Have just finished a rewrite on a book which was, shall we say, a challenge. My brain is fried. I need some quality sleep but after the mad sprint to the (dead)line, I’m still too wired to relax. I would like to sit down with a book but find I’m not in the mood for words or even for turning pages. I will get outside, walk, weed the neglected garden, maybe even cook something from scratch, and later I would like to sit down to a good movie.
But here’s the thing: I’ve been thinking about which movie. I have a specific type in mind and after a quick flick through the listings I started to think, why don’t they make more of these? I’m talking romantic suspense, the kind with real conflict and tension and chemistry between the leads as well as a decent storyline. Too many in the genre, IMHO, are all about the suspense plot with the romance (or sex) as a token extra with little or no conflict or character development. Not a fan of that.
Examples of the kind of movie I’m looking for: although it’s not a romance (no HEA) I loved the conflict/tension/chemistry between Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis in Witness. Aidan Quinn and Madeleine Stowe in Blink. Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin in The Big Easy. Dennis Quaid and Cher in Suspect.
There are possibly a few more but that’s all my brain can cough up at the moment and it’s not an extensive list. My lists of favourite romantic comedies or whacky comedies or suspense/thrillers without the romance are looonnnnggggg. So, I’m wondering if there are any top romantic suspense movies that I’ve missed lately (or not so lately.) I want sexy and tense like the fab novels I love to read? Anyone have any suggestions I should check out?
There will be a prize draw from the comments of a book from my backlist. And my undying gratitude if I can find some more great movies in a genre I love.
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I love reading romantic suspense but I am having a hard time thinking of romantic suspense movies! I’ve never seen any of the ones that you mentioned. Have you seen Just Like Heaven with Resse Whitherspoon? That’s a good movie. I can’t think of anymore! 
I can think of plenty of romantic suspense books though!! Allison Brennan and Lisa Gardner’s are REALLY good. 
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I can’t think of any “new” movies that fit into this category but two older movies are Speed and The Thomas Crown Affair.
by Linda F
on October 8th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
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To be honest, as much as I love romance books… I’m not a big fan of them on the big screen. And like Rachael, I’m drawing a complete blank on romantic suspenses.
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I love romantic suspense books too,they are always better than movies. I can only think of 6 days and 7 nights and there is only a bit of suspense,it has more comedy.
by Dena
on October 9th, 2007 at 1:05 am
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Romantic suspence? I really can’t think of any… There are plenty of romantic comedies and tragedies that come to mind, though.
by Minna
on October 9th, 2007 at 5:37 am
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Old favorites:
Body Heat with William Hurt & Kathleen Turner,
Entrapment with Sean Connery & Catherine Zeta Jones Douglas,
Body Double with Melanie Griffith & ?
finally,
Julia Roberts in Sleeping With the Enemy
by Laurie
on October 9th, 2007 at 8:20 am
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I love the Romantic Suspence books, but like everyone else I draw a blank when it comes to the movies. I know they must be out there, I just can’t tell you what they are.
by Tammy G.
on October 9th, 2007 at 11:12 am
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i like romantic suspense. like beverly barton, tara janzen. love body heat
by kim h
on October 9th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
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Play Misty For Me with Clint Eastwood and ? Mills is great.
Feast of Love
by RobynL
on October 9th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
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I don’t watch very many movies, so can’t think of any romantic suspense ones.
by Estella
on October 9th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
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I great new suspense movie I recently saw was Perfect Stranger with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.
by Teresa W.
on October 9th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
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Mine are more old favorites… I don’t see much of movies right now. However a good romantic suspense movie is Charade with Ahdrey Hepburn and Cary Grant… suspense until the end, plus great wardrobe
by Lily
on October 9th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
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I am not really good at recommending movies as I don’t really see romantic suspense, and while I think a bit more… I don’t even read romantic suspense other than the occasionnal Linda Howard of JA Krentz!
by Nathalie
on October 9th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
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Hi,
Just Like Heaven was nice… though the book is 10 times bettter… by Marc Levy and it has a suite too 
by Lila
on October 9th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
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I can’t think of any new ones either but I have a couple older ones - First Knight with Sean Connery and Richard Gere (has the best kiss in a movie ever) and there’s Highlander (the first one) . Not sure if they fit the category of suspense if you mean more of a mystery. I enoyed Perfect Stranger but there wasn’t a lot of romance. I don’t know why it’s so hard to come up with these lol.
by catslady
on October 9th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
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I love romantic movies but not many of the ones I loved had much suspense in them. MISS CONGENIALITY had suspense but not much romance but a lot of comedy. Did you see the LAKE HOUSE with Sandra Bullock and Keaneau Reeve? That was very romantic and had a twist to it. How about SERENDIPITY? That was another romantic movie that was unusual. Oh I just thought of a good one, that is kind of old but was very suspenseful, romantic and had a lot of comedy. It is ROMANCING THE STONE. That was fantastic! It had all big name actors in it. I have seen so many movies but my thinker isn’t doing so good at 11:20pm. at night. Sorry!
by Michele L.
on October 9th, 2007 at 11:28 pm
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Oh, Michele L. mentioned ROMANCING THE STONE. That’s an amazing one! Love it! It had romance, comedy, and suspense. Great movie!
Have you seen MATCH POINT? That is more straight suspense with some very sexy scenes, but an awesome movie! It also has a great cast with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlet Johanssen.
by Zara
on October 10th, 2007 at 10:03 am
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Dead Again is pretty good, but overall I can’t think of a ‘fantastic’ new romance/suspense.
Michele, I love ROMANCING THE STONE, too! 
by Susan
on October 10th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
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Michelle L: I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Serendipity!! Great romantic movie. No suspense really, but great movie!!
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Oh wasn’t SERENDIPITY just fabulous Rachael?! I loved it also! It is getting harder and harder to find good romantic movies anymore. Zara, I will have to rent MATCH POINT. I have never seen that one and it sounds good! Oh and ROMANCING THE STONE is one of my favorites! I love Danny Devito in that movie. He is a riot! LOL
by Michele L.
on October 10th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
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Michelle L: I remember Jeremy Piven in Serendipity as the friend who writes Obituaries. I LOVED him in there and he wasn’t even the main character. He was just so good. Now that he’s on Entourage (which I dont watch) everyone knows his name. I liked him before he was well known. It’s just so romantic. I should really buy it. Whenever it’s on TV I always catch it in the middle but never at the beginning. I’ve seen it all the way through a bunch of times but I never catch it on TV at the right spot. The whole idea of karma and everything with them was so romantic. It’s funny cause I’m reading a book now which has these moments where these two people keep running into each other and karma keeps pushing them together, telling them they’re meant to be, but they don’t see the signs. I kept thinking of Serendipity. The book is ”I Gave You My Heart But You Sold it Online” By Dixie Cash. The part with the karma isn’t the main storyline and is really a small part, but I like stories where they’re really ”meant to be together” and karma is hitting them in the head trying to make them see it. So romantic. 
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any winner
by kim h
on October 12th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
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Firstly, must apologise for not coming back to respond to comments this week. I had some internet woes and revisions and some other stuff going on…but better late than never, right?
Thank you to everyone for suggestions and comments. I now have several new movies to check out and some that I had forgotten and need to revisit. And I didn’t get my RomSus fix watching the movies, but picked up a tried and true fix: a Lisa Gardner. Rachael, I agree, she writes awesome books.
Also, Just Like Heaven: love the quirky humour in this, but not what I’d call true RomSus. At least not the darker kind I was craving last week. But you reminded me of another Mark Ruffalo flick, the one with Meg Ryan as we’ve never seen Meg before. It was called something like In The Cut. Very dark, suspenseful, and a bit unsettling.
Bron
by Bronwyn Jameson
on October 12th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
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Linda, YES to the Thomas Crown Affair. A great suggestion. Love the tension between the leads in this one and the unpredictability (well, now, I know the ending but watching it the first time, I was never sure if she’d end up with Pierce or the cop.)
Laurie, of yr suggestions I’ve only seen Sleeping With The Enemy so have added the other 3 to my need-to-check-out list. Thank you!
Kim H, love the Tara Janzen books, too.
Robyn, Play Misty For Me scared the cr*p out of me 
That was a loonnngggg time ago and you’ve made me wonder if it would still have the same power. Although I’m not a fan of real heart-jerking fear.
by Bronwyn Jameson
on October 12th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
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Ooh, Perfect Stranger. I remember seeing the trailer for this; Bruce is baddie, isn’t he? Not the love interest?
Lily, thanks for the suggestion of Charade. I will definitely check that one out (the clothes will be a bonus!)
Would you believe I haven’t seen Serendipity? But with the multiple thumbs-up I will have to rectify that. Lake House I saw on a flight last year — interesting. LOVE Miss Congeniality (but what were they thinking making that sequel?)
Romancing the Stone: best romantic adventure caper evah! Gorgeous movie. Haven’t seen Match Point or Dead Again, so two more for my list.
You guys have been great — thank you all!
by Bronwyn Jameson
on October 12th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
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Finally, I am drawing a winner from the numbers in the comments…and the number I’ve drawn is #16. That would be (scrolling up) Michele L. Congratulations!
by Bronwyn Jameson
on October 12th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
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Congrats Michelle L!
Bronwyn..which Lisa Gardner book did you pick up? I still have quite a few of hers to read but my favorite so far is Gone.
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Hi Rachael. It was Alone. I’d bought it as an eBook a while back and hadn’t downloaded and read. Good, as hers always are, but not my favourite. I really must get Gone. Have loved all the Pierce and Rainey books so must get me this one!
by Bronwyn Jameson
on October 13th, 2007 at 7:28 pm
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Thank you so much Bronwyn! I was so excited to see you selected my name! I will e-mail you with my info. Picking a book from your backlist is going to be very hard!
Thanks RachelfromNJ for the congrats! It was so much fun blogging with everyone on here!
by Michele L.
on October 13th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
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I read Alone. I agree. That’s not one of her best. Gone is alot better. The newest one from this year is Hide and it’s supposed to be a continuation to Alone. I had it out from the library, I literally read 100 pages and returned it. I can’t remember what I didn’t like. It just didn’t captivate me. Bronwyn, I didn’t see if you said you read Allison Brennan or not? She’s similar to Lisa Gardner but in my opinion ALOT better but alot grittier. I’ve read 4 of her books so far and they’ve all been really good. Fear No Evil is my favorite one by her. Very intense. Scary. I hope you find something to satisfy your romantic suspense cravings!
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wtg ML
by kim h
on October 16th, 2007 at 12:04 am
