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

5.0

 Only if You're Lucky is a thrilling look into the dark side of female friendships and how you can never really know the people you think you know. I've been a fan of Stacy's writing since reading her debut and while this novel is a bit different from her others, with its dark academia feel, it's a wildly fascinating and enthralling tale that deeply sucks you in as the story unfolds.

We follow Margot as she closes out her freshman year at a small College in South Carolina, she's spent the year isolating herself in her dorm room dealing with and attempting to heal from the passing of her best friend a year prior. Margot is approached by the charismatic and endearing, Lucy Sharpe, who invites her to move into a house off campus with her and two best friends. Margot agrees to leave the dorms behind and embrace new friendships and the college experience, she could never imagine the way that secrets and lies could begin to unravel from befriending a stranger.

The story is a bit of a slow burn and I did see a couple of the twists coming but the context and depth of the story are needed for the impact that the final twist has, Stacy keeps you guessing until the end! This is such a satisfying, suspenseful read with so many hints riddled throughout the beginning, leading to a shocking ending that makes sense even though not every loose end is tied. I got to a point with this book where I physically couldn't put it down, it kept me guessing and something about reading this felt nostalgic. It kind of reminded me of Pretty Little Liars in a way. Either way, it's a brilliant read that is sure to make you a fan of Stacy Willingham's dazzling writing. Five Stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced digital copy of Only If You're Lucky.