I really enjoyed the story plot and it was filled with mystery. I did think it was boring in the middle and wanted a better ending. There were some twists but felt forced.

Claire moved to the city to escape the memories and prying eyes in her small town - and everyone knowing her as the sister of the girl who was murdered. When her father tells her that her estranged mother needs help, she reluctantly returns to her childhood home and finds herself confronted with the traumatic past and pieces that still don’t quite make sense.

After stumbling upon a connection between her sister and Galloway Farm, Claire decided on a whim to take a seasonal job there. Here she stumbles upon a diary that tells a different story about the farm and its owners than what appears. Claire becomes obsessed with the details of the diary and how much it seems to relate to her own sister’s life, and finds herself questioning how safe she is working at this farm.

There is a lot to unpack in this mysterious and suspenseful crime drama. There are multiple timelines, dual POV, and a large quantity of characters to keep track of. The story is well done, but the FMC makes some wild leaping assumptions and has some ridiculously impressive sleuthing skills that aren’t quite displayed in advance enough as part of her job. The diary is also a very central piece of evidence, but is a highly secluded and naive girl going to be writing in a diary at the level of detail provided here? It felt like a bit of a stretch, that what the POV provided and the diary entries would be detailed enough for the FMC to figure out what she did… while also missing some pretty obvious hints!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Claire’s sister, Natalie, disappeared twenty-two years ago just after her eighteenth birthday. An older man whom Natalie was supposedly seeing was arrested and convicted of her murder, though a body was never found. Claire couldn’t wait to escape her stifling small southern town and headed to New York City as soon as she could, where she became a journalist. Now out of a job, her father calls her home, concerned about her mother, who was divorced from him but had been involved in an accident.

After one day home, Claire escapes and impulsively takes a job at a vineyard where Natalie once worked. When she discovers a hidden diary, secrets are uncovered; will one of them lead to finally finding out what happened to her sister? Danger lurks as she begins to unravel the truth.

This is the third thriller I’ve read and enjoyed by this author. While the pacing slows down a bit in the middle, there are twists and turns in this dark story that will keep readers constantly on edge. Some of the twists are predictable, while others are unexpected and will keep you guessing. The book is atmospheric, with Willingham painting a vivid picture of the sultry South Carolina summer—hot, humid, odiferous, and filled with biting creatures. I thought Claire a bit reckless at times, and some of her decisions weren’t the best, which was annoying to me.

Willingham uses an interesting technique in this book. As Claire reads the journal she finds, each entry becomes a new chapter in the book, told as a third-person narrative rather than a first-person account.

Stacey Willingham is an automatic buy author for me. This book will be no different.

Claire Campbell's older sister, Natalie, disappeared when Natalie was eighteen years old. Her body was never recovered and the case went cold shortly after. Fresh out of a job and still grieving, Claire leaves home and returns to South Carolina where she is forced to confront questions about her sister's disappearance and happens upon a job on a farm where her sister used to work before she disappeared.

This is a slow burn thriller was creepy and delicious. It was like watching a true crime documentary. It was slow at first but the last 30% of the book gave a satisfying pay off. I ultimately enjoyed this one.

Thanks to NetGally for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

After loving A Flicker In The Dark, I was very excited to get an ARC of Stacy Willingham’s latest book, Forget Me Not. While the book does start off slow, there were so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes suspense or thrillers. The characters, especially Liam and Claire, were fantastic and I couldn’t put this book down once I start.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for an audio arc of Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham.

Another fantastic read by this author! The audio was great as well.
4/5 star.
This story is filled with twist and turns and some very suspenseful parts. I was left continuously wondering what would happen next.
My predictions were never right.
If you’re looking for a fast paced, suspenseful thriller that you can binge in a day, then this is a great choice.
Claire had left her job after pursuing her writing career when one day she gets a phone call from her dad that her mom had been injured and suggests she comes home to help her mom out.
Claire doesn’t stay long as memories from her sisters disappearance become too much.
Claire ends up staying on a property that her sister worked at many years ago and finds a diary that sends Claire on an investigation. Things continue to unravel from there.
Definitely recommend!

Now these are the Stacy Willingham thriller vibes I have been chasing since reading her debut novel A Flicker In The Dark! Could not put this down and cannot speak highly enough about Stacy’s writing and her way with details and metaphors. I don’t think I’ve read another author that does it quite like she does.
Definitely recommend picking this book up in August and thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book!

Stacy Willingham’s BEST YET!! Propulsive read! I haven’t finished a book this fast in a long time.

Claire Campbell has a lot of repressed trauma that she’s been ignoring for 20 years. Living in New York City for 10 of those years as an investigative journalist hasn’t done much to heal her. She returns to coastal South Carolina for the summer and begins living at muscadine winery & farm.

The plot line of journalist returns to hometown and solves decades old murder is kinda played out but it really evolved into more than that so I won’t hold it against her. The twists were good and some were not predictable. The South Carolina atmosphere reminds me of home as native South Carolinian (not the murder part). Muscadine grapes and salt air immediately places me there.

Quick summer thriller! Would recommend for the beach! I will post my review on my page closer to release date and add the link then.

If you’re looking for an atmospheric thriller full of missing girls, buried secrets, and haunting prose, Stacy Willingham’s got you covered! I loved Claire’s perspective - as an investigative journalist she is trained to ask questions and find connections. The short chapters combined with the diary entries made for a fast-moving plot, with each entry peeling away another layer of mystery. I love the way Willingham weaves multiple plot lines together, designed to keep her readers guessing and engaged, before hitting them with twist after twist. A summer read you won’t want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Stacy Willingham will forever be the queen of twisty domestic suspense and this book did not disappoint. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁 is an eerie and atmospheric thriller that will stick with you long after you’re finished reading it. I haven’t ever read anything quite like it!

Willingham masterfully builds tension and unease from the first page. The alternating timelines kept me engaged when the pace slowed down a bit at times. Overall, this was so well written and such an entertaining read. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it!

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁’s expected publication date is August 26, 2025. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!

Thank you for the ARC.

22 years ago Claire’s older sister disappeared and the body never found. Claire goes and works on a vineyard where she uncovers several secrets and bodies.

For me this book was more of a mystery rather than a thriller and a slow burn. By the end, it was a bit confusing and wasn’t my favorite by this author.

I have loved all of Stacy’s books. This one was enjoyable. The story begins with a story about a mother and daughter but then spins into a deeper story of cult relationships. This was a great thriller and an enjoyable read!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for my early copy of "Forget Me Not." I have read most of her books, and this one is far my favorite. I love her twisted endings, and this did not disappoint me.

I went into this novel blind after reading other books by Stacy Willingham, all books that were amazing. Forget Me Not is a book that will stay with me forever. From start to finish, the way the author weaves through timelines was so well done. I wish I could give more than 5 stars because 5 doesn't seem like enough!

Forget Me Not gripped me from the very first page. Stacy Willingham has once again proven her talent for creating suspenseful, character-driven stories that feel both personal and haunting. I was immediately drawn in by the mystery surrounding Claire’s sister, Natalie, and the way the narrative unfolds through dual timelines made it impossible to put down.

The vineyard setting was atmospheric and vividly written—it felt like its own character, steeped in secrets. I especially loved how the discovery of the old diary added a layered, almost gothic element to the story. Every new entry pushed the plot forward in unexpected ways, and I found myself racing to see how it all connected.

Claire was a compelling lead, flawed, determined, and deeply human. Watching her unravel the truth while confronting the pain of her past was equal parts heartbreaking and empowering. I appreciated how the story balanced emotional depth with thrilling suspense, and the ending was satisfying without being overly tidy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
📅 Release Date: August 26

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the incredibly talented Stacy Willingham for this eARC—I devoured it in less than 48 hours. ⏳📖 I requested this book without even reading the synopsis because I love this author and trust her to deliver top-tier thrillers every time. And wow, did she deliver again. 🙌

Imagine my absolute delight when I realized this was a cult thriller—my bread and butter! 🥖🧈 (Side note: my obsession with cult stories probably started when I was 16 and my mom made me write an essay about cults after my best friend dressed me as an emo girlie. 😂 Long story, but here we are.)

This book was everything I wanted: eerie atmosphere 🌫️, layered characters 🧩, family trauma 💔, secrets buried deep 🕵️‍♀️, and that delicious slow-burn unraveling Willingham does so well. I went in blind and highly recommend you do the same if you love to be surprised—it’s worth it. 👀

Here’s a quick lowdown:
Twenty-two years ago, Claire’s sister Natalie disappeared and was presumed murdered, though the case wrapped up quickly. Claire has spent decades trying to move on, but when she returns home for the summer, she takes a job at Galloway Farm 🍇, a local vineyard with ties to her sister’s past. What starts as a simple summer escape quickly spirals when Claire finds a diary 📔 that links the vineyard to long-forgotten crimes—and possibly to her sister’s disappearance.

It’s creepy, it’s tense, it’s twisty in all the right ways. 🔥 I was hooked from page one, and Willingham’s writing made me feel like I was right there in the sweltering South Carolina heat ☀️, desperately trying to connect the dots.

If you’re a thriller fan, especially if you have a soft spot for cult storylines 🛐, Forget Me Not is not one to miss. 🚨 I can’t wait to grab a finished copy when it hits shelves on August 26! 📚

"Forget Me Not" by Stacy Willingham is a haunting and beautifully crafted thriller that lingers long after the final page. Willingham’s writing shines with an ethereal quality, drawing readers into a dark and captivating world.

From the outset, the atmosphere of the story is palpable, creating a sense of foreboding that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The plot is intricately woven with twists that are both surprising and satisfying, making it a challenge to predict the outcome. Unlike many mysteries where I can guess the ending halfway through, this book kept me guessing right until the last moment.

The characters are richly developed, each adding depth to the narrative and contributing to its overall tension. Willingham's ability to balance suspense with emotional depth elevates the reading experience, making the stakes truly feel high.

I highly recommend "Forget Me Not" to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers that leave a mark. It’s a remarkable journey that showcases Willingham as a phenomenal writer, and I’m sure this story will stay with me for quite some time.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Stacy Willingham for the ARC. The book is released on August 26, 2025. Run, don't walk to your local bookstore to get a copy.

I have enjoyed all of Stacy Willingham’s books, and this one was no exception! Twenty years after her sister goes missing and is presumed dead, Claire returns to her southern hometown and finds herself in a quest to uncover the secrets behind her sister’s disappearance. In typical fashion, Willingham created an atmospheric thriller with twists and turns that kept me interested until the last page. While I wasn’t completely shocked by all the developments, I enjoy the way she weaves a story and keeps me wanting to read. Definitely recommend! Thanks NetGalley!

I have been looking forward to read another Willingham book for what seems like forever. This one is not my favorite, but I still really enjoyed. The twists did take me by surprise, so that was a treat. And I really appreciated the narrator. I am rating this 3.5 rounding up to 4.

This was a twisty, fast paced read mystery/thriller.

Claire returns to her hometown after her mother is injured and in need of help. Claire must face her issues and past while home. 20 years ago Claire’s sister went missing, while home Claire finds Natalie’s diary and starts to wonder if her disappearance might be linked to other murders. The secrets and lies in this book are great! Kept me guessing through the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.