I still haven’t fully decided how I feel about this author. While I didn’t hate this book, I felt like it didn’t deliver the way the I wanted it to. I enjoyed it at certain parts, but overall I wasn’t crazy about it.

In the vibrant world of a South Carolina liberal arts college, introverted Margot is drawn into the orbit of magnetic Lucy Sharpe, a larger-than-life figure. After a cautious year, Lucy's invitation to room together unleashes Margot's dormant daring. Alongside sarcastic Sloane and amiable Nicole, they form an unexpected bond. As Margot sheds her shell, a mysterious murder shakes their sophomore year, leaving Lucy missing. The suspenseful narrative explores friendship dynamics, loyalty, envy, and betrayal, making it a compelling thriller.

This was not my favorite. After loving Willingham’s first two books, I struggled with Only If You’re Lucky. I found the pacing to be very slow, and I did not love the main character. It had moments where it pulled me in, but ultimately fell flat for me.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life and seems to cast a spell on everyone around her. When Margot meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year, Margot is intrigued and immediately thinks of her friend Eliza. Lucy may be just the person to help Margot come out of her shell.

And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It's a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she's been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered... and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Willingham’s books and I couldn’t wait to pick up this one! This academic suspense thriller certainly didn’t disappoint. This one felt like a bit of a departure from her previous books and was a bit more character driven “drama” than thriller, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. This book was a really good depiction of female friendship, feeling like you’ve lost yourself to fit in, and gave a look into how bad toxic friendships can be. I really enjoyed the cat and mouse aspect of this book and the unreliable characters that you meet throughout the book. I do think you need to suspend belief a bit to enjoy the twists, but if you’ve enjoyed Willingham’s other books, chances are you will enjoy this one too.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review! All of these opinions are my own.

Margot, a quiet, college student, looses her best friend Eliza in high school. Now, she finds herself at the attention of Lucy. Lucy is larger than life, the opposite of Margot, and asks Margot to be her new roommate. Lucy reminds Margot so much of Eliza that she can't say no. When reality threatens to intercept with her past, Margot cannot pursue it, if not as justice for Eliza.

The book lacks suspense, it's slow most of the way through. The end is twisty, but far fetched. I didn't find myself compelled by the characters or the story. I wasn't a huge fan of Willingham's other novels and I'm starting to think maybe her thrillers aren't for me. If you enjoyed her previous two novels, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as well, as I find them very similar!

I was really excited to read this book because I loved A Flicker in the Dark, but this one ended up falling a little flat for me. I think I just had a hard time connecting with the characters and I was hoping for a book that had me flipping the pages one right after the other! There were some pretty good plot twists that kept you engaged. I think I just had high expectations of this book because I loved her previous work.

I was so excited to be provided with this ARC from NetGalley and Minotaur Books. Both of Stacy’s last books were page turners and was excited to get this one started. This book was written in a different formant than her first 2. Although the story line was interesting, it lacked the excitement that her previous book provided.

This book. This book...it was not it. I'm beginning to think that maybe Stacy Willingham is just not the thriller author for me. After going 1 for 3 in enjoying her books, it might be time to call it quits. And if this hadn't been our book club selection (and a book that I used an audible credit on), I probably would have DNF'd very early in.

There's just something about books where EVERYONE is unlikeable and NOTHING makes sense that don't work for me. I went to college and their lifestyle and overall ambivalence toward school really just didn't work for me - and probably wouldn't have worked foe the university (I mean Cs get degrees and all that, but it's almost as if Willingham would have us believe that they are good students?). Honestly, if this was the life they lived, they all probably would have failed out. You can't tell me they weren't just too hungover every day to even make it to class.

The twist (which you have to make it almost 80% of the way into the book to get to) just didn't work for me. It didn't make sense, the red herring was weird. Just all of it - odd.

Not for me. 2 stars.

I liked this book. I was disappointed though compared to the previous two books that I have read by this author. It was very hard to keep my attention throughout the book. There were too many characters in my opinion that interfered with the story’s integrity. This will be a three star read for me. I will be looking forward to reading the authors next book.

This book had me hooked, I Really enjoyd the plot and characters but I didnt belive that the leader of the pack just didnt go to school and no one caught on to that?

You have to suspend belief somewhat, but this book is a quick read and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Although, enjoyable I would say this book is not outstanding. However, it is the perfect guilty pleasure read to keep you entertained.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and review.

Alternative timelines and points of view contribute to the page turning, keeps you guessing, nail biter.

Will Margot’s good fortunes come to an end or were they always an illusion?

Complex characters. Fast paced.

3.5⭐️

If you could get away with murder, would you? In this academia-style thriller that is the question at the heart of this story.

Margot’s first year of college is not at all what she had pictured up. Spending the majority of her time alone or with her one roommate, everything changes when Lucy invites Margot to come live off campus with two other girls.

Lucy is the IT girl, eerily similar to Margot’s best friend Eliza whose accidental death has had great effect on her.

Finally having the opportunity to embrace that college experience: parties, late nights, rebellion, drugs, and drinking, Margot feels like she finally belongs to something after the passing of Eliza.

But then the frat boy next door(Levi)-who Margot happens to know from before-ends up dead and Lucy mysteriously disappears, Margot’s life is turned upside down once again.

With past and present timelines strategically revealing tidbits of history and pieces to the story, you’ll in be in for unexpected twists that will keep you guessing.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Stacy Willingham, but this one was middle of the road for me. The pacing felt slow, and I kept waiting for things to pick up.

Although I have loved Stacy Willingham's first two novels, this one unfortunately was not my favorite. As a slow burn thriller, I did appreciate the sense that there was more to come and the wait will be worth it. I definitely think that for some this will be more than enough to keep the interest. For me, I was not able to stay engaged and moved on when things didn't pick up about halfway through.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC, although this one was not my favorite of hers, I will still be looking forward to the next book that Stacy Willingham writes!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Only if You’re Lucky
Pub date: 1/16/24
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited for our February pick for @thrilllersbythebookclub.mke
This book definitely felt more like a mystery than thriller as it was so slow!
I did like the dark academia vibes and did like the ending. I just felt like it was incredibly slow and was bored until the last 25% of the book. There was a lot of college drama! This was entertaining enough but doesn’t compare to her first two books. All The Dangerous Things is my favorite by far. I look forward to what Stacy writes next!!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minatourbooks for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

A Flicker in the Dark was one of my 2023 5 star reads, so, when I receive the ARC for Only If You're Lucky, I knew I'd be in for a treat.

While her books are mysterious and suspenseful, Willingham is always able to intertwine coming of age aspects that make her books unputdownable, and Only If You're Lucky stays true to that.

With alternating time-lines that kept me hooked, and the just one more chapter craveability, Stacy Willingham has done it again and secured her spot as one of my favorite authors. I cannot wait for her next read!

Highly recommend this for thriller/mystery lovers and fans of Jennifer Hillier and Riley Sager.

4.25/5

This is my second read from this author. I like her style. I like the pacing. I don't usually connect with the characters, but there's enough entertaining tension that I keep going when I usually wouldn't with other people. So I'm always going to give credit for that.

Did I like Lucy and Margot? Meh. Not particularly, but I did finish and am glad that I did.

Willingham is a twister, so it's worth a read. 3.6, rounded.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book! I kind of think of it like the equivalent of reality tv but in thriller form - not for everyone, but great for someone like me who gobbles drama up!

Margot was supposed to leave for her freshman year of college with her best friend, but when Eliza passes unexpectedly that summer, Margot is forced to go alone. A loner until she’s adopted by “cool girl” Lucy, Margot starts to hang with the it crowd. When people start to end up dead, you’ll be left not knowing who to trust.

A thriller told in alternating storylines, you’ll get to know Margot and her friends while you’re transported back to college. A great book for anyone looking for a quick thriller!

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

I've previously really enjoyed Stacy Willingham's work. While this one fell a bit shorter than her first two novels, I think it had a lot to do with me/my interests than the story itself (as i feel pretty removed from college life). I think it was a straightforward slow burn campus thriller with an interesting twist.
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press for the ARC