2018 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Romance: Long

Falling Hard by Lexi Ryan - Self-published - Rhonda Merwarth The Dating Game by Avril Tremayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Victoria Oundjian Famous by Jenny Holiday - Self-published - Tracy Montoya No One but You by Brenda Novak - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Emily Ohanjanians Take the Lead by Alexis Daria - Macmillan, St. Martin's, Swerve - Holly Ingraham Tougher in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Mary Altman The Whys Have It by Amy Matayo - Self-published - Kristin Avila The Wingman by Natasha Anders - Amazon, Montlake - Melody Guy

Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length

Tell Me by Abigail Strom - Amazon, Montlake - Maria Gomez & Charlotte Herscher The F-Word by Sandra Marton - Self-published - Gretchen Stull His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras - Kensington, Zebra, Shout - Martin Biro Lucky Charmed by Sharla Lovelace - Kensington, Lyrical, Shine, Wendy McCurdy New Leash on Life by Roxanne St. Claire - Self-published - Kristi Yanta Redemption by Kelly Moran - Self-published - A. J. Nuest Royally Wed by Teri Wilson - Simon & Schuster, Pocket Star - none given Summer Stock by Vanessa North - Riptide - Carole-Ann Galloway This Can't Be Love by Maria Geraci - Self-published - Rhoda McDuffey You Do Something to Me by Bella Andre - Oak Press - Bella Andre

Contemporary Romance: Short

Second Chance Summer by Kait Nolan - Self-published - Susan Bischoff The Billionaire's Christmas Baby by Marion Lennox - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Sheila Hodgson Christmas at the Graff by Kaylie Newell - Tule, Montana Born - Sinclair Sawhney A Christmas Miracle by Amy Andrews - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Medical - Megan Haslam The Cowboy Upstairs by Tanya Michaels - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Western - Johanna Raisanen The Doctor and the Princess by Scarlet Wilson - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Medical - Nicola Caws Miracle on Chance Avenue by Jane Porter - Tule, Montana Born - none given The Princess Problem by Teri Wilson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Special Edition - Gail Chasan The Sheikh's Convenient Princess by Liz Fielding - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Bryony Green Troy by Amy Andrews - Tule - Sheila Hodgson

Erotic Romance

Wicked Dirty by J. Kenner - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Martini & Olive - Martini & Olive Constant Craving by Tamara Lush - Self-published - Jami Nord Deposition and a Dare by Evelyn Adams - Self-published - The Atwater Group The Rivalry by Nikki Sloane - Self-published - Karen Dale Harris Stud by Jamie Schmidt - PRH/Random House, Bantam, Loveswept - Sue Grimshaw

First Book

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria - Macmillan, St. Martin's, Swerve - Holly Ingraham Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel - Entangled, Teen - Liz Pelletier His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras - Kensington, Zebra, Shout - Martin Biro The Thing with Feathers by McCall Hoyle - HarperCollins, Children's, Blink - Jillian Manning Waltzing with the Earl by Catherine Tinley - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Julia Williams

Historical Romance: Long

Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Alex Logan The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron Mad for the Marquess by Jess Russell - Wild Rose, Tea Rose - Nicole D'Arienzio The Scandalous Flirt by Olivia Drake - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin The Scoundrel's Honor by Christi Caldwell - Amazon, Montlake - Alison Dasho

Historical Romance: Short

Waltzing with the Earl by Catherine Tinley - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Julia Williams Blame It on the Duke by Lenora Bell - HarperCollins, Avon - Carrie Feron The Demon Duke by Margaret Locke - Self-published - Tessa Shapcott The Rogue's Conquest by Lily Maxton - Entangled, Scandalous - Alycia Tornetta The Scandal of It All by Sophie Jordan - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen A Scottish Lord for Christmas by Lauren Smith - Hachette, Grand Central, Forever - Madeleine Colavita Within a Captain's Soul by Lisa Olech - Kensington, Lyrical - Amanda Siemen

Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance

Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Susan Swinwood The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Susan Swinwood Shelter the Sea by Heidi Cullinan - Self-published - Sasha Knight Unloved: A Love Story by Katy Regnery - Self-published - Chris Belden & Melissa Demeo

Paranormal Romance

Hunt the Darkness by Stephanie Rowe - Self-published - none given Bishop by Marie Johnston - Self-published - Razor Sharp Editing The Druid Next Door by E. J. Russell - Riptide - Rachel Haimowitz Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin Song of the Nightpiper by Hannah Meredith - Self-published - Anna D. Allen Spectred Isle by K. J. Charles - Self-published - none given To Enthrall the Demon Lord by Nadine Mutas - Self-published - Faith Freewoman Wanted and Wired by Vivien Jackson - Sourcebooks, Casablanca - Cat Clyne

Romance Novella

Forbidden River by Brynn Kelly - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Allison Carroll "Dancing with the Duke's Heir" in Scandal at the Christmas Ball by Bronwyn Scott - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Nicola Caws Her Duke at Daybreak by Wendy LaCapra - Self-published - The Killion Group "In His Arms" in Falling: Small Town Love Anthology by Jules Dixon - Self-published - Michelle Josett "The Pursuit of..." in Hamilton's Battalion: A Trio of Romances by Courtney Milan - Self-published - Lindsey Faber The Secret of My Seduction by Caroline Linden - Self-published - Martha Trachtenberg "Sweet Home Highlands" in Christmas in Kilts: A Highland Holiday Box Set by May McGoldrick - Macmillan, St. Martin's, Swerve - Eileen Rothschild Until the Sun Sets by Tara Wyatt - Macmillan, St. Martin's, Swerve - Holly Ingraham

Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements

Then There Was You by Kara Isaac - Self-published - Iola Goulton & Halee Matthews Grounded Hearts by Jeanne M. Dickson - Amazon, Waterfall - Sheryl Zajechowski A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese - Amazon, Waterfall - Sheryl Zajechowski A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander - Baker, Bethany House - Karen Schurrer One Simple Wish by Katy Lee - Annie's Fiction - Janice Tate

Romantic Suspense

The Fixer by HelenKay Dimon - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen Critical Instinct by Janie Crouch - Amazon, Kindle Press - Stephanie Scott Guarding Mr. Fine by HelenKay Dimon - HarperCollins, Avon - Shauna Summers Montana Heat: Escape to You by Jennifer Ryan - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro Say You're Sorry by Melinda Leigh - Amazon, Montlake - Charlotte Herscher & Anh Schluep Too Wilde to Tame by Tonya Burrows - Entangled, Ignite - Heather Howland Touch of Red by Laura Griffin - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Abby Zidle The Transporter by Liz Maverick - Amazon, Montlake - Alison Dasho Under Fire by Scarlett Cole - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Lizzie Poteet

Young Adult Romance

Seize Today by Pintip Dunn - Entangled, Teen - Liz Pelletier Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel - Entangled, Teen - Liz Pelletier Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer - Bloomsbury, Childrens USA - Mary Kate Castellani The Thing with Feathers by McCall Hoyle - HarperCollins, Children's, Blink - Jillian Manning