Harlequin’s Romance Includes You Mentorship is in full swing, our 2025 Pride campaign is ready to launch, and we hear from authors who are new to Harlequin and writing romance stories featuring characters from all walks of life.
Every Love Deserves a Story
Harlequin is celebrating Pride Month with website and email promotions leading readers to the LGBTQ+ Romance page on Harlequin.com. With new releases added regularly, the page helps readers discover stories with LGBTQ+ characters year-round. Four free online reads will arrive in June – a new one every Sunday – giving readers another way to find LGBTQ+ romance stories and their authors.
HTP Books’ Read With Love campaign will feature book recommendations through its socials, newsletter and Amazon storefront throughout June.
Romance Includes You Mentorship – Open for Submissions!
Harlequin is accepting submissions this May for its 2025 Romance Includes You Mentorship. We’re looking for romance novels by debut writers in underrepresented communities that could be published in one of Harlequin’s series romance lines. The deadline is May 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET. Since this initiative began in 2020, we have discovered talented new authors that we continue working with in Harlequin’s publishing program. Submission details are on our mentorship information page.
Celebrating Diverse Voices for AANHPI Month
This May, our team is working with HarperCollins to promote books that illuminate the vibrant histories and stories of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Discover books on the AANHPI webpage.
New Harlequin Authors Share Their Stories
This spring, authors Jenny Lane, Jade Lee and Rachel Bowdler talk about their upcoming releases and their love of writing stories with characters that reflect the genre’s broad readership. For a burst of positivity in your day, read their inspiring perspectives on WriteForHarlequin.com.
Jenny Lane writes contemporary stories with queer characters. Their debut title with Harlequin Romance, Her Fake Wedding Date in Sicily, arrives in August 2025. Read her I Got the Call story.
“I find such comfort in the guaranteed (and often hard-earned) happily ever after and I wanted to be a part of it.” Jenny Lane
Jade Lee, USA Today bestselling author of more than 80 romances, is publishing two Harlequin Historical Romances this year that follow Chinese-British sisters as they navigate Regency London. Book #1 of the Daring Debutantes series, The Duke’s Guide to Fake Courtship, released in February and Book #2 arrives in October. Read Jade’s conversation with her editor about her new series.
“Love makes us better. And when we read about love, I think we bring that love into our own lives.” Jade Lee
New Harlequin Romance writer, Rachel Bowdler, is a popular British author of over 20 romance novels, including Honeymoon for One and her latest book, Kindling, which quickly became an Amazon bestseller. Her first Harlequin title will be released in 2026 under her pseudonym Bryony Rosehurst. Read Rachel’s conversation with her editor about writing romance.
“Writing romance means I get to tell people who are like me, whether the characters are queer, northern, plus-size, chronically ill, etc., that they are just as deserving of love as everyone else…so romance feels like a small act of rebellion…” Rachel Bowdler
