Too many characters with confusing timelines, like the southern gothic feel. 3.5 stars. Too many unreliable narrators, but maybe would recommend

First off thanks to netgalley for providing me an ARC!

The setting is Rutledge university where a boy is dead after a fraternity party and a local woman is missing..

Our protagonist, Margot, was suppose to be attending university with her best friend Eliza. However, Eliza died the summer before and now she's alone. Lucy is the campus "IT" girl and reminds Margot of Eliza.
Lucy randomly invites Margot to live with her and a couple other girls in offcampus housing and Margot couldn't say no. It's a bit interesting of a house because it has a shed that leads to a fraternity house and technically the boys own their house too.
The girls become quickly close and Margot confides in them about what happens with Eliza.
Margot then starts getting a bit paranoid with Lucy...she's not exactly who she claims to be.
Holy smokes, this book was good. It definitely kept me on my toes. It switches timelines which helps the book go fast. It does have an unreliable narrator, which I'm typically not a big fan of but this didn't impact the bigger twist.

Stacy has done it again! I've loved all 3 books I've read by her so far. She develops characters well and has twists you won't see coming! If you're looking for a fast paced thriller, this is the one!

This novel is so addictive and engrossing, that I read it in one sitting. A departure for the author, it tells the story of Margot, a shy young woman only starting college. She meets Lucy, who attracts her into a different life. Margot feels like she’d do anything for her, probably because she reminds her of her best friend Eliza, recently dead. When everything starts finally working out for Margot, Eliza’s boyfriend moves in next door. Margot always suspected that he had something to do with her death so things start to spiral. I have to say, I did not see the final reveals coming. All the clues were there, but they are so well disguised that I, for one, was blindsided. I was invested in the characters, not only Margot, but the other two girls drawn in by Lucy. There are so many twists, that I couldn’t put the book down. I loved the house where they live, which in the afterword the author confesses is based on her own college experiences. Really good.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books.

DNF’d after reading the prologue and first page of chapter one. I don’t usually rate or review books I DNF, but this one is the exception. There are 10 “like” similes just in the prologue alone (15 if you include page 1 of chapter 1). I first noticed this in her prior novel, and gave this one a try hoping it’d be better. There’s even a “flicking” and after the regurgitation of every possible variation of the word “flicker” in her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, I don’t ever want to see that word again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the eARC, but unfortunately I won’t be reading this author anymore.

This is the perfect example of how characters don’t need to be likable to be compelling. This was a twisty, fast-paced, page-turner that I stayed up way too late to finish. The writing is razor-sharp and definitely solidifies Stacy Willingham as an author I’ll keep reading. The characters were messy and multi-dimensional and while I didn’t have to agree with their decisions or moral compass, they were certainly engaging. I’m usually pretty good at spotting twists and do say this one kept me guessing.

This did feel much more YA than her other books and definitely feels like it could fit into that genre, especially with the college age group and the overall immaturity of the characters.

This is a total page-turner with lots of red herrings and twists. The college frat atmosphere is captured well and each chapter is intense. Highly recommended for fans of B .A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

Only If You’re Lucky follows a college student who comes from money. Her best friend died in high school and she carries the ghost with her even now, subconsciously trying to fill the gap left in her heart. When she finds a new group of friends, Lucy in particular, she can’t help but to notice the similarities…eerily.

I really enjoyed this book. I was well written and stumped me in regard to the plot twist! I didn’t feel any emotional attachment to it though, which kept it as 4 stars overall for me. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and suspense.

Keeping this review short and sweet as I don’t want to give anything away.

If you are a fan of slow burn thrillers, this is a book for you. Told in dual timelines, this book had me curious from the very start. With lots of small twists that leave you with more questions than answers, I was kept intrigued throughout the story. At times I did feel the pacing could have been a little faster, but it didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying this book.

I loved the additional layers of the need to belong, exploring the complexities of female friendships, and that we may not always know our closest friends as well as we thought. Be sure to add this to your winter TBR!

Thank you to netgalley, Stacy Willingham, and Minotaur Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

// 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 //

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Genre: Thriller - Academia

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
⏪ Flashback Chapters
🎓 Academic Settings
🤬 Unlikable Characters
👯‍♀️ Friendships

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
This is a slower burn than her other novels. The last 20% is where most of the action was. Most of the characters were unlikeable. They weren’t girls I could see myself being friends with or even wanting to be friends with, and I really don’t understand Margot’s attraction to them. That being said, I think what WAS relatable was this sense of going to college with an opportunity to redefine yourself. You get to decide who you want to be without your past being a defining factor that holds you back. We see this in both our main protagonist as well as in Lucy. But what happens if our last suddenly comes crashing back? Can we truly escape it and does our past define part of who we are? The author also creatively intertwined the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to reinforce this concept of exploring other sides of ourselves as well as the human struggle of balancing the good vs evil inside of us.

I absolutely loved the eerie atmosphere of the house in this one. It felt like such a tangible place. It took me back to the dingy college apartment I lived in and all the strange happenings there. The creepy terrible smelling shed between the properties just added an extra creep factor to the whole thing!

I appreciate the opportunity from @stacyvwillingham and @netgalley for an advance review copy. I absolutely cannot wait to meet Stacy again @parnassusbooks books early next year to hear more about her inspiration for this novel.

I recommend you pick this one up in 𝑱𝒂𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒚 when it releases! It’s different from her previous books but has the same suspense and character building as the others I also previously loved!

#onlyifyourelucky #thrillerbooks #academia #darkacademia #thrillerbooks #thrillerbooksaddict #upcomingreleases #tbr #bookreview #bookrecommendations #readerforlife #readergram #kindlereads #favoriteauthor #bookstagram #bookworm #netgalley #stacywillingham #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread

The characters in this book are all multifaceted but I found them unlikable and predictable. I found the plot overall very compelling and twisty in the best of ways. For me, this rates 4 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who loves dark academia or psychological thrillers. Only if You’re Lucky is a dark thriller about the complexities of friendship and belonging. It is written in dual timelines that take place before and after a crime

In "Only if You're Lucky," Willingham follows Lucy Sharpe, a je ne sais quoi kind of girl. She's confident, elusive, and addicting. People can't help but gravitate towards her. Margot is one of those people. When Lucy asks Margot to live with her their sophomore year, Margot jumps at the opportunity.

With Lucy as the ringleader, Margot finds herself welcomed into a new friend group. Lucy and Margot become quick inseparable friends. But, Margot's story takes a turn when one of the fraternity boys living next door is brutally murdered, and Lucy vanishes without a trace.

I was so excited to read this book. Willingham's "A Flicker in the Dark" was one of my favorite psychological thrillers, and "Only if You're Lucky" lived up to my high expectations; it was a captivating read that I would happily recommend.

Willingham uses incredible detail to paint the entire atmosphere; reading her books feels as if you're a fly on the wall watching the scene unfold before you. She expertly unfolds the story using a past and present timeline, while building up to the moment it all connects.

Willingham is an amazing story teller, and I look forward to reading her future books.

I think this has been my favorite by Stacy Willingham so far. There were a lot of twists in this one and some I for sure did not see coming. I liked there a sort of dual timeline with a before and after but it wasn't to far removed from the event. While the main character was not always likeable I was compelled by here and wanted to see where her story was going. I don't want to give too much away and I went into not really knowing what to expect and I think that was the way to go. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Stacy you did my head in for sure!! a story filled with a rollecoaster full of emotions and had me guessing right til the end. twists and turns throughout and as always Stacy knows how to write a good thriller

Thank you to publisher and netgalley for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own and arent influenced by anyone

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. Unfortunately I did not enjoy this one as much as Willingham’s “A Flicker in the Dark”. I really like the writing style, all the metaphors were beautiful, and I couldn’t stop reading, but I don’t really know why I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t necessarily invested in any of the characters because most of the story happens in ‘the before’ pretty chronologically which felt dragged out. And the reveals between ‘the after’ storyline and ‘the before’ storyline confused me on occasion because there would be a small reference to something during ‘the after’ that we learned about in ‘the before’ or we eventually learn about in ‘the before’, but it was hard to keep track of what we did and didn’t know yet. I found myself flipping back to confer the details. I also felt like we spent too much time in ‘the before’, so by the time we find out everything for ‘the after’, the ending felt rushed and not really believable.
I would recommend this as a good beginning mystery/thriller for someone just getting into the genre.

do yourself a favor and grab this book as soon as it comes out! Oh my goodness…the twists and turns, the characters, the reveals - AMAZING. I had to force myself to put this down in the middle of the night and couldn’t wait to finish this morning. This author has quickly become one of my favorites and I can’t WAIT to see what she writes next!

THANK YOU to the author - Stacy Willingham, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this incredible ARC in return for my honest review :)

First let me say thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. Wow, this book was much more than I had expected. There were so many great twists that when I thought I had it all figured out, well I was wrong. I couldn’t put this book down and it kept me guessing till the end. I recommend Only If You’re Lucky if you like a good mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this one. If you’ve been around for awhile you know that Stacy and I have some beef - Flicker in the Dark was so god awful but I vouched to give her a second chance, and All the Dangerous Things really saved her for me.

I do feel as though this book should be labeled as a YA book, it felt very YA at times (which I didn’t mind!!!) but the idea that this took place on a college campus made it feel YA to me, and some of the interactions were very YAish - I definitely didn’t mind it whatsoever, but I just felt like it should’ve been categorized as YA.

There were parts that just confused me and gave me the ick- which I’m not going to disclose here because this is a spoiler free review!!

Definitely snag this one if you:

📕 Enjoy fast paced reads

📕 Love college campus settings

📕 Were in a fraternity/sorority in college

📕 Enjoy Past/Present POV switches

Even though my rating wasn’t a 4/5 star rating, I would still recommend to anyone in the mood for a fast paced thriller!

3.5 stars ⭐️ Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book. I loved this authors other 2 books so I was very excited to read this one. This was a dark and VERY twisty slow burn. This book has it all; friendships, boyfriends, good vs evil, question after question, lying, betrayal, confusion. I thought I had it figured out twice and didn’t, even when I thought I had it there were still pieces missing. If you like a crazy slow burn with over the top twists, you’ll love this one. I wasn’t a huge fan of how it all came together in the end but I couldn’t stop reading or trying to guess so to me, that’s a good thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley an St. Martins Press for the ARC!
I want to preface this by saying 3 stars is still a good book to me. I will still recommend a 3 star book, it just means that there was some issues or things that didn't work out for me within the book.
The book started a bit slow for me in the beginning but picked up decently towards the end. This is a dark academia read that delves into how manipulative and devious female relationships can be. It definitely gave me "Heathers" vibe and I loved that! Loved all the twists and turns! hope to read more from the author in the future!