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