On Tuesday, the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) announced the shortlists for this year’s Romantic Novel Awards, their annual celebration of excellence in romantic fiction in all its forms. And, as I find every year, I couldn’t believe how many of the books I hadn’t managed to either read or review (while adding a totally unmanageable number of them to my heaving reading list…)!
The award categories are as follows: The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award, the Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers, the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award, the Christmas/Festive Holiday Romantic Novel Award, the Shorter Romantic Novel Award, the Romantic Saga Award, the Jane Wenham-Jones Award for Romantic Comedy, the Historical Romantic Novel Award and the Contemporary Romantic Novel Award.
And then there’s the Popular Romantic Fiction Award (voted for by librarians, booksellers and book bloggers/reviewers), with the winner announced as the wonderful Heidi Swain with A Christmas Celebration (published by Simon and Schuster UK). Now that’s one I did manage to read and review, and wouldn’t have missed for the world – I’m now a fully accredited Swainette! – and you’ll find my review here.
The awards, which have been held since their inception in 1960, are highly respected in the UK publishing industry – and unique in that they are judged entirely by readers, without input from any industry professionals. 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.’
The winners of the awards will be announced during the RNA’s Romantic Novel Awards ceremony, which is being held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper’s Row, London EC3N 2BQ, on Monday 6th March 2023 at 6.30pm. Best-selling 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, best-selling author 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, will also receive her award at the ceremony.
Now, I expect many of you will have already heard a lot of this through the RNA’s own communications (and via the excited authors on those shortlists!), but I thought it might be good to help spread the word – I’ve added all the books’ Amazon links (other retailers are available…) and where I’ve read one of the books, I’ll share a link to my review. I must stress though, that doesn’t mean that I’m endorsing any of the authors as “most likely winner” – it’s an immense achievement to be on the shortlists, at the moment everyone is a winner, and we’ll only find out who’ll take home the trophies on the night of the awards.
So, let me do a quick gallop through those lists…
The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award
Hidden in the Mists, Christina Courtenay, Headline Review
I Let You Fall, Sara Downing, Quilla Books (TCK Publishing)
Skip to the End, Molly James, Quercus
Impossible, Sarah Lotz, HarperCollins
Ocean’s Echo, Everina Maxwell, Orbit UK
Well, every one of those books is already on my kindle – but the only one I’ve read (so far!) is Christina Courtenay’s Hidden in the Mists, which was everything I wanted it to be, and I loved every moment. I very happily named it as one of my personal Books of the Year for 2022 – you’ll find my review here.
The Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers
Cold Silence, Toni Anderson, Independent
Six Days, Dani Atkins, Aria (Head of Zeus)
My Other Husband, Dorothy Koomson, Headline Review
The Serial Killer’s Girl, L.H. Stacey, Boldwood Books
A Murder of Crows, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Embla Books (Bonnier Books UK)
I read far fewer thrillers these days, so my apologies that I can’t make any insightful comments – but I do sometimes listen to them, and very much enjoyed L. H. Stacey’s The Serial Killer’s Girl. I can’t share a link to a standalone review here on Being Anne, but I will say that I found it particularly gripping, wonderfully enhanced by the isolation of the unique and vividly drawn Lindisfarne setting as the tide rose and fell – the characterisation was excellent, and the source of the threat (I particularly liked the unidentified and sinister “voice”) uncertain until the book’s explosive climax. And now I must take a closer look at the other books on this shortlist, as I’m sure there are others I’d like to add to my audiobook library…!
The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award
The Love of My Other Life, CJ Connolly, Joffe Books
A Colourful Country Escape, Anita Faulkner, Sphere Twelve Days in May, Niamh Hargan, HarperCollins
Always by Your Side, Julie Haworth, Simon and Schuster UK
From Fake to Forever, Laila Rafi, Orion Dash
Hang on, just checking… yes, all on my kindle! The only one I’ve read (and loved) so far was Anita Faulkner’s book – you’ll find my review here.
The Christmas/Festive Holiday Romantic Novel Award
This Year’s for Me and You, Emily Bell, Penguin Michael Joseph
Merrily Ever After, Cathy Bramley, Orion Fiction
Christmas with his Ballerina, Jessica Gilmore, Mills & Boon True Love
Snowed in for Christmas, Sarah Morgan, HQ
Santa, Please Bring Me a Boyfriend, Sophie Ranald, Bookouture
My goodness, did I really not read every Christmas romance?! I have no reviews to share – but, in mitigation, the books from Cathy Bramley and Sarah Morgan were certainly part of my plans until I realised it was beyond time to read something non-Christmassy again. I think I maybe need to catch up, and have a Christmas in July feature…
The Shorter Romantic Novel Award
The Earl’s Mysterious Lady, Louise Allen, Mills & Boon Historical
Summer at Seaspray Cottage, Angela Britnell, Choc Lit
The Shopgirl’s Forbidden Love, Jenni Fletcher, Mills & Boon Historical
Their Surprise Safari Reunion, Ella Hayes, Mills & Boon True Love
Stranded with My Forbidden Billionaire, Lucy King, Mills & Boon Modern
Really sorry, every one of these passed me by – but well done to the authors, and I think I really must promise to read and review the winning book!
The Romantic Saga Award
A Child of the Dales, Diane Allen, Pan Macmillan
A New Start for the Wrens, Vicki Beeby, Canelo
The London Girls, Soraya M. Lane, Lake Union Publishing
Courage for the Cornish Girls, Betty Walker, Avon
A Mother’s War, Mollie Walton, Welbeck Publishing Group
And apologies again – I tend to be more of a contemporary girl (ok, woman… or old woman…) and rarely read a romantic saga. But with a recently re-found love of historical fiction, it might just be time to try again – I promise to read and review the winner!
The Jane Wenham-Jones Award for Romantic Comedy
Great Sexpectations, Kristen Bailey, Bookouture
Playing for Love, Jeevani Charika, HQ Digital
The Woman Who Took a Chance, Fiona Gibson, Avon
Take a Chance on Greece, Emily Kerr, One More Chapter
A Wedding at Sandy Cove, Bella Osborne, Avon
Rather surprisingly, just one of these read and reviewed – that’s Bella Osborne’s lovely book, and you’ll find my review here. I think I’d better add the others to my kindle, don’t you?
The Historical Romantic Novel Award
A Postcard from Capri, Alex Brown, HarperCollins
The Dressmaker’s Secret, Lorna Cook, Avon
The Legacy of Halesham Hall, Jenni Keer, Headline Accent
The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre, Natasha Lester, Sphere
Before the Dawn, Emma Pass, Aria (Head of Zeus)
Now, I did say “recently re-found love of historical fiction”, didn’t I? The only one I’ve read (and SO enjoyed) is Jenni Keer’s lovely book, and you’ll find my review here – but I’ve looked at the others on the list, and want to read them all (the covers are, without exception, gorgeous…), so my kindle is getting heavier and heavier…
The Contemporary Romantic Novel Award
The Little Shop of Hidden Treasures, Holly Hepburn, Simon and Schuster UK
A Cottage Full of Secrets, Jane Lovering, Boldwood Books
Cornish Clouds and Silver Lining Skies, Ali McNamara, Sphere
Elodie’s Library of Second Chances, Rebecca Raisin, HQ Digital
Finding Happiness at Heritage View, Helen Rolfe, Boldwood Books
Ah now, this is my category – and I’ve read and loved three of them. You’ll find my review of Jane Lovering’s lovely book here (another one of my Books of the Year in 2022), of Rebecca Raisin’s here, and of Helen Rolfe’s here – and I’m delighted to see them all on the shortlist. And I’ve lost count of how many times romance blogging friends have told me how much I’d enjoy the books of Holly Hepburn and Ali McNamara – I really should listen, shouldn’t I?!
Best of luck everyone, and enjoy the party – I can’t be there on the night this time, but I’ll look forward to welcoming some of you as guests on the blog when the dust has settled a little.
About the Romantic Novelists’ Association
The Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) is a professional body primarily for writers of romantic fiction. Founded in 1960 to provide a voice for romance authors and to be a network for writers, it continues to raise the prestige of romantic fiction and encourage romantic authorship. Their 1000+ membership includes writers across the spectrum of commercial and women’s fiction, along with publishing industry professionals, booksellers, and book reviewers. In addition to organising annual publishing awards, they also host arange of workshops, talks, networking events, a three-day annual conference, and provide support to unpublished authors through their New Writers’ Scheme.
For more information about the Romantic Novelists’ Association, please visit their website: https://romanticnovelistsassociation.org
My thanks to Melanie Griffiths, RNA Event PR, for inviting me to write a blog post based on the press release, and for all her support to the RNA’s “street team”. And if you’re interested in becoming a reader-judge for next year’s awards, do contact Sharon Ibbotson, the Awards Coordinator, at rnaawards@romanticwriters.co.uk.
I’m surprised at how few of the nominees I’ve read too given how much romantic fiction I read! Just goes to show how many wonderful books are out there 💝
With all of your recommendations Anne, and now these – particularly the historical and contemporary I have enough reading to last me several years!
I have wanted to be a member of the RNA for years but could not join when it was based on number of sales. As a result of your post today, I have checked membership criteria again and I just might have a chance. I would love to meet the wonderful authors I have connected with on social media in person. Fingers crossed!
Fingers crossed for you here too Deborah! x