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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 26 through 50 of 105 results
 
 

The Firebird

by Susanna Kearsley

New York Times Bestseller Two Women. One Mysterious Relic. Separated By Centuries. Nicola Marter was born with a gift so rare and dangerous, she kept it buried deep. When she encounters a desperate woman trying to sell a small wooden carving called "The Firebird," claiming it belonged to Russia's Empress Catherine, it's a problem. There's no proof. But Nicola's held the object. She knows the woman is telling the truth. Beloved by readers as varied and adventurous as her novels, you will never forget spending time in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susanna Kearsley's world. Reviewers love Susanna Kearsley Winner of RT Book Reviews Historical Fiction and Historical Fantasy/Paranormal Awards "A creative tour de aforce...Brilliant!"-New York Journal of Books "Romantic, passionate, and bittersweet, this intelligent, tension-laden story will sweep you away."-Historical Novel Review "An imaginatively captivating trip through time."-Fresh Fiction "Kearsley makes the impossible seem real...and makes history come alive."-Booklist Readers love The Firebird "If you closed your eyes and opened them again, you would be there, right in the story." "This is now my very favorite Kearsley novel...which is saying a lot." "Every scene leaves me wanting more." "Deeply romantic and filled with rich, fascinating history." "Expertly weaves two tales into one vastly entertaining read."

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2014

Category: Paranormal Romance

The Firebird

by Susanna Kearsley

Whoever dares to seek the firebird may find the journey--and its ending-- unexpected. Nicola Marter was born with a gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes sees images, glimpses of those who have owned it before. It's never been a gift she wants, and she keeps it a secret from most people, including her practical boss Sebastian, one of London's premier dealers in Russian art. But when a woman offers Sebastian a small wooden carving for sale, claiming it belonged to Russia's Empress Catherine, it's a problem. There's no proof. Sebastian believes that the plain carving--known as "The Firebird"--is worthless. But Nicola has held it, and she knows the woman is telling the truth and is in desperate need of the money the sale of the heirloom could bring. Compelled to help, Nicola turns to a man she once left and still loves: Rob McMorran, whose own psychic gifts are far greater than hers. With Rob to help her "see" the past, she follows a young girl named Anna from Scotland to Belgium and on into Russia. There, in St. Petersburg--the once-glittering capital of Peter the Great's Russia--Nicola and Rob unearth a tale of love and sacrifice, of courage and redemption . . . an old story that seems personal and small, perhaps, against the greater backdrops of the Jacobite and Russian courts, but one that will forever change their lives.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2014

Category: Paranormal Romance

First Grave On The Right

by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right is the smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light. " But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i. e. , murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life. . . and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. This is a thrilling debut novel from Darynda Jones, an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense. First Grave on the Right is the winner of the 2012 Rita Award for Best First Book.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Best First Book

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

The Fixer

by Helenkay Dimon

He’s known only as Wren. A wealthy, dangerously secretive man, he specializes in making problems disappear. A professional fixer, Wren hides a dark past, but his privacy is shattered when Emery Finn seeks him out—and what she wants from him is very personal.

Some people disappear against their will. Emery’s job is to find them and bring closure. Wren is the only person who can help solve Emery’s own personal mystery: the long-ago disappearance of her cousin. Just tracking down the sexy, brooding Wren is difficult enough. Resisting her body’s response to him will prove completely impossible.

Anonymity is essential to Wren’s success, yet drawn by Emery’s loyalty and sensuality, he’s pulled out of the shadows. But her digging is getting noticed by the wrong people. And as the clues start to point to someone terrifyingly close, Wren will have to put his haunted past aside to protect the woman he loves.

Date Added: 07/20/2018


Year: 2018

Category: Romantic Suspense

Flash Fire (A Navy Seal Romance)

by Dana Marton

2016 RITA Award Nominee

All he wants is to be left alone. But to complete her mission, she must gain his help.

When an American teenager disappears abroad, Clara Roberts, a by-the-book investigator on a secret mission, joins forces with Light Walker, a former Navy SEAL turned lawless mercenary, to save her. The sparks they generate--and the trouble they stir up--threaten to set the jungle ablaze.

Nothing is what it seems in this fast-paced romantic thriller. As attraction grows into love, looming danger turns into all-out war. Clara and Walker must hold on to each other and race against time to survive.

"If you enjoy books by Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Cindy Gerard, or Anne Stuart, you will love Ms. Marton's books... Marton spins another outstanding read of danger, action, thrills, heartbreak, and mystery in this fast pace action thriller." Page by Page Reviews

Date Added: 09/19/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Romantic Suspense

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

Forbidden River

by Brynn Kelly

A dangerous game at the end of the earth…For French Foreign Legionnaire Cody Castillo, chasing deadly thrills is the only reprieve from a bloodstained past he can’t forget. But when the adrenaline junkie finds himself caught in a mass murderer’s crosshairs in the lonely wilds of New Zealand, he finds an unexpected—and intriguing—ally.Former air force pilot Tia Kupa has always found safety in nature, until a killer turns the wilderness into a playground. In this life-or-death game, the guarded woman who lives by the rules must rely on a risk taker with a death wish. The sexy devil-may-care legionnaire may be the wrong guy for her, but desire is just as primal as terror. Even if they outrun a predator, they can’t escape the sizzling bond neither of them saw coming.

Date Added: 07/20/2018


Year: 2018

Category: Romance Novella

Forget Tomorrow

by Pintip Dunn

Now a New York Times bestseller!

Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your future self.

It's Callie's seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie's case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in prison. The only person who can help is her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn't spoken to in five years.

Logan breaks her free, but can she trust him? He’s almost the same boy she remembers, but now he’s a whole lot hotter. And he’s got his own past to deal with. Callie’s falling for him, fast, but she soon learns he has secrets of his own. Secrets that mean they can never be together.

Now, Callie's on the run not only from the government, but also from her fate. If she wants any hope of a future with Logan, she must first find a way to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all―herself.

The Forget Tomorrow Series continues:

Remember Yesterday
Seize Today - 2017

Date Added: 09/19/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Best First Book

For Real (A Spires Story)

by Alexis Hall

Laurence Dalziel, a thirty-seven year old trauma surgeon, is worn down and washed up. And for him the BDSM scene especially is all played out. He’s tired of pantomiming submission, and he’s long since given up looking for more than hollow release.

Then he meets Toby Finch. Nineteen years old. Fearless, fierce, and vulnerable. Everything Laurie can’t remember being.

Toby doesn’t know who he wants to be or what he wants to do. He doesn’t know how he ended up where he is or where he’s meant to be going. But he knows, with all the terrible certainty of youth, that he wants Laurie.

He wants Laurie on his knees. He wants to make him hurt, he wants to make him beg, he wants to make him fall in love. But while Laurie will surrender his body to Toby’s desires, he won’t surrender his heart. Because whatever they have, however right it feels, he knows it can’t last. Toby has to live his own life, and Laurie has to let him.

It can’t be for real.

Date Added: 09/20/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Erotic 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

The Haunting of Maddy Clare

by Simone St. James

A woman of limited means and even less experience must confront a vengeful spirit in this haunting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel.1920s England. Sarah Piper&’s lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist an obsessed ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis—rich, handsome, and scarred by World War I—has been summoned to investigate the spirit of the nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is said to haunt the barn where she committed suicide.Maddy hated men in life, and she will not speak to them in death. But Sarah is unprepared to confront an angry ghost—real or imagined—on her own. She&’s even less prepared for the arrival of Alistair&’s associate, rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, also a veteran of the trenches, whose scars go deeper than Sarah can reach.Soon, Sarah is caught up in a desperate struggle. For Maddy&’s ghost is no hoax—she&’s real, she&’s angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Now, Sarah and Matthew must discover who Maddy was, where she came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance—before she destroys them all....

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2013

Category: Best First Book

Her Every Wish

by Courtney Milan

Crash has never let the circumstances of his birth, or his lack of a last name, bother him. His associations may be unsavory, but money, friends, and infamy open far more interesting doors than respect ever could. His sole regret? Once lovely, sweet Daisy Whitlaw learned the truth about how he made his fortune, she cut him off. Daisy’s father is dead, her mother is in ill health, and her available funds have dwindled to a memory. When the local parish announces a charity bequest to help young people start a trade, it’s her last chance. So what if the grants are intended for men? If she’s good enough, she might bluff her way into a future. When Crash offers to show her how to swagger with confidence, she knows he is up to no good. But with her life in the balance, she’s desperate enough to risk the one thing she hasn’t yet lost: her heart. Her Every Wish is a companion novella in the Worth Saga. It stands on its own, but those who wish to read in order might want to read the first book in the series, Once Upon a Marquess, before this one. The books in the Worth Saga are: 1. Once Upon a Marquess 1½. Her Every Wish 2. After the Wedding 3. The Devil Comes Courting 4. The Return of the Scoundrel 5. The Kissing Hour 6. A Tale of Two Viscounts 7. The Return of the Earl

Date Added: 07/28/2017


Year: 2017

Category: Romance Novella

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

His Road Home

by Anna Richland

Winner of Romance Writers of America's 2015 RITA® Award for Best Romance Novella "Richland packs a novel's worth of plot and characterization into this tantalizing novella. " --Publishers Weekly, starred review Special Forces medic Rey Cruz needs to find a fiancée, fast, or he'll end up in a marriage orchestrated by an Afghan warlord. Finding a picture online of a girl he barely knew back home, he fakes an engagement photo, thinking no one else will see it. But when Rey loses both legs and the ability to speak while rescuing a local boy, the image goes viral. Seattle marine biologist Grace Kim is shocked to find out she's engaged. When she's offered a plane ticket to visit her "fiancé," she takes it, looking for the answer to one question: Why did he lie? Touched by Rey's funny texts and the determination she sees in him, Grace offers her friendship--a big step for someone who prefers whales to most company. And when Rey is finally sent home, Grace agrees to help him drive his classic car cross-country over Thanksgiving--a once-in-a-lifetime road trip that leads to what feels like real love. In front of his friends and family, she plays the caring fianc,e, but what place will Grace have in Rey's new life once he's ready to be on his own again? 39,000 words

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2015

Category: Romance Novella

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

I Love the Earl

by Caroline Linden

A single lady in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a suitor Margaret de Lacey has accepted her unmarried state with dignity, if not delight. She had no suitors when she was young and starry-eyed, though regrettably poor, and it's unlikely any man will court her now that she's older, wiser, and still just as penniless. Until, that is, her brother unexpectedly inherits the dukedom of Durham and settles an enormous dowry on her, making her the most eligible heiress in town. No gentleman in London is more in need of a wealthy bride than Rhys Corwen, Earl of Dowling. He contrives an introduction to Margaret because of her dowry, but she swiftly sets him right: no fortune hunter will win her heart or her hand. Far from put off, Rhys is intrigued. Interested. Entranced. And soon the only thing he needs more than Margaret's fortune...is her love.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2012

Category: Romance Novella

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

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

The Iron King

by Julie Kagawa

MEGHAN CHASE HAS A SECRET DESTINY-ONE SHE COULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED... Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth. For Meghan is the daughter of a mythical faery king...and a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.Don't miss the first book in Julie Kagawa's highly anticipated new series, TALON, AVAILABLE OCTOBER 28, 2014

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2011

Category: Young Adult Romance

It Started with a Scandal

by Julie Anne Long

Lord Philippe Lavay once took to the high seas armed with charm as lethal as his sword, and a stone-cold conviction: he'll restore his family's fortune and honor, no matter the cost. Victory is at last within reach--when a brutal attack snatches it from his grasp and lands him in Pennyroyal Green.An afternoon of bliss brings a cascade of consequences for Elise Fountain. She is shunned by her family and ousted from a job she loves, and her survival means a plummet down the social ladder to a position no woman has yet been able to keep: housekeeper to a frighteningly formidable prince.The bold and gentle Elise sees past his battered body into Philippe's barricaded heart . . . and her innate sensuality ignites his blood. Now a man who thought he could never love and a woman who thought she would never again trust must fight an incendiary passion that could be the ruin of them both.

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2016

Category: Short Historical Romance

Kiss of a Demon King

by Kresley Cole

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes a spellbinding standalone novel set in the Immortals After Dark universe: the story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes--and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive.His obsession... Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart. Her downfall... Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs. They were never supposed to want each other this much... With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2010

Category: Paranormal Romance

Kiss of a Demon King

by Kresley Cole

From New York Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole comes this spellbinding story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes -- and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive. HIS OBSESSION... Sabine, Sorceress of Illusions: the evil beauty who surrenders her body, but not her heart. HER DOWNFALL... Rydstrom Woede: the ruthless warrior who vows to keep her at all costs. THEY WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO WANT EACH OTHER THIS MUCH... With each smoldering encounter, their shared hunger only increases. If they can defeat the sinister enemy that stands between them, will Sabine make the ultimate sacrifice for her demon? Or will the proud king lay down his crown and arms to save his sorceress?

Date Added: 05/29/2017


Year: 2010

Category: Paranormal Romance

Lady in Waiting

by Marie Tremayne

She wants to escape her present . . .

When Clara Mayfield helps her sister elope, she’s prepared for the scandal to seal her fate as a spinster. What she doesn't expect is to find herself engaged to the vile Baron Rutherford as a means of salvaging her family's reputation. Determined not to be chained to a man she loathes, Clara slips out of Essex and sheds her identity: she becomes Helen, maid at the Earl of Ashworth’s country estate. After all, below stairs is the last place anyone would think to look for an heiress . . .

He wants to forget his past . . . William, Lord Ashworth, is attempting to rebuild his life after the devastating accident that claimed the lives of his entire family, save his beloved sister and niece. Haunted by memories of what was and determined to live up to the title he never expected to inherit, William doesn’t have time for love. What he needs is a noble and accomplished wife, one who can further the Ashworth line and keep the family name untarnished . . .

Together, can they find the perfect future?From their first encounter, the attraction between them is undeniable. But Clara knows William is falling for Helen, a woman who doesn’t even exist. The question is, if she reveals the truth about her identity, can she trust the broken William to forgive her lie and stand by her side when scandal—and the baron—inevitably follow her to his door?

Date Added: 07/29/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Best First Book

Long Shot

by Kennedy Ryan

A FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA... Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl? You don't. My fairy tale is upside down. A happily never after. I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud. I was a fool, and his love - fool's gold. Now there's a new player in the game, August West. One of the NBA's brightest stars. Fine. Forbidden. He wants me. I want him. But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won't let me go.

Date Added: 08/30/2019


Year: 2019

Category: Contemporary Romance Long


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