Willingham unquestionably knows how to write suspense. The final stretch of Only If You're Lucky, comprising the last 20 percent of the book, is a wild rollercoaster, filled with sudden revelations and twists that unfold at a breakneck pace—it's a fun but far-fetched experience. My struggle with the novel arose from the profoundly unlikable cast, particularly the central figure, Margot. Introduced as a college freshman in coastal South Carolina grappling with the recent loss of her best friend, Eliza, Margot is whiny, needy, and obsessive. The readers also meet Lucy Sharpe—a fellow freshman and charismatic figure reminiscent of Eliza—who befriends Margot. The book unfolds in two timelines, delineating events "before," which focus on Margot and Eliza’s relationship and Margot's freshman year/ first half of her sophomore year, and "after," when something ominous has happened to a fraternity pledge and Lucy. Willingham does a good job of portraying the college party culture and the fraternity that features heavily in the storyline. (Be sure to read the author’s note). However, the lack of sympathetic characters made this book a 3.5-star read for me.

I really loved Willingham's debut novel so was excited to get an advanced readers copy of Only If You're Lucky. Sadly it didn't live up to its predecessors. The first 75% or so of the book was a struggle to slog through. and nothing really picked up until the last quarter or so of the book. When the action and connections started to come together. And while the book is placed in a college setting, it read alot more like a YA. The characters were quite juvenile in their antics.

What I did enjoy was the correlations to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That said I still struggled to connect to our characters. And I wish they had more depth. Some of the reveals and the surprises at the end redeemed the book for me. In the end while I didn't hate the book it was definitely not my fav by the author. And it won't prevent me from picking up future works.

This was a solid suspenseful thriller! I gave it 4 stars, which means I really liked it! The college setting & vibes were perfect, and I think she expertly described/gave us a look into the characters lives and minds. I could understand each one, how they were feeling, what they were doing, and why.

The reason for me that it's only 4 stars is because it was pretty slow for the first 60%, and suuuuper repetitive. But, once things started to pick up... they REALLY picked up and I thought the ending (last 30ish%) was so good and interesting. Some things I predicted, and other really surprised me!

I was so so excited for this book because I absolutely loved Willinghams last 2 books. I enjoyed this book but I felt like throughout a large portion of the book, there wasn’t much happening. The main character wasn’t my favorite and I felt like the ending just wasn’t believable.

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

All the Dangerous Things was my favorite thriller of 2023, so I could barely contain my excitement when I received the ARC for Only If You're Lucky. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the overall premise of the story, and I was intrigued at the beginning. However, as the book went on, I found I was bored. I enjoyed the setting and most of the characters, but there was no tension. I, unfortunately, did not care what happened or if anyone was still alive. I also found the reveals to be unbelievable. Over-the-top twists or unbelievable reveals rarely work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

You'll like this book if you enjoy a slow burn. We take our time getting to know the characters, getting into their psyches, finding out what makes them tick.

Margot left the Outer Banks of North Carolina to attend college at Rutledge in South Carolina, after her best friend Eliza's tragic death. In the summer before her sophomore year, she befriends and moves in with a group of girls renting a house next to a fraternity house, which is owned by the brothers. The last person she expects to see at Rutledge pledging her neighbor/landlords' fraternity is someone from her hometown, which she thought she left in the past.

This story is filled with twists and turns. We gradually peel away the layers, and find out the lies and secrets each character has been hiding, and their motivations for acting the way they do. It's a great study in the duality of human nature: the face we show to the world vs. the darkness that lies hidden within. To what extent will people go to hide their dark secrets?

First off, a big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham!

Stacey Willingham is an auto-read author for me and I am so grateful to be given the chance to review her newest thriller!
Having read and loved her other two books, I have to admit I was surprisingly underwhelmed by this one. It reads a lot younger than her other novels.

Margot has lost her best friend Eliza and is starting college in a new place, with new people, trying to make a new life for herself. The end of freshman year is fast approaching when a group of popular girls invite her to be their roommate and live in a house. Lucy is the leader of the group and the life of the party. Margot wants nothing more than to be her friend because she reminds her so much of Eliza.
Lucy know how to get anything she wants, or at least manipulate anyone into getting it. When tragedy strikes too close to home, someone is now missing and someone is dead! As dares unfold and truths are revealed, twists will lead the girls in way they never expected!

Stacy Willingham is a master writer, leaving you constantly questioning everything, and this book is no exception! However, this is a very very slow burn thriller! I can usually read her books in 1-3 days and because this one was so slow, I felt like I was reading it forever. With that being said, the ending did get me and I did not seeing it coming at all! (Which I always LOVE in thriller endings!)

I do feel like the ending and the way everything reveals itself fitting together made up for the slowness and dull characters.

I definitely still think it’s worth a read, but her first 2 novels are a lot more exciting and memorable!

Starting out with the truth: I have no idea how to write this review! I can’t give any spoilers outside of what the synopsis tells you, but I’ll say this much…this is better than your average mystery/thriller, as it also tackles a lot of other subjects, like female friendships, coming-of-age, date rape, hazing and college life in general.

Sometimes books written about younger characters can have a YA feel, but this absolutely does not - thank goodness! This one will take you back to your college days, to your best friends, to all the new things you tried (and new trouble you got into). Once you fall for all of the characters (whether good or bad), you are right in the middle of a thrilling murder mystery, mixed with nostalgia and suspense.

The ending of this novel was great, and I had no clue about any of the twists that were coming. The writing - wow. The writing! This is the author’s third novel, and I have loved all three of them. Her writing style may be getting better, if that’s even possible. This is not a popcorn thriller; this is a thought-provoking and original story. I’m giving it 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to Minotaur Books, Stacy Willingham and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 16, 2024.)

Margot is looking for a fresh start when she moves away to college. Her childhood best friend passed away during her senior year and she found it extremely traumatic. She finds herself struggling to make friends until she is approached by Lucy at the end of freshman year. Lucy has a spot in her house off campus for next year, with two other girls. Lucy has that undeniably cool aura surrounding her, and Margot can’t say no to her even though she can sense that there is more to Lucy that she is hiding.

A bit of a slow burn, but this was overall a good read for me. It really made me nostalgic for my university days. I loved the imagery surrounding their rundown rental house and the depth of their friendships. Once it got going, I already had the twist figured out but I was enjoying the writing so it didn’t bother me much. I liked the alternating timelines as it added to the intrigue.

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

Short synopsis: Margot heads off to Rutledge College after the sudden death of her best friend Eliza. But death seems to be following in her wake when one of the boys next door is found dead, and Margot’s new best friend Lucy is missing.

My thoughts: I am completely intrigued by Stacey Williangham’s ability to write twisty capturing novels. After reading her previous 2 novels, I knew I had to get my hands on this one.

While it didn’t flow as easily in my opinion as the others, it was completely bingeable. This was a slow burn with flashback scenes, and clues planted throughout that had me constantly questioning my own assumptions.

It did feel a bit YA in places due to the immaturity of the characters, and all the partying but I wouldn’t have wanted it any different since they are in essence young college kids.

Overall, fun thriller with an especially satisfying ending! I listened to a lot of this on audio, and highly recommend. Karissa Vacker always does such a phenomenal job at telling stories.

Read if you love:
- Slow burn thrillers
- Academic settings
- Then/Now Timelines
- Female friendships
- Unexpected twists

Absolutely loved this thriller. Loved the storyline and all the twists. It left me guessing until the very end.

This is my third Stacy Willingham book and probably my least favorite. It was a little different from her previous books with the younger aged main characters. It still provided a lot of twists and turns that you didn’t see coming in the dark academia setting.

Slow at times, but since I listened to it via audio, I would just speed it up when I felt it dragging.

3.5/5

Ooh, this was soo good! A unique take on the “It Girl” thriller! I absolutely love all of Stacy Willingham’s books…she’s writes such complex, layered thrillers that keep you hooked until the very last page and I loved this one! It kept me guessing until the very end!

Gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review! This gripping psychological thriller took me on an exhilarating journey. With dual timelines seamlessly weaving between events before and after a heinous crime, I found myself on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating the unfolding of events and uncovering the identity of the killer.

Margot, a college freshman yearning to belong, grapples with the void left by the tragic loss of her childhood best friend after their senior high school year. Feeling adrift and friendless, her life takes an unexpected turn when Lucy, the charismatic and enigmatic leader of a trio including Sloane and Nicole, invites her to join their circle. The prospect of moving into a house next to a fraternity near campus seems like a dream come true for Margot, but could it be the inception of a harrowing nightmare?

For enthusiasts of mind-bending narratives, this book is a true psychological thriller that impeccably delivers. Dive into the intricacies of the plot and treat yourself to a riveting read that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Don't miss out—grab a copy now!

First, thank you to the publishers at Minotaur and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Oh WOW okay, let’s buckle up here because ohKAY. I see you, Stacy Willingham. I think my favorite part might have been her little story in the acknowledgements (not knocking the book, but I really liked that tidbit of the inspiration of this book and how something like that could lead to THIS… very interesting how your brain works). I would describe this book as Pretty Little Liars meets In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. It was a fun college setting with secrets looming over a group of friends. This is told in alternating timelines, with a “before” and “after” and the “after” scenes did not give away much. Those couple of pages in between the chapters of before were so tantalizing because I was trying so hard to read between the lines and it gave away nothing but kept me turning the pages.

As with her two previous books, I really enjoyed this author’s writing and she has cemented herself as an auto-read for me. If I see she’s publishing something (hopefully on this annual pace! Is that too much to ask?), then I will pick it up. Her range is great too – from creepy swamp to preppy college to scared mother, so I appreciate that it’s a totally new story each time with new twists. This book had strong characters, even if they were unlikeable, and I liked the way things weaved back together, especially since it was told in the back-and-forth manner. The toxic friendships were written so realistically that I FELT them… I’ve been a Margot to an Eliza a time or two and definitely related to the fear of them getting popular and pulling away – just thankfully not to this extreme ha.

I give this a 4/5 stars. What kept it from being a 5 star: the pace. It didn’t really start to ramp up until about the 75% mark. I wish there had been a few more heart-pounding moments scattered throughout the beginning of the book because the beginning was very just college and conversation-oriented, Margot just kind of drifting through life and not being an interesting enough character on her own to be a great storyteller. I also predicted one of the twists at the 50% mark.

**spoiler starts here
About 45-50% in, I made the prediction that Margot was actually the one who killed Eliza out of jealousy and she either blacked out and didn’t remember it or she truly warped her brain to remember it as Levi pushing her instead. I like that she didn’t exactly push her but she didn’t lunge to stop it either.

I did not see the twist of Lucy’s true identity coming out or that she was actually dead the whole time. I could not for the life of me figure out why she was toying with Levi. I thought she was trying to bait Margot into murdering him out of jealousy but I couldn’t figure out why she would want that unless it would end in a “now you belong to me” kind of way. That was my strongest guess, especially when they were in the shed confessing and she truthfully said she didn’t kill Levi. When she was stabbed, my instant thought was Sloane and Nicole and I love that it was Sloane who did it. The line about them all being bound by blood “one an accident, one a mistake, and one to save us all” gave me chills. It reminded me of the conclusion of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. The dynamic going forward, especially since Margot took Lucy’s necklace, will be an interesting abstract concept. But I will say… Trevor had it coming. Levi did not. Lucy… maybe murder was a bit extreme but I could see how they felt backed into a corner and how she basically set everything in motion by wanting to slide into Eliza’s life.

I absolutely will be recommending this one!

"They were right, those women. College friends are different. We would do anything for each other. Anything."

3.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Stacy Willingham, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of Only If You're Lucky!

This is the second Stacy Willingham book that I have read - the first was A Flicker in the Dark. I found this book to be similar to the first. Throughout there was a lot of allusion to a crazy twist. I felt the twist in this book was bit more unexpected but I still wasn't super shocked by it.

Things I loved:

The college setting: Willingham does a GREAT job illustrating the friendships between college friends and how quickly one's world can become so small and so vast at the same time. She also showed how hard it is for young people to be sure of themselves in that environment especially around a handful of people who already seem so confident.

The pacing: While I did find the book a bit hard to get into, once I got about 30 percent in things started moving at a faster pace and I felt more sucked in. I liked how quickly everything happened in the end. It was like a snowball effect and once the reader hits 65-70%, they won't be able to put the book down until they finish!

The character development: Willingham nailed her characters. Lucy stayed true to her mysterious manipulative nature, Margot stayed just a bit too shy and unsure of herself, Levi was the guy just trying to fit in who compromised his moral compass, and Trevor was the "well-loved" jock that everyone knew to hate but could never stand up to. These are just a few of the characters, but I honestly felt like Willingham nailed each one.

Things I thought could have been done better:

The plot twists: Sometimes I feel like authors throw in 5 - 6 plot twists because they are trying too hard to shock the reader. Personally I prefer one or two really good plot twists that throw you for a loop OR if there are a bunch of plot twists they need to be VERY well done. Some of the twists in this book, while foreshadowed well, didn't feel necessary to add to the story's plot line.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty well done and there were little tweaks that could have made the book a 5 star read. I definitely recommend if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers and authors like Alice Feeney, Lucy Foley, or Vera Kurian.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. This is the second book of Stacy's that I have read!  If she writes it, I will read it! Only If You're Lucky is a psychological suspense thriller about friendship, loyalty, betrayal and envy. There isn't as much action/excitement as All the Dangerous Things, so if you are a fan of Stacy Willingham, go into this one with a mystery/drama expectation rather than the thrill.
 
" if you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?"
 
Margot is a shy college freshman adjusting to life without her best friend Eliza who died three weeks after high school graduation. Her and Eliza were supposed to go to school together. Lucy is bold, addictive and well, everything Margot isn't. Lucy singles Margot out at the end of freshman year and asks her to live with her, Sloane and Nicole for sophomore year in house next to the fraternity. By the middle of the year, a fraternity boy is murdered and Lucy is missing.
 
Only If You're Lucky is a bit of a slow burn but the ending makes it worth it. There is unexpected drama and twists. The story is told solely from Margot's POV and jumps back and forth in time. I think I would have liked this better if there multiple POV's.
 
Overall, a a solid 3.75 star, rounded up to a 4!

Only If You're Lucky is a masterclass in weaving together mystery, drama and atmospheric settings to create utterly binge-able and wildly absorbing reading.

I am a forever fan of Stacy's work, and this might be her best book yet. Weaving together the before and after timelines of one murdered and one missing student, the tension ratchets chapter after chapter slowly unravelling the complicated dynamics of the friends group, the secrets they are all keeping, and the lengths they will go to protect each other and themselves.

Everything about this book is pure, delicious entertainment. The pacing is perfect, the characters are murky, untrustworthy, secretive and dynamic, the mystery is juicy and secrets are juicier. I utterly devoured this book from start to finish, wanting to know every twist, turn and explosive reveal.

Read no hints and no spoilers, get a copy of this and settle in to enjoy what is one of the best books kicking off this year. You will not be disappointed!

Many thanks to the publisher for my copy.

This is the first book that I have picked up by this author and I very much enjoyed it. The story starts off a little bit slow and I was confused for the first few chapters, but once everything started to come together I could not put this book down! I find myself adding all the other books Stacey Willingham has written to my TBR. When I tell you the ending had me SHOCKED! I had no idea that was how it was going to end, and when a book does that I want to recommend it to everyone. If you like thrillers, I would give this one a shot, just don’t give up too early. I promise it gets better the farther you get into it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book thinking there was no way it could live up to All The Dangerous Things which I LOVED. As I started this one, I wasn't as drawn in as I would have liked to be. However, about mid-way through the twists I had hoped to read were there.

I get weary of thrillers that all seem to follow the same format: destructive event, looks for person responsible, red herrings everywhere, killer is the person you least expect but one close to the protagonist. I mean, they all do follow this, but Willingham finds a way to SHOCK her readers. And once again, consider me shocked.

The setting is at a small, liberal arts college, Rutledge, in CA. Our MC escaped her home in the Outer Banks after her best friend died an untimely death right after high school. Margot and Eliza were supposed to start the next phase of their lives together at Rutledge, so when the time comes for Margot to go alone, she struggles to make friends and face this new adventure alone. When Lucy comes along, one of the coolest girls at college, and asks Margot to move in with her and some friends in a home adjacent to one of the fraternities on campus, she agrees, hoping this will help her make a new start and a new life. However, like every thriller, what you see is not alway what you get. A murder, a missing girl, and a tight group of friends: the ingredients for a thriller, but add in the college life, and the setting just works.