Waiting For Wentworth

Waiting On Wednesday (760) Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

Expected Publication: June 16, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance, Fantasy

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:
Hope is a dangerous thing for gods. Even former ones.

Hayden Harlow, once the mighty Hades, has spent centuries quietly resenting his fall from immortality. Stripped of his godhood by the allegedly irreversible Immortal Retirement Act, he now runs Harlow and Sons Funeral Home—a front for his eternal sentencing among mortals, and a bleak reminder of the purpose he’s lost. Still, he’s determined to claw his way back…if only the Fates at City Hall would stop toying with him.

Enter Levi Wilder: a florist with an artist’s heart, an infectious smile, and a gift for finding beauty in life’s messiest moments. When Hayden storms into Levi’s shop to complain about a bouquet of sunflowers—an offensive choice for a funeral, in his opinion—their worlds collide. Hayden is all restraint and shadows; Levi is all sunshine and charm. But beneath the clash lies an undeniable spark neither can ignore.

As their connection blossoms, Hayden finds himself caught between the life he once knew and the bright future Levi dares him to imagine. But trusting Levi means risking the walls he’s kept in place all these years—and it’s not just his heart on the line. Because in the threads of fate, one choice can change everything.

New to me author, and I don't read straight up 'fantasy', but this book sounds really good to me with the MM and Romance added in. Also, too soon for me to read a funeral home romcom? Maybe.

What are you waiting on this week?

Magpie
by Lucy Lennox

Expected Publication: June 16, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
For as long as I can remember, Kittredge Evers has been my anchor—the powerful CEO who never let me down, the man who called me Magpie and filled my childhood with treasures. My father's best friend. But when one drunken confession shattered our careful boundaries, I learned how dangerous it was to want him.

Ten years later, I’m grown. I’m no longer the sweet kid he swore to protect—I’m a man with desires of my own. And Kit? He’s still the most compelling man I’ve ever known. Stern, gorgeous, untouchable… and the one person I can’t seem to let go.

Every stolen glance and slip of the tongue drags us closer to the line we swore we’d never cross. But once we do? There’s no turning back.

While I've never been a fan of age-gap romance, I usually read all of this author's books, so this went on my tbr automatically. But I reserve the right to change my mind and not read it. I guess it depends on my mood at the time.

What are you waiting on this week?

Cash Hooper Saves a Life
(Goose Run #4)
by Lisa Henry and Sarah Honey

Expected Publication: June 12, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Cash Hooper has built himself a small, safe life in Goose Run. He has housemates he can trust, and his twin brother Chase is his ride or die. He has quiet routines that don’t ask too much of him—he works, and he reads, and he listens to podcasts. There aren’t many things that can make Cash talk to a stranger, but finding an injured animal is one of them.

Mason Ross is struggling. He’s come to Goose Run partly out of familial obligation, and partly for a break from working at a busy city veterinary practice that has him close to burnout. But when a cute guy brings an injured dog to his doorstep in the middle of the night, Mason finds himself drawn to him. The guy, not the dog. Though the dog is also cute.

As Cash and Mason spend time together caring for the stray, Mason finds that there’s more to his quiet midnight visitor than meets the eye, and Cash quickly becomes the sunny spot in his otherwise gray days. Mason can’t deny his attraction to Cash, but he’s also not going to make a move on a guy who flinches every time he’s touched.

Meanwhile, Cash isn’t sure what to do about the pull he’s feeling toward Mason. It’s new, it’s terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure—and Cash has a lifetime of trauma that warns against taking risks.

For there to be anything between them, they’re both going to have to take a leap of faith. Cash has to confront his past, and Mason has to decide his future. Because falling for someone is easy—believing that you deserve them is hard.

This has been a nice series so far, and I've enjoyed reading about the group of friends each finding love. Nothing terribly exciting going on - so, yeah, 'nice' rather than great. I guess they all can't be 5 star reads!

What are you waiting on this week?

The Drop
(Subtle Deceptions #4)
by Elle Keaton

Expected Publication: June 11, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Curiosity might just kill Gabriel Karne after all.

A seemingly innocent peek into a stranger's background, and Gabe is knee-deep in murder. Again.

Roy Wilson, the exceedingly dead Westfort pastor, had more enemies than friends. Was the old man a bad guy turned good? Or was he, as Gabe and Elton suspect, still deeply involved in the illegal underbelly of Twana County?

The unsolved murder of Calvin Perkins nags at Casey Lundin's conscience. The man's killer remains at large, the new sheriff has no suspects, and her plate is overflowing with decades of internal corruption to unravel. So Casey takes on tracking down the killer. Even though Casey didn't care for the guy, not even Calvin Perkins deserved to be executed and dumped into an unmarked grave.

As Gabe and Casey become embroiled in their separate investigations, they start to see common threads between the cases.

A seemingly abandoned parcel of land in the Olympic Forest keeps popping up—Snowcap Estates, where Calvin's remains were found and where Casey was attacked the previous fall. What is the forest hiding, aside from murder victims?

Gabe has yet to meet a rule he hasn't tried to break, and Casey is an admitted stickler for them. But both men will need to bend a bit in order to solve this case.

I'm liking this series more than I thought I would after the first book was a bit iffy for me. I guess the characters have grown on me and I like them more than I did initially. I read a lot of this author's books, and I really enjoy the setting in the far reaches of the Pacific Northwest.

What are you waiting on this week?

The Greening of Thaddeus Grey
by Jay Hogan

Expected Publication: May 22, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The day begins like any other—canoodling with my live-in boyfriend, making weekend plans over breakfast, and arguing about the apartment renovation list. Then my best friend and business partner texts, begging me to ditch Thad so we can meet for a lunchtime quickie in our usual spot.

Small problem: I’m Thad. Oops.

By midday, I’ve lost one ratface boyfriend, my best mate, the company I built from scratch, and the courage to hire a hitman—although I’m not ruling that last one out just yet. The future I had neatly mapped out is now toast. In its place, a laundry list of awkward questions, rumours, and pitying looks.

And so, I do what I do best. I run—my crumbling life fading in the rearview mirror. No plan. No destination. Just a road. Through a forest. In a storm. To a dog. And a shed. And a towering man who smells of pine, rain, and, mercifully, bacon.

There’s dirt under my nails, something growing in my heart, and suddenly I’m breathing again. Breathing and smiling and lying, lying, lying. To the man I’m falling for. To the people I care about. To myself, most of all.

But for every lie, there’s a reckoning. And when the truth catches up, and the heart is truly at stake, there’s no running anymore.

I love reading this author's books. They're really good, but mainly I like that they are set in New Zealand. Which is around the world from me and SO different from the middle of the U.S. I literally want to be where they are.

What are you waiting on this week?

Just This Heart
(Men Of Porth Luck #2)
by Garrett Leigh

Expected Publication: May 13, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
A wounded soldier. A devoted fisherman. A love lost to memory and yet…

Boyhood best friends. Closer than brothers until one night changed everything. And then it was gone. Jack doesn’t remember. Sol can’t forget.

Now they share a life in Porth Luck, holding everything together with silence and sacrifice, while Sol hides heartache and memories in the ocean…and Jack finds it all in his dreams.

Jack’s mind may be broken, but his heart remembers the love it lost. But what if the sea swallows them whole before they get their second chance?

One thing this author is guaranteed to bring is the ANGST!! Every book of hers that I have read so far has been a real emotional journey.

My Dad passed away Saturday night, so now I feel like I'm at loose ends, even though I have a million things to do! I need to read good books right now to keep my mind off of things.

What are you waiting on this week?

International Relations
by Zac Hammett

Expected Publication: May 14, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
The Proposal meets Red White and Royal Blue in this fake dating queer romance, following an aspiring young diplomat who hopes to land his dream job by hiring an actor to play his boyfriend.

Working in the high stakes world of international diplomacy, Max has never had time for a relationship. But when a high-profile ambassadorial position opens up in Athens, Max is discreetly advised that his single status isn't helping his chances. In this line of work, appearances matter, and Max's rival, Quentin, has an advantage in the form of his charming and accomplished girlfriend.

Determined not to lose out, Max hires Hunter, a blunt but charismatic American actor, to play the perfect boyfriend. Hunter dazzles on the diplomatic circuit, but soon the charade takes on a life of its own. When visa complications force Max and Hunter to make their relationship official, they find themselves trapped in a marriage of convenience that is anything but convenient. There's only one thing that could make all this even more complicated - Max and Hunter's feelings for each other start becoming real . . .

This is a new to me author, so I don't know what to expect. I just thought it sounded cute!

It's hard to stay focused on anything that I am reading nowdays. It's all a blur!! Sadly, I have more time on my hands to read now that my Dad is on hospice. He's at the same nursing home that my Mom is at - she's on the memory care side. So lots of sitting bedside and also visiting Mom.

What are you waiting on this week?

All's Fair in Love and Pizza
by Lane Hayes

Expected Publication: May 16, 2026

Genre: MM, Romance

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:
A bake-off between enemies…what could go wrong?

Mateo:

Can you believe this? Haverton’s football hero is opening a bagel shop next to my pizzeria and he’s selling—wait for it—pizza bagels. The nerve!

And this guy isn’t above using his fame to attract clients. It’s annoying and yes, I’m feeling a little crusty about the situation. My temper has gotten me into a few binds, but a pizza bagel war? This is a first.

I’m gonna crush him.

Rob:

After years of playing in the pros, I’m beat. All I want is to open a bagel shop in the town that gave me a shot at the big time. I’d love some peace and quiet too, however, I won’t be getting that with Mateo Cavaretti next door.

Geez, I can’t believe I had a crush on that guy in college. Sure, he’s still incredibly good-looking, but he’s a grouch. And while I like my business partner’s idea to settle our dispute with a classic bake-off, Mateo and I can’t be in the same room without fireworks going off.

Is all truly fair in love and pizza…and bagels?

Short, sweet, and light reading is about all I can handle right now. (I think attempting to read anything angsty would really bring me down!) I do like reading this author, so I hope I like this.

What are you waiting on this week?