Honestly did not see the ending coming in this twisty psychological thriller which is pretty rare for me, thus I give it 4.5 stars. Margot is a young woman just starting college. She had a terrible tragedy happen the year before where her best friend was killed in a terrible accident. Margot has retreated into herself and as she finally does go off to college she promises to her self to put herself more out there. She meets three girls who become her room mates, Sloane, Nicole and and the fascinating and enigmatic Lucy. Margot feels so lucky to have been chosen by these girls, especially Lucy. As the school year progresses the four become even closer until a fraternity boy next door is found dead after a frat party. Did one of these girls have something to do with the death, and was it murder or just a terrible accident. Lots of suspicion and accusations abound and like I said, the ending did surprise me which I really liked. Highly recommended. Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to listen to the audio version of this advanced reader copy.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

This author is a favorite of mine. This book built well off of it self, I liked the duel timelines. I just felt the storyline fell flat and the ending was not a huge twist.

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

How is it possible to both feel sorry for and despise almost every character by the end of a single book? What a Topsy Turvy tale of greed, sadness, entitlement, longing, and so much more. If you are into young adult thrillers with a college twist then buckle in for this ride! Young coeds find themselves in the midst of multiple crimes, who done its, and who can you trusts in this action packed drama from #stacywillingham.

Thank you #netgalley and #MacMillanAudio for the arc.

Unlike the author’s previous suspenseful, kinda creepy books this one was really slow and seemed kinda YA. Since I wasn’t expecting something like this I feel kinda disappointed and was ready for it to wrap up. I’ll still look forward to new releases from this author but this wouldn’t be one of hers that I recommend.

This one was a slow burn for sure. It took me a while to warm up to the plot. The characters were immediately unlikable and whiny. But it gave just enough intrigue for me to keep going and I am glad I did! I definitely predicted one of the twists (Mago's personal twist). But the big twist with Lucy. Wowsers. I feel like the last few chapters really went brought up my rating to 4 stars. It was twisted, calculated, and the characters were not who I thought they were. I really enjoyed it and I thought the narrator was perfect.

I really enjoyed the narrator for this one. She is probably one of my favorites! I also enjoyed the way the reveals happened in this one. There is a good mix of past and present timelines to drop reveals along the way.

However, I was disappointed in the ending. It all wrapped up a little too conveniently for me.

One more note though is this book did a great job of showcasing good vs evil and how everyone can have a little of both.

I would recommend this to fans of the author's other books and anyone who likes thrillers with pretty unlikeable characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. The twist in the ending felt a little convoluted for me, but generally this was an interesting ride with compelling characters.

What to Expect:
🛼Dual timeline
🛼Slow burn
🛼Plot twist I didn’t see coming

🫶🏽What I enjoyed
I can see the pacing of this book being slow for some people, but every scene was intentional and it was fun to see how all of those moments came together to paint the full picture in the end. At about the 75% mark it got intense and I had to finish the rest in one sitting!

🤷🏻‍♀️What didn’t work for me
I’ve read and enjoyed all of Stacy’s books so far, but the writing style in this one got to me. There were a lot of descriptive details I could have done without because they didn’t necessarily move the plot forward. There were several moments I found myself skimming ahead trying to get to the point. Certain topics are talked around in both timelines and it takes a long time to find out what actually happened. It makes for a serious build up, but I know this style of writing annoys some people (if you’re a fellow romance reader, think People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry and the question of “What happened in Croatia”). Despite these aspects bothering me, overall I still very much enjoyed this book and will continue to read more by Stacy!

🎧Audio Review
I love Karissa Vacker and was thrilled to see she was narrating this! She used a variety of voices, and made seamless transitions from male to female voices. The audio had some abnormally long pauses between chapters, even with the increased speed I was listening to (2x), which was odd. Again, not enough of a problem to mess with my overall experience, but I imagine if I had listened at normal speed, I may have wondered if something was wrong with the audiobook.

Only If You’re Lucky was good company as an audiobook for an afternoon puzzle. It was slow burn and for a while I wasn’t sure I was going to finish - it lost me a bit in the slow middle. The ending sped up a lot and I’m glad I finished but not sure I would recommend this one. Thank you Netgalley for the free audiobook to review - narration by Karissa Vacker was excellent.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Diving into the latest ARC by Stacy Willingham, I was curious to see how I would feel. A well-paced thriller that reveals things slowly and builds tension as the narrative flows. Willingham does well to hold the reader’s attention with a piece that straddles two time periods and keeps things tense until it comes crashing down in the final pages. Stacy Willingham does well and keeps the reader wondering.

Lucy Sharpe has everything going in her favour. A great personality and someone everyone wants to be around. Margot feels this as they meet during their time at college in South Carolina. Margot is Lucy’s polar opposite with her shyness and reclusive nature. When Lucy asks to room with her for their final year, Margot trips over herself to be a part of it, hoping that it will help push her out of the shadows and allow some more adventurous to emerge.

When Margot and Lucy move into a house off campus, the collective could not be more different. A sarcastic girl keeps things on edge, a quiet one provides balance, and Lucy remains at the centre of the action. Slowly, Margot comes out of her wheel, the first time since high school, when she lost her best friend, Eliza, just after graduation.

Now, in the middle of the year, Margot and Lucy are the best of friends. One of the fraternity boys with whom they spend a great deal of time has been brutally murdered, someone Margot knows from her hometown. Lucy is nowhere to be found and the authorities want answers. Margot finds herself in the middle of the tension, trying to balance truth and the current level of panic. Stacy Willingham does a stunning job in this piece.

I always enjoy a great book that tries to tell a mysterious narrative with flashback moments. Stacy Willingham does an effective job weaving this story together, using a narrative that juggles multiple time periods and character perspectives. Willingham builds the tension as the story gains momentum and keeps things on edge.

Great character development takes place this this book, keeping the reader open to all angles that emerge. There is something awkward about each character, but they come together nicely and keep the reader highly entertained. While things can get a little petty, I enjoyed the development as Willingham takes the reader on quite the adventure.

Plot twists emerge to keep things moving along. The reader has little chance of catching their breath, as events change so swiftly. The layers of mystery emerge and keep things on edge for all involved. I am eager to see how others enjoy this piece, which has a few moments that one could not predict. Another great piece by Stacy Willingham.

Kudos, Madam Willingham, for an entertaining read.

3 stars
I really thought I’d like this book more, but the first half was too slow for me. I also think this book is aimed towards the late high school/ early college crowd and not the middle aged crowd.
The narrative is a bit confusing because it alternates between past and present without any real indicators. There are a lot of names and it can be hard to keep up with which ones are in the past and which ones are in the present, especially at first. I found it hard to keep up with what was happening in general.
There are a lot of stupid drinking games and banter that I had trouble relating to because I’m almost 40 and the kids in this book are mid-teens in the past and 18ish in the present.
The Ending- Just no. I thought it was pretty ridiculous. That’s all I’m saying.

The narrator was fantastic. Ive heard her narrate other books before and just love her voice.

Thanks NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I wanted to love this book, but I struggled. I almost didn’t. I found Lucy’s naughty college girl character unoriginal and boring.

I loved Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things by SW but couldn’t get into this one. Something about it… I’m sure I’ll read her next one. This was just not for me. Pass. Thanks for the chance to review the ALC though.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced audio copy of “Only If You’re Lucky.”

Stacy Willingham is becoming a steady author for me in the thriller/mystery world. I enjoy that all her books are different. Only If You’re Lucky kept me listening until the very end, and I wasn’t able to call twists or the ending. The storyline felt buttoned up and cohesive, which is a plus for me since twists just for the sake of them has become far more common.

If you like Stacy’s other work, definitely add this to your TBR. You won’t be disappointed! It’s a 3.5 ⭐️ for me.

Unfortunately, this isn’t my favorite by this author. It did keep me guessing and wondering what would happen. I didn’t see the twists coming but I found it a little drawn out.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: January 16, 2024

I absolutely loved this book. It’s the first time in a while I was floored by a thriller and the twists that came along with it. This is easily one of my favorite thrillers in a LONG time!

I have loved previous books by Stacy Willingham and was excited to receive this book for early review! The narrator did a great job in this audiobook; I felt like she voiced the story well and brought it to life. You will love this book if you loved The It Girl by Ruth Ware. Obviously, the story is different, but it has the same reckless, dangerous college girl vibes. Would you murder someone if you knew you could get away with it? I mean, I would hope that the answer to that question would be a resounding no from most reasonable people. The characters in this book, however, think differently. By the end, I felt like there wasn't a likable character left. For me, this was a yuck-feeling book and even though it was hard to put down, I was glad to be done with it.

Margot is grieving the loss of her best friend Eliza and trying to find her way having just started college. This was what she had planned to do with Eliza. She has a roommate that she just doesn’t click with and then in walks Lucy Sharpe. She’s magnetic, and she reminds Margot so much of Eliza. She asks Margot to room with her and her two friends, Sloan and Nicole.

As Margot begins to bond with her new roommates her past moves in next door. The person she blames for her best friend’s death. She’s also starting to see cracks form in her new friendships. As the past and the present collide, Margot must use clues from both the past and the present as things begin to go horribly wrong, deadly wrong.

I’ve read Stacy Willingham’s other two books and I wasn’t a fan of the first one but I loved the second one. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns in this one. The allusions to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The writer deftly switched from the past to the present. She really took me back to my college age days and what it was like to be that age. The sights, the sounds, the feelings, Stacy Willingham has created a rich environment.

The actual mystery, without giving anything away, was enjoyable with multiple twists and turns. I didn’t see most of them coming. I think there was some unbelievability for me in thinking that people who are seemingly normal get this into their friendships. There’s some solid obsessions going on in this book. It takes it down a notch for me in thinking that the way this all plays out could really happen.

This was an audiobook read for me as I was given a download from Macmillan Audio. Karissa Vacker does a fantastic job giving this story a voice. Each character is unique and identifiable. The pacing was perfect and the emotion she delivered really added to the story. I would highly recommend this as an audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me the opportunity to rate and review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like:

-Trudging through mud for the majority
-A slow burn with a punchy twist ending
-Moments of reflection that saved the setup

I was thrilled to dive into Willingham's latest release, having devoured her previous books in a day each. Sadly, "Only if You're Lucky" left me wanting. The first 79% felt like a struggle, dragging me along like a reluctant passenger on the struggle bus.

While the story wasn't inherently "bad," it lacked the engaging elements I anticipated. It failed to grip my attention for an extended period, felt disappointingly average.

However, credit where it's due—the author delivered a knockout emotional twist towards the end. Those final moments brought a much-needed lift and reflection on the initial setup.

It's tough not to praise this author consistently, especially with the potential her earlier books showcased. Despite the slog, I anticipate her future works to be absolute bangers.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the author's previous two novels so I was hoping this one would be another favourite. The premise of intense female friendship sounded right up my alley. Despite loving the author and the premise, I found myself underwhelmed by this one. I kept listening but just never found myself caring enough for the characters to continue on. It was such an forgettable read.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.