This is my third read by Stacy Willingham, and by the end of it, I was surprised Willingham wrote it.

While the premise intrigued me, and I was excited to dive back into Willingham's words, it read more like a young adult novel. Yes, the characters are in college, but considering that one of the main characters is majoring in English and frequently mentions that she reads classical works versus smut, I expected more wit, suspense, and mystery.

85% of the book revolves around the internal dialogue of Margot (which honestly is excessive, and maybe that's the point?), the interactions between the four roommates, and a flashback here or there of the main character, Margot, with her former best friend, Eliza. The last 15% is where it gets interesting, but because it is so rushed, it's disappointing. There's potential in this story, but it needs more work. I'm surprised Willingham's editors didn't recognize that.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this book, but I would recommend Willingham's others: A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things.

"Only If You're Lucky" marks my third venture into Stacy Willingham's novels, and while this wasn't my favorite, it's undeniably the one that impressed me most. This is a slow-burn mystery set on a college campus, populated by a cast of less-than-likable characters, but the ending of the book does deliver a satisfying resolution full of twists..

The narrative follows two timelines, alternating between the present day, marked by a mysterious disappearance, and the past, which meticulously unravels the events leading up to the disappearance. The book also delves into Margot's pre-college life, and this often reads as a YA novel.

At times, the story felt really slow, feeling somewhat laborious, primarily because the characters failed to elicit any real redeeming qualities that would warrant a connection to the reader. My motivation rested solely on discovering what inventive twists the author had concocted, given my positive experience with her previous works. While I found the writing spectacular, it lacked the immersive, thrill-inducing quality I anticipated.

For those unacquainted with Stacy Willingham's work, I would recommend starting with "A Flicker in the Dark".

Title: Only if You’re Lucky
Author: Stacy Willingham
Pub Date: January 16, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, as Stacy Willingham has become one of my go-to authors! This story centers around Margot, who goes off to college after suffering the tragic loss of her best friend, Eliza. Margot, who has always faded into the background, decides that she is going to make a change in college and wants to become more outgoing and take chances like Eliza did. So when she meets the mysterious Lucy Sharpe, who invites her to live in a house behind a fraternity house with her and her two friends, Margot jumps at the chance and sees this as the perfect opportunity to come out of her shell. Lucy seems friendly but there is also something different about her. She has the ability to make others want to follow her lead and do things that they normally wouldn’t do. Margot realizes that she is drawn to Lucy and wants to be more like her. However, everything changes when one of the fraternity brothers is found dead and Lucy goes missing.

This story has some dark themes and takes place in a college setting, alternating between the past and present. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It started out strong and like others have said, the middle was kind of a slow burn. There were times that I thought that it just needed to move along, but then it picked up again and I was definitely surprised by the clever and twisty ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced reader copy!

Only if You're Lucky has a compelling story line. The dynamic between Lucy and Margot offers contrasting personalities with lots of twists and turns. Their close friendship along with the other girls attending the small college in South Carolina provides the perfect backdrop for a murder investigation when Lucy disappears and the next door fraternity boy turns up murdered.

A slow burn thriller with layers of loyalty, envy, and betrayal provide complexity of emotions. The ending will leave your head spinning! Not the typical thriller from Willingham. More of a college fraternity feel but definitely a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Stacy Willingham's third novel. I previously read and loved her other two. I can confidently say this is my least favorite of the three, however, it was still enjoyable to read.

The book follows Margot, who recently has become friends and roommates with Lucy Sharpe. Lucy is adventurous and bold which is what pulls Margot in. When they become roommates, two other girls move into a fraternity-owned house with them. Sophmore year is going by wonderfully until Lucy Sharpe goes missing and a fraternity boy next door is found murdered. What comes of secrets and lies?

This felt much slower-paced than Willingham's other books. There weren't as many twists and turns that left me feeling like I couldn't put the book down. I also did not love any of the characters. They lacked depth and felt more young adult-ish to me. Overall, not my favorite book, but am always looking forward to future releases as both of her other books were 4/5 stars.

Only if You're Lucky written by Stacy Willingham tells the story of a group of college kids who excessively party, talk about the desire to murder someone, and deal with real-life traumas. Then someone is murdered, as well as a second person. But how does it all connect to Margot's best friend who died the year earlier, possibly due to something nefarious (never proven). I enjoyed the overall story but I did cast it too stereotypical when it came to depicting fraternity parties, plus the ending came from pretty much from nowhere, so I felt a bit cheated. Written well. Strong characters. Just a very common story where someone is pretending to be someone else, a popular girl befriends a lonely girl, the middle friends warn her, but each of the harbors secrets. When it all explodes, it explodes but in a slightly confusing way as to who really killed whom. Worth reading if you like the author's work, but if you haven't read her yet, don't start with this one. Will definitely read her next release tho!

This atmospheric mystery set on a college campus finds one student dead and another one missing. This story is told in two timelines – the past leading up to the events of that fateful night, and the present-day police investigation.

After finishing this book, I’m both confused and satisfied at the same time. Throughout the novel, I couldn’t put it down and simply had to know what happened next. However, the story also seemed a little repetitive, slow paced, and juvenile at times. I’m not sure what exactly kept me so enthralled, because it felt like nothing much was happening, but I also couldn’t put it down.

If you enjoy books with several twists, then this is the book for you. One of the major twists I was able to predict early in the novel, but that still left about three other shocking twists that I didn’t see coming. I found myself going back to reread a page or a paragraph because I was caught off guard with what happened.

Overall, this book is perfect for anyone who enjoys a slow burn mystery, or an ending jam-packed with shocking twists. I would also recommend this to anyone currently in college (or recently graduated), especially someone who participated in Greek life while in college. If you enjoyed Stacy Willingham’s other two novels, then you will certainly enjoy this one as well.

Good twists but it took so long (and so many boring chapters) to get to the meat of the story. The first dud from this author.

That ending! Mind blown. It felt a tad slow at the beginning but by the time the unraveling took place the book shot into complete action. Great ending that I never saw coming! And the twists kept coming!

📖Only If You’re Lucky📖

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Stacy Willingham
Genre: Thriller
Dual Timeline
Release Date: January 16th, 2024

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

Synopsis:
Margot has just finished her freshmen year at college when Lucy Sharpe, the it girl, approaches her about living with her and her two tag along friends Sloane and Nicole in a house for the summer and their sophomore years. Margot jumps at the opportunity after being a in rut following her best friend since kindergarten, Eliza, tragically dying during their senior year of high school. Margot is used to being the sidekick, so being picked by Lucy felt so lucky. Finally breaking out of her shell, Margot and Lucy build a really close relationship. That is until a fraternity boy from the house next door dies, and Lucy goes missing. The kicker is, the boy who died next door, Levi, was Eliza’s boyfriend from her hometown and was also last one to see Eliza alive. Now two people from Margot’s hometown are dead, and her newest friend is missing. Do you believe in coincidences?

I have read both of this authors previous books, and I think this one is my favorite. I was so invested in this college age thriller. I didn’t predict any of the twists! This was so hypnotic and haunting to read. The jumps from before to after Levi’s death was perfectly executed. I never got bored in a timeline, and the wow moments were equally given in each timeline. This book is definitely different than the authors previous two books in the sense that It is slower paced character driven instead of her usual style of fast paced plot driven. One aspect I really liked that she included, was all the references to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The symbolism that everyone can simultaneously be good and bad was very prevalent in this novel. I really recommend this book if you are a fan of the author, or are just looking for a new thriller to start out 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Minotaur books for the early copy!

Stacy Willingham does it again! I was thoroughly enthralled with Only if You're Lucky! I never wanted to put it down and when I did, I was itching to get back to it. Thrillers rarely surprise me but I could never fully figure out what was truly going on. She wraps it all up spectacularly. The main character, Margot, was written so well. I'm still sitting here a little dumbfounded at how good it was. The characters, the plot, the setting, the atmosphere; all of it was just perfection. Finding Willingham is a Georgia Bulldog is just icing on the cake! She will be an auto buy author for me from now on. What a great way to start my 2024 reading journey!

I loved this book! It was such a well written, slow burn, academic thriller.

The writing was so well done that I found myself highlighting tons of sentences. Powerful concepts such as female friendship, identity, and growing up were written about in such a poignant and impactful way. I enjoyed the split timelines which made the story feel interconnected and complex. Even though this is a slow burn, there are lots of clues and twists that had me guessing up until the very end.

I also really liked the portrayal of the main characters. On the surface, she was a typical college girl but the inner monologue created complexity. Therefore, even though on the surface she may have seemed unlikable, the depth of her thinking was relatable. Overall, this book had not only a great plot but also complex writing and character development that took it to the next level.

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

Do any of you remember the movie Thirteen and how absolutely magnetic and enticing Nikki Reed’s character was, and how meek and malleable Evan Rachel Wood’s character was? If so, you’re in for a treat because they were all I could see when reading this book. Margot was Evan Rachel Wood, and Lucy was Nikki Reed!

This is a female friendship centric story that focuses on themes of jealousy, loyalty, identity, and self-preservation. We have Margot (the main character & sole POV) recanting her past events of when her best friend Eliza died. Then, we have the present day chapters slowly unraveling the mysterious death of her best friend’s boyfriend, and the disappearance of her new best friend, Lucy.

This takes place at a college so there are many parts that involve college antics. Spin the bottle, truth or dare, drugs, parties, etc… I really enjoy Stacy’s prose and even though these are tired themes, she definitely made this story intriguing & feel fresh.

The eventual reveals were largely predictable for someone who reads many books like these, but some twists still took me by surprise & I found the ending to be unique and satisfying! Much of what is revealed seems improbable and is a stretch for plausibility, but I still enjoyed it overall.

If you’re looking for a fast paced story with likeable characters this isn’t it, but if you enjoy suspenseful + character driven psychological suspense books, this may be a winner for you.

✨ Read this if you enjoy books like Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins or One Of The Girls by Lucy Clarke & if you loved movies like Thirteen & others with similar themes of adolescence, rebellion, + coming-of-age experiences.✨

🎧 I also recommend this on audio! Karissa Vacker is the narrator and she always does an incredible job. My only issue is that there are many characters so it can be hard to get into at the beginning, I suggest pairing the audio with the text 🫶🏻

Thank you St. Martins Press & NetGalley for the ARC & MacMillan audio for the ALC. This publishes on 1/16/24!

This third book from Stacy Willingham was a BANGER! This was totally different than her previous books... this one being a campus thriller set in past and present point of views, with MULTIPLE suspects!! Relationships, lies, gossip, trying to fit in. This one was definitely also a slower burn in comparison to her other books, and also unfortunately my least favourite. I still definitely recommend and REALLY love Stacy's writing style!

Margot gave up her parents’ dream of sending her to Duke in order to follow her bestie Eliza to the smaller and less prestigious Rutledge College. Shortly after their high school graduation, Eliza dies tragically, leaving Margot to take on Rutledge on her own. Margot quietly makes her way through her freshman year, until she’s noticed by “it girl” Lucy Sharpe, who invites Margot to move in with her and her roommates Nicole and Sloane for sophomore year. Lucy is magnetic, exciting, and maybe a little dangerous, and Margot is thrilled just to be in Lucy’s orbit. But by the second semester, things have started to spiral out of control and taken a very dark turn.

I loved both of Stacy Willingham’s previous books (A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things), so I didn’t even bother reading the blurb before eagerly adding this one to my TBR. All of the things that made her an instant favorite of mine are expertly used in Only if You’re Lucky – dual timeline, a potentially unreliable narrator (which I love!), and an immersive, slow burn, twisty plot – but in a completely fresh way compared to her first two books. This time, the author takes us deep into the heart of dark academia and the sinister side of Greek life and toxic female friendships. Willingham is a queen of misdirection, so even when I thought I had something figured out, I was constantly second guessing myself because the twists and turns are so deep and multi-layered. Suffice it to say I enjoyed the heck out of this bingeable thriller!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Another solid thriller by @stacyvwillingham . Nervous vibes is how I would describe the feelings I had from reading Only If You’re Lucky. Something bad is going to happen and my attention was hooked. This book has many layers of mystery that are revealed in good fashion.

I think I was let down a bit by the lack of character development outside of Margot, the main character. I wanted to know more about how the other three females got to be so close. I feel it would have made Margots character a little crazier, which I also think I was missing.

Overall, I would still recommend reading…I couldn’t put it down!

4 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #onlyifyourelucky #stacywillingham #smpinfluencers

Stacy’s writing has a way of captivating you. Every single one of her books I’m convinced would make for an excellent movie and this one is no exception. I think my favorite part of “Only If You’re Lucky” was the setting. It takes you back to college and that environment as if no time has passed at all.

I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the characters in this one, so it was hard for me to get as into it as I wish I was. I’d give this one 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for an arc copy to read through! It’s always appreciated ♥️

I'll be honest... I was bored. The book wasn't necessarily bad but I felt like it just dragged on. The story itself was interesting and I did want to figure out what happened but I guessed most of what was going to happen pretty early on. I will say that there was one plot twist that I didn't guess and did give me a bit of a shock. It was hard to feel for the FMC because she was kind of awful and never really acknowledged that she was the problem with her friendship with Eliza.

Stacy Willingham has done it again. I LOVED both her debut and sophomore novels and have been counting down the days till I could get my hands on this one. One thing I can say across all her books is that Stacy has this way of writing that is just so immersive and descriptive. She is a must buy author for me.

I was a little nervous jumping into this one because it feels so different from her previous works but don’t let that stop you. I was immediately captivated from the start. I really truly loved it. There are multiple mysteries that kept me guessing, eerie vibes, characters that had me totally intrigued, and an ending that I DID NOT see coming! This is definitely a thriller you should have on your radar!

Pick this one up if you like:

-College setting
-Mysterious characters
-Completely bingeable
-Answers that leave you with more questions, in the best way
-Atmospheric and twisty
-Dual timeline thriller
-Unexpected endings

Thank you so much for the ARC.

This was an okay thriller for me, although not as good as the author's previous works. I think I'm past the college-student-as-characters stage, so the plot, setting and overall character development didn't quite do it for me. It had some good twists, but I figured out several of them. So all in all it is fun if you're in the mood for a thriller, but not one that leaves a lasting impression. I do think the writing is quite good, but it just wasn't a plot or setting that appealed.