I loved the audio version of this book! I found myself cleaning extra so I could keep busy while listening! I just had to know what happened next! Great book!

I received a free copy of this audio book. The following is my honest review. I was bored and underwhelmed with this one. Stacy Willingham is turning out to be a hit or miss author for my taste. This one followed college age students, which should have been obvious from the synopsis, but it ended up being so "new adulty" that I couldn't relate or find much investment in the characters or their predicaments. It gave strong greek life vibes even though I don't think anyone was strictly associated with frats or sororities. I also don't favor con-artist plots, and this was definitely one of them. Overall, this was unfortunately very forgettable, generic, and boring.

What a waste of time this book is. Listening to it was actually painful.

(Ran in print as part of a roundup of audiobooks.)

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook!
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I became a Stacy Willingham fan via her debut, A Flicker in the Dark. I loved that book - the twists and turns and whodunnit vibe - so good! Unfortunately, Only If You're Lucky did not have the same thrilling effect on me. I never felt that gnawing desire to pick it back up, anxious for the next reveal - it just never really did anything for me... :(.
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I did enjoy the narration and feel that if you want to consume this book, audio is a good route. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for thrillers?
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I feel like this is a short review but I don't have anything else to say ;).

2.5 stars, 3 rounded up- a bit disappointed. I liked the authors previous books way more. This one didn’t feel new and I feel like I’d read this story in some variation multiple times.

Yes and Yes again! This is a dark and chilling look into female friendships, the lies we tell, the secrets we keep and how much we can ever know those closest to us. Hypnotic and haunting with lifelike characters and mind blowing twists that fall perfectly into place. An alluring tale of deep friendship, startling secrets, and uncomfortable motives, I was drawn in from the very first page. Throughout the long, slow burn of ever escalating suspense and foreboding, I felt tied to the characters and the very real setting. So real, in fact, that it was as if it was just one more persona that came alive on the page.

I loved Stacy's prior books! They were engaging, I had a little trouble with this one. The story line was good but it didn't have the same thrill as the other books. I still recommend it often to our patron's.

I didn't really connect or like any of the characters. The plot was good but a bit confusing at times. I should mention that I listened to the book. The reader was great. The story line was a bit slow and more geared for college age or a YA book.

🎧Song Pairing: Lucky Ones - Lana Del Rey

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

*Land mines exploding everywhere*

I did not see so many of the twists! I mean I am not a thriller amateur…a few I sniffed out like a bloodhound but I loved the surprise!

I didn’t see stellar (but not horrible) reviews so I wasn’t psyched. Dont come at me but I think this was my fav of Stacy’s thus far!

I was totally immersed in the audio version of Only if You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham. This is the second book I’ve read by this author (both on audio) and it lived up to my expectations. The characters and content gave a YA feel but it didn’t affect my enjoyment.

Only If You're Lucky is an engaging and entertaining psychological thriller packed with brooding and angsty characters caught up in a murder. I liked the examination of friendship and roles within friend groups and related to the power struggle often found within those groups. I always enjoy an academic setting and there was even a nod to the goth genre with the haunted vibes the old house gave off. It's a fairly formulaic plot and if you read enough of this genre, you'll likely guess one or all of the twists, but Willingham adds her own flair to keep it from getting boring. It's another solid psychological thriller from her and I've come to look forward to her books. 3.5 stars

For those looking to read this one via audio--it's a great option. I enjoyed the narrator and pacing.

This is my least favorite of Stacy's books. The audiobook is great and the story moves along quickly. It just read very YA to me and felt like really young characters who made poor choices over and over again.

If I could give half stars I would’ve given this one 3.5. It was entertaining, but a bit too slow for me. Usually I enjoy a slow burn, but I found myself just wanting it to be over right around the last third of the book. The one thing that kept me in it was that it felt quite nostalgic to me in terms of the female friendship dynamics and the college days of living in a dorm and then an apartment in a college town. Worth the read or listen, but don’t get your hopes up for anything to rock your world.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! Always appreciated!

I liked this one maybe not quite as much as this authors previous books but was still a story that kept me guessing. I liked how the story was told it was a bit of a slow burn that comes together in the end.

The narration by Karissa Vacker was fabulous as always!

I think this one would be a good YA crossover too.

3 1/2 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I found listening to this book quite enjoyable. As someone who's past college age, the characters invoked a sense of nostalgia, and the plot twists, while not entirely unexpected, still managed to surprise me mildly. I'm definitely interested in exploring more works by this author.

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life and seems to cast a spell on everyone around her. When Margot meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year, Margot is intrigued and immediately thinks of her friend Eliza. Lucy may be just the person to help Margot come out of her shell.

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.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Willingham’s books and I couldn’t wait to pick up this one! This academic suspense thriller certainly didn’t disappoint. This one felt like a bit of a departure from her previous books and was a bit more character driven “drama” than thriller, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. This book was a really good depiction of female friendship, feeling like you’ve lost yourself to fit in, and gave a look into how bad toxic friendships can be. I really enjoyed the cat and mouse aspect of this book and the unreliable characters that you meet throughout the book. I do think you need to suspend belief a bit to enjoy the twists, but if you’ve enjoyed Willingham’s other books, chances are you will enjoy this one too. I enjoyed this one on audio - the narrator is great and kept me engaged the whole time!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook. I have read all of Stacy Willingham’s books and really enjoyed them. While I did enjoy this one, it is my least favorite out of the ones I have read from her. I do look forward to reading more from her.

AUTHOR:

Willingham is an auto-buy author for me, so while I received a Netgalley copy, I ended up also snagging the BOTM hardback title to gift to a friend. "Only If You're Lucky" by Stacy Willingham is an electrifying thriller that grabs you from the first page and never lets go. Willingham's mastery of suspense and intricate plot twists keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. With rich character development and heart-pounding action, this novel is a must-read for fans of gripping psychological thrillers. Willingham proves herself as a master storyteller, delivering a rollercoaster of emotions and a narrative that leaves a lasting impact.

NARRATOR:

A note for the narrator, Karissa Vacker, throughout the twists and turns of Willingham's gripping thriller, Vacker skillfully navigates the intricate plot, keeping listeners engaged and eager to uncover the next revelation. Her ability to convey emotion and suspense adds an extra layer of intensity to the narrative, making every moment feel vivid and gripping.

This is my third book by this author! I have enjoyed all her books this may be my favorite tho! Had me up all night ! I was surprised by the ending and highly recommend!

Stacy Willingham has quickly become an auto buy author for me. Her books are full of twists and turns and this one was no exception. I was on the edge of my seat while listening to this audiobook. While I didn’t connect or even like the characters I was intrigued by them and their relationships.

I definitely didn’t see the big reveals coming. I will say this book was a little slower paced and at times repetitive but I still enjoyed it.

The audiobook was well done and kept my attention. I enjoyed listening to the narrator.

A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio for granting me access to this title. I have enjoyed Stacy Willingham's previous books, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. Only if You're Lucky was a highly anticipated read leading into 2024, but the book never grabbed me. I found the Margot frustrating in her need to be liked at the beginning and I thought as the plot thickened, I would be more hooked. It never happened.

Again, I have enjoyed other novels by Willingham and I think this was just a personal miss for me.