*3.5 stars rounded up.

Margot heads off to Rutledge College with a sad heart--her lifelong best friend died from an accident a few weeks after high school graduation. They had planned to be roommates at school and now Margot is having to carry on alone. She has a nice roommate and the two of them tend to keep to themselves.

But at the end of that freshman year, a popular and charismatic girl named Lucy stops by Margot's dorm room to invite her to come live with her and her two friends in a house owned by one of the fraternities. Margot's been watching the three friends for months, envious of their closeness, and can't believe her luck. Why would Lucy want to include her? The four soon become fast friends but something is not quite right.

It takes a while for this story to unfold and the changing timelines can be a bit confusing, but be patient--the twists of the last 20% are well worth the wait. I sure didn't see them coming!

St Martins Publishing Group provided me with an arc through their Influencers Program via NetGalley. I am very grateful for the opportunity to read this new thriller by Willingham. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Only If You’re Lucky is a spellbinding thriller that explores the intricate dynamics of friendship and the dark underbelly of human relationships. The narrative follows Margot, a reserved and careful college student, whose life takes a thrilling turn when she becomes roommates with the larger-than-life Lucy Sharpe. The novel unfolds against the backdrop of an off-campus house where Margot, Lucy, and their two roommates, Sloane and Nicole, form an unlikely sisterhood. The story takes a chilling turn when a brutal murder rocks the college community, implicating one of the fraternity boys from the neighboring house. Lucy Sharpe, the charismatic ringleader, goes missing without a trace. The suspense builds as Margot, now emerged from her shell, grapples with the unraveling mystery and the shadows that linger over their shared past.

Stacy Willingham simply does not miss. The pacing was near-perfect, the characters were enigmatic and convincing, and I never saw the plot twist coming. Only If You’re Lucky is not merely a thriller but a compelling exploration of the nature of friendship and belonging. Stacy masterfully captures the complexities of human relationships, leaving readers questioning the trust they place in those closest to them. A must-read for anyone looking for a gripping psychological thriller.

Well - this will be a 3 star review but one of those 'still read this it was good 3 star reviews'. Hear me out though.. I think if I didn't have high expectations from this author because of her previous two books I would have liked it a whole lot more? This one felt quite juvenile, then it almost lost me, and the end left me mega confused. I really don't want to spoil anything with my review, so I won't explain why I was confused or what I didn't like all that much about it, but it didn't hold up to her previous two books.

Now, in saying that, it was still fairly good. It was super dark, super twisty, the writing was phenomenal and it was hard to figure out what characters to like or trust. It was a fairly slow burn, but it weaved the dark tale to set you up for the blow out ending.

I loved this author’s two previous thrillers but this one for me was not as enjoyable. The story about female friendships, a dead college student and a missing friend unfolded without much happening for a large part of the book. I kept waiting for something to happen. The last quarter of the book did pick up with some interesting twists and turns and a good ending in keeping with this author’s previous novels but it was a long road to get there. I found this to be more a character study/look at female friendships than a thriller until near the end. I did like the writing style which was easy to read.

I will look out for this author’s next novel as I did really enjoy her earlier works.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This was just an okay read for me. Told in dual timelines, which normally I am a fan of, in this case though, the plot unfolds at slow burn pace that made me lose interest in what was happening. The characters were unlikable, not always a bad thing, but mixed with the slower plot I struggled connecting to the story. The storyline was intriguing and overall a well written novel. I have read other books by Stacy Willingham and while this wasn't my favorite, I will be looking forward to her next novel.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review a complementary digital copy.

This was an interesting story with some unexpected twists. I found the plot to move very slowly, though, and it took me nearly three weeks to finish the book. All in all, it was just an okay read for me.

Only if You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham
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Shy Margot has had a really rough freshman year at college. So when super popular Lucy asks her to be the fourth roommate at their new rental on campus, Margot is thrilled she was noticed. Until someone dies, and Lucy goes missing.
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What I liked:
-I really think this was my favorite of Stacy’s mystery/thrillers. It really kept me guessing what secrets were lurking.
-I really enjoyed the dark and ominous vibes to the book.
-I felt like this book was a wonderfully twisted web that I enjoyed watching untangle. The ending was good and I liked where it went.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So good! I’m a huge fan of Stacy Willinghams writing style! The twists were very twisty and it kept me engaged throughout the entire book! Definitely a must read!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

ᴏɴʟʏ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ ʟᴜᴄᴋʏ
sᴛᴀᴄʏ ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢʜᴀᴍ
ᴍɪɴᴏᴛᴀᴜʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs
ᴘᴜʙ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: ᴊᴀɴ 𝟷𝟼, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺
✩✩✩✩

Happy Friday! I’m about done with IG to be honest 🤣 I’ve been action blocked since LAST Friday, not being able to like or comment- so it’s basically JAIL without the label. Happen to anyone else lately? Let’s see what posting does to my account 😬

Anyways, I LOVE author Stacy Willingham @st , her books are always twisty, addictive, and filled with crazy characters. Her newest thriller 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 did not dissapoint and was another fun thrilling ride.

Compared to Willingham’s past books this one has more of a YA feel, and although this is not my favorites dialogue it wasn’t super cringe. I actually enjoyed the frat house setting and @ did a great job with creating typical college age characters. There were a few twists I DID NOT see coming, and over all this was a solid 4 ⭐️ read.

Special thanks to @net and @min for the early copy! This book releases next week, so definitely set yourself a reminder to pick this one up!

4 out of 5

Only If You’re Lucky is a suspenseful thriller that dives into the dark side of friendship. The story follows Margot, a cautious college student who tragically lost her best friend, Eliza, just weeks after their high school graduation.
Margot becomes obsessed with Lucy, a charismatic and charming girl who soon invites Margot to live in an off-campus house with two others.

Margot quickly realizes that Lucy is carrying many secrets, including that she was possibly involved in a brutal murder close to home. Armed with suspicions, Margot has to find out the truth about Lucy before it is too late.

I wanted to love this book, however I struggled with it. I bumped it up by .5 stars based on the ending. Otherwise, this was a slow burn. I was annoyed with Margot and many of the YA references. Despite this, Stacey Willingham continues to be on my “must read” list and I look forward to her next novel.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was able to get my first Netgalley audio of the year, Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham finished before publication day! 🎉 (January 16)

I really enjoyed Wilingham’s other books, Flicker in the Dark (4⭐️) and All the Dangerous Things (5⭐️) so I was super excited when I was approved for Only if You’re Lucky.

A dual timeline, college setting, that involves female friendships, loss, suspense and murder…but I wasn’t sure what to think about this book. 😕 I liked it. It bugged me. I was back and forth.

I waffled between giving it 3 or 4⭐️ The story is a slow burn, but wallops you in the end, so I gave it 3⭐️ on Goodreads but more like 3.5⭐️ Clear as mud right? 😂

I thought it was a good book but I feel it wasn’t as good as Willingham’s others. Still a huge fan and will definitely read whatever she puts out.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillion.audio for this ARC!

Stacy Willingham does it again! I read this one shortly after finishing "All the Dangerous Things" and couldn't put it down. If I didn't have to sleep, I would have finished it in one setting. Told in alternating time period POVs, we follow Margot's experience through college and she and her friends find themselves in a bit of a predicament. This one really hit home as I've been in Margot's shoes with my own college experience as I struggled to find my place and make friends - sometimes I went along with things and people I didn't even like just to feel accepted and like I belonged. Similar to her other novels, Willingham takes us through quick pacing with plenty of twists and turns. I've read a LOT of thrillers, and this one kept proving me wrong every time I thought I had an idea of what was to come next. I predict this one will take Booktok by storm upon its release, and I plan on recommending this one to my book clubs as I'd love to pick the brains of others who have read it. Thanks so much for the ARC!

This was a great academic thriller! I love stories with college friends with secrets. This one did not disappoint. I loved the storytelling and how the story unfolded. It was a bit of a slow burn, but totally rewarding at the end with all the twists that Stacy Willingham is known for. The writing was great and helped get through some of the slower parts. The main characters were pretty well developed and this helped to understand their motivations.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this ARC which publishes 1/16/24

You can call me a fan of this author and Lifetime movies and fun to curl up with both. I could see it playing out and maybe predicted a few scenes, but I enjoyed it. The characters are not so likeable, so be patient and take it for the incredible college scenes within.
College students: Lucy, a ring leader; Sloane, sarcastic one; Nicole, a sweet one.....then there is Margot who has nothing in common with any of them. She is shy and tries to play it safe. She has been invited to live off campus with these other girls, although she has a hard time finding her place with anyone.
Margot has a death aura around her and everyone that encounters her suffers accidents or tragedies. Her best and only friend, Eliza, died after HS graduation. Now a fraternity boy next door to the girls has been murdered and Lucy has disappeared.
The tension builds in present day with a kickstart from the past leading up to the disappearance.
Margot's paranoia heightens when a boy from her HS moves in next door.
A lot of mind games in this one and loyalty disintegrates as betrayal and envy each play a part.
Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

Stacy Willingham has been hit or miss for me so far. This one was a hit! I love dark academia and the vibes of it in this one did it for me. Stacy does so well with intertwining past and present POVs that make it easy to follow while still being twisty enough to leave you guessing and trying to unravel what's happening. I really didn't guess the twist in this one either so that's always a win for a thriller in my book! Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Only If You're Lucky has a different feel from Willingham's previous books, but once again delivers on the shocking twists. Although I found this slow to start, I was soon enthralled by the lives of these characters. Following Margot, and her new group of college friends, this book keeps you on your toes and constantly wondering what to believe.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I was beyond excited to get the chance to read this one because I loved A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham, and it did not disappoint!

Read if you like: mystery/thrillers set on a college campus, plots that deal with the dynamics of female friendships, and an unreliable narrater with a mysterious past. Reading this book truly felt like solving a puzzle. It was very moody and Willingham has such a great ability to describe situations and emotions in unique ways. There was so many interesting passages that reveal so much about each character in the book.

With that being said, my biggest critique is pacing. It felt like it took too long for interesting things to happen. So much of the book is reading passages where the protagonist is working things out in her head, which is interesting to read at some points, but there needed to be more action to drive the story forward, and I felt like there wasn’t enough until about 70% in. The last 30% of the book made up for that and I couldn’t put it down until the end. If you love a slow burn mystery, maybe the pacing wouldn’t bother you as much, but besides that, it was still really good and an enjoyable read.

Only If You’re Lucky is a great mixture of dark academia and thriller. While this one’s very different from the author’s previous novels I think she slayed it because I was absolutely hooked from the start. The book centers around Margot after the loss of her best friend who tragically died one night at a party. It was ruled and accident, but Margot thinks the boy her friend was seeing may have played a role in her death. Fast forward one year later and Margot is in school studying English when she meets the enigmatic Lucy. Lucy is everything Margot wants to be, so she not only befriends her, but she moves in with her and two other girls as well. What starts as a fun new situation thanks to the frat house next door and all the parties they attend quickly becomes more malevolent when the boy from her past suddenly joins the fraternity. And what happens next will shock readers to the core. The twist is fantastic, unexpected, and brilliant. I didn’t see it coming although I do suspect that some readers will. It may not be completely original but the lead up TO the twist is so I was excited!

One other thing to note about this book is that it’s more of a slow burn, character driven novel. Books like this are not for everyone but I do recommend it because I think the author did an amazing job telling this story.

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Dark Academia Thrillers
❥ Slow Burn/Character driven novels
❥ Riveting twists

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Margot is a freshman at a small college struggling with grief from the loss of her best friend. She spends the majority of her first year holed up in her dorm room with her roommate, admiring the popular girls from afar. But, right before the end of the year, Lucy Sharpe, the queen of the cool girls, invites Margot to move in with her and her friends. Margot decides to take a leap and say yes in honor of her lost friend, who she knows would have jumped at this chance.

Margot spends the summer with Lucy and her new roommates, and the boys from the frat house next door. Margot starts to recover from her grief and come into her own, but this new life and friendship is too good to be true. Just when she thinks things are turning around, the boy that came between her and her best friend, and the last person to see her alive, joins the fraternity and is always there.

This book had a lot of great twists and a complex plot with a great unreliable narrator. At its core, this book is about the complexities of female friendships. Another great read by Willingham, who is an author I will always read!

I loved the writing style of this one! It was very engaging and easy to follow along. But the twist fell extremely flat to me. I found myself guessing each twist and not being surprised by any of them. It somewhat ruined the book for me since it is a mystery/thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.