2018 RITA® Winners & Finalists

Contemporary Romance: Long

Falling Hard by Lexi Ryan

The Dating Game by Avril Tremayne

Famous by Jenny Holiday

No One but You by Brenda Novak

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria

Tougher in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell

The Whys Have It by Amy Matayo

The Wingman by Natasha Anders

Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length

Tell Me by Abigail Strom

The F-Word by Sandra Marton

His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras

Lucky Charmed by Sharla Lovelace

New Leash on Life by Roxanne St. Claire

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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