We are excited to announce the finalists for Harlequin’s 2025 Romance Includes You Mentorship. Ten finalists were selected from among more than 170 submissions that were reviewed by Harlequin’s mentorship team.
“We were so impressed with the field of entrants this year – selecting just 10 for the shortlist was a real challenge! We were excited to see the wide variety of romance stories that authors crafted with Harlequin’s publishing program in mind. We thank all authors for sharing their creative and well-written stories with us,” said Carol Dunsmore, Harlequin’s Author Communications and Events Manager.
Shortlisted submissions are listed in alphabetical order by author:
- Falling For Tallulah by Kris Crenwelge
- The Lucky Ones by Athena Hernandez
- Desert Shadows by Heather Hunt
- Halo-Halo Days by Evita Gracia Kee
- Flight Risk by Beth McMurray
- Blind Faith by Jennifer O’Bryan
- Second Chance With Her Trauma Surgeon by Juanne Osigweh
- Confined With The Duke by Angelique Prince
- How To Fall In Love Without Screaming by Briana Wilvert
- Mutually Assured Construction by Karsyn Zetah
The top submission will be announced on WriteforHarlequin.com by September 30. The writer of the top submission will be offered a publishing contract for their debut novel, a writing grant and the chance to work with a Harlequin editor to complete their romance story for publication during a one-year mentorship.
The Romance Includes You Mentorship supports increased diversity in the romance genre by welcoming submissions by authors in underrepresented communities. Background on Harlequin’s Romance Includes You Mentorship is available on our website.
A HUGE thank you goes out to all entrants. Congratulations and good luck to the finalists!
