Another book from Stacy that I loved! Claire was such a relatable character from the beginning, and the trauma and feelings she internalized when her sister went missing so young was heartbreaking. Although I found a large portion of the story line to be predictable, the flow of the story made it impossible to put the book down. It was a slow burn in the beginning, but everything has meaning and as you reach the climax of the story, you see all of the little details in a different light. Stacy is a wonderful author, and I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a slow burn, uncomfortable, thriller/mystery.

W O W! This is my first Stacy Willingham book, I do have A Flicker In the Dark but was blessed with the digital copy of Forget Me Not so I had to jump right in before getting to the book I already have.

If you are looking for something to suck you in, this is a read for you. It’s fast paced and loaded with twists. If you are a Freida McFadden fan you’ll love this read) It didn’t take long to get into the book - definitely a page turner.

The end did get a little complicated when the pieces started coming together. Lots of characters and names thrown around - somewhat hard to follow but not impossible. Ultimately, I rated this at 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley + St. Martin’s Press for
the opportunity to leave an honest review.

Stacy is back!! This story brought the same excitement as All the dangerous things & A flicker in the dark and is filled with layers of buried trauma, family secrets, and culty passion.

I found myself hooked immediately. The pacing of this story was perfect with Stacy continually feeding us just enough to be surprised but still wanting more.

This was one of the best thrillers I have read in a while. I read in one sitting. The page were just turning and I did not see any of the twists coming. This is a must read this summer.

Not only did Stacy Willingham avoid the stock characters of the small town southern crime genre, but she also pushed the boundaries with the creep factor!

I love having the thrill of fear without the actual danger. Willingham kept a great balance with her setting (Galloway Farm) and thoroughly intriguing characters such as Mitchell, Liam, and Marcia. The uniqueness of it all is so different from anything I’ve experienced that it added to what was already a compelling read. I wasn’t reading just to figure out a crime, I was reading to understand the motives and connections between her eccentric characters.

Stacy Willingham kept me in a constant tug of war; sometimes ‘not knowing’ won and I’d skip a few lines and then ‘wanting to know’ won and I’d go back and read what I realized I needed to know. Our world is full of fearful things and people, but I loved how Willingham (1) shows us how to live with being afraid, how to fight back against the fear, how to keep going and (2) challenges us to look beyond the incomprehensible choices her characters make and try to understand that it’s more than inherent weaknesses that drive them. She doesn’t just throw the creepy and gruesome out there, she holds our hand through her exploration of the darker sides of human nature.

Willingham’s attention to detail meant that it was a slower read for me, but this also meant that I could picture it. The secrets and the mystery kept the pages turning and kept me hooked.

Need some good scream therapy? You need this book.

Note: Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

I was lucky enough to meet Stacy Willingham last year during the release of her third novel, where I gained insight into her writing process and sources of inspiration. As a fan of A Flicker in the Dark and All The Dangerous Things, I had high expectations for her latest book—and she did not disappoint.

Willingham once again crafts a chilling, atmospheric thriller steeped in Southern gothic allure. Her signature blend of psychological tension and richly drawn characters pulls readers into a dark and unsettling narrative, where past traumas and buried secrets unravel with each turn of the page.

I absolutely enjoyed this book and I am a huge fan of Stacy’s books! This southern thriller gave an eerie atmosphere vibes and this book definitely got me out of my reading slump!

A stellar, exceptionally written masterpiece that is sure to be a top read of 2025!! If I could give more than five stars I would. This outstanding, slow-burn thriller had me biting my nails with the turn of every page. Its dark, claustrophobic atmosphere clung to me like a wet blanket, causing this suffocating sense of dread and foreboding that enveloped me throughout the entire book. I had no idea who I could trust. I thought that I had it figured out, but I should have known better with Willingham. She threw a couple curveballs in there that totally struck me out. I really enjoyed the dual timeline and the author providing us with Marcia's diary entries from the past. I feel like this added more layers to the story and created even more intrigue. The mystery was slow to unravel, but this book was a non-stop pulse pounder. I flew through it in less than a day. What a phenomenal story! I was hooked from the start and loved every minute of it. I highly recommend!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Willingham does not disappoint in her latest southern thriller chock full of shady characters and murder.

Low key this one gave me Manson vibes and I couldn’t put it down. Told in dual timelines, present day Claire and 1984, Marcia - it tells the story of women. Women who were lost or were seeking their freedom and wound up the prey of a master manipulator set on keeping them in their cages forever…

This story gripped me by the throat and squeezed tighter and tighter until the very end. Wow. I feel like I just went for the wildest ride down a twisting dirt road in the middle of the night. I was just as obsessed as Claire with digging up secrets of her sister’s decades-long disappearance. The writing is dark, moody, atmospheric. I felt like I was living on the Galloway vineyard right alongside Claire and the others.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
I believe this author outdone herself with this one. I literally could not put it down trying to figure out how it all pieced together.
Claire’s older sister disappeared 22 years ago. Although a body was never found, she is presumed dead with her murderer behind bars. Claire’s family never recovered from that trauma, her parents divorcing and Claire moving away as soon as she could and hasn’t returned since. Until her father calls her requesting her to visit her seriously ill mother, claiming she’s all alone and has no one looking after her. Recently quitting her job as a journalist, she no longer has a reason why she can’t. So back to her childhood home and all those long lost memories she goes. Her mother, a recluse, really isn’t thrilled she’s there and after one night of drudging up old memories and pictures together, Claire decides to visit Galloway Farms, a grape vinery, the last place her sister worked. Although no longer open to the public the manager, Liam, agrees to give her a tour. With no other job offers on the table, on a whim, Claire takes a job there that also offers room and board. The older farm owners, Mitchell and Marcia are a very quiet and strange couple. But once Claire finds Marcia’s old journal hidden away in the guest cottage her journalism traits can’t help but kick in and what she reads leads her onto quite a story that spans decades.

I have never in my life been so giddy to receive an advanced copy of a book. So big shout out to St. Martin's Press! I read A Flicker in the Dark a few years ago and ever since have been in love with Stacy Willingham books. I have a short list of auto-buy authors and she has quickly became one of them! I'm going to try to stay spoiler free on this review, so lets dive in!

I just love her writing style. She paints such a pretty picture for books that have you on the edge of your seat. I thought the story was interesting and unique. I love a good cult book, so if that's your jam you will enjoy the story that unfolds here. The thing I loved most about this (and honestly every Stacy Willingham) book was how information was given to the readers. Pieces of the puzzle of what was going on at Galloway farms is given bit by bit in a way that makes you want to keep coming back. Once I got past half way through the book, the action had picked up and I couldn't put it down! I love getting that little anxious ball in the pit of my stomach when I'm reading a book. Like I can't read fast enough to find out what happens!

I am giving Forget Me Not a solid 4.5 stars. Why not 5 stars you may be wondering, well pure and simple it's just because I'm weird about 5 stars. Did I love this book while reading it? Yes. Has it stuck with me since finishing it? Maybe not as much as other books. That's where we are knocking the last half star. This book is expected out this summer and I would for sure recommend checking it out of you are a fan of thrillers!

Thank you to the author and publisher for an ARC copy

This story wrapped me up so quickly that I could not put it down. Secrets don’t always stay hidden.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was quite the serial killer suspense mystery with a ton of twists. I actually had a hard time keeping track of missing people and the different stories that intertwined throughout. There were also a few moments that reminded me of the cringy old horror movies where the character does something so dumb, you would be yelling at the screen and things could have been solved much quicker if the main character just talked to someone or got the heck out! I still think this is a good one, though so keep an eye out for it.

I was so excited to be approved to read Forget Me Not! I loved it! This was a great read with a few twists I didn’t see coming. I felt like it started off a little slow but then really picked up and I couldn’t put it down. It felt like a puzzle trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together. I liked both the present and past POV’s. Usually I prefer one over the other. It was filled with suspense and mystery. Kept me on the edge of my seat.
I absolutely loved the ending.

🪻Forget Me Not, Stacy Willingham – Pub Day 8/26🪻

I’ve read a lot of thrillers over the past five years, but this one definitely stands out. Let’s talk about why👀

This story follows Claire, who is haunted by the disappearance of her older sister, even 20 years later. When her mom suffers an accident and needs help around the house, Claire is pressured to return home to South Carolina. While there, she’s drawn to a coastal winery where her sister worked right before her disappearance and when she visits it, she, out of the blue winds up with a summer job. Very quickly, Claire becomes fascinated by the owners and gets sucked into their orbit, which has her questioning everything about her sister’s disappearance.

This story, in my opinion, had a bit of a slow start, but OH BOY does it pick up. About halfway through I was hooked, and I read the last 40% in one sitting and couldn’t put it down.

Out of all the thrillers I’ve read, this one was the most tragically devastating and also felt the most realistic. It’s so reminiscent of stories that we hear all the time from the 80s: of young women who are lonely, abandoned, or lost in life being preyed upon by men who just want to take advantage of them. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried at a thriller before, but the stories in this book broke my heart.

When it comes to the twists, they were definitely there! I guessed two of them, but the biggest twist at the end was one I certainly didn’t see coming! The audible gasp that came out of my mouth was VERY dramatic.

I felt so deeply for some of the characters in this book. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll keep it vague, but I just wanted to give these poor women a hug. I wanted to tell them that they deserve more. I just wanted the best for them.

Because of the suspense, the sadness, the anger, and the… dare I say pride for the main character that I felt while reading this (aka all the emotions) I’m giving this book 4/5⭐️s

If you like:
🔪 True crime
👥 Cult vibes
💔 Heartbreaking twists
🕵️‍♀️ Investigative journalism that feels like a whodunnit
❤️‍🩹 Complicated family dynamics
Then you might enjoy Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham!

Ok Ms. Stacy Willingham, I’m seated (again)! I think this is my favorite book of hers so far after having read the last three. I was throughly hooked, reading far into the wee hours of the morning and certainly past my bedtime.

Claire is a journalist, down on her luck when her Dad calls and urges her to return home after an accident involving her mother. The problem? Claire hasn’t been home in over a decade, thanks to the emotional trauma associated with the assumed death of her missing older sister. While someone was arrested for her murder, there was questionable behavior leading up to her disappearance and a nagging feeling for Claire that she is missing the biggest pieces to the puzzle while also simultaneously blaming herself for various reasons.

Claire ends up in the place that had drawn her sister into its clutches the summer she disappeared- but why? What was so alluring about the vineyard she once worked at? As she unravels the mystery, questions are answered and the just dredge up more questions. When the truth finally comes out, it may be too late to fix anything.

I found myself guessing bits and pieces of the story going along but then those little bits turned into more questions as I tried to figure out how those bits and pieces fit into the big picture. It never really came into full comprehension until the end, which of course was quite scandalous. Can’t wait to read the next one!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the chance to read this e-book early and provide an honest review.

Being a South Carolina girl (and a fellow Stacy), I have read and really enjoyed all of Stacy Willingham’s books. This book, by far, is absolutely my favorite of her catalog. It’s filled with well developed characters and a story that had me intrigued from very early on. If you love mysteries add this to your TBR now!

~ Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this Advanced Reader’s Copy. Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham will be published in August 2025 ~

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5/5

I'm still chasing the high from Willingham's "Flicker in the Dark" and unfortunately "Forget Me Not" falls short. The plot is paper thin, and relies almost exclusively on a journalist reading a secret diary to propel the story forward. Protagonist Claire returns to her hometown and ends up working on a farm her late sister worked on summers ago. There, she discovers a diary that reveals the farm's patriarch may be hiding secrets and could even be implicated in her sister's death. The lack of any real suspense or investigating rendered this story so slow and uninteresting. The characters are one dimensional, especially the villain's. Once their mask falls off, it is entirely unclear what their motives were beyond a simple "bad people do bad things" rationale.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

If you are looking for a book that has so many twists that you question everything that is happening, then you have to read this book! Claire decides to take a job for the summer at the last place her sister went missing the Galloway Farms. Claire finds a hidden diary written by a former houseguest that unearths so many secrets of the family that owns the farm. How are they connected to missing girls? What really is being hidden ? This book definitely keeps you guessing. Absolutely loved it! Literally couldn't put it down it was so good!!