I have become a big fan of Willingham this past year, so I was excited to be approved for this ARC.

Set on a college campus down south, the story switches back and forth from past to present. The main character are 4 college girls living off campus next to a Frat House. Someone is dead, the main suspect is missing, and the other 3 girls aren't talking.

Twists are throughout the story, some predictable, other you will not see coming. I enjoyed this page turner that keeps you guessing.

Thank you NetGalley!

Thank you to St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

I was very excited to read this, but I think I set the bar too high, especially given my love for “Flicker in the Dark”. Don’t get me wrong, this one is great too, but just lacked a bit of oomph for me.

It’s a slower paced one set in a college scene with lots of twists and turns. Excellent writing that kept me engaged. Definitely liked not loved.

4/5 ⭐️

I have read all of Stacey’s novels and this one is by far my favorite!

Margot is still grieving the tragic loss of her best friend, Eliza, when she begins her freshman year of college at Rutledge. Margot and Eliza were supposed to attend Rutledge together and instead Margot finds herself adrift and lonely.

But just before she commits to living with her school imposed roommate she catches the eye of Lucy Sharpe who immediately brings her into the fold of her girl group and that Kappa Nu fraternity brothers. By the end of this book several people will have blood on their hands but you’ll never guess who until the moment Stacey wants you to know.

I love Stacy Willingham! I love a good campus drama filled with mystery. This book had me thinking and trying to guess what happens next the whole time.

Stacy Willingham has done it again! Full disclosure: I would read the shampoo bottle instructions if she wrote them. I absolutely adore her and this book was no exception.

The writing is descriptive while somehow also being succinct, the chapters are short, the characters have depth, and overall I COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN.

This book was a phenomenal page-turner that had me putting off my grown up responsibilities and reading late into the night because I was so invested.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

Not my favorite. I was obsessed with her first two books and didn’t love the pacing and writing style of this one. But will still read anything she writes!

Stacey Willingham has become an auto-buy author for me, and this solidified her place on that list. I liked A Flicker in the Dark and LOVED All the Dangerous Things. Only If You're Lucky falls somewhere in the middle. I really enjoyed it, and Stacy Willingham will continue to be an author whose books I will pick up as soon as they are released. I was hooked from the very beginning and stayed hooked the whole way through. I liked that this book is so different from her others. It didn't feel at all like she is following a formula for all her books. I DID NOT guess the twist in this one (I did in A Flicker in the Dark). It was a good mix of character and plot-driven, and even had me spooked a few times. Would definitely recommend to any thriller lover!

*ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A college student struggling to process the death of her best friend falls in with a new group of girls. Things are looking up, until a next door neighbor winds up dead and one of her new friends goes missing. I had so much fun with the campus setting, toxic female friendships and dual timelines. The twists were really good and unexpected. Pleasantly surprised with this!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy.

I couldn't wait to read this book! I have enjoyed some of Stacy Willingham's previous books. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I was hoping for. The story felt a little slow and repetitive. Things sped up by the end but I had lost interest before that.

How well do you know your friends? If you think you know them this book will make you think again.!
Margo has lost her best friend Eliza prior to going off to college. She felt like she was losing her even before that summer. Now at college and struggling to make friends she is asked to be a Roomate by Lucy who reminds her of Eliza. But is she going down a path that will just lead her to more headache?
I have always loved Stacy Willingham’s other works. This one was definitely different but I still enjoyed it. If you love a twisty, page-turning mystery then I know you’ll love this book too!

Only If You’re Lucky is my second book by Willingham. While I really enjoyed All the Dangerous Things, this one just wasn’t it.

This is a slooooow burn, where not much happens until the last quarter of the book. The writing is fabulous, but the middle was just a bunch of words without much excitement. (Unless you are into college girls getting drunk and playing spin the bottle, yawn.)

I started by reading this one, which took me forever, I just couldn’t get into it- and then switched to audio. I did enjoy the narration by Karissa Vacker. I think her voice helped to liven up the storyline.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this one unless Willingham is an autobuy for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review

I am a fan of this author and loved getting an early copy of this one available January 16, 2024.
This quote sets the tone. “One day we were strangers and the next we were friends. That’s how it usually works with girls.” What an ominous quote and its just as easy to go from friends to enemies.
Rutledge University is the setting where girls come together and the story develops when Margot and Lucy and unlikely pair to become friends.
Margot is shy and still is mourning her best friend. Lucy is the opposite, outgoing and she draws Margot in with a friendship. After all we all want to feel special. Are Lucy’s feelings genuine or does she have ulterior motives? College roommates and a duel time make this one fascinating and of course twist are always a plus. Willingham does it again.

I love Willingham’s style of writing and Only If You’re Lucky did not disappoint.

A coming of age story of friendship, lies, secrets, and the experiences along the way that teach us about ourselves and help to shape us as we grow.

The beginning grabbed me right away, and although there were a few slow bits in the middle, that last 25% of the book was the best - and most unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: 16 Jan 2024

2⭐️

😕 well this was unfortunate and unexpected. I absolutely loved the last two books by this author. I was so excited to get approved for this one. Sadly it was a bit of a flop for me.

In a thriller book I don't typically mind if I dislike all the characters, however I need the plot to suck me in. This one I hated the characters but also I was incredibly bored. It just was so much of a slow burn story that when we finally got to the reveals in the last quarter of the book I just kind of wanted it be over and wasn't invested anymore.

I'm not even really sure how to explain what this one is really about. There wasn't much that happened but we are following college age characters in this story with multiple time lines. There is a lot of mean girl drama. I did really enjoy the back and forth between the past and present day though.

Although I don't recommend this book. I highly recommend checking out the other two books from this author as I will continue to read anything Willingham creates. I think she's incredibly talented and the last book All the Dangerous Things I still think about and I loved it so much. It's still on of the best authors note at the end I have read, as I enticed me to learn more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Minotaur books for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

This is my second Stacy Willingham book, and although I did enjoy the overall story, it was just too slow paced for me. I struggled to latch on. The events and twists were all very predictable, which made the desire to continue a little difficult.

I do love the unique way the author tells a story, and I really enjoyed the time hops.

Lucy is the girl everyone wants to be, or at least be around. Margot is immediately drawn to her, so when Lucy gives her the time of day and invites her to live with them, Margot jumps at the chance. Now she is living off campus, next to the boys frat, with three girls, Lucy, plus Sloane and Nicole. Lucy loves to know everyones secrets, but rarely reveals her own. After the death of one of the frat boys, Lucy disappears. Now the three friends are left to deal with the cops and pick up the pieces of their friends lies.

Whew, I happened to read two books about toxic friendships in a row, and both did such a wonderful job of depicting how terrible female friendships can be. Margot was so introverted and Lucy swooped right on in to take advantage of her. That plus some of the fraternity hazing was insane to read. I have to say I did see some of the twists coming, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying every second this book.

It honestly pains me to write this review because I have loved Stacy’s first two thrillers— both so fast paced and binge worthy— but this one is soooo opposite of the first two. This was extremely slow paced, dark academia and quite boring. The whole thing kinda felt underwhelming & honestly if it wasn’t for me having the audiobook format to pair with the ebook, there’s no way I would’ve finished it. 😭

I’m between giving this a 2.5⭐️ and 3⭐️ because it was fine, nothing groundbreaking and also not one I can recommend that people must read. 🥺

Thank you to the publisher for the chance to be an early reader.

My first book by Stacy Willingham, and definitely not my last. Thrillers can be hit and miss for me. But, this one really drew me in.

Margot has always been shy and quiet, which continued after her closest friend passed away suddenly after graduation. When she moves in with Lucy and two other girls the summer before her sophomore year of college, she gets pushed out of her comfort zone. When a frat boy next door is killed, and Lucy goes missing, Margot starts to figure out that things may not be as they seem.

My summary can’t really do justice to the overall plot. The story really just kept me intrigued, and I read it in less than a day. The twists - I 100% wouldn’t have guessed. For my first book from her, it was good!

This book may seem more YA, based on the setting (college) and games played. However, based on some of the events, I wouldn’t necessarily consider it YA. Regardless, it was a quick read for me.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, received from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Stacy Willingham through NetGalley. However, all thoughts and views reflected are strictly my own opinions.

🤯🤯🤯🤯 my mind is blown by this book!! “only if you’re lucky” is a dark, twisted, unsettling tale of female friendships, deception, lies and morality.

The stage is set by 3 college girls being interviewed about their missing room mate, Lucy. We don’t get much information other than Lucy is a complex character (to say the least).

Then we travel back in time to before the interview is taking place. It is the end of the first year of school, and our MC Margot is getting ready to reinvent herself after grieving the loss of her best friend the past year.

As luck would have it, Lucy (the ringleader of a trio) invites her into the fold and so begins our decent into chaos and madness.

This book warps your mind and makes you feel like you’ve been playing mind games for hours on end. I can’t wrap my head around all the twists and turns, shocking revelations and cunning.

It was everything and more.. I will think about this book for a long time. The ending was a lot to process. On one hand I felt protective of the characters but on the other hand I felt saddened and regretful about events that transpired. The question is was everybody deserving of their fates? Did they bring it upon themselves or should they have been dealt a fairer hand.

I will be shook for a long time.. and I genuinely can’t wait to see what Stacy Willingham comes out with next. Also shout out to the cover illustration it is absolutely stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley and st Martin’s press for a copy of this book.

This book started strong and had me hooked but it felt like nothing much happened the entire time. The ending was decent but nothing spectacular either..

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for an honest review