I really enjoyed this book. It captured my attention quickly and held it until the last page. I was surprised by the twist near the end. I have enjoyed previous books written by this author, and I was excited to see that this one was equally good.

I am having a hard time ranking this amongst her other work but let me tell you, it's up there. I will say it's slow at times, especially more towards the middle when you are kind of just waiting for something to happen, but when it all wraps up and your left kind of like wait.. I need to read that again because you feel like you missed something. The twists were amazing and I liked the plot as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc! 4 stars!

First, this is not a thriller at all. I would categorize this as mysterious, possibly.
The story follows Claire, an unemployed journalist. She is still plagued by the death of her older sister 22 years ago. She returns to her hometown and the farm where her sister worked before her disappearance. While at the farm, she discovers many family secrets.

The book does give twists and turns. I felt it was very predictable to an extent. I struggled to relate to Claire, despite the characters being well written.

I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity to read and give feedback on Stacey's newest novel.

Thank you to the publisher for this gifted copy!

A highly anticipated new thriller from Stacy - an author who always delivers such twisty reads. This one was followed a young woman who, while still mourning the death of her sister, decides to return home and ends up taking a job on a local farm. A farm with a mysterious history….

I found some of the twists of the story a little predictable, but overall thought it was an interesting plot. If you’re looking for a solid thriller, this one will check the box!

Claire Campbell is a recently unemployed journalist out of New York City who's mother's accident brings her back to her home town in South Carolina, a town that she has tried to forget. 22 years earlier, her sister Natalie disappeared and was presumed dead, at the hands of an older man she was secretly dating. Claire heads back to Claxton, South Carolina, and ends up in an adventure to uncover what really happened to her older sister while solving the mystery of several other missing young girls. This thriller will have you hooked right off the bat and never leave you bored. From the moment I started reading this, all I could think about was when I would be able to continue reading. I can't wait to recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a genuine thriller with an impossible-to-predict ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC of Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham.

Claire lives in New York City and works as a reporter. She recently decided to start working on her own and left the company she was working under. One day, she receives a phone call from her father asking her to come home to help her mother, who had an accident. Claire is estranged from her parents but decides to take a break, rent her apartment out because she needs the money, and head home to South Carolina for a while.

Once Claire arrives, she overhears her mother on the phone saying some hurtful things about her, and she decides to head to Galloway Farm, where her older sister worked before disappearing 22 years prior. Upon arriving, she is offered a job and decides to stay for a month to make some money.

Quickly after arriving, she finds a diary hidden in a heater vent of the guest house and begins reading it. The diary belongs to Marcia Rayburn, a teenage girl who disappeared in 1984 after being involved with Mitchell Rayburn, the owner of Galloway Farm. In the diary, she describes the group that Mitchell introduced her to as a "family," and it primarily mentions herself (Marcia), Mitchell, and Lily. But after a while, Marcia wants to leave after discovering she is pregnant, and this is where the diary ends. Clair dives in to figure out what happened. How is her sister, Natalie, connected to it all? Why did Marcia want to leave? What happened to Lily? Will she solve this whole case? Is she safe at Galloway Farm?

This was the first book I've read by Stacy Willingham, and I enjoyed it from start to finish! I always appreciate multiple POV, so I liked how the author alternated from Claire to Marcia's diary entries. The diary was a wild story and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book and will definitely be picking up future novels by this author. I had such a great time reading it and was so enthralled from start to finish. I will absolutely be recommending! I couldn’t put it down every night.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham delivers a chilling and suspenseful ride that keeps you guessing until the final pages. The story centers around a missing woman and a tangled web of secrets, lies, and psychological tension. Willingham does an excellent job of building atmosphere, and her writing is sharp and immersive. The characters are layered, especially the protagonist, whose inner struggles add depth to the narrative.

While the pacing lags slightly in the middle and some twists may feel familiar to seasoned thriller readers, the ending is satisfying and packs an emotional punch. Overall, it’s a compelling read with enough dark intrigue to satisfy fans of psychological thrillers.

Recommended for readers who love suspenseful stories with strong character development and a haunting edge.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham – ★★★★☆

If you’re craving a thriller that’s equal parts gripping and emotionally complex, Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham is the book you need in your hands! 🌿🔍 Set in the atmospheric backdrop of coastal South Carolina, this Southern gothic mystery pulls you into a world of secrets, suspense, and family drama.

We follow Claire Campbell, a journalist who returns to her childhood home after an unexpected call from her estranged father. 🌊 She takes a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a picturesque vineyard nestled in the same area where her sister Natalie disappeared twenty-two years ago. But as Claire starts digging into her sister's mysterious vanishing, she uncovers a web of unsettling connections to other unsolved crimes. What starts as a nostalgic retreat quickly turns into a dangerous obsession. 😳

Willingham’s writing is atmospheric to the core. She brings South Carolina to life with lush descriptions that make the farm’s vines and the salty air feel tangible, almost as though the setting itself is a character in the story. 🌿✨ There’s this delicious tension that builds slowly—think secrets lurking behind every corner. The pacing is a slow burn 🔥, with each chapter peeling back another layer of mystery until you're racing to uncover the truth.

Claire is an incredibly compelling protagonist. Her inner conflict and personal struggles are so relatable. She’s not perfect—she’s haunted by her past and grappling with her strained relationships, especially with her mother, making her journey of self-discovery just as intriguing as the mystery itself. 👀 The way Willingham explores Claire’s emotional depth amidst the rising tension makes this more than just a thriller—it’s a journey of healing and confronting trauma. 💔

And then there’s the mystery itself… 🤫 the twists and turns are so satisfying! The diary Claire finds, the buried secrets, and the creeping sense of dread all build up to an ending that leaves you dying to know more. If you're into stories with a haunting, methodical unraveling of dark secrets, this will totally hit the spot. 🕵️‍♀️📖

BUT, I do have to mention that some readers might find the pacing a bit slow at times, especially in the beginning. If you’re someone who likes fast-paced thrillers, this might feel a little like a slow walk into a foggy mystery—but trust me, the payoff is worth it. ⏳

✨ Overall, Forget Me Not is a perfect blend of family drama, psychological depth, and spine-tingling suspense. The rich setting, complex characters, and deeply unsettling mystery make it an unforgettable read. If you’re a fan of Southern gothic thrillers with heart and a twisty plot, this book is definitely for you! 👏

Get ready to fall for Willingham’s storytelling—it’s haunting, heart-wrenching, and impossible to put down. 💀📚

4.5 stars. Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham was an excellent dark thriller. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and it was really tough to put down. Claire finds herself at a crossroads after recently resigning from her journalist job, she heads back to her hometown to help care for her mother. This brings back a lot of tough memories as her sister disappeared and was assumed dead over 20 years ago. Without any plans for the summer, Claire ends up taking a seasonal job at a nearby vineyard. Claire discovers a diary of one of the owners that turns into a very disturbing story that dredges up buried memories of the past.

This is definitely my favorite Stacy Willingham book so far! I really enjoyed the suspenseful nature and how Stacy brought everything together at the end. I recommend this book for those who enjoy a dark thriller!

Thanks to #NetGalley, Stacey Willingham, and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC of #ForgetMeNot in exchange for an honest review.

Stacy Willingham provides another twisty, atmospheric thriller that grabs you from the very first page. Her writing is full of so much rich detail, immersing readers and grounding them into each scene. Her prose is so vivid and haunting, even more so in this eerie Southern gothic setting. Every detail feels intentional. It’s one of my absolute favorite things about her writing. I have read all of Willingham’s novels thus far and not to be dramatic, I would read absolutely anything this woman writes.

The twists were so satisfying, there were so many dots to connect and some truly jaw dropping moments. I had so much fun and I didn’t want it to end. Just when I thought I figured it out, the story took another sharp turn. The things we all love about a good thriller. I also appreciated the depth of the characters and how each one had a purpose and a story, every one intertwined in an ever growing web of history and secrets. Forget Me Not is one you don’t want to miss. I can’t wait to add this to my shelf in August! 5/5 stars!

Huge thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books, and the author for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

- Pub date August 26, 2025 -

This book was quite a ride. Mystery, missing girls, cultish vibes. This one had it all. I found some of the middle 1/3rd of the book a little slow and found myself skimming but definitely did not predict the way it all tied together and ended! Solid read

This book kept me engaged from start to finish. It had a lot of twists and turns that added to the mystery. Just when I thought I figured it out no, another twist. The characters were likable and well developed. This is my first time reading a book by Stacy Willingham and it won’t be my last.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC.

Forget Me Not is a fast-paced, engaging read with some genuinely surprising plot twists. Stacey Willingham does a great job of pulling readers into the world of Claire, Marcia, and Galloway Farm.
One of the book’s strongest points is its unpredictability. Just when you think you have the story figured out, it takes a sharp turn—which keeps the pages turning. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I absolutely loved this book. The pacing was perfect and created a sense of urgency at the end. I couldn’t put it down! Claire was likable and a good main character. I would definitely recommend this to others. Thank you for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!!

I was so excited that this author was writing another novel. I absolutely love how entranced in the story you become when reading her books. This is my favorite of hers so far. The beginning is more of a slow burn, but after halfway through, I absolutely could not put it down. The placement of the past with the present is perfect for the storyline. Also, was surprised by the twists.

Thank you so much for my ARC of Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham. Overall I enjoyed the book. It started out a little slow but picked up a few chapters in then I got hooked. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. I would recommend reading this book.

Another great read by Stacy Willingham. This did not disappoint!! It had me hooked from the beginning. I definitely bindged it and finished it in 2 days.

Read this one quickly, a good mystery with lots of twists. Willingham is a must read for me. Uses the word "sour" as an adjective too much, though!

Suuuuper thankful to NetGalley for the ARC of this one! Stacy Willingham did her thing with this book! I can say I absolutely loved this story—it completely pulled me in from the very first page. Claire’s character was beautifully written, complex, and relatable. Her relentless quest for answers and truth took me on a journey filled with mystery, unexpected twists, and emotional depth. Every chapter left me wanting more, and just when I thought I had it figured out, the story surprised me again. It was more than just a mystery—it was a powerful exploration of truth, identity, and resilience. An unforgettable read that stayed with me long after I finished the last page!