I really wanted to like this book since I had enjoyed Stacy Willingham's other books. I felt like with this one the story just lost me towards the middle. It slowed down significantly and felt like it dragged on a bit. The premise of the story was good but I did connect well with the characters. The main character felt a bit whiny and the twist was a bit predictable.

I quite enjoyed Willinghams previous two books, but this one has failen short for me.

I think I'm past the point in my life where I care about reading about drunk, rich, university students who have a dark secret. I feel like this plot point has been overdone and overworked. It doesn't feel fresh.

I mean, the story and the writing itself is fine. But for me, I'm over it. If anything it also felt too YA for me. The plot itself continued to jump back and forth in time which is always a disrupter to me as a reader as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Press for the advance e-copy of this book.

This was such a great read to start the new year! Starting off with a bang and rating this one five stars! It's official, Stacy Willingham has solidified herself as an autobuy author for me!

Read and loved her other books as well and this one was highly anticipated for me, based on that. It definitely lived up to my expectations. It has a few trigger warnings and at time, got deep and dark, but I'm a fan of that. The story was great, the writing was superb as usual and I'm a fan!

If you're looking for something gritty and dark to read, make this book it. It took a look at relationships, both romantic and friendship, and the lengths at which people will go. An excellent read!

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Minotaur Books for my #gifted copy of Only If You’re Lucky!

Wow! What a masterpiece! I enjoyed this book so much and I had no clue how it was going to end! This book is truly about friendship, secrets, and lies and I just found it to be flawless! I love how this book is told in dual timelines, and felt like it added so much to the storyline.

Margot, she and yet to come out of her shell, meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year. Lucy and Margot are complete opposites, with Lucy always being the center of attention and so bold. When Lucy asks Margot to room with her over the summer, she can’t say no. Together, Lucy and Margot live with Sloane and Nicole at an off-campus house next to a fraternity. On top of her new living situation, and trying to fit in, Lucy is grieving the loss of her best friend, who died shortly after graduating from high school. As Lucy and Margot start to become closer, it doesn’t take long for tragedy to strike. Levi, who lives next door, is murdered and Lucy is missing without a trace. Who killed Levi? And what happened to Lucy?

𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲
🔥Dual Timeline
🔥Psychological Thriller
🔥Dark Academia
🔥Slow Burn
🔥Twists and Turns

Posted on Goodreads on January 2, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around January 16, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on January 16, 2024
**-will post on designated date

I really liked Stacy Willingham's other books, but this one was just okay. I felt like the ending was predictable. A few twists before the ending I didn't see coming.

SPEAK UP on the r*cist employee SMP and I’d be happy to rave about your books. SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU GUYS. Booooooo

Stacy, you surprise me with every book you write. This was a fast paced novel of college students behaving badly. I could not get enough.

As Willingham's third novel in the mystery/thriller genre, readers can expect drama, twists and surprises as the story unfolds. In this book, young Margot leaves her hometown for college without her lifelong friend Eliza, who met a tragic death, leaving Margot to follow through with their plans on her own. Margot is a "lost soul" on campus without Eliza's more gregarious character pulling her along, but she is soon befriended by Lucy, Nicole and Sloane. And she questions why would these popular girls pull Margot into their clique? Margot soon discovers a dark side to Lucy that she both fears and clings to. The story winds through college life of booze, boys, drugs, dares and deaths as Margot's past with Eliza seems to take center stage in Lucy's actions. The surprise elements to the story mesh into acts that cannot be undone, and secrets that destroy. This book did not grab my attention as much as Willingham's previous books, and the characters did not pull me into their story as they should have. The book is sure to be another big seller and loved by many, but was a bit flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #OnlyIfYou'reLucky

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!