A review by paigepeploe
Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When you get approved for an ARC of the newest project from your favorite thriller author, you drop everything and binge read it in three days. Stacy's Willingham's latest novel follows Margot, whose life is upended when her best friend, Eliza, passes in a tragic accident the summer before they are destined to go away to college together. As Margot settles into life at college without Eliza, she is befriended by the mysterious and captivating, Lucy, who invites her to join a tight-knit friend group. Over the next few months, Margot's past and present will collide, secrets will be revealed, and another person will die... DUN DUN DUN (not a spoiler, this is revealed in the first chapter of the book).

Like all of Willingham's novels, Only If You're Lucky gripped me from the first line. I loved how she describes the power of female friendship and the feeling when you've finally found your place in a group. I am also a huge fan of dual timelines because the cliffhangers keep me reading for hours. 

However, this book lulls a bit in the middle, but it's all necessary Easter eggs to support the ending. There are also A LOT of twists to this novel (dare I say too many?). If it were any other author, I would say the ending is straight up unbelievable, but Willingham has a way of writing away my doubt about the authenticity of the events. My jaw did indeed drop at points. This isn't my favorite of her novels, but I still highly recommend  picking this one up when it drops in 2024!

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for exchanging an e-ARC of this book for an unbiased review!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings