There is nothing I value more than a thriller author I can count on, and that is Stacy Willingham for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Only If You're Lucky is a dual timeline, slow-burn thriller set at a college before and after a terrible accident at a fraternity party.

My favorite part of Stacy Willingham's novels is the writing. She brings such a unique voice that always captivates me from the first page. In the case of Only If You're Lucky, we get the perspective of our main protagonist Margot and by the end I felt like I really understood her motivations - even more so as the story and twists unfold.

I think readers will enjoy this one as much as I did - with the right expectations. This story is slow rolling. There's not a big reveal after every page and you need that patience in order to be satisfied with the whole story which is why you might be seeing some DNFs. But for me, it paid off in the end and Only If You're Lucky joins Stacy's other two novels as recommended thrillers from me!

Only If You're Lucky comes out January 16, 2024.

QOTD: What read are you most anticipating for 2024?

3.5⭐️

I absolutely love Stacy Willingham and her writing, but I struggled so hard to get through the middle portion of this book. It felt repetitive to me, and like quite a bit was unnecessary.

I absolutely enjoyed the twist and how everything came together in the end. A couple of the twists I predicted, but there were also some that I did not see coming at all!

Had the middle of this book worked better for me then it would’ve been a 4/4.5⭐️ read for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC copy!! Out everywhere Jan 16!

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 1/16

Margot arrives at Rutledge College devastated after the accidental death of her best friend, Eliza, months before. She’s shy and careful but wishes she could be more outgoing. Then she meets Lucy Sharpe, an enigmatic and free-spirited classmate who reminds her so much of Eliza that she can’t help but be drawn to her. The duo and two other contrasting friends share an off-campus house next door to a frat house.
As Margot starts to come out of her shell, the plot takes a chilling turn when a neighboring fraternity boy is found murdered, and Lucy goes missing without a trace. This sets the stage for exploring female friendships, loyalty, and betrayal.

This story is very different from Willingham's previous works, introducing a slower-paced, character-driven story with a touch of young adultish vibes. Things don’t start to pick up until the 70% mark, and that’s when all the clues and Easter eggs Willingham has left behind begin to make sense.

The dark academia atmosphere drew me in and reminded me of one of my favorite thrillers, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. I loved the dual timeline as we hopped between past and present, and Margot explained how the events leading up to Eliza’s death came together with what was happening in the present.

The unexpected twists kept me fully immersed in the story, and I couldn’t put it down! I listened to this on audio, also, and the narrator did a tremendous job bringing all of the characters to life. Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators, and I’ll listen to any books she narrates.

If you're a fan of psychological suspense or character-driven mysteries, this novel is a must-read. Thank you so much to Minotaur for my advanced copy and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

This was great! Definitely a slow burn but I was gripped and couldn't wait to keep reading to discover what happened. The setting was fun and I kept trying to guess what would happen, but I didn't really see the twist coming.

Lucy is one of the campus "It" girls; Margot is quiet, reserved, blends in, and mourning the loss of her childhood best friend. So, it surprises Margot when Lucy takes an interest in her and invites her to be one of her roommates. Margot cannot believe her luck as the house they move into is in a fashionable part of town, and the rent is cheap. A fraternity owns it and the frat house is right next door. Living there, Margot is finally coming out of her shell, then everything changes. One of the fraternity pledges dies, and Lucy goes missing…

A slow-burn told in a dual timeline of "Before" and "After" Lucy's disappearance, the clues drip out, and we are dealt a few twists. Even though I guessed a few of them, I did enjoy this, and it is very well written. The author's writing style is engaging, and her characters, particularly the enigmatic Lucy, are vivid and memorable. This read almost YA to me for its depictions of the early years of collegiate life, and I think it was a good exploration of the lengths some characters would go to trying to fit in. Atmospheric, with skillful world-building, this definitely has dark academia vibes. There was a lot of setup, but every scene was rich in detail, from the Outer Banks, to the bowling alley Lucy worked at, to the frat house and the house next door that the girls lived in, which had a few creepy elements. Overall, I enjoyed this and I thought the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde references peppered throughout were really fun. This was my first book by this author and I have heard good things about her previous books so I will be checking those out!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the gifted eARC

Book review of Only IF You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books @stmartinspress for this early release. I have read several of @stacyvwillingham books and I love the twisty turns we take along the way!

Margot in her freshmen year of college at Rutledge in South Carolina is a bit lost. She has a roommate, Maggie, but they really haven't gotten involved in any of the things that all freshmen do! Margot lost her best friend, Eliza, whom she should have been rooming with three weeks after graduation. So at the end of freshmen year, when Lucy Sharpe takes notice of Margot, she's intrigued. Lucy asks Margot to room with her, and two other girls, Sloane and Nicole. On a whim, Margot accepts. The house is a character itself, with drafty rooms and unnatural noises. The girls landlords, it seems, are the fraternity boys next door. The girls become fast friends, especially Lucy and Margot. Lucy reminds Margot so much of Eliza! Now middle of sophomore year, and Lucy is missing without a trace and one of the fraternity brothers is murdered. Sloane, Nicole and Margot are being questioned by the police. Why do they have Lucy's phone and what do they know?
Great book, and super fast read, as I wanted to know where we were going. I love all the twists that came up as well!
This is out January 16, 2024, and you need to read it.

#NetGalley
#OnlyIfYou'reLucky
#minotaur_books
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#bookstagram
#stmartinspress
#stacyvwillingham

Um, can this be turned into a movie ASAP? This was my favorite Willingham book so far. I couldn’t stop myself from reading it in one sitting.

This is one of those unrealistic young adult books that you can’t stay away from. College life, secrets, drama, and a murder mystery? Sign me up.

I thought I knew how it was going to end (and may have guessed some of it) but was still surprised at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

We follow Margot, the quintessential 'good girl,' whose encounter with Lucy prompts her to break out of her shell. The storyline centered around Margot's best friend kept me engaged, and the addition of the fraternity college guys added a mysterious element that left me questioning the unfolding events and how they would play a part to the story. The unexpected plot twist took me by surprise, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the story.
The narrator, Karissa Vacker did a great job portraying many characters and kept me engaged till the very end. I felt like Karissa did a wonderful job portraying the guys as well.

I love Stacy Willingham, Flicker in the Dark was one of my absolute favorites so j was super excited to dive into this one by her.

Margot is a Freshman in college, and I’d bring a freshman in college isn’t enough, she’s also still grieving her best friend.

Enter a new friend with secrets of her own. And running into someone who knew hee best friend and really makes things interesting

This book did have a slower start hit the dang twist was worth it. Didn’t see it coming. At all


Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martins Press & Minotaur Books for this ARC opportunity

“If You Knew You Could Get Away with Murder, Would You do it?”
There's something about Willingham's latest novel that didn't grab me as much as I had hoped. Yes, there are lots of lies and secrets, but unfortunately for me it read more like a YA novel, and that could be due to the fact that it's centered around late high school/early college aged students. The dialogues, the games they played and their overall unlikable personalities made it feel rather juvenile. The pace is very slow and not much happens until the end, but the author did an outstanding job creating an atmospheric setting and tone. Overall, I did enjoy reading this one, just not as much as I enjoyed the author's previous work. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and the author for a gifted ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

When will I get lucky with another Stacy Willingham read? 😩

I seriously loved A Flicker in the Dark (5 stars!), but since then have felt let down once and now twice over. Is it me? Hi? Am I the problem, it’s me? 🥲

While I continue to stand by her writing, which is top notch, this story and its main character were NOT for me. I felt so bored by it all.

It was completely character driven, which isn’t necessarily a nonstarter for me. However, the character has to be wildly interesting to keep me engaged. And Margot was not. 😳

There are a few big twists at the end, but the journey to get there didn’t feel entirely worth it. I truly wish I had more positive things to say, but the reality is that I simply haven’t been able to recapture what I felt with Willingham’s debut.

I loved Willingham’s first two books, A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things; this one kept me turning pages but ultimately had me question too many things. The two lead characters, Margot and Lucy, were well developed and intriguing. A large cast of supporting characters pushed the plot line along, but I wanted some of them much more fleshed out, needed more motivation for actions, at least for me. By the end, however, I hit the Road of Implausibility with a few road signs of Melodrama. I did turn pages furiously though, and think many lovers of thrillers will appreciate the tension in this one.

I am a big fan of Stacy Willingham, however, this book fell short of her first two. While it had an unexpected twist, it didn’t feel like the plot picked up until 75%. Too much time was spent explaining the college parties and college friends, not enough dedicated to character development and the plot.

After reading A Flicker in the Dark, Stacy Willingham instantly became an “auto buy” author for me.

Yet again, she surpassed my expectations!

Margot’s character development throughout the story was amazing! Little by little, she came out of her shell with big steps along the way.

You see little development and history of the side characters. However, I found that refreshing. Many books focus too heavily on the smaller pieces of the puzzle.

One thing I love about Only If You’re Lucky is the twists are perfectly timed and placed. Not right when you WANT them but exactly where you need them.

The final twist blew me out of the water!

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read another amazing ARC! Only If You’re Lucky is about 4 female college friends and the secrets they keep from each other and even from themselves. However, it’s more than just about secrets. It’s about jealousy, loyalty, envy, the guilt we hold on to, the need for acceptance, to belong, to be loved…but at what cost? You will have all the usual thriller feels while reading this one and add a bit of sorrow and sadness to the mix too. Willingham weaves this tale in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ and almost brilliantly brings the two so perfectly together. Two points finally meeting with multiple jaw dropping moments.

This book will not disappoint! Due out Jan. 16, 2024.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Time to choose my next book! Happy reading, y’all! 📚❤️📚

#StacyWillingham
#NetGalley

If a thriller explores toxic female friendships I’m always gonna read it so that’s all I needed to know before I started this one. I also have a good track record going with the author, I enjoyed her two previous books, but I will say her previous ones were slightly better for me than this one. BUT! This is still worth a read in my opinion because a good thriller is getting harder and harder to come by anymore. Anyway, the college setting was strong for me here as well as the aforementioned female friend group with young women who were well drawn and characterized by the author. There are some really good twists too that I didn’t totally see coming, so overall this was another solid read from a trusted author.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars!! Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! This story follows Margot who is attending the college that her and her best friend, Eliza chose to attend together before she was killed. Margot blames Levi, her neighbor for Eliza’s death and she feels that Levi fractured their friendship.

Margot goes off to college and has a pretty normal college life until she meets Lucy. Lucy instantly pulls Margot into her friend circle and she moved in the frat house with Lucy, Simone and Nicole. They all spend the summer together living in the frat house and when school starts again in the fall, Levi is attending her college and is living in the frat house, which brings back memories for Margot. Also, Lucy isn’t what she seems and something is going on with her too. Why did Lucy become friends with Margot? What happened to Lucy? Who was the boy that was murdered and why? This book will definitely have you guessing and not knowing what going to happen next!

4.5/5⭐️ Only If You’re Lucky- Stacy Willingham


𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒


Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive, dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can't say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.


And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined.


It's a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she's been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered... and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.




𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:


THANK YOU to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, netgalley, and Stacy Willingham for this ARC (pub date is 1/16/24). This was definitely a page turner with twist after twist (some I predicted, some I did not). This is my third book by this author and definitely may be my favorite by her (also loved All the Dangerous Things and Flicker in the dark-but less so).


Definitely READ for lovers of thrillers. A lot of background and written in a “before and after” format, this author is definitely an auto-read for me. Love the setting of the off-campus housing and thought the loose ends all got tied up by the end. I will say it seemed like it ended a little abruptly.


Keep your eye out for this one!


#bookworm #bookish #bookblogger #bookgram #instareads #readmorebooks #bookstagrammers #goodreads #bookstagram #thriller #netgally #arc

Stacy Willingham is a go-to author for me and it’s easy to understand why. Her latest is another original concept in a dime a dozen genre that has character depth, surprise twists and a spooky setting! I love when a house morphs into a character and I felt like it took center stage, making what happened within its walls even more ominous and creepy! If you’re looking for a fast-paced story that will keep you up all night turning the pages, pick this up. Then, let’s discuss that ending. Wow!

3.5 stars

Having read Willingham’s other two books, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this one. Sadly, this one was not my favorite.

I couldn’t connect with the main character, Margot. She lacked personality and came across as very flat. The supporting characters were fine, but unlikeable. The story progresses with Before & After chapters from Margot’s POV. I wish we had an additional POV, as this might have amped up the suspense of the storyline. Ultimately, since I lacked a connection to the characters, I struggled with caring about what happened to them.

I was surprised that the story read like a YA novel. This deviated from how her first two were written. Typically, YA novels are hit or miss for me.

I’m a fan of Willingham’s writing and will continue to read future works, but this book might work better for a younger audience than myself.