2002 RITA® Winners & Finalists
Contents
Contemporary Single Title Romance
True Confessions by Rachel Gibson - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
- [[The Four Seasons[[ by Mary Alice Monroe - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Martha Keenan
- I Got You, Babe by Jane Graves - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers
- Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman
- Some Kind of Wonderful by Barbara Freethy - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
First Book
The Border Bride by Elizabeth English - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- Fallen by Celeste Bradley - Dorchester, Leisure - Christopher Keeslar
- Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- Hide-and-Sheikh by Gail Dayton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Jennifer Walsh & Stephanie Maurer
- The Nightingale's Song by Kathleen Eschenburg - HarperCollins, Harper, HarperTorch - Carrie Feron
- Secret Vows by Mary Reed McCall - HarperCollins, Avon by Lyssa Keusch
Inspirational Romance
Beneath a Southern Sky by Deborah Raney - PRH/Crown, WaterBrook - Lisa Bergren & Traci DePree
- The Guardian by Dee Henderson - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg
- The Protector;; by Dee Henderson - PRH/Crown, Multnomah - Julee Schwarzburg
- Ribbon of Years by Robin Lee Hatcher - Tyndale House - Becky Nesbitt & Traci DePree
Long Contemporary Series Romance
Coming Home to You by Fay Robinson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Paula Eykelhof
- In Close Quarters by Candace Irvin - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Allison Lyons
- Madigan's Wife by Linda Winstead Jones - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Mary-Theresa Hussey
- Magic in a Jelly Jar by Sally Tyler Hayes - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Special Edition - Kim Nadelson & Natashya Wilson
- The Money Man by Carolyn McSparren - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Zilla Soriano
- Notorious by Vicki Lewis Thompson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Blaze - Brenda Chin
- Plain-Jane Princess by Karen Templeton - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Intimate Moments - Gail Chasan
- The Word of a Child by Janice Kay Johnson - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Super Romance - Laura Shin
Long Historical Romance
The Bridal Season by Connie Brockway - PRH/Random House, Dell - Wendy McCurdy
- The Border Bride by Elizabeth English - PH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- The Dragon's Bride by Jo Beverley - PH/Penguin, Berkley - Audrey LaFehr
- Enchanting Pleasures by Eloisa James - PRH/Random House, Delacorte - Jackie Cantor
- The Husband Test by Betina Krahn - PRH/Random House - Bantam - Wendy McCurdy
- A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros - PRH/Random House - Bantam - Wendy McCurdy
- Nightingale's Gate by Linda Francis Lee - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers
- The Secret Swan by Shana Abe - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy
- Summer Moon by Jill Marie Landis - PRH/Random House, Ballantine, Ivy - Shauna Summers
Paranormal Romance
Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner - Dorchester, Love Spell - Christopher Keeslar
- Dance upon the Air by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman
- Destiny by Maggie Shayne - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- Heaven and Earth by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman
- To Charm a Knight by Linda Kay - Kensington, Zebra - John Scognamiglio
Regency Romance
Much Obliged by Jessica Benson - Kensington, Zebra - John Scognamiglio
- One Good Turn by Carla Kelly - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross
- The Painted Lady by Barbara Metzger - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet Regency - Hilary Ross
- Under the Kissing Bough by Shannon Donnelly - Kensington, Zebra, Regency - Amy Garvey
Romance Novella
"I Will" in Wish List by Lisa Kleypas - Dorchester, Leisure - Alicia Condon
- "The Demon's Mistress" in In Praise of Younger Men by Jo Beverley - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Cecilia Oh
- "Night" in Night and Day by Anne Stuart - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Intrigue - Tracy Farrell
- "The Rose and the Sword" in Once Upon a Rose by Jill Gregory - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- "Santa Baby" in Naughty or Nice? by Patricia Ryan - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin
- "Winter Rose" in Once Upon a Rose by Nora Roberts - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman
Romantic Suspense
The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Linda Marrow
- Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Leslie Gelbman
- Blind Faith by Christiane Heggan - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Amy Moore-Benson
- Dark Side of Dawn by Merline Lovelace - PRH, Penguin, Berkley, NAL Signet - Audrey LaFehr
- Darkling, I Listen by Katherine Sutcliffe - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Christine Zika
- Mercy by Julie Garwood - Simon & Schuster, Pocket - Maggie Crawford
- The Perfect Princess by Elizabeth Thornton - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy
- Princess Charming by Elizabeth Thornton - PRH/Random House, Bantam - Wendy McCurdy
Short Contemporary Romance
A Long Hot Christmas by Barbara Daly - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Susan Sheppard
- Fortune's Secret Daughter by Barbara McCauley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Ann Leslie Tuttle
- In Dante's Debt by Jane Porter - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Presents - Tessa Shapcott
- The Inconvenient Bride by Anne McAllister - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Presents - Sarah Wood
- Jingle Bell Bride? by Jennifer LaBrecque - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Duets - Brenda Chin
- The Matchmaker's Mistake by Jane Sullivan - HarperCollins, Harlequin Duets - Jennifer Tam
- Sinclair's Surprise Baby by Barbara McCauley - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Desire - Melissa Jeglinski
- Under the Covers by Jamie Ann Denton - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Temptation - Jennifer Tam
Short Historical Romance
Tempt Me Twice - Barbara Dawson Smith - Macmillan, St. Martin's - Jennifer Enderlin
- Halfway to Heaven by Susan Wiggs - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Dianne Moggy & Martha Keenan
- The Horse Soldier by Merline Lovelace - HarperCollins, Harlequin, MIRA - Martha Keenan
- Never Marry a Cowboy by Lorraine Heath - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
- Once a Mistress by Rebecca Hagan Lee - PRH/Penguin, Berkley, Jove - Cindy Hwang
- Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas - HarperCollins, Avon - Lucia Macro
- White Lion's Lady by Tina St. John - PRH/Random House, Ballantine - Shauna Summers
Traditional Romance
Quinn's Complete Seduction by Sandra Steffen - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Melissa Jeglinski
- Accidental Fiancee by Renee Roszel - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Linda Fildew
- Adopted: Twins! by Marion Lennox - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Ceri Tomlins
- The Bachelor's Baby by Liz Fielding - HarperCollins, Harlequin, Romance - Ceri Tomlins
- Doctor on Loan by Marion Lennox - HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon - Medical - Ceri Tomlins
- His Baby, Her Heart by Sue Swift - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Kim Nadelson
- Just One Kiss by Carla Cassidy - HarperCollins, Harlequin Silhouette, Romance - Melissa Jeglinski
