Monday, 9 May 2011

What Is Romantic Suspense

Kindle Romances

Romantic suspense is a relatively new concept. It is a fusion of genres. It extracts elements of romance, suspense, and perhaps mystery, in such a manner that a new genre is born.

Because of the way elements are combined, the genre often appeals to both men and women. It is perhaps a reflection of the way that real life unfolds - most people crave a romantic relationship in their lives, even if their life is enveloped in mystery. In general romantic suspense stories are not 'sweetie-pie', in fact some are quite 'dark'.

Characters’ romantic interactions are still central to the stories, but stories frequently have more depth than conventional romance. For a start, storylines spiral around some unfathomable mystery or suspense. Relationships between characters often provokes concern and anxiety in readers.

Additionally, subplots and sub-characters are regularly weaved into stories. Conventional romances  rarely support subplots - in fact, for conventional romances, publishing houses such as Harlequin Mill & Boon actively dissuade writers from using subplots or extra characters.

The genre can perhaps be thought of as suspense, with an intense love interest.

There is no fool-proof method of discerning whether a book can be considered a romantic suspense, although a racy and gripping opening that makes for a good page-turner, is a sign that it's a romantic suspense novel.

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