I absolutely love this author, she can do no wrong, definitely an auto but author for me. I love the dual time line in the story. I enjoyed the mystery of the story

I enjoyed this suspense! I loved the slow reveals of crucial details and the two timelines. It was well written and very engaging! I would recommend it to my friends and audience!

College freshman Margot goes to college still grieving over the tragic death of her best friend. Unable to shake the grieving good girl she has become, Margot wants a change. So when Lucy, the magnetic leader of thre "it" girls makes Margot an offer to move in to a house owned by a frat with her and the other girls Margot jumps at the chance. Soon Margot's grief seems less as she becomes a part of the elusive group, doing things that the old Margot would not do. When the boy that Margot is sure killed her best friend shows up at the frat house Margot is spun again into the anger and spiral of grief. As she shares her past with Lucy, will Lucy help Margot with her grief, or is there more to Lucy's interest in Margot? I'm not going to lie, reading the crash course of Margot's life was difficult. This young woman struggling to deal with complicated grief, looking for relief in the wrong places. I honestly almost DNFed the book it was so painful to read. I kept with it and the twist was exactly what I needed to keep me hooked. This book was dark but for those who love twisty psychological thrillers than this one is for you. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I was a huge fan of "A Flicker in the Dark" with its sinister twists and turns, so I was excited to get ahold of "Only If You're Lucky." While it was still a read that kept me on my toes, I feel like there could have been so much more to it than what it ended up being.

Margot and Lucy become close friends in college, but when Lucy disappears one night, Margot becomes obsessed with finding out what happened. While this sounded promising from the outset, the plot quickly revealed itself to be more of a YA mystery than a dark and twisty thriller.

I can appreciate that Stacy Willingham has a gift with her craft, but I expected more from this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Margot goes off to college for a new start, after losing her best friend Eliza in a tragic accident. The last person Margot expects to see at Rutledge is Eliza's suspicious ex, Levi.. & even MORE shocking, Levi begins to get oddly close to Margot's NEW best friend, Lucy (who is eerily similar to Eliza).

I enjoyed the concept of this one- love a good CAMPUS-SETTING & dual timeline ("before" & "after") that both have intrigue. The main characters living together in an old frat house was *interesting* to me (can't you just picture it?! No thank you). 🤣

I REALLY enjoyed & highly recommend both of Stacy's previous thrillers (both 4.5 star); however (here comes honesty hour), this one unfortunately wasn't my favorite. It is MUCH different from her last books (kudos for trying something different, though!!)- I wish I had gone in knowing that! This is way more of a SLOW-BURN mystery, with a lot of build-up & less thrill. The pacing was a bit off; the first 75% or so was quite repetitive, & the action really didn't start happening until the end. A lot of the plot felt more YA to me- spin the bottle/truth or dare, college parties, etc- over & over again. Our MC, Margot, was very strangely obsessive with her girl friends, & she also often seemed to get lost in the mix (to the point where I forgot her name multiple times...). I don't anticipate feeling "connected" to characters while reading this genre, but I found all of the characters rather unlikeable; especially Lucy- gave me the heebie-jeebies from the get-go. When the twists started unravelling, there was only one that *sort-of* shocked me. I was hoping for more of that satisfying, WTF thriller feeling. Some of the motive(s), IMO, were pretty unlikely/unbelievable, or didn't make a lot of sense.

NEVERTHELESS, I still love Stacy, & will always read anything she writes. I am not at all trying to deter you from reading this one; if you like YA mysteries, you may love it! 😊

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Publishing, and Stacy Willingham for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

“We held fast, doe-eyed and innocent, and it was easy, really, because all we are to him: underestimated always. Just children, just girls.”

Only If You’re Lucky is an alluring slow-burn thriller centered on female identity, friendships, and secrets. The story follows four college roommates who are renting a creepy and atmospheric off-campus house that is attached to a male fraternity. While I do not typically read YA or college-aged thrillers, Willingham did a phenomenal job in capturing how tumultuous and fragile these years are for women; the secrets, insecurities, lust, jealousy, and bonds forged during these years. How far are these young women willing to go to test moral boundaries in the sake of fitting in or protecting their friends?

The book opens with a murder and a missing person, but the first 60% of the book is dedicated to slow-burn character development and flashbacks to the summer before college year to set the stage for the climatic murder in the middle of the school year. The last 40% was fast-paced twists, turns, and reveals that I could not set aside. This book has magnetic and flawed characters, angst and suspense, an unreliable narrator, and great theming and plot twists. While it didn’t reach my adoration for Willingham’s first two releases, I think it was simply due to character age/setting/pacing than writing style. Willingham remains an auto-buy/read author for me and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Social media post/review coming closer to release date!

2.5/5 stars.

Margot is an introverted, shy and careful person; often the sidekick to the more extroverted friends she makes. Lucy is bold, dangerous, and loves being the center of attention. When Lucy singles Margot out at the end of her freshman year and asks her to room together, Margot finds that she cannot say no. This is how Margot finds herself rooming with three girls she barely knows: Lucy (the ringleader), Sloane (the sarcastic one), and Nicole (the nice one). Margot's finally coming out of her shell over the course of her sophomore year, becoming close friends with Lucy. Things seem to be going well for Margot, until one of the fraternity boys who lives next door is found brutally murdered and Lucy is missing without a trace.

ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY has a very interesting premise but I found the delivery to be lacking. Instead of reading like a suspense novel, it feels more like a character study, investigating the secrets we keep and what we will do to keep them secret. I liked the navigation of the concepts of friendship, the feeling of belonging, the power of loyalty, envy, and jealousy - making for an interesting discussion and read. Given that's not really what I was expecting coming into this novel, I was underwhelmed.

The pacing was really slow as the author navigates through the dynamic Margot shares with several of the characters, her past, and her current existence. There was a lot of build up in suspense that crescendoed into nothing truly surprising or inspiring occurring. A twist near the end of the book took me by surprise and while it fit into the narrative that had been building, I still wasn't moved enough to appreciate it. The last handful of chapters is where the entirety of the story takes place in terms of big reveals, but it was too little too late for me.

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley, and the publisher, Minotaur Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham!

ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY was an alluring story. Friendships are put to the test and you never know what to believe or who to trust. I liked the alternating timelines and getting a deeper insight into Margo and Eliza's friendship. By the end, I was shocked by the discoveries. I like a book that keeps me guessing and this one made me think. I felt the story read more like a YA thriller and I enjoyed it until the very last page. Stacy Willingham is clearly a gifted writer and this was very different from her last two books.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.book.reviews) in the near future.

Super thankful for NetGalley for receiving an ARC copy of this book. I was a huge fan of other books by this author so seeing her name made me instantly interested in receiving a copy to read early.

I’m normally not a huge fan of college based books, but I thought I would give this a try due to loving her writing style in the past.

This book is a slow burn if I ever read one. It has duel timeline that follows four friends through a year of college. Well technically two years of college.

I felt like the story didn’t really pick up for me until about 60% through. At that point I was so invested in what the heck was going on that I couldn’t put it down. You kept questioning what happened and who did it. I had fun with coming up with my own thoughts, but those twists towards the end caught me off guard.

Although I’m rating this book 3 stars, I still really enjoyed it. I’m just not a huge fan of slow burns for thrillers and I’m not a huge fan of a college plot. I wish the storyline had been fast paced, I had so much potential to being a great thriller!

A new release thriller from Stacy Willingham, the author of “A Flicker in the Dark” and “All the Dangerous Things”. I was very excited to read this ARC and it did not disappoint!

This book follows a group of college girls that move in together into the off-campus house as they navigate the intricacies of their sophomore year in college. It is full of dark secrets, intense female friendships, envy, lust and many more things that move us at this fragile age.

From beginning until about 75% into this book it read like a 3-star because of slow pacing that was borderline annoying at times. The remaining 25% felt like a 10-star. Author masterfully tied all minor details and scenes throughout the book into the well-crafted plot twist at the end. I did not see the story ending the way it did, but wow was I blown away!

If you don’t mind the slower pacing of the story and love a good psychological thriller, I highly suggest you add this to your TBR in 2024. I will definitely be making my way through Stacy Willingham’s backlist!

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.

I am sorry to say that this book was a DNF for me at 44%. Stacy Willingham has blown me away with her last two books, but this one was so slow and scattered. I kept trying to give it time to fall into a rhythm, but it felt like a chore every time I went to pick it back up. College kids getting into trouble and making bad decisions should be a lot more enthralling/entertaining than this book was.

I will not review this on my page because I really do love Willingham’s other books and I don’t want to taint other readers opinions of her! Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me.

3 ⭐️'ˢ

“Only If You’re Lucky” By Stacy Willingham

📕 Edition: Audiobook

The story follows Margot, a shy college student, and her larger-than-life roommate, Lucy. The dynamics among Lucy and her housemates—Sloane and Nicole—create a captivating backdrop for the tale.

Willingham weaves a narrative that explores the complexities of friendship, grief, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. The characters are richly developed, each with their quirks and flaws, making them feel incredibly real.

While the book kept my attention with its magnetic characters and a suspenseful plot, I couldn't help but feel that some parts were a tad dragged out, elongating the story more than necessary.

The mysterious disappearance of Lucy and the murder of a fraternity boy add layers of suspense, keeping my interest perked. The narrative is intense, and the twists keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you @NetGalley , @macmillan_audio for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Just a couple of harmless little girls”

I love that Stacy Willingham drew inspiration from her college living situation for this book. It was easy to picture the setting. The main characters were developed well. While reading, you just don’t know whether Margot is reliable or not…and you don’t know who around her is actually trustworthy as well. I enjoyed the story as a whole, though it was a slow burner. I really enjoy Willingham’s writing. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy to review.

Many thanks to netgalley and Minotaur for my advanced electronic copy of Only if You're Lucky, which publishes January 2024.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I am a fan of Stacey WIllingham's books, and for the most part, she has done it again: written a thriller with more depth of character and theme than your average book in this genre. It's a pageturner, as we both want to know what is happening in the present, as well as what exactly happened in the past (which is referenced quite a bit). There's a massive twist I didn't see coming, but I should have. The college setting is realistic and perfect for the themes of wanting to belong, to fit in, to explore moral grayness, to be both good and evil (there's an ongoing thread about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) It's also full of bad behavior and poor choices, which i tired of, tbh. I do think her previous two books were stronger, but that may just be personal preference. I enjoyed the author's note at the end, explaining how her idea for the book came about.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Stacy Willingham for the advanced copy of Only If You’re Lucky in exchange for my honest review.

I unfortunately decided to DNF this one about 20% in. I wasn’t connecting to the story or any of the characters and I had a hard time figuring out what exactly the plot of the book was. Nevertheless, I won’t hesitate to read this author again in the future as I loved her past books.

As is the case with all the books I DNF, NetGalley will be the only retail site I leave a review on.

I received this book as an ARC but that isn't impacting my review.

I like this author. I own her first book, and very much enjoyed her second. This one, I struggled a bit. Maybe I'm the wrong audience because I had a great college life where I used classes and work and friends to deal with things in a positive ways, so I have a harder time relating to the characters. But I think it's also that the story felt done. The unreliable narrator, the femme fatale setting things into motion, etc. Also parts of the plot felt like too much suspension of disbelief. But mostly- for me to be invested, I have to like at least one character, root for them. And I didn't really root for anyone here so I never got invested.

Maybe my expectations are just too high because of the last book, I don't know. But I was disappointed and had to push myself to finish it. That said, I gave it three stars because I did finish it and because the writing is still good. I appreciate the tight story where there isn't a lot of pointless exposition and where a lot of little things pay off. The author also does a great job of building atmosphere and an environment that sometimes feels real. And most of all, there is an ending that wraps up the details and after reading a book without that, i appreciate this one.

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
I was so excited to get an ARC of Stacy Willingham's newest book because I LOVED her other two books. This one exceeded the other two. I went in blind and had no idea of the storyline but it had me hooked from the very beginning. Stacy is such an amazing story teller. Her ability to paint a picture never ceases to amaze me. I had no idea how the story was going to end, and the many twists kept me guessing throughout. If you haven't read any of Stacy's books, you need to. I highly recommend Only If You're Lucky and her previous two books as well!

Thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham and Minotaur Books for an ARC!

I really enjoyed the plot, setting, and character demographics. I looked forward to reading more each time I was able to pick the book back up but at the same time, it seemed to stretch on for long bits of time without furthering the story. There was just a little something missing in terms of character connection for me, but again, overall, I really enjoyed where the story went and the various motives.

This book is a slow burn thriller with some good twists at the end. It will definitely keep you interested until the end. I have read other books by the author and will continue to be a follower. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for and e ARC of this book.