I love love love Stacy Wellingham and was so excited to see she had a new book coming out as I've read all her previous work. I was excited to be approved for an ARC, I really enjoy her ability to paint a great scene in my head.
There were a few questions I was left with at the end with the mom's involvement and knowledge of the whole situation .

4 stars

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Forget Me Not was a fresh take from any of the other thrillers I have read lately. The writing itself was incredible, in terms of the actual language and descriptives, leaving me with high expectations from the beginning. I think the premise of the book as a whole and the nature of the group on Galloway Farm made for a very interesting story. I would not have anticipated the direction that this book was going given the description.

That being said, it started to lag for me in the middle. Many of the big twists were expected, and I felt as though Claire was too smart to have not seen them coming. The last 25% of the book was very compelling! I am not typically a consumer of thrillers, as I can often see the twists coming, but I did not anticipate some of the minor plot twists in this story, which was nice. I wish we got more before the epilogue, as I felt like the book ended quite abruptly. There was a lot more that I wanted to know about certain characters and their outcomes. I felt like this could have been developed further.

Overall, I would give this book 3/5 stars. If someone were to ask me for a recommendation, I can't say that I would recommend this book. That being said, if someone told me they were thinking about reading it, I would tell them to give it a go!

Claire’s sister disappeared two decades ago. While home to take care of her mom after an injury, she starts to dig deeper into the disappearance. When she ends up working at the farm her sister worked at 20 years ago, she starts to unravel details about her employer. Can she solve the mystery?

This book hooked me from the start and was devoured in one day. I found myself thinking about this one for days after finishing. Can’t recommend enough for anyone looking for a thriller that’s incredibly suspenseful!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you #NetGalley for the eARC of #ForgetMeNot by Stacy Willingham

Forget Me Not is a slow-burn Southern thriller that blends family trauma, small-town secrets, and just enough twists to keep you guessing.

Claire, reeling from job loss and still haunted by her sister’s decades-old disappearance, returns to her coastal hometown. A summer job at a vineyard—and the discovery of a cryptic diary—pull her deep into a mystery that may connect to her past. The writing is vivid, with a strong sense of place, though the pacing drags in the middle. It’s a quiet build to a twisty final act that ties things up almost too neatly.

Claire’s paranoia and decisions don’t always feel justified, but her journey is compelling. While not as sharp as Willingham’s earlier work, this one is still worth a read—especially if you like slow, moody thrillers with a Southern gothic edge.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. This was very much a slow burn for me & I’m not a big fan. Not too much happened until about the 45% mark but it still lagged a bit. I did enjoy the jaw dropping twist with Annie though, that one got me good. There were a few other good “oooh” moments that I didn’t see coming. I just think I’m not big on the whole “girl leaves hometown for years only to find herself back there” shtick. Overall it was a decent read, I enjoyed the ending, I just wish more happened & the actual cult had a little more of a presence.

I want to start this review by thanking NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
I was a huge fan of A Flicker in the Dark, so I was very excited to read something new by Stacy Willingham. I was not disappointed in the slightest!
The plot immediately hooked me and didn’t let go until the end. If I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about reading it. The plot twists are so well done and keep you on your toes. I love when a plot twist isn’t super obvious but makes sense when you look back at all the hints throughout the book. The ending was satisfying, but I do still have a few questions. I think that’s why I’m going with 4 stars instead of 5.
Overall, I love this book and highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. This story starts out feeling like many other "Southern thrillers" I've read. I was able to guess a few of the twists, although I wouldn't say they were easily guessable, I was just paying close attention. The plot was entertaining enough and I wanted to know what would happen enough to read the book in less than two days. There were a few small plot points that didn't feel truly wrapped up to me. All-in-all, not bad but not spectacular. A solid 3/5.

The beginning was a little slow for me. By 40%, I was hooked. By 75%, my heart was racing and everything I thought I knew was destroyed. The way every single character connected was truly mind blowing.

Thank you to Net Galley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

Willingham is a solid four star writer for me, except for her last title Only if You're Lucky which fell short (rated 2 stars). Forget Me Not was a return to form; interesting characters and setup, great use of a diary to flip POVs and set up the mystery. I stayed up way too late to finish this book. Highly recommend. If this is your first Willingham, definitely check out her first two books.

Forget me not is a suspicious novel. It is page turning as you’re trying to figure out who is responsible. The main character returns home where her sister disappeared many years ago. She puts the pieces together but does this put her in danger?

Note: NetGalley Advanced Reader Copy Review - Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books

Claire is an investigative journalist who left her small town when she graduated to get away from the ghost of her sister’s disappearance. 15 years later her mother needs her to come back and she must face the past.

She seizes the chance to feel closer to her sister by taking a seasonal job where her sister worked that fateful last summer. What she hoped would be a walk down memory lane soon turns into her investigative senses tingling when she comes across an old diary.

This is one of my favorite thrillers I have ever read. I loved the diary entries interspersed. The ongoing eeriness, the pacing of the story was spot on, and the plot just kept twisting.

If you need a thriller this fall then make sure to add this one to your TBR.

You’ll enjoy this book if you like suspenseful stories and family drama. The setting itself influenced me more than the characters, and it definitely gives the creepy vibes.

I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters and couldn’t relate to them. It took me awhile to get invested in the story, but the ending has some good twists before bringing it to a close.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

"Galloway Farm" follows Claire Campbell, who returns to her hometown after her sister Natalie vanished 22 years ago. Now an investigative journalist, Claire takes a summer job at a vineyard in South Carolina to escape her past.

Initially, Galloway seems like a peaceful retreat, but Claire discovers an old diary that reveals unsettling details about unsolved crimes. As she dives deeper into the diary, Claire becomes increasingly isolated, convinced her sister's disappearance might be connected. This suspenseful tale blends nostalgia with mystery, keeping readers hooked until the last page.

Stacy Willingham, you’ve done it again!!!!! She really is a writer who can do no wrong for me, at least in her catalogue so far. Forget Me Not continues her repertoire of mysteries that are perfect little puzzles full of emotion and tension. The main character is smart and likeable. She makes mistakes, but they’re understandable and don’t come from stupidity or recklessness. The plot unfolds a little slowly at first so it took a second for me to understand what the main setting was and who the main characters would be, but once we got settled into the world of the novel everything started unraveling at a nice pace. I enjoyed the hot Southern setting and how the landscape impacted the main character’s headspace. The connections between the past and present and the surprising twists made this a five star mystery. At one point I thought everything had been revealed and I knew what was going to happen, but then another reveal came and it was just a delightful Stacy Willingham moment. I definitely recommend picking this one up when it comes out later this summer.

I am such a fan of Stacy Willingham's stories and writing style and her latest -- "Forget Me Not" -- was just as bingeworthy as I'd hoped. Definitely one of those books that goes quickly and is hard to put down, trying to get to the root of what's really at play. The FMC wasn't my favorite and some of the drama and conclusion felt a tiny bit lackluster but I loved the twists and journal as a device to move between two time periods. I can't wait for her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

read if you like:
🥶 cold case disappearances
🚜 farming
🪒 grooming of girls

summary:
I'm such a big Stacy Willingham fan that I couldn’t wait to dive into this book! It follows Claire Campbell, whose sister Natalie vanished after her 18th birthday in their South Carolina hometown. Though someone was arrested and convicted, Claire has never stopped wondering what really happened—or why. Years later, when her father asks her to return home to help care for her ailing mother, Claire seizes the chance to confront the past she once fled. While back in town, she stumbles across old photos of Natalie working at a nearby vineyard. On a whim, Claire takes a summer job at Galloway Farm, harvesting crops and picking grapes. There, she meets the farm’s only three residents: Marshall, the enigmatic owner; his wife, Marcia; and their overly inquisitive farmhand, Liam. As Claire settles in, she begins to uncover unsettling secrets—starting with Marcia’s childhood diary—that may finally reveal what happened to Natalie… but at a dangerous cost.

As with her previous novels, Willingham excels at crafting characters so vividly drawn, they feel like people you’ve known for years. The setting of Galloway Farm is equally striking—so richly described that you can almost feel the sweltering heat, smell the ripening grapes, and sense the quiet tension simmering between its residents. The story kicks off with a strong start, slows briefly in the middle, but builds to a well-timed climax that ties the threads together in a satisfying way. While some of the underlying themes—such as kidnapping and grooming—can be heavy, they’re handled thoughtfully and feel authentic within the world Willingham has created. I’m always drawn to thrillers with a distinctive setting and a compelling cast, and this one more than delivers. It will make you question who is who, who you can trust and who has Claire’s best interests at heart.

Thank you so much to St Martins Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy. If you’ve loved Stacy Willingham’s books before, check this out when it releases on August 26!

This is a topsy turvy novel. I thought I had "it" figured out several times, but, nope! Very enjoyable read.

I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book.

I have been a big fan of Stacy Willingham and this book exceeded my expectations.

A journalist returns home to help her mother and a search for information about the disappearance of her sister 22 years ago.

You follow the story of Claire as she navigates loss, acceptance and solving a slew of crimes older than her.

This book is a quick read. I read it in 3 days. I recommend it for a not so scary thriller, but also keeps you on the edge of your seat. Perfect rainy day, beach day or in flight read.

Thank you to Stacy Willingham, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Stacy Willingham for the ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4 Stars

This was a pretty great thriller! I had a lot of fun reading it, and it definitely kept the pages turning for me. I saw some twists coming, but there were a few that really got me. Would definitely read more of her books!

Stacy Willingham does it again.

One of the things I love best about Willingham’s writing style is her creative and thoughtful use of similes and metaphors throughout her books. It’s what instantly drew me in when I read A Flicker in the Dark and I was pleased to discover that her poetic prose remains consistent.

I think the hardest thing about being a thriller writer is surprising the reader with the unexpected and she did such a great job with all the twists and turns in this novel. As much as I loved A Flicker in the Dark, as a parent reading the book, it was easy for me to predict the twist. I felt like Forget Me Not was more layered and there were so many more twists and turns in this book, which kept things unpredictable and exciting.

Willingham builds webs when writing her stories, where seemingly unrelated details are all woven together and are part of one big story. She’s of a master of her craft and has become one of my favorite thriller writers. I love her ability to create complex, relatable characters whom I care about, despite (or maybe because of) their flaws. I admire her ability to suck me in with her immersive storytelling techniques and the way she not only creates a place, but puts you in it.

5/5 ⭐️