These novels are romance-focused stories with a suspense element. Powerful romances are at the heart of each story, and the additional elements of excitement, adventure and suspense play out between complex characters.

Harlequin Romantic Suspense Key Elements

• Harlequin Romantic Suspense novels are fueled more by the romance than the suspense.
• Big, sweeping romances amid dangerous and suspenseful settings.
• Word count of 70,000 means a wider breadth of story and potential for subplots that speak to the conflicts.
• Strong, compelling romance drives the stories but is matched by dramatic and layered plots.
• We are always on the lookout for LGBTQIA+ romantic suspense. All gender and identity pairings are welcome!
• Classic themes include revenge, characters in jeopardy, family, Westerns, military and law enforcement, but we're excited to receive twists on these as well as entirely new themes. Vivid conflicts are essential.
• A range of sensuality from high to low, as well as romantic and sexual tension.
• Emotional payoff fits with the larger-than-life stories.
• Paranormal "adjacent" elements are welcome, so long as they don't push the story into Paranormal or Fantasy. We're interested in stories about psychics, ghost hunting, or Gothic suspense.

Featured in Harlequin Romantic Suspense

Relatable main characters falling in love under extraordinary circumstances. Harlequin Romantic Suspense concentrates on the developing love story more than the suspense. Each character should be a force to contend with—complex, strong and smart.

What to Submit

• Your full manuscript
• A 3-5 page synopsis describing your story, including plot outline, character development and conflict resolution/ending.

Harlequin Romantic Suspense is…

Criminal Minds, The White Lotus, Yellowstone, 9-1-1, Broadchurch, Lupin, Blue Bloods, The Terminal List, or modern-day Rear Window or Charade for their solid levels of story, three-dimensional characters and varying levels of suspense with strong romantic themes, witty dialogue and lives and hearts on the line.

Did You Know?

• There are 4 new Harlequin Romantic Suspense books available each month.
• Follow the Harlequin Romantic Suspense editors on Twitter --  @PatienceBloom, @EditrixEmma and @megbrod12

Read what we're publishing.

Senior Editor: Patience Bloom (she/her)

Associate Editor: Emma Cole (she/her)

Assistant Editor: Megan Broderick (she/her)

Editorial Assistant: Katherine Rushby (she/her)

Editorial Office: NY, NY