Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of I'll Be Waiting.

I appreciate a unique plot line, which I think this was, I have never read a book with a seance plot. Unfortunately, that's where my praise ends. I found the story to be both boring and depressing, with about 80% of the story focusing on what happened back when she was a teenager (which isn't even included in the summary). Unless you are into cheesy and not-at-all scary stories, I would skip this one.

2.5 stars rounded down

Since losing her husband Anton in a car accident, Nicole Laughton has become a magnet for spiritualists due to witnesses reporting his last words - "I'll be waiting for you." Nicola had hoped that one of them would be able to connect with Anton's spirit, but has ended up with too many fake mediums. In the hopes of ending her search once and for all. A reputable medium, a professor of parapsychology is hired. It is decided to hold a séance at a beach house that Anton's family once owned. Strange things begin to happen and an incident from Nicola's past muddies the waters.
Fast paced page turner.
#I'llbeWaiting #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I'll Be Waiting was a haunting book not only in its supernatural forces but in an emotional force too. It follows Nicola and her story of trying to contact her husband Anton's spirit after he tragically dies in a car accident. Nicola has cystic fibrosis and always thought she would be the first to go so she really struggles with the concept of Anton dying first. She becomes desperate to contact his spirit after someone after the scene claimed to hear his ghost say I'll be waiting. She unveils many fraud mediums until she finally hires a college professor to attend a seance with her and a few of the people closest to her at once last attempt to connect with his spirit. Once they get to the Lake Erie Beach house Anton's family owned as a kid all kinds of crazy stuff starts happening. Without giving anything away there's secrets, horrifying twists, murder and Nicola's past all weaving together to make a thriller of a story. I honestly loved this book and how the author uses grief and imagery of all the horrors of past and present to reel the reader in. Horror fans are not going to want to miss this thrill ride!

ARC Review- A slow start, but definitely picked up mid-way through the book. A seat gripping thriller that will have you staying up late to finish this twisting story. Definitely did not see the ending at all! 😈

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy of I'll Be Waiting.

I'm a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series (as well as the Haven's Rock spin-off) but I haven't ventured into her other works. I wouldn't normally read a novel with supernatural elements but I was excited to give this one a try. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to suspend my reality enough for the novel to be believable. I found myself coming up with alternate plot points and an alternate ending. All this to be said, I still enjoyed the novel and I'm looking forward to Finding Mr. Write.

I love rep for disabilities and illness with a twist either it be fantasy or not,it's great being able to see from other perspectives in a way I normally wouldn't. This really made you root for the character

When Nicola's husband is killed in a car accident, she watches their plans go up in smoke. Months later, she's in his family home trying to contact him with the help of an occult scientist and some friends and family. As strange occurrences begin to haunt them, Nicola must discover if someone is playing games or if Anton has returned to her.

This was a twisty tale with supernatural elements. I enjoyed this story.

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