Margot has made it through her freshman year of college after losing her best friend the summer before. She hasn’t made friends and keeps to herself, until she’s drawn to the mysterious Lucy. Lucy wants to be roommates and they form a fast friendship. Things may not be what they seem, people aren’t who they say they are, and multiple people wind up dead in this twisted tale.

I loved this dark and mysterious thriller set in the creepiest of houses off campus (based on the author’s real college housing). I can’t get enough of unreliable characters, dark academia, and multiple intertwined mysteries, and this book has all of that and more. I loved all the breadcrumbs dropped throughout the story and was blown away by the last chapters. I guessed one twist, but then was completely wrong about the others. I love a thriller that leaves your head spinning and keeps you thinking after you’ve closed the book. I definitely recommend this to thriller fans!

Thank you to Stacy Willingham, Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A sharp and twisty exploration of female friendship from the “New York Times” bestselling author of “A Flicker in the Dark” and “All the Dangerous Things.”

Still grieving from the loss of her best friend who died three weeks after their high school graduation, Margot spends her first year of college playing it safe, staying in, and studying. Margot has always been the shy, careful one—the sidekick, never the center of attention. At the end of her freshman year, Margot meets Lucy and is drawn to her magnetic, larger-than-life personality. Lucy invites Margot to live in an off-campus house with two other roommates, Sloane and Nicole. Soon, Margot and Lucy become close friends, and Margot begins opening up and getting out of her comfort zone. But then, in the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity brothers from the house next door is murdered, and Lucy is missing without a trace.

I really enjoyed Willingham’s debut novel, “A Flicker in the Dark,” so I was excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint. The book started off slow and then picked up in the second half with so many twists and turns. It really kept me guessing, right up to the very end. The ending was completely unexpected, but everything fell into place perfectly and all the loose ends were neatly tied up. Willingham is a beautiful writer, and she has become an auto-buy author for me. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another beautifully written, slow-burn mystery by Willingham! This book was dark and thought provoking. Would you kill someone if you knew that you could get away with it? I admit to questioning my own morals while devouring every page of this twisted story. I thought I knew who did it. I thought I knew why. Oh, man, was I wrong! Those curveballs knocked me into left field. I really enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough! Preorder and add to your TBR's now! This is a must read!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

Outlier alert!

I enjoyed aspects of this book, but overall, I just really didn’t connect with it. I’ve seen several other reviewers say they absolutely loved it, so maybe it’s just me.

I will say that I have loved this author’s previous two novels, and I will be looking forward to her next one, but this just didn’t resonate with me I’m sorry to say.

Thanks to my sweet friend Destiny @reading.is.your.destiny for buddy reading this book with me.

My thanks to @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

I loved Stacy Willingham’s last two books. So when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to request it and read it right away. I devoured this book. It was so brilliant, well written, and different from her last two books. It was a slower burn in the beginning but I loved getting to know Margot and Lucy and her other roommates and the house they lived in. The book really looks into the darker sides of friendships and what you are willing to do for your friends. Good and evil are not so clearly defined, the lines are very blurred in this book. It really picks up towards the end with so many twists and turns and everything falls into place perfectly. Stacy Willingham writes so beautifully. I highly recommend this book ! You will not be able to put it down.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the digital ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

I definitely considered myself lucky to receive an advanced copy of this book to read! I have loved and rated both of Willingham’s previous novels five stars (and if you haven’t read them yet, please do yourself a favor and read them). However, I found this newest release to be a bit different from the previous two novels, a bit of a slow burn, and not very fast-paced. I also found it to be geared towards a younger audience, and that may be only because it dealt with a college setting.

Our main character of this story is Margot. Margot is still mourning the death of her best friend Eliza, that happened three weeks after high school graduation. Margot is currently in her first year of college in an all girls dormitory when she is singled out by the mysterious and striking Lucy Sharpe. Margot cannot believe her luck when she is asked to move into a house with Lucy and her friends for the upcoming sophomore year.

The house that Margot moves into is owned by the fraternity brothers next door. Margot finally feels a sense of belonging and friendship with her new roommates in Lucy, Sloane, and Nicole. As their friendships develop and grow stronger, she tells them about her past friendship with Eliza and how she passed away. Margot also becomes frightened and concerned when Eliza’s previous neighbor, Levi moves in next door to the fraternity house to be pledged in.

There’s lots of games, truth telling, and accusations throughout this story. There’s also lots of references to Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, which makes sense because in reality we have a bunch of harmless, naive girls who are capable of both good and evil.

This is a good character study about belonging, and wanting to fit in- along with slow burn suspense. Although this wasn’t my favorite by Willingham, it’s only because it’s totally different from her first two books (and in my opinion, she set the bar too high). I don’t want to say too much more without giving the whole book away, but if you’ve loved Willingham in the past, give this book a try! As always, I will be waiting for her next book to come out!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St, Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. All opinions are my own. Publication date: January 16, 2024.
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult).

4.5 🌟 rounded up because u felt it deserved a5 more than a 4.

I loved A Flicker In the Dark and All The Dangerous Things so when I saw Only if You're Lucky, I immediately requested it. When I saw I was approved, I immediately started it because I was so excited.

If you've enjoyed either of her other two, then you'll love this one as well. It was a bit of a slow burn at first but then it picked up nicely.

The synopsis from netgalley says:

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can't say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.

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.

From the author of A Flicker in the Dark and All the Dangerous Things comes a tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. I loved that everything kept me guessing, and even when I thought I knew, I was still wrong. This was phenomenal!

Another 5 star read from Stacy Willingham! I loved the mystery in this book. The Before and After chapters had me completely hooked and I couldn’t put the book down. I went into this book blind, and was unable to figure out what the ending would be. I was surprised and pleased.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of this book!

I am a big Stacy Willingham fan so I was really excited to read this! The storyline for this book seemed a little different than her other books, but still had the great mystery aspect I love! The book is about a group of students living together and one is dealing with a tragedy that happened at the end of high school. There was one point of the story that I could see coming, but other parts that really surprised me!! It was an enjoyable read!

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own.

Synopsis: When Margot begins her freshman year of college she is still mourning the death of her best friend and with that grief, her first year goes by in a haze. So when outgoing and popular Lucy Sharpe invites her to join her off campus house the following year, Margot jumps on the opportunity. Everything seems to be going great for Lucy and her new crew of friends until a frat boy next door is found dead and Lucy suddenly disappears.

Thoughts: I am a big fan of an academia set thriller and this slow burn was so well written. Stacy did a great job planting clues throughout the story that had me second guessing, and I loved how there was a before and after timeline that connected Margot’s past to the current investigation. The last 25% or so had me racing through the pages and definitely made the story end on a strong note. The themes of female friendship and lies and secrets we keep from those closest to us were also deeply explored and relatable to anyone who went through the college experience.

Read if you like:
-Dark academia
-Slow burns
-Flawed characters
-College setting
-Murder mysteries

Thank you SMP for the ARC! Pub date 1/16/24

a pretty typical college murder mystery. margot, grieving the loss of her best friend, gets a house and quickly bonds with her college roommates. lucy is peculiar and striking, and she pushes the boundaries often. the girls live next door to a frat house and are constantly harassed by the boys.

this is a good read, and the house that willingham describes does have character. however, the ending and big reveals felt rushed and forced. it is entertaining as hell, though.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Stacy Willingham does it again!! A slow burn to start then the flames are just out of control! Do you really know your friends and those around you? How do you handle rejection and the need to feel loved? Would you go so far as to murder if you knew you could get away with it? Thanks to NetGalley for this copy!!

4 stars out of 5.

This book started out a little slow but really picked up towards the last 25%. There were some interesting twists and turns at the end of the book that I did not see coming. Stacy left little Easter eggs throughout the book that really tied everything in at the end. I thought there was great character development and I like how she tied in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to explain the characters.

Margot is just finishing up her freshman year at college. She has a shy personality and really hasn't made that many friends. Lucy, the popular outgoing one, invites Margot to live with her and her two friends in off campus housing the next year. Margot accepts and becomes fast friends with Lucy. Everything seems to be going great until a frat boy from next door is found dead. This stirs up a lot of Margots past that she is running from.

Overall, if you are a fan of Stacy Willingham's other books, you will really enjoy this one. Only if you're Lucky is definitely my favorite book by her, you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham. I didn’t think I could love a book as much as I loved Willingham’s debut A Flicker In The Dark and then I read this one! The mesmerizing writing made me want to keep reading this story of female friendship and maturation in a college setting. If you went away to school, you probably remember the quest to fit in and find your people, so parts of the book will feel familiar to you. Pre-order this book now so you can read it before the inevitable hype and spoilers. You won’t be disappointed!

5 stars-My third book by Stacy Willingham and definitely my favorite. The best summary I can give without giving too much away is a reference to Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde…how can one person be love and violence? The characters in this story are so flawed, and yet, they come together because they are looking for something that they find in each other. The writing is phenomenal. This is one that I think you are better off not knowing much about before you read it, let the story unfold and enjoy the ride!

I was a little disappointed in this book becuase I feel like it only got engaging three-fourths of the way in. I was really bored for the first 75% of the book, but then it really picked up, which I appreciated.

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" stands as one of the most thought-provoking novels, delving into the unending, epic battle between good and evil. It shines a spotlight on the intricate psychological struggle humans face against their inner demons—questioning which force will ultimately triumph, the darkness or the light.

This book skillfully captures the essence of this monumental conflict, transforming the journey into a sinister thriller that could be likened to a fusion of "Heathers" and "Pretty Little Liars" within the realm of dark academia. The story features unreliable female characters harboring concealed secrets.

At its core, the plot revolves around Margot, who grapples with the recent loss of her best friend, Eliza. Margot plans to attend the same liberal arts college in South Carolina as Eliza had intended. Instead of succumbing to the path her parents have paved, Margot is determined to fulfill their shared dream, even though she initially confines herself to her dorm during the first semester.

Despite battling depression, Margot becomes aware of Lucy's eccentric presence. Lucy, a recent transfer student, becomes the subject of speculative theories regarding her enigmatic past. From a distance, Margot observes Lucy's closely-knit friendship with Sloane and Nicole, finding herself envious of their bond.

When Lucy unexpectedly proposes they become roommates, Margot is astounded by her luck. This offers her a chance to start anew, to embrace a different identity. Without hesitation, Margot embarks on this transformation.

Joined by Lucy, the dry-witted Sloane, the meek yet good-hearted Nicole, the trio becomes roommates and relocates to a fraternity house they rent from boys, courtesy of Nicole's connection with Trevor, a leader of the fraternity club.

The girls form an alliance when a specter from Margot's past emerges within the house, compelling her to share her reasons for selecting this place for her education. This ghostly figure is Levi, Eliza's boyfriend and the last person to have seen her alive.

As the narrative alternates between timelines, it is revealed that both Levi and Lucy are no longer present. The mystery unfolds: Could Lucy have a role in Levi's demise?

Despite the book's gradual pace, the riveting and concise chapters maintain an engaging rhythm that sustains reader interest. The final shocking revelations are undeniably jaw-dropping, although some may appear coincidental or stretched. Nevertheless, the majority of these plot twists are ingeniously crafted and executed.

The eerie atmosphere and the gradual intensification of tension contribute to a sustained sense of intrigue, even though some of the characters may not be particularly likable. However, the whirlwind plot, well-timed revelations, and the carefully constructed story structure are expertly written.

As always, I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this captivating read. My gratitude extends to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for generously providing me with a digital review copy of this utterly compelling book in exchange for my honest evaluation.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer- especially if you can't tell one from the other! Good girls gone bad in this literary-ish take on friendship, gender, and loyalty within a girl group. I really enjoyed this one- my favorite of Ms WIllingham's efforts so far.

I really enjoyed the author's first two books so was very excited for this one, especially as I love academic settings and complicated female relationships. Lots of complex themes explored here - belonging, envy, loyalty and betrayal, the lies we tell, the secrets we keep, the facets of us we allow others to see (and those we keep hidden), and ultimately, how well can we ever truly know someone else? There's also the unnerving knowledge that what happens to these girls could easily have happened to any of us who liked a good party while at college.