"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at
Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:British Intelligence Agent Verity Kent managed to survive four years of The Great War, slipping in and out of German-occupied Belgium and northeastern France, dodging serious consequences or capture. But as she faces her most dangerous—and devastating—challenge yet, her luck may have run out. Hopefully, her resilience has not . . .
November 1920. Dublin, Ireland. Verity’s efforts to foil a contemptible plot by the traitorous Lord Ardmore and save countless lives—as well as the British government’s reputation—has exposed her to detrimental scrutiny, bringing her contact with the Irish rebels to light. Crushingly, she finds herself incarcerated in Dublin Castle, the “Dread Bastille,” where she must withstand interrogation from her own countrymen.
Despite her circumstances, Verity knows better than to talk—though decrying Ardmore to his face would be more than satisfying. For once again he has escaped culpability, scapegoating his associates. Her only hope is intervention from her shadowy superior. And yet, when rescue finally comes, Verity finds herself changed by what she has endured, perhaps for the worst.
Still, there’s no time for respite or healing. Ardmore’s latest nefarious objectives go beyond mere treason. Allegiances are shifting as the war between the Irish Republican Army and the British reaches a new fever pitch. If Ardmore is to be brought down, Verity and her husband, Sidney, must gather all the allies they can for one last stand.
But just when victory seems assured, one shocking and vicious turn of events changes everything. Now Verity must decide where her loyalty lies. And it may not be on the same side as the man she’s loved to the grave and back.
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages…
But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, in desperation, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down.
This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who’s been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel, and is angry as hell about it. He hates the curse that put him there, and he wants to hate Edmund, just as he has hated every wielder before him.
But the damned scholar is just so sweet and clever and kind. And while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.
You Know Why by J.T. Ellison
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a suspenseful domestic thriller about identity, revenge, and the dangerous secrets kept hidden from the ones we love most.
It’s the holidays, and photographer Brooklyn Locke is bound for Italy with her husband, Trey, and their two children. But when Trey vanishes from the airport, missing their connecting flight, their impromptu vacation—and life as she knows it—begins to unravel.
Desperate to find her husband, Brooklyn accepts help from a stranger on the same flight, Eden Barrow. But Eden soon makes a shocking claim. She is the sister of Trey’s first wife, and ten years ago he was the main suspect in her murder.
Struggling to comprehend these accusations, fate delivers one more a violent accident that leaves Brooklyn fighting for her life. With nowhere else to turn, Brooklyn leans on Eden for support. But each kindness feels too rehearsed, feeding her doubts about Eden’s motives and Trey’s true past.
Brooklyn has her own dark history she’d rather forget and confronts an unsettling possibility. Her life is not what it seems, and the truth is a trap—laid by someone waiting for the perfect time to strike.
Monster, Monarch, Maiden by Rae Carson
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:A sweeping stand-alone fantasy from award-winning and bestselling master of the genre, Rae Carson. After she loses everything, Bria will do whatever it takes to survive—even pledge herself to a secretive young man on a perilous quest. Breathtaking adventure and swoon-worthy romance for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Ava Reid, and Rebecca Ross.
Bria Angarsold isn’t supposed to be a hero. She’s just a mountain girl. A mountain girl with a near useless Gift, living an idyllic life with her sister and her parents, running the family’s thriving inn. But then the raiders come, and Bria’s family is destroyed.
One of the last survivors of the raid, Bria isn’t sure she’ll live to see where the captors are taking her. Until the caravan crosses paths with a mysterious traveler and Bria’s luck changes again.
With no family or home to return to, Bria swears her life to this moody, secretive young man. Titus has been chosen to complete a perilous quest—one that will make Bria question everything she’s ever believed, from the magic that weaves through their world to the very gods themselves. As the journey unfolds, Bria realizes she has something—someone—new to believe in. She’d follow Titus to the Edge of the World, sworn oath or not, even if neither of them stands a chance at returning from it.
But Bria Angarsold is a survivor. She isn’t useless, and neither is her Gift. And this is her story.
Shadow and Bone meets Divine Rivals for an exhilarating journey and a slow-burn romance from the author of the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns.
Once Swindled by Laura Sebastian
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:From New York Times bestselling author Laura Sebastian comes a swoony, second-chance romance set in a magical Gilded Age world, where a con artist targets her biggest mark yet—and unexpectedly reunites with the one who first stole her heart.
The Ryskamp family fortune is in trouble. And Arden’s gift for invisibility can’t stave off his creditors…or the shame of catastrophic courtships. His only recourse is to marry a highborn Luster girl of his great-aunt’s choosing. But when Arden goes to meet her, another woman catches his the copper-haired beauty who ran away with his heart. And engagement ring.
Newly betrothed to yet another wealthy bachelor, Mavis has gone by many names—Arabella then, Delphinia now. Unlike the Lusters, however, Mavis lacks magical abilities, relying instead on her charms and her cons to get by. But no amount of money can repay her debts. And no amount of distance could prepare her for a reunion with her first mark.
Thrown together by fate, Arden and Mavis put aside their past to pull one last con that could save them both. The only price may be falling in love again. This time, for real.
The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls by Jessica Spotswood
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:THE HARROW HOME FOR WAYWARD GIRLS has long stood as a place of secrets. The estate has housed hundreds of young women hidden away during their pregnancies, their homesick cries echoing through the halls, providing a haunting score to Grace Harrow’s childhood.
Now, in the summer of 1947, the Home has been sold to a wealthy hotelier. Grace expects the new owner's daughters to be spoiled. Yet Rose, the eldest daughter―unaware of Mr. Harrow's abusive tendencies―is jealous of Grace's seemingly easy confidence. But as they’re drawn into each other's lives, an unlikely friendship begins to form. Fortunately so, because not all of the wayward girls made it out...
One still lingers. Lurking in the shadows. Looking for vengeance.
To expose the truth buried in the walls of the Harrow Home, Grace and Rose must unravel a legacy of silence and cruelty. But Grace’s father will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden, and if the truth comes to light, it could destroy both their families.
Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana
Expected Publication: August 25th, 2026
From Goodreads:She's a woman bound by fate, torn between two prophecies.
He's the Prince of the underworld, fated to either claim her or end her life.
Defying destiny is one thing…the heart, another.
Magic has always been at the periphery of Audra’s life. As a human, she knows that magic exists, but it's as distant as the legends she grew up with. Until one day, magic returns, bringing with it the all too real Fae and upending Audra’s life entirely.
Abducted by a cult of fae Priestesses, Audra finds herself conscripted into a magical war academy. The only hope of surviving this new world filled with guilds, magic, and danger is to band together with a group of her fellow prisoners. Though unlike the others, Audra's burgeoning magic is erratic and violent—just as the prophecy foretold. She must discover what it means to be the Heir, but time is running out. The Priestesses know the Heir moves among them, and they're determined to root them out, no matter what it takes.
As she struggles to mask her power, Audra’s plagued by visions of a dark, seductive being with a conflicting truth. He doesn’t want to save the world; he plans to reclaim it.
Now, Audra must choose: become the savior the cult demands or the catalyst the vision promises.
August is wrapping up with another bang, I'm looking forward to all of these books, I'm so excited for all of them!
