The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) has today announced the shortlists for this year’s Romantic Novel Awards, as well as the winner of the Popular Romantic Fiction Award for 2023.
Sharon Ibbotson, the RNA Awards coordinator, added: “Our genre continues to go from strength to strength, providing escapism, delight and delicious romance with the turn of every page. Our shortlisted books, voted for by real, everyday readers, are a testament to wordmanship and the dedication of their authors, who we congratulate today.”
The full list of 2023 categories and their shortlists are:
The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award
Hidden in the Mists by Christina Courtenay
I Let You Fall by Sara Downing
Skip to the End by Molly James
Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell
The Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers
My Other Husband by Dorothy Koomson
The Serial Killer’s Girl by L.H. Stacey
A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award
The Love of My Other Life by CJ Connolly
A Colourful Country Escape by Anita Faulkner
Twelve Days in May by Niamh Hargan
Always by Your Side by Julie Haworth
From Fake to Forever by Laila Rafi
The Christmas/Festive Holiday Romantic Novel Award
This Year’s for Me and You by Emily Bell
Merrily Ever After by Cathy Bramley
Christmas with his Ballerina by Jessica Gilmore
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan
Santa, Please Bring Me a Boyfriend by Sophie Ranald
The Shorter Romantic Novel Award
The Earl’s Mysterious Lady by Louise Allen
Summer at Seaspray Cottage by Angela Britnell
The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love by Jenni Fletcher
Their Surprise Safari Reunion by Ella Hayes
Stranded with My Forbidden Billionaire by Lucy King
The Romantic Saga Award
A Child of the Dales by Diane Allen
A New Start for the Wrens by Vicki Beeby
The London Girls by Soraya M. Lane
Courage for the Cornish Girls by Betty Walker
A Mother’s War by Mollie Walton
The Jane Wenham-Jones Award for Romantic Comedy
Great Sexpectations by Kristen Bailey
Playing for Love by Jeevani Charika
The Woman Who Took a Chance by Fiona Gibson
Take a Chance on Greece by Emily Kerr
A Wedding at Sandy Cove by Bella Osborne
The Historical Romantic Novel Award
A Postcard from Capri by Alex Brown
The Dressmaker’s Secret by Lorna Cook
The Legacy of Halesham Hall by Jenni Keer
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre by Natasha Lester
The Contemporary Romantic Novel Award
The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures by Holly Hepburn
A Cottage Full of Secrets by Jane Lovering
Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies by Ali McNamara
Elodie’s Library of Second Chances by Rebecca Raisin
Finding Happiness at Heritage View by Helen Rolfe
Librarians, booksellers and book bloggers/reviewers vote on their favourites and the winners will be announced during a ceremony in London on 6th March. Author Jo Thomas will compère the ceremony; Sara-Jade Virtue, brand development director, fiction, for awards sponsor Simon & Schuster UK, will present the Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers; RNA president Katie Fforde will present the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award; and actor Peter Davison will present the remainder of the awards.
Novelist Heidi Swain, who has won the Popular Romantic Fiction Award for her novel A Christmas Celebration (S&S), will also receive her award at the ceremony.
Previous winners of the awards, which have been held since 1960, include Santa Montefiore, Joe Heap, Julie Cohen and Milly Johnson. Jean Fullerton, the RNA chair, said: “Once again, our lovely reader-judges have had the almost impossible task of creating award shortlists from what is an unbelievable number of cracking, page-turning novels. Thankfully they have and I can only say this year’s shortlist books are the crème de la crème of romantic fiction.”
Jean Fullerton, the RNA Chair, commented, ‘Once again, our lovely reader-judges have had the almost impossible task of creating award shortlists from what is an unbelievable number of cracking, page-turning novels. Thankfully they have, and I can only say this year’s shortlist books are the crème de la crème of romantic fiction.’
Sharon Ibbotson, the RNA Awards Coordinator, said, ‘Our genre continues to go from strength to strength, providing escapism, delight and delicious romance with the turn of every page. Our shortlisted books, voted for by real, everyday readers, are a testament to wordmanship and the dedication of their authors, who we congratulate today.’
#RNARomanticNovelAwards2023
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