I just had the insanely jarring realization that honeymoons are a thing and I completely forgot about them when I set my username. I’ve always used “ golden moon” something as gaming usernames and just thought honey moon was a cute variation 🫠

This made me start wondering if I was similarly misreading anyone else’s usernames and what some of them meant. So while I think of a new username, I wanted to ask everyone what’s the story behind your username? 👀

Edit: The rebrand has been done 😌

I was attempting to get the Sourcebooks Summer of Swoon limited time badge but I doubt I'm going to be able to get through more than two of those books based on their content & what folks I follow have written as reviews for them. It seems like they are all quite heteronormative & don't cover the breadth of what relationships/partnerships can be & I don't have the time or energy to read books I simply do not enjoy.

That being said, I am sure there are romance books out there that I would like. So - I would love some romance recommendations since it's a genre I have very little experience with (particularly contemporary romance).

Some books I have very much enjoyed that are either romance books or have romance within the scope of the plot are (in no particular order): Paladin's Grace & Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan This is How You Lose the Time War by Aman El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone Circe by Madeline Miller Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See (Meiling & Lady Tan's platonic love throughout this book gave me life)

I also loved the short story The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow & plan to read The Everlasting which is the expanded novel of that short story.

I'm definitely looking for recommendations that focus on the contemporary romance genre because I really have no idea where to start there. Most contemporary romances I have read have been just ok (around 3ish stars) or awful. I think I can manage to find some romantasy & sci-fi romance but I wouldn't object to recommendations there either.

High priority to queer representation in all of its forms (including characters on the Ace spectrum). I don't shy away from open door or even explicit spice but I don't need it either. I am perfectly content if a book doesn't have a happy ending & even if the ending is open ended. I am a sucker for the found family, unlikely friendship & wise old mentor tropes. I have no interest on reading a book that sacrifices the quality of the writing or the story they are trying to tell in order to prioritize making the romance work.

I know that I have zero interest in the Fae & Alchemy series by Callie Hart, Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros or ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas. I have either read passages from some of them or have seen reviews from people who have similar taste to me & they are just not books for me.