Difference Between Romantic Suspense & Romantic Thriller
Romantic suspense and romantic thrillers are subgenres of romance novels and films. There are definitely similarities between the two, such as having the protagonist fall in love with the protector or hero, and having plenty of plot tension in the story. However, they do have slight differences in how this romantic tension is created, developed and driven.
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Suspense
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Romantic suspense is a broad genre that covers a wide array of romance novels including mystery, crime, action and fantasy. Suspense simply means the romance is suspended, meaning it hangs in the balance, and the two protagonists have not fulfilled the romance. The boy hasn’t gotten the girl yet and there is tension until the end of the novel when the romantic suspense is satisfied and the two characters become a couple.
According to romance writer Susan Andersen, suspense is the events, situations, emotions and interruptions that are preventing the main characters from being together. The suspense is the catalyst that brings the characters together and keeps them apart, Andersen says in an interview with LikesBooks.com.
Thrillers
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Romantic thrillers are a part of the genre of romantic suspense and deal largely with crime, intrigue, scandal, verging on scaring or thrilling the reader. Many thrillers involve murderers hunting down the protagonist, who teams up with an investigator or bodyguard of some sort. The two engage in a battle with the villain, fight for their lives and are saved in the nick of time, and through it all, fall in love. There is a double amount of suspense because not only is there romantic suspense (Will the guy get the girl?) but there is plot suspense too (Will the hero save the protagonist in time?).
The key element in the thriller genre is time. The protagonists are often restricted by time and move at a breakneck pace, according to FindMeAnAuthor.com. The plot is also driven by the villain’s actions.
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Thematic Differences
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In a romantic suspense film or novel, the tension might be caused by something as simple as "Will the hero reach the heroine before her plane takes off?" However, in a romantic thriller, the tension is more likely to follow a plot line that asks, "Will the hero save the heroine before the serial killer fulfills his evil plan?"
Exmaples of Romantic Suspense
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In “Titanic” directed by James Cameron, Jack and Rose try to overcome class differences and escape a sinking ship alive.
In “The Wedding Singer” directed by Frank Coraci, after being dumped at the alter, Robbie Hart falls for a girl named Julia, but she’s engaged to Glen, a playboy she can’t see through.
In “On the Way to the Wedding” by Julia Quinn, Gregory falls in love with the beauty of the London season and teams up with Lady Lucinda to help win her over. When Gregory has a change of heart, he must hurry to stop Lucy’s wedding to the wrong man.
Examples of Romantic Thrillers
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In “From Hell” directed by Albert and Allen Hughes, an inspector investigates the murders of Jack the Ripper in Victorian London and begins to fall in love with the killer’s next victim.
In “Heartbreaker” by Julie Garwood, a serial killer reveals the name of his next victim to police and starts a game of cat and mouse. The detective assigned to the case must protect the women the killer is after, who also ends up being the woman he loves.
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