The Waiting Room by Alysha Kaye

Mar 11, 2016 Orlanda Machado rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, contemporary, romance, books-i-own, stand-alones, my-paperbacks, read-in-2016, free-from-publishers-or-authors

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* The author of this book sent me this paperback copy in exchange for an honest review, so don’t expect less than that, I will always give my honest opinion, like it or not *

This book was really intriguing and interesting, I don’t know what I was expecing from ...more

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Jul 21, 2014 Chris rated it really liked it

Let's not pretend you're getting anything like an unbiased review from me here. Alysha is a former student, and--in the most flattering moment of my life--the freaking book is dedicated to me.

Yeah.

I know.

A quick perusal of the book's summary will show you that this is not a book I would usually pick up. Jude and Nina are happily married when Jude dies and slides into the titular Waiting Room. Here, "souls" wait (usually briefly) until they are "placed" into a next life. Jude breaks the mold by Let's not pretend you're getting anything like an unbiased review from me here. Alysha is a former student, and--in the most flattering moment of my life--the freaking book is dedicated to me.

Yeah.

I know.

A quick perusal of the book's summary will show you that this is not a book I would usually pick up. Jude and Nina are happily married when Jude dies and slides into the titular Waiting Room. Here, "souls" wait (usually briefly) until they are "placed" into a next life. Jude breaks the mold by waiting 52 years before his name is called. He waits for Nina, to the fury of all the other "waiters" who are unceremoniously called through the doorway and into another life with no hope of seeing their loved ones again. Then Judd and Nina begin cycling through lives, finding each other each time without knowing that they are looking for each other. (Note: It is only in the Waiting Room that you have full memory of all of your lives. So each life is business as usual, and they snap back into the broader consciousness only when they die and return to the Waiting Room). Upon death, one waits for the other, and they exit the Waiting Room together to walk through the door into another life together.

So here's what works best here. Alysha offers few direct answers to the many questions the reader has about how the Waiting Room works, about who created it, about who shapes policy. Like life, the afterlife is riddled with unanswerable questions. It's a clever dodge and a difficult one to maintain, but Alysha avoids the biggest question (Is there a God of any kind?) in ways that feel authentic and never cheap.

She also never explains why Jude and Nina are special here. Why do they get to wait for each other when everyone else cycles through in a matter of hours, loveless and alone? What makes these two special? The book refuses to answer for either the reader or the characters. A cheaper book would offer some pat answer about their love being the greatest love of all time and thus deserving of blahblahblah, but not even the characters believe this. They feel blessed without ever knowing who or what conferred the blessing, always wondering of they are instead just some lucky glitch in the system. This book milks the mysteries and leaves us as we began, full of unanswered and unanswerable questions.

The structure works nicely too. Alysha's good at the "meet cute", and as Jude and Nina live new lives and find one another all over again, the book gets another chance to imagine that epiphanic love moment, that holyhellthisistheone flash. (Epiphanic Love Moment is the title the smooth jazz solo debut I'll be working on after I master soprano sax and develop an alter ego and grow a soul patch, btw).

There are some nits to pick here for sure, but it's a novel that can stand up to scrutiny. Maybe the best thing I can say for it is that--about a third of the way in--I stopped reading like a teacher or a mentor or a friend or theluckysumbitchtowhomitwasdedicated and became instead my usual reader self. I became what I think most people reading this will become, a person dying to see what comes next.

...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Alysha Kaye rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Yes, it's my own novel:) But hey, my reader-self is allowed to give my writer-self 5 stars, right?!

Hope you check out more here:
www.alyshakaye.com
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlysha...
@alyshakaye7
http://alyshakaye.wordpress.com/ ...more

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Jul 29, 2019 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: wordpress-finds

"We'd always promised that when our wrinkles sagged across the surface of every one of our limbs, we'd find a way to say sayonara to the world together. (But) I was too early. I left her—her worst fear."

How far will you go for love? For Jude Flynn, he'll wait forever for the love of his life Nina to join him... even if it means the waiting he'll be doing is on the other side.

This was an interesting love story, one that grabbed me from the moment I read the description. It's about fate, love, r ...more

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Jul 04, 2014 Renee rated it really liked it

A great debut I really enjoyed it. The past/present chapters got me a tad off my tearing through it read that I usually do. When the book opens it is so emotionally gripping. Nina is being watched by Jude. He is deceased and in the "waiting room". It breaks my heart how someone asks him what he is going to do because he has been watching her for five hours. I felt the sorrow! They were married a while did their thing, traveled and now were thinking about children, the dream has been crushed. I w ...more

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Oct 12, 2016 Margarida rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2016, landa-s-books

What happens when we die? Alysha Kaye gives a nice perspective of what may happen. When two people love each other so much, they really have to wait one for the other. I enjoyed the story, it was nice, living various lives, and seeing the Waiting Room change throughout the story.
I recommend it ****

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Jun 28, 2014 Seikaiha rated it really liked it

I got this book as an advanced readers copy from the author in return for an honest review.

It's my second time to review a soon-to-be-published book through reading it as an Advanced Reader Copy. I came across the author, Alysha Kaye's blog and found she was offering a copy of her debut novel "The Waiting Room" for a review. Yeah, I was kind of greedy for a free book, I admit. But, I can honestly say I got so interested in her "Waiting Room" concept.

As a lifelong day-dreamer and a night-dreamer ...more

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Feb 13, 2015 Sissy Johnson rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, books-of-2015, fiction

"The Waiting Room" by Alyssa Kaye

I first found out about this book by following the author on Twitter. Since I am always looking for new authors, I was excited to read Ms. Kaye's book.

This book introduces us to Jude and Nina. After Jude dies, he enters "The Waiting Room." This room is suppose to be a temporary place until you "placed" into your next life. However, almost immediately, Jude realizes his stay is different. Instead of being called shortly after arriving, Jude spends day after day ju ...more

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Jul 02, 2015 Book Wyvern rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Many thanks to the author Alysha Kaye for providing a copy for an honest review.

This book…I don’t know what I expected but, this wasn’t it. I did not want to put it down and if I didn’t have to work, I might not have, although I still finished it in one day.

Right off the bat, I’m pulled in, the emotions are running high and I’m curious to see what happened.

So different from any book I’ve ever read, applaud the author for keeping the reader so engrossed in the book and keeping them anxious to tur ...more

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Jun 28, 2014 Reading Bifrost rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance

www.readingbifrost.com

“I watched Nina slowly begin to smile again. I’ve never wanted something so much and hated myself for wanting it even more. But I wanted her to join me. I was lonely and trapped.”

Jude and Nina aren’t the perfect couple, but when they fell they fell fast and hard; until an accident cut their time together short. Now Jude can only watch Nina from a window in The Waiting Room as she lives out the rest of her life without him, and he waits for his name to be called for his se ...more

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Aug 29, 2014 Claire rated it liked it

Shelves: author-publisher, tweet-your-books

Summary of The Waiting Room:
Jude and Nina are the epitome of that whole raw, unflinching love thing that most people are jealous of. That is, until Jude dies and wakes up in The Waiting Room, surrounded by other souls who are all waiting to pass over into their next life. But unlike those souls, Jude’s name is never called by the mysterious “receptionist”. He waits, watching Nina out of giant windows. He’s waiting for her. What is this place? How long will he wait? And what will happen when and ...more

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Dec 17, 2014 J.D. Brewer rated it it was amazing

I have to admit, this type of novel is not normally my thing, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I really enjoy how Alysha Kaye writes because she has a mighty talent for description. She's has the gift of writing the extraordinary ordinary. I did find myself wishing she could draw out the stories a bit farther. There were many characters whose lives flashed before our eyes, but on the flip side, that could be the whole point of the novel. We want more time with characters just like we want more t ...more

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Jul 29, 2014 Sarena Nanua rated it really liked it

4.5* full review to come!

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May 04, 2019 Peyton Hammond rated it it was amazing

I am not usually a fan of romance but this is definitely the exception. I am absolutely in love with this book. I have already read it 3 times. There was so many parts where I cried and I'm not ashamed to admit that.

There are so many things to love with this book.

One is the love between Jude and Nina. I love them because as they point out many times, they didn't have a perfect relationship but somehow they were allowed to go into each life with each other. Their love always seemed to be cut shor ...more

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Apr 03, 2015 Renee Bell rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Everyone who likes romance and the thought of what happens after death.

Recommended to Renee by: Alysha Kaye

How I had discovered this story is very direct. The author, Alysha Kaye had found my blog and suggested it to me. I was very thrilled by this, as this was my first contact with any kind of published author ever. So, I checked it out like any reader would and I am very happy to say that I really enjoyed it. After reading it, Alysha Kaye was also nice enough to allow me to interview her!

Now for the actual review and why I think this story should be put on your "to read" list!

I'm not a romantic p How I had discovered this story is very direct. The author, Alysha Kaye had found my blog and suggested it to me. I was very thrilled by this, as this was my first contact with any kind of published author ever. So, I checked it out like any reader would and I am very happy to say that I really enjoyed it. After reading it, Alysha Kaye was also nice enough to allow me to interview her!

Now for the actual review and why I think this story should be put on your "to read" list!

I'm not a romantic person. Romance stories and I do not play nice together. It's never been a genre that I've been into. Though, romance writers I envy. I find it impossible to write a good, loveable couple, muchless base a whole book on this relationship between them. Saying this, I had my doubts and was really hoping it would be good enough to have my attention. And it did!

THE WAITING ROOM isn't like most romance stories that you'll find. Jude and Nina's love for each other is a main part of the story but not entirely. They have bigger things to deal with, like the Waiting Room. Most stories don't start off after the main character dies either.

The opening is good. It's not boring or flat. Jude dies pretty soon and we're introduced to the Waiting Room quickly. It's like any other Waiting Room you've been in, like a doctor's office.

It's a unique look on life after death. Names are called and souls come and go. Some even have been there more than once. Most visitors leave after a few minutes but Jude is stuck there much longer. He spends his time watching Nina carry out her life and trying to get information out of Ruth who works in the Room. He comes off kind of childish at first while talking to Ruth and being driven to boredom convinced a few people that he was Satan. . .

Before his death Jude and Nina were happy and trying to have a baby together. After fifty-three years Nina died and they found each other again. During these years Jude became friends with some of the workers there in the room, like Joe.

Recarnation, religion, and racism are topics that the story addresses well. Nina has been many different types of people and races in her life so she gets to experience what it's like to be in other people's shoes. Jude on the other hand doesn't change a whole lot.

That is one thing, the couple is Nina and Jude but throughout the book you will meet other couples with different names that are them too. Don't expect a long chapter or more about Nina and Jude's life before death, expect chapters and chapters of who they became after death. It's really fascinating to keep up with the characters and what they are like and compare them all.

Ruth was a character that I really liked and was curious about. But she was very reclusive and we don't learn a whole lot about her unfortunately. But I am very happy with one statement that is said towards the ending of the book about her. Be careful and catch it, it'll make you smile.

Humor is evident. Jude and Nina both have a sense of humor. My favorite part of that was when a certain kind of restaurant could be named 'Bananas'. There's also a section in the story that is in poetry format that gives us something fresh for our eyes. There's also a interesting quote that stood out from the others for me: "Everyone thinks they'll have the answers after they die, but apparently you just get more questions," (Kaye, THE WAITING ROOM, 4).

The book also reminds you that not everything is forever. Everything as a expiration date. But there is things you can do to make it last longer or find something new out of it. All in all, this was a great book and I look forward to seeing more from Alysha Kaye.
...more

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Jun 30, 2014 Rhea Dsouza rated it liked it · review of another edition

I dove head-first into The Waiting Room knowing nothing about the concept that it’d been written into. Of course, I’d read the blurb and seen the cover BUT the concept itself is so fresh, that I’ve never read it before.

And now after finishing it, I can honestly say that Alysha Kaye’s debut is a pleasant surprise.

The entire point of humans believing in the after-life is to give them hope that this is not the end. That there is something beyond the lives we live on the earth. And Miss Kaye explore ...more

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Nov 03, 2015 Miriam rated it really liked it

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆ Crosspost: mytokyoblues.wordpress.com

The author of The Waiting Room, Alysha Kaye, reached out to me on twitter and asked me to check out her book. It’s the first time an author has reached out to me and I was beyond excited to read her book! ʕ•̀ω•́ʔ✧

Now this book has different points of view, it could get confusing at times. The main characters are Jude and Nina, a couple who are very much in love until Jude dies from a car accident. I really like the premise of ☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆ Crosspost: mytokyoblues.wordpress.com

The author of The Waiting Room, Alysha Kaye, reached out to me on twitter and asked me to check out her book. It’s the first time an author has reached out to me and I was beyond excited to read her book! ʕ•̀ω•́ʔ✧

Now this book has different points of view, it could get confusing at times. The main characters are Jude and Nina, a couple who are very much in love until Jude dies from a car accident. I really like the premise of the book. I really liked how people get reincarnated every time they die instead of being sent to heaven or hell. Jude and Nina are a special case. Jude can’t go on to his next life without Nina, those two are inseparable. I did get a tad emotional because Jude had to wait so long for Nina in the waiting room. He waited fifty two years and stayed loyal to her even though she remarried and had kids with her husband David, now that’s love. ʕ•̫͡•ʔ❣ʕ-̼͡-ʔ

I loved Jude’s friendships with the workers of the waiting room, especially Ruth and Joe. I really liked how Ruth took several decades for her to warm up to Jude. They had like a mother-son relationship. She became a important person to him. I also liked how much she changed throughout the book. I was happy for her when she finally got to experience a new life since she has been working for the waiting room longer than all the other employees combined. ( ິ•ᆺ⃘• )ິฅ✧

Because of Jude and Nina, the waiting room changed completely because of their love story and actions. The waiting room was bleak and boring, but over time it changed for the better. People were encouraged to share their stories of their past lives. It became a place of recovery. The changes made to the waiting room were positive because people became far more excited to change and be the best person they could be for their next life. Nina was far more fulfilled in the waiting room than her actual life because she was able to all sorts of people. She felt completed by her project.

Jude and Nina are always meant to be with each other, no matter the situation. They are soul mates after all. I really liked reading about their different lives they had. Each one was unique in their own way. Though, their journey was not always perfect, Jude and Nina always managed to find each other. What I liked is that Jude and Nina have faults, they felt realistic to me. I liked how they were able to resolve their differences. There is only one made location in the book, and that is the waiting room. Sadly, this book was too short for me! I would have loved it if it were longer. The last chapter feels a bit rushed compared to the previous chapter. Also, the book starts off with Jude already in the waiting room. I would have loved it if the author did build up their romance before the tragic event. Despite everything else, I found this book to be very enjoyable. ʕง•ᴥ•ʔง ...more

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Jul 01, 2014 Sydney Bollinger rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-read-2014

I received an advanced copy of The Waiting Room from the author in return for an honest review.

Jude and Nina are the epitome of that whole raw, unflinching love thing that most people are jealous of. That is, until Jude dies and wakes up in The Waiting Room, surrounded by other souls who are all waiting to pass over into their next life. But unlike those souls, Jude’s name is never called by the mysterious “receptionist”. He waits, watching Nina out of giant windows. He’s waiting for her. What i I received an advanced copy of The Waiting Room from the author in return for an honest review.

Jude and Nina are the epitome of that whole raw, unflinching love thing that most people are jealous of. That is, until Jude dies and wakes up in The Waiting Room, surrounded by other souls who are all waiting to pass over into their next life. But unlike those souls, Jude’s name is never called by the mysterious “receptionist”. He waits, watching Nina out of giant windows. He’s waiting for her. What is this place? How long will he wait? And what will happen when and if Nina does join him? The Waiting Room is a story of not just love, but of faith, predestination, and philosophy, friendship and self-actualization, of waiting.

I have to honestly say, I loved it! I read almost the entire book last night (with the exception of 30 pages) and I couldn't put it down. I was racing through the pages to find out what would happen to our beloved Jude and Nina, a couple who fell fast and hard for each other. Their love isn't perfect and that's what I like most about it. It's realistic and raw when so many love stories today aren't. Characters each have a distinct personality, with their own particular vocabulary and mannerisms. It was hard to believe this is her first novel!

The concept of a Waiting Room for reincarnation was so fresh. I have never read anything like it (and I have read plenty of novels with the idea of reincarnation at their core). I enjoyed meeting so many of the characters that passed through there as Jude realizes he is an anomaly to the whole waiting room situation, since everyone else gets their named called and he is just left there to wait. People hate him for it, but he is destined to wait on his beloved Nina, a woman who we watches get remarried and have children with her new husband.

I did not expect to hear all the stories of the reincarnated Jude and Nina finding each other in each lifetime, but I was so glad that was how Kaye told her story of the soulmates. I loved the multiple stories of Jude and Nina's lives and how each time they came back to the Waiting Room, they were Jude and Nina again, the most whole versions of themselves. No matter how many lives they go through they always are waiting on each other. SO BEAUTIFUL! Kaye exposes how strong true love between two people really is.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone. To me, it wasn't chick lit. It's not one those stories that make your heart melt. It's gritty, down-to-earth, and definitely funny. A great debut! ...more

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Jul 04, 2014 Beverley rated it liked it

Shelves: novels

The Waiting Room by Alysha Kaye.

The Waiting Room is the place we go to between lives and before we are reincarnated in quick succession. However when Jude dies in an accident when he is only 30 it is as if he has arrived in the waiting room to soon. No one, not even the people in charge understand why he is still there and does not move on, but for him he is waiting for his forever love Nina. Although it is a little confusing as the time frame swaps about from 3 years to 10 years to 52 years, i The Waiting Room by Alysha Kaye.

The Waiting Room is the place we go to between lives and before we are reincarnated in quick succession. However when Jude dies in an accident when he is only 30 it is as if he has arrived in the waiting room to soon. No one, not even the people in charge understand why he is still there and does not move on, but for him he is waiting for his forever love Nina. Although it is a little confusing as the time frame swaps about from 3 years to 10 years to 52 years, it appears he waits for Nina for 52 years, but doesn't age in that time. They spend some times together in the waiting room before moving on to further lives together.

I am not an author, but i am a reader and this book has some problems, which at first i couldn't work out what they were, but it appears that this book is self-published and there is nothing wrong with that, but all good books need an agent and a editor and many re-writes (i believe) before the finished article is ready for the public to read.

I think the problems are these; the book changes narratives from first person to third person from one character to another and then back and forth, which becomes difficult to follow and little confusing. There are so many different new lives that we never really get to know any of them and they become faceless. Even when Jude and Nina experienced new lives we are not with them long enough to work out if they are together or separate, which is what the characters wanted to know - would they know each other in the new life? No idea why her characters had to swear, it is a gentle book with gentle characters and everyone may swear occasionally when they stub their toe or something,these characters didn't need it. Neither did they need a sex scene in the break room.

I think i probably saw Ruth in my mind far clearer than any other character. And i loved the way the waiting room developed a character of its own. I loved chapter 2; it felt like the beginning, but then nothing, but i did read it all. The book needed more words, more depth of individual lives and maybe less changes and an end would have been good. I loved the idea of the waiting room, but i would have liked to have seen a little more of God. I think the kind of people that read a book like this are looking for God or wanting to know that God is taking care of things and their loved ones.

Alysha should find herself an agent and an editor and keep writing because the ideas are good, she needs to push them outwards. ...more

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Feb 04, 2015 Lindsay Boitnott rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, contemporary

I tend to approach romance books like a 10 year old boy: Love!? YUCK! It's stupid really because I need love stories as a sub-plot to my murder mysteries, survival thrillers, and superhero stories. My husband pointed out that I really do not have any so called 'girlie' tastes when it comes to books, TV shows, and movies. Whatever, superheroes are awesome! But I deviate... I rarely read romance books, but reading new stuff is part of why I started Sand Between the Pages. February is the month of I tend to approach romance books like a 10 year old boy: Love!? YUCK! It's stupid really because I need love stories as a sub-plot to my murder mysteries, survival thrillers, and superhero stories. My husband pointed out that I really do not have any so called 'girlie' tastes when it comes to books, TV shows, and movies. Whatever, superheroes are awesome! But I deviate... I rarely read romance books, but reading new stuff is part of why I started Sand Between the Pages. February is the month of love, so I picked up Alysha's The Waiting Room. Imagine my surprise when I couldn't put it down!

Jude and Nina are happily in love with plans to spend the rest of their lives together. But Jude dies and finds himself standing in the Waiting Room. He is surrounded by dead people waiting to be reborn in to a new life, but Jude doesn't want to go without Nina. So, he waits and what follows is a tale of real love, faith, different lives, and how one life can make a difference.

I just want to hug Alysha Kaye, because The Waiting Room is such a unique and interesting story! The pages are filled with the intense love shared by Jude and Nina, but the story remains real as Jude and Nina are far from perfect. There are fights, tears, and overwhelming happiness expressed by Alysha's focus on the small details of life. I enjoyed the writing format, but no details on that because I don't want to spoil it for you! Alysha pushes us to contemplate the afterlife, faith, and our own world without attempting to provide us with all the answers. The evolution of the room, Ruth, Nina, and Jude provide a surprising sense of hope even in death.

I quickly connected with Jude and Ruth, the manager of the waiting room, but it was harder to emphasize with Nina. This is due, in part, to her limited appearance in the beginning of the book. I eventually grew to like Nina and appreciate her role in the Waiting Room, but Ruth is still my favorite character. Also, the ending left me a tad frustrated. The extra stories before the end reveal dragged on longer than I would have liked. I wanted to hurry up and get there! I also expected a tad bit more detail when I did turn the last page. Don't get me wrong, the end is great, but I was left craving more.

The Waiting Room was an interesting and inspiring read. I look forward to more novels by Ms. Kaye. Kudos to you Alysha for getting me excited about a romance novel!

Lindsay

Check out more reviews at https://sandbetweenthepages.wordpress... ...more

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Jun 30, 2014 Tara rated it really liked it

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review! See the full review here: http://taraolivero.wordpress.com/2014...

The tone is comedic and entertaining, although the novel has some serious issues at its heart. Throughout the book, Jude and Nina struggle with how to maintain their relationship and have faith that they’ll always be able to find each other again, even though they have no idea what makes them so special that they are allowed to wait for each other in the Waiting R I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review! See the full review here: http://taraolivero.wordpress.com/2014...

The tone is comedic and entertaining, although the novel has some serious issues at its heart. Throughout the book, Jude and Nina struggle with how to maintain their relationship and have faith that they’ll always be able to find each other again, even though they have no idea what makes them so special that they are allowed to wait for each other in the Waiting Room before every round of reincarnation. It should be a heart-wrenching story by all accounts, and at times it is, but the lightness of the tone and the comedic interludes help create a fine balance.

I liked how, when they were reincarnated, they could end up not only wherever but whenever. I liked how not everyone went through that particular waiting room – it would make sense, in a world where every deceased individual passes through the waiting area, that they wouldn’t all fit in one. I liked how suddenly characters I grow to love were ripped from the story – which really nailed the point that life is short and time is precious. I liked how the tone, throughout, was casual – like the characters narrating were sitting next to me and telling me their story.

One thing I found awkward was the change in perspectives. At first, the book is only told from Jude’s perspective, but after a while, it switches to third person briefly. Later, it shifts to be mostly from Nina’s perspective, though occasionally it jumps back to Jude’s. I can understand why certain characters needed to be the primary perspective for certain parts of the book, but it was slightly off-putting until I got used to it. I think the other thing that could have been improved upon was that I wanted more showing and less telling. Some parts of the novel were very dialogue-heavy or very exposition-heavy. Kaye’s story is deftly woven and her imagery is vivid and imaginative, and I wanted more of that.

I think my final comment is that The Waiting Room built characters that I cared about. I cared about not only Jude and Nina but supporting characters as well. I even cared about the Waiting Room itself and was glad to see how it changed and grew throughout the book. Fantasy lovers, romance lovers, lovers of a thoughtful story – all of these readers will enjoy The Waiting Room. I wish the book success and I hope to read more by Alysha Kaye in the future.
...more

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Oct 11, 2014 E. Hart rated it really liked it

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can read the full review here: Full review of The Waiting Room at EmptySinkPublishing.com.

I’m not a fan of anything that idealizes love or romance. Stories about people who “just can’t live without each other” and “get lost in each other’s eyes” are all bullshit to me—there’s nothing real about them. For me to enjoy a romance novel, it has to be unique and it has to be real. I have to feel like the characters could actually exi I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can read the full review here: Full review of The Waiting Room at EmptySinkPublishing.com.

I’m not a fan of anything that idealizes love or romance. Stories about people who “just can’t live without each other” and “get lost in each other’s eyes” are all bullshit to me—there’s nothing real about them. For me to enjoy a romance novel, it has to be unique and it has to be real. I have to feel like the characters could actually exist in the real world. They have to fight. They have to doubt their love occasionally. They have to act like people actually act.

At first, I thought The Waiting Room, by Alysha Kaye, was going to be a story about idealistic, unrealistic love. However, much like Audrey Niffeneger’s modern classic, The Time Traveler’s Wife, it had a decent twist on the traditional love story, so I kept reading. After following the main characters, Jude and Nina, through time, the universe, and a relationship spanning centuries, I’m glad I did. There’s good stuff here: Kaye takes us on an adventure that reminds us that love can be hard, love can be lonely, and love can be heartbreaking—and that’s what makes it totally worth it.

Technically, the book is pretty solid. I noted very few true typos during my read. There were a few grammatical issues and, overall, I think the book could have used one more line edit. It’s billed as a novel, but is really more of a novella and clocks in at just under 50K words. But that’s the perfect size for the story it is telling. I think some people might be put off by the ending, which comes on quick and doesn’t wrap things up in a nice, neat bow. But I loved the open-ended nature of it and thought it was perfect for the story—and in a way, it was very comforting. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.

As someone who isn’t typically a fan of romantic fiction, I’m glad Ms. Kaye reached out to me for this review. She hit on something unique with this story, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. In the meantime, pick this up if you’re looking for an interesting twist on the traditional romance story—and one that hits the spark of reality that so few do these days.

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Nov 02, 2014 Sarah1983 rated it it was amazing

The Waiting Room isn’t the sort of thing I’d normally read. In fact I’d probably have just skimmed by on Amazon without even stopping to see what it was about if it hadn’t been for a comment on my blog from the author. It’s a bit of an odd one really, definitely not your normal romance type book. And definitely not cheesy like I was thinking early on. It starts off with Jude in a waiting room, dead, watching Nina, who isn’t dead, through a window. Nobody knows why he doesn’t move on like everyon The Waiting Room isn’t the sort of thing I’d normally read. In fact I’d probably have just skimmed by on Amazon without even stopping to see what it was about if it hadn’t been for a comment on my blog from the author. It’s a bit of an odd one really, definitely not your normal romance type book. And definitely not cheesy like I was thinking early on. It starts off with Jude in a waiting room, dead, watching Nina, who isn’t dead, through a window. Nobody knows why he doesn’t move on like everyone else, it’s never happened before.

I loved this book, it was so different to anything else I’ve ever read. I found it a nice easy read and read it in a couple of hours. The characters were fascinating, especially those who worked in The Waiting Room, I would have liked to have learned more about some of them. I thought the concept of the room was really good but I’d also have liked to learn more about what the room actually was, why is it there? Who pays the employees? How is it decided who moves on and when and where? Why Jude and Nina? So many questions that weren’t answered! But then again I’m not sure the book would have been as good if the questions it left me with were answered. I think it’s the unanswered questions, the not knowing, that make it what it is. The point of view shifts from Jude to Nina and back again many times but is done in such a way that it’s not confusing, it’s made perfectly clear where they are and whose head we’re inside.

Jude and Nina are just your average couple. There’s nothing special at all about them as far as anyone can tell. They’re not bad people, they’re not saints, they haven’t done amazing things. They’re just your average, normal couple. With this apparently undying love for each other. I loved both of them. I loved hearing about their visits to the waiting room and I loved hearing about their lives outside of it. The ways they met, the lives they lived together, their thoughts while waiting for each other. This is a fairly short book by my standards, I lean more towards the usually epic tomes of the fantasy genre normally, but extremely enjoyable. It’s funny in places, sweet in places, sad in places, just an overall good read. And while religion is mentioned in the book there is no feeling of religion being forced down your throat in any way.
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Nov 05, 2014 Creatyvebooks rated it really liked it

Original posted on Creatyvebooks at http://creatyvebooks.com/

What would you do for love? How far are you willing to go—to be with your one true love?
Are you willing to…..wait?

That’s the whole premise of The Waiting Room by Alysha Kaye. A thought provoking and poignant novel about love, lost and longing. Meet Jude and Nina—the personification of what love is and should be. Strong. Unbreakable. Standing the test of time. Even through death.

Jude is quite suddenly taken away from his beloved wife an Original posted on Creatyvebooks at http://creatyvebooks.com/

What would you do for love? How far are you willing to go—to be with your one true love?
Are you willing to…..wait?

That’s the whole premise of The Waiting Room by Alysha Kaye. A thought provoking and poignant novel about love, lost and longing. Meet Jude and Nina—the personification of what love is and should be. Strong. Unbreakable. Standing the test of time. Even through death.

Jude is quite suddenly taken away from his beloved wife and soul mate Nina at a young age. Instead of going to heaven, he is stuck in the Waiting Room. A room when souls go to be reborn in a sense. Reincarnation comes to mind. But here’s the kicker; Jude is an anomaly. His name his not called from the list and the people who work in the Waiting Room don’t understand why. So Jude watches and waits for Nina. 52 years he waits just to be reunited with his love. And it’s the most beautiful thing that I have ever read. Who wouldn’t want someone like Jude in their life? Showing that much love and devotion just to be reunited with you over and over again.

Through the entire book you witness this phenomenon happening. No matter what, Jude and Nina always come together in the many lives that they share. It’s like their souls are attracted to each other. They are never complete until they finally meet.
Did The Waiting Room have some problems? Yes it did. One being that Nina lived a whole 52 years without ever thinking about Jude the same way Jude was thinking about her. Watching as her life moved on without him in it. The second is that I wanted to know more about Nina and Jude life before the accident. There was only about 25% dedicated to their first cycle as lovers before it moves on to the different stories of their unbreakable bond and love. I wanted to see why these two were so special. What made their love that special that they were always able to find one another in each new cycle of reincarnation?

Other than that is was a lovely story. A great read at 196 pages. Alysha Kaye did an excellent job of portraying love and its meaning. I will definitely be reading more work from Alysha Kaye and so should you. Christmas is almost here. The Waiting Room would make a wonderful gift for the book lover in your family. ...more

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Dec 28, 2014 Vanessa rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 'The Waiting Room' by Alysha Kaye begins in a pretty unique way... with the death of one of its main characters, Jude. After a sudden death during the prime of his life, Jude is sent to a place referred to as the waiting room, where people go and wait for a brief time before being sent to live a new life. However, Jude never moves on. Instead he waits and watches the love of his life, Nina, move on with her own life. Then suddenly after over 50 years of waiting, Nina arrives and the two embark o 'The Waiting Room' by Alysha Kaye begins in a pretty unique way... with the death of one of its main characters, Jude. After a sudden death during the prime of his life, Jude is sent to a place referred to as the waiting room, where people go and wait for a brief time before being sent to live a new life. However, Jude never moves on. Instead he waits and watches the love of his life, Nina, move on with her own life. Then suddenly after over 50 years of waiting, Nina arrives and the two embark on a new life together.

I don't want to give too much more away, so that you can experience this incredible and beautiful story on your own! 'The Waiting Room' is a quick, and enthralling read, that I absolutely recommend you dive into. Not only are the two main characters, Jude and Nina extremely interesting and relatable, but the cast of characters the two meet in the waiting room are also equally interesting, and people who I found myself wanting to know more about (especially, in my case, the character of Ruth).

I loved the idea of getting to travel through many lives with the same two characters, finding themselves in various bodies and situations. It was extremely interesting (and fun) to see how these two characters shinned through in their different lives together! It's also important to note that you, as the reader, get to see how living each life, and how each visit to the waiting room grows and progresses both Jude and Nina as people, and how what they learn shapes their next lives.

Not only are the cast of characters, and their stories interesting to read, but what I really loved about 'The Waiting Room' was that it made you think and question your beliefs. It makes you wonder what really happens when someone dies, and if there is a chance that you get to live another life, does everything you do in one life effect another? And how strong is be power of love? What can it do? Can it find its way through times and space?

Although I'm usually a YA reader, I found 'The Waiting Room' a breath of fresh air! It was a deep, beautiful, and inspiring story about life, death, and love. It was a great debut novel, and definitely a must read!

Full disclosure: I've interacted with the author of 'The Waiting Room' on Twitter, but this did not effect my review or enjoyment of the book. ...more

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Sep 15, 2015 Lucy rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When I finished this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. Not in a bad way, more of a ‘don’t normally read this genre of book’ way.

The main characters are Nina and Jude. Their relationship was a big strength of this book, mostly because I can see them being in love, it’s more showing rather than telling especially as the book carries on. The way they talk to each other and the way they think about each other, it makes it so obvious. My favourite parts of their relationship are Jude not When I finished this book, I wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. Not in a bad way, more of a ‘don’t normally read this genre of book’ way.

The main characters are Nina and Jude. Their relationship was a big strength of this book, mostly because I can see them being in love, it’s more showing rather than telling especially as the book carries on. The way they talk to each other and the way they think about each other, it makes it so obvious. My favourite parts of their relationship are Jude not being jealous of David marrying Nina after he died (the jealousy trope is very overdone and I loved how it wasn’t employed here), when Nina was describing Jude’s smile and when Jude made Nina jump with a kiss when she was trying to meditate. All of these are sweet little moments that you didn’t think you would get in a book where one of the main protagonists is dead to start off with and is just waiting for the other protagonist to die.

The actual plot of the book was really interesting, I hadn’t heard about the idea of death or reincarnation like that and I love the idea. That being said, the end paragraph had me wanting to bang my head against the wall. Where is Jude? Is it a new waiting room or has he actually gone to heaven? I can understand why the author did not expand on it. She manages to write about the afterlife that doesn’t confirm or deny the existence of any particular God while not leaving me too annoyed (although a little frustrated).

I did like how the book kept emphasising that there was nothing special about Jude and Nina’s love, after all people had been in love for millenia but with Nina starting the additions that sparked a movement of sorts, it was implied that this was the reason they had been chosen. Or at least, that’s how I read it. And then the waiting room got pushed out so maybe I’m wrong.

One thing that I don’t know whether I liked or not was the style of writing. It was very colloquial and sometimes it felt like the characters were talking directly to me to make sure I understood and I’m not sure I like that.

Overall, I did like it, I probably won’t read it again but I would recommend it. So four stars it is. ...more

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Sep 21, 2014 Julia rated it it was amazing

I found out about this book after Alysha followed my blog. I was instantly taken by the fact the book is written in first person. I have a thing for first person narration. Especially when the story takes on the 2 or more character viewpoints.

The Waiting Room is the story of Nina and Jude, two married people who are madly in love, living an average life together. Steady jobs. Steady dreams to do something beyond the mundane, everyday thing. One morning, they leave for work, and Jude passes away ...more

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Nov 06, 2014 Malorey rated it it was amazing

The Waiting Room was my first request from an author to read and review, so naturally it’s going to hold a special place in my heart forever (this would have been whether I loved it or hated it). When I read the summary on Amazon for this book, I honestly didn’t think I was going to like it. It just didn’t give you enough. …Then I read the story. The summary is pretty accurate, and I think, that after reading this book, I understand why it couldn’t give more away; it would be giving the whole s The Waiting Room was my first request from an author to read and review, so naturally it’s going to hold a special place in my heart forever (this would have been whether I loved it or hated it). When I read the summary on Amazon for this book, I honestly didn’t think I was going to like it. It just didn’t give you enough. …Then I read the story. The summary is pretty accurate, and I think, that after reading this book, I understand why it couldn’t give more away; it would be giving the whole story away. This isn’t just some ordinary love story (not to be a GIANT cliché or anything), it is about so much more than just love, and it is about one and one hundred love stories, all at the same time.

This book, to me, is definitely a 4.5. This was unlike anything I have ever read before (there could be more in this kind of genre, but I haven’t read them yet). I don’t think I would have picked it out were it not for being asked to read it. I am so glad I was asked to read it. The stories within the story are beautiful. There was not one instance where I didn’t like what they were doing or who the characters were. This book was uplifting (and I usually hate that overly optimistic stuff), but not in a way that made you want to vomit sparkles, and rainbows, and the sound of children’s laughter. It makes the idea of death not so scary, which is something I think most people fear. I’m not trying to start a discussion on what happens after you die, or to say anyone is right or wrong, but this book made me want to believe in something a little bit more than I had imagined. The writing in this book was very well done. The dialogue was all very well done, believable, and interesting. Some stuff was funny, and I was glad for the comic relief, it was placed appropriately and that really matters in a book like this. The only part I didn’t like, but at the same time loved, was the ending. It left you hanging in a way you could appreciate.
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Mar 07, 2015 Gary Jones rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Alysha Kaye has written one of the best story's that I have come across. It is about love, relationships and the afterlife. The two main characters are well written you can not help but fall in love with them and the same can be said for the supporting cast, even Ruth the sour mysterious receptionist becomes a person you want to know more about, her character is extremely well written and by the end of the story you will miss her as much as you will miss Jude and Nina. The main setting for The W ...more

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Jul 08, 2014 Joe Frazier rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance

The Waiting Room - Wrestling with loss, love and live and a time in-between

The Waiting Room is a delightful novel in which the author conducts a thought experiment played out in the lives of a couple. Think of the book as a story (and various sub-stories) around a bunch of "what ifs," kind of like what if you were stuck on a deserted island, which three books would you take [I'm thinking "How to build a boat in three easy steps", "Swiss Family Robinson", and the Bible, because I want to read a l ...more

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