Stacy Willingham’s Forget Me Not is a gripping psychological suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story beautifully weaves the haunting past of Claire Campbell with a present filled with secrets, lies, and danger lurking just beneath the surface. When Claire returns to her childhood home after her father’s call, she hopes to find some closure. Instead, she uncovers a diary at Galloway Farm that hints at hidden crimes and long-forgotten truths. As the summer unfolds, the idyllic vineyard setting turns increasingly sinister, and Claire’s quest for answers blurs the line between memory and perception. The dark, coastal South Carolina backdrop adds an atmospheric layer that heightens the tension and sense of foreboding. Willingham masterfully manipulates the narrative, keeping readers guessing about what’s real and what’s a manipulation. Claire’s obsession with the diary draws you deeper into the mystery, and the revelations about her sister’s disappearance are both shocking and emotionally impactful. While some twists might be predictable for seasoned thriller fans, the compelling characters and well-crafted suspense make Forget Me Not a must-read for anyone seeking a thoughtful, tense, and atmospheric psychological thriller.

I really wanted to love this one! It started out so strong. I was hooked immediately and loved the writing style and the setting was perfection. I feel like about halfway through it became one far fetched thing after another and I just couldn’t get behind all the ridiculous actions of the fmc. If you can suspend your belief in reality then you may like this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

This book had the perfect mix of suspense, mystery, and just enough drama to keep me engaged. It’s my second read from Willingham, and I loved it just as much as the first.

In Forget Me Not, we follow Claire Campbell, an investigative journalist who returns to her South Carolina hometown after her mother is injured. But coming home means facing old wounds—specifically, the disappearance of her sister Natalie, who vanished on her 18th birthday. Though someone was arrested, Claire has never believed the full story was told.

While working a seasonal job at a local vineyard, Claire stumbles upon a hidden diary belonging to one of the vineyard’s owners. What starts as an innocent glimpse into someone’s past soon becomes a chilling discovery connected to long-buried secrets—including ones that might unravel the truth about her sister.

I was completely pulled in by the atmospheric setting and the unraveling of clues. Willingham knows how to write characters you feel for and plots that keep you fully engaged.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Me after reading this 😲
I was not disappointed !
Finished in less than 24 hours, I just had to know what happened !

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¾ (4.75/5)
Release Date: August 26

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that delivers gripping suspense and a chillingly immersive setting. The tension builds steadily, leading to a powerful and satisfying climax. While I had a few lingering questions at the end, they didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the ride.

This book was the perfect companion for my recent road trip through the Carolinas—especially since it’s set on a South Carolina farm. The Southern setting felt vivid and authentic, adding an extra layer of atmosphere that pulled me deeper into the story.

Highly recommended for fans of twisty, emotionally-charged suspense. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

Thought I had it figured out, nope! Thought I did again, nope! Great twists. Could not put it down. Stacy did it again! I’ll keep reading every single one of her books!

Claire’s dad calls to say her mom needs help as she has fallen. Claire’s parents are divorced, and Natalie, her sister, was murdered 20 years ago. As she recently quit her job, Claire heads back to the hometown she hasn’t been to in 15 years. She finds herself a job at the same vineyard Natalie worked at before she was murdered. While there, Claire discovers a diary, and she becomes obsessed with what is in it, and is now determined to discover what truly happened to Natalie. Creepy, at times scary and twisty, I had trouble getting started, a slow burn thriller.

This started out as a new favorite of Willingham's slow-burn, setting-heavy, poetic prose thrillers. I was immersed in the setting and curious about the story and characters. However, at 2/3 of the way through the novel, secrets emerged that stretched the realm of believability. What would have been a 4-5 star read became half-baked in landing its conclusion. Disappointing.

Set in South Carolina, Claire returns to her mother's house after losing her job in NYC. When her mother does not want her help, she decides to check out the vineyard where her sister worked the summer before she disappeared and was declared dead many years ago. She ends up getting a job at the vineyard and finds a diary belonging to the owner's wife. The diary suggests links between her sister's disappearance and other women disappearing over the years. She soon realizes that her own life is now in danger.

This book started strong and has the reader gripped with its suspense. The last chapters were a little disappointing though and I felt the scenarios become a little unbelievable. But it still kept me reading.

An entertaining mystery with solid character development and a conclusive unexpected reveal. If only Claire could remember to charge her phone, although I guess that is what was supposed to add ‘suspense’ to the story but for me pulled me out of the story and slowed the pace. Overall, an enjoyable read with an atmospheric southern setting, this is a perfect book for an August release in the dead, humid heat of summer.
Pub Date: Aug 26 2025

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #ForgetMeNot

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Forget Me Not pulls you into the life of Claire, a New York journalist still reeling from her sister's disappearance two decades prior. When a call brings her home to South Carolina, she can't help but dig into the cold case. What starts as a personal quest quickly broadens as she uncovers a disturbing pattern of other unsolved crimes eerily similar to her family's long-standing nightmare.

This book was absolutely fantastic! The first half built slowly but purposefully, creating an incredible foundation for the revelations to come. I was hooked from page one, constantly needing to know what twisted turn would come next. The twists were incredibly clever and shocking! My initial theories had some merit, but the author delivered major, unexpected blows that completely reshaped my understanding.

I truly loved this one! As a devoted reader of Stacy Willingham, I've enjoyed all her novels, and Forget Me Not is a very strong runner-up to A Flicker in the Dark. If you've enjoyed her previous work, or just love a gripping, twisty thriller, you should absolutely pick this up!

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham is the perfect haunting Southern thriller that will stay with you for a long, long time. Claire returns to her hometown, hoping to escape her past, but instead, she uncovers a diary that unravels secrets tied to her sister’s decades old disappearance.

Stacy did an amazing job of drawing readers into a world where every shadow hides a secret. Plus, the diary’s revelations are so chilling that it makes it impossible to put the book down until the very last page is read.

This story is the perfect blend of mystery, family drama, and suspense. Forget Me Not is more than just a book, it’s tale of how the past never truly stays buried. For fans of slow burning thrillers that pack an emotional punch this one’s for you!

Forget Me Not releases August 26th.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was pretty great, but hard to stay involved with. It took me 7 days to read, which is pretty long for me. I just couldn't stay in the moment with it. Maybe it was all the jumping around, or the characters kinda scatterbrained-ness. It was clear kinda early on what was going on, but the added twist was nice. I didn't catch those, which is always nice to be blindsided in a book like this.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Might have been a 5* if I did the audio. May try it once it's released.

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

A gripping Southern thriller, Stacy Willingham's latest novel keeps you on edge from the very start.
The story follows journalist Claire Campbell, still haunted by the tragic murder of her sister, Natalie, 22 years ago. Natalie was killed by her secret older boyfriend, an event that shattered Claire's family and drove her to escape her Southern hometown for a fresh start in New York. But after resigning from her journalism job-frustrated when a long-overdue promotion went to her best friend, Ryan-Claire finds herself reluctantly returning home when her father calls to inform her that her mother has been injured and needs care. Encouraged by Ryan to confront her past, she agrees to make the trip.
While back in town, Claire stumbles upon an undeveloped roll of film hidden in her sister's old room.
As she unravels the images frozen in time, they lead her straight to Galloway Farm-the place where Natalie worked before her death. Determined to uncover long-buried secrets, Claire takes a job at the farm, immersing herself in its unsettling atmosphere. There, she meets Mitchell, the eccentric owner with an uncanny knowledge of herbs; Liam, the charming yet mysterious farmhand; and Marcia, a silent, haunted woman who seems a shell of her former self. When Claire discovers Marcia's hidden diary in the guesthouse where she's staying, she becomes captivated by its cryptic pages, which hint at the farm's dark past-one that eerily resembles a cult. The more she digs, the more she realizes that Natalie may have been caught in something far more sinister than she ever imagined. But with each revelation, Claire risks not only her sanity but also her life, as the truth about her sister's fate threatens to upend everything she thought she knew.
Overall: A fast-paced and gripping Southern thriller, this novel delivers an addictive blend of suspense, mystery, and atmospheric tension-perfect for fans of Stacy Willingham's work.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A fun one that I read in the span of a day while camping! More mystery than thriller, which I enjoyed, even though I must say you’ll likely have your eye on the ‘bad guy’ pretty early on. If you like cult stories (think, Emma Clines ‘The Girls’) and true crime/Southern thrillers/rural settings, then this one is definitely for you! I like the descriptive writing here, as well as the journal concept, and the pace really picked up for me as soon as our main gal Claire gets out of the city. A solid 3.5 rounded down.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and of course Stacey Willingham for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review. Forget Me Not will be available on August 26th, 2025! #ARC

I loved Stacy’s previous novels, but this was a bit of a disappointment as the plot was heavier and slower than the others, I lost interest pretty early, but felt the need to finish out of loyalty to her writing.

Another great thriller out this summer! 📅 Aug 26th

Once I sat down to read this one I couldn’t get through it fast enough! Very well written while being an easy read. I’m a sucker for found diary plots but this seemed very original and I did not guess the big twist 🫣

It seems like yesterday I was reading Stacy Willingham’s debut thriller and now she’s an auto read author for me!

A missing sister. A quiet vineyard. A diary full of secrets.

Forget Me Not delivers everything I want in a thriller—fast pacing, eerie atmosphere, and a smart, determined lead who won't stop digging until the truth comes to light.

Claire is the kind of character you root for: strong, flawed, and driven by a past that refuses to stay buried. As the story unravels, the twists come quickly, and while some reveals felt a bit predictable, the suspense and emotional weight kept me hooked the entire time. I flew through this one.

The end left me with a few lingering questions, but I still enjoyed the ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was an awesome thriller! I love this storyline and it was my favorite book from this author. Thank you so much!