What Aspects of a Romantic Suspense Novel Thrill You?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

During Lone Star Literary’s book blog tour for Fatal Strike, I learned a lot about what readers prefer in a romantic suspense novel. The responses can help me weave what reader preferences into my stories.

The following 16 responses interested me, and I wanted to share them with you.

1. Good character development
2. The edge of the seat tension and thrills
3. I especially like it when there’s a huge twist or something I didn’t see coming at the end. However, I always want the book to end with all the questions answered
4. Not knowing what will happen next
5. The ability for two characters to work together and have respect, friendship, and grow in love.
6. Tension
7. The unknown
8. Action and trying to guess the ending
9. The small, sweet exchanges of affection, gazes, and touches between the hero and heroine
10. All of it!
11. Suspense and glory
12. Setting
13. Twists and surprises
14. How the hero and heroine find love while solving a mystery
15. Guessing who is the culprit
16. More suspense than romance

So what aspects of a romantic suspense novel thrill you? Do you have a different answer than the ones given above? Let’s hear it.