Only If You're Lucky

[Kristie]

A few members will be reading Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham. A start date has not been decided upon yet, but it is expected to be sometime in December. Everyone is free to join the discussion. Please use spoiler tags as needed.



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.

A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

[Trisha]

I have this one. I hope to join in!

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Can’t wait!

[Kristie]

I've put in a request. St. Martin's almost always approves me, so I have my fingers crossed.

[Vicki Willis]

I had never read this author until this year and now I can't get enough. This should be a good buddy read!

[Tasha]

I just put in a request as well.

[Kristie]

Vicki Willis wrote: "I had never read this author until this year and now I can't get enough. This should be a good buddy read!"

This is only her third book. Her debut was so good! I've read both of her others.

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

I didn’t enjoy the debut at all but I really liked the second book that came out earlier this year

[Trisha]

I've really liked both her previous books so I'm excited for this one!

[Kristie]

I really enjoyed both, but thought All the Dangerous Things was even better.

[Kristie]

I was declined! Maybe I have too many of their books right now? That's my first decline in over a year. Sorry guys, unless I get the audio later I won't be joining this one.

[Kristie]

I put in a request through Edelweiss. They approve me less often than NetGalley, but you never know. Occasionally I'll get declined on one and approved on the other. It's worth a shot.

[Tasha]

I was declined as well, lol.

[Kristie]

Tasha wrote: "I was declined as well, lol."

Such a bummer! The email said the most likely reason is that they already gave out all their review copies. It also said your feedback ratio is important to them, but mine is 98%, so I doubt that's the issue. lol

[Elyse]

No, they definitely just reached their limit because my ratio is 32%. lol

[Kristie]

Hahaha. I always think it's funny that they say they prefer an 80% ratio. I know so many people with low ratios that get loads of books. I went through a long period of time when I had around an 85% ratio and kept getting declined for everything. So, I don't know how important it really is.

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

I’ve been hovering around 60% for ages 🤦🏽‍♀️

[Tasha]

That's really interesting.

[Kristie]

Declined on Edelweiss too. That's disappointing, but not surprising. Edelweiss usually declines me. Well, I guess I'll have to wait and see if the audio becomes available.

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Aw that’s disappointing! Fingers crossed on the audio. Her last book did well and first was a BOTM pick so I think audio is likely.

[Kristie]

I got both of her other books through NetGalley on audio, so I'm very hopeful. :)

[Katrisa]

I did get this one so I will be joining.

[Vicki Willis]

Do we want to pick a date for this one?

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Whoops, I forgot we had a thread for this one already! I'm good to start whenever? It publishes in January 16. Maybe we pick it up either the last week of December or the first 2 weeks of January?

[Elyse]

I'm good for the last week of Dec.

[Vicki Willis]

How about Dec. 26 for a start day? I think that would be good for people who celebrate Xmas .

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Vicki Willis wrote: "How about Dec. 26 for a start day? I think that would be good for people who celebrate Xmas ."

works for me!

[Katrisa]

works for me too!

[Elyse]

Sounds good!

[Katrisa]

I got to 30% today. So far I am liking the atmosphere and the pacing. (view spoiler)[I think that the story is capturing well the feel of being on your own for the first time and being swept up in someone's orbit. I can't wait to find out what happened to Eliza and how Levi was involved. So far we know that Levi is dead and that Lucy has been questioned about it and that the girls had hatched some plan. Looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds! (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

I started today, but only got a few chapters in. I think I am less than 5% in.

I like that the chapters are short. I like how it started too.
(view spoiler)[Girl cliques books are usually awesome for me.
I thought it was wild how at the police station the one girl was so blatantly bored and unhelpful to the cops. I would think she would be scared enough to answer the questions (hide spoiler)]

I will read some more tonight and get to your spoiler tomorrow hopefully.

[Elyse]

I just started not too long ago and I'm made it to Ch 6 (9%). Yes, Vicki, I love short chapters! And coming off of reading with REALLY long chapters, I'm happy to see short ones! lol.

[Katrisa]

I am at 50% now. (view spoiler)[We are still getting bits of information about what happened to Eliza and Margot's past with Levi. I wonder what really happened to Nicole the night of the Halloween party. It seems to hint at sexual assault maybe involving Levi but with Trevor's knowledge/blessing. The cop has come back to the girls' house now that Lucy has been gone for 2 weeks so we are getting closer to finding out what the girls had planned involving Levi but no real info yet. I wonder if they decided to kill Levi to avenge both Eliza and maybe Nicole? (if there was indeed some kind of assault there). (hide spoiler)]

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Finally starting this one and I like the beginning so far!

[Vicki Willis]

I am at the end of Chap 31 which is 43 %

I agree with Katrisa about your 30% spoiler (view spoiler)[of living on your own for the first time and getting swept up.
The situation of living in that house is crazy.
The Halloween party was disturbing. Especially when Levi came out of the shed making it appear he came from the girls' house. And then Nicole seemed like "something" happened to her. Nicole's toxic relationship with her bf is also disturbing.

It makes you assume that Lucy found something out and did something to Levi, but of course that would be too obvious.

I still want to know why it was Levi's fault about Eliza's death. And if his death is related to that or if happened to be some kind of hazing gone bad.

This one still has me intrigued and curious... (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I am up to 70% now - I just finished ch 48. (view spoiler)[So Lucy isn't even a student and she orchestrated Trevor and Nicole's relationship so they could live in the house. I wonder if she made a deal with the frat boys to bring good looking coeds to the house in exchange for a place to live. Whatever her plan is regarding Levi, she hasn't shared it with anyone else by Christmas time. Margot saw her kissing Levi but Lucy doesn't mention it. Nicole is looking worse and worse. (hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

I finished it last night. Bombs. Were. Dropped! It went where I was not expecting! (view spoiler)[WILD that Margot was the one to push Eliza. That Eliza and Lucy were half sisters. That Nicole killed Levi. That Sloane killed Lucy. Like all of that was completely unexpected! lol. (hide spoiler)] I'm now in the Libby queue for All the Dangerous Things. I have read and didn't love A Flicker in the Dark and from what I've read about ATDT, they're very similar. I think this book was different.

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Elyse wrote: "I finished it last night. Bombs. Were. Dropped! It went where I was not expecting! [spoilers removed] I'm now in the Libby queue for All the Dangerous Things. I have read and didn't love A Flicker ..."

I didn't like flicker AT ALL but I did really like all the dangerous things, so maybe you'll end up enjoying it. Fingers crossed.

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

10 chapters

(view spoiler)[
Ok I'm digging this so far. I was confused about the MC's behavior but the grieving helps explain that I think.

The main mean girl is giving Alison from Pretty Little Liars more than full on Mean Girls Regina George. But still so many questions about whether she left on purpose or is dead or what? Can't believe how rude the friend was to the police officer too, I'd be too scared to talk back like that.

I wonder what really happened to Eliza. And who is this new Levi guy?

(hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

Shruti morethanmylupus wrote: "I didn't like flicker AT ALL but I did really like all the dangerous things, so maybe you'll end up enjoying it. Fingers crossed..."

Well that's good to hear!

[Katrisa]

Elyse wrote: "I finished it last night. Bombs. Were. Dropped! It went where I was not expecting! [spoilers removed] I'm now in the Libby queue for All the Dangerous Things. I have read and didn't love A Flicker ..."

Yes! To all those surprises! The ending of this book was filled with shocks! I really loved this one!

[Elyse]

My review

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

20 chapters

(view spoiler)[
Ok so... She killed him because of what he did to Eliza? That seems too simple given we don't even know exactly what happened to Eliza because the MC doesn't know.

I think there's more to the Eliza story that she didn't tell her bestie.

Wonder where she's hiding since it seems like her disappearing was part of the plan. Maybe Plan B since the police are suspicious? Otherwise she'd be sitting pretty while the police focused on the frat right? Surely letting it be chalked up to hazing was Plan A?

Levi seemed super cocky and entitled in his interaction with MC when he told her to just suck it up that he's there. Seems like a weird take if he's claiming they both loved Eliza.

(hide spoiler)]

[Vicki Willis]

Finished
Loved it!
(view spoiler)[so many great twists I didn't guess! And how they all connected! So well done.
The authors note was a gem. Dont skip it! (hide spoiler)]

[Tasha]

Good to see the good reviews! I just put this on hold at my library.

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

40 chapters

Oops I guess I blew right through my 30ch review.

(view spoiler)[
Ok that was bad with Nicole. I hope Margot is wrong about what happened but regardless not good.

I wonder why Lucy was bleeding for it to get on Levi. She seems nutty enough to cut her own hand. Still waiting on the story of what happened with blinding her boyfriend.

I wonder if all the girls did something together to Levi (maybe because of what happened to Nicole vs Eliza) and decided Lucy would run off because she doesn't have family. I don't know if that was always the plan or if something went wrong with their plans to punish Levi and he ended up dead.

(hide spoiler)]

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

Chapter 46 - had to drop in this spoiler on this chapter

(view spoiler)[
What. What? WHAT?!

The one thing I never thought to question too hard was whether Lucy was a student.

I 100% did not see that coming.

Also then who is she? Goodness.


Side note : what the heck was she doing at at Levi's house at Christmas? Maybe she's from wherever he moved from before living next to Nicole. Maybe he knows her from before the frat house meeting...? Oh and also - if she did know or date him from before, could she have been there when Eliza died?


(hide spoiler)]

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

60
Chapters

(view spoiler)[
What in the?! Never saw that coming about Lucy and Eliza's dad.

Did Eliza know? Is that why she had the envelope of money?

Maybe Lucy really did kill Eliza then. But i think maybe Margot killed Levi.

Maybe the detective knows more than they think.
(hide spoiler)]

[Shruti morethanmylupus]

And I'm done

(view spoiler)[

I didn't see any of that coming.

My only real complaint is that I don't think Lucy deserved to die. I think if they'd told her the truth then she would've helped them hide it.


(hide spoiler)]

[Elyse]

Shruti morethanmylupus wrote: "And I'm done [spoilers removed]"

Yes the end is definitely full of I didn't see that coming. lol