2008 RITA® Winners & Finalists
Contents
- 1 Contemporary Series Romance
- 2 Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
- 3 Contemporary Single Title Romance
- 4 First Book
- 5 Historical Romance
- 6 Inspirational Romance
- 7 Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
- 8 Paranormal Romance
- 9 Regency Historical Romance
- 10 Romance Novella
- 11 Romantic Suspense
- 12 Young Adult Romance
Contemporary Series Romance
Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Laura Shin
- Always a Bridesmaid by Kristin Hardy - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Gail Chasan
- Fall from Grace by Kristi Gold - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Everlasting Love - Beverley Sotolov
- Make-Believe Mom by Elaine Grant - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Victoria Curran
- The Mile High Club (aka The Millionaire's Blackmail Bargain) by Heidi Rice - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Modern Extra - Bryony Green
- Night Mischief by Nina Bruhns - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Nocturne - Natashya Wilson & Tara Parsons
- Sleeping Partner (aka Trouble in a Pinstripe Suit) by Kelly Hunter - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Sexy Sensation - Joanne Carr
- The Tycoon's Princess Bride by Natasha Oakley - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Presents - Jenny Hutton
Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
Treasure by Helen Brenna - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Johanna Raisanen
- High-Risk Affair by RaeAnne Thayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Gail Chasan
- The Medusa Affair by Cindy Dees - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Patience Smith
- The Medusa Seduction by Cindy Dees - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Patience Smith
- Midnight Prince by Dani Sinclair - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Natashya Wilson
- Sara's Son by Tara Taylor Quinn - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Paula Eykelhof
- Stranded with a Spy by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romantic Suspense - Gail Chasan
- Untouched by Samantha Hunter - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Blaze Extreme - Birgit Davis Todd
Contemporary Single Title Romance
Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Tracy Farrell & Keyren Gerlach
- Blame It on Cupid by Jennifer Greene - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Melissa Jeglinski
- Coming Undone by Susan Andersen - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Margo Lipschultz
- Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Michele Bidelspach
- She's No Angel by Leslie Kelly - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Brenda Chin
- The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Dutton - Julie Doughty
- Tangled Up in You by Rachel Gibson - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
- Tempt Me Tonight by Toni Blake - HarperCollins, Avon Red - Lucia Macro
First Book
Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey - HarperCollins, Avon - Erika Tsang
- Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra - Simon & Schuster, Pocket, MTV - Jennifer Heddle
- Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan - HarperCollins, Harlequin, NEXT - Ann Leslie Tuttle
- Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore - PRH/Random House, Delacorte - Krista Marino
- Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Valerie Gray
- Snow Angel by Jamie Carie - B&H, Fiction - Thomas Walters & David Webb
- Thief with No Shadow by Emily Gee - BL, Solaris - Mark Newton
- Treasure by Helen Brenna - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Johanna Raisanen
Historical Romance
Lessons of Desire by Madeline Hunter - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Shauna Summers
- And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke - HarperCollins, Avon - Erika Tsang
- Beloved Warrior by Patricia Potter - PRG/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Wendy McCurdy & Christine Zika
- The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Melanie Murray
- Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin
- The Perfect Kiss by Anne Gracie - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Wendy McCurdy & Christine Zika
- Surrender to a Scoundrel by Julianne MacLean - HarperCollins, Avon - Erika Tsang
- Tempted Tigress by Jade Lee - Dorchester, Leisure - Chris Keeslar
Inspirational Romance
A Touch of Grace by Linda Goodnight - HarperCollins, Harlequin Steeple Hill, Love Inspired - Allison Lyons
- Autumn Blue by Karen Harter - Hachette, Center Street - Christina Boys
- Pursuit of Justice by Pamela Tracy - HarperCollins, Harlequin Steeple Hill, Love Inspired Suspense - Krista Stroever
- Rainbow's End by Irene Hannon - HarperCollins, Harlequin Steeple Hill, Love Inspired - Melissa Endlich
- Ransomed Dreams by Amy Wallace - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg
- Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg
- Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren - Tyndale House - Karen Watson
- When the Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Shannon Hill
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Valerie Gray
- A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith - BelleBooks - Debra Dixon
- High Noon by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Putnam - Leslie Gelbman
- Learning to Breathe by Karen White - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Accent - Cindy Hwang
- Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), 5 Spot - Karen Kosztolnyik
- See No Evil by Allison Brennan - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Charlotte Herscher
- Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin
- Thief with No Shadow by Emily Gee - BL, Solaris - Mark Newton
Paranormal Romance
Lover Revealed by J. R. Ward - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Onyx - Kara Cesare
- Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey - HarperCollins, Avon - Erika Tsang
- Demon's Kiss by Maggie Shayne - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Leslie Wainger
- Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair - PRH/Random House, Bantam, Spectra - Anne Groell
- He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot by Stephanie Rowe - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Forever - Melanie Murray
- Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Christine Zika & Wendy McCurdy
- Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Silhouette, Nocturne - Leslie Wainger
- Touch of Darkness by Christina Dodd - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Kara Cesare
Regency Historical Romance
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn - HarperCollins, Avon - Lyssa Keusch
- Blackthorne's Bride by Shana Galen - HarperCollins, Avon - May Chen
- Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
- Lord of Scandal by Nicola Cornick - HarperCollins, Harlequin, HQN - Kimberley Young
- Untouched by Anna Campbell - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
Romance Novella
"Born in My Heart" in Like Mother, Like Daughter (But in a Good Way) by Jennifer Greene - HarperCollins, Harlequin, NEXT - Melissa Jeglinski
- "Angel and the Hellraiser" in Demon's Delight by Vickie Taylor - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Sensation - Cindy Hwang
- "Christmas Cravings" in Holiday with a Vampire by Maureen Child - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Silhouette, Nocturne - Melissa Jeglinski
- "Christmas Day Family" in A Western Winter Wonderland by Cheryl St. John - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Ann Leslie Tuttle
- "Eternity in Death" in Dead of Night by J. D. Robb - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman
- "Fallen Angel" in A Western Winter Wonderland by Jenna Kernan - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Historical - Ann Leslie Tuttle
- "Mischief and the Marquess" in Perfect Kisses by Sylvia Day - Kensington, Brava - Kate Duffy
- "On the Fringe" in Dead of Night by Mary Kay McComas - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
Romantic Suspense
Ice Blue by Anne Stuart - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Margaret O'Neill Marbury
- Die for Me by Karen Rose - Hachette, Grand Central (Warner), Vision - Karen Kosztolnyik
- Ice Storm by Anne Stuart - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Margaret O'Neil Marbury
- Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan - HarperCollins, Harlequin, NEXT - Ann Leslie Tuttle
- Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Charlotte Herscher
- Traceless by Debra Webb - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Weis
- White Heat by Cherry Adair - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Charlotte Herscher
Young Adult Romance
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr - HarperCollins, HarperTeen - Anne Hoppe & Nick Lake
- Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson - HarperCollins, HarperTeen - Farrin Jacobs
- Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra - Simon & Schuster, Pocket, MTV - Jennifer Heddle
- Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles - Llewellyn Worldwide, Flux - Andrew Karre