Waiting For Wentworth

Waiting On Wednesday (722) A Breath of Life (Shadowy Solutions #4) by Nicky James

A Breath of Life
(Shadowy Solutions #4)
by Nicky James

Expected Publication: September 18, 2025

Genre: MM, Romance

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings
that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
(WoW was previously hosted by Breaking The Spine.)

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
On a balmy September evening, Tallus and Diem discover a man who has been attacked in an alley. Saving his life seems like the right thing to do. With his dying breath, the man thrusts an item upon the couple and makes one request. Get rid of it.

The mysterious object proves to be valuable, and Tallus doesn’t want to part with it.

Keeping it makes Diem uncomfortable in a way he can’t explain. Tempers flare, but before they can come to an agreement, everything unravels. The item is more dangerous than either of them realized.

Lies and secrets threaten to tear the couple apart as Diem is drawn into something dark and menacing. Keeping his hotheaded boyfriend safe proves to be almost impossible, but Diem’s been given a task, and he will not fail.

If he does, he will lose everything.

4 books into this series and I'm still not sure that I like this couple. Their behavior towards each other just isn't romantic. I never got over how Diem treated Tallus in the first book, and without an apology Tallus overlooks being used and kicked out repeatedly just because he 'likes' Diem. So now Tallus forces his way into Diem's cases, and Diem reluctantly puts up with it. That's not romance, and it makes for an uncomfortable read. I keep hoping the writing will get better and this couple will be amazing. (This series is from the same author who simultaneously wrote another series that was actually ROMANTIC and swoony and all the things. So maybe I'm just disappointed that it's not up to my standards.)

What are you waiting on this week?

We Met Like This
by Kasie West

Expected Publication: September 16, 2025

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Margot Hart is a hopeless romantic. That’s why she wants to be a literary agent—to help bring romance books to the world. It’s also why she hates dating apps with all her romance loving soul. She wants her own love story to be just as much fun as the books she reads—a mixed up coffee order, a mistaken identity. She’s not going to tell the story that she swiped right on future husband’s shirtless pic for the rest of her life.

The problem is that her most consistent relationship over the last several years is with Oliver, a guy she keeps rematching with on the apps. They’ve only been on one date and it was a disaster…well, until the make out session in the car before parting ways. But, she keeps reminding herself, a make out session does not a relationship make. And so there will not be a date two regardless of how witty their app banter is.

When Margot gets fired from her job on the same day she meets Oliver again, her life becomes a veritable shit show. Her dream career is dying right before her eyes, and Oliver thinks she’s interested in only one thing: a repeat of the hot make out session they had three years ago so she can get him out of her system. And maybe that is all she wants from him, because she and Oliver are definitely not compatible—he doesn’t hit the snooze button, he runs five miles every morning, he reads nonfiction, and worst of all, she didn’t meet him in cute way! But in her scramble to keep her dream career alive, by opening her own agency, Oliver is there with his golden retriever energy, more steady and helpful than any man she’s ever dated. Just when she thinks she’s overcome her app bias, she realizes that maybe it’s not her who’s holding back, but him. And his reasons are more than she bargained for.

Kasie West was an automatic read for me way, WAY back in my YA contemporary reading days. The only reason this hit my radar is because it's her adult rom-com debut. So, we'll see.

What are you waiting on this week?

The Haunting of William Thorn
by Ben Alderson

Expected Publication: September 9, 2025

Genre: MM, Gothic, Horror, Paranormal, Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
William Thorn had his life all planned out… until he discovered his long-term boyfriend Archie in bed with another man. Distraught, William kicks him out of their home, where tragedy strikes when Archie is killed instantly in a car accident.

Riddled with guilt, William is shocked to learn that he’s inherited a manor in the quaint village of Stonewall, left to him in Archie’s will. He leaves the city with plans to make a new start for himself, but is surprised by the rundown state of the manor, and the unwelcoming villagers who want him gone. His only ally is Edward, a seemingly friendly local with secrets of his own...

However, it’s not only the villagers who are adverse to his presence. A malevolent spirit roams the manor, one that seeks to drive William out for good. But when he uncovers the heartbreaking tale of two men in love in the 1920’s, William strives to find peace for the spirit, ending the haunting once and for all.

But what dark secrets lie hidden in the manor walls? And will William be able to put aside his own grief to save his new home...and his life?

New to me author, and I don't remember how this got on my tbr. Obviously added it after seeing it somewhere, along with the genres of Queer, Gothic, Horror, Paranormal, Romance. I'm seeing mixed reviews on Goodreads, so I'm hoping I don't regret reading this!

What are you waiting on this week?

Hot Chicken
(Sunday Brothers #6)
by May Archer

Expected Publication: September 9, 2025

Genre: MM, Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Once upon a time, in the town of Little Pippin Hollow, Vermont, Hawk Sunday spotted a silly ceramic rooster on a crowded table at the Annual Craft and Rummage Sale… and a whole flock of hot Sunday summer shenanigans ensued!

Hot Chicken is a collection of five steamy, interconnected stories where we catch up with each of our Sunday couples (Knox and Gage, Webb and Luke, Porter and Theo, Hawk and Jack, and Uncle Drew and Marco!) as they navigate the gloriously messy realities of their own happily-ever-afters.

Get ready to swoon as big questions are finally asked, sigh as tiny (baby) secrets are revealed, and snort-laugh at the ridiculous lengths these men will go to for love. Because when it comes to the Sunday Brothers, there’s no such thing as too much chaos, too much passion, too much romance…

Or too much Hot Chicken.

This is one of those books that is so easy to add to my tbr. I read the whole series, so of course I'm interested in a follow up for each couple.

What are you waiting on this week?

Rescuing Dr. Marian
(Made Marian Legacy #1)
by Lucy Lennox

Expected Publication: August 19, 2025

Genre: MM, Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
As sheriff, I’m the guy people call for help. But when my solo Hawaii trip gets hijacked by my clingy ex, suddenly I’m the one who needs saving. My unlikely rescuer? A gorgeous stranger who plants one breathtaking, reckless kiss on me in the middle of a crowded bar—sending my ex packing… and stealing my carefully guarded heart.

Tommy Marian kissed me like he knew me. Like he wanted me. Like I was his. Like he was mine. But he’s not.

He’s a straight, ambitious city doctor—here in paradise for his own damn wedding. And I’m going home alone, as usual.

Six months later, I land a dream search and rescue gig in Legacy, Montana. One summer. A break from my coupled-up friends. Zero distractions. Except guess who’s freshly single… and bunking in my tiny cabin? The biggest distraction of my life. Tommy Marian is still beautiful, still infuriating, and still everything I can’t want.

When Tommy disappears on the mountain, I realize I’d burn the world to get him back… And maybe this time, I won’t let him go.

I did NOT read the original Made Marian series, but I DID read the spin off series, so I am at least familiar with these characters. For the most part, I enjoy reading this author, so I have this book on my tbr and I'll see if it's interesting enough to continue this new series.

What are you waiting on this week?

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy
by Roan Parrish

Expected Publication: September 9, 2025

Genre: Cozy MM Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Jamie Wendon-Dale creates haunted houses for a living. Haunting is their life—but nobody working New Orleans' spooky circuit actually believes in ghosts.

Edgar Lovejoy is 100% haunted. No, really. Ghosts have tormented him since childhood and he's organized his life around attempts to avoid them.

Opposites? Get ready to attract. But while Jamie's biggest concern is that Edgar sometimes seems a bit distracted, Edgar's fears are much greater. Not only is he scared of encountering the dearly departed whenever he leaves the house, but he's terrified of making himself vulnerable to Jamie.

After all, how do you tell someone who believes ghosts only exist as smoke and mirrors that you see them everywhere you go? And how can you trust in a happy future when you can't even believe in yourself?

Obviously, I'm reading this one for the ghosties! I have read a few books by this author and enjoyed them, although her books aren't automatic reads to me. Her themes are a little all over the place, so some books I'm really not interested in. This one is listed as a 'cozy' romance, which is fine with me because I don't always need bedroom scenes in my romances.

What are you waiting on this week?

The Question of Us
(Fisher & Church #2)
by Jay Hogan

Expected Publication: September 4, 2025

Genre: MM, Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The nightmare is over. Or so I keep telling myself. Bruised and battered, we'd narrowly escaped with our lives. I should be grateful. Grateful that my captors are in custody. Grateful that the chilling, roller-coaster of events, actually brought Nick and I closer. Grateful that we’ve finally taken a step toward something more than friendship. And I am, grateful.

But life isn’t simple. Relationships need work. And peace of mind is elusive in the face of unbearable guilt.

Because I’m the one who unravelled the puzzle. The one responsible for sending a young man back to a life he thought he’d escaped forever. Until I know he’s safe; until I’ve done everything I can to fix what happened, there will be no pretending I’ve done my bit. No leaving it up to the authorities. I can’t forget and move on. Not in my job. Not in my life. And certainly not in my fledgling romance with Nick Fisher who stormed into my heart with a truckload of his own issues.

The fate of a young man isn't the only thing at stake. The quest for truth will push us to our limits. And the biggest question of all—do Nick and I have what it takes to survive the answers.

You know what? I liked the angst in the first book. Nick's husband was killed and Madigan came along and helped him find out who did it (and why.) I loved all the emotional upheavals between these 2 and I appreciated the slow (read that as SLOOOOOOOOOOW) burn so much. Both men are in their 50's, so I can totally relate! I can't wait for the rest of the mystery to play out, and I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops.

What are you waiting on this week?

The Unlikely Spare
(Unlikely Dilemmas #3)
by Jax Calder

Expected Publication: August 22, 2025

Genre: MM, Romance

This is my favorite day of the week because I love sharing and discovering new books.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Nicholas:

I’m the spare, the younger brother of the Prince of Wales. Ever since I was propelled up the order of succession, it feels like a microscope has been applied to every aspect of my life.

After a recent security scandal, I’ve been assigned a new bodyguard. A hulking, brooding guy who won’t take his eyes off me. He’s the first person I’ve met who is completely immune to my charm.

When I’m sent on a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand, it should be a standard visit to friendly Commonwealth countries—a chance to escape the British winter and bask in some Southern Hemisphere sunshine.

It would be enjoyable…if only someone wasn’t trying to kill me.

Eoin:

I’ve clawed my way from the slums of Ireland to become one of Scotland Yard’s top undercover agents. But a deep security breach leads me to unexpectedly playing pretend bodyguard to a privileged prince on a tour Down Under.

Something about Nicholas gets under my skin, affecting me in ways no one ever has.

Still, I’m a professional. I can handle this.

But as we navigate koala cuddling sessions, didgeridoo lessons, and deadly spiders in hotel rooms, I see beneath Nicholas’s princely façade. I’m supposed to uncover who’s behind the threat to our nation, not fall for the man I’m protecting.

This author is still cashing in on the success of Red, White & Royal Blue. (It has to end sometime because there are only so many British 'royals' IRL.) I'm interested in seeing how this book turns out. Hopefully it's the last of the royals and the author goes back to her light, fun romances that I enjoy reading.

What are you waiting on this week?

Pages

Waiting On Wednesday (722) A Breath of Life (Shadowy Solutions #4) by Nicky James

Waiting On Wednesday (721) We Met Like This by Kasie West

Waiting On Wednesday (720)The Haunting of William Thorn by Ben Alderson

Waiting On Wednesday (719) Hot Chicken (Sunday Brothers #6) by May Archer

Waiting On Wednesday (718) Rescuing Dr. Marian (Made Marian Legacy #1) by Lucy Lennox

Waiting On Wednesday (717) The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish

Waiting On Wednesday (716) The Question of Us (Fisher & Church #2) by Jay Hogan

Waiting On Wednesday (715) The Unlikely Spare (Unlikely Dilemmas #3) by Jax Calder