Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the complimentary audiobook of ONLY IF WE’RE LUCKY for an honest review.

ONLY IF WE’RE LUCKY follows Margot, a college student who has lost her best friend and has lost herself in grief. She made it through her freshman year of college by mostly hiding herself out, but Lucy meets her at the end of the year and draws her out of her shell. Lucy convinces Margot to come live with her and her friends in off campus housing for the summer and for their sophomore year.

Lucy and her friends help Margot to engage in life again, but not everything goes smoothly. Partway through the year, one of the fraternity brothers next door has been murdered and Lucy is missing. The book follows Margot in the before and the after as secrets come to light and answers are revealed.

I’ve enjoyed Stacy Willingham’s past books, so was eager to get to this one. I’m happy to report that I was not disappointed in my third Willingham read! I started this on the way home from work one day and had a hard time cutting myself off! I was hooked by the story and by the shifts back and forth in time to find out what exactly had happened to the boy next door and where Lucy had gone!

I think the author did a great job of making slow reveals to keep interest up. This is a slow burn with a lot of character focus in addition to the mystery/thriller plot line. There is a lot of delving into female friendship and general trauma (do check trigger warnings). I do enjoy a good friendship focused story so I did enjoy that as well, though of course not everything is exactly as it first appears!

This was a really fun read and one I’d recommend! The audio was fantastic and I enjoyed reading it in that format!

"Only If You're Lucky" delves deep into the complexities of female friendships, unraveling a web of secrets, envy, and loyalty against the backdrop of a shocking disappearance. Stacy Willingham, known for her suspenseful storytelling, crafts a narrative that hooks readers from the start.

The story centers on Margot, a reserved college student drawn into the orbit of Lucy Sharpe, a charismatic force. Willingham masterfully contrasts their personalities, portraying Margot's cautious nature against Lucy's daring allure. When Lucy invites Margot to share a house with two other girls, their bond intensifies, leading Margot to emerge from her shell following a tragic loss.

However, the plot takes a chilling turn when a neighboring fraternity member is murdered, and Lucy vanishes. The narrative swiftly transforms into a gripping mystery, blurring the lines between friendship and suspicion. Willingham skillfully navigates the dynamics between the characters, exposing their intertwined lives and hidden motivations.

"Only If You're Lucky" is a riveting thriller that skillfully dissects the complexities of friendship while maintaining an intense aura of mystery. Stacy Willingham proves once again why she is a master of psychological suspense, cementing her place as a go-to author in the genre.

Having read and loved Willingham's two previous novels, I was excited to listen to the audio version of this one. Now I'm feeling mixed emotions, with equal parts love and disappointment. The first part of the book is rather monotonous and boring introducing characters that weren't very likable and giving a lot of background information that seemed to be just filler. Thankfully, the last part has some unexpected clever twists and suspense, actually redeeming the book in my eyes. Does it compare with the authors' previous books....not really, but I still think it's worth a read. My thanks to the publisher for providing an audio version to review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a twisty, turny, thriller! The story focuses on Margot, a student at a small college in the south. She is lost freshman year after the sudden death of her best friend from high school. She meets three friends sophomore year and finds her place, specifically embraced by Lucy, an enigmatic woman who is the leader of the four. The book is divided by "before" and "after", the event being the death of Levi, a freshman at the college. The story is fast-paced and plot-driven. I was hooked from the start! While there were MANY twists at the end I still found it fun and entertaining. I highly suggest!

Rating: 4/5 Stars
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Swipe for synopsis.
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Told in a dual timeline, Only If You’re Lucky follows Margot and her friends as police look for Lucy Sharpe. Dual timelines are my favorite because you really get a good insight to the characters before and after a particular incident. This is a great dark academia surrounded around college/Greek life. This story is so descriptive you will instantly be transported alongside Margot as they search for Lucy and the truth.
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Not all of the characters are likeable in this one. There are a few that are easy to hate with their manipulative ways and constant deception. I found a way to connect with all of the characters even if I wasn’t the biggest fan of them. Stacey Willingham places twists in just the right spot to have your mind reeling with all of the different possibilities as to where the story is going to go. There were multiple times where I was shocked at where the story led; definitely a good thing, I actually loved how everything was tied together, I definitely didn’t see that coming.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and Karissa Vacker did an amazing job. I listened to this one in just a few sittings. If you enjoy being on the outside looking in at drama like I do, this will have you instantly hooked and won’t let you go until the end. I was hooked to this story right from the start. I finished this within a day!! Highly recommending the audiobook!
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This was a sort of kind of buddy read with my friend @books_and_biceps9155 and we had a great convo and since we think similarly about many books I wasn’t surprised we felt the same way about this one! Thanks for reading this one with me!
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Only If You’re Lucky is going to be released on 1/16, do not miss out on this one! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Stacey Willingham and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I rated it a 4.5 and I also added it to my BOTM box. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to get my hands on this arc.
I got into this book right away, it was a little slow to start, but I was still interested. The story of friendship between Margot and her bff Eliza was heartbreaking when Eliza tragically dies, forcing Margot to go to the college they both picked out together, all alone. Mourning Eliza’s death Margot works hard and doesn’t really make any friends until she meets Lucy at the end of freshman year. Lucy reminds Margot a lot of Eliza which draws their closeness. It’s not until half way through sophomore year the frat boy next door ends up dead and Lucy goes missing!
The twist at the end I was not expecting, but it made everything make sense. I would definitely recommend this book if you like a little mystery/thriller.

This novel is EVERYTHING…my first foray into Willingham’s novels was a total bust. Unfavorable opinion but I felt A Flicker in the Dark was a total predictable snooze fest. Not so with Only If You’re Lucky! I was guessing until the very end…and even then, I didn’t see two of the twists coming. Some of the negative reviews I have seen are mostly due to the young setting of the novel, college dorm life. I did not feel the characters felt overly young, teenage angsty, or naïve. Instead, my relationship with the characters was feeling a connection to their close friendship. Age transcends young friendships and the level of toxicity fizzles as we mature. However, I could definitely still feel the vibe between the four girls and understand it on their level. The story unfolds in two time periods: the year leading up to the disappearance of Lucy Sharpe and the present.

From the intro, Margot’s character feels unmoored. She drifted through her first year of college not making solid friendships. Even her relationship with her roommate easily unravels, until she meets Lucy Sharpe. Lucy is everything that she misses from home and almost a perfect replica (besides looks) of Margot’s recently deceased best friend Eliza. Lucy is quite predatory in forming a relationship with Margot and quickly she finds herself moving into a house with Lucy and her two friends Nicole and Sloane.

Everything is not as it seems. Do these three girls in fact know that much about Lucy? Why does she never go home? How does she seem to exude so much confidence at all times? When someone from Margot’s past shows up in their lives the girls’ relationships begin to falter. Margot starts to hear and see things that have her jumping to all kinds of conclusions. Nicole is hurt on a deep level and Sloane becomes increasingly concerned. The only one to remain unfazed is Lucy. Or is she a deeper part of the problem?

I listened to the audio production performed by Karissa Vacker and it was fabulously done! May have upped my overall estimation of the novel. This novel is most definitely a slow burn. Margot intentionally misdirects the reader and she had me jumping to conclusions along with her. If you love puzzles and having the final piece come about unexpectedly, this novel is for you.

I’m not sure I’m the right audience for “Only if You’re Lucky”. I feel really old saying that, but I can no longer relate to the angsty feelings of 17 year olds. The book had some good twists and engaging mystery but I just didn’t have much love for the main character, Margot. The last 1/3 of the book worked for me a lot more than the first 2/3, which dragged a bit. Karissa Vacker was great, as usual, and I think she helped move this along for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy.

3 ⭐️

“If you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?”

Longing for a new start in the aftermath of tragedy, a college freshman moves in with new roommates only to spiral into chaos once again.

Margot meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year. Margot is reserved, careful, forever fading into the background of her more spirited companions. Lucy is just that—magnetic, uninhibited, the center of attention. When Lucy asks Margot to room with her and two other girls, it feels like the perfect opportunity for Margot to become someone different, to start anew after the death of her high-school best friend.

Soon, however, the past begins to tangle with the present, and tragedy rears its ugly head once more when Levi, a friend of the group, is found dead, and Lucy disappears shortly after.

Everyone is hiding secrets, and as detectives try to ferret out the truth, they’re all at risk.

Willingham deftly weaves a knotted tale of friendship, belonging, jealousy, and obsession. The story boasts a compelling premise, but arguably moves at too slow a pace to reach that fever pitch we long for in thrillers—especially if compared to the vibe of ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS (which I loved). Echoes of ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ thrum throughout, as we uncover what everyone hides. Overall, a solid psychological thriller, but not as strong as what I’ve read before from this author.

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. 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, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can’t say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.

A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

Slow burn thriller that gives you bits and pieces at a time. Margot lost a best friend. She started college but was still grieving the death of her best friend, Eliza. She meets Lucy at the end of the year, and then everything changes. Lucy seems powerful and magical, she draws everyone in and makes you feel special. As the story goes on, she also seems to have some sort of plan. Why did Lucy bring Margot into her world? What happened to Eliza?

I had both ebook and audio, and found myself mostly listening on audio. Always enjoy Karissa Vacker’s narration!

Stacy Willingham's first book, A Flicker in the Dark, showcased the author's talent for crafting unique psychological thrillers, and her subsequent novel, All the Dangerous Things, reinforced this skill. Now, she returns with another thriller that maintains this trend while exploring new territory. Only If You're Lucky sees the author present her most personal and intricate novel to date. I had the privilege of receiving a copy of the book and its audiobook from Willingham's publisher and was excited to delve into it.

Margot, always preferring the sidelines of life, remains a reserved observer even as she enters a small liberal arts school in South Carolina. Her initial college year is marked by playing it safe—studying, earning good grades—hardly altering her introverted nature. Lucy Sharpe, her polar opposite, possesses a charismatic, attention-grabbing personality. Margot is taken aback when, at the end of the year, Lucy, with whom she has minimal interaction, proposes they room together in an off-campus house. Against her instincts, Margot agrees.

Now residing with three other girls—Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the kind one—Margot is thrust into a dynamic mix of contrasting personalities. As the year unfolds, Margot, who has long concealed herself since a tragic event at her high school graduation, gradually emerges from her protective shell. Margot and Lucy develop a close friendship, but by the midpoint of their sophomore year, a brutal murder of one of the fraternity boys from the neighboring house shakes their world, and Lucy Sharpe goes missing without a trace.

In Only If You're Lucky, Stacy Willingham crafts a psychological thriller delving into the complexities of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. The narrative hints at the women having committed something significant and concealing secrets, creating an enticing undertone that propels the plot. The story unfolds exclusively from Margot's perspective, intertwining flashback recollections with moments of grappling with the murder's aftermath, intensifying suspense. Karissa Vacker's narration in the audiobook vividly brings Margot's voice to life.

Despite the eagerness to unravel the story's secrets, my interest waned in the protagonist, Margot, compared to the compelling supporting characters. The mysterious allure of Lucy captivated me, but the narrative confined us to Margot's viewpoint. As the novel advanced, my engagement with the entire narrative dwindled, and even the thrilling twists towards the end couldn't compensate for my growing disinterest in the central character. While Willingham's adept plotting and keen character observations persist, Only If You're Lucky marks the first disappointment for me from this otherwise talented author.

Well I liked the ending! The last 25% of the books was really good. The plot twist hit then another then another! It was such a good last part of the book i with the beginning was a bit faster or gave more of what the ending did.

I really enjoyed the authors two previous books but this one was just ok… it felt more of a mystery or psychological mystery than a psychological thriller only felt the thrill the last 15%
If like me you’ve liked her previous books you will enjoy it because I still enjoyed it. It was just a slower start.

Margot goes to college to find the new her since she don’t know who she is without her previous best friend who passed. In college she meets a group of friends but her new friend Lucy reminds her of Eliza the high school friend who passed. Toxic female friendships? New besties? Who has a secret? Who killed the frat boy who was found dead?

3.5 the story was good, kept me interested & the ending was definitely a bang.

I LOVED this book! I am an avid thriller reader pretty good at predicting “who dun it” and endings, but this book still had me guessing/unsure all the way through. The connections made were very unexpected, but it all came together beautifully at the end.

It's always a fun read when you put a bunch of girls together, have multiple timelines, a couple murders, and trouble deciphering who the real culprit is. I will agree with other reviews that this reads like a YA, but this brought back the nostalgia of those old Christopher Pike/Fear Street books for me, which I loved.

Only If You’re Lucky (out on 1/16/24!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thrillers for me are best when I listen to them (usually I’m not as interested in the writing style & only care about the main plot), and this one was the perfect example of that. I listened whenever I got a chance!

Margot is headed to college — without her best friend, who tragically passed away the summer before they were supposed to leave. When Margot meets Lucy on campus, who invites her to move in with her and her two roommates, she finally feels a spark for life again … until one of the fraternity brothers next door is found dead and Lucy goes missing. What is going on, and who can Margot trust?

I think I’m coming to realize that personally the “college campus thriller” trope isn’t my favorite. I’ve only really loved a few (thinking Ashley Winstead here), but I’m getting a bit fatigued with the hazing/alcohol/sorority or fraternity party plot. Not remembering what happened because you were at a college party? Ugh 😴🥱

That being said, I did stick around for the ending here and actually did quite enjoy it! Once I got past ~75%, there were enough twists at the end to have me hooked (it just took a lot of timeline hopping and dealing with silly young adults to get to that point!). I guessed one of the twists, but there were several other “oh wow” moments waiting in the wings to surprise me.

If you’re a thriller lover, you’ll probably like this one! It won’t be the most memorable book for me, but I’ll keep picking up this author’s books to see what she does next!

Another hit from Stacy Willingham. I loved the first two novels by Stacy Willingham and now I can add this one to the list. If you are a mystery/thriller fan and you haven’t read any of Stacy Willingham’s books then what are you doing….I joke, but you should definitely add them to your TBR list.

Read if you like:
🏫 College Settings
⏳ Past and Present Timelines
👯‍♀️ Stories about Friendship
🤐 Lies and Secrets
🤩 Enigmatic Characters
🔍 Investigations into Deaths

First and foremost, the narration of this book was absolutely phenomenal and Karissa Vacker absolutely knocked it out of the part per usual!

This book follows Margot in the past and present when her best friend Eliza died before they were set to go off to college and then meeting the enigma that is Lucy and becoming apart of her friend group at the end of her freshman year, to then the present of Lucy missing, and a boy from a frat at the college dead.

Margot is the overlooked girl that has clung to friends that had that thing about them so as she jumps from her close friendship with Eliza to then becoming completely enraptured with Lucy, you see the ways she clings to her friends and makes being with friends her entire personality as things start to spiral more for Margot as gets more embedded in her friendship with Lucy and we start to see the layers unfold that everything isn’t as it appeared.

If you like a lot of enigmatic characters, twists and turns, messy friendships, unreliable information steering you away from the truth, and plenty of twists and turns, I highly recommend reading Stacy’s newest release!

Thanks so much to Macmillan Audio for my ALC of this one in exchange for my review!

Margot lives the life her best friend dreamed up for her. After the death of her best friend she continues on to college, living in depression and seclusion, that is until Lucy Sharpe takes notice.

The parties, the popularity, and the secrets come to a head when Lucy goes missing and a frat pledge is found dead.

Author Stacy Willingham creates another masterpiece.

Wow! This book's twists were truly surprising! I loved the pacing of this book and I think the author did a great job portraying what it is like to get swept up into a charismatic person's orbit. I was busy making theories all the while, but I was very surprised at the end. This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a while!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy to review.

I listened to the audiobook version of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. I think giving 3 stars is a bit on the generous side but I did enjoy the twists and turns. Are college girls these days acting like middle or high schoolers? That is the main thing that bothered me about this story. Just seemed too youngish to act like mean girls vs. innocent girls in a college setting. It just didn't seem realistic. The narrator, Karissa Vacker, was superb. I liked her voice, her acting, her male and female voices.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of the audiobook. #netgalley #OnlyIfYoureLucky