(3.5 stars) entertaining & mysterious; alternates b/w past & present; slow burn but almost too slow; a bit repetitive at times & I wish more/stronger hints were thrown in throughout the story as opposed to getting hit w/everything at the end; enjoyed how it all tied together tho; gave Pretty Little Liars vibes: teens in highschool/college w/tons of secrets; definitely an unexpected ending

Special thank you to Minotaur Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I have read both Stacy Willingham's previous novels and was really excited to read this one before it's released.

Only If You're Lucky follows the main narrator Margot navigating college and grief without her best friend Eliza by her side. Eliza and Margot were supposed to be going to Rutledge together and experiencing all the college things together. However, Eliza died in a freak accident before embarking on the journey to college. Margot is navigating her grief, focusing on school, until she meets Lucy Sharpe at the end of her first year. Margot is drawn by mysterious Lucy. Shortly after meeting Lucy, Margot finds herself live off campus in a house with Lucy and her two roommates - Sloane and Nicole. Over the year, Margot finds herself attached to Lucy, Sloane and Nicole, but this all hits the fan when a one of the fraternity boys, Levi, from next door has been brutally murdered and Lucy goes missing.

This book is presented in two timelines that eventually all meet. A major theme of this book was based off Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde - good versus evil.

Twists, turns, gaslighting and manipulation occur over the course of the book and will leave your jaw-dropping.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and was so excited that I was selected to read this novel before its released. I did find this novel to be vastly different from Willingham's previous two. I also feel like this could be marketed as a YA novel probably because of the college setting.

A massive thank you to Stacy Willingham, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings include death, murder, gaslighting, sexual assault, alcohol and drug use.

I have read a book by this author and really enjoyed it. I didn’t like this one as much but it is still a good read. Margot goes to college by herself after her best friend Eliza dies unexpectedly during the summer before freshman year. She spends her freshman year as a quiet student that doesn’t join clubs or make friends easily. The end of the first year, an exuberant, social butterfly Lucy takes Margot under her wing and invites her to live in a house with two other friends of Lucy, next door to a fraternity. She comes out of her shell and starts to have a real “college experience “. She soon starts to doubt Lucy and wonders who she really is. The other girls in the house make comments about how Lucy can be. There is a big twist toward the end (which I should have seen coming), but didn’t. It sets everything up for a dramatic ending that finds each of them being capable of both good and evil. And each of them have something to lose and must rely on the others to keep their secret. At times, it seemed to drag on and I think that some of the memories of the past friend was repeated and could have been shortened.

Both of Stacy Willingham's prior books were 5 star reads for me so I was thrilled to be approved for Only If You're Lucky. I feel like the beginning was very strong but it lost me a bit in the middle. It became repetitive and felt geared more toward a younger audience maybe because it's a college setting. Around 70% a reveal was made that was very good and from there I was pulled back into the book. I wound up finishing the rest in one sitting. All the pieces came together in a surprising way.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Stacy Willingham for an advanced copy. Only If You're Lucky comes out January 16, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, as it was one of my most anticipated. Let me start this by saying Stacy Willingham has become one of my auto buy authors and I adore her writing. Her first 2 books were instant favorites for me, so I just had to read this one ASAP. That being said - this was not for me. This book was not bad by any means. But after reading her first 2 so recently, it was a little bit of a bummer to see such a different writing style/story line. The storyline gave me similar vibes to Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars - like eerily close, and unfortunately it was an internal distraction comparing them all. It was a slow burn which I do not normally mind, but it felt too drawn out to get to the twists and resolutions. I was able to guess some of the twists, but not all of them, and I have to say the ones not guessed added nicely to the storyline. She wrapped up everything for me though, and left nothing unanswered. I enjoyed the subliminal hints throughout the book that lead to the resolutions though, so when we learned everything, it leaves you said OH that makes sense, Overall I enjoyed reading it just fell a little flat for me personally. I still adore this author and will remain buying any book she puts out moving forward.

An interesting story about:
College friends
Roommates
Lies
Games
Parties
Accidents
Murder
Rape
Twisted minds and games between
friends who are not who they appear to be.

A mind bending novel where the twisted pieces of the puzzle slowly come together in a suspenseful thriller. Childhood friends, college friends and roommates who have a lot in common with accidents and tragedies. You can guess who's and how’s and be wrong again and again in this wild and crazy mystery.

3.5 Stars
I felt so lucky when I got this approval on NetGalley. I have previously read A Flicker In The Dark and loved it, so I was so stoked to get approved for Stacey’s newest book! While I did enjoy this book, I was a little confused in the beginning because there were a lot of characters introduced very early on. I was also able to guess a few of the twist early on & it was a slow burn so I would have appreciated a little more action in the beginning. However the end of the book did pick up quite a bit and there were a few twist I was not expecting. Thank you so much NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC e-copy of Only if You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham.

When I saw the next Stacy Willingham thriller pop up on my NetGalley, I didn’t even need to read the description—I put in my request right away.

Like Willingham’s other novels, Only if You’re Lucky draws you into the mystery right from the start, and the characters’ secrets are revealed gradually as the story progresses. This novel centers around Margot, a college student from the Outer Banks who, after the death of her lifelong best friend, is easily drawn into another tempestuous friendship with a wild and unpredictable classmate named Lucy.

This novel and the relationships within it, namely between Margot, Lucy, Sloane, and Nicole, are instantly reminiscent of Mean Girls and Heathers, promising the reader a wild ride into the (sometimes deadly, apparently) intricacies of female friendships. What better basis of horror is there than the very concept of womanhood?

… 345 pages later, and Stacy Willingham has done it again. I didn’t see the twist ending coming, though all of the clues are there, masterfully hidden in little bits of dialogue and character interactions that are written off as insignificant at first. I enjoyed every second of this book, which absolutely lived up to the hype for me. Full of clear atmosphere, compelling characters with compelling motives, and a thrilling mystery at its heart, Only if You’re Lucky is yet another winner by this author.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - EXCELLENT

CW: death, descriptions of dead bodies, murder, alcohol and drug usage, implied domestic abuse, implied sexual assault/rape

This book centers around a main character that wonders why the popular girls chose her -i despise this type of character.

This book really picked up at the 64% mark (reading it on my kindle)
Looking back to the beginning of the book, I see the author expertly set everything up to click into place.

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Only If You’re Lucky. I really have enjoyed her last two books so I was excited to read this one early. It think it is my favorite so far. It is what I would call a slow burn at the start but I didn’t mind and it definitely gained momentum as you continue reading. I was sucked in from the start. Think thriller/murder mystery with a side or psychological suspense.

The story is set at Rutledge College and centers around Margot and the new friends she makes at college, a tragedy from her past, a missing girl, and a murdered boy. Margot has landed at Rutledge College after the loss of her childhood friend, Eliza. She spends her first year kind of in daze and going through the motions. She moves into off campus housing with a girl named Lucy who just invites her to move on with her and two other girls. She doesn’t know any of them but is looking for a change to jar her back to life. With a back and forth between past and present, the book opens with a boy named Levi murdered and Lucy is missing. The story takes you on a journey connecting the dots between Margot, Lucy, and Levi.

I literally could not stop reading this book. It is one you will want to add to your “to read list” for sure.

“Only if you’re lucky” is the second Stacy Willingham novel that I’ve read this year. I definitely liked this one more than the first. The story revolves around four college roommates with Margot as the narrator. The story goes back and forth in time as the police are investigating the disappearance of Lucy and murder of a young man, Levi. Interesting premise, but the book relied a lot on an improbable twist that had me rolling my eyes a bit.

The premise of this book hooked me right away and while it did start off a little slow, you will come to enjoy the pacing as it draws out the tension and gives the reader just enough details to keep them on the edge of their seat, wondering what will happen next. I had so many theories running around in my head and still was unable to figure out the ending. This will be a book that you will want to binge all in one sitting because you just have to know what is going on!

I also really enjoyed the dual timelines, it added even more to the suspenseful, eerie feeling that lingers throughout the whole book and gives very interesting perspectives on the characters!

i was hooked pretty early on and felt like i sped through the first 50% or so. there was a strong undercurrent of mystery that kept me intrigued, wanting to keep reading to uncover all of the secrets lurking beneath. some of the secrets paid off for me, others not so much. i think a few of the twists were a bit predictable and fell flat.

i also felt like there was a simile and/or metaphor every other sentence. once i noticed it in the beginning, my brain picked up on every single one that came after and it was extremely overwhelming and a bit much.

overall i enjoyed it; the storytelling was great and i thought the characters were interesting. however the mystery at the core of the book wasn’t strong enough to make this a favorite.

thank you to st. martins press for the arc!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This psychological thriller took me on such a wild ride! Dual timelines that go between before and after a crime had me on the edge of my seat, so excited to see how everything played out and find out who the killer was.
Margot is a college freshman that just wants to fit in. After losing her childhood bestie to a terrible accident after their senior high school year, she feels lost and like she has no friends.
Lucy is the popular, beautiful,enigmatic apparent leader of a 3 girl friend group (Lucy, Sloane, and Nicole) and she randomly asks Margot to move in with them in a house next door to a fraternity house just off campus. Is this a dream come true? Or the beginning of a nightmare?
If you like books that mess with your head, this is a true psychological thriller and definitely fits the bill. Do yourself a favor and go read it now!

Margot really wants to be friends with Lucy. She said she wants Lucy to bend her, break her. Rip her to pieces and reassemble her into something different, better. New. Margot is the shy one, never looking for attention. She ends up rooming with Lucy, Sloane and Nicole. All 3 very different roommates. Margot did have a best friend in Eliza, who died after graduation. Now, Lucy is missing without a trace. This is the book of friendship and surprising endings.
Thought-provoking, Secrets, and Dark! 3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

3.5 stars. I've enjoyed Flicker in the Dark so I was excited to get an ARC of Only if You're Lucky. I found it kept my attention and I wasn't able to predict the ending but I was a bit disappointed with how it worked out in the end. I found it anticlimactic.

Only If You’re Lucky is centered around Margot who is a student at a liberal arts college. Soon after Margot graduated from High School she lost her best friend Eliza in a tragic accident. Margot spends the majority of her first year in college mourning the loss but at the end of the year, she meets Lucy.

Lucy is a stark reminder of Eliza and the exact opposite of Margot. Lucy is very outgoing whereas Margot is more of a quiet introvert. Soon after meeting Lucy, Margot moves into a shared apartment with Lucy and two other friends.

Through Lucy’s friendship, Margot is finally coming out of her shelf and meeting new friends on campus. The duo have became best friends but by the middle of Margot’s sophomore year their neighbor who lives in a frat house next door is found brutally murdered and Lucy is missing.

Only If You’re Lucky is a bit different from Willingham’s two prior novels. Yes it's a thriller but it's more of a slower paced character driven novel than a faster paced plot centered read. I also thought that certain parts had a young adultish feel. But these new elements Willingham incorporated worked and I really enjoyed this one.

Willingham is clearly a talented writer and it shines through in this one. I really enjoyed all of the Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde references and how the author used them to compare female friendships. Also, I really enjoyed the dark academia aspect and the unexpected twists. Readers and fans of her prior works, will also enjoy Only If You’re Lucky!

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham will be available on January 16, 2024. A massive thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

Another great book by Stacy!! Great story! Pulled you in very quick! Definitely didn't see all the twists coming! Read her other two books and was thrilled to be picked to review this one!!

Margot goes off to college at Rutledge while still mourning the death of her best friend, Eliza. At a vulnerable time, she somehow meets Lucy, who ends up inviting her to join her and her two roommates, Sloane and Nicole, in the house they rent next door to one owned by a fraternity. But a few months later, one of the fraternity pledges, Levi, winds up dead and Lucy is missing. Why does death seem to follow Margot around?

This book was a slow burn, and unfortunately, I seem to have a hard time connecting with those. Something about these characters was just unlikeable. The story was a good one with some great twists, and I enjoyed it but it also seemed to drag a bit. I've liked the other books I've read by this author, but this one was just middle-of-the-road for me.

3/5 stars

This rollercoaster of a book kept me intrigued from the first chapter. I love how descriptive the author was with the characters and the setting; it was easy to picture in my head. Near the middle of the book, I felt like it was a bit slow, but the author gave just enough to keep the story flowing. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, more twists kept coming and I did not guess how it would end. I would recommend this book to fans of academia thrillers!
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.