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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 51 through 75 of 105 results
 
 

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

One in a Million

by Jill Shalvis

As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles . . . to the tears. It's that last part that keeps her single and not looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she's sworn off love . . . Tanner is a deep-sea diver with a wild, adrenaline-junkie past-and now his teenage son is back in his life. How can Tanner be a role model when he's still paying for his own mistakes? It's hard enough that gorgeous Callie has appeared in town like a beautiful dream, challenging his best-laid plans to keep his heart on lockdown. Though there's something about being around her again that makes him feel like he can be the man she-and his son-deserve. Little Lucky Harbor holds their past; can it hold a beautiful new future?

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Mid-Length Contemporary Romance

How to Keep a Secret

by Sarah Morgan

When three generations of women are brought together by crisis, they learn over the course of one hot summer the power of family to support, nourish and surprise

Lauren has the perfect life…if she ignores the fact it’s a fragile house of cards, and that her daughter Mack has just had a teenage personality transplant.

Jenna is desperate to start a family with her husband, but it’s… Just. Not. Happening. Her heart is breaking, but she’s determined to keep her trademark smile on her face.

Nancy knows she hasn’t been the best mother, but how can she ever tell Lauren and Jenna the reason why?

Then life changes in an instant, and Lauren, Mack, Jenna and Nancy are thrown together for a summer on Martha’s Vineyard. Somehow, these very different women must relearn how to be a family. And while unraveling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, the rewards could be infinite.

Heartwarming and fresh, Sarah Morgan’s brilliant new novel is a witty and deeply uplifting look at the power of a family of women.

Date Added: 07/29/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance

Now That You Mention It

by Kristan Higgins

New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins welcomes you home in this witty, emotionally charged novel about the complications of life, love and family

One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying?

Two major steps back. Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There’s only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn’t necessarily want her.

At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments.

With a tough islander mother who’s always been distant, a wild-child sister in jail and a withdrawn teenage niece as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was, Nora has her work cut out for her if she’s going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family.

Balancing loss and opportunity, dark events from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise…and the chance to begin again.

Date Added: 07/20/2018


Year: 2018

Category: Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance

The Moon in the Palace

by Weina Dai Randel

There is no easy path for a woman aspiring to powerA concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor's attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the Emperor a gift he can never forget.Mei's intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the Emperor. But just as she is in a position to seduce the most powerful man in China, divided loyalties split the palace in two, culminating in a perilous battle that Mei can only hope to survive. In the breakthrough first volume in the Empress of Bright Moon duology, Weina Dai Randel paints a vibrant portrait of ancient China--where love, ambition, and loyalty can spell life or death--and the woman who came to rule it all.

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance

No Mistress of Mine

by Laura Lee Guhrke

A reformed rogue finds his tarnished honor tested by the only woman who ever broke his heart in this “spellbinding, sizzling” Victorian romance (Kirkus, starred review).Once one of the wildest rakes among the ton, Lord Denys Somerton is now devoted to putting his past behind him. He is determined to fulfill his duties, find a suitable wife, and start a family. But that plan changes when Lola Valentine—the red-haired temptress from his past—returns to London, sparking the same irresistible desires that almost ruined his life once before.As an American girl from the wrong side of the tracks—let alone the wrong side of the Atlantic—Lola has no romantic illusions. She knew that she can never be the wife of a British lord. For Denys’s sake, she walked away. But when an unexpected inheritance brings her back to London, Lola discovers the passion between them is as dangerously hot as ever. A RITA® Award Winner for Historical Romance Long!

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Long Historical Romance

Fool Me Twice

by Meredith Duran

In the vein of Sarah MacLean, a sexy and evocative Regency romance between a vengeful duke and a fiery redhead from an author who is a veritable tour de force in the genre. &“Readers need to make room on their keeper shelf for Meredith Duran&” (Fresh Fiction).A lady with a secret.Running for her life, exhausted and out of options, Olivia Holladay wants nothing more than the chance to make a home for herself. So when she realizes that the infamous Duke of Marwick might hold the key to her freedom, she boldly disguises herself as the newest and bravest in a long line of the duke&’s notoriously temperamental housekeepers. Little does she know that the wickedly handsome Alastair de Grey has very different plans for her.A man with a passion—for vengeance.As his new employee, Olivia is a fearless upstart. As a woman, the daring redhead is just what Alastair needs to rouse him from darkness to the siren call of revenge. He has suffered a betrayal so deep that he will use whatever means necessary to destroy his enemies—even his brazen and beautiful domestic. But his vengeful plan fails to account for his single weakness: an irresistible and growing passion for the enigmatic Olivia.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Long Historical Romance

Tiffany Girl

by Deeanne Gist

From the bestselling author of It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive “New Woman”—the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel—and the love that threatens it all.As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen. But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.” Tiffany Girl is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world. As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Long Historical Romance

A Gift for All Seasons

by Karen Templeton

Hiring Patrick Shaughnessy to landscape her new inn was strictly a business arrangement. Until April Ross got to know the war-scarred single father...and his irrepressible little girl. Patrick made it clear he wasn't looking for romance. Neither was April. But could she make him see that some risks were worth taking?The lively, widowed blonde might be the most tempting woman Patrick had ever known, but the returning vet knew a happy ending wasn't in the cards. Still, that was before April started working her magic on his daughter...and on him. Maybe this Christmas was a time for new beginnings-if Patrick had the courage to go with the powerful feelings April had awakened in him....

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2013

Category: Long Contemporary Series

Miracle on 5th Avenue

by Sarah Morgan

It will take a Christmas miracle for two very different souls to find each other in this perfectly festive fairy tale of New York! Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. She might be spending the holidays alone this year, but when she's given an opportunity to house-sit a spectacular penthouse on Fifth Avenue, she leaps at the chance. What better place to celebrate than in snow-kissed Manhattan? What she didn't expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous-and mysterious-owner. Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife's death looming, he's isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. He wants no interruptions, no decorations and he certainly doesn't appreciate being distracted by his beautiful, bubbly new housekeeper. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings...This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Long Contemporary 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

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

The Measure of Katie Calloway

by Serena Miller

The Civil War has ended, but in Katie Calloway's Georgia home conflict still rages. To protect herself and her young brother from her violent and unstable husband, she flees north, finding anonymity and sanctuary as the cook in a Northwoods lumber camp. The camp owner, Robert Foster, wonders if the lovely woman he's hired has the grit to survive the never-ending work and harsh conditions of a remote pine forest in winter. Katie wonders if she can keep her past a secret from a man she is slowly growing to love.

With grace and skill, Serena Miller brings to life a bygone era. From the ethereal, snowy forest and the warm cookstove to the rowdy shanty boys and the jagged edges of the saw, every detail is perfectly rendered, transporting the reader back to the time when pine was king, men were made of iron, and rivers were choked with logs on the way to the sawmills. Readers will have a hard time leaving the Northwoods when they turn the last page.

Date Added: 09/22/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Inspirational Romance

In Harm's Way

by Irene Hannon

FBI special agent Nick Bradley has seen his share of kooks during his fifteen years with the Bureau. But Rachel Sutton is an enigma. She seems normal when she shows up at the FBI office in St. Louis--until she produces a tattered Raggedy Ann doll she found and tells him she thinks something is wrong because of a strange feeling of terror it gives her when she touches it. Nick dismisses her, only to stumble across a link between the doll and an abducted child, setting in motion a chain of events that uncovers startling connections--and puts Rachel's life on the line.

Filled with palpable suspense and a touch of romance, In Harm's Way is the final installment of the thrilling HEROES OF QUANTICO series.

Praise for Irene Hannon:
"Extraordinary writing, vivid scenes, and a surprise ending come together for a not-to-be-missed reading experience."--Romantic Times
"I found someone who writes romantic suspense better than I do."--Dee Henderson

Date Added: 09/20/2017


Year: 2011

Category: Inspirational Romance

My Hope Next Door

by Tammy L. Gray

RITA Award winner, Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements.

Former bad girl Katie Stone can feel the weight of her reputation settle over her as she drives home for the first time in years. Feeling deeply guilty about her past mistakes, Katie wants to do the right thing for once. But the small town where she grew up is not nearly as forgiving as she'd hoped. Despite it all, she's determined to help her parents cope with her mother's recent illness, and Katie finds a surprise ally in the man next door.

Asher Powell never minded being the son of a small-town pastor until a recent breakup leaves him wounded by lifelong members of his church. He remembers his new neighbor as a mean-spirited high school troublemaker, but he senses that her newfound faith and desire for forgiveness are sincere.

Through an unexpected friendship, two people from different worlds find peace, hope, and a second chance they never dreamed was possible.

Date Added: 09/20/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Inspirational Romance

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

A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House)

by Kristi Ann Hunter

Sparkling Regency Romance from a Captivating New Voice Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, a duke--with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she's heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marlow, her brother's new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the strictures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned. When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men--one she's never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

Date Added: 09/18/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Inspirational Romance

The Inheritance

by Tamera Alexander

An unexpected inheritance. An unknown future. An unending love. Determined to tame her younger brother's rebellious streak, McKenna Ashford accepts her cousin's invitation to move west, and to begin again. But she quickly discovers that life in Copper Creek, Colorado, is far from what she expected. Shouldering burdens beyond her years, McKenna tries to be the parent Robert needs, instead of the older sister he resents. But an "untimely inheritance" challenges her resolve at every turn, while also offering a second chance to restore her sense of trust--and perhaps even her heart. U.S. Marshal Wyatt Caradon is dedicated to bringing fugitives to justice, yet years of living on the trail have taken their toll. When his path intersects with that of McKenna, he comes face-to-face with a past he never wanted to relive--and the one woman who can help him find the future he's been longing for. As McKenna struggles to let go of her independence and Wyatt considers opening his heart again, they discover an inheritance beyond imagination. But it will come at a price.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2010

Category: Inspirational Romance

Five Days in Skye

by Carla Laureano

Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she'll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she's sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she'd rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father's dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives--and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2014

Category: Inspirational Romance

Waltzing with the Earl

by Catherine Tinley

A wallflower's time to shine... The Earl of Shalford needs to marry into money to save his estate. Wealthy and beautiful Henrietta Buxted should be the perfect candidate. So why does his eye keep wandering to her quiet cousin, Charlotte Wyncroft?

Charlotte watches Henrietta's games of courtship with wry amusement. That is, until a stolen dance reveals a hidden side to the earl. Penniless Charlotte knows she's far from a suitable match, yet, in Adam's arms, she can dream of the happily-ever-after she's always wanted!

Date Added: 07/20/2018


Year: 2018

Category: Historical Romance: Short

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 Wicked Kind of Husband

by Mia Vincy

It was the ideal marriage of convenience...until they met

Cassandra DeWitt has seen her husband only once--on their wedding day two years earlier--and this arrangement suits her perfectly. She has no interest in the rude, badly behaved man she married only to secure her inheritance. She certainly has no interest in his ban on her going to London. Why, he'll never even know she is there.

Until he shows up in London too, and Cassandra finds herself sharing a house with the most infuriating man in England.

Joshua DeWitt has his life exactly how he wants it. He has no need of a wife disrupting everything, especially a wife intent on reforming his behavior. He certainly has no need of a wife who is intolerably amiable, insufferably reasonable ... and irresistibly kissable.

As the unlikely couple team up to battle a malicious lawsuit and launch Cassandra's wayward sister, passion flares between them. Soon the day must come for them to part ... but what if one of them wants their marriage to become real?

Hilarious, heartrending, and hot, this historical romance set in Regency London tells the story of a marriage of convenience between opposites.

Content warning: See the copyright page for information on content that may distress some readers.

Date Added: 08/30/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Historical Romance Long

Not Quite a Husband

by Sherry Thomas

Sherry Thomas is one of the hottest new voices in historical romance, garnering the highest praise from today's bestselling writers ("Entrancing." --Mary Balogh; "Ravishingly sinful, intelligent and addictive." --Eloisa James). Now Sherry delivers this powerful story of a remarkable woman and the love she thought she'd never find--with the man she thought she'd lost forever.... Their marriage lasted only slightly longer than the honeymoon--to no one's surprise, not even Bryony Asquith's. A man as talented, handsome, and sought after by society as Leo Marsden couldn't possibly want to spend his entire life with a woman who rebelled against propriety by becoming a doctor. Why, then, three years after their annulment and half a world away, does he track her down at her clinic in the remotest corner of India? Leo has no reason to think Bryony could ever forgive him for the way he treated her, but he won't rest until he's delivered an urgent message from her sister--and fulfilled his duty by escorting her safely back to England. But as they risk their lives for each other on the journey home, will the biggest danger be the treacherous war around them--or their rekindling passion?From the Paperback edition.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2010

Category: Historical Romance

His at Night

by Sherry Thomas

From the most powerfully original historical romance author writing today (Lisa Kleypas) comes a lush, seductive new romance about a lord and lady who seem a perfect match--until they discover each other's secrets. Original.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2011

Category: Historical Romance

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


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