New England Romance Writers are pleased to announce the finalists in the 2025 New England Readers’ Choice Award.

The New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America® is pleased to announce the winners of the New England Readers’ Choice Awards:

ROMANCE NOVELLA
3^rd: Bernadette Walsh, See Me
2^nd: Juno Rushdan, No Way Out
1^st: Sandra Owens, Caitlyn’s Christmas Wish

EROTIC ROMANCE
3^rd: Jordyn Kross, Winter’s List
2^nd: Mia London, Accidental Tryst
1^st:L. A. Witt, Assist

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
3^rd: Nancy Yeager, Third Husband’s the Charm
2^nd: Elizabeth St. Michel, Lord of the Wilderness
1^st: Karen Muir, Fated Beginnings

ROMANCE WITH RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
3^rd: Dana R. Lynn, Hidden in Amish Country
2^nd: Laurel Blount, Hometown Hope
1^st: Laurel Blount, A Rancher to Trust

PARANORMAL/FANTASY/TT ROMANCE
3^rd: Patricia Barletta, Moon Bright
2^nd: Lisa Rae Roman, Fae Touched
1^st: McKenna Dean, Bishop Takes Knight

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
3^rd: Jeanine Englert, Lovely Digits
2^nd: Leslie Marshman, Goode Over Evil
1^st: Kaylea Cross, Covert Vengeance

SHORT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
3^rd: Susannah Erwin, Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife
2^nd: Claire McEwen, After the Rodeo
1^st: Jo McNally, It Started at Christmas…

LONG CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
3^rd: Miranda Liasson, All I Want for Christmas is You
2^nd: Kilby Blades, The Secret Ingredient
1^st: Ellie Finch, The Search for Prince Charming

GRAND PRIZE
And our grand prize winner, 6 weeks of author coaching with Mel Jolly, is: Jo McNally, It Started at Christmas… (short contemporary romance)

Please join the New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America® in congratulating the finalists in the 2020 New England Readers’ Choice Awards contest!

ROMANCE NOVELLA
Sandra Owens, Caitlyn’s Christmas Wish
Juno Rushdan, No Way Out
Bernadette Walsh, See Me

EROTIC ROMANCE
Jordyn Kross, Winter’s List
Mia London, Accidental Tryst
L. A. Witt, Assist

HISTORICAL ROMANCE
*Karen Muir, Fated Beginnings
Elizabeth St. Michel, Lord of the Wilderness
Nancy Yeager, Third Husband’s the Charm

ROMANCE WITH RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Laurel Blount, Hometown Hope
Laurel Blount, A Rancher to Trust
Dana R. Lynn, Hidden in Amish Country

PARANORMAL/FANTASY/SF/TT ROMANCE
*Patricia Barletta, Moon Bright
McKenna Dean, Bishop Takes Knight
Lisa Rae Roman, Fae Touched

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Kaylea Cross, Covert Vengeance
Jeanine Englert, Lovely Digits
Leslie Marshman, Goode Over Evil

SHORT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Susannah Erwin, Wanted: Billionaire’s Wife
Claire McEwan, After the Rodeo
Jo McNally, It Started at Christmas…

LONG CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Kilby Blades, The Secret Ingredient
Ellie Finch, The Search for Prince Charming
Miranda Liasson, All I Want for Christmas

Be sure to join us at our annual Let Your Imagination Take Flight conference, April 25-26, at the Boston/Woburn Hilton, where the winners in each category will be announced, as well as the winner of the Grand Prize: Six weeks of author coaching by Mel Jolly ($600 value!)

A special thanks to our contest coordinator, Jackie Horne.

* denotes an NECRWA member

Please join the New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America® in congratulating the winners of this year’s New England Readers’ Choice Awards!

CONTEMPORARY – LONG

1^st place: Shelly Alexander, It’s In His Arms (Red River Valley #4)

2^nd place: Rose Grey*, Waiting for You (Durrell Brothers #1)

3^rd place: Maria K. Alexander, Awaken My Heart (Tangled Hearts #3) and Jo McNally, She’s Far from Hollywood

CONTEMPORARY – SHORT

1^st place: Jen Doyle*, Holiday House Call (Calling It series)

2^nd place: Kate James, Home to Stay (San Diego K-9 Unit #4)

3^rd place: Angela Quarles, Earning It

EROTIC ROMANCE

1^st place: Kilby Blades, Snapdragon

2^nd place: Marie Johnston, Unmistaken Identity

3^rd place: Karen Stivali, Moment of Fate (Moments in Time #5)

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

1^st place: Patricia Barletta*, Moon Shadow (Book #2 Auriano Curse series)

2^nd place: Abigail Dane, The Viscount and the Valet

3^rd place (tie): Lisa Berne, The Laird Takes a Bride (The Penhallow Dynasty #2) and Michelle Sinclair, Never Kiss a Highlander

NOVELLA

1^st place: Miranda Liasson, Can’t Miss Christmas (Mirror Lake Christmas series)

2^nd place: Nancy Herkness, Second To None (Second Glances series)

3^rd place: Maria K. Alexander, Believe In My Heart (Tangled Hearts #4)

PARANORMAL/FANTASY/SCIFI/TIME TRAVEL

1^st place: Nadine Mutas, To Enthrall the Demon Lord (Love and Magic #4)

2^nd place: Gabi Stevens, Mystic

3^rd place: Saharra K. Sandhu, Fire in Ice: Tale of the Dragon Rider

ROMANCE WITH RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS

1^st place: Dana R. Lynn, Plain Target (Amish Country Justice #1)

2^nd place: Dana R. Lynn, Amish Christmas Abduction (Amish Country Justice #3)

3^rd place: Karen Foley, A Hummingbird Christmas (Glacier Creek #1)

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

1^st place: Abbie Roads, Saving Mercy (Fatal Truth #1)

2^nd place: Sarah Andre, Capturing the Queen

3^rd place: Katie Reus, Resurrection (Redemption Harbor #1)

SHORT STORY

1^st place: Gina Conkle, To Steal a Viking Bride

2^nd place: Sionna Fox*, Etudes, in Symphony Amore: Erotic Stories of Love and Music

3^rd place (tie): Jean C. Joachim, The House-Sitter’s Christmas and Madame de Boudoir, King of the Sea

YOUNG ADULT

1^st place: Ann Gallagher, Having Her Back

2^nd place: Meg Kassel, Black Bird of the Gallows

3^rd place: C. C. Hunter, The Mortician’s Daughter

GRAND PRIZE ($250 certificate from Barclay Publicity)

Dana R. Lynn, Plain Target (Amish Country Justice #1)

* denotes a NECRWA member

The 2018 New England Readers’ Choice contest is now open for submissions!

The New England Readers’ Choice contest for published authors recognizes excellence in published romance fiction. Our contest is one of the few judged exclusively by fans: librarians, booksellers, and devoted romance readers.

This year, the grand-prize winner of the New England Readers’ Choice contest will receive a Publicity Package or an Author Coaching package (winner’s choice) worth $250! The first, second, and third place winners in each category will receive a web badge, as well as a printed award certificate. Winners will be announced on the NECRWA website, in RWR, on NECRWA’s social media accounts, and at the Let Your Imagination Take Flight conference, to be held April 27-28, 2018.

Visit the NECRWA web site contest page at https://www.nerw.org/blog1/contests/ for more information, including how to enter. Questions? Contact [email protected].

NECRWA is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2017 New England Readers’ Choice contest! Winners will be announced at the Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference Awards Luncheon on Saturday, April 8, 2017.

LONG CONTEMPORARY

Rissa Brahm, Catching Preeya

Babette deJongh, Angel Falls

Melynda Price, Beneath the Surface

Melynda Price, Fighting for Control

HISTORICAL

Linda Broday, To Love a Texas Ranger

Loretta Chase, Dukes Prefer Blondes

Megan Frampton, One-Eyed Dukes Are Wild

Nicole Elizabeth Kelleher, Wild Lavender

ROMANCE WITH RELIGIOUS or SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS

Laurel Blount, A Family for the Farmer

Kat Brookes, His Holiday Matchmaker

Dana R. Lynn, Interrupted Lullaby

Olivia Rae, Redemption

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Cate Beauman, Deceiving Bella

Tamra Lassiter, Guiding Fate

Robin Perini, Forgotten Secrets

Katie Reus, Love Thy Enemy

Tara Wyatt, Necessary Risk

PARANORMAL

Marissa Doyle, Skin Deep

Michelle Miles, In the Tower of the Wizard King

Nadine Mutas, Blood, Breath, and Desire

SHORT CONTEMPORARY

Anna DePalo, Second Chance with the CEO

Peggy Jaeger, A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights

Robin Perini, San Antonio Secret

Barbara Wallace, Christmas Baby for the Princess

Barbara Wallace, Winter Wedding for the Prince

EROTIC

Laura Baumbach, The Dark Side

Shana Figueroa, Vengeance

Christina James, Operation Persuade Me

NOVELLA

Tessa Gray, My Dearest Chloe

Jessica Linden, Bodyguard

Debra Jess, A Secret Rose

Katie Reus, Merry Christmas, Baby

Congratulations to all of the finalists!