
Member Reviews

This atmospheric mystery set on a college campus finds one student dead and another one missing. This story is told in two timelines – the past leading up to the events of that fateful night, and the present-day police investigation.
After finishing this book, I’m both confused and satisfied at the same time. Throughout the novel, I couldn’t put it down and simply had to know what happened next. However, the story also seemed a little repetitive, slow paced, and juvenile at times. I’m not sure what exactly kept me so enthralled, because it felt like nothing much was happening, but I also couldn’t put it down.
If you enjoy books with several twists, then this is the book for you. One of the major twists I was able to predict early in the novel, but that still left about three other shocking twists that I didn’t see coming. I found myself going back to reread a page or a paragraph because I was caught off guard with what happened.
Overall, this book is perfect for anyone who enjoys a slow burn mystery, or an ending jam-packed with shocking twists. I would also recommend this to anyone currently in college (or recently graduated), especially someone who participated in Greek life while in college. If you enjoyed Stacy Willingham’s other two novels, then you will certainly enjoy this one as well.

Good twists but it took so long (and so many boring chapters) to get to the meat of the story. The first dud from this author.

That ending! Mind blown. It felt a tad slow at the beginning but by the time the unraveling took place the book shot into complete action. Great ending that I never saw coming! And the twists kept coming!

📖Only If You’re Lucky📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Stacy Willingham
Genre: Thriller
Dual Timeline
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
“If you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?”
Synopsis:
Margot has just finished her freshmen year at college when Lucy Sharpe, the it girl, approaches her about living with her and her two tag along friends Sloane and Nicole in a house for the summer and their sophomore years. Margot jumps at the opportunity after being a in rut following her best friend since kindergarten, Eliza, tragically dying during their senior year of high school. Margot is used to being the sidekick, so being picked by Lucy felt so lucky. Finally breaking out of her shell, Margot and Lucy build a really close relationship. That is until a fraternity boy from the house next door dies, and Lucy goes missing. The kicker is, the boy who died next door, Levi, was Eliza’s boyfriend from her hometown and was also last one to see Eliza alive. Now two people from Margot’s hometown are dead, and her newest friend is missing. Do you believe in coincidences?
I have read both of this authors previous books, and I think this one is my favorite. I was so invested in this college age thriller. I didn’t predict any of the twists! This was so hypnotic and haunting to read. The jumps from before to after Levi’s death was perfectly executed. I never got bored in a timeline, and the wow moments were equally given in each timeline. This book is definitely different than the authors previous two books in the sense that It is slower paced character driven instead of her usual style of fast paced plot driven. One aspect I really liked that she included, was all the references to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The symbolism that everyone can simultaneously be good and bad was very prevalent in this novel. I really recommend this book if you are a fan of the author, or are just looking for a new thriller to start out 2024!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Minotaur books for the early copy!

Stacy Willingham does it again! I was thoroughly enthralled with Only if You're Lucky! I never wanted to put it down and when I did, I was itching to get back to it. Thrillers rarely surprise me but I could never fully figure out what was truly going on. She wraps it all up spectacularly. The main character, Margot, was written so well. I'm still sitting here a little dumbfounded at how good it was. The characters, the plot, the setting, the atmosphere; all of it was just perfection. Finding Willingham is a Georgia Bulldog is just icing on the cake! She will be an auto buy author for me from now on. What a great way to start my 2024 reading journey!

I loved this book! It was such a well written, slow burn, academic thriller.
The writing was so well done that I found myself highlighting tons of sentences. Powerful concepts such as female friendship, identity, and growing up were written about in such a poignant and impactful way. I enjoyed the split timelines which made the story feel interconnected and complex. Even though this is a slow burn, there are lots of clues and twists that had me guessing up until the very end.
I also really liked the portrayal of the main characters. On the surface, she was a typical college girl but the inner monologue created complexity. Therefore, even though on the surface she may have seemed unlikable, the depth of her thinking was relatable. Overall, this book had not only a great plot but also complex writing and character development that took it to the next level.

“If you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?”
Do any of you remember the movie Thirteen and how absolutely magnetic and enticing Nikki Reed’s character was, and how meek and malleable Evan Rachel Wood’s character was? If so, you’re in for a treat because they were all I could see when reading this book. Margot was Evan Rachel Wood, and Lucy was Nikki Reed!
This is a female friendship centric story that focuses on themes of jealousy, loyalty, identity, and self-preservation. We have Margot (the main character & sole POV) recanting her past events of when her best friend Eliza died. Then, we have the present day chapters slowly unraveling the mysterious death of her best friend’s boyfriend, and the disappearance of her new best friend, Lucy.
This takes place at a college so there are many parts that involve college antics. Spin the bottle, truth or dare, drugs, parties, etc… I really enjoy Stacy’s prose and even though these are tired themes, she definitely made this story intriguing & feel fresh.
The eventual reveals were largely predictable for someone who reads many books like these, but some twists still took me by surprise & I found the ending to be unique and satisfying! Much of what is revealed seems improbable and is a stretch for plausibility, but I still enjoyed it overall.
If you’re looking for a fast paced story with likeable characters this isn’t it, but if you enjoy suspenseful + character driven psychological suspense books, this may be a winner for you.
✨ Read this if you enjoy books like Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins or One Of The Girls by Lucy Clarke & if you loved movies like Thirteen & others with similar themes of adolescence, rebellion, + coming-of-age experiences.✨
🎧 I also recommend this on audio! Karissa Vacker is the narrator and she always does an incredible job. My only issue is that there are many characters so it can be hard to get into at the beginning, I suggest pairing the audio with the text 🫶🏻
Thank you St. Martins Press & NetGalley for the ARC & MacMillan audio for the ALC. This publishes on 1/16/24!

This third book from Stacy Willingham was a BANGER! This was totally different than her previous books... this one being a campus thriller set in past and present point of views, with MULTIPLE suspects!! Relationships, lies, gossip, trying to fit in. This one was definitely also a slower burn in comparison to her other books, and also unfortunately my least favourite. I still definitely recommend and REALLY love Stacy's writing style!

Margot gave up her parents’ dream of sending her to Duke in order to follow her bestie Eliza to the smaller and less prestigious Rutledge College. Shortly after their high school graduation, Eliza dies tragically, leaving Margot to take on Rutledge on her own. Margot quietly makes her way through her freshman year, until she’s noticed by “it girl” Lucy Sharpe, who invites Margot to move in with her and her roommates Nicole and Sloane for sophomore year. Lucy is magnetic, exciting, and maybe a little dangerous, and Margot is thrilled just to be in Lucy’s orbit. But by the second semester, things have started to spiral out of control and taken a very dark turn.
I loved both of Stacy Willingham’s previous books (A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things), so I didn’t even bother reading the blurb before eagerly adding this one to my TBR. All of the things that made her an instant favorite of mine are expertly used in Only if You’re Lucky – dual timeline, a potentially unreliable narrator (which I love!), and an immersive, slow burn, twisty plot – but in a completely fresh way compared to her first two books. This time, the author takes us deep into the heart of dark academia and the sinister side of Greek life and toxic female friendships. Willingham is a queen of misdirection, so even when I thought I had something figured out, I was constantly second guessing myself because the twists and turns are so deep and multi-layered. Suffice it to say I enjoyed the heck out of this bingeable thriller!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.
Another solid thriller by @stacyvwillingham . Nervous vibes is how I would describe the feelings I had from reading Only If You’re Lucky. Something bad is going to happen and my attention was hooked. This book has many layers of mystery that are revealed in good fashion.
I think I was let down a bit by the lack of character development outside of Margot, the main character. I wanted to know more about how the other three females got to be so close. I feel it would have made Margots character a little crazier, which I also think I was missing.
Overall, I would still recommend reading…I couldn’t put it down!
4 stars
#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #onlyifyourelucky #stacywillingham #smpinfluencers

Stacy’s writing has a way of captivating you. Every single one of her books I’m convinced would make for an excellent movie and this one is no exception. I think my favorite part of “Only If You’re Lucky” was the setting. It takes you back to college and that environment as if no time has passed at all.
I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the characters in this one, so it was hard for me to get as into it as I wish I was. I’d give this one 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for an arc copy to read through! It’s always appreciated ♥️

I'll be honest... I was bored. The book wasn't necessarily bad but I felt like it just dragged on. The story itself was interesting and I did want to figure out what happened but I guessed most of what was going to happen pretty early on. I will say that there was one plot twist that I didn't guess and did give me a bit of a shock. It was hard to feel for the FMC because she was kind of awful and never really acknowledged that she was the problem with her friendship with Eliza.

Stacy Willingham has done it again. I LOVED both her debut and sophomore novels and have been counting down the days till I could get my hands on this one. One thing I can say across all her books is that Stacy has this way of writing that is just so immersive and descriptive. She is a must buy author for me.
I was a little nervous jumping into this one because it feels so different from her previous works but don’t let that stop you. I was immediately captivated from the start. I really truly loved it. There are multiple mysteries that kept me guessing, eerie vibes, characters that had me totally intrigued, and an ending that I DID NOT see coming! This is definitely a thriller you should have on your radar!
Pick this one up if you like:
-College setting
-Mysterious characters
-Completely bingeable
-Answers that leave you with more questions, in the best way
-Atmospheric and twisty
-Dual timeline thriller
-Unexpected endings

Thank you so much for the ARC.
This was an okay thriller for me, although not as good as the author's previous works. I think I'm past the college-student-as-characters stage, so the plot, setting and overall character development didn't quite do it for me. It had some good twists, but I figured out several of them. So all in all it is fun if you're in the mood for a thriller, but not one that leaves a lasting impression. I do think the writing is quite good, but it just wasn't a plot or setting that appealed.

Dark academia fans should run for this! While dark academia isn't often too my taste, I still found things to enjoy here and was invested in the outcome of the mystery!

Another solid thriller from Stacy Willingham. I loved the college setting.
The first half of the book dragged for me for a bit, but the second half really picked up. I loved how complicated all the characters are. I loved the focus on friendship and sisterhood. Stacy Willingham has become an auto read author for me.

Another disappointing thriller for me from this author. I really enjoyed her first book, gave it 4 stars, then gave her second book 3 stars. I guess it seems fitting that I give her third book 2 stars. I guessed one of the big plot twists at 55% and honestly, I wasn't very shocked by any of the twists. This book felt entirely too long, it could have been at least 100 pages shorter instead of dragging on like it did. I didn't care for any of the characters and most of the book just felt like filler, literally nothing going on except some girls making their way through their first year of college. I'm sad to say this will probably be the last book I read by this author.
Thanks to Minotaur Books for the gifted copy for my honest review. Wish I could have given it a better one.

3.75 stars.
I binged this book on a day off from work and read the entire thing across about 30 hours. I really liked it, mostly.
✨ Mystery: There are multiple mysteries at the core of this book and it was fun watching them all unfurl - one I guessed right, the others I didn’t. The first half was slower, the final third picked up a lot. The reveals were satisfying enough.
✨ Vibes: It made me nervous - the vibes are eerie and I kept waiting for something terrible to happen. I think I wanted to get through it fast to be done with that feeling. It reminded me of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife.
✨Overall: I enjoyed it. I wish we got a little more character development for two of the roommates, and it was a bit repetitive, but it brought me right back to college and those bonds you form.
Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC.

I received Only if Your lucky as an advanced readers copy from the publisher, @stmartinspress.
I am a big fan of Stacy Willingham and was honoured to be an early reader for her new novel coming out January 16.
Although this wasn’t my favourite of her novels, it was a nice quirky mystery. The college setting has never interested me in novels along with all the characters being very hard to find anything in common with. Their morals were questionable on all fronts. It reads more like a young adult novel I found and I guess it just wasn’t what I was expecting from her previous work. Many people will enjoy this but the college part made it not as interesting for me. I could see this being made into a mini series for Netflix though! Margot really needs to learn how to be a friend!
All of this is my own opinion so please take a chance and try it. Everybody has different tastes and I am still very honored to be picked to read another of her novels and hope I am picked for the next one again. I loved All the Dangerous Things and A Flicker in the Dark.
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A big thanks to @netgalley @stmartinspress and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
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My reviews can be found on:
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Goodreads- Nikki- Hedwigsandhopes

I loved Stacy Willinghams first book, liked her second and found this one to be okay . I’ve come to realize that dark academia such isn’t for me.