I typically love a suspenseful thriller with southern setting but… this one was slow to start, had uneven pacing, and was a tad longer than I felt it needed to be. Yes there were twists and turns, but some just seemed too obvious. While not my favorite of her books, this will make a great summer read.

(ARC Review)

It’s 1983 and you are living a stifled life under the constant thumb of zealously religious parents. A charming man emerges from the shadows and brings you into his shadowy world where you feel wanted and alive for the first time in your life. You write about this new life in a diary that is found decades later, hidden in a place no one would ever think to look.

Fast forward those decades later as Claire Campbell struggles with a stagnant journalism career, distant parents, and only one friend who she keeps at arm’s length. Still struggling with the disappearance and presumed murder of her older sister when Claire was only 11 years old, Claire begrudgingly agrees to go home to help her injured mother at her father‘s request. It’s her first time home in nearly 10 years, and revisiting her sister’s room and those feelings of everything that was lost that summer are overwhelming.

On a whim bred by curiosity, Claire finds herself at the vineyard where her sister worked the summer of her disappearance. Being there, existing where her sister did, takes Claire on a course that will either answer all of her questions or will cost her her life.

This was a fantastic thriller. I stayed up well past my bedtime, trying to race ahead of Claire in figuring out the trail of clues before her. There were times when I figured things out ahead of time only to find that I was completely incorrect, and there were times when I made shocking discoveries at the same time as Claire. A perfect summer read, especially when the sky grows gray and the storms roll in.

This had a slow start for me, but got intriguing around the 30% mark. I skimmed until I reached that point because I knew Stacy's storytelling would be worth it once I got past the background development. The journal entries into the past were a fun way to set up the dual timeline and the story overall did not disappoint. It was wild how everything made so much sense as Claire made discoveries throughout the story, but then after explaining it to her friend, I was suddenly siding with the friend that she was jumping to conclusions on little evidence. Overall, it was a solid read but a sad one that also left me needing a comfort read right after.

Willingham is a hit and miss author for me. Loved A Flicker in the Dark, did not like All the Dangerous things. I wanted to love this one, but it was too much of a slow burn.

First of all thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this before publication date.
Have to say I really have enjoyed all of Stacy Willingham books. She makes them all so easy to get into and enjoy. Emotions were high in this book as the twist you never see coming !! Worth the read!!

This was a slower thriller than what I was expecting from this author but I still enjoyed it!

After 15 years, the main character, Claire returns home. She left as soon as she could after growing up under the shadow of her older sister's disappearance. Now back home, she can't help but want to connect to her sister and figure out her last moments.

She ends up accepting a job at a local vineyard where her sister worked right before she disappeared. Quickly, the people who run on the vineyard are strange and things aren't adding up. About half way through the book, the mystery developed into something completely unexpected which I loved. Give me all the twists!

I highly recommend this book as well as all of the books by this author. She is one of my go-to thriller authors.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Forget Me Not* follows Claire, who is grappling with the disappearance of her sister Natalie, 22 years after the event. In an attempt to escape her traumatic past, Claire relocates to New York and becomes an investigative journalist. However, an unexpected phone call from her father draws her back to her hometown. While there, she takes a job at Galloway Farms, just an hour away from where she grew up. It soon becomes clear that not everything is as it appears, and this could lead her to the answers she seeks about her sister.
Forget Me Not* is an engaging and twisty mystery thriller! While some parts felt a bit slow, once the pace picked up, it really took off! This book captivated me and kept me on the edge of my seat. My heart raced as I followed the clues and unravelled the mystery alongside Claire! An excellent, quick read that I finished in just one day! This is my favorite book by Stacy Willingham so far!

This book is definitely not forgettable. It's another winner by this author. I really enjoyed the way she blended the past and present storylines. It was well-written, thought out and clever.

The main character, Claire Campbell lost her older sister decades ago when Natalie was just eighteen. Even though there was nothing Claire could have done to prevent it, she always felt somewhat guilty. She's been trying to outrun that guilt her entire life. She left her small town in South Carolina and ended up in New York City. So, when things at her job go south and she finds herself going home to help with her mother for the summer, Claire thinks she is ready to face some of the ghosts that still haunt her. But she will find that even if she is ready to face them, other people around her might not be ready for her to do so.

This book is a little bit heartbreaking and a great deal twisty and I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of the audiobook as well and the narration was really great. I loved the story and the audio gave me the feeling of being immersed in the storyline. 5 stars

Thank you to Minotaur books for the arc and Macmillan audio for the alc!

In this Southern atmospheric thriller, jobless author Claire leaves her boyfriend to return to South Carolina. Her sister went missing more than twenty years ago, but Claire can’t help but wonder why and what really may have happened to her at the vineyard she worked at before disappearing for good. She decides to take a job at the same vineyard, but may be in danger herself.

Stacy Willingham knows how to write a great thriller, and she has proved it time after time. This book was excellent! I was fortunate enough to receive both an arc and alc of this book, and both were so good that I couldn’t stop reading and finished within a day. I was so absorbed in the story and had to know what was going to happen next. The creepy setting of the vineyard, the cast of characters, and twist after twist happening near the end- all of it completely wowed me. The best word for this book is haunting- it will haunt my thoughts long after reading! I hate to say much for fear of spoiling anything other than you need to read it for yourself.

I LOVED this book. I read through it quickly in one sitting because I did not want to put it down. The story was gripping from the start with interesting characters. I liked that it kept me guessing with twists until the very end.

This will be a definite purchase for my library's collection. Pass along to those looking for their next mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

A great addition to the other books by this author, I finally was able to guess a twist! I finished this book in about four days I liked it so much, it typically takes me a month to finish a book so this was definitely a good one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four Stars- Almost 5!

Forget Me Not is another strong psychological thriller from Stacy Willingham. The writing is immersive and moody, pulling you into the narrator's unraveling world from the very first chapter. The alternating of Claire's POV to "flashbacks" with Marsha's diary and POV were great and gave insight into the different years the story took place. The pacing kept me turning pages late into the night, and the blend of memory, trauma, and suspense was well executed.

Willingham does a great job building tension and planting just enough doubt to keep you guessing. While I figured out part of the twist before the reveal, it didn’t take away from the journey — the atmosphere and emotional undercurrents were just as satisfying as the plot.

A dark, twisty ride that stays with you. Can't wait to see what Willingham writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! This thriller had me hooked from the start—I flew through it in nearly one sitting. The suspense built beautifully, and I found myself audibly gasping as the twists kept coming, especially toward the end. If you're in the mood for a fast-paced, twist-filled read that keeps you guessing, this one definitely delivers!

Just the thriller I was needing! Had all the right elements and I enjoyed some of the twists I wasn't expecting. There is a bit of a dual timeline to follow with some flashbacks but they were weaved seamlessly. Solid mystery and very much enjoyed!

Whenever I read a thriller like this I find myself constantly screaming … Run… run!! They never run! Aside from her poor judgement this book instantly hooked me. It did make sense that she wouldn’t leave well enough alone because of her personal connection to the danger as well as her journalist background. Broken people wreaking havoc all over! The book def picks up toward the end so be prepared to not put the book down once the truth comes out. Thoroughly enjoyed the ending and how it all was tied up in a near bow. I still don’t understand why the catatonic tea but author didn’t either… Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4.25 stars. Stacy Willingham has become my new favorite must-read author of the twisty thriller. She has a special skill for convincing me that I have solved the case early on, which I never have. In Forget Me Not, investigative journalist Claire Campbell is newly unemployed and still struggling with the disappearance of her sister more than two decades earlier. She leaves New York and heads back to her hometown in South Carolina to help her mother and face her past. I really enjoyed this fast-paced book, but I had two minor issues. One, Claire makes so many silly and unsafe decisions. It’s as if she’s being chased in a horror film and has the opportunity to run out the front door and escape via car but instead chooses to run up a flight of stairs and trap herself inside. Two, the book is super light on character development. Her dad is a huge catalyst for events in the book, but he is basically just a footnote in the story. You get a slightly closer look at mom (but not much), and you get almost no origin story for Mitchell and the others at Galloway Farm. It’s a good thing the story propels itself along with almost no back story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my ARC. You’re definitely going to want to pick this up when it comes out in August 2025.

I had the pleasure of reading Forget Me Not as an ARC from NetGalley.
This story began slowly until chapter 8, when Clare has a roll of film developed.
This is a gripping story that grabbed my attention when Clare reminds the reader of the night her sister Natalie went missing.
Clare takes the reader back in time as she finds a hidden diary and reads it, allowing the twist and turns to take you by surprise. The ending is not what I expected, and just as I imagined its plot, I was wrong.
A well written and well told novel,
I’ll be looking for more by Stacy Willingham.

At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book but as I got deeper into it I changed my mind. I think the pace of the story was slow for a thriller which is why I had a harder time getting into it. I knew what some of the twists were before the ending of the book but a few of them did slip by me. I will confess to having to eat grapes while I read most of this story though because of the setting. I have read all of her other books and I liked this one more than her last one.

Overall I will say Clare was an okay character, at least I didn’t think that she was too dumb of a character and has some redeeming qualities. However I do think that the romance in this book was very predictable and who she ended up with didn’t surprise me. This book did however remind me of another book that came out earlier this year with a similar plot story.

Thank you to Netgalley and St.Martins Press for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

My 2025 Reading 📚

53) Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham (ARC)

Publication Date: August 26, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I’m honestly torn on this one! This was a quick read, but not because it was fast-paced. It’s simply a short book, and while that made it easy to get through, it also left the story feeling a bit undercooked. For me, it didn’t have the tension or impact of a true mystery thriller.

The atmosphere was a strong point. The setting was vivid and immersive, and that helped keep me engaged. But the ending felt messy, a few loose ends didn’t quite add up, and I struggled to connect with the main character, which made it hard to stay emotionally invested. It had potential but ultimately didn’t stick the landing for me.

Summary: After fifteen years away, down-and-out NYC journalist Claire returns to her Southern hometown to confront the mystery of her sister’s disappearance. While working at a family vineyard, she uncovers secrets that force her to face painful memories and unravel the truth.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. Stacy Willingham did not miss with this one. This book drew me in pretty quickly and left me wanting to know where everything was headed. I liked that the main character did not act "clueless" and unaware. She was figuring things out just as the reader was. . I did see one of the twists coming, but that did not change how I felt while reading the climax of the story. And there were a couple of twists that I did not see coming! Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur books for this ARC. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family!