2.5
I've read and loved Stacy Willingham's other two books but this one was unfortunately a miss for me.
the timeline felt muddled. This was a book that featured chapters from "before," "after," and also kind of present day? And the present and after chapters would also have long sections where the main character was thinking back on things that happened... so they would suddenly feel like before chapters.
Stacy also has a history of doing double-whammy twists—where there will be a mini twist that you'll maybe see coming (making you think you've guessed the ending) and then they'll be ANOTHER twist that totally throws you off. I thought it was fun in the first two books, but it didn't really work for me here.
Overall, it was just a little disjointed. The last 100 pages felt like we were suddenly with new characters—I didn't sympathize with the main character anymore and the reveals felt out of line with what we had gotten to learn about all of our suspects.
I'll definitely pick up more from her in the future, but this one was a bit of a letdown.

This is Stacy Willingham's third book. I have read her other two books and really enjoyed them and this was no exception. It did have a slow start for me but then it really picked up. Margot is the main character and it starts with her going off to college but memories of losing her best friend, Eliza, continue to haunt her. At the dorms she meets a girl named Lucy and Margot is instantly mesmerized by her and throughout the book continues to be drawn to her. Things change when someone from Margot's past, Levi, shows up after freshmen year is over and things change drastically after that but I won't say why since i don't want to give anything away.
The book does have a point of view of before and after which helps tie the story together as it progresses. Just when you think you know what's going on there is twist after twist! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured Only if You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham! Margot goes off to college while mourning the loss of her childhood friend. She meets a new group of friends that will make her college experience one she will never forget. An old acquaintance resurfaces as this thriller takes twists and turns all leading up to a crazy ending. The college setting was nostalgic, the writing was fantastic . . . I loved this one!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

I absolutely loved A flicker in the dark and All the dangerous things. So, I was obviously super excited when I was able to her get my hands on Only if you’re lucky.

This one is a slow burn with little bread crumbs scattered throughout unlike her previous fast paced two thrillers. It was a little slow for my liking but I will say, it was most definitely worth the read because the twists made up for the slow pace.

This one was packed with twists on twists. 🤌🤌🤌

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I love Stacy Willingham, who writes great suspense novels. This one just wasn't one of my favorites. Maybe it was the demographics -- I'm not college-age any longer so the navigation of those friendships feels more foreign to me. Maybe it was the mystery -- it moved more slowly in the beginning and then wrapped up quickly at the end. Maybe it was the narrator -- I'm a little over narrators who we can't trust. Despite those things that didn't click for me, I still read this quickly and wanted to know what happened. I appreciated the fraternity house as a setting/character.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for allowing me to read this book.This was a tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal.

I had the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of Stacy Willingham's book Only If You're Lucky, thanks to #NetGalley and #Minotaur Books - Macmillan. The book was a lot of fun. It's a classic mystery, where you are trying to sort out whodunnit throughout the book, and Willingham throws a lot of twists as you, right up to the very end. You think you have it sorted out, but nope.

The book is the story of Margot, a reserved college freshman who has suffered a major tragedy just before starting school - the death of her best friend Eliza. But the book is also the story of Lucy Sharpe, the mysterious girl who everyone likes, but who is very much like her late friend. The center of attention. Everyone loves her. Lucy asks Margot to move in with her and two other girls into a house they are renting behind a fraternity house. All is good. Margot comes out of her shell, and is finally taking living her life, after the trauma of losing Eliza. That is until there is a murder at a frat party, and Lucy goes missing.

The book uses a "before" and "after" plot hook, back and forth, with most of the story being told "before," as the story unfolds. It's a fun book. Keeps you guessing. Look for it in January 2024.

Margot starts her freshman year of college mostly being a recluse in her room and not making new friends outside of her roommate. She lost her best friend, Eliza, only months before college was starting and hasn’t quite recovered.

Lucy Sharpe, another freshman who lives in her dorm, radiates energy and confidence. Right before summer break, she asks Margot to move in with her and two other girl out of the blue. They have a party filled summer and become best friends.

Now, sophomore year, the fraternity next door has a legacy pledge, Levi Butler, who potentially could’ve been involved in Eliza’s death. What transpires over the next few months will shock everyone, including Levi’s death, Lucy’s disappearance, and what happened to Eliza.

I enjoyed that this book had dual timelines, the before and the after, which refers to the time before and after Levi’s death and Lucy’s disappearance. The book is solely from Margot’s perspective, but the dual timelines tell the story well.

It felt like there was almost of build up to what ultimately occurred and ending was rushed, however I still enjoyed the ride.

Another fantastic thriller by Stacy Willingham. She knows just how to pull the reader in and keep them guessing. A quick and easy read that leaves you wanting more more more! I cannot wait to see what Ms Willingham comes out with next!

I am speechless. Absolutely speechless. Stacy Willingham has done it again and wrote an absolute masterpiece. When I tell you that this book is a five star read, please know I would give it six stars if I could.

Firstly, the writing. The author is amazing at making you feel like you are in the dorms with Margot and experiencing college all over again. You feel the need to want to fit in and the nervousness of making new friends. You understand how Margot feels when she finally finds a group of friends that are her ride or dies.

The plot twists just keep coming. I thought I had this book figured out at least 10 times (spoiler alert, I didn’t). She honestly keeps you getting right until the very end. The best part is the author leaves nothing untied. Every loose end is wrapped up and perfectly explained.

All in all, a masterpiece. Stacy Willingham is now one of my auto buy authors and I will FOREVER recommend her books.

I really like this one as I’ve liked her other previous books. They always keep you guessing even when you think you figured it out, there’s another turn or twist I would definitely recommend us if you’d like other stuff she’s written.

Shy girl, Margot, befriends Lucy, a confident, badass who is the alpha of her group of friends. In Margot’s second year of college, she really comes out of her shell until Lucy goes missing after one of the frat boys that lives next door to them gets murdered.
You think you know what’s happening in this book but you do not!!! So many great twists and I love that they weren’t all jammed into the last 10% of the book. They were spaced perfectly and I did not see any of them coming.
I was hooked in the beginning and in the end. It was a bit redundant at some parts and I did slow down somewhere around the middle but overall - solid thriller. Recommend.

First off, I want to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my third book by Stacy Willingham, but it seemed to drag on a bit more than her previous novels. I liked the overall plot, the twists, and the ending… but I spent the first 75% of the book surprised that it wasn’t over yet. There was A LOT of build up and unnecessary scenes between the main characters, and I feel like it detracted from the overall quality of the book- like the author was concerned more with the number of pages than the quality of the story.

Overall, I’m glad I stuck with it because I appreciated the way things were wrapped up, but if you’re struggling to decide whether or not to DNF, maybe look up the spoilers and call it a day.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham is a story about friendship, deception and bonds that hold them together at all costs. Margot, a college student, faces a life of regrets having ignored her best friends cries for help. Lucy befriends her and she eventually moves into a house off campus with Sloane and Nicole. What starts out as a silly game of truth or dare turns out to be an excruciating game of cat and mouse. The story started out as a slow burn allowing the reader to get acquainted with the characters and develop an understanding of what makes them tick. However, the heat turns up abruptly and the twists that litter the second half of the novel kept me on the edge of my seat. I can still feel my heart thudding in my chest. A definite recommendation for lovers of thrillers!

3.5 stars. I was so excited to get an ARC of Stacy Willingham’s new book, but it was very different than her first two book. It’s not as original as her first two books. The story of female friendship and jealousy and abusive men is one told over and over again. But Willingham truly writes thrillers while many others’ write mysteries mislabeled as thrillers. She knows how to create drama and tension. I’m always surprised by the twists!

These 19-year-olds’ shortsightedness was hard to read. I tried and failed to remember being 19. Not that I lived at all like these girls but it showed me how much life experiences change you in 10 years.

Margot was a hard character to relate to. For most of the book I felt like it wasn’t really about her even though she was the narrator. I wish we got more about why Margot is the way she is. What happened to her?

There were sort of three timelines and in the beginning I had a really hard time keeping them straight.

I will always love any book written by Stacy Willingham! What I love about this story is that it begins with three mysteries- what happened to Eliza, who killed Levi, and where is Lucy?

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for an eARC of Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. A Flicker in the Dark was one of my favorite reads from 2022, so I could not wait to get my hands on Willingham's upcoming novel as soon as the approval came through! Needless to say, I was not disappointed.

This book is so well written, Willingham truly has a way with words that makes the plot she drives home all the more powerful. Margot is shy and careful. When she meets Lucy, a bold, dangerous and addictive young woman at college, Margot agrees to rooming together to see what happens. She's no longer playing it safe.

A true psychological suspense, I was kept guessing until the very end and really did not see THAT coming. I love books with a college setting and there have been so many thrillers with this setting lately, sometimes they start sounding a lot alike. This is a really unique story and I'm sure will be a hit in 2024!

I was SO excited when I saw that Stacy Willingham had a new book coming!
I loved All the Dangerous Things and A Flicker in the Dark. Her writing is so good, and both books kept me guessing until the last pages!


Only if You’re Lucky was good, but I thought the first 80% was reeeeally slow - which is fine, if you like slow burn thrillers. I usually prefer the past-paced ones. The plot twist is also quite predictable, and I figure it out in the first 10%.


Also, I feel like I didn't relate to this one as much because it’s a college thriller. Frat house parties, young people being stupid, secrets and more secrets… I feel like I've passed this kind of plot, and I’ve read way too many books like that.


The end was pretty good, and that was my favorite part by far. Unrealistic, but still good!

Let me start off by saying I absolutely love Stacy Willingham's novels so far! She is a great author and keeps you at the edge of your seat! Only If You're Lucky did not hit the mark for me as well as her other 2 novels but it still had some great twists and turns.

Only If You're Lucky is a little slower paced. It's set at a college, a little younger audience. The story goes back and forth between present day and the past. I would say things start to pick up around 60%-70% through the book. Very great character build up to that point but on the slower side especially if you're comparing her previous novels.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone but caution to not expect the same as the previous books!

Only cause your lucky, and only 20% of the book was good I’ll give you 2 stars

80% of this book is a slow burn character build with not much going on. We go from repetitive nothingness to a bunch of twists and turns and a rushed ending.

And then once it gets good they rehash everything that has happened, really? I just don’t get this book. Keep the momentum going, don’t just rehash everything I just worked so hard to get through. I stuck with this book to find out how it would end… and finally, after all that the ending is just okay.

Obviously I am not a fan of this one which is disappointing. I went into this book super excited, having recently reading (and loving) Flicker In The Dark. This book is nothing like that one and I’m honestly surprised it’s by the same author.