Review With Spoilers for Only If You’re Lucky

I loved Stacy Willingham’s first book, A Flicker in the Dark, and enjoyed her second, All the Dangerous Things. What did I think of her latest? I’ll tell you in my Review with Spoilers for Only If You’re Lucky with protected SPOILERS.

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

To be published on January 16, 2024 by St Martins Press

Thanks so much to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review purposes.

Jen’s Quick Take on Only If You’re Lucky

• The character are college sophomores, giving it a bit of a New Adult feel
• Themes of female friendship
• Fun Jekyll and Hyde references
• A back and forth timeline
• Builds slowly, but all the loose ends are tied up and the ending was great
• On my list of Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024

Plot Summary of Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Margot is thrilled when her charismatic classmate Lucy Sharpe invites her to join her housemates in a property owned by a college fraternity. She’s been struggling to get past the tragic death of her longtime best friend the year before. But Lucy has secrets, and vanishes, leaving a body in her wake.

Review with spoilers for Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Stacy Willingham loves to mix up her subgenres. Her first book, A Flicker in the Dark, was a serial killer thriller. Her second, All the Dangerous Things, had a more domestic suspense feel.

Only If You’re Lucky is part of a new trend I’m seeing of adult books about college students. It’s not a new thing, and I have some theories about it.

There’s no reason that Only If You’re Lucky couldn’t have been published as a YA book, and it would fit nicely alongside edgier YA mystery writers like Kara Thomas and, in the adult lane, Gillian Flynn and Ashley Winstead (who herself has recently written an adult book with Gen Z characters.)

But if you prefer to read about characters who are old enough to legally drink, this one might not be for you.

Only if You’re Lucky Built Slowly

I was never bored, though at times I found the timeline confusing. There was the present (second semester sophomore year), there were things happening up to a year before that (starting the summer after freshman year), and then those two timelines converged.

Margot, the main character, also reflected on tragic events that occurred a year before that, during her senior year in high school. This event, the death of her best friend, was mentioned so much that I suspected it would play into the main plot. As the book progressed, I started putting more pieces together, so my advice is to just go with it.

I Loved The Book’s Themes

Maybe it’s the English major in me, but I love a thematic book. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was referenced several times, and there was an ongoing Truth or Dare game, in which Lucy liked to ask people: “If you knew you could get away with murder, would you do it?”

The Ending Was My Favorite Kind

I like an ending that is at least somewhat surprising, and yet that, in the final pages, lets you watch all the puzzle pieces be clicked into place. I didn’t figure everything out, but I was satisfied with the way things were tied up.

Spoilers for The Ending of Only If You’re Lucky

One was an accident, one was a mistake, one was necessary to save us all

–Only If You’re Lucky, chapter 67

Who Killed Eliza in Only If You’re Lucky?

Margot. She went to the house party to see Eliza. She was jealous and threatened by Eliza’s relationship with Levi and the fact that Levi would also be a student at Rutledge. Margot and Eliza argued, Margot pushed Eliza, and she fell to her death.

But Lucy gets blamed. Margot plants some of Eliza’s belongings in Lucy’s room and leaves Lucy’s phone (which has pictures Margot took of Eliza and Levi) for the police to find.

Who Killed Levi in Only If You’re Lucky?

Nicole. She saw Levi in the woods and, because Trevor had made them switch shirts, thought Levi was Trevor. She was upset that Trevor sexually assaulted her at a frat party.

But Trevor gets blamed. He’d been hazing the fraternity pledges and is held responsible for what happened to Levi.

Who Killed Lucy in Only If You’re Lucky?

Sloane. She did it because Lucy figured out that Nicole killed Levi (and probably knew that Margot killed Eliza).

After that, Margot, Sloane and Nicole hide Lucy’s body in the crawl space under the frat house.

Margot (the kleptomaniac) steals Lucy’s necklace.

What Was the Connection Between Eliza, Lucy and Levi?

Lucy was Eliza’s secret half-sister. After Lucy found this out, she was stalking Eliza. She was the one who stole the photo of Eliza and Margot, not Levi.

Lucy was faking being a Rutledge student. She befriended Margot (I guess because she guessed what happened to Eliza and wanted to mess with Margot.)

My Question to You: Who is going to be blamed for Lucy’s death? Or are the girls counting on the fact that her body will never be found?

What did you think of this one? I really admired the neatness of the ending. Any guesses on the significance of the title? I must have missed that!

Please give me your thoughts. I read and respond to all comments! Comments with spoilers are welcome so proceed with caution if you have NOT read the book and want to.