Nicole Ellul is an Executive Editor who has been with Simon & Schuster for fourteen years. Having worked primarily in upper YA for most of her publishing career, and with a handful of New York Times bestselling authors in that space, Nicole is excited to actively be acquiring for Scarlett Press. She is into a variety of New Adult romantic reads, but is specifically interested in light fantasy, speculative, magical realism, historical fantasy, cozy fantasy, and atmospheric stories with high stakes and plenty of (romantic) urgency. Nicole likes to escape as an editor (and as a reader) and is looking for stories that take her on magical adventures and rich worlds with compelling characters and off-the-charts chemistry between protagonists. She loves ALL the tropes, especially slow burn, forced proximity, love triangle, enemies-to-lovers, he’ll burn the world down for her, forbidden love, opposites attract, and love with the villain. With a light fantasy and a Medieval magical romance upcoming for her for Scarlett Press, Nicole is looking forward to adding to her ever-growing list.  

Sarah McCabe is an Executive Editor who helped found Scarlett Press in 2025. She is actively acquiring explosive commercial adult romantasy and speculative romance and is looking for books that are high-concept, high-octane, and completely unputdownable. She is lucky enough to be working with an exciting list of talented bestselling authors including H. M. Wolfe, Jacqueline White, Tiffany Hunt, Marion Blackwood, Vasilisa Drake, and more. Sarah gravitates toward complex, morally gray characters, massive stakes, fresh and unique magic systems, and romances that feel like the end of the world—bonus points if they might actually cause it. She is a big fan of tropes, and her favorites include enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, love triangles, biting banter, secret societies, deadly trials, only one bed, forced proximity, emotional scars, and redemption arcs. For Sarah, it’s always going to be about the fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, and miracles.

Kate Prosswimmer is an Executive Editor who helped found Scarlett Press in 2025. She’s  enthusiastically acquiring a list of high-concept, commercial adult romance across all  genres that feels accessible, captivating, and compulsively readable. Kate is excited to be  working with a talented group of bestselling authors including Kayla Edwards, Ella Fields,  Gretchen Powell Fox, Theresa Hunter, and Eliza Raine. She is seeking cozy romances with  tangible emotional stakes and aspirational aesthetics, contemporary romances that feel  swoony and escapist, and speculative romances with highly original magic systems,  crackling chemistry, tones ranging from dark and gritty to light and playful, atmospheric  settings, and highly satisfying character arcs. Kate gravitates toward a range of tropes including found family, enemies to lovers, slow burn, just one bed, forced proximity, brother’s best friend/best friend’s brother, small town romance, and grumpy/sunshine.  Kate is open to a wide range of spice but is not currently seeking stories featuring polyamory or erotica. Some of Kate’s favorite adult romances include The Plated Prisoner series for its stunning and intricate character work, The Love Hypothesis for its swoon-  worthiness, The Shepherd King duology for its lyrical line-level writing, palpable atmosphere, and unique magic system, Daggermouth for its political commentary, sharp  writing, and highly-developed cast of characters, and Quicksilver for its banter, chemistry,  and incredible pacing. When Kate isn’t reading or editing, you can find her binging all the SFF shows, talking about Bravo and Taylor Swift, or daydreaming about living in the house from Practical Magic. 

Nicole Fiorica has been with S&S since 2017, and in that time has developed a voracious appetite for all things romance. She’s looking to acquire contemporary romance (including college, small town, sports, or workplace settings) as well as grounded contemporary fantasy or paranormal romance—particularly vampires! When it comes to speculative stories, she’s looking for easy access into the world, with an emphasis on character journey. Other tropes she loves to see include bodyguard romance, arranged marriage, star-crossed/forbidden lovers, and cozy romance. Nicole is also actively looking for more queer voices and stories, and would be especially excited to see that intersect with the above categories. When not editing, you can find her pursuing ceramics, playing DnD, or watching reality TV.  

Anum Shafqat joined Simon & Schuster in 2021 and assists Sarah McCabe at Scarlett Press. She enjoys reading fantasy, horror, and contemporary—all with a heavy dash of romance. Anum is actively looking for underrepresented voices that feel fresh and compelling. More specifically, she’s seeking both cozy and high-concept romantasy, cheeky and light rom-coms, and angst galore regardless (e.g. rival queer crime bosses...sign her up!). She’ll always appreciate a tried-and-true trope that features a creative twist. On any given Sunday, she’s catching up on her dramas, trying to cook a Pakistani meal (and failing), or writing in her very green planner.