• Best Clean and Wholesome Romance,  Fantasy Romance

    Pathways by Camille Peters

    Pathways book cover

    Eileen has never been interested in love. But the enchanted forest has different ideas… 

    Ever since her father’s abandonment, she’s vowed to never experience such pain again. When the continuously shifting pathways on the enchanted forest lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep.

    One night when she becomes lost in a storm, the enchanted forest’s pathways lead her to the castle, home to the kingdom’s Dark Prince, where Eileen finds herself entangled in what many consider an opportunity but which Eileen believes to be a curse: competing for the Dark Prince’s hand through a series of tests that judge one’s royal worth. Eileen is neither royal nor interested in becoming a princess. But the mysterious stranger she met in the woods has his own reasons for helping her succeed, although the cost of his assistance may be too high: that of Eileen’s heart, the one thing she’s vowed never to give.

    The author on creating a fairy tale fantasy world in her novel:

    “I also wanted to give the setting a medieval, fairy tale feel while weaving elements of magic and fantasy throughout the setting. So far my favorite is both the magical moving Forest that plays a prominent role in my first novel, Pathways, and the enchanted gardens in my upcoming novel. Nature is very dear to my heart, so I wanted to make something that already feels magical to me become enchanted in some way. I love creating settings with a light element of magic so that they feel more real, like something we can discover and explore in real life rather than just through the pages of my books.”

    Camille Peters

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Romantic Suspense Books

    Night Fall by Susan Sleeman

    She faces dangerous situations all the time, but she has no idea what lurks in the shadows…

    Olympic downhill skier, Harper Young, knows what it’s like to look danger in the face. After all, she does it every time she races down a ski slope. She’s fine with that danger and even excels under the pressure, winning Olympic gold. And as a governor’s daughter, she’s familiar with receiving threats from the general public. But when a stalker turns his sights on Harper, she possesses zero skills to protect herself.

    Former Navy SEAL and ATF Agent, Aiden Byrd of Nighthawk Security is well versed in protection skills and knows the dangers she faces. Problem is, there’s an instant attraction between Aiden and Harper, and as Aiden and the Nighthawk team contract to protect her, he has to fight to remain professional. When the stalker grows bolder and tries to end Harper’s life, Aiden’s only hope in keeping her safe is to deny his feelings. Something that borders on impossible.

    The author on writing romantic suspense novels:

    “I write romantic suspense books because I love to read romantic suspense novels. Plots in the books I write usually come from news stories that peak my interest. I start thinking about the stories and ask myself questions until I can come up with an interesting plot filled with twists and turns. This all inspires me to create characters who will be conflicted over the main plot and soon their personalities are formed in my mind.”

    Susan Sleeman

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Twice Shy by Mona Ingram

    He broke her heart all those years ago. Now he’s living at her grandmother’s B&B.

    Rebecca returns to her childhood home after her grandmother dies, only to discover that she might not have known her beloved Gran at all. Arriving at Waterlily Bay Lodge, she’s surprised to discover her childhood sweetheart in residence… the same young man who disappeared on the night of their high school prom. As the truth about Mitch’s disappearance is revealed, can they come to terms about what tore them apart?

    The author on the this “Power of Love” series:

    “These are individual stories featuring the healing power of love when lives are shattered and relationships go wrong. ”

    Mona Ingram

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    The Duchess of Chocolate by Sydney Jane Baily

    Step into Rare Confectionery on New Bond Street, where three talented sisters create treats as delectable to the tongue as they are appealing to the eye. One taste is all it takes to be captivated…

    The Duke of Pelham desires an original confection to win the Season’s loveliest lady. Naturally, he turns to London’s premiere chocolatier for assistance. Amity has never had a customer quite like the duke. In status, he’s far above ordinary men, yet he is one of the friendliest, funniest, and most engaging males she has ever met.

    As the duke enters the scrumptious world of confectionery, he discovers the chocolate-maker is as delightful—and tempting—as her creations. While Amity designs the perfect proposal chocolate, her heart begins to wish the duke could be her very own mouthwatering reward. Join Amity and her duke on a chocolate-filled romance in the heart of Mayfair, where nobility often acts in a less-than noble fashion. Will the upper-echelon of society sour their happiness and keep them from the sweetest of endings?

    The author on her writing style:

    “I tend to have a slow pace, with in-depth simmering characterizations, which take time to develop, though my heroes and heroines often recognize an attraction almost instantly. So, I am a character-driven writer, rather than thinking of an entire story first.”

    Sydney Jane Baily

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie

    As pride, duty and passion clash, will these two stubborn hearts find more than they ever dreamed of?

    Major Calbourne Rutherford returns to England on the trail of an assassin, only to find he’s become Lord Ashendon, with the responsibility for vast estates and dependent relatives. Cal can command the toughest of men, but his wild half-sisters are quite another matter. They might just be his undoing.

    When he discovers that Miss Emmaline Westwood, the girls’ former teacher, guides them with ease, Cal offers her a marriage of convenience. But strong-minded and independent Emm is neither as compliant nor as proper as he expected, and Cal finds himself most inconveniently seduced by his convenient wife. to face with Harmony. Over the next several weeks, the two become unlikely friends as Steve learns to love and trust God, and mutual attraction surprises them both. Emm knows they didn’t marry for love, yet beneath her husband’s austere facade, she catches glimpses of a man who takes her breath away.

    The author on the hero and his relationship with his sisters:

    “Poor Cal — he’s used to getting instant obedience from the soldiers under his command, but in this story he discovers that females, especially female relations, are quite a different matter. And besides, heroes need to learn.”

    Anne Gracie