I dove into this book blind only knowing the author from previous books. I was hooked from the first chapter! It does get a little repetitive detailing Nic and Anton's relationship and their love for each other, but I was very into Nic’s story and loved her as a character. I enjoyed the backstory of Patrice and Heather and loved how all of the question marks we read throughout the book are solidified with a period. I also appreciated the humor within the book! Nic's inner dialogue was great and really made me feel for what she was going through. I kind of, sort of guessed the ending, but it just kept going beyond what I was expecting which I really appreciated. Additionally, I loved the setting of the former B&B, and the cover is captivating! Thank you St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

**obsessed with the Green Day and My Chemical Romance shout out - my two faves!!!!

Very easy book to enjoy. The only negative feedback I would give is after the first half there seems to be a bit of repetition which is why I am knocking one star off but it didn’t stop me from loving the story!

This book was so good! I had a really hard time putting it down. It was scary, it was sad, it was mysterious. There were secrets that had you anticipated for basically the whole book. This was such an engaging and fast paced read. I read this over a few days before bed, and would have scary dreams each night, so the scare factor was definitely there and left me thinking about it until I could read some more. I highly recommend this one to all Paranormal lovers. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I was hooked on the premise of this book immediately. Unfortunately, while reading the actual story it fell flat. The story was good but really repetitive and it got old quickly. Overall an ok read.

The love of Nicola’s life dies in a terrible accident and his last words were “I’ll be waiting for you.” A book with a gripping synopsis written by Kelley Armstrong? You better believe I was chomping at the bit to read it!

I’m really struggling with my rating for this one but ultimately I have to be honest - it was just okay. I know it will find its audience but the story just wasn’t for me. I felt like there was a lot of repetition with the dialog and the story just dragged on. By the time the pace finally picked up and the story headed to its conclusion I had already guessed the twist. I will say that it wrapped up well at the end but if I’m going to recommend a Kelley Armstrong book to friends this one would not be my choice.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read an early copy!

I really tried my best to love this sinister and spooky book, but at times, it felt a little over the top and exaggerated. I'm glad I stuck it out, though ,cause at times it did pick up a little and was interesting.

Honestly, it has great potential with the plot, but the repetitiveness, some dialogue, and the execution didn't hold my attention.

.I admit that I love how she uses Canada throughout the story. I can relate to the places, and I was like, OHHH TORONTO!

Unpopular opinion: I found the middle to end holding my attention more. I wouldn't get distracted. Don't get me wrong, this book is still a good read. It just wasn't for me. I won't let this discourage me from her other books, though, and neither should you from reading this one. Truthfully, I'm glad she addressed the confusing bits, and we weren't left scratching our heads.

If you're a fan or horror & spooky season stories, this one is for you.

OMG I AM ALMOST CRYING RIGHT NOW! I was able to KIND of guess the ending, but not entirely all that I thought it was going to be. Kelley really surprised be by going beyond what I thought was going to happen. So pretty much what I thought, but with even more of a twist! Which I loved so much! But that ending? SCREAMING, CRYING AND THROWING UP 😭😭😂

I jumped into this Kelley Armstrong blind. Her mysteries, supernatural, and romances are amazing. I wasn’t expecting horror. Although I’ve never read horror outside of the Fear Street series as a teen, I was interested in the premise in this book. The story of Nicola, a woman who would die first because of her lifelong illness, cystic fibrosis, who loses her husband first and wants to contact him to revisit their last conversation and his last words: Ill be waiting.

I’ll Be Waiting, is very cinematic like a classic horror movie. It's pacing is slow, and it sets the tone with horror motifs: a rural setting, an old house with a room full of creepy dolls, locked rooms, and an expert on the ghosts. I couldn’t put it down and read it in one night. It was scary for me. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a creepy ghost story that keeps you guessing until the end. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers' copy.

I'm not usually a fan of the horror genre, but I was captivated by this beautiful cover and the synopsis had me curious. This book did not disappoint. I was hooked from the very beginning, and I didn't want to put this book down. I loved Nicola as a main character. I enjoyed that she is a true cynic when it comes to seances, but she truly wants to make contact with her husband, Anton. I loved her thought process while she was in the house hoping to make contact as a last effort before she moved on. The eeriness of the house and the events that occurred had me questioning if Nicola and her friends had truly made contact with Anton or if something more sinister was occurring. The ending was well-crafted and beautifully done. This was my first book that I have read from Kelly Armstrong, and it will not be my last.

I'll Be Waiting comes out October 1st.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review I'll Be Waiting. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Horror lite is a good way to describe I’ll be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong. It has some strong moments handcuffed by weak dialogue and forgettable characters. I found myself having to go back and get a reminder as to the character relationships with each other after a while as they tended to meld. It’s creepy at points but not quite enough.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my arc. Kelley Armstrong does it again. When Nicola tragically loses her husband she decides to try to contact his spirit one last time before giving up on seances. What follows is a creepy stay at a bed and breakfast that takes a turn no one was expecting.

Author, Kelly Armstrong unrolls a mystery/ thriller that dips in and out of the horror genre at times. It has a unique plot interwoven with tried-and-true elements of a horror/mystery/thriller all calling the reader to examine every detail for truth and intention. A spooky setting with an unusual swarm of bugs descending on the cozy property adds to the odd energy of a cast of characters gathering together to rally around a grieving widow as she attempts to contact her deceased husband. The tantalizing hint of illusion around events and characters will keep the reader questioning everything up until the very last page.
This author has amazing creative talent and is fine tuning her skill as a writer with each book. I dug into this book with high expectations based on the cover’s teaser blurb. While reading, portions of the book let my attention wane, including somewhat repetitive scenes of hunting mysterious sounds that had me wanting to skip ahead a few pages, but the author pulls the loose threads back together in a neat bow by the end that had me reading late into the night to see how it would all play out . All in all, the author delivers a spooky thriller that’s worth your time!

*I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Okay, I loved this.

Whenever I read a Kelley Armstrong book, I’m reminded of what a GOOD writer she is. Her characters are so engaging and the plots so riveting that I never want her books to end.

And in this one – the grief! Oh my goodness! Our main character has so much going on in her life and mixing that with mourning and fear just gives you all the emotions when reading her.

I didn’t trust anyone around her (I’ll leave you to figure out if I was right about that) and I was just on edge while reading.

An absolutely terrific book full of surprises!

• ARC via Publisher

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read the digital review copy*

As a lover a paranormal movies and books I was really excited to read this. Nic's husband Anton is mortally injured in a car accident and before he dies, he promises her that he'll be waiting for her. In the following months, Nic continually tries to contact Anton with the "help" of multiple different mediums. When they all end up being fakes, her family convinces her to give it one last try with a parapsychologist.

The beginning of this book hooked me immediately. I genuinely came to like all the characters in Nic's life fairly quickly and I really felt for Nic who not only lost the love of her life but is also battling with CF.

The middle dragged a bit with a lot of repetitive scenes but at the same time I was still immersed in the story because of the sèances and learning more about Nic's past.

It was really the ending that made this three stars for me. This started as a fairly realistic book about the paranormal and then took a sharp turn into over the top horror. While it did explain everything, it just felt very cartoonish.

The main character in this book, Nicola Laughton, has had a series of tragedies in her life. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was a child. She lost both of her parents in a car accident that left her badly injured. Nicola survived the accident and CF, lived to grow up, created her own business, and got married.

Then tragedy struck again. She lost her husband in another car accident. Anton's last words were that he would be waiting for her. Nicola is desperate to contact him and has hired a series of mediums who all turn out to be fake. Her family and friends have finally convinced her to try one last seance, and then to give up trying to contact her dead husband. They will gather at Anton's family's old vacation house. It is on an island which is regularly cut off from the mainland.

Then a series of strange events and near misses begin to happen, including the disappearance of a local boy. Is it someone or something in the house? And is everyone on the island who they seem to be?

I received an e-arc of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

* Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

I'll Be Waiting is a horror/thriller/mystery about Nic, a recent widower with cystic fibrosis that is looking for answers in the paranormal about her recently deceased husband. In the hopes of finding out if he will really be waiting for her on the other side, she, along with her friends, embarks on a spiritual mission --- AKA a seance.

This was not my fave KA book (the Rockton series holds that title), but it was a good book. I'll Be Waiting is horror-lite, so if you're really into the spooky, don't expect anything groundbreakingly scary. In most of the "scary" scenes, I was not particularly disturbed. That's fine with me, though, I enjoyed how practical Nic was, and how when she had the opportunities to doubt herself the most, she found a strength from within that was genuinely inspiring.

Admittedly, I do think some things were glossed over in the story that I won't spoil here, but it was a fun, fast-paced book that I read in one day. KA is one of those authors that I always go back to, no matter the genre or premise, because you're guaranteed a well-written, fun book.

I was honestly so close to enjoying this sinister, spiritual, and spellbinding installment, which waltzes with haunted house and missing young man mystery themes.

It started strong: an unexpected and tragic accident results in the death of a beloved husband, leaving behind his 37-year-old wife who suffers from a terminal disease (cystic fibrosis). She has already battled death, extending her life by at least a decade. Her attempts to connect with her late husband Anton, after his cryptic message "I’ll be waiting," lead her to seek out charlatan spiritualists. She bonds with young Shania, who recently lost her sister, and they team up with her brother-in-law Jin to attend a special seance at a Lake Erie beach house, where she shared memories with her late husband. These parts of the book intrigued me the most.

I genuinely enjoyed the first half, with its building tension and the presence of entities in the house that might be Anton or something darker. The house itself, with its foreboding atmosphere, giant old-style furnace, locked attic room, creaking floorboards, and the voice of Anton repeating his love for his wife, along with creepy porcelain dolls, enhance the horror elements, making you bite your nails harder. The addition of the missing boy mystery and a past murder in the woods pushes the reader to form new theories about what is happening in this house! I was even ready to give this book five full creepy paranormal activity stars!

However, as I reached the second half, the repetition of events, boring seance sequences, and creepy house sounds, combined with Nicola's spiraling theories about new perpetrator candidates, tested my patience. I wished this book were shorter, with some repetitive and dragging parts edited or omitted, which would have helped return the balanced pace experienced in the first half.

The last third of the book, with its easily foreseeable revelations, turned into something far-fetched. The scenes involving the perpetrator were a bit long, making me wish the author would wrap things up faster so I could finish the book, write my review, and move on with my weekend.

The last action-packed paranormal parts felt a little exaggerated for my taste, but at least the author addressed all the loopholes in her own way, which is fair. By the end, there were no stones left unturned, and we understood the why, when, and how.

Overall, this book has great potential with an intriguing plot that gave me high hopes. Unfortunately, I had some issues with the story’s execution and Nicola’s constantly changing opinions and overly suspicious mind, which made me scream “Come on!”

I decided to give this book a neutral three stars. It didn’t meet my expectations, but it’s still a good piece of paranormal fiction that will interest genre lovers. The first half was truly gripping, enough to keep me from putting it down and adding it to my “DNF” list, but I wished it had been executed at a faster pace and with less far-fetched elements.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this paranormal mystery’s digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This review is my opinion and my opinion only. This story is so much more than a supernatural ghost story. Kelley Armstrong knows how to make you feel deeply for her characters and you go through the emotional ride with them. Her quality of writing is exceptional.
I’m going to be very general in describing this novel because 1) I won’t do it justice and 2)Inhate posting spoilers. This novel is about Nicola. She was married to Anton before the accident. She was having a hard time getting over Anton even with going to group therapy. She started to go to “ psychics” trying to connect with Anton again. As a final attempt with her friends, she rented Anton’s old family home and hired a parapsychologist who is also a university professor.
He agreed to do several seances through the week to see if they can contact Anton. But come to find out, that one of Nicola’s friends is not who they say they are, and blood is spilled. What happens and why? YOU MUST READ THIS STORY!
I highly recommend this book!

I'll Be Waiting is probably Kelley Armstrong's best book since her Otherworld Series! This book will make the readers cry and laugh, taking them on a ride from one extreme to another. Ms. Armstrong shows just how masterful she truly is in this genre, going back to the books that helped make her such a household name: ghosts and mediums, i.e. Jaime from the Otherworld who gets involved with Jeremy the Alpha of the Pack! Readers can expect to go on a journey of self-discovery as the main female character has a pivotal decision to make about the status of her living situation, and will feel every emotion she feels, every high, and every low. Very few books have made this reviewer want to cry, I'll Be Waiting, made me want to bawl, and I can't wait to see if Ms. Armstrong turns this phenomenal book into a new series.

This book put me through the rounds.... and not in a great way...

I was SO close to DNF at the 30% mark. The book just seemed to drag for me. It did pick up a bit for me around the 40% mark and I was enjoying the story and the mystery that was coming out about Nic's past, as well as some of the strange things happening around the house. Then around the 75% mark I started getting annoyed, Nic kept going around and around with these questions and suspicions, some that made no sense to me at all. I felt like the person she ended up suspecting was the most farfetched option and maybe that's what the author was shooting for, but it missed. At the same time... I don't know, Nic, maybe look in the house around you sis?

I loved the idea of the seances but they ended up getting really repetitive. There were too many of them and most anticlimactic since they ended before they could begin. I felt like there was a lot of focus on the dolls in the house as well for no reason at all.

What redeemed this for me was the ending, it was what I wish the whole book would have been. Shocking, fast paced and paranormal with a touch of horror. I didn't hate the book but there are much better options out there if you're looking for something creepy and spine tingling, which is what I feel like this book was shooting for.