When Margot's best friend died, a hole was left in her life.
Enter Lucy Sharp, a beautiful, magnetic, mysterious, larger than life presence who chose Margot.
Chose her to be the final piece in her perfect circle of friends.
But soon Lucy disappears leaving a dead frat boy and a lot of questions.

This book had me, I was drawn in immediately, I loved Lucy's character and had so many questions I could not wait to get answers to.
This book was mainly wrote in flashback with short chapters in the present day.
As the book neared the end I was pretty surprised by some of the developments, but I don't know if it was the actual twist or the delivery, but it fell a little flat ... and then the big reveal. *womp womp*
Nope !

This book had me and then immediately lost me.
I absolutely hated the ending. I'm not sure how anyone could be happy with this ending. For a book I initially enjoyed, it was a big let down.
This had the makings of a four star book, but the ending just blew me away in the worst way possible.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Slow burns

Ugh. I wish I liked this, but I did not. It was very slow and boring. I finished it because I had to know the ending. I didn't even like the end.

This book was a bit slower than Willingham’s previous book. It was a bit different reading from the perspectives of young college girls instead of women in their 30’s. I would have like a little bit more urgency in the story than what was given. It really picked up in the last few chapters, whereas I would have liked to have a bit more stuff happening throughout the book other than typical college happenings.

I enjoyed the author's previous works and this one was no different. Set in college rather than the "real world," Willingham has a slow burn of a mystery that demonstrates their skill and finesse. Some parts were a bit too predictable, but overall an entertaining mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Absolute no for me, initially piqued my interest however it went no where. Took forever (like 3/4 of the book) to get to any action by which point I lost all of that interest. The twists and turns that we’re promised couldn’t make up for the whole book being so boring, unfortunately.

This title by Willingham was certainly a more “slow-burn” compared to A Flicker in the Dark but it did come through with the big reveal towards the end. I would recommend this more towards the younger readers who like young adult mysteries and are transitioning to adult mysteries since it contains aspects from both groups. Some instances were entirely too predictable and felt like a cliche college experience you’d watch from an indie horror film but the writing was still engaging and left you wanting to get to the reveal.

This book keeps you guessing until the last few chapters. I just couldn't figure it out! It was a fun read of friendship (the good and bad sides), adolescence, finding how to be your own person and mostly "what the in the world happened and who did it?!". If you love books that grip you from the start and keep you guessing until the end pick this one up!

First time reading anything by this author and I was not disappointed. Can’t wait to check out more of her work cause this book did it for me. It was a gripping, twisted, whodunnit tale with so many twists and turns you won’t see coming. I love how the book begins with us being placed right in the center of what’s already happened allowing the author to take us back through what lead up to everything.

While reading this I kept thinking of the movie The Craft because Margot and Lucy gave me vibes of Nancy and Sarah minus the witchcraft. Lucy was giving weird ass vibes the entire time like she always had something up her sleeve and it wasn’t good. Margot came off like this innocent gullible character but please don’t be fooled.

The way the author played the characters against each other was golden. The deeper you get into the novel the more twisted things become. You might think you know who’s behind what but trust when I say you’re wrong. When the truth gets exposed I was left in awe because you wouldn’t have seen that coming. My only downside was the reasoning behind most of the madness I won’t spoil it but definitely was expecting something a little more dramatic.

Overall, loved the book it was definitely my kind of thriller‼️ If you like movies like The Craft or The Roommate then you’ll vibe with this book. The character development was excellent, the writing was vivid and descriptive, and of course the premise was well executed not to mention the fast pacing. I finished reading this book within a day or so that’s how good it was to me. Special thanks to the author & @minotaur_books for my gifted copy‼️

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham is a book that once you pick it up, you won't want to put down. Just like with her previous books, Stacy Willingham has a way of creating characters that you want to continue reading about from start to finish. Stacy Willigham is becoming a staple for a thriller readers.

Margot is a shy girl who has just finished her freshmen year at college. When she befriends outgoing Lucy and moves in with her and two others, Sloane and Nicole, she finds herself part of a group she hadn't realized she needed. As the summer passes, things start taking a turn, leacing Margot questioning if Lucy may know more than she's letting on, with a fraternity boy having just been brutally murdered and Lucy now missing, Magot has to come to terms with what might or might not have happened.

Thank you to NetGally and the publisher for the free copy of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham in exchange for my honest and free review.

I loved Stacey Willingham’s first two books so I was very excited to read this one. I usually like a college setting, but this one had way too much young adult drama for me. If you like YA thrillers, you may enjoy this more.

Book Summary:

We've all met somebody who felt larger than life. Who seemed to draw everyone in, no matter where they were. For Margot, that someone is Lucy Sharpe. For Margot, Lucy is the light she desperately needs in her life.

Naturally, Margot jumped at the chance to live with Lucy. Even if taking that chance meant walking away from an otherwise comfortable dorm situation. Yet the longer this new group lives together, the clearer it becomes that something is very wrong.

My Review:

If you're looking for a twisty thriller, Only If You're Lucky is the book for you. Seriously, there were so many turns that I nearly got lost a time or two. Nearly. Stacy Willingham did a brilliant job of making the readers expect one thing, only to flip it upside down.

I love how Only If You're Lucky played with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde elements. It is subtle but so much fun. It added a layer or two to the story, turning it into something more complex and interesting.

My biggest regret about Only If You're Lucky is that there's only one POV. This book felt like it should have had two – Margot's and Lucy's. Yes, that probably would have reduced some of the tension and buildup (since we would have had more chance to know what Lucy was up to), but I'm certain Willingham could have balanced it out.

Highlights:
Thriller/Suspense
Multiple Timelines
Secrets Galore

I really hate to leave nasty reviews on books but this one was pretty awful if I’m honest. I had really high hopes because I loved the other two books by Stacy Willingham. However I feel like this books DRUG on and on before finally getting to the good parts (at about 60% in). Truthfully I had to fight hard not to DNF. The only thing that saved it for me was the ending. I didn’t see the twists coming at all.

I am very thankful to have received this ARC via NetGalley!

I still haven’t fully decided how I feel about this author. While I didn’t hate this book, I felt like it didn’t deliver the way the I wanted it to. I enjoyed it at certain parts, but overall I wasn’t crazy about it.

In the vibrant world of a South Carolina liberal arts college, introverted Margot is drawn into the orbit of magnetic Lucy Sharpe, a larger-than-life figure. After a cautious year, Lucy's invitation to room together unleashes Margot's dormant daring. Alongside sarcastic Sloane and amiable Nicole, they form an unexpected bond. As Margot sheds her shell, a mysterious murder shakes their sophomore year, leaving Lucy missing. The suspenseful narrative explores friendship dynamics, loyalty, envy, and betrayal, making it a compelling thriller.

This was not my favorite. After loving Willingham’s first two books, I struggled with Only If You’re Lucky. I found the pacing to be very slow, and I did not love the main character. It had moments where it pulled me in, but ultimately fell flat for me.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life and seems to cast a spell on everyone around her. When Margot meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year, Margot is intrigued and immediately thinks of her friend Eliza. Lucy may be just the person to help Margot come out of her shell.

And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It's a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she's been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered... and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Willingham’s books and I couldn’t wait to pick up this one! This academic suspense thriller certainly didn’t disappoint. This one felt like a bit of a departure from her previous books and was a bit more character driven “drama” than thriller, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. This book was a really good depiction of female friendship, feeling like you’ve lost yourself to fit in, and gave a look into how bad toxic friendships can be. I really enjoyed the cat and mouse aspect of this book and the unreliable characters that you meet throughout the book. I do think you need to suspend belief a bit to enjoy the twists, but if you’ve enjoyed Willingham’s other books, chances are you will enjoy this one too.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review! All of these opinions are my own.

Margot, a quiet, college student, looses her best friend Eliza in high school. Now, she finds herself at the attention of Lucy. Lucy is larger than life, the opposite of Margot, and asks Margot to be her new roommate. Lucy reminds Margot so much of Eliza that she can't say no. When reality threatens to intercept with her past, Margot cannot pursue it, if not as justice for Eliza.

The book lacks suspense, it's slow most of the way through. The end is twisty, but far fetched. I didn't find myself compelled by the characters or the story. I wasn't a huge fan of Willingham's other novels and I'm starting to think maybe her thrillers aren't for me. If you enjoyed her previous two novels, I'm sure you will enjoy this one as well, as I find them very similar!

I was really excited to read this book because I loved A Flicker in the Dark, but this one ended up falling a little flat for me. I think I just had a hard time connecting with the characters and I was hoping for a book that had me flipping the pages one right after the other! There were some pretty good plot twists that kept you engaged. I think I just had high expectations of this book because I loved her previous work.

I was so excited to be provided with this ARC from NetGalley and Minotaur Books. Both of Stacy’s last books were page turners and was excited to get this one started. This book was written in a different formant than her first 2. Although the story line was interesting, it lacked the excitement that her previous book provided.

This book. This book...it was not it. I'm beginning to think that maybe Stacy Willingham is just not the thriller author for me. After going 1 for 3 in enjoying her books, it might be time to call it quits. And if this hadn't been our book club selection (and a book that I used an audible credit on), I probably would have DNF'd very early in.

There's just something about books where EVERYONE is unlikeable and NOTHING makes sense that don't work for me. I went to college and their lifestyle and overall ambivalence toward school really just didn't work for me - and probably wouldn't have worked foe the university (I mean Cs get degrees and all that, but it's almost as if Willingham would have us believe that they are good students?). Honestly, if this was the life they lived, they all probably would have failed out. You can't tell me they weren't just too hungover every day to even make it to class.

The twist (which you have to make it almost 80% of the way into the book to get to) just didn't work for me. It didn't make sense, the red herring was weird. Just all of it - odd.

Not for me. 2 stars.

I liked this book. I was disappointed though compared to the previous two books that I have read by this author. It was very hard to keep my attention throughout the book. There were too many characters in my opinion that interfered with the story’s integrity. This will be a three star read for me. I will be looking forward to reading the authors next book.