This twisty thriller kept me on my toes and had me guessing until the very end! I loved the different timeline POVs and the diary entries that we got. The narration was very well done and i was engaged and interested the whole time. Very solid thriller with twists that will take you by surprise!

An absolute improvement from her last novel, Forget Me Not still had me chasing the high of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things. The plot was strong, and the setting immersive, but the twists and ending felt a bit predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my gifted ALC, and St. Martins Press for my gifted ARC!

Stacy Willingham is an auto read author for me. Her books are always written like velvet. Her characters well-developed, raw, and relatable. And her plot lines are *chef’s kiss.*

Forget Me Not was not of her caliber. It was good - don’t get me wrong. But there were times when I was ready to get to the point. There was a lot of round about information that didn’t feel necessary, that felt more like filler. And the twist ended up seeming unbelievable.

That said, Willingham will always be an auto read for me, this one just wasn’t for me.

I actually really enjoyed this. I liked this so much more than her last book. I think the plot was really interesting. I really am a sucker for a sibling searching for their other sibling. I'm not going to say some of it wasn't predictable but the story was still really interesting and some still surprised me! The narrator was great.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham was an engaging southern thriller that definitely did not disappoint. As an audiobook, it was a real treat, especially with Helen Laser as the narrator, who is one of my favorites! I absolutely loved the way she used different voices between the general narration and the diary readings—it made the story even more immersive.

The book starts with Claire, living her regular life, 22 years after her younger sister vanished and a man was charged with her murder. She's drifted away from her family since then, but she's called back to her childhood small town after her mom has an accident. Deciding to take a seasonal job to keep busy, she lands at Galloway Farm, a vineyard. As she settles in, Claire is hit with a poignant memory: this very farm was a place that brought her sister happiness during that last summer before she went missing.

One day at the vineyard, Claire stumbles upon a diary belonging to one of the owners. What begins as a seemingly simple, cute love story quickly spirals into unhinged details of unsolved crimes in the area. Claire becomes completely obsessed with reading and learning more, and she can't shake the feeling that it could somehow be connected to her sister's disappearance. This started as a slow-burning mystery for me; the first half dragged a little bit. However, I'm glad I stuck with it because the second half was much more fast-paced and truly thrilling!

I really enjoyed this thriller and especially how the twists revealed connections between those from the winery and Claire's sister and past life. They ended up having a lot more in common than I initially thought!

Thanks for NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 8/26/25.

From the first chapter, Forget Me Not grips you with its haunting atmosphere and unsettling sense of mystery. Stacy Willingham once again delivers a masterclass in southern gothic suspense, weaving a richly textured story full of secrets, family trauma, and buried truths.

The story follows Claire Campbell, a former journalist reeling from professional disappointment, who returns to her South Carolina hometown to care for her injured mother. But home is where the ghosts are—especially the unresolved disappearance of Claire’s sister Natalie over two decades ago. When Claire discovers an old roll of film and a diary in the last place Natalie worked—an eerie vineyard called Galloway—she finds herself tangled in a web of past and present, memory and myth.

The setting is spectacular: isolated, humid, and dripping with unease. Willingham paints the vineyard with cinematic precision—every creaking floorboard and rustling vine builds tension as Claire peels back layers of truth. The writing is immersive and lyrical, and the suspense simmers until it boils over.

The structure of the novel alternates between the present and entries from a mysterious journal, slowly revealing a darker picture of what might have happened to Natalie. While the choice to present the diary in third person is an unusual one—and slightly jarring at first—it ultimately adds to the eerie, dreamlike tone of the story.

The pacing does dip at times, particularly in the middle, but the payoff is more than worth it. Willingham plants subtle clues throughout, and when the full picture finally clicks into place, it’s both satisfying and surprising.

What I appreciated most was how personal this thriller felt. Claire’s grief, guilt, and determination are palpable. Her journalistic instincts ground the story in reality, even as the mystery grows more twisted. This isn’t just a whodunit—it’s a story about unresolved loss, the weight of memory, and the lengths we’ll go to for answers.

⸻

Read Forget Me Not if you love:
• Dark family dramas
• Isolated, atmospheric settings
• Southern gothic suspense
• Twisty, layered mysteries
• Haunting stories that stay with you
long after the last page

⸻

This was a binge-worthy read that left me breathless. Willingham has once again proven she’s a powerhouse in the thriller genre. Add this one to your summer TBR—you won’t regret it.

First and foremost, I love these narrators! They both did a wonderful job or portraying all of the characters’ emotions. I think I would not have enjoyed this book as much if I had read it rather than listened.

As for the plot, I enjoyed switching between the present and the diary entries. I was most interested in the Mitchell and Marcia’s story. I honestly would have loved a whole novel about the farm and how Lilly killed Marcia to take her place. Claire’s story and the mystery of Natalie’s death/disappearance was more predictable and followed a typical pattern for a mystery. I did not enjoy how packed the ending was of revelations, and it made the ending feel quite rushed. Overall, a decent slow paced mystery.

Claire, a woman still grappling with her sister’s unsolved murder, as she’s drawn back into the mystery when another girl goes missing—with eerie similarities to her sister’s case. Through journal entries and flashbacks, the story slowly unravels layers of grief, trauma, and suspicion. It’s part introspective literary fiction, part psychological thriller.

I liked the premise a lot and thought the flashbacks were really well done & they were actually my favorite part of the book. But I just never quite connected with Claire. The book felt like it was telling two different stories: the first half was a slow, reflective journey through grief, and the second half suddenly flipped into a twisty thriller. That mismatch threw me off a bit, and some plot points felt way too convenient to land. The journal entries pulled me in way more than Claire’s chapters, and overall… it just didn’t work for me the way I hoped.

I still really enjoy Stacy Willingham’s writing style, but this one’s my least favorite of hers though I think I might be in the minority on that!

Forget Me Not comes out August 26, 2025. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
Tiktok @speakingof.books
Website: SPEAKINGOF.ORG

This book was absolutely *chef’s kiss*! I was hooked from the very beginning, and the twists were unpredictable and shocking! Absolutely LOVED everything about it.

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.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback. Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker do a fantastic job narrating this book!

Claire,a journalist, is having problems at work. She quits and returns home to help her mom who suffered a fall. Claire’s sister disappeared years ago and her boyfriend was put in prison for the crime. Claire has not been home since leaving after high school due to the family issues.

When it’s clear Claire’s mom does not want her at home, Claire takes a job the secluded Galloway farm, the place her sister worked before she disappeared.

This is a well written, faced paced domestic drama. The characters are multilayered and well developed. despite figuring out the ending, i really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend!!!!

Forget Me Not (audio) 3⭐️

This Southern thriller was good/average. I LOVE the narrators, which made listening to the book amazing. The story itself kept my attention, but nothing overly riveting. It seemed to check many “thriller” checkmarks.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio
for this ALC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Aug 26 2025

Just finished this audio and I really enjoyed it! I always look forward to this author's thrillers because they have such a cool atmospheric Southern setting that makes me feel like I'm right there. The narrator does an excellent job too that I always choose the audio for her books. The mystery had me wanting more and rooting for our main character! It was a great, fast paced Southern thriller.

It wasn't like crazy mind blowing or anything but I still enjoyed it and liked that it wasn't too over the top!

Claire’s older sister disappeared 22 years ago and she has never really gotten over it. Now, Claire has quit her journaling job, moving to freelance work, after getting passed over for a promotion she believes should have been hers. But the work isn’t happening and after her mom takes a bad fall, Claire decides to head home to help her out despite their strained relationship. While at home she decides to work at the secluded Galloway farm, the place her sister worked before she disappeared.

This was a slow burn mystery where the tension steadily built as more of the truth became uncovered. Beautifully written, I felt immersed in the surroundings with the dark tone and an eerie setting. There were twists, most of which I did not see.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook

3.5 stars

Claire Campbell's life isn't going the way she'd hoped. After losing out on a job promotion to her only friend, she quits her job as an investigative reporter but is struggling to find freelance work. So when her dad calls and says that her mother had an accident and could use some assistance at home, Claire decides to buckle up and go home to South Carolina. Going home means bringing up all the ghosts that made her family fall apart--her sister being murdered almost twenty years earlier.

When it's clear that Claire's mom doesn't want her around, Claire decides to take a job at Galloway Farm, a place her sister used to work that Claire hopes will help her feel closer to her enigmatic sister. Instead, Claire stumbles into the secrets that hide Galloway Farm, surrounding Mitchell and Marcia, the owners. Once Claire starts digging into the secrets she finds out more about her sister's murder, she realizes that things aren't as they seem and that she herself is now in danger.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me and I struggled to connect with Claire, who seemed secretive with other people for reasons that didn't quite make sense. Even throughout the rest of the story Claire wasn't super compelling, but the strength of the plot and the mysteries that get revealed kept me engaged and sitting on the edge of my seat. The narrators also did a great job of keeping the pacing moving forward. The end came fast and furious, with twist after twist being revealed, but not in a way that felt forced or overly done. This is a good moody summer read.

Forget Me Not is out August 26, 2025.

Claire returns to her hometown once her mother falls through the deck and hurts her leg. It doesn't take long for Claire to want to move on. After she finds a role of film her sister took. she starts checking around to see if she can figure out what happened to her the summer she was murdered. She is not convinced the cops arrested the right guy. She gets a job at a vineyard and starts to uncover all sorts of secrets. Before too long, Claire discovers dangerous things and is not sure she will survive. Who can she trust? Great book!

This was pretty good. A little slow to start. I think it was about 40% before it really caught me. But once it did, I couldn't put it down. The story came together for a very satisfying ending. The narrator for the audiobook was very clear and pleasant to listen to.

Claire’s life has hit a rough patch; she just quit her job as a journalist and heads home to care for her injured (and emotionally distant) mom. To pass the time, she takes a job at the same vineyard where her sister was working the summer she disappeared twenty-two years ago. What’s supposed to be a peaceful reset quickly spirals into something much darker: cue culty vibes, a creepy old diary, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. Slow-burn suspense with that signature Stacy Willingham tension.

Thank you Stacy Willingham, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#forgetmenot #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

So, I recently read ‘Forget Me Not,’ and it was quite an intriguing tale! While I never quite grasped the full plot, I was quite close to the end. It wasn’t exactly a book that will stick in my memory, but it was still quite enjoyable and I’m glad I got a chance to read it.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an audiobook version of this story! It was a truly wonderful experience.