Only If You're Lucky

I love this author but this book was so slow. It was so slow that I didn't care about anything. I wasn't intrigued, I didn't care what happened or the why.

I was bored for the most part and it was super underwhelming. I'm probably in the minority and thats ok but this book, just was not for me. 2,5 stars

rounded to 3

I think this book had so much potential but it turned out to be boring, tangled, repetitive and an ending that I didn't love

I was really looking forward to this one as I've enjoyed the author's previous works. This read more like a YA suspense/thriller than anything else. I typically enjoy YA but while this one was enjoyable, it wasn't great.

I think the fact that they were supposed to be college students but acted more like high schoolers was the biggest let down for me. Not to mention, this kind of story has been done plenty of times before so the outcome was predictable for me.

Overall not a bad story and for the most part I did enjoy it. I sincerely appreciate NetGalley for the review copy.

Part of the Big Reveal seemed obvious to me from the first chapter, while the other part was too bizarre to be credible. I still don't understand the appeal of the suspense/thriller genre, but this book's brief, propulsive chapters kept me turning the pages.

Stacey Willingham is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Normally I struggle to connect with characters this age and in this setting, but I was absolutely absorbed into this story.    Margot's college experience isn't what she'd imagined it would be after the death of her best friend after high school. She muddles through her first year. Toward the end of her first year at college, she befriends Lucy, whose allure has Margot under a spell. When Lucy invites her to live with her and a couple of her friends off-campus, Margot accepts. Margot's friendship with Lucy feels like a rebirth of sorts. No longer does she feel like she's only the shadow of her childhood best friend. She's become part of Lucy's circle. Partway through sophomore year, a neighboring fraternity boy is killed. When Lucy suddenly disappears, all eyes turn to Margot, Sloane, and Nicole.    I ate up the dynamic between Margot and Eliza as well as Margot and Lucy. The relationships (and the characters in general) were so intriguing. The setting was a good match with the personalities. 

A thoroughly immersive Dark Academia read, Stacy Willingham's “Only If You're Lucky” is told in two timelines with a single POV character. Margot is a shy college sophomore, trying to fit in but still reeling from the death of Eliza, her best friend in high school. When Lucy, a charismatic force of nature, “adopts” her and invites her to move into an off-campus house next door to a fraternity, Margot eagerly joins Lucy's tight-knit circle and we're off to the races in this blend of psychological insight with a twisty plot. Not all the characters are likeable or reliable, (they party endlessly) but the escapades ring true for twenty-somethings who are feeling their way toward adulthood.

There's an underlying feeling of tension throughout, particularly when Levi, the boy Margot suspects of killing Eliza, joins the fraternity and wedges himself into Margot's orbit. Willingham paints a picture of a world in which it's not only your enemies but your friends you need to watch out for.

This was a compelling mix of suspense and character exploration. Not your typical twist-a-minute thriller so if a slower pace bothers you, this might not be for you. But I for one appreciated the deeper exploration of what each girl was going through as well as the intriguing mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

This book was SO SO GOOD, from page 1 I was invested despite it being a slow burn I just am a sucker for any college set thriller and this book reminded me so much of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife which is one of my all time favorite books. The twists were all shocking to me and I had an absolutely amazing time with this book and flew through it! The ending did something that I LOVE when it comes to an ending and it was just the bow on top to a 5 star book for me!

This was so boring. None of the characters had a personality and nothing happened in the plot. 

3.5

This follows a group of four college friends after a fraternity brother is found dead at a party. We get a dual timeline – before & after they are being questioned by the police about this event. This is a story about female friendship dynamics, jealousy, and obsession.

The scene is very much college frat party – lots of drinking and partying late into the night, which I didn't love because that's just not really my thing. The four girls live in a house owned by a frat and are constantly hanging out next door at the frat house.

I did enjoy the writing style. The way Stacy Willingham allows the plot to unfold and gives us reveals is very satisfying to me. I feel this way about all her books, but this is my least favorite of her three. Nothing really had me on the edge of my seat, but I was intrigued to see how everything wrapped up.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy in exchange for a review!

3.5, the end earned this read an extra half star