2016 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Romance: Long

Brokedown Cowboy by Maisey Yates - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Margo Lipschultz

Fire Me Up by Kimberly Kincaid - Kensington, Zebra - Alicia Condon

Love Me Sweet by Tracy Brogan - Amazon, Montlake Romance - Kelli Martin

Love Somebody Like You by Susan Fox - Kensington, Zebra - Martin Biro

Once Kissed by Cecy Robson - PRH/Random House, Bantam, Loveswept - Sue Grimshaw

Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Susan Swinwood

Redemption Bay by RaeAnne Thayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Gail Chasan

Searching for Beautiful by Jennifer Probst - Simon & Schuster, Gallery - Lauren McKenna

Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Leah Hultenschmidt

The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Paula Eykelhof

Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length

Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy - Self-published - Edie Danford

A Cold Creek Christmas Story by RaeAnne Thayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Special Edition - Gail Chasan

Dances under the Harvest Moon by Joanne Rock - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Adrrienne Macintosh

Falling for Mister Wrong by Lizzie Shane - Self-published - Kristan Andrews

Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Laura Fazio

Love After All by Jaci Burton - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Kate Seaver

The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Leah Hultenschmidt

Not a Fairy Tale by Romy Sommer - HarperCollins, HarperImpulse - Charlotte Ledger

Once Pure by Cecy Robson - PRH/Random House, Bantam, Loveswept - Sue Grimshaw

Romancing Miss Right by Lizzie Shane - Self-published - Kristan Andrews

Contemporary Romance: Short

The Nanny Plan by Sarah M. Anderson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Desire - Stacy Boyd

A Bramble House Christmas by C. J. Carmichael - Tule Publishing - Sinclair Sawhney

Carter Bravo's Christmas Bride by Christine Rimmer - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Special Edition - Gail Chasan

Chance of a Lifetime by Marissa Clarke - Entangled Publishing, Lovestruck - Liz Pelletier

Heated Moments by Phyllis Bourne - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Kimani - Glenda Howard

His Lost-and-Found Bride by Scarlet Wilson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Mills & Boon, Romance - Carly Byrne

One Night with Her Bachelor by Kat Latham - Tule, Montana Born - Sinclair Sawhney

The Prince She Never Forgot by Scarlet Wilson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Mills & Boon, Romance - Carly Byrne

Tempting the Knight by Heidi Rice - Tule - Kelly Hunter

Three Nights Before Christmas by Kat Latham - Tule - Sinclair Sawhney

Erotic Romance

For Real: A Spires Story by Alexis Hall - Riptide - Sarah Lyons

Break Me Down by Roni Loren - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Intermix - Kate Seaver

Say My Name by J. Kenner - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Shauna Summers

Sugar by Seressia Glass - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Cindy Hwang

Three Little Mistakes by Nikki Sloane - Self-published - Lori Whitwam

First Book

Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn - Entangled, Teen - Liz Pelletier

Altered by Marnee Blake - Entangled, Embrace - Candace Havens

Night Hush by Leslie Jones - HarperCollins, HarperImpulse - Nicole Fischer

No Better Man by Sara Richardson - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Megha Parekh

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter - Baker, Bethany House - Raela Schoenherr

Pairing Off by Elizabeth Harmon - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Carina Press - Kerri Buckley

The Strongest Steel by Scarlett Cole - Macmillan, St. Martin's Press - Elizabeth Poteet

Viking Warrior Rising by Asa Maria Bradley - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Cat Clyne

Historical Romance: Long

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist - Simon & Schuster, Howard - Beth Adams

Bella and the Beast by Olivia Drake - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin

Earls Just Want to Have Fun by Shana Galen - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Deb Werksman

If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Micki Nuding

Tremaine's True Love by Grace Burrowes - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Deb Werksman

Historical Romance: Short

It Started with a Scandal by Julie Anne Long - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen

Falling into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen

Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare - HarperCollins, Avon - Tessa Woodward

Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress by Theresa Romain - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Deb Werksman

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Amy Pierpont

Inspirational Romance

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter - Baker, Bethany House - Raela Schoenherr

A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade - Baker, Bethany House - Charlene Patterson & Raela Schoenherr

Mistletoe Justice by Carol J. Post - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Love Inspired Suspense - Rachel Burkot

The Mountain Midwife by Laurie Alice Eakes - HarperCollins, Zondervan - Becky Phillpot

The Rescued by Marta Perry - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Ellen Edwards

Paranormal Romance

Must Love Chainmail by Angela Quarles - Self-published - Erynn Newman & Jessa Slade

Midnight's Kiss by Thea Harrison - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Cindy Hwang

Possessed by a Wolf by Sharon Ashwood - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Nocturne - Ann Leslie Tuttle

The Shattered Court by M. J. Scott - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL ROC - Jessica Wade

Soulbound by Kristen Callihan - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Alex Logan

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley - Leslie Gelbman

Viking Warrior Rising by Asa Maria Bradley - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Cat Clyne

Romance Novella

Nice Girls Don't Ride by Roni Loren - PRH/Penguin, Berkley Intermix - Kate Seaver

All's Fair in Love and Scandal by Caroline Linden - HarperCollins, Avon Impulse - Lyssa Keusch

Blue Streak (aka Hookup Master) by Jules Barnard - Self-published - Shelley Bates

"Desert Heat" in Course of Action: Crossfire by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romantic Suspense - Patience Bloom

"Her Secret Prince" in Royal Holiday by Madeline Ash - Tule - Laurie Johnson

"Let It Shine" in The Brightest Day, a Juneteenth Historical Anthology by Alyssa Cole - Self-published - Arynn Nichols

One Little Kiss by Robin Covington - Self-published - Nicole Bailey

"The Resurrection of Sam Sloan" in Dark and Damaged by Erin Quinn - Self-published

Toward the Sunrise by Elizabeth Camden - Baker, Bethany House - Raela Schoenherr

Romantic Suspense

Flash Fire by Dana Marton - Self-published

Barefoot with a Bodyguard by Roxanne St. Claire - Self-published - Kristi Yanta

Barefoot with a Stranger by Roxanne St. Claire - Self-published - Kristi Yanta

Facing Fire by HelenKay Dimon - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen

Fatal Frenzy by Marie Force - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Carina Press - Alissa Davis

In the Waning Light by Loreth Anne White - Amazon, Montlake Romance - Charlotte Herscher & JoVon Sotak

She Can Kill by Melinda Leigh - Amazon, Montlake Romance - Charlotte Herscher & Anh Schluep

The Strongest Steel by Scarlett Cole - Macmillan, St. Martin's Press - Elizabeth Poteet

Target Engaged by M. L. Buchman - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Deb Werksman

Young Adult Romance

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett - Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends - Anna Roberto

Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg - Amazon, 47North - Jason Kirk

Rikki by Abigail Strom - Self-published

Unspoken by C. C. Hunter - Macmillan, St. Martin's, Griffin - Rose Hilliard