• Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Saying I Do by Tracey Alvarez

    A jilted small-town doctor. An allergic-to-white bridal boutique owner. Can these two gun-shy cynics ever say ‘I Do’?

    Dr. Joe Whelan lost his taste for love when he was left at the altar–thanks to a woman who should’ve kept her focus on his fiancée’s bridal gown and out of his business. Moving to the remote Stewart Island wasn’t far enough to get away from those humiliating memories. Luckily Joe’s got a plan to both get even with the sharp-tongued firecracker who ruined his life, and to ensure his sister doesn’t marry the biggest mistake of hers.

    MacKenna Jones loves a good wedding so long as she’s not the one walking down the aisle. Now she’s temporarily back on Stewart Island and face-to-face with the good doctor who boils her blood one moment and weakens her knees the next. A seven day road trip with him to sabotage his sister’s wedding in the Marriage Capital of the World wasn’t her idea, nor was falling for his sexy bedside manner–so why are wedding bells ringing in her ears?

    Some writing advice from the author:

    Learn the craft first, help other writers along the way, keep reading good books, don’t compare yourself to anyone else, refuse to stop writing even if you never earn enough for an espresso, remember the sage advice that this journey is a marathon, not a race.

    Tracey Alvarez

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Substitute Bride by Noelle Adams

    For more than two years, Rose has been the nanny for James Harwood’s daughters.

    For more than two years, Rose has been the nanny for James Harwood’s daughters…

    She adores the girls, but she tries to maintain a professional distance with James—no matter how attractive she finds him. However, when his engagement falls apart and he starts to look at her differently, Rose no longer sees him only as her boss.

    James isn’t the kind of man to fall for his nanny, so he doesn’t know why he can’t stop thinking about her in very wrong ways. He’s determined to resist, to keep his life simple and to find an appropriate substitute for his wife who died. But with a manipulative ex-fiancée, two precocious daughters, Rose’s interfering Southern grandmother, a short-lived fake engagement, and feelings that won’t be denied, nothing remains simple for long.

    Noelle Adams on one thing she enjoys about writing:

    I always say that breaking down the traditional alpha hero into a genuine, vulnerable human being (which is my modus operandi) is one of my great joys in life.

    Noelle Adams

  • Best Romantic Suspense Books

    Indebted by Sharon Cooper

    Even when he does good, he’s bad…

    Detective Lazarus Dimas doesn’t play by the rules. On the streets, he’s a force to be reckoned with, a dangerous man with a badge and a gun. But he does have a soft spot — the sexy assistant district attorney Journey Ramsey. There is something about the woman he can’t shake. She’s irresistible and off limits.

    Journey plays by the rules, normally. But she can’t deny the sexual tension that sparks whenever Laz is near, even when he puts her professional integrity at risk.Yet, there’s a gentle, vulnerable side to him that he lets no one see except her, and she can’t resist him. Can Laz prove he’s the man for Journey before a reopened case exposes his true colors? Or will the danger they face show that the love they share knows no boundaries?

    Sharon Cooper’s thoughts on the Lazarus Dimas:

    I try to never play favoritism with my characters, but I have to admit, Laz ranks up their pretty high as one of my favorites! He’s a good guy (police detective) who skates on the edge of right and wrong…usually for a good reason.

    Sharon Cooper

  • Best Christian Romance Books,  Best Historical Romance Books

    Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson

    A Compelling Series Set on the 1840s Frontier…

    Grace Martindale has known more than her share of hardship. After her parents died, raising her two younger sisters became her responsibility. A hasty marriage to a minister who is heading to the untamed West seemed like an opportunity for a fresh start, but a cholera outbreak along the wagon trail has left Grace a widow in a very precarious position.

    Having learned natural remedies and midwifery from her mother, Grace seeks an opportunity to use her skills for the benefit of others. So when she and her sisters arrive at the Whitman mission in “Oregon Country,” she decides to stay rather than push on. With the help of Alex Armistead, a French-American fur trapper, Grace begins to provide care for her neighbors, including some of the native populace. But not everyone welcomes her skills–or her presence–and soon Grace finds herself and those she loves in more danger than she imagined possible.

    In Tracie Peterson’s words about writing Christian Romance:

     I always saw my writing as a ministry that could be used to share my faith and encourage others.

    Tracie Peterson

  • Best Contemporary Romance Novels

    Summer at the Lake by Linda Barrett

    Flying Solo — single parents, second chances and the power of love…

    Veteran NY cop, Rick Cooper, heads to his family’s lake house after losing a hostage negotiation, resulting in the death a child. He brings only his dog and his saxophone for company. Single mom, Kristin McCarthy hears the sound of the saxophone gliding through the night air…a healing sound for her daughter.

     An attractive widow with a damaged kid are the last people Rick needs in his life, and he tries hard to remain aloof. The ladies, however, knock down his barriers simply by being themselves. Fearful but brave, smart but silly. Before long, warm feelings grow between him and Kristin. Feelings that spark potential for a future together. However, before Kristin allows herself to dream, Rick must prove he’s a man she and her daughter can trust. Can they count on him forever? 

    Awards Linda Barrett has received for this book:

    Award of Excellence, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America
    Write Touch Readers’ Award, Colorado Romance Writers of America
    Award of Merit–Holt Medallion, Virginia Romance Writers