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RITA Awards (Romance)

Description: Bookshare is pleased to present RITA award winning romance since 2010. The annual RITA Award is the most prominent award given throughout the genre of romance fiction. #award #adults


Showing 1 through 25 of 105 results
 
 

Advanced Physical Chemistry

by Susannah Nix

After four lousy boyfriends in a row, chemical engineer Penny Popplestone swears off men until she can figure out why they keep cheating on her. But her no-men resolution hits a snag when the mysterious and superhumanly hot barista at her favorite coffee shop strikes up a friendship with her.

Penny strives to keep things platonic, but when Caleb gives her the kiss of her life, she realizes he wants to be more than just friends. Tired of always being "good little Penny," she throws caution to the wind and pursues a no-strings fling with the hottie barista. It's not like they have anything in common beyond scorching physical chemistry, so what does she have to lose?

Only her heart.

Now, this fanfic-reading, plus-size heroine faces an unsolvable problem. What do you do when being apart is unbearable...but being together is impossible?

Advanced Physical Chemistry is the third in a series of standalone rom-coms featuring geeky heroines who work in STEM fields.

Date Added: 09/18/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Contemporary Romance Mid-Length

Against the Tide

by Elizabeth Camden

2013 RITA Winner for Inspirational Romance2013 Christy Award Winner for Historical Romance2013 Daphne du Maurier Award Winner for Inspirational Romantic Mystery/Suspense After a childhood rampant with uncertainty, Lydia Pallas has carved out a perfect life for herself. She spends her days within sight of the bustling Boston Harbor, where her skill with languages has landed her an enviable position as a translator for the U. S. Navy. Lydia's talents bring her to the attention of Alexander Banebridge, a mysterious man in need of a translator. Driven by a campaign to end the opium trade, Bane is coolly analytical and relentless in his quest. He cannot afford to fall for Lydia and must fight the bittersweet love growing between them. When Bane's enemies gain the upper hand, he is forced to turn to Lydia for help. Determined to prove her worth, Lydia soon discovers that carrying out Bane's mission will test her wits and her courage to the very limits.

Date Added: 09/18/2017


Year: 2013

Category: Inspirational Romance

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart

by Jenn Bennett

Artist Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she's spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Da Vinci's footsteps, she's ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital's Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.

Jack is charming, wildly attractive.. and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is-and tries to uncover what he's hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in Beatrix's own family's closet tear them apart?

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Young Adult Romance

Baby, It's You

by Jane Graves

"Irresistible. Jane Graves writes with charm, wit and heart!" --Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling authorWith only the wedding dress on her back and her honeymoon luggage in the car, Kari Worthington is running away. Determined to put her controlling father, her rigidly structured life, and the uptight groom she left at the altar in her rearview mirror, she escapes to the Texas Hill country . . . and lands on a tall, dark, and gorgeous winery owner's doorstep. All she needs is a job and a place to live until she can get back on her feet. So why is she fantasizing about losing herself in his powerful arms?For Marc Cordero, freedom is so close he can taste it. He's devoted his life to managing the family business and being a single dad. Now with his daughter away at college and his brother taking over the winery, Marc is ready to hop on his Harley for parts unknown-until a runaway bride bursts onto the scene. Free-spirited and tantalizingly sexy, Kari excites him like no other woman has before. But when irresistible passion turns into something more, will Marc give up his future to take a chance on love?(90,000 words)

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Long Contemporary Romance

The Bachelor's Baby Surprise

by Teri Wilson

Okay, Evangeline Holly! You. Can. Do. This. Put that bad breakup behind you. And stop obsessing over the subsequent superhot one-night stand. Focus on your future. It’s the first day of your new job! Just ignore the fact that your boss, Ryan Wilde, was your former one-night lover. (He’s so hot!) Oh, and—surprise!—you’re pregnant with Ryan’s baby. And your job hinges on keeping it secret. You’ve got this! Right?

Date Added: 07/29/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Contemporary Romance Short

Bad Blood

by M. Malone

I'd do anything for my best friend's little sister. Until she asks for something I can't give. One night. No rules.

Georgina Kingsley is off-limits. It's better this way, really. Her brother is my best friend and business partner, the closest thing I have to family. Plus, she's engaged to another man, one better for her than I could ever be.

But when Georgie is ditched on her wedding day, she needs someone to get her out of town. There's bad blood between us but I'd do anything for her. Except give her hot, rebound sex to get back at her cheating ex.

Tough choice. Loyalty to my best friend who has been more like a brother? Or to a woman with a history of driving me crazy and making me want things I have no right to ask for? It's a hell of a time to realize I'm in love.

*Bad Blood is the fifth book in the LEFT AT THE ALTAR series, in a collaboration of six New York Times Bestselling Authors: J. S. Scott, Ruth Cardello, Raine Miller, Sawyer Bennett, Minx Malone, and Melody Anne. Learn more at minxmalone.com/badblood

Date Added: 08/30/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Romance Novella

The Black Hawk

by Joanna Bourne

He is her enemy. He is her lover. He is her only hope. Someone is stalking French agent Justine DeCabrillac through London's gray streets. Under cover of the rain, the assassin strikes--and Justine staggers to the door of the one man who can save her. The man she once loved. The man she hated. Adrian Hawkhurst. Adrian wanted the treacherous beauty known as "Owl" back in his bed, but not wounded and clinging to life. Now, as he helps her heal, the two must learn to trust each other to confront the hidden menace that's trying to kill them--and survive long enough to explore the passion simmering between them once again.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Historical Romance

Boomerang Bride

by Fiona Lowe

Matilda Geoffrey risked it all for love. She left Australia to be with Barry-the man who had swept her off her virtual feet. Now, wearing a wedding dress, she's alone on Main Street in small-town Wisconsin, and things aren't working out exactly as planned...In town for his annual family visit, Marc Olsen had never seen a bride quite like Matilda-staring into a storefront window, holding a tottering wedding cake, and looking desperately in need of a groom. He may not have any warm feelings for his hometown,but meeting Matilda just as she discovers she's been scammed by her online "fiancé" stirs something in him. Matilda is not the kind of woman Marc imagined himself with, and Marc is anything but the romantic hero that Matilda has always dreamed of. But as unlikely circumstances throw them together, can they let go of their misconceptions and risk their hearts for love? 93,000 words

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Contemporary Single Title

Boys Like You

by Juliana Stone

IF If I hadn't fallen asleep. If I hadn't gotten behind the wheel. If I hadn't made a mistake.For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart--leaving her empty and broken. There's a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her grandma isn't going to change that...Nathan Everets knows heartache firsthand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it's all his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn't deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn't going to change that...There's No Going BackCaptivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt--looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Young Adult Romance

Brokedown Cowboy

by Maisey Yates

There are lines best friends shouldn't cross, but in Copper Ridge, Oregon, the temptation might be too much... If practice makes perfect, Connor Garrett should be world champion of being alone. Since losing his wife he's concentrated exclusively on his family's ranch. Until Felicity Foster needs a place to stay and Connor invites her to move in temporarily. That's what friends do. What friends don't do? Start fantasizing about each other in their underwear. Or out of it... Since high school, Liss has kept her raging crush in check. But helping Connor rebuild his life only reinforces how much she longs to be a part of it. One explosive encounter, and she'll discover that getting what you always wanted can feel better than you ever dreamed...There are lines best friends shouldn't cross, but in Copper Ridge, Oregon, the temptation might be too much... If practice makes perfect, Connor Garrett should be world champion of being alone. Since losing his wife he's concentrated exclusively on his family's ranch. Until Felicity Foster needs a place to stay and Connor invites her to move in temporarily. That's what friends do. What friends don't do? Start fantasizing about each other in their underwear. Or out of it... Since high school, Liss has kept her raging crush in check. But helping Connor rebuild his life only reinforces how much she longs to be a part of it. One explosive encounter, and she'll discover that getting what you always wanted can feel better than you ever dreamed...

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Long Contemporary Romance

Burning Up

by Virginia Kantra and Angela Knight and Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook

Bring these four authors together and it's sure to ignite a spark... Angela Knight pairs a vampire warrior and his seductive captor in a battle against demonic predators. Nalini Singh returns to the world of her Psy-Changeling series as a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector-and lover. Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in her story of a wounded soldier rescued by an enigmatic young woman. Meljean Brook launches a bold new steampunk series about a woman who strikes a provocative-and terrifying-bargain for freedom.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2011

Category: Romance Novella

Carolina Dreaming

by Virginia Kantra

When it comes to love, anything can happen on Dare Island--especially in this latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra. After escaping a disastrous marriage, bakery owner Jane Clark has convinced herself that she has everything she needs--her precious son, a thriving business, and a roof over her head. But the arrival of a handsome stranger on the island shows her exactly what she's been missing... The only home Gabe Murphy ever had was the Marine Corps. He's working hard to rebuild his life. It will take a special place, and a special woman, to make him want to stay. Now Gabe is determined to prove that he's worthy of Jane's trust--and her love. But when her past reappears, that trust will be tested, and Jane and Gabe will have to fight hard to hold onto their love and make their dreams a reality...

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Mid-Length Contemporary Romance

Christmas on Crimson Mountain

by Michelle Major

Spend the holidays in the charming town of Crimson, where the best presents of all come from the heart—from the USA Today–bestselling author.LOVE ON THE MOUNTAINPeace and quiet—that’s all Connor Pierce wanted from the rented cabin on Crimson Mountain. Yet the caretaker turned out to be lovely April Sanders—a total distraction. As were the two little girls she was caring for. Connor’s plan to forget his painful past soon detoured into giving the ladies a Christmas to remember.Being named guardian of two motherless girls has upended April’s world. Add to the mix a mysterious, brooding writer claiming he wanted to be left alone while going out of his way to bring a little joy to the girls, and she has quite the quandary. April had counted herself out of a happy ending. But maybe Santa still had a few surprises up his merry old sleeve . . .

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Short Contemporary Romance

Claim Me

by J. Kenner

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes the second novel in the erotic, fast-paced trilogy that started with Release Me. This sexy, emotionally charged romance continues the story of Damien Stark, the powerful multimillionaire who's never had to take "no" for an answer, and Nikki Fairchild, the Southern belle who only says "yes" on her own terms.For Damien, our obsession is a game. For me, it is fiercely, blindingly, real. Damien Stark's need is palpable--his need for pleasure, his need for control, his need for me. Beautiful and brilliant yet tortured at his core, he is in every way my match. I have agreed to be his alone, and now I want him to be fully mine. I want us to possess each other beyond the sweetest edge of our ecstasy, into the deepest desires of our souls. To let the fire that burns between us consume us both. But there are dark places within Damien that not even our wildest passion can touch. I yearn to know his secrets, yearn for him to surrender to me as I have surrendered to him. But our troubled pasts will either bind us close . . . or shatter us completely. Claim Me is an erotic romance intended for mature audiences.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2014

Category: Erotic Romance

Concealed in Death

by J. D. Robb

The incomparable J. D. Robb presents the latest moving and suspenseful novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Eve Dallas series.Leading the demolition of a long-empty New York building that once housed a makeshift shelter for troubled teenagers, Lieutenant Eve Dallas's husband uncovers two skeletons wrapped in plastic. And by the time Eve's done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.The victims are all young girls. A tattooed tough girl who dealt in illegal drugs. The runaway daughter of a pair of well-to-do doctors. They all had their stories. And they all lost their chance for a better life.Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary--and the evil concealed in one human heart.knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary--and the evil concealed in one human heart.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Romantic Suspense

Crazy Thing Called Love

by Molly O'Keefe

In this poignant and deeply sensual new contemporary romance--perfect for readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson--Molly O'Keefe proves that lost loves don't have to stay lost forever. Dallas TV morning show host Madelyn Cornish is poised, perfect, and unflappable, from her glossy smile to her sleek professionalism. No one knows that her iron will guards a shattered heart and memories of a man she's determined to lock out. Until that man shows up at a morning meeting like a bad dream: Billy Wilkins, sexy hockey superstar in a tailspin--still skating, still fighting, and still her ex-husband. Now the producers want this poster child for bad behavior to undergo an on-air makeover, and Billy, who has nothing to lose, agrees to the project. It's his only chance to get near Maddy again, and to fight for the right things this time around. He believes in the fire in Maddy's whiskey eyes and the passion that ignites the air between them. This bad-boy heartbreaker wants a last shot to be redeemed by the only thing that matters: Maddy's love. "Irresistible and satisfying . . . addictive and sexy romance at its best."--New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery "Molly O'Keefe is a unique, not-to-be-missed voice in romantic fiction."--New York Times bestselling author Susan AndersenFrom the Paperback edition.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2014

Category: Contemporary Single Title

Dearest Ivie

by J. R. Ward

In an exclusive ebook novella set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward tells the story of a fiery couple . . . doomed by an undeniable passion. Features a special preview of J. R. Ward’s upcoming Black Dagger Brotherhood novel, The Thief!

The last place Ivie expects to be approached by a devastatingly handsome male is in a crowded, smoky cigar bar rarely frequented by vampires—yet here he stands. Silas is flirtatious, gallant, and, above all, mysterious. Ivie is anything but. A nurse at the healer’s clinic and the daughter of a biker, Ivie is accustomed to speaking her mind. So she does. Since aristocrats rarely pick up females of her class, Ivie asks Silas just what kind of game he thinks he’s playing.

Despite her guarded exterior, Ivie surrenders to the fierce desire she feels for Silas. And yet, just as their courtship is heating up, he reveals that it cannot last, for he is bound to return to the Old Country. Their bond only deepens as they make the most of their precious time together. But when she learns the truth, Ivie must find a saving grace—before all is lost. . . .

Date Added: 07/29/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Paranormal Romance

Doukakis's Apprentice

by Sarah Morgan

With her family business in crisis, Polly Prince does her best to keep calm and carry on. But hard work alone can't save her London company from a takeover by the infamously ruthless Damon Doukakis... or her traitorous body from the lethal sensuality of her boss! As his new apprentice, Polly accompanies Damon to Paris to negotiate the most challenging business deal of her life! Worse still, Polly must at all costs resist Damon in the most dangerously romantic city in the world.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Contemporary Series

Dragon Bound

by Thea Harrison

The first Novel of the Elder Races, Dragon Bound begins a groundbreaking paranormal romance series from a talented new voice in the realm of dragons, danger and desire. Half human and half Wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the Wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful--and passionate--of the Elder Races. As the most feared and respected of the Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in each other. Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave--although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul ...

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Paranormal Romance

A Duke in the Night

by Kelly Bowen

Duke. Scoundrel. Titan of business. August Faulkner is a man of many talents, not the least of which is enticing women into his bedchamber. He's known-and reviled-for buying and selling companies, accumulating scads of money, and breaking hearts.

It's a reputation he wears like a badge of honor, and one he intends to keep.

Clara Hayward, the headmistress of the Haverhall School for Young Ladies, on the other hand, is above reproach. Yet when she's reunited with August all she can think of is the way she felt in his arms as they danced a scandalous waltz ten long years ago.

Even though her head knows that he is only back in her life to take over her family's business, her heart can't help but open to the very duke who could destroy it for good.

Date Added: 07/29/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Historical Romance Short

A Duke to Remember

by Kelly Bowen

Love takes the stage . . . Elise deVries is not what she seems. By night, the actress captivates London theatergoers with her chameleon-like ability to slip inside her characters. By day, she uses her mastery of disguise to work undercover for Chegarre & Associates, an elite agency known for its discreet handling of indelicate scandals. But when Elise is tasked with locating the missing Duke of Ashland, she finds herself center stage in a real-life drama. Noah Ellery left the glamour of the London aristocracy to pursue a simpler life in the country. He's managed to avoid any complications or entanglements-that is, until he lays eyes on Elise and realizes there's more to this beautiful woman than meets the eye. But when Elise reveals her real identity-and her true feelings for him-the runaway duke must confront the past he left behind . . . to keep the woman he loves forever.

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Short Historical Romance

Enclave

by Ann Aguirre

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Young Adult Romance

Evernight

by Kristen Callihan

Once the night comes . . . Will Thorne is living a nightmare, his sanity slowly being drained away by a force he can't control. His talents have made him the perfect assassin for hire. But as he loses his grip on reality, there is no calming him-until he finds his next target: the mysterious Holly Evernight.Love must cast aside the shadowsHolly cannot fathom who would put a contract on her life, yet the moment she touches Will, the connection between them is elemental, undeniable-and she's the only one who can tame his bouts of madness. But other assassins are coming for Holly. Will must transform from killer to protector and find the man who wants Holly dead . . . or his only chance for redemption will be lost.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Paranormal Romance

The Farm

by Emily Mckay

Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are--holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the undead monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other... And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible. Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices--like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won't be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help... Carter was a schoolmate of Lily's in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2013

Category: Young Adult Romance

Fearless

by Elizabeth Dyer

A broken man. A desperate woman. And a love that could save them both. William Bennett lost everything to a Special Forces operation gone wrong. A year of captivity and torture has stripped him of his strength and decency. At the edge of losing all hope, the one woman he's never forgotten storms back into his life, giving him more than just his freedom. All Will wants now is to put the agony and violence behind him . . . but he won't go home until she can, too.

Cooper Reed has been a lot of things--soldier, sniper, spy--but she never thought traitor would be one of them. Now she can't stop running. Not from the partner sent to kill her, or from the CIA who used her to cover up a dangerous experiment. Cooper needs help, she just never expected to find it in the one man with every reason to hate her--even if he doesn't know it yet.

As Will and Cooper race to stay one step ahead of those who want them dead, they'll each have to decide what lines they're willing to cross and what price they're willing to pay . . . and if love really is worth dying for.

Author Note: Fearless is a stand-alone novel in the Somerton Security series, complete with a damaged hero, a take-no-prisoners heroine and an HEA.

Date Added: 08/30/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Romantic Suspense


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