Margot, a shy college student, is drawn into the bold and dangerous world of Lucy Sharpe when Lucy invites her to room together. Living with Lucy and two other girls, Margot begins to break out of her shell, but their lives take a dark turn when a fraternity boy is murdered and Lucy goes missing.

This was a slow paced thriller but left enough intrigue and mystery to always have me at the edge of my seat. I typically don't like to guess the twists but with slower thrillers, my mind tends to wander..and I was surprised at where it went. Not at all what I had thought.

Read if you like...
dark academia vibes
eerie settings
female friendships
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
whodunit murder
twisty endings.

I was also super interested in the author's note at the end where Stacy talks about which parts of the story are true to her life.

Thank you to NetGalley and mintour books for an e-arc exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Margot starts at Rutledge after the death of her best friend that should have joined her looking for a fresh start. Instead she gets into a group of friends that provides more than just a fresh start.

What I liked: this is my first book by the author after hearing such praise for a flicker in the dark and such dangerous things. I can understand the praise because the twists in the book were really good. I loved them and kept turning the pages. However I felt that the first and middle part of the book dragged a little. There was a lot of details about the environment and events that I didn’t think needed to be added. I liked the characters but wanted more of them especially Levi and Nicole. I kept feeling like more context about them would help.
Overall I think the twists were amazing but the pace was a little slow. I would like to read more from this author as I can tell she is a talented writer.

Everyone is obsessed with Lucy. She is magnetic and can get you to do anything...maybe even murder.

This is a college based thriller centered around meek Margot and her attraction to larger than life personalities Eliza and Lucy, who share striking similarities in their ability to illicit borderline obsession for Margot. Shared from Margot's POV in the past with Eliza and the future where Lucy is missing, you see a story come together that you won't know what to believe. There are some red herrings distributed throughout this story, and you know something went down with the main characters, but you're piecing it together until the very end. Around the middle the pacing bogged down significantly, and I kept going hoping the end reveal would be worth it. It wasn't the most shocking, but it was interesting to see how the pieces fell into place.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my eARC! All thoughts are my own.

I have never read this author and have been wanting to give her books a try. So I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of her newest booK! Sadly I had to DNF this one but I think the problem is me. I am almost 20 years older than the characters in this book and just had a really hard time relating to them and their college lifestyle. I was definitely young and crazy (a long time ago-ha!) but the age gap kept me from really investing in the story. I do think this one will be a big hit and I am excited to dive into the author's backlist!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and Stacy Willingham for this ARC to read and review!

I feel like this book moves a little slower than Stacy’s other books (which I absolutely loved and 100% recommend!) … but even tho the pace was a little more subtle .. the story will grab you! The entire thing is shrouded in dark mystery … with shadowy secrets looming in the background building up the suspense of truth being revealed page after page. I was constantly waiting for the bomb to drop! Everyone of these characters are a hot mess and you just don’t know where they all connect and where it will all lead … until finally you do and it leaves you with your jaw on the floor! Whoa! Another solid thriller from Stacy!

Aw I wanted to love this one since I loved Willingham's previous books, but it was underwhelming all around. The pace was slow and repetitive, and the action didn't pick up until the last third of the book.

I liked the college setting and the girls living next door to a frat house, and the alternate timeline helped piece together how our characters got where they are. Unfortunately the character development was lacking as I didn't love or hate any of them enough to really care about the outcomes.

Not a favorite for me, but if you like an unreliable narrator and story of complex female friendships you may enjoy this one.

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
Genre: thriller, mystery
Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5/5 stars)
Format: ebook

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t do it for me.

Likes:
- college setting
- dual timeline (before and after)
- mysterious characters
- SOME of the twists
- short chapters

Dislikes:
- SLOW build up (didn’t pick up until over 60%)
- unbelievable, too convenient ending
- wasn’t invested in the story
- most of the twists didn’t feel very shocking

I almost DNFed at 85% because I realized I didn’t really care what happened.

I think some may like this, but if you’re a big thriller reader like me, it will probably fall a bit flat.

Thank you so much for my eARC from Minotaur Books in exchange for my honest review!

A book that kept on giving. Full of plot twists and turns that I should be expecting but did not see coming!

This book was absolutely fascinating to read! The characters were complex and interesting, the writing style super easy and with a very nice flow! I wanted — no, needed — to know what next!

Who did it? And why?

I love me a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat at all times and this one was it!

Absolutely recommend if you’re interested in murder mysteries/thrillers!

I really enjoying the authors other novels but this one was hard for me. I don’t always love the back and forth timeline thing, I just don’t think it helped with clearing anything up, it kept things confusing but not in a suspense way. I also found it to be fairly slow, like the idea of all of these messed up kids would be shocking enough to keep the reader engaged but it just removed space for characters development.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC, this is my honest review.

Stacy Willingham's books get better and better! Only if You're Lucky may be one of the best books of the year. The story of a girl trying to find her place amidst tragedy after tragedy is full of twists. Readers are trying to sort out the characters and determine if the narrator is reliable and then are hit with shocking confessions right after one another. One of the coolest parts is the author's note and how she connected with the setting. I found that to be really interesting. Enjoy this book! It kept me up as I read straight through one night until 3am!

Only If You’re Lucky is a twisty thriller that explores dark and toxic female friendships in a small liberal arts college. Wilmingham uses non linear timelines, and an unreliable narrator to keep the reader’s attention as well as providing little snippets of information to keep the story fresh and engaging.

What I liked:
-Dark Academia setting complete with a toxic fraternity
-the southern college setting
=the twists that I didn’t see coming along with the satisfying ending
-unlikeable, backstabbing characters who motives are questionable

What I disliked:
-my only complaint is that mid book the story began to drag but luckily redeemed itself brilliantly the last quarter

My rating 4 1/2 stars out of 5

Trigger warning- rape, drug use, gaslighting

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press Minotaur Books for this eARC that will be released January 16 2024.

I hate to say it but 3⭐️ might be generous for my rating on this book. And I struggle with even putting “thriller” as the genre because thrilling it was not. Here’s the thing…I LOVED (really LOVED) the last 25% of this book. But the first 75% was so repetitive and so slow. It pains me to say that because I loved Willingham’s book All The Dangerous Things and rated it 5⭐️ last year. These characters are interesting. The timeline is interesting. The storyline is interesting. But the pacing was just so off for me. The author’s note at the end was super interesting though….so if you read this one, don’t skip it.

Read if you like:
▫️unreliable narrator
▫️nonlinear timelines
▫️girl friendship storylines
▫️college settings

Thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book releases on January 16, 2024.

This is a story about about luck.

I enjoy a twisty, dark friendship narrative, and this one was particularly effective… and involved something that feels frighteningly possibly in a college setting. I consistently thought I had it all figured out, then realized @stacyvwillingham is better at writing twists than I am at figuring them out. If you’re looking for the perfect summer read this year I think you should pick this up.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @minotaur_books for the eArc & @macmillan.audio for the Alc! I looove a good dark academia & it sounds like this might count!

This book was so good. I read it all in one day because I simply could not stop. The characters are so cunning and unique and the story line was just mesmerizing. I really enjoyed how detailed this story was and how you never really knew which way it was going to turn. I had several theories about the ending of this book, some were right and some I was utterly shocked when the ending came. Stacy Willingham knows how to write such a captivating and thrilling experience in a book, and she always includes more than one mystery or twist so you’re always on your toes. I have read and love all of her work now, but this one sticks out. The characters were so raw and believable, the split timeline working so well to only handout little snippets of information to keep you wanting more. Seriously her work is some of my favorite thrillers ever, and i’m so thankful to have gotten the chance to read this one early! I highly recommend all of her work, but this one especially as the story is so gripping and nail biting that you’ll just want more and more.

3.5 This one was a slow start but with some pretty good twist at the end. This story follows Margot as she is about to begin her second year of college. Margot is a loner but we find out that something in her past might be causing these feelings. When Lucy the IT girl asks Margot to room with her and her two friends over the summer and next year Margot agrees but is there more to Lucy than we know. We follow a few different timelines from Margot perspective her final year in high school with her best friend , the girls second year of college , and finally we follow the girls after a death of a student and another one missing and the investigation that followed. My main issue with this book was I had such a hard time getting into this book. I started this three times before it finally stuck. I feel like all the timelines at the beginning with the limited info we were given was a little hard to follow. Once I got the storylines straight the story was ok but is definitely a slow burn and really didn’t pick up and become faster paced and engaging until the last 30 percent or so. I still enjoyed this book but just want to warn it is not for those who don’t like slower paced thrillers. I look forward to picking up more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

3.5 stars--This is my first book by Stacy Willingham, and I was very excited to be granted an early copy, since I had heard great things about her other books. Only If You're Lucky is a bit of a slow burn, but it definitely had me feeling the 'creepies' from the first chapter.

Margot, a college freshman, is struggling with grief over the death of her best friend from home. When 'it girl' Lucy asks her to become the fourth roommate in a rental house, Lucy jumps at the chance, feeling noticed and special. Told in multiple timelines, the novel is the story of Margot's friendship and loss, of the year living in the rental house next to a fraternity, and the police investigation into Lucy's disappearance following a suspicious death at a frat party.

The multiple timelines were, at times, a bit difficult to follow, but they were effective in building suspense and confusion about what was really going on. None of the characters are especially likeable, nor do they seem trustworthy, and it is clear that more is going on than meets the eye. The twists are surprising, albeit not terribly believable. The wrapup was a bit disappointing for me.

I did enjoy how the author built suspense and misdirected the reader throughout the book. My distrust of the narrator and her roommates left me feeling disconcerted throughout the novel, and many of the circumstances had me squirming in discomfort. Having read reviews of Ms. Willingham's other novels, I look forward to reading them, as well.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press-Minotaur Books for the digital ARC of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. The opinions in this review are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated books for this month and even this year! Stacy’s previous two novels are among my favorites, I even made my book club read one and they all loved it! This book was set on a college campus with dorms, sororities and frats, girl drama, truth or dare… all the makings of a great dark academia! I will agree that this book was somewhat of a slow burn, but not at all in a bad way! There was still so much going on and getting a little backstory here and there, kept the pacing great and I was able to binge this in just a couple days! This book was a great addition to Stacys previous books, with twists that I would never have guessed! I honestly cannot wait to see what is in store for her next!

Margot is a freshman in college, but it’s not the experience she thought it would be. Her best friend, Eliza died three weeks after graduation, the girls were supposed to be roommates, they were inseparable and now she has no one. Lucy Sharpe walks into the dorm meeting the first night commanding attention and getting it all. She is magnetic and everyone is drawn to her, Margot included. So when Lucy pulls her aside at the end of freshman year and asks her to stay in a house with her and some friends for the summer and upcoming school year, she is all in. So Margot moves into an off campus house with three other girls. Lucy is obviously the one in charge, Sloan is sarcastic, and Nicole is the nice one. They couldn’t be more different, but also become so intertwined. Lucy helps Margot come alive at school and in a way heal from losing her best friend. But when halfway through their sophomore year, one of their neighbors in the frat next door is found murdered, Lucy goes missing and the three girls are sticking together.

I loved Willingham's other stories but this one was a bit of a let down. While the ending was very interesting the rest of the book struggled to hold my interests. Margot is slightly boring which makes it extremely hard to like her.

I will always check out Willingham's reads which always have amazing plot, worthwhile and sometimes insane characters and even though this one didn't do it for me I think a lot of people will still enjoy it with the plot twists and consistent pace of the overall story. While her last two books are amazing there's bound to be a dud eventually. Im just sad it was this one for me.

This was my first Stacy Willingham read and it probably won't be my last as I own "A Flicker in the Dark" (but haven't read it yet). This book had all the makings of a dark and twisty. It easily moves from before to after, and adds in 'now' when the story calls for it. It starts off by telling us about the main character Margot and the passing of her bff, Eliza, just before they start college. Eliza the extrovert, had chosen the college thry should both attend and Margot feels the pull to attend on her own. Once there, she's still a bit of a wallflower who eventually gets swept up into a more exciting college experience by the charismatic Lucy, and Lucy brings her into the "cool kids club". There's something not right about Lucy that nobody can pinpoint, but they're so deeply connected that they don't inquire more until things get weird. I felt like the character development took way longer than it should have. It almost had me filing this away as a DNF. But I was invested, having given so much time to it, I wanted to see it through. Once I hit about 62% in - the story really took off. I didn't guess the twist for quite a while and even once I'd mostly sorted out the 'who', the "why" and the "how" eluded me. I'm glad I finished it; I didn't love it, but I liked it. Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was expecting to love this one but found it kind of predictable. I thought the characters were frustrating and almost unlikeable. I liked the flip back between Before and After but thought the twists were too easy to guess. (Maybe i've read too many thrillers -tbh). The ending with a few extra twists switched my review from a 2 star to a 3 star. People love this author for her previous work so i'm interested to see what other people think as well. Overall just ok!