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!

2 Stars

I tried to hard to enjoy this book but I just couldn't do it. I really have enjoyed other books by Stacy Willingham, however this one was such a swing and miss. I found the main character to be really unreadable and unlikable. I don't mind an unlikable character as long as they are interesting. There just wasn't any redeeming qualities that could find and connect to.

This book is also told in dual timelines. This style of story of telling has been hit and miss for me. I have really enjoyed some dual timelines books when it is done well. I found that I just didn't' really care about the past timeline for this one and would skim thru all of these sections.

I did like the mystery of a sister that died and it feeling like something is not quite right. I really like a sister story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

Told in diary entries from the 80s and present day, we follow two women whose paths intersect. Claire goes home to visit her mom after she has a fall and gets swept up in being back in her hometown where her sister went missing (presumed dead) 20 years ago. When she runs away from the memories again, she ends up at Galloway Farm, a vineyard where her sister worked right before her untimely death. She decides to work there for the summer and meets the owners of the farm, Mitchell and Marcia. She stays on the property and finds a diary that was Marcia’s when she was 18 (40 years ago). As similarities between Marcia and her sister start to show up, Claire gets invested and realizes that Mitchell is a problem.
I absolutely loved this and the cult vibes it gave. I was really hooked from the moment I started reading which isn’t always the case with this author. Highly recommend.

I obtained an advanced readers copy of this one in exchange for a review. I have to say that it was a very captivating read. Claire is a journalist and many years later, is still traumatized by the loss of her sister. When her father reaches out and requests her help she finds herself back in her home town. She then accepts a summer job in a vineyard that her sister was known to frequent and is really hoping to find closure. However upon finding an old diary, it is clear that there is more going on than anyone is letting on, and instead of moving on she becomes determined to solve this mystery. This book kept me wanting to know more and had so many twists and turns. I was on the edge of my seat and flipping the pages. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s press for allowing me a chance to read and review this one.

After quitting her job as a journalist hasn't worked out the way she'd hoped, Claire Campbell reluctantly returns home to South Carolina at the behest of her father, due to her mother breaking her leg. But Claire soon can't wait to get away from her mother again, and finds herself at the vineyard nearby her sister worked at years ago - her sister who was murdered 22 year earlier. Though the people who own the vineyard seem old fashioned and odd, the prospect of a job working there is too much for Claire to pass up. But when she discovers an old diary in the guest house she's staying in, she learns of deeper mysteries that may tie back to her own family.
I enjoyed Willingham's previous three thrillers, so I was eager to read this one, though the premise was one that I might have skipped had it been by another author. The writing itself is solid as the earlier books, and there are twists aplenty, especially near the end. However, I found myself less engaged with the plot than I had been with the other novels, and ultimately found the book not to be as strong as the others.

After a few chapters, this book had me absolutely locked in! Everytime I thought I had a theory of what would happen next, something changed and always kept me guessing. Cannot recommend this book enough!

Stacy Willingham returns with another atmospheric Southern thriller that expertly blends past trauma with present danger. When journalist Claire Campbell returns to her South Carolina hometown after twenty-two years, she takes a job at Galloway Farm, the vineyard where her murdered sister Natalie last worked. What begins as an attempt to reconnect with her sister's memory becomes a dangerous obsession when Claire discovers a diary detailing unsolved crimes that may be connected to Natalie's disappearance.

Willingham excels at creating an eerie, tension-filled atmosphere that permeates every page. The dual timeline between Claire's present investigation and the diary entries builds suspense masterfully, while the isolated vineyard setting adds claustrophobic dread. Though some plot points are predictable, the haunting prose and well-developed characters keep readers engaged throughout.

While the pacing occasionally lags and the diary's third-person perspective feels odd, these minor issues don't diminish the overall impact. This slow-burn mystery lingers long after the final page, proving Willingham's talent for crafting deeply unsettling Southern Gothic tales.

Stacy Willingham brings us another thriller that has you questioning everything the whole time you are reading. Forget Me Not, is a slow but steady burn that deals with past trauma and how it can influence your memory and perception of things in front of you. Claire, is a kind of a hot mess, which makes her somewhat unreliable but she is still likeable. You're never quite sure if you can trust her or how she remembers things.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts. Publication date set for August 25, 2025.

Forget Me Not had me hooked from the very beginning. set in a south carolina vineyard with a sketchy past and cultish vibes??? yes please. Claire's sister disappeared one august night in 2002 and went unsolved until a strange man gets arrested and convicted of her murder. Once Claire turned 18 she left south carolina and never looked back until her mom has a sudden accident. she is drawn back to her hometown she discovers some old photographs and film from her sister that leads her on a hunt to get answers. It leads her to the Galloway vineyard where her sister worked one summer and where she gets more questions than answers. And the owners Marcia and Mitchell are strange and not who they appear to be. Thank you Stacy Willingham for this masterpiece. I truly couldn't put it down and had my heart absolutely racing for the answers.

A solid three stars for me.

👍🏼
- overall enjoyed the story
- twists
- compelling

👎🏼
- plot holes (that are hard to go into without giving away too much)
- couldn’t get over how many stupid/unrealistic choices the main character made

Stacy Willingham never disappoints and her latest is another good one. When Claire escapes the city to go home to take care of her mom, she stumbles across a creepy farm and a diary in the guesthouse. Prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride full of twists, turns, and murder! It’s a good one!

Fantastic. The story started out different than what I was expecting, but I try and go into all books blind so I’m not even questioning the summary. Once we found the diary, I was HOOKED. I just knew it was about to be juicy and it did not disappoint!

I enjoyed this book. Not my favorite Stacy willingham book but I enjoyed it. I liked the characters. The plot was different and kept me entertained and a few plot twists I did not see coming.

I always look forward to Stacy's books. To me this one was more of a mystery with a little bit of a thriller at the end. I found it to be predictable a times but still an enjoyable story overall. The last third of the book bumped it up a star for me.

Claire Campbell's older sister Natalie went missing twenty-two years ago and Claire's family fell apart. She has attempted to forget the past, moved from South Carolina to New York City and started a new life there as an investigative journalist. But after missing out on the promotion she wanted, she is feeling stuck. When her father calls and asks her to come home to keep an eye on her mom out after an injury, she decides to face the past head on and returns to South Carolina. She can't stay in the house that is locked in time, so she accepts a seasonal job, which includes room and board, at Galloway Farm less than an hour from where she grew up. The isolated farm on a small island feels perfect to pass the time in a beautiful place and connect with the memory of Natalie since she also once worked there. As Claire starts to settle into the guest house, she finds an old journal written by one of the vineyard's owners. Claire finds herself drawn into the story of young love, rebellion, and sinister crime as she reads more of the story. The days on the farm stretch on and Claire becomes more secluded and paranoid as she obsesses over the writing and the connections that start to form between it and her sister's disappearance. Her peaceful summer has just taken a dark and dangerous turn.

Love this book! If you like twisted thrillers that keep you hooked and guessing, add this to your TBR right now! I didn't want to stop reading and felt like Claire with the journal, hooked and reading late into the night. The story is told in two timeline POV - Claire current day and 1980's with Marcia's writing. It was fast paced and built-up suspense and tension that made you hold your breath while reading. The tangled web in this one was a ride!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the e-book for review.

Forget Me Not
by Stacy Willingham
Pub Date: August 26, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
While I enjoyed the last two Stacy Willingham books that I read, this book was just too frustrating for me to enjoy as much as I enjoyed the other books. The mystery sounds very intriguing and and there are thrilling aspects to the story, but the main character made me want to stomp my feet and throw my Kindle at her.
Willingham keeps the reader on their toes consistently. There were so many fantastic twists and turns along the way, many of which I did not see coming. When it is over, you can look back and see the breadcrumbs missed; everything making sense when all is said and done. If I have just one small criticism, it is that the pacing was slightly wonky, with a few chapters feeling much slower than others. That said, I was able to quickly push past that issue because of how engaged I was with the overarching story.

Of note, there is one aspect of the writing itself that I am still incredibly confused about. The journal Claire finds and reads is told entirely in the 3rd person, not 1st. I have never seen that before, and I am still questioning the decision to do so.
Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️true crime vibes
▪️family dramas
▪️southern thrillers
▪️isolated settings
▪️binge-worthy books

Absolutely love me a good thriller! And this cover is perfect. I love a good, quick read in the summer time that keeps me on the edge of my seat!