Lucy Sharpe is the”it” girl on the college campus. Margot is rather shy. Never the center of attention, Margot is completely drawn in by Lucy’s energy. The two girls meet at the end of Freshman year and become fast friends. Moving into off campus housing they become inseparable. Margot is completely infatuated with Lucy and the two other girls she lives with. But, when Lucy suddenly disappears, it starts to feel like nothing is as it may seem.
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Sadly this one was a miss for me. Having read both Willingham’s previous books, I had high hopes for this one. To me, this story felt a bit slow for me. I wasn’t very connected to the characters or the storyline. Many times I felt myself thinking the story was over written. Too many few descriptions to get across a simple point. I absolutely LOVED All the Dangerous Things, but unfortunately this one is falling into the same category as A Flicker in the Dark. I have to say this one is a no from me.
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I can see the appeal though, and believe there is an audience for this one. I wouldn’t let my opinion turn you away.

3.75. I absolutely love this author's previous books and was so excited when I rec'd an ARC to read her latest. Her books are always a one or two day read because I cannot put them down. This was no different - it involves a girl and her best friend who are supposed to go to college together in the fall. Then one friend dies and the story follows the one who goes on to college. She is quite lonely the first year but then she is befriended by a girl on her dorm floor at the end of her first year and they move in together with two others into a house next door to a fraternity. This friend is very illusive and puzzling and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out who, what and why in this book. If you like mean girls/college girls/drama/toxic relationships then you'll love this book.

Thank you so much to Stacy Willingham and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book before it publishes in January.

“You’re only young once, and only if you’re lucky."

‘Changing it up’ is risky. For some authors, it doesn’t work. For Stacy Willingham, dipping her toes into a subgenre - it definitely worked. I loved this book.

I shouldn’t have enjoyed it. I don’t care for younger characters, I never joined a fraternity, I never lived in a frat house. I never did drugs or got ‘wasted.’

BUT…as a university student..

I did know what it was like to be “vanilla, malleable. A blank slate.”
I did know what it was like to want to belong.
I did know what it was like to want to change who I am.
I did know what it was like to be a chameleon and blend in with my surroundings.

PLUS…

Willingham’s writing style is superb! I love her ability to drop a clue at just the right time. So many times I stopped reading because I had a lightbulb moment … knowing that the clue was there, I’d read it before but had missed its significance. The author’s journalism studies definitely added to her ability to tell a great story; she writes a taut plot and surprises readers with the different angles she takes and the way she can get to the meat of the story.

Piggybacking the above thought about hidden clues, I absolutely loved looking for the Easter eggs Willingham placed in this one. I was aware of the inspiration behind this novel and loved seeing clues show up in the story. I found 6 and no, I won't give them away. Being an active reader really increases my enjoyment.

Yes, this one is different from her previous two thrillers. I’ve only read All The Dangerous Things (5-star read) and can tell you that this one is also a thriller, it also has a house as a main character, it has the same wonderfully descriptive writing style and vivid setting, there are still multiple twists and it still messes with your head. What is different is the types and ages of characters and the dark academia storyline. With college-aged characters, there’s a lot of ‘college life’ packed into the story. It enhances the storyline.

You’ll read about
✔️Rejection
✔️acceptance/belonging
✔️Being a part of something bigger than oneself


Two things:

😁 I don’t think I’ll ever look at my couch cushions the same way ever again…will they cough?

😁 I won’t forget the Lord of the Flies vibes I got when I read “I suddenly remember the way the shed smelled the very first time I stepped inside; that metallic tang, like something decayed, that has since become as commonplace as the vanilla perfume…I barely notice it anymore, the smell of death.”

“It feels good, doesn’t it? To finally get what you want.”

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This managed to take my breath away. I loved every second and when I finished my jaw dropped. I can’t wait to read more by this author. She’s good. Real real good.

I'm a fan of Stacy Willingham. She's great with character development, enticing story lines and enough suspense to keep you glued to the pages. Only if You're Lucky does not disappoint. Margot is a shy college freshman who is taken in by Lucy, the popular exciting "it" girl on campus. Life is exciting and fun with the new friends but soon things take a turn for the worse. This was a definite page turner, with twisty turns and an ending you won't see coming!

This is the first book I have read by Stacy Willingham and it will not be the last!

Margot has been through something tragic and needs to move on with her life. When she goes to college she is a mousy girl living with the loss of her best friend. She meets Lucy who takes her under her wing, thinking she found her new BBF she slowly starts to learn that things are not always as they seem and not everyone is who they appear to be.

I received this as an ARC download on netgalley and started it as a new "treadmill book" which turned into a all the time book because I had to know what was going to happen!

I loved the suspense, it had me wanting more throughout the entire book
I loved how unpredictable it was! I did not see the twist coming and that hasn't happened in a long time!!
The lies and truths were shocking
It touched on a couple of sensitive subjects - relationship sexual assault being one of them
And I can not leave out the age old question.... If you could get away with it, would you kill someone?

I very much enjoyed this simmering slow burning look at toxic female friendships. I thought it was really well done and the mystery was one that slowly fell into place, but still caught me off guard. Margot was a really complex character. She starts off a little bland and numb (and I think that’s on purpose), but once we really get to know her, she has a really intriguing POV. I also liked the look at fraternity culture and how dangerous it can be. It is very much a character driven novel rather than plot, which I know is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly is for me. I could feel the tension and the eerie vibe that bad things were going to happen and it kept me absolutely engaged in the story. I did think it maybe needed one more POV, just for some variety and complexity, but I still enjoyed just reading from Margot’s. If you’re into character driven books with dysfunctional female friendships and a college setting, give this one a try!
TW: death, excessive drinking, drug use, sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes it works for thriller writers to infuse tension and suspense into relatively mundane situations. For approximately 300 pages, this is what Willingham attempted to do in her latest book. Unfortunately it was just too slow and uneventful to make that work. I have read her other two books, and I loved them, so this was a huge disappointment. I expected a sharp and interesting thriller that kept me guessing but this just had me wishing for it to end. The main character, was, frankly, awful, and since we only get her pov, we are left to wonder about the motivations of all the other characters. Margot’s bff from high school dies before she starts college. Margot made us all think Levi the new neighbor who Eliza was dating did it, because she a jealous psychopath. Margot still goes to the school Eliza picked because she had to refuse to follow her mother’s plan even though she only picked it for Eliza. She then becomes obsessed with Lucy.

We get to know almost nothing about Lucy or Eliza except that Margot is a drop of a person who is obsessed and clingy with whoever happens to give her attention, so long as she deems them “cool enough.” her freshman roommate Maggie was the only decent person in her life and she threw her away like garbage as soon as she could.

50% of the book is Margot’s introspection when was quite dull. 25% of the book was college kids getting drunk and the author making frat parties seem a lot more sinister than any I ever experienced. Around 25% (yes I can math) is the actual plot of the book. It unravels really fast towards the end, and I predicted only one of the 3 big twists, but it wasn’t worth the slog to get to the “big reveal”.

The writing was nice, but just so excessive for the plot. Nothing irritates me more than full pages of thought in between short sentences of dialogue, and literal pages that accomplish nothing. I was thrilled to get this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I really hope the next book by Willingham is more in line with All the Dangerous Things.

Only If You're Lucky has a dual timeline, set in a college house with 19 yr olds and some good pacing and twists. I feel that it should be marketed towards older YA, do they call that New Adult now? If I was solely reading this from that perspective, I would like it way more. I think that is where it's audience is. It is similar to The It Girl by Ruth Ware, if you liked that book you may like this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

3.5 rounded up!! I didn't love it as much as her other thrillers , and I felt like it was overly contrived for a lot of it, but by 66% I was hooked and had to know everything. Good twists I didn't see coming!!

I so enjoyed this book! I admit that I have a strange affinity for creepy stories starring college aged people making (generally) poor decisions, but this one was so well written that it was just a pleasure to read and not a guilty pleasure. I dare you to guess the end before you get there; it's pretty tricky and moves slow enough that there aren't too many fakeouts before you reach the real climax.

Overall, this book was dark and eerie, and showed that sometimes the real horrors are the most innocent looking ones.

Four teenage girls experience betrayals, secrets, and lies and I have to say that the twist at the end was one I wasn’t expecting! Although this wasn’t my favorite Stacy Willingham book, I did still enjoy it a lot. I felt that it was full of a lot of unexpectedness, and I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I give this book 3/5 stars, and I’m excited that I got to read this in advance. Thank you NetGalley!

I loved this story because it felt so real. The trials of friendships among women as they grow up and how men come between them. Also the secrets that teenagers harbour from eachother even when you claim to be best friends. I loved the complexity to this mystery!

Lucy is the girl everyone hates to love but why? Margot heads to college after the death of her best friend Eliza completely rocks her world. I did not see the ending coming with this one on several fronts but I have never been disappointed with a Stacy Willingham book yet! Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I feel like this was good but also extremely slow, much didn’t happen until the end but I love stories about female friendships especially toxic ones so that was a plus. It got ramble-y at times which got annoying but the twists were good and I didn’t see some of them coming so I give the book points for that.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Stacy Willingham for allowing me to review this ARC!

Margot and Eliza are best friends, planning to go to college together when tragedy strikes and Eliza dies just after graduation. Margot goes to college without her and meets Lucy, a girl that she is drawn to in her familiarities to Eliza. Lucy brings Margot out of her shell and invites her to move in with her and her friends. A person from Margot's past, one that she'd soon forget, appears one day and makes her feel uneasy, something that she has felt for a long time. Lucy seems to be concerned but it could be for purely selfish reasons. Is Lucy a true friend? Was Eliza's death an accident or on purpose? Many storylines interconnect to form an ending that I didn't see coming. I really appreciate that I couldn't guess what would happen.

This book was interesting and kept me on my toes throughout the entire time I was reading it. It was a little bit of a slow read at times but I did enjoy the story. If you like mysteries with a plot twist this is for you!

💥 Only If You’re Lucky - Stacy Willingham

4.5 ⭐️ - Okay y’all, add this to your TBR! I am a big Stacy Willingham fan. I’ve enjoyed all 3 of her books now. The writing is addictive and I flew through this one.

This one was a bit of a slow burn, but by the end it felt so worth it. I really enjoy Willingham’s writing style with short chapters, before/after timelines, and cliffhangers. This one is full of twists, turns, hints, and surprises. I was pleasantly fooled when I got to the end. I felt the end was a bit rushed. There was a lot of build up and character development, so honestly, I wanted more. I wish I had an epilogue to see where the characters are after the events occurred. Her dark academia, character development and overlapping storylines are easy and fast to follow. If you’re a thriller, mystery, or Willingham fan, I definitely recommend this one.

Keep your eyes peeled for it to hit shelves on 1/16/24. Thank you Minotaur books, NetGalley and Stacy Willingham for the early arc copy!

Only If You're Lucky is Stacy Willingham's latest thriller. Margot barely gets through her freshman year of college, lonely and depressed after her best friend died suddenly the previous summer. She meets charismatic "It Girl" Lucy and is invited to live with Lucy and her friends Nicole and Sloane. The four become close, but their lives are upended when a frat brother from the house next door dies and Lucy is missing.
The story is told by Margot, both in the present day and the past. It's a very slow burn and there isn't a lot of action until the very end. I had a hard time liking the characters, and the friendship between the main four girls seemed very superficial. There are definitely some surprising plot twists and the ending is not at all predictable. Overall, I liked this book, but it was slow bordering on boring at times.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Amazing!!! I would have finished this in a day if it weren’t for travel and spending time with family.
Stacy keeps you on your toes, sharing just enough to make you want to scream and read ONE MORE chapter. Finally at 70% I couldn’t put it down. I had to know!!!
The twists! Wow, all the stars!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for my first ARC! It did not disappoint.

Many thanks to @minotaur_books, @stmartinspress, and @netgalley for my #gifted copies. Pub date 1/16/24.

Margot and her childhood best friend, Eliza, are accepted into the same college and were supposed to be roommates together until Eliza died. Margot, who is very shy and keeps to herself, decides she still wants to go. At the end of her first year, she is approached by Lucy, the popular, pretty girl everyone wants to be friends with, who asks Margot to be her roommate with her and 2 other girls. Margot can not believe her luck, and she accepts. Things are going great until a fraternity brother is brutally murdered and Lucy goes missing.

This was a slow burn thriller and very different from Stacy's previous books that I absolutely loved! This one read more like a YA book. We learn early on in the book that Eliza dies, Lucy goes missing, and a fraternity brother is murdered, but we don't know why or how. The first half of the book really had me guessing what the heck actually happened, and the ending actually shocked me, I was totally way off! I absolutely love Stacy's writing style, and I will read anything she writes. Be prepared to relive your college days!