2015 ARR Awards: finalists announced

Voting has opened today for the 2015 Australian Romance Readers Awards. Below are the finalists in each of the nine categories, as well as finalists in our three special Members’ Choice categories. ARRA members can now vote for their favourite in each category. (The voting link has been sent to all members via email.) Voting will close on 28 February.

Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner, which will be held on 19 March 2016. Details on how to get your ticket to the dinner will be on the blog tomorrow.

(Due to the lower number of nominations this year, some categories do not have 10 finalists. In many of the categories there were a lot of books that only got one vote (a LOT) and that meant we weren’t able to include them, as there was just no way to rate one over the other. So in the end we decided that we would just have to let them be what they are—some short lists and some longer ones.)

Here are the finalists. Congratulations everyone!

Favourite Paranormal Romance – proudly sponsored by Hachette Australia

• Aquila by Sue-Ellen Pashley
• Archangel’s Enigma by Nalini Singh
• Midnight’s Kiss by Thea Harrison
• Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh
• Spiritbound by Dani Kristoff
• The MacGregor by Jenny Brigalow
• Tribal Law by Shannon Curtis*

Favourite Sci Fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance

• 1916-ish by Ebony McKenna
• Base by Cathleen Ross
• Chaos Broken by Rebekah Turner
• Dark Horse by Michelle Diener
• Honour Bound by MA Grant
• Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
• The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

Favourite Short/Category Romance – proudly sponsored by Harlequin Australia

• Bound to the Bachelor by Sarah Mayberry
• Fire Me Up by Rachael Johns
• Her Big Sky Cowboy by Alissa Callen
• Hired by the Brooding Billionaire by Kandy Shepherd
• Hold Me, Cowboy by Alissa Callen
• Seducing His Enemy’s Daughter by Annie West
• The Billionaire’s Passionate Revenge by Jennifer St George
• The Millionaire and the Maid by Michelle Douglas
• The Sultan’s Harem Bride by Annie West
• What a Bachelor Needs by Kelly Hunter

Favourite Historical Romance

• A Pirate for Christmas by Anna Campbell
• A Scoundrel by Moonlight by Anna Campbell
• Chieftain in the Making by Frances Housden
• Moonstone Conspiracy by Elizabeth Ellen Carter
• The Duke’s Daughter by Sasha Cottman
• The Horse Thief by Tea Cooper
• The Legend of Lyon Redmond by Julie Anne Long
• The Protector by Allison Butler
• The Seduction of Lord Stone by Anna Campbell
• The Spring Bride by Anne Gracie

Favourite Contemporary Romance – proudly sponsored by Hachette Australia

• Honor’s Promise by Noelle Clark
• Lawless in Leather by Melanie Scott
• Only We Know by Victoria Purman
• So Far Into You by Lily Malone
• Sweet Wattle Creek by Kaye Dobbie
• The Deal by Elle Kennedy
• The Patterson Girls by Rachael Johns
• The Road to Hope by Rachael Johns
• The Saddler Boys by Fiona Palmer
• The Secret Years by Barbara Hannay

Favourite Erotic Romance – proudly sponsored by eXtasy Books

• Anticipation by Sarah Mayberry
• Exhibition by Nicolette Hugo
• Revue by KM Golland
• The Arrangement by Nicolette Hugo

Favourite Romantic Suspense

• A Dangerous Arrangement by Lee Christine
• Cold Deception by DB Tait
• Desperate Deception by DB Tait
• Northern Heat by Helene Young
• Runaway Lies by Shannon Curtis
• Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz
• Storm Clouds by Bronwyn Parry
• Treasured Secrets by Kendall Talbot

Favourite Continuing Romance Series – proudly sponsored by Harlequin Australia

• Chance Sisters series by Anne Gracie
• Elder Races series by Thea Harrison
• Hope Junction series by Rachael Johns
• Jackson Brothers series by Kelly Hunter
• Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
• London Steampunk series by Bec McMaster
• Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy
• Robinhill Farm series by Noelle Clark
• Sons of Sin series by Anna Campbell
• The Hawke Brothers series by Rachel Bailey
• Treasured series by Kendall Talbot

Favourite Australian Romance Author 2015 – proudly sponsored by Booktopia

• Amy Andrews
• Anna Campbell
• Anne Gracie
• Cathryn Hein
• Kelly Hunter
• Keri Arthur
• Kylie Scott
• Noelle Clark
• Rachael Johns
• Sarah Mayberry

And the finalists for the Members’ Choice categories are …

Favourite Cover from a romance published in 2015

• Northern Heat by Helene Young (Penguin)
• Runaway Lies by Shannon Curtis (MIRA)
• Second Chance Love by Susanne Bellamy (self-published)
• Storm Clouds by Bronwyn Parry (Hachette)
• Summer and the Groomsman by Cathryn Hein (self-published)
• The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr (Harper Voyager)
• The Horse Thief by Tea Cooper (Escape)
• The Seduction of Lord Stone by Anna Campbell (self-published)
• The Spring Bride by Anne Gracie (Berkley)
• Wicked Embers by Keri Arthur (Signet)

The Strongest Heroine from a romance published in 2015

• Claire Swensen in Second Chance Love by Susanne Bellamy
• Jane Chance in The Spring Bride by Anne Gracie
• Julia Taylor in Cold Deception by DB Tait
• Kristy Dark in Northern Heat by Helene Young
• Natalie Wright from The Saddler Boys by Fiona Palmer
• Rosalina in Treasured Lies by Kendall Talbot

Favourite New Romance Author for 2015

• Abbie Jackson
• Elyse Huntington
• Joanne Dannon
• Kerrie Paterson
• Lizzy Chandler
• Nicolette Hugo
• Sue-Ellen Pashley

Congratulations to all the nominees!

[*Disclaimer: While ARRA was responsible for the publication of this book and does receive a small financial benefit, Shannon is the owner of the copyright. Tribal Law is included as a finalist here solely because individual members nominated it. The committee had no influence on this, and feel it is reasonable to let the book stand on it’s merits.]