3 ⭐️'ˢ

“Only If You’re Lucky” By Stacy Willingham

📕 Edition: Audiobook

The story follows Margot, a shy college student, and her larger-than-life roommate, Lucy. The dynamics among Lucy and her housemates—Sloane and Nicole—create a captivating backdrop for the tale.

Willingham weaves a narrative that explores the complexities of friendship, grief, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. The characters are richly developed, each with their quirks and flaws, making them feel incredibly real.

While the book kept my attention with its magnetic characters and a suspenseful plot, I couldn't help but feel that some parts were a tad dragged out, elongating the story more than necessary.

The mysterious disappearance of Lucy and the murder of a fraternity boy add layers of suspense, keeping my interest perked. The narrative is intense, and the twists keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you @NetGalley , @macmillan_audio for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stacy Willingham has brought it once again. The shifting storylines between then, before, and after wove a mystery that made so much sense at was nearly impossible to unravel.

It was interesting to read this third novel which took on a completely different age group; it just shows the versatility of characters that the author is capable of writing. I will. be shocked if readers do not get sucked into this. I expect it will be one of the must read thrillers of 2o24.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the excellent narration by Karissa Vacker. I will listen to just about any book she narrates!

Thank you to the publisher for the chance to check this one out early!

In Stacy Willingham's newest book we follow Margot, who is a bit of a wallflower, as she enters her first year of college. By the end of her first year she's feeling pretty invisible, like she needs a change, when she is quite suddenly befriended by larger-than-life Lucy who then invites her to become the 4th roommate in a house next to a frat house.
From the very beginning we learn that someone has been murdered and Lucy is missing. From there the story is told in two timelines ("before" and "after") gradually unfolding the events that brought our
characters to this point as we try to piece together what has happened and what comes next.
I think the reader should approach this one with the expectation of a slower burn mystery as opposed to a high-octane thriller/suspense. There are a couple of good twists at the end and overall I think it was a successful who-done-it mystery with a great audio narrator.

3.75 rounded up to 4

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
I was so excited to get an ARC of Stacy Willingham's newest book because I LOVED her other two books. This one exceeded the other two. I went in blind and had no idea of the storyline but it had me hooked from the very beginning. Stacy is such an amazing story teller. Her ability to paint a picture never ceases to amaze me. I had no idea how the story was going to end, and the many twists kept me guessing throughout. If you haven't read any of Stacy's books, you need to. I highly recommend Only If You're Lucky and her previous two books as well!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
Karissa Vacker is hands down my favorite narrator. Her ability to give every character their own tone and voice is amazing. She tells the story so flawlessly. I listened at 1.25x speed and it was perfect. You can definitely listen faster, but I just love the way Karissa narrates that it's like I never want it to end. I've listened to all of Stacy's books on audiobook and I highly recommend them if you're an audiobook lover!

Thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham and Macmillan Audio for an ALC!

I liked this better than I thought I would. This has an academic setting on the back drop of a missing person and a murder. We are getting dual time lines of before and after. And Margo is the character we are following. I do like that there were a lot of characters that were easy to distinguish. The best friend Eliza and the university friend, Lucy are similar but not enough that you get confused.
I didn’t mind the ending although if you’re good at guessing endings you will definitely guess this one. But the reveal before the BIG reveal does become a little bit convoluted. And it was a little bit hard to follow.

Book 4 stars
Narrator 5 stars

“You’re only young once, and only if you’re lucky”

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy of this audiobook on exchange for my honest review!

This story has a dual timeline that follows Margot, who’s high school best friend Eliza passed away the summer before they were supposed to attend Rutledge college together.

A year later, while at Rutledge, she befriends Lucy, a fearless leader of her friends (Sloan and Nicole) and the four quickly become close and become roommates.

The story flashes to “before” when she meets Lucy, and when they realize the boy she believes is responsible for Eliza’s death will also be attending Rutledge
—
To “now” , when one of them is missing, and the other one is dead.

Read this book if you love
-college setting
-unreliable narrator
-friend drama
-revenge

The story was pretty slow the first half of the book, but I still enjoyed it which is why I’m giving it 4 stars. I’ve loved all of Stacy Willingham’s books so far, and she will continue to be an auto-buy author for me.

"If one goes down, we all go down!"

Not sure I would want my friendship to be based off of that foundation, but that's the luck that Margot finds herself in with Lucy. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation for sure! This was a slow burn for me, didn't pick up until about 75% of the way in, which seems to happen with this author. I did enjoy the twist! The narration was great as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3 stars

If you, too, are an incoming fan of Stacy Willingham's gripping thrillers, you may...well, unfortunately, find yourself a little disappointed with how pedestrian this one feels in relation to its noteworthy predecessors.

I listened to the audio version of this nearly straight through, not because I was dying to know what happened next (see the previous two novels), but because (1) I was having a hard time staying engaged and didn't want to lose the tiny threads I was managing to hold on to and (2) I wanted to know when/if things would take a more captivating turn. Regarding the former, Margot is just a tough character to root for in any way. She's frustrating, invisible without her more popular friends (her most astute observation. Girl, you are CORRECT), and way too needy. This one is giving English majors a bad name. As far as the hopefully captivating turn is concerned, it didn't really arrive for me. Yes, there are some reveals near the end, but they're not the kind of thrilling I was anticipating.

Should you devour this book? That depends. If you have access to the audio with its great, very well-known narrator, it's worth a background listen in the car, during chores, etc. If this is going to be your entry point into Willingham, go for the earlier books first.

Will I devour more of Willingham's books? Obviously. This clearly wasn't my favorite, but it was an interesting enough listen overall.

I have read both of Stacy Willingham's previous works, of which A Flicker in the Dark was my favorite. It still remains my favorite, but this is a close second. All the Dangerous Things just wasn't for me. This book is somewhere in the middle for me, a 3.25 star read. This story did have a lot of great one liners and really examines the complexity of female friendships, especially when other romantic relationships enter a friend's life. While dramatized for the purpose of a thriller, I do think it does an excellent job of portraying that complex dynamic.
I was the most satisfied with the ending, specifically the last sentence/ realization. Overall, I think its an excellent read, however, not an excellent psychological thriller. Two things can be true at the same time. The first quarter of the book is rather slow, and not a ton happens until the last quarter. If anything, its a great commentary on female friendships, and the author did a great job at developing these characters, but it's almost like she forgot it was supposed to be a thriller? I still won't give up on this author as I really enjoyed her debut, but this novel wasn't necessarily for me.

So good! Karissa Vacker is a phenomenal narrator. Such a good voice.

I recently read the book and just had the opportunity to also listen to it. Great listen.

Margot loses her best friend Eliza just before she heads off to college in South Carolina. Reeling from the loss, Margot does not do much during her freshman year besides go to class.

Margot finds her self enthralled with a girl on her hall, Lucy, and soon after meeting her, Margot decides to live with her sophomore year.

Sophomore year, Margot and Lucy, along with Sloane and Nicole, live in a house adjacent to a fraternity house.

The girls spend much of their time partying with the boys of Kappa Nu and visiting Lucy’s workplace after hours. And, there is a lot of drinking and poor decision making.

Someone from the past reappears, Margot is caught of guard, something seems off with Lucy, and Nicole is struggling.

And, let me tell you, that was a WILD ride!! So much to digest. What an adventure it was to listen to shortly after reading Only If You’re Lucky.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listen of Only If You’re Lucky in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my owner.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/4 stars

Stacy Willingham quickly became an auto buy author for me after her debut novel A Flicker in the Dark. I was so excited to receive the audio for her third, “Only If You’re Lucky” and it did not disappoint!! I love her fluid and descriptive writing style. This one was more of a slow burn than her others, and gave off young adult and dark academia vibes, but in such a mature fashion that you almost forget you are reading about college students. I enjoyed the twists, the characterization and how it was all tied together in a neat little bow at the end.

Just like the author’s first two, this audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker. And she is one of my absolute favorite narrators, I love her! So needless to say, this was a fantastic audio! I highly recommend!

"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.

Another outstanding audiobook performance from Karissa Vacker. There are multiple characters, including many female characters. She has a different voice for all and never misses. And she nails the emotional, tense moments (especially in the shed) Vacker is one of the best audio performers and adds so much to the story-telling.

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.

I was thrilled when I received an audiobook copy of Only If You're Lucky, and this book did not disappoint! Right from the beginning, this slow burn novel kept me hooked and listening long into the night. Every single character was so perfectly written. The narrator had me feeling like I was just another college student, living alongside the main characters, watching the thrills and chills unfold. I was fully immersed, and every twist was more shocking than the last. Stellar!

Thank you, Stacy Willingham, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Stacy Willingham, St. Martin's Press and MacMillan Audio for an audio ARC of Only If You're Lucky in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis Quoted: "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."

I am a big fan of Stacy Willingham's prior novels and was extremely excited to get the advance audio of Only If You're Lucky. Sadly, to date, this is my least favorite of her books.

She is a great author and it was not the writing that I did not enjoy - it was the story. It was hard to like any of the characters and I was not shocked by the twist at the end. It was a bit lackluster. I predict that the reviews for this one will probably end up down the middle between 3.50 and 3.90 stars, once a good sampling of reviews come in.

I personally rate it 3.5 Stars (rounded up 4)

Because I am a fan of the author, I do plan to promote this title on my social medial with a 4-Star rating and focus on the good aspects of the book and the author. However, I wasn't a huge fan.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Karissa Vacker who does a fantastic job!

I want to start by saying I love Stacy Willingham and have read her other 2 books. I am a huge fan and was was beyond ecstatic to be chosen to read this new book. However... this one is not as good as the other 2, both of which received 5 stars from me. This one is 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

For me, the writing and character development was spot on! The story was not and it needed more. I agree that this one read more like a YA book and it did drag in places, both of which were very disappointing. The premise of college girl friends being so tight that they would do anything for each other, including commit murder is an interesting concept. I just think that it needed more for the story to have been a great psychological read.

Definitely read this if you like dark academia. The college setting was perfect for this. I guessed some but not all of the things that went down in this book. It’s definitely a bit of a slow burn but in a good way. This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I’ve enjoyed them all. This comes out in January!

Thank you macmillion audio for eALC in exchange for an honest review.

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. The narrator is excellent at revealing the mood and creating suspense. Highly recommended for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

This was glorious! I didn’t realize how much I need academic settings in my book life, but I am eating them up. It’s funny, because I don’t like school/college settings in tv/film at all (I feel like they always try to make it sexy, even if it’s awkward-sexy and ugh I’m not about that). But in books it just works and here it does, too!

This has:
- college setting
- the meek girl outcast
- toxic female friendships
- obsession in the most fun way!
- dudes are so minor, they’re not what the envy is about (this absolutely passes bechdel)
- unreliable narrator
- twists (I predicted the end, but the journey to get there was so fun anyway)
- suppressed rage boiling under the surface
- twisty, deranged self-justification

Thanks, NetGalley and Minotaur, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.