Romances are allowed the leisure of the characters learning about each other, the back and forth of the relationship, and the build up of plot and emotion to the happily ever after. That essentially is the plot.
Non-romances often have a romance subplot, but how does a thriller or suspense writer balance their action and forward plot movement with the slow burn of a romance?
Skilled suspense and thriller writers’ romance plot tends to be what I call insta-love. The hero and heroine meet because of what's happening, they have an instant emotional and sexual connection with each other that's off the charts, but they focus on what they need to do. They also gain respect for each other, and the way they interact and their pasts/presents show the possibility of their successful future as a couple. Sex happens early and as often as the plot allows. Even thriller characters need to sleep, bandage their boo boos, do some research, and reload their weapons.
Their emotional/romantic problem tends to be very simple. They have conflicting careers, and one needs to stay while the other needs to go. Or it can be a bit more complex. The woman is old money and power, and the other is from a lower middle class background who thinks he is unworthy of her. His insecurity makes him pull away when he should be moving towards her. The problem is resolved through talk, a like-duh moment of epiphany, or another character offering a practical solution. None of it ruins the pace of the thriller or suspense novel.
If you’d like to see how this is done, I recommend two masters of this technique— Heather Graham and Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick.
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