We meet Veronica, whose husband has recently died. She is also suffering with severe postpartum depression. She cannot bring herself to touch or care for her baby and has her mother living with her.

It was a real emotional ride reading this book! Hard to tell whom to trust. Lots of suspense kept me turning the pages! It was a really enjoyable book. So many twists and turns, I felt as confused as the main character. The author did a wonderful job with the characters.

Now, coming to the ending... WOW, I didn't see that coming at all! Highly recommend if you like suspense filled stories with shocking endings!

* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book

The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker was a humdinger of a novel. I was totally believing one thing and then pow - all my assumptions were wrong. What an excellent way to twist my brain! The book held me in suspense and the twists were good - really good.

Since her husband’s death by a tragic accident, Veronica cannot bring herself to hold her baby. Sophie is just a few months old and Veronica depends on her mother to help care for the baby. She goes to counseling and works to a place where she can once again move beyond the grief. Some things just don’t seem right, though, like sometimes she can hear the baby cry when no one else can. She can’t even bring herself into the baby’s room totally. Until the baby is missing. Veronica doesn’t know what to do, but she knows that she is being blamed for something she did not do.

Emily Bleeker has a way of dragging you into the story with such feeling. I liked how the author portrayed the main character. You can feel the grief and confusion eeking out the pages. You can feel the horror of the missing baby. The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker is a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. As someone who struggled with my own PPD, this was hard for me to read. It was an emotional rollercoaster that made me just want to sleep for a while. Well written, well told and right in the gut. Some of the emotions were all too relatable and at times that made it a very difficult read, but overall it was worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
When an accident claims the life of her husband, leaving Veronica alone to care for her infant daughter under the crippling symptoms of post-partum depression, Veronica is left to struggle through life with only her mother as support. Every day, Veronica tries to maintain some semblance of life, continuing her work as an illustrator for a children’s book and making her daughter, Sophie’s, life perfect. There is only one problem- Veronica has been unable to hold her daughter in months. When Sophie disappears one day, Veronica is frantic but the police quickly turn to her as the main suspect. Her journal entries talk of all the times Veronica felt her “daughter would be better off without her”, and when images of a strange girl start appearing in Veronica’s drawings, she begins to doubt even herself and questions who she can trust.
“The Waiting Room” by Emily Bleeker is full of suspense, and rampant with psychological twists and turns. A story about grief and loss, parental obligation, and the lengths we go to to protect who we love and what we know.
The characters in this novel are unique; not one of them was completely trustworthy. I suspected each one of being suspicious and misleading right from the beginning, which I suppose, was the point. They were likable though, and easy to relate to. Especially the disorganized, hot mess that was Gillian; she embodied all that society would indicate as being an unworthy person, yet she held the most compassion and sincerity.
Each chapter ended in a cliff hanger, which made the novel really easy to read. The plot twists were unexpected and surprising, adding more depth to the plot than I expected at first glance.
Although there were some aspects of this novel that I was able to predict, the ending itself was a completely satisfying experience. All loose ends were tied up, and no questions remained unanswered. I thoroughly enjoyed the way this novel ended, and was delightfully surprised with the fast-paced, high-intensity suspense that the whole novel provided throughout.
A satisfying, unsuspecting, thrill ride of a read, “The Waiting Room” is a novel that will not disappoint.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an advance of The Waiting Room. I like Emily Bleeker's writing a great deal. This one isn't my favorite, because there some was disjointedness about the plot and the characters. I didn't connect with any of them, but it was interesting enough that I kept reading. I didn't see the twists that were coming, and there was a clever twist that was alluded to in the book description, but I still didn't see coming.

This is a thriller, yes, but more than that it is a sensitive look at some very serious topics. The writing is very well done and the characters are vivid and real. The story started slowly but built to an astonishing display of actions with secrets ultimately revealed. I had guessed at a few of the 'shockers' that came near the end of the book but one that I hadn't guessed gave me goosebumps as realization dawned.

An excellent book.

I could not put this book down! This is an extraordinarily written portrayal of love, loss and grief. Grief and depression can shatter you into a million little pieces. How can you put those pieces of yourself back together? This book is filled with complex and riveting characters. They are so believable and the dialogue so well written that I was captured into the pages of this book. It is full of twists and turns. The ending is, quite simply, a mind blower! I had no clue as to what was really going on. It is vividly descriptive and I felt a wide range of emotions. From anger to shock and empathy. I laughed and I cried. I can't say enough good things about this book! All I can say is Do not miss out on this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union publishers for an absolutely amazing read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Emily Bleeker for the opportunity to read her latest novel - another great one! 4.5 stars!

Just a short synopsis because this is one of those books that even though you may think you know what will happen, you really don't. And you want to go into it knowing as little as possible to get the full enjoyment out of it!

Veronica is struggling with postpartum depression after a crash left her baby alive but not her husband. Her mom moves in to help her take care of her baby because grief and depression have left her unable to even touch Sophie. Veronica feels like she is slowly returning to normal life when her mom convinces her to talk to a new therapist and she meets a few potential friends in the waiting room. And then someone kidnaps her baby.

Clear your calendar because you'll definitely want to finish this book once you start it! This would be a good book club read because of all the potential talking points - grief, mental illness, postpartum depression.

This book started a bit slow for me but once I was hooked I couldn't put it down! I think this book did a great job of discussing mental illness and showing the many sides to postpartum and loss. Partway through I started to take a guess at some of the twists, but there were still a few in the end that I didn't expect at all. Overall a great quick read.

I received an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

Wow! I just finished this book and did not see that end coming. I played through several scenarios of how this book would unfold. I was right on one thing, but it had me second guessing myself all the way through. However, I didn’t see the several other twists in the storyline.

Veronica suffers from postpartum depression following the death of her husband to the point that she can’t touch her baby girl, Sophie. Odd things start happening ending with her daughter being taken from her. She’s the prime suspect so she has to help herself find Sophie. I can’t say much more about the book without giving too much away. Other than what I already said, go in blindly. Enjoy the characters and the twists in this fast-paced ride.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Veronica Shelton is suffering horribly from the effects of post-partum depression and is not even able to hold baby, Sophie, it has gotten that severe. With her husband, Nick, having passed away in a car crash, Veronica's mother comes to help her look after the baby and begs Veronica to get help. When Ronnie wakes up one morning to find an empty crib she begins to panic. From then on it's twists, turns and misdirection aplenty, with no real reason as to why we should rely on Veronica as a narrator. Unfortunately, for seasoned thriller readers a lot of the twists will be spectacularly predictable, as they were to me.

Emily Bleeker has touched on some sensitive topics in 'The Waiting Room', namely post-partum depression, which many women go through, and that is not nearly broached enough. So, kudos to the author for bringing awareness to the issue. The book also discusses love, loss and grief in the context of the story. It is very well written, and is so much more than just a thriller, there are so many emotional moments - the conclusion had me quite emotional. The pace is quite slow to start off with, but it does pick up if you're willing to put the work in to get there! The characters are realisic and likeable, and you certainly feel sympathetic towards Ronnie in particular.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few issues with the story. A lot of the story is very vague and a lot of questions most readers will have are not answered, even at the end of the book, which is a bit of a let down. Some of the about-turns are clunky and dropped from out of nowhere, whereas a great crime writer will tease the reader with clues before revealing a twist in the tale. I have the ability to suspend my disbelief as much as the next person, but there is a point when too many implausible things happen where I tend to lose the will to live, and here that point was surpassed. I would say that this is definitely better defined as womens fiction/chick lit than as a thriller as it lacked the necessary nail-biting moments to fit that genre.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book! Release date - August 28, 2018

I really enjoyed this one! The beginning was a little slow to get started. We are introduced to Veronica, who is left a widow after a car accident kills her husband two weeks after the birth of their daughter, which escalates her postpartum depression and leaves her unable to touch or care for her daughter Sophie. She struggles with this a lot in the beginning. But then the action picks up when Veronica wakes up one morning to realize that Sophie has disappeared, the police aren't taking her seriously, her mother may be involved, and nothing is adding up.

I really liked Veronica as a main character, you both felt for her but also didn't quite trust her version of things. The supporting characters were also really well written, like Gillian, Veronica's new friend who is the kind of person who you think is unlikeable but then is also kind of sweet and charming. Veronica taking it upon herself to investigate the disappearance of Sophie was fast-paced and I just did not want to put the book down.

And then when I thought I had it all figured out...I was wrong. There was a pretty good twist at the end that had me wanting to go back and re-read. The ending was realistic and not cheesy and took my by surprise!

I'd definitely be interested in reading more of Emily Bleeker's books in the future!

The new Emily Bleeker book started off super slow for me. Though I kept reading, it was not my favorite book of hers. I LOVED Wreckage - such a fantastic book but this one didn't really thrill me. The second part of the book was better than the first with a neat twist in the middle that was unforeseen. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

I am generally not a huge "thriller" fan as I often find these types of books to be too predictable. I do however keep a healthy stash of this genre to clear my head after reading a challenging book, or for a fast read after reading a long series.

This book took me by surprise.

Veronica, a work from home mother, loses her husband in a tragic accident that leaves her emotionally scarred and unable to care for their young daughter. With therapy and her mothers help Veronica is making strides to become the mother she longs to be, but when her daughter is kidnapped and she becomes suspect number one, who can she trust?

This is not just another fast paced thriller (although it is fast-paced, and it was a thrill). This book touches on some real issues of loss and grief, and the way our bodies and minds react to trauma.
This book has a deep emotional element to it that made everything a little more real. I found myself a little more invested in Veronicas story and the outcome, because I cared about her, I was worried about her. For me the emotional component and its execution is what sets this book apart from other books in this genre.

This book doesn't stop, from the first page to the last.
I think you will find it on many "must read" book lists this Fall.

The first half was slow and drawn out – of necessity – but the second half made up for it! What a spin! Oh MY! Outstanding! Just outstanding!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book.

The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker is a very good read. It would make a great book club selection as there are plenty of things to talk about after reading this book.

Veronica is suffering from postpartum depression. She finds herself assailed with doubts and fears. When her husband and best-friend, Nick, dies in a car accident after taking their baby Sophie for a ride, Veronica is overwhelmed and finds herself unable to care for (or even touch her daughter)Sophie on her own. Her mother, Barb, moves in to help.

The book starts off a bit slow, but quickly picks up pace when Veronica returns home after a rare night out with a friend to find Sophie has been kidnapped. After a huge fight with her mother, her mother leaves, and Veronica calls the police. Feeling she is the main suspect in her daughter's disappearance, and wondering where her mother has gone, Veronica flees with the help of her girlfriend, hoping to find Sophie on her own.

This is quick-paced, heart-jerker of a ride. You'll find yourself flying through the pages to find out how it ends. A very good read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read a galley of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I totally would recommend this book. Ronnie is a Mom who is living in a fantasy world. . She has been seeing a counselor till she talks another person from the waiting room into kidnapping " her daughter". Turns out not to be her baby daughter ( Spoiler ) … I better not say what really happends in end as it ruins it, Read the book its a good read.

The book starts off with Veronica dealing with death of her husband and the birth of her new baby daughter Sophie and PPD. Her PPD is so bad she can’t even look at her daughter so her mother is there to help her with Sophie and Veronica is going to therapy. At therapy she meets Gillian and mark. Gillian is dealing with the death of her son and Mark with his wife. Someone breaks into Veronica’s home one evening and the next week she comes home from dinner with Gillian and Sophie is missing! The story follows Veronica searching for Sophie and discovering that the people closest to her may not be who they seem. I enjoyed this book I did feel like the story was a little all over the place at times. The ending wrapped it up though! I give this book four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Veronica is dealing with her husband's death, the birth of her daughter, and PPD.  She can't touch her baby girl, let alone be in the same room as her.  Someone breaks into her house and then her daughter goes missing.  What is going on?

Okay, this book is a mess.  The first half gives us vague details about what has been going on.  Then the pace picks up, but the mystery parts don't feel quite plausible.  I found it a little predictable based on trends in other mystery books.  It's not a bad book.  I like this author's work.  I just wanted more in the beginning to make Veronica a reliable and likable narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for letting me read The Waiting Room by Emily Bleeker for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

My first time reading that author, no regrets!

Good book, well written, good story, good characters. A woman's life changes for the worst, what would you do, how would you feel if your child went missing and you lost your husband? And you feel yourself losing it...
I found it a bit slow at first but quickly became interesting. A good look into mental illness. .

Review shared online on NetGalley, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon when published.