After losing her best friend Eliza, to a tragic accident a year prior, Margot continues on to the college they were both planning to attend. Upon her arrival she realizes she is just surviving instead of thriving. That is until she meets a girl named Lucy who has all the qualities that made Eliza her best friend in the first place. Margot seems to have somewhat of an obsession with both of these girls. Lucy invites Margot to be her roommate along with two other girls at a house they rent from a fraternity. Margot jumps at the invite despite not knowing any of these young women.
The four of them quickly become best friends and Margot feels herself coming out of the depression she was in and enjoying life again. That is until Eliza's neighbor and ex-boyfriend, Levi, pledges for the fraternity next door. This brings up all of the emotions she has been trying so hard to avoid. She tells the other girls of her issues with Levi and warns them to watch out.
When Levi turns up dead at a camping trip Margot and the other girls attend with the fraternity, suspicions start to run rampant. Margot and her roommates begin to discover that they know very little about Lucy and scramble to connect the dots. But as it turns out, Margot has secrets too.

I enjoyed this book. I wouldn't necessarily call it a thriller like Stacy Willingham's other novels. It is a character driven mystery, I felt some of the characters could have used a little more development in order to really invest in their stories. Margot was a little boring, especially when describing her and Eliza's relationship. It seemed a bit one-sided and somewhat emotionless besides her obsession. I also wish we got a little more insight into the backgrounds of Nicole and Sloane. But overall I enjoyed the plot points and twists. Everything was pretty much wrapped up at the end which leaves the reader feeling like the story is complete. I was very excited to receive and eARC from Netgalley. Even though this one wasn't my favorite, I am still intrigued to see what Stacy Willingham comes up with next.

This book is such a slow paced book and I was not here for it! I wasn't surprised about anything that happened in the story, and I would say what was supposed to be the twists weren't a twist to me. I honestly just could not wait for this long, drawn out story to be over with. I did not care about what happened to Margot's best friend or why she did not like the boy next door.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC

How well do you really know someone? An even more important question, how well do you know yourself and trust yourself? When it comes down to it, what would you do to protect yourself? These are just a few of the questions the characters in Only If You’re Lucky by Stacey Willingham should consider.

This was my first book I’ve read by this author and I absolutely loved it. The timing on the storytelling was actually perfect because it had you guessing all throughout who did it? I was so convinced I knew how everything was going to work out in the end and the author, Stacey Willingham proved me wrong! So so wrong. There are some bread crumbs throughout the book that I didn’t catch on until later, and it just blew me away. Little things that you just don’t think twice about.

If you want a good mystery book that keeps you guessing, I highly recommend Only If You’re Lucky. I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley, Saint Martin’s Press, and Stacey Willingham for sending this Book for review, and consideration. All opinions are my own.

First, I was so excited to be approved for this ARC! I have absolutely loved other books by Willingham, and this story was no exception. I enjoyed it so much that I may end up buying a physical copy just so I can add it to my bookshelves.
With that being said, my main complaint was the seeming stupidity and blind trust all the characters placed in Lucy, I understand the attempt to portray her as a charismatic personality who was able to effectively create any identity she wanted/needed, but I wish Sloane and Nicole had been written as slightly more intelligent. I was also very bothered by Margot just blinding taking a pill Lucy offered to her without even slightly questioning what it was. Again, I understand the need for this part of the story to form Lucy as manipulative and conniving character, but I found myself wanting to shake some common sense into the three girls who Lucy befriended.
Aside from that semi-problematic issue, this book delivered everything I like in a suspense/thriller. I especially enjoyed the smaller reveals throughout the story as "breadcrumbs" leading to the big conclusion. The characters rallied around Nicole and supported her (albeit in a very shocking way) and it's clear that these three will be life-long friends. As for Lucy, I more felt incredibly sad for her then happy with her ending, but as far as "satisfying" endings go, this conclusion was excellent.
Overall, totally worth the read and a great way to conclude my 2023 year of reading!

Thank you for allowing me to read!

This was an awesome thriller centered around the lives of 4 college roommates. This author is an auto read for me and her newest novel lives up to her past books.

You don’t know who to trust and just know that you can never believe we are all “little girls”.

5 stars!!

I liked this one a lot. The story was a bit slow but I was engaged the whole time. Enjoyable twist. Multiple time lines. An enjoyable thriller overall.

Willingham unquestionably knows how to write suspense. The final stretch of Only If You're Lucky, comprising the last 20 percent of the book, is a wild rollercoaster, filled with sudden revelations and twists that unfold at a breakneck pace—it's a fun but far-fetched experience. My struggle with the novel arose from the profoundly unlikable cast, particularly the central figure, Margot. Introduced as a college freshman in coastal South Carolina grappling with the recent loss of her best friend, Eliza, Margot is whiny, needy, and obsessive. The readers also meet Lucy Sharpe—a fellow freshman and charismatic figure reminiscent of Eliza—who befriends Margot. The book unfolds in two timelines, delineating events "before," which focus on Margot and Eliza’s relationship and Margot's freshman year/ first half of her sophomore year, and "after," when something ominous has happened to a fraternity pledge and Lucy. Willingham does a good job of portraying the college party culture and the fraternity that features heavily in the storyline. (Be sure to read the author’s note). However, the lack of sympathetic characters made this book a 3.5-star read for me.

I really loved Willingham's debut novel so was excited to get an advanced readers copy of Only If You're Lucky. Sadly it didn't live up to its predecessors. The first 75% or so of the book was a struggle to slog through. and nothing really picked up until the last quarter or so of the book. When the action and connections started to come together. And while the book is placed in a college setting, it read alot more like a YA. The characters were quite juvenile in their antics.

What I did enjoy was the correlations to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That said I still struggled to connect to our characters. And I wish they had more depth. Some of the reveals and the surprises at the end redeemed the book for me. In the end while I didn't hate the book it was definitely not my fav by the author. And it won't prevent me from picking up future works.

This was a solid suspenseful thriller! I gave it 4 stars, which means I really liked it! The college setting & vibes were perfect, and I think she expertly described/gave us a look into the characters lives and minds. I could understand each one, how they were feeling, what they were doing, and why.

The reason for me that it's only 4 stars is because it was pretty slow for the first 60%, and suuuuper repetitive. But, once things started to pick up... they REALLY picked up and I thought the ending (last 30ish%) was so good and interesting. Some things I predicted, and other really surprised me!

I was so so excited for this book because I absolutely loved Willinghams last 2 books. I enjoyed this book but I felt like throughout a large portion of the book, there wasn’t much happening. The main character wasn’t my favorite and I felt like the ending just wasn’t believable.

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

All the Dangerous Things was my favorite thriller of 2023, so I could barely contain my excitement when I received the ARC for Only If You're Lucky. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. I enjoyed the overall premise of the story, and I was intrigued at the beginning. However, as the book went on, I found I was bored. I enjoyed the setting and most of the characters, but there was no tension. I, unfortunately, did not care what happened or if anyone was still alive. I also found the reveals to be unbelievable. Over-the-top twists or unbelievable reveals rarely work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

You'll like this book if you enjoy a slow burn. We take our time getting to know the characters, getting into their psyches, finding out what makes them tick.

Margot left the Outer Banks of North Carolina to attend college at Rutledge in South Carolina, after her best friend Eliza's tragic death. In the summer before her sophomore year, she befriends and moves in with a group of girls renting a house next to a fraternity house, which is owned by the brothers. The last person she expects to see at Rutledge pledging her neighbor/landlords' fraternity is someone from her hometown, which she thought she left in the past.

This story is filled with twists and turns. We gradually peel away the layers, and find out the lies and secrets each character has been hiding, and their motivations for acting the way they do. It's a great study in the duality of human nature: the face we show to the world vs. the darkness that lies hidden within. To what extent will people go to hide their dark secrets?

First off, a big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Reader Copy of Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham!

Stacey Willingham is an auto-read author for me and I am so grateful to be given the chance to review her newest thriller!
Having read and loved her other two books, I have to admit I was surprisingly underwhelmed by this one. It reads a lot younger than her other novels.

Margot has lost her best friend Eliza and is starting college in a new place, with new people, trying to make a new life for herself. The end of freshman year is fast approaching when a group of popular girls invite her to be their roommate and live in a house. Lucy is the leader of the group and the life of the party. Margot wants nothing more than to be her friend because she reminds her so much of Eliza.
Lucy know how to get anything she wants, or at least manipulate anyone into getting it. When tragedy strikes too close to home, someone is now missing and someone is dead! As dares unfold and truths are revealed, twists will lead the girls in way they never expected!

Stacy Willingham is a master writer, leaving you constantly questioning everything, and this book is no exception! However, this is a very very slow burn thriller! I can usually read her books in 1-3 days and because this one was so slow, I felt like I was reading it forever. With that being said, the ending did get me and I did not seeing it coming at all! (Which I always LOVE in thriller endings!)

I do feel like the ending and the way everything reveals itself fitting together made up for the slowness and dull characters.

I definitely still think it’s worth a read, but her first 2 novels are a lot more exciting and memorable!

Starting out with the truth: I have no idea how to write this review! I can’t give any spoilers outside of what the synopsis tells you, but I’ll say this much…this is better than your average mystery/thriller, as it also tackles a lot of other subjects, like female friendships, coming-of-age, date rape, hazing and college life in general.

Sometimes books written about younger characters can have a YA feel, but this absolutely does not - thank goodness! This one will take you back to your college days, to your best friends, to all the new things you tried (and new trouble you got into). Once you fall for all of the characters (whether good or bad), you are right in the middle of a thrilling murder mystery, mixed with nostalgia and suspense.

The ending of this novel was great, and I had no clue about any of the twists that were coming. The writing - wow. The writing! This is the author’s third novel, and I have loved all three of them. Her writing style may be getting better, if that’s even possible. This is not a popcorn thriller; this is a thought-provoking and original story. I’m giving it 4.5 stars.

(Thank you to Minotaur Books, Stacy Willingham and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 16, 2024.)

Margot is looking for a fresh start when she moves away to college. Her childhood best friend passed away during her senior year and she found it extremely traumatic. She finds herself struggling to make friends until she is approached by Lucy at the end of freshman year. Lucy has a spot in her house off campus for next year, with two other girls. Lucy has that undeniably cool aura surrounding her, and Margot can’t say no to her even though she can sense that there is more to Lucy that she is hiding.

A bit of a slow burn, but this was overall a good read for me. It really made me nostalgic for my university days. I loved the imagery surrounding their rundown rental house and the depth of their friendships. Once it got going, I already had the twist figured out but I was enjoying the writing so it didn’t bother me much. I liked the alternating timelines as it added to the intrigue.

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

Short synopsis: Margot heads off to Rutledge College after the sudden death of her best friend Eliza. But death seems to be following in her wake when one of the boys next door is found dead, and Margot’s new best friend Lucy is missing.

My thoughts: I am completely intrigued by Stacey Williangham’s ability to write twisty capturing novels. After reading her previous 2 novels, I knew I had to get my hands on this one.

While it didn’t flow as easily in my opinion as the others, it was completely bingeable. This was a slow burn with flashback scenes, and clues planted throughout that had me constantly questioning my own assumptions.

It did feel a bit YA in places due to the immaturity of the characters, and all the partying but I wouldn’t have wanted it any different since they are in essence young college kids.

Overall, fun thriller with an especially satisfying ending! I listened to a lot of this on audio, and highly recommend. Karissa Vacker always does such a phenomenal job at telling stories.

Read if you love:
- Slow burn thrillers
- Academic settings
- Then/Now Timelines
- Female friendships
- Unexpected twists

Absolutely loved this thriller. Loved the storyline and all the twists. It left me guessing until the very end.

This is my third Stacy Willingham book and probably my least favorite. It was a little different from her previous books with the younger aged main characters. It still provided a lot of twists and turns that you didn’t see coming in the dark academia setting.

Slow at times, but since I listened to it via audio, I would just speed it up when I felt it dragging.

3.5/5

Ooh, this was soo good! A unique take on the “It Girl” thriller! I absolutely love all of Stacy Willingham’s books…she’s writes such complex, layered thrillers that keep you hooked until the very last page and I loved this one! It kept me guessing until the very end!

Gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review! This gripping psychological thriller took me on an exhilarating journey. With dual timelines seamlessly weaving between events before and after a heinous crime, I found myself on the edge of my seat, eagerly anticipating the unfolding of events and uncovering the identity of the killer.

Margot, a college freshman yearning to belong, grapples with the void left by the tragic loss of her childhood best friend after their senior high school year. Feeling adrift and friendless, her life takes an unexpected turn when Lucy, the charismatic and enigmatic leader of a trio including Sloane and Nicole, invites her to join their circle. The prospect of moving into a house next to a fraternity near campus seems like a dream come true for Margot, but could it be the inception of a harrowing nightmare?

For enthusiasts of mind-bending narratives, this book is a true psychological thriller that impeccably delivers. Dive into the intricacies of the plot and treat yourself to a riveting read that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Don't miss out—grab a copy now!