Harlequin’s digital-first imprint, Carina Press, announces the June 2020 launch of its new trope-driven LGBTQ+ contemporary romance line, Carina Adores, the first of its kind in publishing. Carina Adores will bring inclusive love stories and new takes on classic romance tropes featuring protagonists from LGBTQ+ communities who find their happily-ever-afters. June marks Pride month as well as the 10th anniversary of Carina Press, which began publishing romance in June 2010.
These category romance novels will range in length from 55,000 to 65,000 words. Beginning with two titles in June, Carina Adores will then publish one title per month. All titles will be available in ebook, mass-market paperback and audio formats from Harlequin.com and all major online book retailers.
“Carina Adores is perfect for readers craving highly romantic stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters and beloved romance tropes,” shared Kerri Buckley, Senior Editor of Carina Press. “Our launch authors have delivered fresh, authentic takes on the small-town reunion romance, the buddy road trip that turns into love, the May-December trope and so much more; I can’t wait to share them with readers.”
The first two Carina Adores titles will be available on June 1, 2020. The Girl Next Door by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Chelsea M. Cameron is a female/female forced proximity romance between two millennial neighbors in a zero-stoplight town. The Hideaway Innby New York University professor Philip William Stover is a heartfelt male/male reunion romance between a powerful businessman and the all-grown-up farm boy who broke his heart years ago. In addition to these two launch titles, Harlequin.com will share a free, online read from Carina Adores author Brooklyn Ray on June 1. This female/female romance will be set in the same universe as Brooklyn’s Full Moon in Leo, publishing October 2020.
“We’re excited to begin this inclusive romance line and look forward to bringing more stories that reflect the wonderfully diverse romance reading community,” said Dianne Moggy, Vice President of Editorial at Harlequin.
Carina Adores will also be home to Just Like That by Cole McCade (on-sale July 6, 2020), a male/male May-December romance where a captivating psychology instructor oversees his shy former student’s teaching residency, and Hairpin Curves by 2019 RITA® Award winner Elia Winters (on-sale August 3, 2020), a female/female frenemies-to-lovers romance set against a snowy road trip to Quebec.
Carina Adores is open for agented and unagented submissions. For more details and submission guidelines, please visit CarinaPress.com/blog/submission-guidelines/.
