College life, toxic friends, & murder? Say less. 🫡 I’m in 😂 Let’s review this banger ⤵️

GENRE: Suspense/ Mystery
MY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
#gifted @minotaur_books — tysm!!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Alternating timelines 🕰️
▫️Single POV
▫️Campus/college setting 🍻
▫️Murder mysteries
▫️Addicting books!!
▫️TV shows: Tell Me Lies or Pretty Little Liars 🤫

MY THOUGHTS:
After LOVING her first two books (reviews on my page!), I was super happy with ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY as well!! 🔥 It was a bit different than books 1 & 2, in a sense that this one was more of a suspense vs thriller IMO. Regardless, I was easily entertained start to finish! Willingham’s writing is truly my favorite— it’s addicting as hell. When I finish one of her books, I immediately get sad bc I have to wait until the next one lol. 😆 The way she captured college in this story had me remembering fun college days of my own. Her author’s note about the house in this book… 🤩 such a cool detail!!! If you’re looking for something that’ll keep you gripped, pick this one up! It’s such a quick read that’ll have you questioning every character. 💥

RATING EXPLAINED:
I’ve seen some mixed reviews, but I was here for this WILD & TOXIC ride 🤪 but yeah, some of the backstory felt repetitive. I thought I had completely figured out how this book would end but I was pleasantly surprised!!! Willingham said this was her favorite ending to write out of all 3 of her books and I see why! 😈 Just remember— In true ~suspense~ fashion, it’s a slow burn with a BANG at the end. Stacy Willingham continues to knock out great books! 🤓

DETAILS:
▫️Published: 1/16/24
▫️Pages: 384
▫️Format: e-book
▫️DM for trigger warnings ‼️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the book.
Stacy Willingham did it again! She wove an incredibly compelling story about youth that was both infuriating and intriguing. She wrote characters that were nuanced for how much the reader wanted to hate them, but their youth and trauma and naiveté made them sympathetic characters that you were invested in and worried about abandoning. This was a thriller staple and Willingham is such an incredible writer!

I just couldn’t get into the college drama of this. It was a DNF at 21 percent. Bummer because I loved All The Dangerous Things and gave it 5 stars.

3 stars!

This is my third Stacy Willingham book and although I'm always excited for her premises, I do find that unfortunately I've never really been shocked by any of her books or the twists that come in them. Regrettably, Only If You're Lucky also fell into this trap.

Starting with what I did like: I thought the setting of this book was great. I felt like there was a lot of good descriptions and therefore I could visualize everything very clearly. The other piece of the book that I liked was the interconnectedness. Everything that was mentioned came back later and it made me feel rewarded when I guessed something was a clue and I ended up being right.

What I didn't like as much was the actual mystery. I don't mind an unlikeable character but I wasn't really rooting for anyone. Additionally, I thought that there was going to be some slight subversions of my expectations but everything I predicted ended up being right.

I think that this would be great for someone who one off reads thrillers, but as an avid thriller reader I didn't feel like it was anything new or inventive. I will continue to pick up Stacy Willingham's books because I feel like they're quick and easy with good writing, but I hope her next release is more of a hit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely enjoyed this author's debut novel, A Flicker in the Dark, and so, I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to read this 3rd novel of hers!

Only if You're Lucky is about Margot, and her lackluster life, after her high school best friend was killed. They planned to go to college together, and after Eliza's passing, Margot decides to try to carry out their college plans, but finds herself playing it safe, and not quite enjoying her college life, like she hoped she would. A girl on campus, Lucy, is just as enigmatic as Eliza was, and Margot finds herself drawn to Lucy. One day Lucy asks Margot to roommate with her, and her friends, and we see Margot find herself in this new circle of friends. Someone from Eliza, and Margot's past comes into the mix, and we learn what really happened the night Eliza died.

I recommend this for those who enjoy dark academia thrillers. The author is an incredible writer. I need to go back, and read her 2nd novel!

I rated 3.5 out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to provide my review. #NetGalley

I have read all of Stacy's books so far and have loved them all. This one has a deep psychological component that will leave the reader breathless. There are many people out there that are so charismatic that they can sway the mind of even the most die-hard skeptics. Many presidents and politic leaders have this ability. In any friendship grouping, there is always a leader and several followers. The question to ask yourself is do you really know the person you think is the closest to you and does she really have your best interests in mind. Psychological fiction is my favorite type of read. I love nothing better than a mind game!

Flicker in the Dark was a top book of 2023 for me. To say I was eagerly anticipating this book would be an understatement. However, I found it really challenging to get into. Despite my high expectations, it fell a bit flat.

Stacy Willingham continues to solidify her place in the pantheon of modern thriller writers with her third effort, "Only if You're Lucky." She crafts a college town that feels so real it could have your rival university, and a storyline that feels like it could have been pinched from today's headlines, a beautiful college co-ed goes missing, and her beloved roommates left to wonder if she's skipped town for the weekend or if something more sinister might be afoot...

Margot's entire life has felt like one long "always the bridesmaid never the bride" moment. She's always been relegated to the role of the sidekick, never the one people are glad to see at a party, but sometimes acknowledged as "so and so's friend Margot." When she arrives for her freshman year at a small liberal arts university she fears it will be four more years of the same, until she meets Lucy.

Lucy snags her from her humdrum life and pulls her into a world of parties, secrets, and fun. The deeper she falls into her new life the more Margot finds herself leaning on Lucy's friendship, and their house of four quickly becomes "SloaneandNicole" "LucyandMargot". Just as she feels she's coming into her own the ride stops abruptly, when one of their frat boy neighbors is brutally murdered and Lucy disappears without a trace.

A mesmerizing look at what it means to be a woman in your twenties, and just how far we'll go to protect our friends and ourselves, "Only If You're Lucky" is sure to be the hit of late winter book clubs. Stacey Willingham has given us an early favorite for thriller of the year that will keep readers guessing to the very last page. An absolute must-read for fans of the genre, especially those who enjoy Lisa Jewell or Shari Lapena. Special thanks to NetGalley and to Minotaur Books for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Only if You're Lucky" in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved Both of Stacy Willingham's previous novels. This one was definately not as good as the other two. I enjoyed Reading it but wasn't dying to pick it up to read. It felt more like a teen book vs adult book. Was a little boring at times but overall an ok book.

I loved Stacy Willingham's previous books, and this book is no exception. It is a psychological thriller set at a college.

Margot, Lucy, Nicole, and Sloane become college friends when Lucy asks Margot if she wants to room with them for the summer. They are renting a house from a fraternity whose house is right next door. Margot is quiet and studious, and Lucy is the complete opposite. However, Margot falls under her spell, maybe because she is trying to forget the death of her best friend, Eliza, the summer after senior year. Margot and her friends are soon partying the summer away. I felt like there was something different about Lucy, but I could never figure out what it was. So when her story was revealed, it was definitely a twist I didn't see coming.

This is a story about friendship and how much a person really knows about their friends, even their best friends. It's about how things aren't always what they seem, and how people aren't always who they seem to be. The characters are amazing, some likeable and some not, but that's what makes a great story. I never saw that ending until it happened. I was shocked!

You should read this book if you love psychological thrillers. If you haven't tried any of Stacy Willingham's books, what the heck are you waiting for?! Grab one now and start reading. You won't be disappointed.

This is my third book by Stacy Willingham, and having both the previous books be 5 star reads, I had high hopes for this one.

This is about Margot, who after tragically losing her best friend right before they started college together, feels lost in this new world. She gains the favor of a very popular girl named Lucy. Lucy is someone everyone knows and everyone is intrigued by. Margot is quickly brought into Lucy's world, until someone from her past shows up and things go downhill.

This book was hard for me to get into. There were quite a few characters to keep straight at the beginning and I found my mind wandering off as I listened. About halfway I really wasn't sure I even wanted to finish the book. I didn't care about the whereabouts of Lucy or what really happened to Margot's friend. But I stuck it out...which I am glad I did. I loved how the story wrapped up and the second half really made up for the slow start.

I will definitely read more by Willngham.

Another engrossing read by Willingham! This one read a bit more upper YA to me but can she ever write unlikeable characters! While this book was more slow burn, the flashbacks were so effective and kept me engaged the entire time. I love that this author writes shorter chapters, it really helps build the tension and keeps you binge reading. There are plenty of twists in this one to keep you guessing. I also love that this author isn't scared to dive deep into some dark and controversial subject matter - the toxic friendship in this book was very well done! Can't wait to read what this author writes next!

I went back and forth between the ebook and audiobook for this one - the narration was excellent, definitely brought the characters to life and added to the atmosphere.

Content warnings: toxic friendship, death and murder, sexual assault, infidelity, drug and alcohol use, physical abuse.

A huge thanks to Macmillan audio, St-Martin's Press, Minotaur books and Netgalley for the ARC and ALC. All opinions are my own.

Really liked Stacy Willingham's previous books so I was looking forward to getting this one but this one was lacking for me! Her previous books have all had really good pacing and seemed a bit more grown up whereas, as some other reviews have pointed out, this one leans a bit YA. Excited to try other books from her still!

“If you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?”

I don’t know why I keep reading Stacy Willingham books. To be honest, I wasn’t going to pick this one up except for I got an advanced audiobook copy (thanks @macmillanaudio) and thought that maybe I would enjoy her books more in this format… and I did not 🙈

So here’s the thing: this book is a slow burn and while I don’t usually mind that the characters were just so unlikeable and boring that I couldn’t get into it. Also, I read a goodreads review once that mentioned how often Stacy Willingham uses similes and I can’t unhear it now and it really affected my view of her writing 🥴

That being said it was fun to be transported back to college and may of the experiences were relatable (minus the murder obviously).

More about this book:
🏫college setting
🤫twists and secrets
📚Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
🔥slow burn

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.25⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Thriller/mystery📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A slow burn suspense filled with toxic friendships and secretes galore.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
College setting
Toxic friendships
Dark academia vibes
Alternating timelines
Psychological thrillers
YA/ new adult vibes
Unlikable characters
Secretes and lies
Plot twists
Jekyll and Hyde references

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Thought provoking

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Slow burn
I didnt love the ending

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “If you knew you could get away with murder would you?”

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press-Minotaur, and Stacy Willingham for an ARC of this book!

This book starts off very slow. You are introduced to Margot and her generally dull existence. Then she meets Lucy, who takes her under her wing and introduces her to a new, exciting life. The end of the book pieces everything together and makes it hard to put down. I just wish the excitement could’ve been carried throughout the entire story.

Stacey Willingham is a must read author for me. I loved her first two books and was anticipating this new one. Only If You're Lucky is set at a college and full of so many secrets. Her writing is always excellent in all of her books. This one was a slow burn and the ending had a great twist.

This story is told in first person by Margot in a before and after format, which also included some flashbacks to high school. I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous books, but this one just wasn’t for me. It follows a group of college age girls as they navigate fitting into a university environment, relationship dramas and making friends. They’re living in a home that belongs to a frat house and all the related drama that comes with that as well. Most of the themes here just didn’t appeal to me. It brought back my memories of bad roommates instead of the good ones.

When one of the boys is brutally murdered and one of the girls goes missing, the book kicks off with a detective questioning the girls about the preceding events. I thought the mystery might pull me in, but the story focused more on the new adult angst than on the ins and outs of the investigation. There was a twist near the end that I enjoyed, and I didn’t guess what was going on, but for the most part I was disappointed. I’ll definitely try this author again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was the first book I read on vacation and it made a great read on the flight. I enjoyed the setting of this book and it made me think back on my college days, living with 3 other girls and hanging out at fraternities. I thought this book had some good twists and it sort of gave me Mean Girl vibes which I enjoyed. This was a good thriller and a good follow up to the author's debut.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to St. Martin's for giving me the opportunity to publish a voluntary review. This slow burn thriller was similar to other thrillers I have reviewed such as The Last Housewife, and None of This is True. I am a fan of Stacy Willingham because A Flicker In the Dark was a wonderful read. While I loved that one, I liked this one a bit less but it is still going to please fans of contemporary thrillers. The last 25% of the book is the best part. I rate this 3.75 rounded up to 4 stars.