated for 2024. I don’t question the hazing culture because I have no doubt hazing still happens in the smaller private universities, no matter what the public may think. I certainly don’t question the other, more insidious aspects of Greek culture that permeate this book either, because those for sure exist, no matter the university.

The plot itself is complicated and twisted, but well-plotted and well-paced. It winds in and out of time throughout the book but never slackens in pace or suspense. Willingham did an excellent job at giving the reader just enough of the past, present, and future in juggling intervals to slake a thirst for knowledge before switching to a different timeline, leaving us eager to know more with every switch. The turns may not be shocking, but when they get there it’s so well-spun you don’t mind you figured it out.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Crime Thriller/Murder Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Suspense Thriller

How vulnerable are you willing to get with your friends? And how well do you actually know them in return?

These are just some of the questions that this book kept bringing up in my mind. This is quite the tale of friendship and how far people will go for acceptance.

This started slowly and really descriptive to build out this super realistic world. It was so easy to picture everything and everyone so clearly in my mind. Once I got a little past halfway, I really seemed to speed up my reading because I needed to know what really happened.

I thought it was clever being a non-linear timeline to feed you little bits at a time and make you come to sometimes your own conclusions before the ending fully had a light on it for the reader to see/have that ah-ha moment.

Thank you so much to the author, Stacy Willingham, her publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of Only If You’re Lucky!