"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at
Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
A Darker Shore: Letters from Ketterdam by Leigh Bardugo, Illustrated by E.K. Belsher
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:From #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a new Grishaverse short story: a mystery told through found documents and set after the events of Crooked Kingdom.
In the years since the violent upheaval caused by the auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, the merchants of Ketterdam have been under attack. Secret businesses exposed. Ships sunk. Slavers hunted as they once hunted their victims. All the work of a mysterious sea captain and her ship, the Wraith.
Now, two investigators meet to uncover the truth behind the latest disaster: a massacre on an island off the shores of Ketterdam. Among the evidence collected is private correspondence between notorious crime boss Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor aboard the Wraith known only as “I.”
Follow along with the lead investigator as he tries to piece together how such a disaster transpired, and explore the Grishaverse like never before with new illustrations by E.K. Belsher and in-world collectible items.
Moss'd in Space by Rebecca Thorne
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Thorne delights in a brand new cozy science-fiction series...for fans of Martha Wells and Olivia Waite! Features original inside art!
Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia’s assessment, it was not “a meteoric sign of stupidity.” Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now… but it’s Torian’s ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex… ah, captain… said.
Except Torian’s first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of “stealing” the ship.
It’s entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity.
Thornbird by E. Kennedy
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:
The highly anticipated thriller about a serial killer's daughter and her race to solve the crimes of her family's twisted past before it's too late, from New York Times bestselling author E. Kennedy.
The world is hunting for answers—but what if the truth leads straight to you?
Ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, Ryan Shipley is back in Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low. No one can know who she really is. No one can know the truth about her past.
But as fresh eyes dig deeper into the case, old secrets refuse to stay buried. Cryptic texts, eerie coincidences, and a chilling note leave everyone wondering—does Ryan know more than she’s letting on? As the truth unravels, one thing becomes in a town full of secrets, Ryan might be the biggest mystery of them all.
Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Jeneva Rose—get ready for a thriller packed with twists you won’t see coming.
When Dealing With Dragons by Dana Swift
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:Bonding with dragons gave humans magic to craft metal―now, two school rivals have to work together to protect a priceless secret, all while fighting their growing attraction to each other, from Dana Swift, author of Cast in Firelight.
Copper-crafter Farren Walsh is set on following in her father's footsteps to become a dragon veterinarian. The only thing more powerful than her love for these magnificent creatures is her hate for those who exploit them for their precious metal. That includes her classmate, an arrogant dragon racer named James Murphy, whose silver-crafting family represents the worst of human greed and dragon abuse―plus, he's the biggest competition for the college scholarship she desperately needs.
When James strongarms his way into interning at her family's dragon sanctuary for the summer, it puts everything at risk. Farren isn't just the plain copper-crafter she seems. She's hiding a secret that could not only change her life, but their society as a whole. And James, trying to find refuge from his controlling father, harbors his own secret, years-long crush on Farren. Hating James might be harder than she thought, but Farren can't risk getting too close: the fate of an endangered species is at stake.
When Dealing with Dragons is a delightful young adult dual-POV romantasy about cross-class romance, finding family, and creating a better world for creatures big and small.
The River She Became by Emily Varga
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:A high stakes, action-packed romantasy from bestselling author Emily Varga where a relic-hunter searches for an ancient fae object to restore the magic to her world, but must learn to trust her own powers—and her heart.
This limited luxe edition features gorgeous foil design on the cover and case, a dazzling edge and interior page design and an exclusive map—available while supplies last!
I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.
Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.
Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.
With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.
To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.
Beware the Abbott Boys by Chelsea Ichaso
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:Three brothers. Two deaths. One girl, caught in the middle.
The Abbott boys, fraternal triplets Henry, Bram, and Adam, live in a mansion on the outskirts of Silver Creek. For decades, their family's been at odds with the town, long before Mariana Flores died in a fiery accident on the Abbott property last year . The police ruled out foul play, but ask anyone in Silver Creek about it and they'll say one of the Abbott boys killed her. They just don't know which one.
But Hayden, the girl who lives next door to the Abbotts, swears they're innocent. After all, Henry's her best friend—maybe he could be more. She's been worried about Adam ever since he was injured in the accident that killed Mariana. As for Bram, he's a little complicated, but he and Mariana had been in love.
When the new school year brings a new victim—a popular girl, found dead in the woods—the hunt for a monster begins anew. The security camera footage doesn't show the face of the boy she was last seen with, but from his hoodie he could be any one of the Abbott brothers.
To clear their names, Hayden starts investigating the new death, but the deeper she digs, the more uncertain she becomes. Is one of the Abbott brothers a killer? Or could they all be monsters? And what will the boys do to protect themselves and the truth?No One Knows You're Here by Rachel Howzell Hall
Expected Publication: June 30th, 2026
From Goodreads:A reporter’s obsession with an elusive serial killer gets personal in a terrifying novel of suspense by the New York Times bestselling author of the Anthony Award–nominated These Toxic Things.
For crime reporter Syeeda McKay, obsession is part of the job—and no story has ever consumed her like that of the Phantom Slayer. This serial killer has targeted sex workers in South Los Angeles for nearly twenty years. She named him. She’s tracked him. And only she can bring justice to these victims the city has ignored.
The a minister’s daughter—a far cry from the usual pattern and impossible to ignore. Overnight, the case explodes, and so does Sy’s life. Someone’s watching her. Following her. Anticipating her every move. And then come the emails from someone claiming to be the Slayer himself, offering details only the killer could know. She’s made him famous—and this is the Slayer’s way of saying thank you.
But he’s not done.
As her investigation gets closer to exposing the truth, Sy realizes that she’s more connected to the Slayer than she knew—and that he’s been waiting for her all along.
Revised This edition of No One Knows You're Here includes editorial revisions.
The end of June has some pretty fantastic books coming out, I'm so excited for all of them! What about you guys? Happy reading!
