I’ve realized that I tend to gravitate toward M/M romances that are genuinely romantic, but still have something else going on besides the romance itself. Alexis Hall’s London Calling trilogy and the Material World spin-off series are probably some of my favorites. The stories are funny, the writing is light and easy to get into, and the romance feels sweet without becoming overly sentimental or cheesy. Another favorite is Adib Khorram’s Love in the Vine series. I’ve read the first two books so far, and I really love how deeply romantic they are while still giving us characters with different personalities, motivations, and baggage. That complexity makes the relationships feel much more interesting. I’m definitely looking forward to the third book. For something a little more lighthearted, there’s Alison Cochrun’s The Charm Offensive, about a dating-show coordinator who falls for the “prince” he’s supposed to help find a perfect match on reality TV. It’s funny, a little predictable, and definitely plays with some familiar rom-com tropes - but honestly, that’s part of the charm. Sometimes you just want something entertaining and romantic. 😂 Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville takes things in a much darker direction: an assassin falls in love with his target. It’s more serious and intense, but somehow the premise turns into a surprisingly beautiful and very romantic love story. Eric J. Brown’s All That’s Left in the World and The Only Light Left Burning are two books that really stayed with me. They follow two young men who meet by chance and travel together looking for somewhere safe after the apocalypse. What touched me most was that their love doesn’t happen all at once. It develops gradually as they realize that this is the person who keeps showing up, someone they can rely on, and someone who stays beside them through whatever life throws at them. That kind of love feels especially meaningful to me. Right now, I’m reading Tal Bauer’s The Fall, about a hockey player who suffers an accident during a game and wakes up with no memory of the previous twelve months, only to discover that the life he finds himself living is basically the complete opposite of the one he remembers. I’m still reading it, so no verdict yet—but the premise definitely hooked me.

I know some of you know about my partner that I've been with for 5years, that's been incarcerated for 3 of those 5 years. Well he gets released and I go pick him up next Wednesday at midnight (technically Thursday). I have a lot of good feelings, scared feelings, insecure feelings, and the only thing I keep reminding myself of are 4 points. 1. Clear boundaries 2. Proactive listening 3. Open communication 4. Meet him where he is. So send positive thoughts, prayers etc..our way please and thank y'all in advance

Okay here we go. Let us know what your sign is and how it does or doesn’t make a difference for you. Or maybe you just think that star signs are a bunch of crap? I’ll start: I’m a Cancer through and through. I wear my heart on my sleeve, cry to every episode of Shrinking, put everyone else’s needs before my own, and if you push me into a corner, I’ll cut you 🦀♋️🙈

I'm hoping I can get some opinions on meeting other people in the wild. I struggle with making new friends and I need to be better about being out there, which is part of the reason why I joined this group. My biggest fear is (cliché) getting hurt again. I've been honest about myself in the past and it has lost me a lot of really close friends, so I learned a lot of people pleasing skills growing up (like many of us do). Now, Indiana is not queer friendly at all. The closest place i have to go to is a small club in Bloomington (~1hr away) or make the 2ish hour drive to Indianapolis. I don't do well in clubs or packed rooms. I've tried joining classes and going to parks. I'm at a loss and feel like it's something I'm doing or not doing. Any ideas or suggestions? (Also thought it might be nice in case other people need some ideas too 🙂)

I’m feeling a little more emotionally vulnerable than usual. I lost my parents during months of July about five years apart (Mom just last year). Anyone gone through something similar?