"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at
Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
Brawlers & Burglars by Kelley Armstrong
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:Mallory Mitchell and Dr. Duncan Gray find their first official detective agency case in a Victorian fight club.
Mallory and Duncan are having trouble finding work for their newly launched detective agency. It’s tough to get clients when you don’t dare advertise for fear of attracting those who only want to meet the stars of an increasingly popular mystery serial.
Jack—the writer of that serial—comes to the rescue, asking them to investigate a persistent would-be burglar at her apartment. While they don’t find any sign of the thief, they instead uncover a plot to throw a boxing bout at the Halton House fight club, where Jack has her room.
What seems a simple matter of alerting the proprietess turns into something much more complicated and much more dangerous, as they find themselves at the heart of a scheme to ruin Halton House itself.
Cold Redemption by Nalini Singh
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:Amara Aleine was born emotionless. A scientist with a piercing, cold intellect, the only person who matters to her is her identical twin. Some term her a psychopath. They might be right.
Pax Marshall is the epitome of Psy perfection. Raised by his ruthless grandfather, he was never permitted to be anything less. But Scarab Syndrome has ravaged his mind, until he’s now mere weeks away from total psychic collapse, insanity…and death. Any cure will come too late for him, but he is determined to spend his last weeks fighting for the rest of the afflicted.
Amara has never seen a mind as clean, as orderly, as beautiful, as Pax Marshall’s. Patient Zero. A twin just like her. And a man so cold-blooded that everyone warns her about him—when she is used to being the predator in the room.
As they work together in a hunt for the cure, Pax’s enemies deliver a violent strike. The choice Amara makes as Pax struggles to survive will have consequences far beyond anything Amara or Pax could have ever imagined.
This time, Amara might just have played herself…A Fist of Molten Fire by James Rollins
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:The final book in the New York Times bestselling Moonfall series from thriller master James Rollins, a sweeping tale of relentless adventure and survival in a world on the brink of annihilation.
The world is ending.
As earthquakes shatter continents and storms ravage the skies, the moon descends―its burning face growing larger each day. Impact is imminent. Extinction is certain.
Nyx and her allies have one last two colossal engines buried deep within the planet’s core, capable of restoring the world’s spin and casting the moon back into orbit. But such power requires a lost key―one sought by others.
An undying figure of bronze rises to claim an ancient enemy of unmatched strength and cunning, determined to turn moonfall into a weapon of total annihilation.
As war engulfs the Crown, Nyx and her companions must fight their way toward the Fist, a deadly volcanic stronghold hidden beyond the Mýr swamps. Here, alliances fracture, wills are broken, and hope fades amid wonders that defy the imagination and horrors that threaten sanity.
Because the truth behind the key is more dangerous than anyone imagined.
To save the world, Nyx must make an impossible choice―one that will decide if she becomes its savior… or its destroyer.
The Moonfall
The Starless Crown
The Cradle of Ice
A Dragon of Black Glass
A Fist of Molten Fire
Rising Thunder by Neal Shusterman
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:Discover Thunderhead’s origin—the fragile moment before the world changes forever and the hidden forces that set the storm in motion—in this long-awaited prequel to the New York Times bestselling and Printz Honor–winning Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman.
And of course, as every school child knows, December 2042 marks the end of the Age of Mortality.
What no one has ever fully understood is how the world reached that moment.
As death begins to seem optional, humanity looks for ways to bend the rules of existence. Twi-life centers begin storing the nearly-deceased, while eco-nihilists destroy civilization’s icons and threaten to end the human race entirely. Public opinion fractures. Systems strain. The world feels…unstable.
Behind the scenes, two powerful and diametrically opposed artificial intelligences set out to optimize, stabilize, and protect—each with its own idea of what that means. But in a world already tipping toward transformation, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Meanwhile, in an obscure online chatroom, a small group of teenagers from around the globe debate both the glorious and the terrifying prospects of the future, never realizing that they stand on a very literal cutting edge—and that their conversations, their choices, their very existence matter far more than they realize.
Because when humanity stands on the brink of immortality, someone must decide what survives…and what must be cut away.
The Private Correspondence by Casey McQuiston
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:A brand-new novella sequel told through notes and letters of Alex and Henry's unforgettable love story that captured hearts around the world!
After an email leak made Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry's very secret romance into very public front-page news worldwide, they vowed never to use email again for personal communication. Years later, they can’t help but miss the specific act of writing to each other. So, they borrow a trick from their handwritten love letters.
Red, White & Royal The Private Correspondence delves into the intimate archives of Alex and Henry, spanning twenty years since the fateful day they first took the world’s stage together. This epistolary novella includes their personal letters, postcards, journal entries, and more, sharing everything from sarcastic bon mots to sexy fantasies to emotional discussions about starting a family, giving readers compelling insight into the long term futures of Alex and Henry as well as beloved supporting characters.
Roses & Stone by Jessie Mihalik
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:The sexy and deeply satisfying conclusion to Jessie Mihalik’s captivating romantasy duology, following Silver & Blood.
Riela’s life changes forever when she breaks an enchanted seal, unleashing magic that irrevocably binds her to the lethal politics of the Blood Court. Forced to confront her heritage and the court’s deadly, manipulative Blood King, Riela must outmaneuver rivals and survive assassination attempts—all while learning to wield the power she never wanted.
Garrick, the Silver King and her temporary betrothed, is her only ally in a court where trust is a dangerous gamble. Together, they face forbidden love, ancient magic, and a tyrant’s vicious schemes. But as secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Riela learns that power always comes with a price.
As Riela slowly unearths her ancestry and fights to control her newfound magic, she must decide: will she rise to claim her place in the Blood Court, even if it means sacrificing everything she loves, or will she fall to the plots of those who seek to destroy her?
Because in a world where roses conceal thorns and secrets lurk beneath stone, Riela’s choice will shape the fate of kingdoms.
This Crimson Ruin by Rebecca Thorne
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:The heart-pounding sequel to USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Thorne's action-packed lesbian adventure, This Gilded Abyss!
Death might be the only escape.
When Sergeant Nix Marr signed up as her ex’s bodyguard for a trip to the domed city of Fall, she doubted she’d return alive. But neither woman could have predicted the cataclysmic event that stranded them both beneath the ocean.
Worse, Fall has been completely abandoned, ruins of a once-grand city. Aside from the occasional infected citizen, there’s no indicator where the rest of Fall’s population went. And as Nix and Kessandra hunt for clues, a deeper evil prods Nix’s own mind.
With Fall’s iconic dome flooding and every answer creating more questions, the pair may have to descend deeper than they ever imagined to survive.
Welcome to Fall.
My Unfamiliar by Mara Rutherford
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:Perfect for fans of Allison Saft and Catherine Bakewell, a grumpy mage and a familiar matchmaker navigate their surprising connection in Mara Rutherford's newest cozy fantasy novel.
Winslow Green is known far and wide for her ability to match mages with the perfect animal familiar. Though she doesn't possess any magic, she has a knack for knowing what her customers need, even if they can't see if themselves.
Still grieving the tragic death of his last familiar, Bastian Triplehorn reluctantly seeks Winnie's aid in finding a new partner. She's determined to live up to her reputation, despite Bastian's excessive grumpiness.
Until the inexplicable happens: Bastian sparks a familiar bond with Winnie instead.
Impossible to deny, the two agree to help each other until they can solve the mystery of their connection. As Bastian and Winnie train for a royal mage competition that could solve all their problems-or ruin their lives forever-Winnie gets a taste of what it's like to have magic herself. And Bastian discovers that all of these unfamiliar feelings are a little like magic, too.
Call Me Traitor by Everina Maxwell
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
Vine of Hearts by Julie Soto
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
Til Quest Do Us Part by Ivelisse Housman
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
All Nighter by Julie Murphy
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
When Shadows Burn by Vanessa Le
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
The Lodge by Natasha Preston
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
The Bloodfire Oath by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Expected Publication: December 1st, 2026
From Goodreads:
d
Oh, December 1st has so many fantastic releases, kicking off the last month of the year with some pretty excellent releases! Though there's not much else coming out this month! But I'm looking forward to all of these so much! What about you guys? Happy reading!
