I love Kelley Armstrong, she is one of my favorite authors, but paranormal is truly not the genre for me unfortunately. It just did not work for me. I could not get into this one and it felt way to farfetched for my liking.

3🌟

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to read this book in exchange for a good review.

Side note- I am such a fan of Kelley Armstrong.

I unfortunately did not love I’ll be waiting. The book has such a strong start. Janica & her husband contemplating a specialty cruise together while driving in the snow. Unfortunately one thing leads to another and they end up in a fatal accident. Janica always thought that she would be the first to pass due to her cf diagnosis. But alas, it is her husband that is breathing his last breaths. He says he loves her and he’ll be waiting. Unfortunately not just her experienced this, but also onlookers.

Janica kept trying seances just to find out they had set everything up. Nic decides this will be the. Last seance to interact with her husband. They have found a researcher that they thought could be unbiased.

They had the professor, jjin,, janica, and two other people.
Eery things started to occur. This escalates into janica not having faith that the professor had her best at heart.

I won’t share the ending. It does bring some surprising twists and turns you don’t see coming.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a scary ending.

"I'll Be Waiting" is a hauntingly atmospheric mystery that’s both eerie and unsettling. The book's chilling atmosphere was a definite highlight, but I felt the pacing slowed down around the middle. Nicola was a difficult character to connect with for me, making it challenging to fully engage with her story. I really wanted to empathize with her but ended up being mad at her for a good portion, and I’m not so sure how I feel about the ending. However, I was fascinated by the possibility of her reconnecting with her deceased husband and that really kept me reading. The twists left me contemplating the revelations as well. While I was absorbed in the missing person storyline and the surprising return of the past, I was hoping for a more impactful overall experience.

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorites when it comes to storytelling. I adore her novels so much, and this ghost story was just amazing!

The mystery surrounding Nic's history was intriguing, and the plot was as well-written and clever as any Armstrong book. A combination of flashbacks to a few significant historical moments and the current day are used to tell the story. The plot was really exciting and tense, and I really enjoyed seeing it all come together! The story takes so many unexpected turns that it becomes even more engaging.

I was astonished at how much I enjoyed the characters. Nicola is the best character, which I appreciate given that she is our narrator. Her personality is extremely endearing to me. She is a real cynic when it comes to seances, but I liked that she genuinely wants to communicate with her husband, Anton.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm eager to read more of Kelley Armstrong's work! For fans of horror, ghost stories, and, of course, Kelley Armstrong, this stand-alone is well worth reading.

This was a 4 star!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the opportunity to #arc read this book. Kelley is an auto-buy author for me and I have been in love with her since the early 2000s.

This story caught my interest as soon as I read the back blurb - a spooky ghost story was definitely perfect for kicking off spooky season,

This story revolves around Nicola, a widow grieving her husband and torn between being skeptical and wanting to make contact with his spirit if possible.

I enjoyed the plot of this book but the pacing was a bit slow for me. But man, once things go going closer to the end it sure got me invested. I even had to stop reading at one point because it was scary and I’m a big baby haha.

The twists are well done and this book will have you second-guessing EVERYONE!

Make sure you add this to your TBR - it is a great ghost story!

Troupes: suspense, thriller
Spice NA
Plot 4/5
Pace 3.5/5
Character Personality 3.5/5
Character Growth 4/5
Writing Style 4/5
World Building 5/5

No one does horror thrillers quite so well as Kelley Armstrong—and the same sentiment rang true once again with her newest horror thriller “I’ll Be Waiting”. I really enjoyed Nic’s journey throughout as the plot thickened and twisted, turning from a suspenseful horror to one with paranormal aspects. Armstrong’s storytelling is top-notch with a well constructed plot and twists that kept me on my toes until the very last page. Overall, “I’ll Be Waiting” was a fantastic read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone that likes the thriller/horror genre!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC of this novel.
I enjoy Kelley Armstrong’s work very much. Her writing style makes for compulsive reading and this book was no exception.
The story is that of Nicola a young woman with cystic fibrosis who has lived to adulthood and marriage due to advances in treatment . Her husband and soulmate is tragically taken away in a car accident. What follows is the story of her and others attempts to contact dead loved ones and reconcile their earthly losses.
The first half to two thirds of the book were slowly evolving but riveting - a very good ghost story with lots of potential .
I have to say I did not enjoy the rest of the book which was filled with so many bizarre twists that I was left feeling like - “Whew what just happened here and WHY”. Definitely one or two too many twists for me. I found the ending disturbing but likely that was the point the author was going for.
I feel readers who like horror and paranormal fiction will really enjoy this book which is well written - it just wasn’t quite for me.

Favorite author. This book slowly builds tension with a bit of a rushed ending. A haunted story with seances, ghosts, and an evil spirit. The main character, Nicola, wants closure after the death of her husband. She seeks the help of mediums, worried that her grief and skepticism cloud her judgment. When Nicola arrives at a beloved beach house for a final seance, the haunting truly begins. A great plot with surprises and an action-packed ending. I loved the strength of the main character and the support of her loved ones. The author did a wonderful job portraying her mixed thoughts and emotions.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Kelley Armstrong is an author I enjoy, especially the Havens Rock series. It's well written and paced, but I wasn't a fan of these characters. This was good but just not my taste. I will continue to read Kelley Armstrong because she's a great author this book was just not for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy of this book.

"Ghosts don't haunt us. That's not how it works. They're present among us because we won't let go of them." (Sue Grafton)

That's exactly how Nicola Laughton feels. She lost her husband, Anton, in a horrible vehicle accident. She bent over him and heard his last words: "I;ll be waiting." It was more than she could bear.

Nicola always thought that she would be the first to die in this marriage even though she has beat the odds. Nic has CF (Cystic Fibrosis) since she was a child. She's bombarded with medications and treatments on a daily basis. But it never stopped her from becoming a successful software engineer. She just wishes to contact Anton once more.

After experiencing many, many charlatans, Nic seems to have hit on some success. She's contacted Dr. Davos Cirillo of Chicago, a lead researcher and parapsychologist, to set up a seance. It will be held in a B&B in Ontario which once was the home of Anton's grandmother. She's bringing her friend, Shania, and her brother-in-law, Jin. Everything is perfect.......until it's not.

I'm a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong. I must admit that I'll Be Waiting actually kept me waiting. The first half of the book was tightly written and engaging. The second half became tedious and repetitious. Noises, sounds, whispers.......again and again with empty air. None of these characters were even likeable.......not even Nic. Too many loose strings and corridors that went nowhere. It seemed that Armstrong handed the second half over to a ghost writer. (Pun intended) And then the ending was whipped into a frenzy at rapid speed. Not what I expected from the talented Kelley Armstrong. But I'll be actually waiting fro the next one with open arms.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Kelley Armstrong for the opportunity.

This book is an addicting blend of dealing with grief, ghost story, and tense horror/thriller.

Nicola is a complex character. She’s lived longer than anyone expected with her CF, which I didn’t know a lot about before reading this book and thought was very respectfully represented. Now she’s unexpectedly a widow when she thought her husband Anton would outlive her and she is drowning in her grief – going from phony medium to phony medium trying to contact Anton after a news story made her tragedy infamous.

Her friends suggest one last seance with a respected parapsychologist during a getaway to Anton’s grandmother’s former home that has been converted into a vacation rental. One last shot to make contact.

But from the moment Nicola, her brother-in-law Jin, her friend Shania, and the parapsychologist, Dr. Cirrilo arrive odd things begin happening. As Nicola reflects on the past – on another seance gone terribly wrong – it becomes clear that Anton may not be the only spirit the group has brought back.

This story grabbed me early on and I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the stunning conclusion. It’s tense, well-written, and all of the characters are well rounded and come to life on the page. Nicola is clearly sitting on a secret that unravels through memories throughout the story. Shania seemed too good to be true and definitely has flaws underneath. And Dr. Cirrilo reminded me a bit of Joyce Reardan from Rose Red or an unrepentant Mr. Marrow from The Haunting.

Overall this is a perfect spooky season read and will definitely become a mainstay reread for me for years to come. But it’s more than horror or thriller, it’s a gripping portrayal of dealing with grief while not wanting to let go of the person you love – even though you know they would want you to keep living, especially in Nicola’s case with her medical condition.

This book is a combination romantic ghost stories with a practical and healthily skeptical main character, too many suspects both ghostly and non, and horror movie twist. I adored and devoured it.

**Review of *I'll Be Waiting* by Kelley Armstrong**

I don’t usually gravitate toward horror, but as a fan of Kelley Armstrong, I decided to give *I'll Be Waiting* a shot—and I’m glad I did. Despite having to skim through some of the more intense scenes, I found myself thoroughly engaged in the story. The suspense kept me hooked, and even though I somewhat guessed the ending, the journey to get there was still incredibly satisfying.

I think horror fans will really appreciate this one, but if you’re not into blood and guts, you might want to pass. That said, I’m eager to dive into another one of her books.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This Novel will be released on October 1, 2024.*

#KelleyArmstrong #Horror #Novel #NetGalley #ARC-Book-Read #IllBeWaiting

Kelley Armstrong has never done me wrong, not even once. Fantasy, romance, mystery, all have been fabulous. So when I saw she has a new horror book, you know I immediately picked it up, and I am so glad I did.

Nicola lives with the ticking clock of Cystic Fibrosis, and she never expected to outlive her husband Anton. When he is killed in a horrible car crash and dies in her arms, his last words to her are “I’ll be waiting for you.” Despite being a skeptic, since that day she has visited multiple spiritualists, hoping for verifiable contact with him, but to no avail. She is going to try one last time, with a ‘reputable’ medium, and she and a couple friends rent a beach house once owned by Anton’s family for the séance. Things start to go wrong almost immediately, but is it Anton? Or is there something else, something dark, in the house? And Nicola can’t help but remember the first time she attended a séance, as a teenager, and the terrible events that happened then.

This is exactly my kind of horror/thriller. It kept me guessing and there were tons of reveals along the way that made me doubt what was happening, along with Nicola. I devoured this book; if I’d been watching it as a movie, I would have been screaming at each turn, with each jump scare. Even with all the misdirection, everything was tied up by the end in a very satisfying conclusion. I recommend this for anyone who wants a paranormal, haunted thriller. It’s intense, creepy, and perfect for a spooky season read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me this review copy in exchange for an unbiased opinion.

This was so unexpected and gripping. As she starts finding bodies and revealing more of her last, we learn that our MC isn't as innocent as she says.

#IllBeWaiting starts with bumps in the night and rachets up the tension from there. There are two timelines in the book, and they both feature seances gone wrong. The main character and supporting characters are well-developed. As the book progresses, tension accelerates to a hair-raising climax. Kelley Armstrong has created a solid ghost story.

Title: I’ll Be Waiting
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Horror Mystery
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books
Pub Date: October 1, 2024
My Rating: 2.3 Stars
Pages: 335

Nicola Laughton was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was just a child. She is now in her thirties and was married to Anton. Sadly only months after they married he was killed in an automobile accident. He lived long enough to utter five words to Nicole
“I’ll be waiting for you.”

II have read several Kelley Armstrong stories but not her tales of ghosts. I am okay with paranormal and ghosts. Unfortunately this didn’t work for me ~ I am sure it was me not Ms. Armstrong as I know many readers love this!!!
I however, struggled with it – may have been bad timing on my part. I knowI like this author and definitely will read another story she writes.

About the author~ Kelley Armstrong spins tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 1, 2024.

I'll be honest, the only thing I truly appreciated was the CF representation. I feel this book isn't for me but doesn't put me off of Kelley Armstrong's writing because it was genuinely well written, the story and subject matter just wasn't the most capturing for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this early review copy.
Such a great supernatural/horror book. I absolutely love Kelley Armstrong's books, and this is a different genre from her than what I'm used to reading. I love how she writes a variety of genres. I loved the characters and all the twists and turns the book took. It was fun trying to guess throughout the book what was actually happening during their seances or if things were being faked. I really enjoyed the many levels of skepticism I felt throughout the story along with Nicola. Who could she actually trust? What really happened in the past and in the current day? Can she really make contact with her deceased husband?

I'm giving it all the stars because I had a hard time putting it down. Poor Nicola has Cystic Fibrosis and is resigned to dying early, so she doesn't want to let go when her beloved Anton dies first, telling her as he dies "I'll be waiting." She goes to a fairly remote cabin with some people who want to help with a seance, and there are odd noises, a missing person, and multitudes of insects. These elements created a spooky atmosphere and I enjoyed how creeped out I got. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this