What's in a name? (+ FREE romcom books 🤭)

Help me name my MMC 🙏

Hello, hello.

First thing’s first, check out the free romcom books here! ➡️ Link

I don’t have much to update you guys on in the way of my personal life this week, so here’s a writing update instead.

I’m about 30% into the revised draft of my WIP. Working my way through Act 2 (for those familiar with story structure, this is the “fun and games” section of the story) and just enjoying all the shenanigans my characters are getting up to.

I have booked a cover designer for March, which is kind of scary considering I haven't even fully committed to a title yet. Eek.

And speaking of not being fully committed, I’m having a problem with naming one of my characters. I love the name Amelia Cross (Milly for short) for my FMC. For my MMC, I currently have Neil Kingston.

How do we feel about the name “Neil” for a male love interest? I like traditional names, and I have personally had two crushes on guys called Neil in the past (I swear this book is not based on either of them! 👀). However, I have not seen this name come up in any romance books lately (or ever?). Is Neil an unsexy name? Please, enlighten me.

I know the trend these days is uncommon or made-up names (Ryle, anyone? 🤮) , but I’m just more of a traditional names kind of gal.

In saying that, I’m also considering the name Niles. Niles Kingston. It has a “posh old man” vibe to it, which does work quite well for my guy. What do we think? Neil, Niles, or something completely different?

For context, this character is a 40 y/o grumpy, rich, British CEO.

-Sara

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Link roundup

Maybe You Need Reading Ideas and Goals, Not Another Challenge or Resolution

Unguilty Pleasures: My Year of Reading Romance Novels [Literary Hub]

What began with an innocent flirtation quickly devolved into a full-blown affair. How was I to know that a $7.99 purchase at LaGuardia Airport would leave my palms damp and my heart changed?

Deep Habits: Read Less, But Better [Simplify & Enjoy]

There are plenty of videos and articles available online and in print about how to read faster. From a practical perspective, yes, learning to read at a certain speed can enable you to get through pages more quickly, but is that the ultimate goal?

Has the productivity culture made us focus on the quantity over quality?

TikTok's Steamy Romance Novel Revival Is Changing How We Think About Sex [Allure]

It's official: #BookTok has finally brought romance books mainstream. Gone are the days of romance readers hiding their smutty, bare chest-covered book jackets in their purses while riding the subway.