• Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Clean and Wholesome Romance,  Best Historical Romance Books

    A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter

    Who to trust when her reputation is at stake…

    Miss Amelia Stalwood may live in London at her absent guardian’s townhouse, but she’s never actually met any nobility; instead of aristocrats, her closest friends are servants.

    Quite by happenstance, she’s introduced to the Hawthorne family and their close family friend, Anthony, the reformed Marquis of Raebourne. They welcome her into their world, but just as she’s beginning to gain some confidence and even suspect that she may have caught Anthony’s eye, she’s blindsided by an unexpected twist in her situation accompanied by nasty rumors. Will she lose her reputation when the world that has only just accepted her turns its back on her, or will she rest in the support of the friends who’ve become like family and the man who’s shared his faith and captured her heart?

    The author on faith during Regency England:

    “Despite the general debauchery across much of the culture, there were people who were devoutly Christian. This was the generation laying the groundwork for greats such as Charles Spurgeon and D.L. Moody to rise up and change the world. While the faith was certainly present, evangelism as we know it today was not a priority yet.”

    Kristi Ann Hunter

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Clean and Wholesome Romance,  Best Historical Romance Books

    The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz

    Love, betrayal, and new beginnings…

    When colonial Williamsburg explodes like a powder keg on the eve of the American Revolution, Lady Elisabeth “Liberty” Lawson is abandoned by her fiancé and suspected of being a spy for the hated British.

    No one comes to her aid save the Patriot Noble Rynallt, a man with formidable enemies of his own. Liberty is left with a terrible choice. Will the Virginia belle turned lacemaker side with the radical revolutionaries, or stay true to her English roots? And at what cost?

    What the author wants readers to learn through The Lacemaker:

    “That history is truly God’s story, and during that tumultuous period when America fought for its independence, He was at work creating one of the greatest, God-honoring nations in the world through the flawed yet selfless heroism of our founding fathers, the American people, and courageous women like our heroine who supported the cause for liberty.”

    Laura Frantz

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    Highland Promise by Alyson McLayne

    When forced to choose between duty and honor, this Highland Laird will find a way to have both.

    Darach MacKenzie vowed never again to let a woman near his heart after his betrothed betrayed him. It sparked an intense feud between his clan and the Frasers. With all-out war on the wind, Darach can’t be distracted—not even by a sweet and charming lass who desperately needs his help.

    When Darach rescued Caitlin MacInnes from the clutches of vile Laird Fraser, she vowed to never let men or misery rule her life again. With Darach and the MacKenzie clan, Caitlin finally feels safe. But when Laird Fraser shows up to claim what’s rightfully his, or go to war, Darach will have to use all his brawn and brains to protect Caitlin—even if it means losing his heart.

    The author’s inspiration for this novel:

    “I first started writing HIGHLAND PROMISE about 10 years ago after reading ALL of Julie Garwood’s Highlander romances. I LOVED them—the resolute Highland laird and the kind, somewhat quirky, heroine who worms her way into his heart. IMHO, they are the funniest, sweetest, and best warm-fuzzy- inducing books ever written. I think HIGHLAND PROMISE captures that same tone and spirit”

    Alyson McKlayne

  • Best Historical Romance Books

    MacFarland’s Lass by Glynnis Campbell

    A woman on the run…a man on the hunt. 

    He has forty days to earn her trust. She has forty days to win his heart. They have forty days to outwit their enemies.

    When Florie Gilder, the once-respected jeweler to Queen Mary, claims sanctuary in an abandoned church for a crime she didn’t commit, huntsman Rane MacFarland, a local hero of the common folk, vows to protect her. But when his overlord charges him with preventing the fugitive lass’s escape, Rane finds himself torn between duty and desire when he begins to fall for his spirited captive. And when powerful foes conspire to turn Rane and Florie against each other, they need courage, wits, and, most of all, love, to survive.

    The author on why she bases her books in Scotland:

    “I’ve always been excited by medieval tales of noble knights and sweeping adventure. When I met my husband, we were both in high school, and once I found out he had Scottish roots, I became fascinated with that location. When I first visited Scotland, I fell in love with the rugged but beautiful landscape, the fierce but kindly people, and I was fascinated by the idea that women could wield power over clans.”

    Glynnis Campbell

  • Best Romantic Suspense Books

    To Die For by Linda Howard

    She was a dead ringer. Now she’s just dead. . . .

    Blair Mallory lives the good life. She’s pretty, confident, and the owner of a thriving up-scale fitness center. But in the shadow of success, a troubled member of the club develops a strange fixation on Blair, imitating her style and dress. Matters take a darker turn when the look-alike is shot dead—and Blair witnesses the horror.

    As the media speculates on the tawdry details of the homicide and pushes Blair into the harsh spotlight, she locks horns with police lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth. He wants to lead an investigation without interference, while Blair is determined to probe the dead woman’s life on her own. But when someone begins to menace Blair with mounting threats, Wyatt takes notice: Was this murder indeed a lethal case of mistaken identity–and was Blair the intended victim?

    Writing the main character, Blair:

    “Blair was fun, period. I was never a cheerleader, and my friends call me “the queen of logic.” That’s when they aren’t saying that I think like a man. So Blair is nothing like me, and if I didn’t channel a cheerleader I’d like to know what the heck that voice is chattering away inside my head??? Her family never underestimated her, but men did. And she had fun with it. She was so cheerfully ruthless, and so intelligent and sharp, that she used her personna as a means of getting her way. If someone underestimated her, she blithely rolled over them. When I was writing To Die For I spent a lot of my time sitting in front of the computer laughing like an idiot.”

    Linda Howard