I’ll Be Waiting For You

Natalie and Imogen are best friends who couldn’t be more different. Natalie is brave and always on the hunt for a new adventure. Imogen is gifted and constantly under pressure from her parents to succeed. Every summer, the girls and their parents stay at the haunted Harlow Hotel. Natalie loves a ghost story, but Imogen is a true believer. When Imogen passes away from an undiagnosed heart condition, Natalie’s world is shattered. Now, a year later, Natalie is ready to return to Harlow Hotel to film an audition for a teen ghost-hunting show. There, she is thrown together with Leander, the annoying but kinda attractive boy from school who has a superiority complex. And strange things are happening at Harlow Hotel; Natalie wonders if ghosts are real after all.

I adored this book! What first appears as a paranormal and spooky story, is really one of loss, grief and never wanting to say goodbye. Although it’s such a heartbreaking subject, Mariko Turk never lets the story get too heavy.

Natalie is incredibly relatable as the girl who’s afraid to pursue her own interests and feels inferior to her intelligent friends. Turk does an incredible job developing Natalie’s character throughout the story and I just adored her.

My only issue is, although I loved the romantic storyline, it was described as enemies to lovers which is my favourite trope. It was definitely more a ‘slight annoyance to love’.

This beautiful story of the power of friendship, family, hope and love will leave a lasting impression. For ages 14+.