ARC review
Only If You're Lucky
by Stacy Willingham

I might have screamed when I got approved for this one! The excitement!
I had the pleasure of reading this as a buddy read with a bunch of amazing ladies. This made it so much more fun! Thanks y’all for this experience!

Margot had a rough past year, her best friend passing away. Now at college, she is drawn into a group of girls, Lucy being the shiny star of the group.
But things don’t go as planned, when a fellow student, Levi, is killed. Margot knows him.
How is he linked to her past? Why did Lucy pick her in the first place, as the newest member of her group?

I am a sucker for Stacy Willingham’s work. I gobbled her first books up. I loved them.
I think all her books have a slower pace. Which I enjoyed. Unfortunately this one was way too slow paced for me. While this was in no way a bad book, I had a hard time getting into it. I felt like nothing ever happened besides college girls getting drunk.

Also, I can’t really explain why, but throughout most of the book I felt like this was a sixties/seventies setting (it was not!) and I expected the w**d smoking homilies to come and dance around the corner. I think the names were partly a reason. Margot, Lucy (“I Love Lucy”), Levi… it threw me off for the longest time. I felt like it was an odd coming off age story without and really mystery and tension for the longest time. There was not a single character I liked. There was not much depth to them.

I always loved her tense Georgia settings, this, it does not have the same atmosphere like her other novels. They’re just a creepy house and a fraternity next door. I felt really, really underwhelmed. Things start to happen at around 70 % and then it becomes clear what has happened. But I could as well have skipped the first seventy percent. The story was quite simple to be frank. I just expected so much more from this.

Publication date 16 Jan 2024 by St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5. personally, i thought this was willingham’s weakest so far. i thought this because 1) not only was this a slow burn, but it was genuinely just too slow and not that much happened, 2) it was rather predictable and the characters were so stereotypical i felt i had read about all of them before, and 3) i didn’t think the back and forth timeline was well-executed here. i’m not giving up on willingham, but this wasn’t my favorite by her.

Another great book from Stacy Willingham! She’s becoming a must-buy author for me. Though I’m not one for college campus settings or girl cliques, this book managed to break that barrier for me to still enjoy the book.

My one critique is that it could have been much shorter; withdrawing 100 pages in the first half of the book wouldn’t have been completely detrimental. That said, there was good character development, and looking back once you know the ending, there were many clues dispersed throughout the entire book.

I did not see that ending coming! Perhaps I should have, maybe I was slacking, but definitely did not see those dominos falling as they did.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really good slow burn thriller that immediately drew me in. I loved the college setting, and I also loved the changing timelines between “before” and “after”. But, I think my absolute favorite part of this story is the overall idea of, “Would you commit murder if you knew you would get away with it?”. The characters in this book each have their own opinions in response to this question, but in the end it always comes back to the same answer… It has to be the “right person” for the “right reasons”. Someone who deserved it.
Now with that being said… I don’t think the characters in this story REALLY had the right reasons for their murders. Since this review is spoiler free, you will just have to read it for yourself and see if you agree or disagree. But, in my opinion I just wasn’t connected to these characters in a way that had me blindly supporting their decisions. And the one character I liked the best, was the one we were supposed to like the least I think? Which may just be a me issue. But she was the most interesting and had the most depth to her.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes Thrillers and honestly this would be the PERFECT Bookclub book because there is just so much to discuss, especially that ending. Stacy Willingham’s writing has a way of just keeping you guessing and I even found myself thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading. There were times where I was a little confused on where something was going, but in the end I think she did a good job of tying up all her loose ends.

I definitely feel so honored to have received an advanced copy of this book to read and review. Thank you so much NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press & Minotaur Books!

Thank you NetGalley for a preview of this book by an author I enjoy. This tells the story of Margot, a young college student dealing with a major personal tragedy when we first meet her. Her best friend died in what can be described as mysterious circumstances, and the boyfriend who she blames then shows up at her college. Meanwhile, shy, quiet Margo is trying to make new friends and falls into a friend group led by Lucy, who is not a good friend candidate and begins another mystery when she turns up missing. This is a good thriller, lots of character development but unfortunately I didn't like any of the characters very much. That didnt detract though from this being a good thriller with some unexpected twists.

I read this book in one day it was so good! This book was filled with riveting plot twists that I never saw coming. The author did a fantastic job of “dangling” the carrot where I had information but until it was displayed perfectly I never would’ve guessed the ending. I really enjoyed reading the past tense and present with great character development.

Margot is a quiet young woman, reeling from a personal tragedy that upended her first year of college when Lucy invites her to be one of her roommates in an off-campus house owned by a fraternity. Lucy is everything Margot isn't: bold, outgoing, fun...and dangerous. Margot moves into the apartment with Lucy, Sloane, and Nicole at the beginning of summer and their sophomore year is anything but quiet. Through the parties, classes, parties, hookups, and the four women's lives become more and more intertwined. When a frat boy is found murdered, Lucy disappears, and Margot, Sloane, and Nicole have to figure out what was true and what they led to believe was the truth.

Overall, this was a solid thriller. I didn't like any of the characters--I found Margot pathetic and Lucy obnoxious and Sloane and Nicole simply weren't fleshed out enough for me to feel like I knew them--yet I was still engaged in their story. The mystery of the murdered frat boy was intriguiging and the discovery into more about Lucy was interesting but also a touch obvious.

A solid, slow-burn mystery that I would recommend. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Stacy Willingham is one of my favorite authors. Her previous two books are some of my favorites in the thriller genre. I was so excited to be able to get my hands on this ARC! This one did no disappoint.

Margot is fresh off her first year of college at a small liberal arts school in South Carolina. She has spent her freshman year in the shadows and only hanging out with her assigned roommate. She is still reeling from the loss of her best friend. Margot has always been the shy one, the one who plays it safe, and always is in the background. Never the main character but the side kick to her best friend, Eliza. But now at the end of freshman year she wants change. She is tired of playing it safe and decides to room with three girls she barely knows. There is Lucy who is enigmatic and the leader of the group. Sloane who is studious and sarcastic. Nicole who is sweet and the nicest of the trio. They all become close friends and Margot is finally breaking out of her shyness. The girls are living their best lives and hanging out with the frat boys next door. But things take a turn for the worse. One of the fraternity boys turns up murdered, and Lucy disappears. What is really going on? We get swept into this dark academia thriller and we have to figure out what really happened.

What I enjoyed:
- I was in a book hang over after my last read. This book was the cure for that slump! I was immediately drawn in and loved trying to piece it all together
- Multiple timelines. We go back and forth between the past and present.
- At the end of every chapter it felt like a mini cliff hanger. I had to immediately start the next chapter to know what was about happen!
- This was twisty and layered. There were a few twists I did not see coming at all!
- I finished this book ine one sitting!

This is offically my favorite book by this author! Their books just keep getting better and better. Any future books are absolutely an instant auto-buy/read. 5 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.75/5 ⭐️

Although I own a few Stacy Willingham books, this is actually the first I’ve read and I really liked it!!

The beginning of the book starts strong, and is written almost poetically for a thriller. As the pages turned though, the style of writing seemed to change a little bit! Some parts did give me a YA feel (not a negative at all in this case)! Middle of the book got slow/almost repetitive but still had you flipping through pages to see where it takes you. The end had a shock factor I wasn’t quite expecting, although if your detective skills are sharper than mine, the clues all lead up to the big reveal perfectly!

This story has a solid plot but in my opinion it’s very character driven! We read about intricate and complicated friendships, family dynamics, and young-budding love that weaves into newfound college life. The characters are complicated and searching for more, for clarity, to discover themselves truly, and that makes the story all the better.

All in all a great read, this makes me want to pick up the rest of her books ASAP!

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur publishing and Stacy Willingham for the ARC!

Many people might disagree with me, but I liked the ending of this one: not every loose end was tied....

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Was justice done? There might be a heated debate on this issue, and both sides would score points, I'm sure. What mattered to me is that I cared about most of the characters in this story (unlike a recent so called mystery/thriller that had me fogging up my Kindle screen with sighs of boredom).

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Margot was Eliza's devoted sidekick, her silent shadow, BFFs for life, etc., etc., But then Levi moves next door and Eliza abandons the Friend Ship for ROMANCE! Margot is distraught, hurt, jealous..... and yes, LIVID. One night, at a drunken party, Eliza falls to her death, and Margot is left bereft, regretting her stiff-backed pride, and all those angry words....

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Eliza and Margot had planned to attend Rutledge college together. Margot's first year at Rutledge is dismal, to say the least, haunted as she is by grief for what could have been.

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But along comes the loud, charismatic Lucy who - for some inexplicable reason - zeroes in on Eliza's former shadow and convinces Margot to move out of the college dorms and share a frat house rental unit with two other female students.

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There were several fairly loathsome fraternity house Heads who enjoyed torturing the frosh members, but one of them went too far. one too many times. Well, suffice it to say that the body count started to climb as this slow-paced story progressed.

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No spoilers intended here, but this mystery leaves you guessing right up until the last few chapters I did not want to put this book down, it was that riveting. Well done!

I have so much more that I WANT to say about this story, but I think you should experience this very well written thriller and enjoy the journey with no advance warning, just as I did. A thoroughly good read: 5 out of 5 stars!
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! NEVER saw it coming! Kudos to author Stacy Willingham

Margot and Eliza were best friends and planned to attend Rutledge College together, until Eliza died 3 weeks after high school Graduation. Margot finds herself seeking new friendships in amongst trying to figure out who she really is. After she spends her freshman year with Maggie as her roommate, she is taken in by an outgoing, outspoken and vibrant girl, Lucy Sharpe. Lucy takes Margot under her wing and invites her to live with her and her two friends, Sloan and Nicole.
They live in a house owned by the Kappa Nu fraternity, which just so happens to be next door.
Between college parties, nights at “Penny Lanes” and the freshman initiation on the island, things become a tangled web of lies, secrets and the rising fear of the unknown.
Lucy is the leader of their foursome, keeping everyone guessing about her outspoken comments, questions and expressions. Margot is often feeling Lucy’s personality reminds her of Eliza and the sorts of things Eliza would do!
They are all shocked and questioned when one of the new incoming freshman ( which happens to be Eliza’s ex boyfriend, Levi) is found dead on the island during initiation and Lucy is missing! Who did it ? Justifiably could have been any of them.
How far can friendship be pushed, trusted and stretched?!!!!
Jealousy…..resentment…disloyalty….this psychological thriller has it!

I recommend this book for anyone who appreciates a psychological thriller no matter your age. It might be a bit hard to read if you currently have a young adult away at college right now but also making you keenly aware of college life.

Thank you @netgalley, @stmartinspress and @stacywillingham for this ARC in return for my honest review!

Okay, this book is a bit of a slow burn, but does it ever ramp up during the last 30% of the story.

Only if You’re Lucky is about friendship, lies and murder. I feel like that is all one needs to know going into it

Not a whole lot happens in the first 60% or so but it does set up a solid foundation for what then goes down. Didn’t see most of it coming.

Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Starting during Margot's freshman year of college, after he best friend from childhood had died, Margot was really just a shell of herself. Completely withdrawn, almost reclusive, until Lucy shows up in her room and randomly asks her to move into her off campus house for the next year. Living next door to a frat house, people constantly coming and going, until someone from Margot's past shows up and almost sends her back into the depressive hole she's desperately tried to climb out of. Reveal after reveal, fingers pointed in the wrong direction time after time and multiple murders. Trying to piece this one together was like trying to put a puzzle together with all the pieces flipped over so only the backing showed. Just when I thought I'd pieced something together, more information would be given that made me question everything I thought I knew. Told through both the lenses of the past and present day, half truths will be told, secrets slowly revealed, and the connections trickle in. If you enjoy thrillers that will keep you guessing until the very end, this one is for you.

Only If You’re Lucky is a chilling take on female friendships, the secrets we keep, and just how far we’re willing to go to protect them.

Willingham has a poetic way of creating unease in her books that has me absolutely addicted to her writing, and she did NOT disappoint with this new book!

Haunting and sinister with an unreliable narrator, dual timelines, and explosive plot twists, this story will have you questioning every character, every motive, and wondering just how much we truly know about those closest to us.

It holds a perfect, slow burn pace (just fast enough to keep you locked in), with thought provoking easter eggs scattered throughout; EXACTLY what I want in a thriller.

The story gave me “Pretty Little Liars” vibes, but in a modern, dark academia setting, which was impeccably done; so much so they it brought me right back to that time in life. The houses, the lifestyle, the grit, the inevitable poor choices, and the bonds that can only be made at that specific time in life. She crafted the perfect, dark, intoxicating college thriller!

A must read for 2024.

Only if You’re Lucky is a dark thriller about the complexities of friendship and belonging. It is written in dual timelines that take place before and after a crime.

After Margot’s best friend dies, she struggles with making new friends and finds it difficult to move on. So when Lucy asks her to share a house near their college campus, she can’t refuse. Lucy is popular, beautiful, outgoing and everything Margot envies. They become fast friends until Lucy disappears and a student in the fraternity house next door is brutally murdered.

The characters in this book are all multifaceted but I found them unlikable and predictable. I found the plot overall very compelling and twisty in the best of ways. For me, this rates 4 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who loves dark academia or psychological thrillers.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Publication date is January 16, 2024.

Only if you’re lucky is an unpredictable dark read; full of twists and turns. Once again, Willingham doesn’t disappoint. I’d recommend this to anyone in the mood for a mystery, questionable characters and relationships.

First thought - thank god I didn’t go to college.


Very familiar plot lines and character traits- mean/mysterious/aloof girls meets desperate girl.

And yet- I still found it enjoyable, and I’ve enjoyed this one the most of Stacy’s works!! Definitely a recommendable book for thriller suggestions.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc in exchange for my review!

This book was a slow burn. It took me until I was about a third of the way through before I was truly invested in the story. But, once I reached that point, I couldn’t put it down! There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I loved the development of the characters and the surprises along the way!
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I enjoyed the author’s last book, so I was eager to get my hands on this one too.

The book revolves around Margot, a girl who just wants to belong. Her best friend Eliza had died a year before, and Margot spent her first year of college basically just existing. At the end of the school year, she’s approached by the enigmatic Lucy who offers a room in the house she’s renting with two others named Sloane and Nicole.

By the end of their sophomore year, Lucy is missing and Eliza’s former boyfriend Levi is dead. The book jumps between sophomore year and the present timeline.

I was pretty enthralled with the mystery, but I do think it fell apart a little bit by the end. But overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have previously read Stacy Willingham's first two novels- A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things, so I was very excited to see this newest book Only If You're Lucky on NetGalley! Similar to her other novels, this one kept me guessing throughout the story to see if I could put together the pieces. I enjoyed the dual timeline format and did not have any trouble following or keeping characters straight. This was a fast read and one that I think any fans of Willingham's previous books will enjoy!