Stacy Willingham never disappoints — and Forget Me Not just might be her best one yet. I was hooked from page one! The suspense builds perfectly, the characters feel so real, and the twists? Totally jaw-dropping. Just when I thought I had things figured out, she threw in a curveball that had me questioning everything.

What I love most about her books is how effortlessly she pulls you into the story. You’re not just reading a thriller — you’re in it. And this one kept me up way too late because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

If you're into smart, gripping thrillers with just the right amount of dark mystery, definitely add this to your TBR. It’s a wild ride, and Stacy absolutely nailed it again!

Forget Me Not is an engaging thriller that follows a woman named Claire uncovering the story of her murdered sister, her distant mother, and the mysterious farm where her sister worked. While there were some "convenient" plot points in the story, the overall story was believable and did have some twists I did not see coming. People interested in cults, Charlie Manson, or similar stories would enjoy this novel.

GENRE: suspense/thriller
VERDICT: loved it!
MOOD: 😯🫣🫨🤯

It's been a while since a thriller caught my attention, and I mean caught my FULL attention. While I've enjoyed all of Stacy Willingham's books, FORGET ME NOT is hands down my favorite. 👏 The way the plot unfolds is smart, layered & detailed — I could not read this book fast enough!

The story follows Claire, a NYC journalist, still haunted by her sister’s disappearance two decades earlier. When she returns to her small Southern hometown and accepts a live-in job at the same vineyard where her sister worked, old wounds resurface—and so do unanswered questions. As she digs into her sister's final summer, long-buried secrets begin to rise to the surface. Past and present collide and a truth more sinister than anyone could imagine won't stay hidden. An unsolved mystery. Southern suspense. A decades-old diary. Dark secrets. Cultish undertones. SAY LESS.

FORGET ME NOT is one of those slow-burn thrillers that sneaks up on you and lingers. Haunting, atmospheric, and absolutely TBR-worthy. 🔥 Add it to your summer reading list immediately! I can't wait to see all the much deserved hype around this book.

My reviews of this author’s previous books seem to indicate that I enjoyed them. Do I remember anything about them? Of course not. But I figured it would be worth it to get her latest from NetGalley, so I could read it (and forget about it) even earlier.

A recently-unemployed investigative journalist returns to her small hometown, where her sister disappeared about 20 years ago. Pretty standard investigative-thriller stuff ensues. And yeah, I’ll forget about it in a day. It was fine.

I also can’t get over the diary parts being written in third person. What? How? Why?

My first 5/5 star book of 2025, which is soooo amazing!!! This book is WONDERFUL it was a hard built up in the beginning and once it started moving I couldn’t put it down! The twists and turns and shock were just SO good!! It’s my first book from this author and I’m looking forward to reading another. Thank you so much NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I both read this and also listened to the audiobook as well. I loved this story. The setting was great. The family backstory interesting. Interesting characters as well. Definitely a book and audiobook that I recommend to others!

I loved this sorry! I was shocked by many of the twists in this book. I loved the premise and the tie end of the title to what happened in the story. Stacy Willingham is definitely one of my go to authors.

Claire returns to her small town to help her mother after an accident. She has not returned to her hometown in over a decade, and that is mostly due to the loss of her sister. While back home, she puts her journalism career to use and investigates the last place her sister may have been.

This was a haunting and eerie story, that kept me up way too late in the night reading. Claire drove me crazy at times, sticking her nose in business she had no part in, but that’s also what drove the story. The interconnection between characters slowly unfolded, and I was kept guessing all the way through. The atmosphere was the perfect setting, and it was haunting to read the journal entries from decades before. I highly recommend this thriller for summer!

3.75 rounded up!

Overall, I liked this one! I think it had some twists I didn’t see coming. Personally, I just don’t really find myself enjoying the “cult-style” stories. And I figured it out pretty quickly that that’s what it was going to resemble.

I didn’t find myself overly attached to any of the characters but the author did a great job with the villain of this story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this. I ready Flicker in the Dark last year and I was not impressed whatsoever. With that said, I am very happy to say that this book was a winner winner chicken dinner for me! I think that Willingham did such a better job with the post-twists, suspense, and overall f*ckery. In my personal life, I fly 2-3x a week, I had the opportunity to read this one on a red-eye to New Orleans and the spooky vibes were absolutely spooky-ing!! Pick it up and enjoy.

Holly Collins

I always like Willingham's books, there is something about they way she is able to describe a scene and make you feel all the same emotions as her characters. I like the setting in this book a lot and I loved all the little details she added around the vineyard. The way all the characters were written to possibly be the person who had the answers made it so you were guessing until the end, but that you should have listened to your gut all along. I loved the blending of past and present across multiple decades as well. I will always pick up one of this author's books. My only gripe is I honestly wish it had been longer.

I’ve enjoyed all of Stacey Willingham’s books, and her latest, Forget Me Not, is no exception. Willingham’s writing is elevated from the contemporary canon, and her usual Southern setting lends a slight southern gothic feel. Surgery Me Not is engaging with with enough twists to satisfy the most die hard mystery readers. Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest review. 4/5 stars.

Talk about dark and twisted! However, I am not complaining at all. This was a fast, single sitting read that I could not get enough of. This was one heck of a thriller with so many unexpected twists and turns. I was on the edge of my seat with this book and I’m still thinking of the ending, which I didn’t see coming at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was very well developed and so were the characters. This was a very suspenseful book that will be a big hit once it’s released just like all of this author’s work.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Well written, lots of twists kept me trying to figure it all out. This one was a page turner for me. Great ending!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

This thriller gave me all the chills and emotional depth I crave, and the way it explores family ties, trauma, and the search for truth made it impossible to put down.

Forget Me Not is the fourth book I’ve read by Stacy Williams, and once again, she didn’t disappoint. This novel weaves together two timelines in a slow-burn mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish.

The story follows Claire, who is unsuccessfully freelancing as a journalist in NYC after giving up her job. When her mother is injured, Claire returns to her childhood home but her mom, who she not that close with, doesn’t want help. Claire ends up at a nearby winery searching for clues about her sister Natalie, who went missing years ago and is presumed dead. She’s unexpectedly offered a job at the winery, and as she settles in, she discovers a lost diary… and that’s when things take a strange and gripping turn.

The dual timelines are masterfully done, peeling back layers of the past while building tension in the present. The pacing is slower at first, but it allows you to get fully immersed in the characters and setting. The final 25% is absolutely worth the wait and everything comes together in a way that’s satisfying, emotional, and beautifully written.

If you enjoy mysteries with emotional depth, rich character development, and a touch of suspense, I highly recommend this one. Stacy Williams continues to prove she’s a master of the genre.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I will not soon forget Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham. The book was well written and not overly wordy but you could still picture what was going on.
Sooo at first, we are introduced to Claire and I was getting SweetPea-like vibes. With only a bit more reading though, that quickly changed and I started picturing the Texas Chainsaw M*ss*cre combined with a Charles Manson cult and maybe even mixed with A Walk Beneath the Clouds. While maybe that wasn't entirely inaccurate, the story took on a plot and rhythm of its own, and it sucked me right into it. Right when I thought I had this figured out- it became a little more complicated, but even if you do have it all figured out- this is still a great story. If you love psychological thrillers you NEED to check this one out! Coming to you Augist 26th!

My review is cross posted on NetGalley, Bookmory, Storygragh and Instagram:)

Another fabulous claustrophobic (in the best way) from Stacy Willingham. Her books are a must read for me and this one didn’t disappoint. Don’t be put off by the true crime themes—this book has twists and turns for days and is a great rainy day summer read! Will definitely recommend.

🌟🌟🌟💫
Claire grew up under the shadow of her sister’s disappearance. Now, over twenty years later circumstances bring Claire back to her hometown. The site of her family's downfall.

Claire accepts a job at a local vineyard. Something to keep her busy. But quickly, Claire uncovers a diary that may hold a deeply buried mystery of the past.

Will Claire finally find the peace of mind regarding her sister? Or will she be the next family member to vanish!

This book began as a slowly developing mystery, as Claire realized that there may be a very different story regarding her sister’s disappearance. The second half ramped-up, offering the thriller-readers what they were looking for. (Well, this thriller-reader anyway!‍🙋🏼‍♀️). Twists!

Stacy Willingham is one of my go-to authors. And looking forward to her next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press

My review on GoodReads:

“ https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7558159047”

This book is sure to be a hit! The twists and turns were beyond what I was thinking! Once the backstory was established, it was a wild ride! Thank you SO much for letting me ARC this!