Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

This was a delightfully creepy ghost story! Having read and loved Hemlock Island last year, I knew I was in for a treat and I was not wrong. I did not know where the story was going when it began but I was hooked from the first scene. This slowly built in intensity, the paranormal element worked well, and while it was a little over the top it didn’t bother me. The audio worked perfectly here, enhancing the creepy atmosphere that was pervasive throughout. I really enjoyed this one and it is perfect for spooky season!

I’m really starting to enjoy Kelley Armstrong’s supernatural thriller books. I’ll Be Waiting had a very interesting storyline and so much happened within it. I can guarantee a wild ride (especially within the last couple hours of reading).

I’ve been seeing posts looking for spooky reads for October and I think this book fits the bill perfectly. The setup of Nicola’s story & what happened to her husband Anton was the perfect pace. Then add in a spooky experience in her adolescence and you get a great addition to the main event, Nicola, her brother in law Jin, a friend Shania & a paranormal psychologist rent a house on Lake Erie that Anton’s family used to own. The bugs, the attempted seance and creepy dolls all around added to the suspense. I am not a fan of stories involving the paranormal especially ouija boards but I enjoyed Hemlock Island last year so I took on this book & I’m glad I did. This was a great spooky story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this audiobook.

I’ll be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong
Supernatural horror.
Nicole Laughton never expected to live long enough to love someone, but now she’s a widow. News of the auto accident and photos of a supposed ghost, makes his death into a public interest nightmare for Nicole by psychics and spiritualists. Nicole is now using her skepticism to expose the fakes.
In hopes of closure, family and friends find a reputable medium and they rent the Toronto Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.
The goal is three sessions but unusual things start happening almost immediately. Locked doors mysteriously open, a neighbor is missing, clouds of insects engulf the house, footsteps overhead, and the creak of an old dumbwaiter from an empty shaft. And then a body is found.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. The performance is done by Jennifer Pickens and is compelling as the main character goes through skepticism, a little hope, and terror and takes the reader along for the wild ride.
Both the ebook and audiobook are gripping. There are a lot of extended family names and characters which may be slightly easier to follow in the ebook but the pure horror, especially in the last quarter of the story is absolutely riveting.

Nicole works through possible suspects one by one, sure she knows, until something else happens. Riveting horror.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

Happy pub day I’ll be Waiting!

I’ll be Waiting is an atmospheric and eerie supernatural horror. Weaving together Nicola’s past encounters with seances and her current quest to reach her dead husband, the author told a story that was thoroughly creepy throughout. I enjoyed how the interwoven stories came together at the end and loved having a main character that had a chronic illness!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and the author for this Audio eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nic, a woman dealing with the devastating loss of her husband, Anton, in a tragic car accident—a twist of fate made all the more poignant by her own struggle with cystic fibrosis (CF), which she had always assumed would claim her life first. In her hunt for closure, Nic turns to a familiar yet fraught method: a seance. Accompanied by a small group—her brother-in-law, her brother's ex-wife, and Shania, a friend from her grief counseling class— she enlists Dr. Cirillo to lead the seance. Eerie situations start to occur, and it reminds Nic of her complicated past with seances creating the stage for the supernatural to take over.

I enjoyed the first half of this book, but it really fell off for me in the second half. I liked the spooky vibes, but I’d probably pick a different book up if I want a darker book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader and audiobook copy of I'll be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for an honest review. This was a new twist for Armstrong and a fabulous standalone book. Armstrong has written urban fantasy, thrillers, murder mysteries and young adult stories. Reading this book, I knew it would be a thriller, but I wasn't sure if it would bring a sense of supernatural or more. I was kept guessing almost till the end. I really enjoyed the questions of is this a haunting, is someone doing this, is it all Nic's imagination, or is she doing it for attention? I won't spoil the ending, cause that's just rude, and it was a lot of fun to find out. I recommend this book and will probably reread it myself multiple times.

I have now also listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. It was fun to listen to late at night and get spooked.

The audiobook for I'll Be Waiting had a strong start with an intriguing premise, but it quickly lost momentum towards the middle. Nicola’s grief after losing her husband really comes through, and the narrator did an amazing job bringing her emotions to life, which helped keep me connected. The seances and supernatural elements were interesting at first, but they quickly became repetitive and really dragged the story out, making it hard for me to stay interested in the story.

The pacing picked up toward the end, adding some suspense, but the story felt disjointed, and the conclusion left a lot of loose ends. While the atmosphere and narration were solid, the twists didn’t deliver as much as I hoped. Overall, it was an average listen, with some good moments but not enough to make it truly memorable.

Nicola has cystic fibrosis and expects to live a shorter life than others. She was devastated when her husband, Anton, died in a car accident. His last words to her saying he’ll be waiting for her on the other side. Since the story broke, she receives constant messages from spiritualists who want to help her make contact with Anton. One man stands out as someone more reputable, and they rent a house to do the séance. Things start happening, breaking through anyone’s skepticism, as they determine if they are able to make successful contact with Anton.

If you are looking for a spooky book to start the season off right, this was a great one! I listened to part of it at night and was definitely creeped out. I think the story and plot twists were all well done. I never could’ve guessed how it would end, and I’m happy with it. This is my first experience with this author and I would check out more of their work! Really enjoyed the narrator as well, they kept me interested.

I've been a huge Kelley Armstrong fan for years. I've enjoyed every book of hers I've ever read in all genres, and this one also delivered for me. I loved the creepy Canadian setting in a lakeside home with a history connected to the main character, widow Nicola. She spent happy times in this picturesque home vacationing with her dead husband Anton, and the home also belonged to his grandparents at one time, making it extra special. Nicola has cystic fibrosis and she never expected to outlive her husband. In her grief, she resorted to seances trying to connect with him even though she'd experienced a few disastrous seances in her youth. The wonderful narration by Jennifer Pickens adds to the creepiness. I loved Nicola, the plotting, and the creepy atmosphere. I highly recommend this book to fans of paranormal, ghosts, and horror.

I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong brings us another supernatural tale perfect for fall. Narrated by Jennifer Pickens, listeners will travel to a haunted house. Get ready for things that go bump in the night, as Nicola tries to contact her lost love. But Nicola has secrets, and this isn’t her first encounter with the dead.

Nicola Laughton, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child, never expected the norms life offers like falling in love and growing old. When she turned thirty, thanks to medical advances, she met Anton, who promised to love her until the end.

A tragic accident ripped him from her, as he told her he’d be waiting. Those last moments went viral and now spiritualist are hounding her, offering closure. To thwart their efforts, she agrees to have a seance with a parapsychologist. Her friends and family rent a beach house on Lake Erie. A home Anton’s family once owned.

The tale that unfolds delivered a creeptastic haunting with strange events, eerie sounds, and dead bodies. Armstrong built the story well, grabbing me from the onset. What unfolds is an atmospheric tale with supernatural events, strange sounds, and heart-pounding suspense. Nicola has secrets, secrets that make her more sensitive to things happening in the house.

Jennifer Pickens captured Nicola and the atmospheric tension of the story with her narration. I loved listening and found it enhanced the suspenseful, spine-tingling moments.

It was nice to see representation for someone suffering from a rare genetic disease. Armstrong brought attention to the disease and its conditions, while strengthening the character and her story.

I enjoyed Hemlock Island her first foray into horror, and I’ll Be Waiting, delivered a supernatural ghost story that will have you leaving the lights on. This one is perfect for fall. Grab your flashlight and your earbuds for this ghostly tale!

Title: I'll Be Waiting
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Page Count: 336
Time Length: 10H 3M
Dates Read: 9/26-9/30
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Summary: This was an Arc given by Netgalley for exchange for an honest review. When you lose the person you love, what lengths will you go to talk to them again?

Review: Right from chapter one, I was trapped within the story. My heart broke into 1000 pieces, and I had to find out what was going to happen. This was a twisty story, but the ending really pulled it together. The main character was truly relatable, and her feelings were deeply portrayed. I would reread and I would recommend to other readers.

I'll Be Waiting hooked me right from Chapter 1., and, even if I hadn't read the synopsis (which is amazing), I would suspect from the title alone that Kelley Armstrong's latest is another in her lineup of edge-of-your-seat, sleep-with-the-lights-on paranormal thrillers/horror. Nobody has the ability to creep me out like Kelley Armstrong, and I loved this one, even though I couldn't read it when I was home alone at night. It's going to be a while before I hear another dripping noise and not be completely freaked out!

Oh Kelley, is there anything you cannot do? This was a messed up story and I was not expecting how dark it would get or that ending.

I felt so sad for Nicola when Anton died, I felt her sadness as she came to grips with the fact that she had outlived him, something that never should have happened. I completely understood her desire to speak to him one last time to find out what his last words meant. Looking forward to reading more of Kelley Armstrong's stand alone novels and of course Cold as Hell when it is released in February 2025.

Jennifer Pickens did a great job narrating this story and I look forward to listening to more of Jennifer's work in the future.

I’m having mixed feelings about this book. It started out strong and I found myself very intrigued by the plot, but by the middle third of the book I found myself loosing interest. The story felt repetitive and the passing was rather slow. There was definitely a lot that I think could have been edited out to help with flow.

I did think the narrator did a great job with the narration. Her voice helped me feel more connected to Nicola. The grief in this book was so tough. I really felt for Nicola after the loss of her beloved husband. The haunting aspect was interesting, but never fully delivered for me.

I’m giving three stars because the narration and premise were both great, but taking two stars because the book started to feel so repetitive with all of the seances.

Posted on Goodreads:

4.5/5⭐️(rounded down)

Oh so this audiobook was so good! Excellent narrator with stellar voice acting. I’m pretty sure I enjoyed this more than if I would have read myself.

Nicola is a grieving widow whose husband, Anton, died in her arms after a horrid accident. Several spectators watched him take his last breath and heard his last words to Nicola. However, Nicola can’t help but feel that her husband didn’t say everything he wanted to in the end.

In come the seances. And every single one has been full of fake spookies. That is until she meets a professor that has no qualms calling out fraud. So, Nicola, the professor, her brother in law and friend all stay at Anton’s late grandmothers former house.

Over a couple of days they attempt to make contact. Sounds are heard, a person is missing, bugs are a plenty and Nicola is starting to remember an incident of her past where her high school best friend was murdered.

As the days go by, Nicola is starting to realize the incident of her past and her current situation may be very connected.

This is horror grief at its finest with a bit of body horror. There are multiple little twists that I didn’t even see coming. I enjoyed this book a lot and after learning that Kelley has more books, I’m going to make sure to add them to my TBR.

Thank you netgalley, st. Martin’s press, And Kelley Armstrong for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Perfect spooky season read. I was lucky enough to be able or both read and listen to this book. To start the narrator did an amazing job and kept me engaged throughout the whole book. This is a bit of a ghost story, more than a horror. I enjoyed the character development and just a warning that the story has some gore. I will sure be checking out this authors backlist.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an ALC of this audiobook.
4 star

Thank you for giving me access to this title! But ultimately, I found the main character to be boring and annoying. The twists weren't anything spectacular or shocking. I wanted so much more from it. Especially with the jump scares or even more of a haunting behavior at the house. It was just flat.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

I love a spooky story and Kelley Armstrong delivered just that. While not very fast paced, I never found myself bored or not invested in what was happening.

The main character, Nicola was likeable and competent. And, the story was believable (if you believe in ghosts). My point is, the story was not so far-fetched as to have me rolling my eyes.

Loose ends were tied up and while there was the tiniest bit of gore, it was not over the top nor put in for seemingly no reason.

I listened to the audiobook and Jennifer Pickens did a nice job narrating.

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.