Actual Rating 2.5

It felt like this book was kind of a recycle of typical tropes of the genre that didn’t do much to make it feel original. This includes the FMC in her thirties making some unwise and downright absurd decisions that made her difficult to relate to or often felt like they were used to keep the plot going where the author needed it to. The first portion of the book is quite slow with the setup, which highlights the recycled feel from the familiar tropes. The tension finally increases and things get a bit more interesting, but things stayed relatively predictable.

This book does require some suspension of disbelief. The biggest place this had to happen was that I found it impossible to believe that someone born and raised in rural South Carolina didn’t know what honeysuckle was. I also disliked that the journal entries scattered throughout were written in the third person rather than the first. It seemed like an odd choice that broke the immersion.

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author, but this was my least favorite one so far and left me wanting more. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3.75 🌟 rounded up

*I alternated between reading the ebook and listening to the audiobook of Forget Me Not.

This was my first book by Stacy Willingham, and I'm not sure why I waited so long to try one of her books. Forget Me Not is a really solid thriller. It kept me engaged throughout the book, and I finished it in about a day because I wanted to know what had happened to Claire's sister. Claire is a likeable FMC. Willingham writes her in a way that makes you really feel her pain and empathize with her struggles.

Narration is done by Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker. Their voices differentiate between Claire's and the diary entries. I've listened to audiobooks narrated by Laser before, and her performance here is done well. Vacker also does a great job. They both express emotion throughout the reading, when appropriate.

Recommended for readers of twisty, southern thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Who wouldn't want to find out what happened to her missing sister? Claire the FMC, goes to many lengthens to sort out what happened in the disappearance of her sister. If you are looking for an engaging mystery with family ties this is the perfect book for you. The pacing is perfect and the mystery keeps you guessing right until the end.

I enjoyed the narrator's voice and the way it was changed to reflect different characters. The pacing was also well done with the very slight exception of too long of a pause between chapters but that was very minor.

Thank you Net Galley, Stacy Willingham and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.
Forget Me Not is expected to be released Aug. 26, 2025.

I enjoyed this Thriller a lot! Fast paced and a strong story line. This was my first experience with one of Stacy Willingham's thrillers and based on reviews of her previous books I had high hopes. The creepy setting of an isolated vineyard really helped set up the story for some solid twists and turns in the storyline.

Overall would recommend this to anyone looking for a solid thriller!

Stacy Willingham is the queen of a well-paced thriller. This one has that nice, slow burn quality as well, though it felt a little bit surface level (maybe I just wanted more of the juicy "past" stuff).

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Stacy Willingham's upcoming Southern thriller, "Forget Me Not," and as someone who appreciates a good mystery from a local author here in the Charleston area, I was particularly excited to dive in. Willingham delivers a genuinely pulse-pounding read that grabs you from the very beginning.

The story centers on Claire Campbell, whose older sister, Natalie, vanished over two decades ago, a case quickly closed after a man was arrested. Now, an unexpected call pulls Claire, an investigative journalist, back to her childhood home, forcing her to confront that traumatic past. Looking for a way to pass the summer, she impulsively takes a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a muscadine vineyard in coastal South Carolina. The setting itself is fantastic—a scenic retreat that initially feels like the perfect escape, and a place where her sister spent her last summer.

Willingham excels at building a pervasive sense of unease. As Claire starts to settle in, she uncovers an old diary that, at first glance, seems to tell a story of youthful rebellion. But it quickly spirals into something far more sinister, detailing unsolved crimes. This discovery leads Claire down a rabbit hole, immersing her deeply in the vineyard's dark history and making her increasingly secluded. The growing suspicion that her own sister's disappearance might be tied into all of this adds a powerful, personal layer to the mounting tension.

The novel kept me guessing, with plenty of twists and turns that effectively built suspense. Claire's obsession with the diary and her desperate search for answers felt very real. "Forget Me Not" is a strong, atmospheric thriller that masterfully blends family secrets with a chilling historical mystery, set against our own atmospheric Lowcountry backdrop. It's definitely one to look out for.

★★★★☆

#ForgetMeNot #StacyWillingham #Thriller #SouthernThriller #BookReview #Bookstagram #ARC #LocalAuthor #CharlestonReads #Mystery #FamilySecrets #CoastalSC #GallowayFarm #UnsolvedCrimes #Suspense

Twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her 18th birthday. Days later, her blood was found in a car, a man was arrested, and the case was closed. But of course, not everything is as it seems. Decades later, in an attempt to forget her traumatic past by moving to the city to become a journalist, she gets an unexpected call from her father, forcing her to return home once again.

Unable to find comfort in her childhood home, Claire accepts a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a place just under an hour from where she grew up, where her sister had once set foot and seemed truly happy. Galloway seemed like a perfect escape for Claire, an ideal way to earn some money and pass the time.

Since this is a thriller, we know that’s not true. As soon as Claire starts to settle in, she stumbles across an old diary written by one of the vineyard's owners, Marsha, and what at first seems like a story of young love turns into something much more sinister.

Claire discovers details of various unsolved crimes.

Galloway was supposed to be a place to help her move forward, but instead, she is immersed in her own dark and dangerous past.

My feelings following this book are that Stacy Willingham is one of my favourite thriller authors, if not my favourite. Forget Me Not was the first book I applied for on NetGalley, and my request was declined. However, no hard feelings, as I was granted the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, and I love an audiobook done by Macmillan Audio. The narrators are always great. Anyway, I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It’s probably one of my favourites, aside from A Flicker in the Dark, that will always hold the Number 1 position in my heart. Unfortunately, my dog disagrees and thinks A Flicker in the Dark is a better snack than a read…I still need a replacement, but I think he will agree with me on this one.

One of the main reasons for my love for Stacy Willingham’s writing and stories is that she has this fantastic ability to hook me from the first Chapter. It’s so addictive that I find it hard to put the book down; I need to know what happens next on an obsessive level. I love her characters; I connect with them immediately. They can frustrate me at times, but I still enjoy them because they have depth. Their background, their stories, and their inner monologue just hit right. I know what they are thinking, and most importantly, I understand. It can be frustrating when you get inner monologues and still don’t understand what the character is feeling and why, but that’s never the case with the main characters in her books.

Then the ending, it’s always quite twisty, there’s so much going on as the main character starts connecting all the dots, my brain almost combusts. But every single time it makes sense, everything comes together so perfectly, and it blows my mind. How! HOW! Tell me, Stacy! I’m in awe of how intricate the plot is, with details that I can never predict. Even when I think I got it, I’m off and I love that!

I’m going to leave it at that. Read this when it comes out, everyone. Even if you’re not a thriller fan, you can appreciate the details and thought process that go into any of her books.

Five star!! The book was written so well, captivated me from beginning to end. I had to finish no matter what because the twists and turns just kept coming! This one is a masterpiece from the narrators to the storyline, to the plot. This book definitely got me out of my reading slump! Well done!

This was the perfect thriller; I could not stop listening! Sometimes it’s necessary to suspend reality at the end of thrillers and I found this one to be realistic; that might be due to the Manson family vibes I was getting. It was well written and easy to follow. I loved that even though I had some of the twists figured out, I was still in shock at the end.

From the beginning, it was easy to root for Claire. I loved the second timeline through the diary entries. The third person POV did throw me off a little here just because I wasn’t expecting it from a diary but did make is easier to separate the two timelines. The narrator was easy to listen to and easy to understand, even at faster speeds. This is only my second Stacy Willingham novel but I have already added her backlist to my TBR.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Stacy Willingham has done it again! After A Flicker in the Dark (one of my all-time favourite thrillers), I had high expectations—and this book delivered. Willingham has such a gift for writing rich, layered characters. I felt like I truly knew Claire, Natalie, and Liam. This is very much a character-driven story, but don’t worry—there are some wild twists at the end that completely caught me off guard!

I listened to the audiobook, and Karissa Vacker’s narration was phenomenal. She’s easily in my top 3 narrators—she brings every character to life in such a vivid, emotional way. Her voice added an extra dimension to the story that made it even more immersive.

Highly recommend this for fans of psychological thrillers with strong character development and a few surprises you won’t see coming!

I can only handle suspense books once or twice a year. This book had so many twists and turns and even though I kept thinking I know how it would end, there was new layers. The author did a great job peppering in so many hints and breadcrumbs all the pieces clicked into place to a tidy conclusion.

This book was a real slow burn for me. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but it felt pretty slow. Definitely not the thriller that I was expecting.
Claire is a journalist who is currently jobless with a lot of time on her hands. She goes home for the first time in many years to help her injured mother. She finds herself trying to figure out details of her sister's unfortunate death. Claire develops a borderline obsession with trying to solve the mystery of what really happened to her sister and whether the wrong person is implicated. She unknowingly will endanger her life in her efforts to solve the crime and save another person that she feels is in danger.
This one was a bit of a bore to be honest.
Rating : 3.5 stars

A big thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press for providing an ARC (audiobook) in exchange for an honest review..

Dark and atmospheric, I loved the creepy vibe of the isolated vineyard. The characters were well-developed for the most part, but the pace was inconsistent--slow in some places and rocketing forward in others. There were a huge number of twists and turns that had my head spinning as they all came together in the end. The narrators of the audio version did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life.

The audiobook narrators were fantastic and made the book very easy to listen to. Unfortunately, I feel that I would've DNF'd this book if it weren't for such fantastic narration. The pacing is slooooow and at times I had to ask why did I care? Then literally at 86% the huge twist is revealed and then it finally got interesting. Overall 3 stars.

Holy cow.
I love a good thriller that has me curious and uncomfortable, but not terrified or grossed out. This one did a great job with that. It did feel slow at the beginning, but I understand that it takes time sometimes to lead into the harrowing parts.

I swore I knew who did what, and who was who. I was sorely mistaken. It did feel like cheating to give us key information (eye color, IYKYK) at the very end as the main character figures everything out; that could’ve helped us figure things out sooner too. But, it was fun to figure stuff out “in the moment” with Claire.

I swapped back and forth between reading the ebook and audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the ebook and audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Release: August 26, 2025
Author: Stacy Willingham
Publisher: McMillan Audio

Rating: 4 ★ 

Claire Campbell has spent over two decades trying to move on from the trauma of her sister Natalie’s disappearance, which shook their family when Natalie vanished just after turning eighteen. Though a man was arrested and the case closed quickly, Claire never got true closure. Now an investigative journalist living far from home, she's pulled back into the past when her father’s unexpected call brings her back to the place where it all happened.
Stuck in her childhood home for the summer with her distant mother, Claire takes a spontaneous job at a vineyard called Galloway Farm—once a favorite spot of her sister’s. What seems like a peaceful summer escape soon turns unsettling when Claire discovers an old diary written by one of the vineyard’s owners. At first, the entries feel like a simple love story—but they slowly unravel into something far more disturbing, connecting to a string of unsolved crimes.
As Claire digs deeper, she becomes consumed by the diary’s revelations and starts to suspect that Natalie’s disappearance may not have been as clear-cut as she was told. What began as an effort to move forward becomes a dangerous journey into buried truths, where the past might not be as far behind as she thought.
Forget Me Not is a slow-burning, atmospheric mystery that draws you in with its haunting Southern setting and deep emotional undercurrents. The story follows Claire, an investigative journalist who returns to her South Carolina hometown after more than twenty years—forced to face the trauma of her sister Natalie’s disappearance. Hoping for a quiet distraction, Claire takes a seasonal job at a local vineyard, but what she finds instead is a chilling diary that connects to long-buried secrets... and possibly to her sister's fate.
This novel thrives on mood—there’s an eerie, almost claustrophobic feel to the vineyard, and you can sense Claire’s growing obsession with uncovering the truth. The pacing is definitely on the slower side, but in a way that builds a creeping tension rather than rushing to shocks. And while some characters felt intentionally vague or underdeveloped, it actually added to the mystery and the sense that something was always just out of reach.
I really enjoyed the inclusion of diary entries—they gave the story a compelling true-crime edge and helped layer in suspense. Some twists I saw coming, but others genuinely surprised me. There are elements of cult-like behavior, grief, guilt, and family dysfunction all blended together, making this more than just a mystery—it’s an emotional unraveling.
While there were moments where I wished for a faster pace or a little more clarity in the final motivations, I was still thoroughly pulled in. The ending was satisfying, tying up the subplots well, and the overall experience was immersive. It might not be Willingham’s most heart-pounding thriller, but it’s one of her most emotionally rich.
A haunting, character-driven mystery that slowly tightens its grip as the past refuses to stay buried.

Favorite Quote: 
“This particular secret is the only thing keeping me whole. She is the only thing keeping me whole… She’s so much more than just a secret. She’s everything to me.”

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this advanced copy in trade for my honest review. I absolutely loved this mysterious and heart wrenching story. Claire is a journalist who ends up back in her hometown where her sister was murdered and starts to slowly piece together clues on what really happened. It keeps you guessing and just when you think you have it figured out, you don’t. I love Stacy Willingham’s writing style and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham is a masterful psychological thriller that left me utterly captivated from start to finish. As someone who adored her previous work, A Flicker in the Dark, I had high expectations, and this novel exceeded them in every way. The story follows a deeply flawed yet relatable protagonist navigating a web of dark secrets and haunting memories, set against a richly atmospheric backdrop that feels almost like a character itself. Willingham’s prose is evocative and precise, pulling you into the mind of the narrator with every page.
The plot is a labyrinth of twists and turns, expertly crafted to keep you guessing. Each chapter unveils new layers of suspense, with red herrings and revelations that had me second-guessing my theories until the stunning climax. The pacing is impeccable—slow enough to build tension and develop the characters, yet fast enough to maintain an addictive momentum. The supporting cast is equally compelling, with their own hidden depths that add richness to the narrative.
What sets this book apart is Willingham’s ability to blend psychological depth with heart-pounding thrills. The themes of memory, identity, and guilt are explored with nuance, making this more than just a page-turner—it’s a thought-provoking experience. The ending tied up the story beautifully while leaving just enough ambiguity to linger in my mind long after I finished.
As a NetGalley reviewer, I’m incredibly grateful to the publisher for providing this ARC. Forget Me Not is a must-read for fans of the genre, and I can’t wait to see it on bookshelves. Highly recommended—5 stars without hesitation!

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham is a gripping psychological thriller that weaves together family secrets, unresolved trauma, and a chilling mystery. The story follows Claire, whose older sister Natalie went missing when Claire was just 11 years old. Though Natalie’s body was never found, the case haunted Claire into adulthood—and when she stumbles across hidden photos in Natalie’s old room, she’s pulled back into the search for answers.

The deeper Claire digs, the more tangled the web becomes. The story uncovers long-buried family secrets, including a shocking revelation about Natalie’s parentage and the existence of a stepbrother she never knew about. As the truth begins to surface, Claire learns that her mother may have known more about Natalie’s disappearance than she ever let on—including a disturbing connection to the man Claire suspects of being involved.

Willingham does a fantastic job building suspense and slowly peeling back the layers of truth. The emotional tension between Claire and her family adds depth to the mystery, and the twists are both surprising and satisfying. The final reveal—that Natalie is, in fact, dead, and her body is found only at the end—brings a bittersweet but powerful conclusion to the story.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator delivered a compelling performance that added intensity and emotion to the experience.

Overall, Forget Me Not is a well-paced, emotionally rich thriller that kept me guessing. I’d highly recommend it to fans of twisty, character-driven mysteries with a dark family edge.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Stacy Willingham for allowing me the opportunity to be on your ARC Team.

I love author Stacy Willingham's previous work, but they may have outdone themselves on this newest twisting read. Cults, kids, and fraught relationships come to ahead in this tale of finding oneself.