Woooo another banger from Stacy willingham! I love her writing and the southern settings in her books. I feel like this started off a little slow but I was intrigued from the beginning and the ending was something that I didn’t guess!! I was a little creeped out at times too but I scare easily 👀 I could never be as brave as the fmc in this book. She was wild to be staying on the vineyard as long as she did 😂 this was an interesting and fun read!!!

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this one. I usually devour Stacy Willingham from the first page, but this one took me much longer to get into. "Forget Me Not" had a LOT of introduction (a lot that I didn't feel was quite necessary) and didn't pick up until about 22% through.

This story follows the story of Claire as she returns to the old workplace of her missing sister after quitting her job as an NYC journalist. While she works there for the summer to find clarity and answers, she stumbles upon the diary of Marcia, the wife of the owner of the farm/winery. The story goes back and forth between modern day and the 80s when the diary was written. The diary entries were actually my favorite parts, but they were so spread out that it made the story feel a little interrupted and disjointed. This was disappointing as the farm's history was the most interesting and I found myself wanting more!

The ending really picked up and threw a LOT of unseen twists, but they kind of lost their shock factor as "Forget Me Not" left a lot of the story and characters underdeveloped. Claire kind of just walked around, read her diary, and talked to Liam - which, okay fine, but I expected a little more drama from a journalist! Some of the character connections at the end were a little confusing for the same reason. All of this being said, this won't stop me from reading more of Willingham in the future, this one was just a miss for me! Thanks so much for the ARC!

Solid 4 stars. I loved the twists and turns of this book. It definitely felt eerie, and I was actually creeped out a few times while reading (which is hard to get with me). I feel like the beginning just took a little too long to take off for some reason. After I was about 35-40% into the book it was a page turner that actually left my jaw on the floor.

Oh Stacy, you did it again, another 5 star book. I loved the story line, it had me on the edge a lot of the time. Definitely a must read! I’m so happy I got an advance copy, thank you Netgalley.

Stacy Willingham is one of my top 3 favorite thriller authors. Every single book of hers has been a 5 star for me and one’s I recommend over and over.

This story involved a cult so I was immediately in love! Her story telling is so wonderful. It was just the right amount of “ooooh scary” but not so much that I couldn’t sleep haha!

I am very grateful to have read this book! This mystery thriller book had me hooked from the prologue! This is well written, easy to read and full of character development! The plot was very clear and I found it to be a thought provoking story! It was dark and creepy! I did find this to be more of a mystery than a thriller. However, the plot twist that came with this left me in complete shock!

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham is a book I will never forget! It revolves around a girl named Claire, who returns to her small town home. Claire’s mother is injured and is need of help, this is the reason she leaves her home in New York and goes back to the town she grew up in, which is located in South Carolina. Over twenty years ago, Claire’s sister disappeared. Back then, it was an easy, case closed murder.

In the present time, Claire discovers her sister’s diary and begins reading it. After reading the diary, Claire thinks that her sister might somehow be linked to other murders. As the story unfolds, a lot of twists and turns happen that you don’t expect! Be sure to read the content warnings for this book! This is a book you are going to want to read! I give this a solid 4 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Stacy Willingham, and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is expected to be published on August 26, 2025!

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
Publishing date - 08/26/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC. I have been a fan of Stacy’s writings ever since reading A Flicker in the Dark (BOTM pick) & I have enjoyed all of her novels to date.

This one was hard to put down. A tense and haunting thriller … must-read for any Stacy Willingham fan or anyone who loves a mystery that keeps you on your toes. Highly recommend this one and any of Stacy’s other books.

(Hoping BOTM picks this one up as an add on or pick for August or September ; so I can have the matching covers) 😂🤣

I usually love Willinghams books. However I felt this one was a tad bit too slow for my liking and the twist was predictable a mile away.

A fast-paced and gripping small town Southern thriller, this novel delivers a blend suspense, mystery, and true crime vibes.
A slow burn for sure buy definitely BINGE WORTHY. Stacy does it again!
Thank you NetGalley |St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an eARC.

Pub Date Aug 26 2025

Forget Me Not follows Claire as she returns home to help take care of her mother, but quickly finds herself becoming obsessed with her sister’s disappearance twenty-two years ago. So obsessed that she takes a job on the farm her sister worked at before she disappeared.

My biggest criticism of Forget Me Not is that it took Willingham 37% to finally get the plot going. Once past the 37% mark, Forget Me Not was fast paced and read like a race to the end. It was exciting and full of twists and turns.

Willingham’s writing is atmospheric with a sense of impending dread as Claire digs deeper into the past.

While the majority of the novel is written from Claire’s perspective, there were some chapters told from the 3rd person. This switch in POV was an interesting narrative choice. It was jarring at first, but I came to appreciate the switch.

Claire made a couple questionable decisions that were on par with FMC from horror movies. There was a moment I rolled my eyes to hard they almost fell out of the socket.

Overall, Forget Me Not was an exciting mystery full of twists and turns, but only after getting through the first 37% of the novel.

Stacy Willingham has done it again!!! Forget Me Not is her latest haunting, atmospheric thriller that draws you in with its slow-burn mystery and will stick with you long after you’ve finished. While it doesn’t quite top A Flicker in the Dark (my top thriller of 2022), it comes incredibly close & I absolutely loved it.

Willingham has such a gift for writing about trauma in a way that feels raw and authentic. Claire is a compelling narrator (damaged, determined, and so realistic you feel like you personally know her) and following her back into the world she tried so hard to leave behind was both gripping. The hazy, hot South Carolina vineyard setting? perfection and so realistic you can basically feel the humidity.

The mystery itself is layered and so smart. I had inklings about where it was going, but the way it unfolded was not how i thought it would happen. The twisty tension builds until the final reveal, making it impossible to put down (especially in the final 25%).

If you’re into thrillers with loads of atmosphere, messy characters, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, Forget Me Not is a must-read, and Willingham will continue to be an autobuy author for me!

Forget Me Not follows Claire Campbell, a southern girl who moved to the big city to escape the ghosts of her past. 2 decades ago, her sister Natalie disappeared shortly after her 18th birthday and was presumed dead though no body was ever found. An accident brings Claire back to her hometown and eventually, to the farm where Natalie spent so much of her last months working. As with any good mystery/thriller, all is not as it seems with this seemingly sweet but private family.

I really enjoy Willingham’s writing style, this book in particular dives into the mind of a traumatized but determined person who is starting to piece together the events of the past because something in the narrative just doesn’t fit. This story was a pretty slow burn and I like a bit more of a hook earlier on so it took me a bit to get through it. That said, it did eventually suck me in. All the twists and turns really took place in the last 25% of the story. That said, once I was in I was all in. I could not put it down until I had all the pieces.

3.5 stars rounded up (rounding up never hurt anyone). It’s not my first of Willingham’s books and it will not be my last. She is a great story teller.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Stacy Willingham for access to this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

⭐⭐⭐.5

I've read all of Stacy Willingham's novels, and A Flicker in the Dark remains my favorite. I think Forget Me Not is probably second on my list! Going into this book, don't be like me and half-heartedly read the description. Claire is an out-of-work journalist who returns home to her small town in South Carolina to care for her mother after an accident, but Claire can't take the reminders of her sister, Natalie, who disappeared 22 years ago. Claire decides to visit her sister's last place of work, Galloway Farm, before heading back to NYC and stumbles upon an opportunity to be a farmhand over the summer. As the summer unravels, Claire comes across alarming information that she thinks is connected to her sister's disappearance.

My mistake was assuming that most of the story would be centered around Claire's sister, Natalie, but it was more centered on the cases that could have possibly been connected to hers. I think I was expecting more of a crime thriller, and I really wasn't expecting the sort-of dual POV we ended up getting. Regardless of my expectations, I still really enjoyed this story. I read it in a day and a half, staying up way past my bedtime after a 6-day workweek. Stacy Willingham's writing continues to be beautiful and engrossing, and I think that is what truly drew me into the story and kept me going. I really appreciated Claire's character development, even though it felt a little rushed towards the end.

Overall, this was an atmospheric, suspenseful read. If you're a fan of Stacy Willingham, I would definitely recommend you check this one out!

Forget Me Not had me from the setting alone. A hazy, hot South Carolina vineyard? A sister who disappeared 22 years? A decades old mystery that needs to be unraveled? Cult vibes? Say less.
Claire returns to her hometown and is determined to learn the truth about her sister’s disappearance. Soon she starts working at the vineyard and digs through old secrets and discovers an old diary that might help crack the case.
This one was hard to put down. A tense and haunting southern thriller that you need to add to your TBR!

What a heart pounding read! 4/5⭐️

Claire, a journalist, is still grieving her sisters disappearance 22 years ago. When she has to return home for the first time in years, and is pulled into Galloway farm. She has a feeling something is off about the place, but she doesn’t realize how deep everything actually goes.

This book has two point of views, while mainly it’s the main character, it does switch off to a lady living in at the farm and how she got there.
I couldn’t read this fast enough, sitting on the edge of my seat dying to know what’s going to happen!!

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the arc!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham.
Forget Me Not is a suspenseful mystery with a cultish feel. The book was a little slow at the beginning, but picked up pace as the story progressed. Some parts were a bit predictable, but the twists kept me guessing. This book will be a hit for mystery readers, and easy to recommend!

This one was a little bit slower than what we typically see from Willingham, but I really loved the story. I thought it was atmospheric, and attention was paid to details.

Claire's sister went missing when they were teenagers, and she is determined to solve the mystery. I am a sucker for any books with cult vibes, and this one fit the bill.

It had a lot of dark family drama and secrets that went a lot deeper than anticipated.

Overall, it was a solid read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Stacy Willingham, for this ARC. Once again, another suspenful read that I could not put down. I like the investigative reporter aspect of this story. At times, I found myself getting teary eyed for what happened to some of the characters and the reading of the diary our main female character finds. I did not expect the twist on who one of the characters ended up being. I would recommend this book for mystery book groups for sure!

Once again, Stacy Willingham kept me up past my bedtime . In this fast paced thriller the main character Claire returns to her hometown to help her mother out and quickly discovers family secrets refuse to stay buried. 22 years ago, Claire’s sister Natalie went missing and her killer has been behind bars all these years, but did they really capture the right killer? This thriller was chocked full of plot twists and turns till the very end.

Thank you @netgalley and @stacyvwillingham for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this book

A Twisty Ride That Stuck the Landing

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The atmosphere was tense, the characters were layered with just enough ambiguity to keep me guessing, and every time I thought I had things figured out—bam, another twist. The pacing was solid, with just the right balance of slow-burn suspense and jaw-dropping reveals.

So many mysteries fizzle out or over-explain, but this one pulled everything together in a way that made sense and packed an emotional punch. The final reveal didn’t feel forced or out of left field—it felt earned.

The only reason I’m not giving it five stars is that a few middle chapters dragged slightly. But overall, this is a must-read for any Stacy Willingham fan or anyone who loves a smart mystery that keeps you on your toes and actually delivers on its promise. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for a suspenseful read that won’t leave you disappointed.