Wahoo!!! With reading so many thrillers, a lot of time I get an inkling of where the story is going before it gets there. I didn't with this story! I was so excited when the unexpected twist popped up! It was GOOD!!! The characters were interesting and I loved that their development felt natural and not manipulated to hide the upcoming surprises. The plot went along a bit slower than this author's previous books, but it felt like the right speed for me as it focused on the characters and how they reacted to the plot going on around them.

I love books that take place at college as this one did. The setting was a big character in the story. I also really like Willingham's writing - she keeps the reader engaged. I thought this was an excellent thriller, very thought-provoking!

I was so excited to read this one as I have heard great things about Stacy Willingham's work. While I will definitely be checking out her other books that come highly recommended, I unfortunately had to DNF this one around the 60% mark. I found myself not eager to pick it up as nothing was really happening. It is a dual timeline and while it threw me off in the beginning, it wasn't overall hard to follow. I wasn't feeling that suspenseful build that kept me wanting to turn the pages. After struggling with it for a few weeks, I decided that it just isn't for me. Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for my complimentary digital copy for review.

In this compelling novel, we follow a young woman as she navigates the complex realms of grief, university life, and unexpected encounters from her past. The author masterfully keeps readers on their toes, introducing unexpected twists just when I think I have it all figured out. The ingenious use of an unreliable narrator adds an extra layer of shock and suspense to the story.

This book delves deep into themes of friendship, betrayal, and loyalty, while also exploring the profound influence of secrets. The impact of these revelations on the protagonist's life is profound, and the lengths she goes to keep them hidden are both captivating and thought-provoking.

Overall, this riveting and twisty page-turner is a must-read for fans of suspenseful storytelling.

I think that this is my second fave Stacey Willingham! I definitely liked this one more than her last one. It was perhaps a bit farfetched?

This is Stacy Willingham's third novel and probably my least favorite. It's a bit of a slow burn throughout the first half of the novel, but the ending is worth the read, in my opinion! I did not see the ending playing out that way, but that is the great thing about Stacy's novels! Just when you think you have the twist figured out, she throws another kink in there!

It gives the vibe of an academia novel instead of the mystery/thriller vibes of her first two novels. The writing is excellent, and I really enjoyed the alternating timeline of "before" and "after". I'm giving this one a solid 3.5 stars.

Special thanks to St. Matin's Press/Minotaur Books and the author for this advanced copy that releases on 1/16/24.

Stacy Willingham can do no wrong in my eyes! I felt so lucky to get an early copy of this since she's become an auto buy author for me, and this was my favorite of hers so far! I loved the college campus setting and the fact that I couldn't trust anyone. It kept me guessing the entire time and I was just along for the ride. I highly recommend Stacy Willingham to any thriller lover- hers are truly the best!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I will say the first two books by this author completely blew me away. This one wasn't in that category for me but I still enjoyed the story and highly recommend it! Super excited for this one to publish and for others to get to read it!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this story. The review will be posted to my instagram @manymerrybooks.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.
Due to the current SMP boycott, I will not post my thoughts on this story until the concerns are addressed. At that time, I will be happy to post my full review.

only the last 15% was exciting the rest was pretty boring. Margot is not a very interesting character

After loving the two prior novels from the author, this one continues to fall flat for me. It reminds me of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, which was also a struggle for me to get into. If you enjoy a slow burn, disturbing academia, dual-timeline read then this would be an excellent choice. For me, it was a bit repetitive and it took too long for the pace to ignite.

As always, even if a book is not for me, it will absolutely work for others. If you enjoyed other academia slow-burns, give this one a try.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy of this book - I am so appreciative!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC! Stacey Willingham has become one of my go-to thriller authors and this is her best yet! This novel had me gooped and gagged. As someone who reads thriller regularly, I couldn’t predict the twists or ending. This felt fresh and different compared to other thrillers I’ve read. I also listened along with the audio version, and as usual Carissa Vacker killed the narration!

First read of the year and I loved it! The college vibe was creepy and the setting was amazing and well done - be sure to read the author's note. This one surprised me with the twists and I never saw things coming. The chapters were set between before and after and it worked well by providing the background and eventually merging. The characters were also varied and interesting. The ending worked for me. Excellent read!!!

A slow-burn narrative, delving into the intricacies of the darker side of friendship. Willingham explores the boundaries that get pushed to keep secrets with relatable characters and an engaging plot filled with unexpected twists.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. #NetGalley

I absolutely loved this new thriller from Stacy Willingham. Margot’s life is turned upside down when her best friend dies in a tragic accident and she goes to the college they had planned to attend together feeling hopeless with no friends. She meets Lucy, who reignites her need for friendship and seems to be full of mystery. But both of their histories aren’t what they appear to be. Couldn’t put this one down. Lovers of her other novels will be hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Only If You're Lucky on January 16, 2024.

I think this book solidified that I'm not as much of a contemporary fiction or thriller girlie as I thought. I picked this up, read the first few chapters, and knew the tone and plot weren't for me. I didn't feel motivated to continue reading, none of the characters felt compelling, and I forgot about this book almost as soon as I put it down.

That doesn't mean other readers won't love it, especially if you are a thriller or suspense fan. I can see how the plot and storyline can ensnare some readers, but it wasn't for me personally.

It took a while to get the story going.  Around the third of the book is when it finally gets interesting and you find out how the characters are intertwined. I enjoyed the dual timelines and the author did a fantastic job displaying how far we'll go in the name of friendship.

Stacy Willingham’s work has been a mixed bag for me. I didn’t love A FLICKER IN THE DARK but I enjoyed ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS. Happy to report that ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY was also a win for me. it was definitely more of a slow burn than her previous work, but i still enjoyed the plot of this one and the twists are great! definitely would recommend to any thriller lover.

I am big fan of Stacy Willingham’s first two books so was elated to receive an ARC of her newest book ((Pub date: 1/16/24). I chose to listen to the audiobook which had great narration!

“You’re only young once, and only if you’re lucky.”

Eliza and Margot were best friends. The kind of friends that make life long plans. Then, Levi moves into their orbit and three becomes a crowd. Levi and Eliza have no room for Margot, but Margot is not willing to give up. As fate would have it, Eliza dies unexpectedly leaving Margot broken and alone and ready to start college. Margot is shy and broken and easily led. Once on campus she sees a young woman in Her dorm named Lucy who is flanked by two girls, Sloane and Nicole. According to Margot, those three have everything she has ever wanted. As the spring semester ends, Lucy approaches Margot with an opportunity to live with them and Margot accepts. This story of friendship, betrayal and belonging is painted to close to real life it is easy to under why this novel grabs you and holds you close. Bound by blood and lies ‘if one goes down,’ they all go down.

As a HUGE fan of Willingham's previous novels, I was THRILLED to receive early access to her latest, Only If You're Lucky. This ended up being a quick read (with lots of twists around the 75% mark), however, I'm realizing that the "college campus thriller" trope isn't my favorite. If you're a thriller lover, you'll probably like this one. It won't be the most memorable book for me, but I'll keep picking up this author's books to see what she does next. I did find the Author's Note to be really interesting!