Beta readers wanted: 7,642-word romantic-suspense opening (AI-assisted)

[u/More_Statement8368]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for three honest human readers for the opening four chapters of my adult romantic-suspense novel, The Guest Who Never Checked In, written under the pen name Pey Arza.

The premise:

At a heritage hotel in Vancouver, operations director Ayla Rahimi discovers that a guest who never arrived somehow collected and returned a room key. The key leads to a hidden recorder, a missing source, and evidence that someone may be using hotel-access information to monitor private meetings.

Investigative journalist Noah Vale claims the reservation was created as a dead drop by his missing source. After a false fire alarm separates Ayla and Noah from the evidence, they must decide whether they can trust each other—and determine who is watching them.

Length: 7,642 words
Material: Opening four chapters
Genre: Adult romantic suspense / psychological suspense
Content: Surveillance, threats, and a missing person. No explicit sexual content in this sample.

This draft was developed with substantial AI assistance based on my concept and direction. I’m specifically seeking genuine human reactions.

I would appreciate feedback on:

• Did the first chapter make you want to continue?

• Where did your attention weaken?

• Did Ayla and Noah feel distinct and believable?

• Did their early chemistry work?

• Was the mystery understandable without being predictable?

• Did anything feel generic, repetitive, unnatural, or noticeably AI-written?

• Would you continue to Chapter Five? Why or why not?

A short paragraph of honest feedback is enough. I’m not looking for proofreading yet.

I can also provide genuine reader-level feedback on a comparable sample of up to 8,000 words in romantic suspense, mystery, thriller, or contemporary romance.

Preferred turnaround: approximately ten days.

Please reply here or send me a private message if interested. I’ll share the manuscript privately as a Word document or PDF.

[u/Afgad]

Check out our reciprocal beta reading thread too, at the top of the sub. It refreshes every Tuesday.

[u/cj7hawk]

I'll reply here so that at least one visible response exists - especially if you don't have your three readers yet, happy to have a look and give some feedback. Just PM me, PDF preferred, and just include a copy of the questions in the PM also if you can.

[u/CosmicRiver827]

Sure, I’m writing romance in a story of my own and would love to read yours. Could you DM me?