2017 ARR Awards: finalists announced

Voting has opened today for the 2017 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 is available to members in the March newsletter.) Voting will close on 22 March.

Here are the finalists:

Favourite Paranormal Romance – proudly sponsored by Hachette Australia

• Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh
• Becoming Dragon by Eve Langlais
• Lady of Silver by Shona Husk
• Power Game by Christine Feehan
• Shadow’s Seduction by Kresley Cole
• Silver Silence by Nalini Singh
• Spellbinder by Thea Harrison

Favourite Sci Fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance

• Blood Kissed by Keri Arthur
• Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones
• Feversong by Karen Marie Moning
• Raider by Justine Davis
• Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
• The Black Tide by Keri Arthur
• The Trouble with Twelfth Grave by Darynda Jones
• White Hot by Ilona Andrews
• Wildfire by Ilona Andrews
• Year One by Nora Roberts

Favourite Short or Category Romance – proudly sponsored by Harlequin Australia

• Casey by Kelly Hunter
• His Majesty’s Temporary Bride by Annie West
• Hot Mess by Amy Andrews
• Playing the Player by Amy Andrews
• Playing With Forever by Amy Andrews
• Sarah and the Secret Sheikh by Michelle Douglas
• Ten Days with the Highlander by Hayson Manning
• The Temporary Mrs Marchetti by Melanie Milburne

Favourite Historical Romance – proudly sponsored by Hachette Australia

• Catching Captain Nash by Anna Campbell
• Charming Sir Charles by Anna Campbell
• Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie
• Secret Shores by Ella Carey
• The Christmas Stranger by Anna Campbell
• The Currency Lass by Tea Cooper
• The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
• Warrior King by Jennifer Brassel
• Wives of War by Soraya M Lane

Favourite Contemporary Romance – proudly sponsored by Allen & Unwin

• Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy by Cathryn Hein
• Leaving Ocean Road by Esther Campion
• Nineteen Letters by Jodi Perry
• Talk of the Town by Rachael Johns
• The Country Girl by Cathryn Hein
• The Greatest Gift by Rachael Johns
• The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club by Sophie Green
• The Stationmaster’s Cottage by Phillipa Nefri Clark
• The Thing About Love by Julie James
• Twist by Kylie Scott

Favourite Erotic Romance – proudly sponsored by Booktopia

• Egomaniac by Vi Keeland
• Mack Daddy by Penelope Ward
• Sapphire by JA Low
• Team Player by Cate Ellink

Favourite Romantic Suspense

• Echoes in Death by JD Robb
• Heart Breaker by Shannon Curtis
• Murder Most Unusual by Michelle Somers
• Promise of Hunters Ridge by Sarah Barrie
• Secrets in Death by JD Robb
• Situation Critical by Amanda Knight
• Some Kind of Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
• Tell Me No Secrets by Lynda Stacey
• Winnawarra by Elizabeth M Darcy

Favourite Continuing Romance Series – proudly sponsored by Harlequin Australia

• American Extreme Bull Riders Tour by Sarah Mayberry, Barbara Dunlop, Kelly Hunter, Megan Crane, Amy Andrews, Sinclair Jayne, Jeannie Watt and Katherine Garbera
• Dashing Widows by Anna Campbell
• Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews
• Hot Aussie Knights by Amy Andrews, Sinclair Jayne, Victoria Purman and Trish Morey
• In Death by JD Robb
• Love Abroad by Hayson Manning
• Marriage of Convenience by Anne Gracie
• Psy-Changeling Trinity by Nalini Singh
• Sydney Smoke Rugby by Amy Andrews
• The Princess Seductions by Annie West

Favourite Australian Romance Author 2017 – proudly sponsored by Booktopia

• Anna Campbell
• Anne Gracie
• Annie West
• Cathryn Hein
• Jodi Perry
• Kylie Scott
• Michelle Douglas
• Rachael Johns
• Shannon Curtis

And the finalists for the Members’ Choice categories are …

Strongest Heroine from a romance published in 2017

• Beth Harper, Situation Critical by Amanda Knight
• Chrissy James, Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy by Cathryn Hein
• Cressy Knight, The Long Paddock by Alissa Callen
• Derelie Honeywell, The Love Experiment by Ainslie Paton
• Emmaline Westwood, Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie
• Eve Dallas, Secrets in Death by JD Robb
• Feyre, A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
• Maggie Carr, The Christmas Stranger by Anna Campbell
• Meg McCormick, Talk of the Town by Rachael Johns
• Mercy Thompson, Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
• Nevada Baylor, Wildfire and White Hot by Ilona Andrews
• Sidonie Martel, Spellbinder by Thea Harrison

Favourite Couple from a romance published in 2017

• Bailey Sawyer and Quinn McKinnel, Pregnant by Mr Wrong by Rachael Johns
• Beth Harper and Nate Calloway, Situation Critical by Amanda Knight
• Christie Ryan and Martin Blake, The Stationmaster’s Cottage by Phillipa Nefri Clark
• Cressy Knight and Denham Rigby, The Long Paddock by Alissa Callen
• Derelie Honeywell and Jackson Haley, The Love Experiment by Ainslie Paton
• Emmaline Westwood and Calbourne Rutherford, Marry in Haste by Anne Gracie
• Eve and Roarke, Secrets in Death by JD Robb
• Meg McCormick and Lawson Cooper-Jones, Talk of the Town by Rachael Johns
• Nevada Baylor and Connor Rogan, Wildfire and White Hot by Ilona Andrews
• Sidonie Martel and Morgan le Fae, Spellbinder by Thea Harrison
• Silver Mercant and Valentin Nikolaev, Silver Silence by Nalini Singh

Favourite New Romance Author (first published in 2017)

• Amanda Knight
• Penelope Janu
• Esther Campion
• Sarah Williams

Congratulations to all the finalists!

Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner, which will be held at Cello’s Restaurant in Sydney on Saturday 5 May 2018. If you would like to attend the awards dinner, you can buy your ticket here.