I read A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham in 2022 and absolutely loved it so I was SO excited to get an advanced copy of this book.

For me it missed the mark. It felt like it was geared towards a younger audience since the setting was in a college and I found that it wasn’t very fast paced. I didn’t find myself dying to pick it up, and I didn’t particularly care for any of the characters or what happened to them, which made it hard for me to get into.

This wasn’t a bad book and if you like SW’s other books I’d definitely recommend checking it out in January when it’s released!

Thank you to NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I did not enjoy this book as much as previous books by this author. It was a little slow and I think I just didn’t enjoy the characters much or that it was set at a college. I did enjoy the ending and sll the multiple twists and turns. Some I saw coming but one or 2 I did not.

This is a always buy author for me and this did disappoint. It kept me guessing the whole time. Thanks for the ARC as always

I was excited to score an ARC of ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY because I liked Stacey Willingham’s two other books, especially All the Dangerous Things. I didn’t like this one as much, although I did appreciate the twisty story once I got to the end and everything finally came together.

The book is about a college student, and I feel like the first half of the story is gratuitous and overly nostalgic - there are a lot of pages of college partying, reminiscing and messing around with frat boys. When I read the notes at the end, it turned out my feeling was correct. Although Willingham didn’t base the characters on her college friends, the house where they live was based on a real place.

Without ruining the story, I’m also tired of unreliable narrators and there was at least one plot point at the end that I feel is unlikely.

It took me a while to get through ONLY IF YOU’RE LUCKY because it is such a slow burn (waaay too slow for me) but having said that, I did feel the end of the book was much stronger than the rest and I did get invested once the secrets began to unravel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Only If You're Lucky is an exploration of (female) friendships and the secrets that can either come between them or bond them for life.

Margot is mourning the death of her best friend, Eliza, when she starts her first year of college. During that year, she's lucky enough to be singled out by the mysterious Lucy, who befriends Margot and the two become roommates along with Nicole and Sloane in a fraternity-owned house during their sophomore year. When one of the fraternity pledges is killed and Lucy disappears, Margot, Nicole and Sloane try to unravel the mystery surrounding Lucy and her connection to Margot.

Told in alternating timelines, Only If Your Lucky is a slower plot, more character-driven novel. I really enjoyed the dark academia feel to this one. Anyone who has read and enjoyed Stacy Willingham's previous two novels should definitely read this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, St, Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for an ARC of this book. Publication date: January 16, 2024.

This was a great read!
I love love love Stacy Willingham.

Margot and Eliza were the best of friends despite being incredibly different in demeanor . Eliza was full of life and Margot often in her shadow. For ten years, they were like inseparable and choose to go to the same college.

However, Eliza dies in a tragic accident and Margot is faced with life without Eliza. Everything reminds her of her friend. She can't bear to stay in the same town so she goes off to college escaping her grief.

Margot is befriended by an enigmatic girl on campus. She reminds her of Eliza, charismatic and full of life- all the things Margot is not.
Will Margot stay in her comfort zone or seek a friendship much like the one with Eliza?

This story has some pretty amazing Easter eggs and themes.

I recommend this for anyone that likes thrillers especially teen thrillers, although I would say it's a good read for a wider audience too

Great read.

Thanks netgalley !!!!!!

Immediate 5 stars and a must read for this author. Always the right amount of twists and turns and “keep you guessing” plots.

𝑾𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒘𝒏--𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕, 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒓𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅--𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍. 𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍.

This is such a difficult review to write because the writing itself was haunting and lyrical consistently throughout. Unfortunately, the story itself just wasn't that original and had a very YA feel as the plot was centered around college students. After mulling over this review for days, I feel sure that I would have enjoyed the book much more if dual timelines were present and I was reading about the characters as more fully formed adults.

Margot is the shy one, the one who always follows the rules, but when she catches the attention of Lucy Sharpe, her life will shift to a different trajectory. I wish I could say that the author put a different spin on this trope, but it was the same as many others. I got really excited right before the final climax because I thought something big was coming, but that was a letdown as well.

I'm sticking with three stars because I did enjoy the writing, and the story itself was adequate. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books for the early copy. This title will publish January 1, 2024.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers of Only If You're Lucky, I was able to read this ARC in return for an honest review. The first 2/3rds of the book was a fun dark academia story where you know something has happened, but you can't piece it together. I give that 3 stars. The ending was a wild ride to the finish, slotting all of the puzzle pieces together! It bumped the 3 stars to 4 stars. It would be interesting to read this book again someday to see the story unfold again knowing what I know now.

Margot is a quiet, homebody who goes to Rutgers. She was supposed to go with her high school best friend, who died after high school graduation. While at college, Margot meets Lucy, who draws her in just like her high school best friend. Moving in with Lucy for her sophomore year, Margot is thrust into a world of frat parties, hazing, and secrets. These secrets propel the story forward in an interesting way. If you like Stacy Willingham's other books or dark academia, this book is completely worth reading!

I do adore a book by Stacy Willingham, but I struggled to get into this one. It's a slow burn until a little past the halfway point, at which point it took off. In theory, I love two friends with a complicated relationship, and I like academia, but in this case it felt like a trope that's been overdone without anything new. Still looking forward to Stacy's next, this one just wasn't it for me.

3.5 stars. I’ve read all of Stacy Willingham’s books, she’s an auto read for me. Was super excited to get this one early on netgalley, and find a group to buddy read with! I gotta admit, this is a SLOW burn, and I had a really hard time staying engaged in the story, until about 3/4 of the way - then it took off and I flew through the back half. Definitly a few twists on twists at the end, which made it with it. It’s not my favorite of hers, but still worth a read!

This is so good. I think we have all done lot the smartest things to try to fit in. It was a tad of a slow burn for me but still very intriguing. A look into female friendships. The lies we tell and the secrets we keep.

For fans of any dark academia, or even Gossip Girl, Only If You're Lucky is the story of salacious friendships and murderous choices. What happens when the right things turn into the wrong? I love books that share complicated friendships, especially in college. Navigating that world is so hard and exciting and this book equally explored that.

This is hands down Stacy Willingham’s best novel. Her first two are great, but they focus more on one main character, and this book holds a varying cast of interesting characters that fill out the story. I’m biased towards novels set in college; there’s something about characters being in their early twenties and cacooned in college life that lends itself to interesting relationships and plotlines. Sometimes thrillers can be a letdown because there’s one big reveal at the end that feels anticlimactic, but there are all sorts of small reveals in this book sprinkled in from beginning to end, and while I guessed a few of them, I didn’t see most of them coming. Most of the characters are likeable and the main narrator isn’t annoying at all, which is a common trait of narrators in thrillers (at least in my opinion). I highly,highly recommend grabbing this read when it hits stores in January.

This is a unique thriller that explores the nature of loyalty and how those intricate ties are woven. I highly recommend this read for fans of psychological suspense.

Some female friendships can be formed with an easy smile and a carefree afternoon or much deeper bonds can be forged in a desperate flame of need and sisterly compassion. Margo finds herself attending college and feeling the devastating loss of a friendship built on many years of shared childhood moments. She spends that first year adrift without her best friend Eliza and drowning in loneliness. Her struggle does not go unnoticed. Lucy, a free spirit on campus, charges into Margo’s life and offers up a life raft—an exciting chance to join her small circle of friends off campus. Could this be a new start for Margo or is this opportunity that's too good to be true?

I'd like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of Only If You’re Lucky for my unbiased evaluation.  4.5 stars

I was captivated by this book from the very beginning. I found the author's writing to be well-done and left the story playing out in my head. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy. I did eventually put the pieces of the puzzle together before the ending but what a ride it was to get there!

The story flips between past and present of Margot.

Margot grew up in an extremely affluent family, with best friend Eliza from grade school. The two are inseparable. Margot feels themselves start to drift apart in approach to life, but the two still plan on going to college together after graduation. During senior year, a family moves in next door to Eliza’s house. Eliza’s demeanor changes and “parades on show” for the kid that is her now neighbor, Levi Butler. Before Margot leaves for college, Eliza is dead and Margot is certain Levi did it.

Moving on from the death of Eliza, Margot goes to the school they’d planned on attending together. Margot sloths through first year, making a single friend - her stranger of a roommate, Maggie. She and Maggie have made plans to find an off-campus apartment for their Sophomore year. Though Maggie has signed the lease, Margot has not, when she is invited to join (stranger) Lucy and her friends in an off-campus apartment. Margot is drawn to Lucy like she was drawn to Eliza and is certain that doing this will give her someone to focus on (Lucy) and move on with her life. The house the girls rent is owned/shared by a fraternity. One of the roommates is dating the fraternity President (Trevor) and their situation is in constant turmoil. At a party before the Fall term begins, Margot is stunned to see Levi, who is a legacy of this fraternity. He tries multiple times to talk to her, she shuts him down. She shares the story of Eliza’s death to her roommates (Nicole, Sloane, and Lucy).

The semester progresses and the girls become closer, inseparable. There is still a large amount of tension between Margot and Levi.

What happened between Eliza and Levi to cause Eliza’s death? Who is Lucy Sharpe and why is she missing at the same time Levi is dead? What is it - personality trait or leverage - that Lucy has over these girls (including Margot) that bends and shapes them to whatever Lucy wants them to be?

I absolutely adore Stacy Willingham’s writing style. The way her sentences flow to create a stream of consciousness and clue readers into how unhinged the characters and plot actually are. I also really enjoy the plot twists and red herring strategically placed so you can never quite figure out who did what to who. By the end, I enjoyed the unraveling though I was still left waiting for more.

This novel is definitely different from her others, and though I didn’t think it was quite as strong (I felt that all the exposition given was necessary), I still enjoyed the journey.

Without spoilers, I can’t say more!

Definitely add this one to your list of 2024 preorders!

I really enjoyed this book! There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I was a little slow getting into it at first but the last half of the book I couldn’t put it down.

"What would you do if you could get away with it?"
Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham looks at four friends sharing a house in college.

"Margot has moved into a house for her sophomore year at Rutledge, a small liberal arts school in SC She has slowly come out of her shell, caused by the death of her best friend 3 weeks after high school graduation. She and her new roommate, Lucy, have become close friends. Near the end of Spring semester, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been murdered. And Lucy is missing..."

Same great writing from Willingham. Some great characters in this one. Lucy is mysterious and dangerous and manipulative. Margot wants to be noticed and is drawn to Lucy - like everyone in Lucy's orbit. Willingham keeps us guessing throughout. How did the boy die? Who did it? Where is Lucy? All of the reveals are twisty and surprising. I did not see any of them coming. (Maybe 1)
There are dual timelines - before and after the murder. We eventually see what happened to Levi and Lucy. And you will not guess that.

More great fiction from Willingham. Always glad to see a book set here in SC (Even if it is a fictional school) This is one you should add to your list.