This book is about those we knew in past lives and reconnecting with them later in life. If you have difficulty believing in it, this story has characters that are fully fleshed out, it won't matter. Lindsey and her best friend in high school got a CD about past lives. While her best friend didn't understand it, Lindsey got a glimpse of who she was and who she spent her life with. Years later, she meets her lover from her past life. The only problem, that person, Ren, is only visiting for a short while before relocating to Paris.
This is a quick read that is enjoyable. I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As usual with an Elle Spencer novel, it has very likable characters, and such great banter between them that you actually want to be there!

Although I was a bit worried about the past-life aspect of the story, I think it was a nice romance.

Living in the past.

Lindsay is a recently divorced artist and mother. She sells her work through a gallery her best friend, Patty, owns and operates in town. They have lived in their small town their whole lives. And that whole time, Lindsay has been thinking of a woman she knows she was in love with before her time as well as repeatedly panting the same small boy.

Ren rolls into town to stay with a long-time friend before heading overseas for a new job. She is drawn to a painting in a local art gallery. Later, she is drawn to the artist. Then, Lindsay draws Ren.

This was an ambitious story to tell. A woman who believes she was in love with a woman in a previous life only to be confronted with someone who she just feels and knows is that love of her (past)life. It was really interesting experiencing everything unfold. From the two meeting, Lindsay's reaction, and gently navigating an acquaintance without seeming like a complete crazy-person.

I love Spencer's books. They are all written so well, with great dialogue, and a good amount of drama to give me throat lumps and blurry eyes. While I really liked this one, it didn't feel like books that she has written in the past. Given the story line, I figured it would be rampant with angst. It was there, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't the telenovela level I've grown to enjoy. This seemed more calculated, mature, and tame.

I liked the relationships she had with her best friend and her daughter. The friend that Ren comes to see felt a little bit made-up for plot purposes and I was a bit bored whenever there were scenes with her. And her character didn't come through for me very well. My imagination kept switching from same-age friend of Ren to older aged friend of Ren.

Overall I did enjoy this story for the unique concept in a sea of pure romance lesbian books.

I recommend to those who like to read about romance, re-incarnation, family drama, art, ridiculous stakeouts, and safe kitchen islands.

I really enjoyed this book. The banter was very funny and the conversations and interactions between all the characters seemed genuine and real. It was really fun reading about this small town. The two main characters, Lindsay and Ren, were really great. The chemistry between the two was easy to feel. And the love they felt for their best friends was there two. Speaking of best friends, I think they are the ones that might have made this story really great, particularly Patty (which I secretly hope gets her own book). This is a fast burn with a good amount of drama. I really wish there was more about Ben Hall cause what he did was shady and I really wanted something to happen there. Anyway, this is a good read. Fans of Spencer will like it and I think those who have not read her work, or even liked her previous works, should give this one a try. It is worth the read.

Heavy, Heartfelt, Sighs…
Ren is an art expert who is taking a vacation with her BFF Deb before she starts a new job in Paris. While in town, she sees a gallery and finds an amazing painting of a boy. Lindsay has spent her life haunted by a past life memories. Her family is less than understanding and thinks she needs to leave the past in the past, and maybe start selling off those paintings of a boy she calls Timmy… When Lindsay meets Ren things get complicated….

I liked this book so much! There was so much going on! There was a mystery, a bit of history, good friends, family drama, romances that span years and lifetimes…. It’s a very emotional book too, which makes it all the better. I love, love, love being able to connect with the characters in a deep and real way. I loved that this story wasn’t just about the romance, although that was wonderful! (The sexy bits were spot on too!!) There were lots of people involved in the tale and every one of them was needed to make this story as great as it is. So many things happen during this drama to keep it moving that you won’t even notice the passage of time, you will be so immersed that you might just read the book cover to cover without even realizing it! This is another must read from Ms Spencer!!

The book was fantastic!! It was a different kind of story that Elle usually tells but it was amazing. As teenager Lindsay and her best friend Patty, after some Peach Schnapps, listen to a past life CD. Patty went to sleep but Lindsay was affected by the CD and saw herself with a beautiful woman named Roo. She ends up marrying her high school sweetheart and had a kid. They eventually divorced. Lindsay became a painter and her best friend Patty is a art dealer. Lindsay keeps painting this little boy and Roo but won't sell. After some coaching from Patty, Lindsay gives up the boy to be sold. Enter Ren Christopher. She is staying with her best friend Deb for a couple of weeks before going off to Paris. She wanders into the gallery and buys the painting. Then she goes to get a coffee and Lindsay faints when she see her. Lindsay is convinced that she is the reincarnated Roo and they start a relationship. The chemistry between Ren and Lindsay is off the charts. The secondary characters Deb and Patty are a big part of the story and they are funny. But the epilogue just tied the whole story together. This was a beautiful and moving read.

I’ve been a fan of Elle Spencer for a while now, her last two books especially are permanently located in my favorite-book list. I’m happy to tell you that her current novel, ‘Waiting for You’ is now also added to that favorites list.

This story has all of the wonderful traits that I’ve come to expect from Ms. Spencer’s novels. It is interesting, different, and believable even with the idea of characters from past lives meeting again. The characters themselves become real to the reader. I’m sure I could go to Salt Creek and meet Ren, Lindsey, Patty, Deb, and even Mrs. Stokely at Deb’s coffee shop, “You Mocha Me Crazy”. The striking humor that I expect to see in Ms. Spencer’s books is front and center in this story as well, along with the angst that she uses to break your heart as you read. Don’t worry, she does a good job of mending those broken hearts as well.
‘Waiting for You’ is a fitting addition to Ms. Spencer’s catalog. I’m happy to be able to recommend it to all who love a book that is full of laughter, tears, and a great deal of love.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I requested this book from Netgalley with the hopes that it would be another cozy romance book that I could nestle into on the weekend, my attention from it unwavering. A lot of that hope was based upon the fact that last year I read and adored another book by this author. But honestly, I found this new release by Elle Spencer to be just… perfectly okay.


After a vivid spiritual experience, Lindsey Hall is convinced she has a long-lost love from another life. She’s carried these memories with her years with the expectation that she’ll never find someone that compares to that love she felt in a dream. Least of all in Salt Creek, the small town she’s grown up in, where the gay population is small. Is it a complete fluke that the first time she paints a still life portrait of her lover from a past life, that a woman who happens to look just like her painting visits her small hometown the next day? Lindsey can’t decide if she’s woken up in an episode of Stranger Things, but she’s helpless to stop this stranger from taking an interest in her when she’s the living embodiment of her long-lost love.

This book was really hard to rate personally, because I felt quite neutral about it. My mediocre rating and perception of Waiting For You isn’t because I found faults in it, but rather that my taste in romance at the moment doesn’t align with what this book had to offer. I’d wish that was something I’d realised before I read this book.

As a 23 year old, I’ve realised that I just don’t get as much enjoyment from reading about characters that are in their 30s, and are either married, divorced and/or have children. This book really takes you through the life of a divorcee with a grown child in a small town. It was hard to ignore those factors when they were such a large part of the story and romance. For now, I think I’m going to save all these books for when I’m closer to this age and can relate more to that demographic.

Also, the past loves trope doesn’t appeal to me either. Whilst I’d absolutely say I’m a hopeless romantic, I also think that the pragmatic part of me just can’t get behind this trope, particularly in a contemporary setting. To the authors credit, Lindsey and Ren have considerable chemistry. Although it developed quickly for my taste, their bond is both sweet and respectful. It’s hard to see a relationship like that as anything other than being really wholesome. I also think readers who like stories about characters at this stage of life, will also respect the fact that it simultaneously reads very realistically, whilst also being a romance that is good for escapism.

I still really love and recommend Casting Lacey by this author, a fake dating romance between two actresses that is somewhat of a hate to lover banter-y filled romance. Regardless of what I feel about this particular book, Elle Spencer is a fluent writer and her books possess a casual charm and witty dialogue that always sparks a bit of joy from me. I’m sure a lot of readers who enjoy sapphic romance about mature women will no doubt enjoy this book too.

I admit it, I have a kind of hit or miss relationship with Elle Spencer's books. Casting Lacey was a fantastic read and one of my personal best 2019 reads but then the Road to Madison was a total disappointment so I started her new book being very cautious.
Spencer has a distinctive style I can admit and in this book her clever humor and funny lines are prominent again which is a good thing when it's not over the top corny.
It's a story about insta attraction and while it's not my favorite trope, I was happy with how good was the chemistry between the main characters. Another plus is that the MCs were really likeable, something that I struggled with in some of Spencer's previous books.

Overall it was a very good read and when I finished it my first thought was that Spencer is finally back after a few mediocre books!
Just a small issue I had was that the ending felt a little bit rushed and I would have loved it more if we could have a few more chapters.

* An ARC was given to me via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This was a very enjoyable read! There are so many fun and vibrant characters to get to know and fall in love with. The romance was very interesting and different...and kinda makes you wonder “What if?”

I haven’t read any books with a past romance concept...time travel yes...past lives no. But, I loved how their past selves impacted their present selves unknowingly. The intimate moments seemed fast paced for them in the present, but because of their past relationship it took those scenes to a deeper level of intimacy that was beautiful, but also unexpected...I don’t know if I’m expressing my feelings/thoughts adequately, but just know that it made the story amazing!

The reason why I left off a star is just because of minor interferences with some of the other characters that annoyed me, but it didn’t stop me from reading.

Overall I’d definitely recommend this one...

An enjoyable read, my first by the author , a fast easy read. Something that doesn’t require any real thinking and leaves you smiling. Cute characters, a bit far fetched but quirky.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I've never read something quite like this. Lindsay, since she was a teen, has dreamed about a little boy and a woman, Roo. She is convinced that she knows them from one of her previous lives. Then, she meets Ren (who is in town having a quick visit with a friend), and Lindsay faints because Ren is the spitting image of Roo.

It goes about as you'd expect with the back and forth, but, in the case of this novel (unlike others), there was also a very cool underlying push and pull of the past lives stuff.

Oh,and there was my favorite lesfic subplot of the year so far, that of Mrs. Stokley. She was such a great character and I really sorta want her story as a lesbian romance now too. Her character really hooked me (I'd love a Patty, Lindsay's BFF, story too).

And, I may or may not (hint: I did) have given this whole novel an extra star because it was set in small town Massachusetts, and that part of the novel was gotten mostly correct too. Always a big positive in my estimation. Staties!!

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

This book was a little challenging to get into at the beginning because it mostly dealt with past life experiences of a teenage girl. I’m so glad I persisted in reading on because the book is incredibly interesting. The two main characters are Lindsay, a single mother with a teenage daughter. Lindsay is an artist who has a business of portrait painting. She also paints two portraits of a young boy and a woman she believes she knew from a previous life. The other main I’d Ren a lawyer on holiday in the town Lindsay lives as she awaits time to go to Paris for a job.
When the two women meet deep sparks fly as both women are deeply attracted to each other. For Lindsay, Ren is the women she believes she met in her previous life.
Besides the mains, the cast of secondary characters is superb, they range from teenagers, an old school teacher, and two school mates of Lindsay. At times the dialogue is extremely humorous. There is a bit of heat in the story as well. This book is well written with a fantastic plot an interesting characters. I highly recommend it.

3.75 Stars. This was better than I expected. I have been off to a slow start with Spencer (shocking I know). I thought The Road to Madison was a mess and I’m listening to Casting Lacey right now and I’m still undecided. So I went into this book cautiously to say the least, but I’m happy to admit that this was an enjoyable read.

My first thought about this book was that I was pretty shocked how low angst this was for Spencer. I actually got this book because I have been in the mood for angst and I know Spencer can sometimes go overboard with it. That was not the case here. There is some yes, but comparing it to Spencer’s other books this has like half the angst she normally puts in.

Besides being a sweet mid to low angst romance, this also had some comedy. I have mixed feelings on that. Some lines were really funny and clever, which put a smile on my face, others not so much. There were a few times that the characters were laughing at their own jokes which set my eyes rolling so hard I was afraid they’d pop out of my head. And sometimes the jokes were so darn corny. No offence to Spencer but sometimes reading her characters reminds me of 12 year old boys. But to balance that out there were a few actual laugh out loud moments I enjoyed.

While this story is really about insta attraction and connection, I was happy with how good the chemistry was. The characters were both likeable so it helped. That was a big plus about this book, the whole cast of characters was well done. There was an old retired teacher that was a hoot, some teenage characters that were well done, and best friend characters that had their own personality and depth even if one was slightly annoying.

I think my biggest issue ended up being the length. This book really could have used another chapter or two. There just was not much time for the ending. I hate rushed endings and this felt too rushed. I don’t mind that it was more HFN than HEA. I don’t need everything tied up in a bow, I just wanted more so I could really believe in the ending.

Out of the 2 and a half finished Spencer books, this is the best I have read by so far. There are a few things about her style I still don’t really click with, but I was happy with this read. It was a feel good romance that mostly put a smile on my face. I was hoping for a little more angst, but I do like that Spencer mixed it up so I can’t really complain. I suspect most Spencer and rom-com fans will enjoy this too.

I loved everything about this book! The characters and the banter between them are hilarious and the story is unique and beautiful. I really enjoyed the sidestory with Mrs. Stokely as well, it was so nice to see her change and bloom only because she was finally able to share her secret with others and could be herself.
The only thing I would criticize if I had to find something is that there are some questions being left unanswered in the end. But I have the feeling that there could be a sequel dealing with Patty :) at least I hope so!

I really enjoyed reading this. I loved the characters and the settings surrounding them. I could not put it down. Thanks for the advanced copy.

From the minute I started reading this book, I could not put it down until I finished reading. It was that good! I have truly come to enjoy how well Elle Spencer is able to write such compelling stories. Lindsay & Ren as main characters were very relatable. And the secondary characters such as Patty, Deb, Mrs Stokely, Brook & Corey just added more texture to the story.
Lindsay believes in past lives and when she meets Ren, she truly believes that she has met her before and that they have a deep connection. However, Ren is on her to Paris to start a new job and is not aware of how deeply connected Lindsay feels to her. Is it possible for fate to bring two people together in different life times?

This was an enjoyable read. I loved all of the characters in the book - main and secondary and I loved the storyline. Lindsay and Ren were both likeable as people and their instant attraction was easy to imagine. I loved the storyline with Mrs Stokely which made me feel warm and gushy! I also liked the tenderness between the generations. The only downside would be that the ending felt a bit rushed - I really, really liked the ending but felt I would have liked a bit more time spent on it.

A great read that I didn’t want to put down

I had mixed feelings about this book.

Waiting for you features Lindsay, a portrait artist, once teenaged mother of a now teenaged daughter and a woman who believes she has had a past life and love with a woman named Roo.

Ren is a lawyer visiting her best friend Deb for a couple of weeks before she takes a job in Paris. Both women are single, beautiful and attracted to each other even though Lindsay faints at the sight of Ren.

I read a short story by Spencer in the Hot Ice anthology and really enjoyed it. Loved the witty banter which reminded me of a Brayden read. Waiting for you is filled to the brim with witty banter. I was beginning to think the old curmudgeon in me couldn’t deal with all the cutesy conversations and nicknames until Lindsay and Ren shared some hot scenes together and I had hopes for a terrific romance with a sweet secondary storyline.

I wasn’t crazy about the way the two mains handled the inevitable conflict. Say one thing, doing the opposite didn’t help. The two seemed oceans apart. The rushed ending was unfortunate.

3.5 Stars

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

It’s not my favorite book of Elle’s but let’s be honest... Casting Lacey would be a hard book for anyone to follow. But I enjoyed this one. It was hilarious in a lot of sections and I was laughing my butt off! The story was great, the writing was great and I really liked both MC’s. Actually, I liked this book way more than I originally thought! Buy it!