Harlequin is pleased to announce that Beth McMurray is the 2025 recipient of the Romance Includes You Mentorship for her standout submission, Flight Risk, an LGBTQ+ medical romance set in the rugged Montana wilderness. Beth’s debut novel will be published by Harlequin Medical Romance.
Chosen from more than 170 submissions, Flight Risk impressed Harlequin’s editorial team with its striking setting, strong action, and determined, relatable heroines.
The story follows Mia, a rule-following flight medic fresh from New York, and Beck, a maverick helicopter rescue pilot who tests Mia’s patience from the moment she arrives on the job – igniting unexpected sparks and setting off a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance.
“Beth’s fast-paced and charismatic storytelling immediately stood out,” said Charlotte Ellis, Senior Editor for Harlequin Medical Romance. “We loved the strong female leads, the fantastic scene setting, and brilliantly written chemistry backed by adrenaline in this adventurous medical romance. We’re excited to work with Beth as she develops this story into her debut novel.”
For her top submission, Beth, a freelance writer and college writing instructor from California, earned a one-book publishing contract with Harlequin Medical Romance, a grant to support her writing development, and a year-long mentorship with Editor Jenny Macey to complete her story for publication.
“This mentorship means so much to me—not just as a writer, but as a reader who knows how powerful it is to feel seen in a story. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who makes this program possible and for the work being done to create happily-ever-afters that truly include all of us,” said Beth McMurray.
The Romance Includes You Mentorship, now in its fifth year, is part of Harlequin’s ongoing commitment to welcoming more underrepresented voices to the romance genre. The program offers new authors the opportunity to develop their work with the guidance of experienced editors and publish their debut novel to help launch their publishing careers.
Submissions were accepted in May and reviewed by Harlequin’s team before a shortlist of 10 finalists was announced in July. Harlequin’s senior editors in London, Toronto, and New York selected the top submission.
“The mentorship initiative helps Harlequin build relationships with a wide network of aspiring romance writers whose stories reflect the broad readership of the genre,” said Dianne Moggy, Harlequin’s VP Editorial. “We’re very excited about Beth’s story and also pleased that we saw so many submissions from talented and promising writers who have potential for our publishing program.”
We congratulate Beth on this achievement and thank all the authors who submitted their work this year. Your creativity, playful themes and range of stories and voices continue to inspire us!
