This was a sad and semi depressing story. Nicola Laughton has Cystic Fibrosis and was never supposed to make it to adult hood. She has and married Anton. Months after their wedding, they are in a car accident and Anton dies. While dying he tells her “I’ll be waiting for you.” Since the accident, Nicola is obsessed with mediums who claim they can contact the dead. During one of the sessions, weird things start happening. I did think this was going to be more of a horror story, and it just wasn’t quite there. There was a lot of repetition in the writing, and I never really connected with Nicola as a character. I predicted the large twist at the end and the last third of the book seemed out of character from the first two thirds. I do like paranormal reads, just this one wasn’t for me.

I enjoyed this audiobook. It was perfect for spooky season. I liked how yes it was a horror book, it also had more emotional depth and great character development. I was intrigued right from the start. The only thing that I struggled with was all the secondary characters, so it was hard to keep track who was who. I did a review post on this on my Bookstagram that I have linked down below.

I sadly could not get into this book. Possibly because I am not really into mediums and physics and such which is what this book is based on. I still enjoyed the narration and the basic idea of the plot though!

Thank you for this ALC!

4.5/5
My first Kelley Armstrong, but most certainly enough to make me want to go right back and read every single thing she's written, and to keep an eye out for all future releases. This was the best kind of horror there can be as far as I am concerned - as careful and tender in its approach to the horrors of real life as it is unflinching in its approach to the horrors of a world beyond. I'LL BE WAITING starts off quiet, mellow in its grief, but it slowly becomes an unhinged rollercoaster that makes it nothing short of unputdownable. I find it rare for horror to manage to get a physical reaction out of me, but this made my skin crawl and my hair stand on end on quite a few occasions, and it kept me tense and on edge more often than not.
I cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The first third of the book dragged a little for me, but the last 2/3 of the book definitely picked up the pace. This will be the perfect book to read this October!

✨This was a #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt read. I’ve seen multiple reviewers saying how much they enjoyed it, so I dove right in. It was so fast-paced that I finished in one day – just the right amount of spooky with an unexpected love story as well.

✨This is definitely a horror novel, but it’s layered with other themes as well – and this may be my favorite thing about the book. You have your horror with ghosts and spirits, and you have your mystery with flashbacks bringing in the main character’s back story. You also have thriller and romance elements with a well-developed cast of characters and a spooky setting to die for.

✨I really enjoyed the twist at the end that I didn’t see coming.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Cystic fibrosis rep
✨Ghost stories
✨Creepy old houses
✨Genre benders
✨Themes of loss and grief
✨Spooky season reads

🎧I listened to this book on audio and really enjoyed the narration by Jennifer Pickens @jenwrenpickens. There were many character voices to sort through, and she performed them with their own unique voices. So well done.

This is how you write a ghost story. It was dark and atmospheric. I enjoyed the mystery, the ambiance of horror, and how the tension was slowly built as the book went on.

This story centers around Nicola. She's a widow, and although skeptical, she's been trying to contact her husband's spirit with a seance.

I loved the plot of this book even though it felt slow throughout. The twists were fantastic, and once things really got going, I was heavily invested.

Jennifer Pickens brings a lot to the story with her narration. She helps instill a sense of deep foreboding into the story.

I'll Be Waiting is the perfect book to add to your October tbr.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for this ALC.

As a 30-something woman living with Cystic Fibrosis, Nic expected to be the first one to die in her marriage, but fate and a snowy road had other plans: After a car crash, her husband Anton dies in her arms, telling her with his last breath that he’ll be waiting for her on the other side. After months of failed seances with fraudulent spiritualists, Nic’s friends and family find a reputable medium and convince her to make one last-ditch effort to contact Anton. In a lake-front estate once owned by Anton’s family, Nic hopes to finally reach her lost love from beyond the veil. But as frightening things start happening in the house, and as Nic’s past seems more present than ever, she begins to wonder if something else – something more malevolent – wants to make contact instead.

I’ll Be Waiting has a lot going for it: an isolated lakeside setting, a diverse cast of characters, and a plot full of paranormal thrills and things that go bump in the night. Kelley Armstrong integrates the past and present timelines seamlessly, and there are plenty of shiver-inducing moments. I loved Armstrong’s decision to write the book from the perspective of a character with a chronic, often terminal, illness; this aspect gave Nic a unique worldview that was engaging, thought-provoking, and educational for people like me, who don't have a lot of familiarity with CF. There’s lots of nuance and texture in the plot, and the interactions among the characters felt authentic. I paired my reading with the audiobook read by Jennifer Pickens, who imbued Nic with a lot of emotion and had a perfect sense of timing in the spookier moments.

I’ll Be Waiting did, however, lose its way for me a bit at the end. I saw the twist coming, but even aside from that, the plot devolved into a gore-fest that felt out of sync with the rest of the book. Armstrong set up a traditional haunting in the first two-thirds of the book, but went in a different, more chaotic direction at the end that didn’t quite satisfy me.

That said, though, I think most readers of paranormal fiction will enjoy I’ll Be Waiting, and it’s definitely a perfect read for Spooky Season. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the early reading opportunity.

This is exactly what I wanted in a ghost story! I couldn’t stop listening. I loved the story and the atmosphere. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

This was a very good haunting story! I enjoyed the way it incorporated skeptics and believers into the story. I think it dealt with the character's grief very well and was a fun story all throughout.

3.5 stars.

A dark, compelling story of the ache of grief, the paranormal, and the struggle to go on. The author did a very good job of conveying Nicola's shellshock of losing her husband suddenly in an untimely death, and the longing and desperation to connect with him again via seances. It's easy for someone in this mental state to be taken advantage of and prolong her grieving process, so you're not sure if the occurrences that feel very familiar to Nicola are in fact her deceased spouse. Then someone dies. And someone else goes missing. And there's no one for Nicola to trust.

This is more psychological thriller than ghost story or horror. I found it tense and interesting, but I really wanted more... just more.

Wow! Nic has your sympathy right off. She has far outlived her life expectancy as a person with cystic fibrosis. She finds love and then loses it in a tragic accident. Her final moments with her love, Anton, are witnessed by a lot of people who share her story and make har a minor celebrity.

My opinion of this book changed every few paragraphs. I loved the parts in which the con-artist mediums are exposed. All of these people wanting to take Anton's last words "I'll be waiting" and somehow make them true. Prove that he was really hanging around waiting for her. But they all fail.

There are more seances and that part starts to get repetitive. A spooky story brings it back. Towards the end it goes from connecting everything in a satisfying way to completely over the top. It's hard to say too much without saying why I had these opinions, which would be too revealing. Let's just say there is some romance, some supernatural, some violence. It's all there.

I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong’s paranormal series for 20+ years (Bitten and Stolen are seriously some of my fav werewolf books of all time), but I this was my first time reading her more contemporary books. I was reminded with this novel what a brilliant writer she is, especially when it comes to creating characters that are fully realized and complex.

Overall, I’ll Be Waiting is a good old fashioned haunted house story. The psychological stress as the main character battles with whether she is witnessing true paranormal phenomena, or if her mind is conjuring ghosts from her own tragic past, creates plenty of suspense and creepy vibes.

I felt like the first half of the book was very engaging, but the middle was too long, dissipating the tension. The finale of the book was action packed and paid off in many ways, if not entirely unpredictable. Overall, an enjoyable read and perfectly timed for adding to a spooky season TBR list.

𝗜'𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 is the perfect read to kick off the spooky season! 👻 As a longtime fan of Armstrong, I couldn’t wait to dive into this one, and it did not disappoint! From the very start, Nicola Laughton’s story grabbed me—her journey is both heartbreaking and gripping. After being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, Nicola never expected to live long enough to experience love, but Anton changed that… until a tragic accident claimed his life. His final promise to wait for her on the other side haunts her, and when the media claims witnesses saw his ghost delivering that message, things take a chilling turn.

I was drawn in by Nicola’s struggle with grief and the supernatural. When a medium is brought in to help, the eerie atmosphere ramps up—locked doors mysteriously open, strange footsteps echo, and Armstrong’s writing sends shivers down your spine. The twist about Nicola’s past, and the discovery of a body, had me glued to the pages! 😱

Suspenseful, creepy, and full of surprises, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good thrill. 📖✨

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the ARC, and MacMillan Audio (#MacAudio) for the ALC

“We want to believe that luck exists, that science exists and so we find proof…”

Nicola wasn't supposed to grow up and get married. But she defied the odds that her Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis left her when she met and married Anton. After a horrible accident, Anton dies right before her eyes, promising her “I'll be waiting for you”. Someone caught the moment on film and it’s gone public. Now, eight months after, Nic rents a house that used to belong to her late husband’s family and attempts to contact him through a seance.

I have loved every book I have read by Kelley Armstrong (both series and standalone novels), so I was eager to jump into this one. It’s a deeply atmospheric novel, and once Nicola is in Anton’s family home, some crazy things start happening. Especially on audio, the creepiness really comes across. The isolated setting of a lake house in the woods worked really well!

What I was not expecting was for the novel to be so emotional - Nicola’s loss of the love of her life was like a gut punch after all she had lived through. It just didn’t seem fair. And the author did an amazing job at describing what Nicola lived through every day as a CF warrior. But the devotion and love she had for her husband really was the shining star here. That love permeated every creepy page of this story, and it was impressive to see such an emotional story still remain scary! You do need to suspend belief a little bit, but it worked really well.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to read the book first, and I really liked it. So I was excited to listen to the audio book. Even though I new what was going to happen I found myself too creeped out to listen to it alone at night, because it was so spooky and suspenseful. The voice acting was top notch. This is the perfect spooky story for the fall season.

Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 10/1
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I’ll be Waiting is a paranormal horror that is absolutely perfect for spooky season. I am pretty sure that Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong. I have loved everything I have read by her and this is no exception.
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Right from the start I’ll be Waiting is absolutely captivating and it will hold a grip on you until the very end. It has so many different elements to it. It’s a horror, with plenty of paranormal, gore and slasher vibes, it’s a mystery, as there is a dual timeline element as we find what happened in Nichola’s past, it is a tragedy, as Nichola living with CF survives her husband after a tragic accident and it’s a thriller, with its face paced suspenseful atmosphere. I loved how Armstrong tied all of these different pieces together. Everything about this story flowed flawlessly from beginning until the end.
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There a re quite a bit of characters in this one, but honestly I really enjoyed every one of them. I felt that there was some great character growth throughout the story.
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There are a ton of twists and turns in this one which will leave you with some serous whiplash, so please buckle upland enjoy the wild ride. I did not see the ending coming and I loved every second of where Armstrong took it.
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I listened to this via audiobook. It was narrated by Jennifer Pickens and she did a phenomenal job at making the unbelievable believable. She created the perfect spooky atmosphere. Highly recommend the audiobook.
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Overall, this book is incredible, its perfect for spooky season and I loved this one so much.
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Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and MacMillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

When Nicola and Anton married, they always thought she’d die first with Cystic Fibrosis, but Anton is killed in a tragic accident and Nicola is mired in grief and haunted by his last word: “I’ll be waiting…” Since then, even though she doesn’t put much stock in spirit mediums, she can’t help holding out hope that she can connect with Anton again. Nic doesn’t let up, because there’s an expehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6517468796rience from her past that leads her to believe there’s more after life, even though this experience went horribly wrong!

I was hooked from the start, as the story starts with a bang! Hints of Nicola’s past is dangled. Her history is slowly revealed, and I was riveted by the mystery! Built up suspense, crazy things happening, an old home with creaks and noises that shouldn’t be possible!

I’ll Be Waiting was spooky, and I was a little jumpy reading late into the night! I wondered if there was someone behind all the scary things or if it was some malevolent, paranormal force at work. I had my suspicions.

Things got wild, just like the ending of a horror flick, and it was a battle for survival! I enjoyed every minute!

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy, and I recommend either version. The narration was wonderful! Loved Jennifer Pickens’ voice, rich, and quietly strong, it fit Nicola’s calm, practical character. Definitely enhanced my enjoyment!

A story on grief and the lengths people are willing to go through in hopes of reconnecting with loved ones. As the story moves along, we are given crumbs in regards to past events that lead up to the current mystery (a bit of a slow burn but good.) Somewhat of a paranormal mystery, which is a first for me. Enjoyed the read!

Nicola Laughton was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. She's maintained a pretty normal life, thanks to modern medicine. Soon after Nicola and Anton are married, Anton is killed in a car accident, which was witnessed and posted online. This leads Nicola to be contacted by many mediums, asking to connect her with Anton. After finally saying yes, she meets a medium at Anton's family's home, where the house comes to life, causing mass chaos.

I liked the first half of the book but had difficulty staying focused because of the repetitiveness in the back half. I very much appreciated all the loose ends were tied up, and I didn't feel like I was left hanging, which you don't always get!

I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. I think she did a great job portraying all the characters and I could easily tell when there was a switch.

Overall, my feelings were neutral towards I'll Be Waiting. If you're super into paranormal reads, I think you'll enjoy this one for sure!

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Kelley Armstrong, for the advanced listener copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.