Congratulations to all of the finalists!

Winners will be announced in June.

Thank you to all of our entrants and our reader judges!

Short Contemporary

• Chance Meeting - Christine Columbus
• The Ex Next Door - Heatherly Bell
• Overboard for the Holidays - Heatherly Bell
• Paging Dr. Breakup - Jillian David
• True Fate - Tracy Sumner

Long Contemporary

• Second Chance at Sunshine Inn - Amy Clipston
• The Second Story Bookshop - Denise Hunter
• Just the Way You Are - Nika Rhone
• You're My Match - Peggy Jaeger
• Grace on the Rocks - Rose Prendeville

Extra Spicy/Erotic

• The Charlie Method - Elle Kennedy
• Rock Steady - Leigh Court
• Kiss of the Basilisk - Lindsay Straube
• How We Are - Poppy Minnix

Historical

• Letters Take the Lady - Anna Valleria
• The Wayfaring Widow - Casey Cline
• Thee Baron of Bad Behavior - Elf Ahearn
• Olive Becket Plays the Rake - Kat Sterling
• Passion's Duty - Lizzie Jenks

Short Inspirational

• Together this Christmas - Beth K. Vogt
• Wyoming Ranch Sabotage - Kellie VanHorn
• Texas Kidnapping Target - Laura Scott
• Beside the Dead - Mary Alford
• One Nine - Sara Davison

Long Inspirational

• Rescuing the Rain Man - Amy Schisler
• Who Stirs Up the Sea - Deborah Raney
• A Slight Change of Plans - Denise M. Colby
• Unshaken - Shelley Shepard Gray
• What Brings Us Joy - Teresa Wells

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

• The Me I Left Behind - Madeleine Jaimes
• The Wrangler's Christmas Gift - Roxanne Snopek
• Shift of Heart - S.E. Babin
• Over the Sea to Skye - Sue Moorcroft
• The King's Messenger - Susanna Kearsley

Romance Novella

• Merry Mazes and Mistletoe Magic - Aubrey Wynne
• Heart of Beauty - Danielle Grandinetti
• A Star in the West - Karen Witemeyer
• Falling for You - Melanie Stevenson
• Kiss the Duke Goodbye - Tracy Sumner

Speculative Romance

• The Keeper's Code - Barb DeLong
• With This Heart- Heather Alexander
• The Wolf King - Lauren Palphreyman
• A Kingdom of Witches and Wanderers - Leslie O'Sullivan
• Once Upon a Midnight Dreary - Michelle Miles

Romantic Suspense

• Echoes of Darkness - Darlene L. Turner
• Out of Time - Irene Hannon
• Mine - Sami A. Abrams
• Perfect Vengeance - Tee O'Fallon
• Zorro - Zoe Dawson

Dark Romance

• Silent Memory - Carolyn Wren
• Stolen Memory - Carolyn Wren
• Blackthorn - J.T. Geissinger
• Beautiful Venom - Rina Kent
• Born into Madness - Sonja Grey

Young Adult Romance

• My Return to the Walter Boys - Ali Novak
• North - Ann Michelle Harris
• Heir of the Haloed Sun - H.C. Lane
• The Kiss Wish - J.L. Wyer
• A First Time for Everything - K.L. Walther

Best First Book

• North - Ann Michelle Harris
• The Wayfaring Widow - Casey Cline
• The Carpenter's Schoolmarm - Kimberly Burkhardt
• Reviving Embers - Paige Reed
• What Brings Us Joy - Teresa Wells

Best Book By a Virginia Author

• Her Irish Savage - Alix Key
• Thrice Bound - Nicole E. Kelleher
• Justice Denied -Sarah Hamaker
• Fatal Past - Sarah Hamaker
• A Worthy Risk - T. Elizabeth Renich