Why the mystery?
- R. K. Harrington
- Aug 26
- 1 min read
TL;DR: Glitzy Romance with a Thriller Vibe. That is how I would describe my writing. There are balls, fancy dresses, and nobility, but also a dark story threaded throughout. All wrapped in swoon-worthy romance!
I love love LOVE romance books in almost any form (there are some I have not tried yet), but my favorite ones are the books with an underlying story, a bigger picture. It is a little like OG Romantasy (romance + another genre). The idea is to weave the mystery throughout, not just introduce it at the end.
How do I do that? First, instead of a single POV or a dual POV novel like a standard romance, I weave in additional scenes from other POVs (so I like to write multi-POV stories). These scenes range from dark foggy scenes by the wharf to simples scenes of playing cards with dark undertones. By combining evocative scenery (I so wanted that foggy scene to be on the cover, but I got something even better!), dynamic and conflicted characters, and multi-POV scenes amidst romance and glamour, you get a book that constantly keeps you on your toes. Not to mention some loose ends to tie up in book two of the Schemes Series (and beyond!).
Want a book that does what I am describing? How about the OG historical romance queen herself: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (I have linked her book, So Worthy, My Love).