RBS Best of Awards 2011

The following list are best of what
Romance Book Scene Review in 2011.
Over the year approximately 350 books were
reviewed and listed on this site.

And the winners are... 

Contemporary Main Stream Romance
1st Place — Cheri On Top by Susan Donovan
2nd Place — Secrets Everybody Knows by Charlotte McClain
3rd Place — Delaney's Sunrise by Rhonda Lee Carver

Honorary mentions:
Road Signs by MJ Fredrick
Tempting Mr. Parker by Delilah Hunt

Short Stories (Novellas, Quickies®, Shorts)
1st Place — Stone Cold Kiss by L.K. Below
2nd Place — Gypsy Moon by Dahlia Rose
3rd Place — A Kiss for Luck by Kele Moon

Honorary mentions:
The Cowgirl’s Christmas by Patricia Bates
Maggie’s Mates by Bronwyn Green

Romance Anthologies
1st Place — Primal by Lora Leigh, Michelle Rowen, Jory Strong and Ava Gray
2nd Place — Supernatural by Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank and G.A. Aiken

Cowboy/Western Romance
1st Place — Winning Heart by Laura Browning
2nd Place — Shotgun Bride by BJ Daniels
3rd Place — The Cowboy's Homecoming by Brenda Minton

Fantasy Romance
1st Place — Dragon's Sanctary by Nicole Dennis
2nd Place — The Lianhan Shee by Erin Grace

Romantic Suspense
1st Place — Courting Disaster by Carol Stephenson
2nd Place — Sweet Possession by Maya Banks
3rd Place — Memories of You by Bobbie Cole

Erotic Romance
1st Place — Fool Me Once by Lacey Wolfe
2nd Place — The Shadow Box by Alexis Ke
3rd Place — Las Vegas by Demi Alex

Honorable mentions:
Whatnots and Doodads by Stacey Kennedy
Amber's Muse by Lacey Wolfe
The Not So Secret Baby by Amarinda Jones
Christmas Cheer: The Love Genie by Pepper Goodrich

Paranormal Romance
1st Place — Moon Cursed by Lori Handeland
2nd Place — Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston
3rd Place — Slow and Sweet: A Love Story With Zombies by Stephanie Beck

Honorary mention:
In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz
Hunger Untamed by Pamela Palmer
Sea’s Sorceress by Brynna Curry

Historical Romance
1st Place — Quicksilver by Amanda Quick
2nd Place — Seduction of a Highland Lass by Maya Banks
3rd Place —Seducing the Beast by Jayne Fresina

Gay (male/male) Romance
1st Place — Finding Forgiveness by Dana Marie Bell
2nd Place — Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane
3rd Place — Pretty Baby by Stormy Glenn

Honorary mention:
The O’Brien Way by Carol Lynne
His Handyman by Lexie Davis
Ghost From The Past by Carol Lynne

Werewolf/Shapeshifter Romance
1st Place — Arctic Winds by Sondrae Bennett
2nd Place — Alpha Wolf by Rebecca Royce
3rd Place — Howl by Silke Juppenlatz

Honorable mention:
Hunting Human by Amanda E. Alvarez

Best Romantic Series
1st Place — Dragon Kin Series by G.A. Aiken
2nd Place — Westervelt Wolves by Rebecca Royce
3rd Place — Toys 4 Us by Cerise Deland, Desire Holt, Nicole Austin, Brenna Zinn, Allie Standifer, Samantha Cayton and Regina Carlyse

Honorary mention:
Feral Warriors Series by Pamela Palmer
Alpine Woods Shifters Series by Sondrae Bennett
Were Chronicles Series by Crissy Smith

Best Authors Reviewed for 2011
1st Place — Lori Leigh
2nd Place — Lori Handeland
3rd Place — Sondrae Bennett

Honorary mention:
Pamela Palmer
GA Aiken/Shelly Laurenston
Jayne Ann Krentz
Susan Donovan
Stephanie Beck

Romance Book Review: Jennifer Probst's Sex, Lies and Contracts

Author: Jennifer Probst
ISBN: 9781603107778
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Red Sage

Purchase this book here

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With a story line wrapped around poems and sonnets, Jennifer Probst brings readers a romantic piece about a woman attempting to live up to a promise she made to her father on his death bed and a wealthy Englishman looking for a woman who loves him for just himself.

In order to inherit his family's company Jack must marry as soon as possible. His mother even has a woman picked out for him, but Jack doesn't love that woman. He wants to find someone he can love for the rest of his life not just a woman who marries him for money. So he goes on a journey to America to find a woman. Be pretends to be a gardener and attempts to woo a woman just like any other working class guy.

Julianna has dedicated her life to her parents. Now that they are gone she is living up to her father's last request--that she keep the family home on the Cliff. The only problem is the estate is filled with debt and she has no way to pay it off. What else can she do, but marry for money?

A professor of poetry, she believes she is plain and boring seeing no suitable men available to help her with her cause. Then walks in a drifter looking for some quick money. Jack is a handsome man and she is completely attracted to him, but he is unsuitable in the way of trying to keep her promise to her father. Now she must choose, marry for money or marry for love?

Lots of very sexy erotic love scenes fill out this romance.

Description:
Julianna Elizabeth Waters promises her dying father to save the family estate at all costs, even if it means marrying for money, and not love. After years of taking care of her sick parents, she's become afraid to push past the walls of her Newport mansion and live.

Jack Woodward has it all - wealth, power, and prestige, but discovers a contract stating he must marry within three months or his legacy will go to his cousin, a man he loathes. He leaves England and disguises himself a gardener, intent on finding a woman who loves him for himself, and not his money and title.

When he spots Julianna on the cliffs, he vows to claim her at any cost, but she is intent on marrying a wealthy husband. He may be disgusted with her values, but he craves to initiate the spinster into the dark world of pleasure. They strike a bargain: she will belong to him every night and do anything he commands. Lust turns to love as the nights unfold, and suddenly the terms change.

But when his cousin comes to town, disguising himself as the perfect husband with a plan to steal Jack's legacy, Jack forces her to choose: love or money. A wrong choice throws a startling chain of events in action. Can love and truth triumph or will it be too late?

Romance Book Review: Emma Lang's Matthew

Author: Emma Lang
Series Connection: The Circle Eight
ISBN-13: 9780758269041
Genre: Western/ Romance/ Historical
Publisher: Kensington Brava

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The Grahams were a happy family. Mother and father deeply in love, with eight children living on their Texas ranch in the mid-1800s. One day after spending time away from with six of his siblings, oldest son Matthew goes home to find his parent's dead and his youngest brother missing.

Three months later the siblings find themselves working their farm and learning to live together without their parents. In order to add to their land size and collect free land from the government, Matthew finds that he must marry. He finds himself in a bit of a pickle when he tells the government official that he is married to a woman named Hannah and must produce her to get the land.

When he meets a woman named Hannah, he knew that he couldn't pass up the opportunity help his family.

Hannah can't believe that a handsome man like Matthew wants to marry her. He is completely honest with her, but has offered her something she has always wanted and never thought she would have. Finding her place in this big family might be a challenge, but Hannah is up for it and she just might find love in the end.

This is the first in the Circle Eight series, introducing readers to the big family and their time period. Wonderful love story, featuring the well thought out theme, filled with mystery and heroic women and strong western men.

Description:
A man learns to hold what is his…
It is a vast spread in the eastern wilds of the newly independent Republic of Texas, the ranch their parents fought for … and died for. To the eight Graham siblings, no matter how much hard work or hard love it takes, life is unthinkable without family…
In the wake of his parents’ murder, Matthew Graham must take the reins at the Circle Eight. He also needs to find a wife in just thirty days, or risk losing it all. Plain but practical, Hannah Foley seems the perfect bride for him . . . until after the wedding night.
Their marriage may make all the sense in the world, but neither one anticipates the jealousies that will result, the treacherous danger they’re walking into, or the wildfire of attraction that will sweep over them, changing their lives forever.

Romance Book Review: Beth Harrison's Cursed

Author: Beth Harrison
ISBN: 9781603107730;1603107738
Genre: Fantasy/ Fantasy Celtic/ Paranormal/ Ancient Britain/ Reincarnation/ Witch
Publisher: Red Sage

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For me, Cursed was one of those book that I just got sucked in and kept reading until the end.

Forced into going to a facility party for the college she works for, Kate meets a the new professor on campus. Aidan More is attractive and compelling, but one touch of his hand and she fells panic and danger.

Soon Kate is pleagued with dreams of two lovers from another time, the couple look strangely like herself and the handsome Aidan. The dreams seem too real to a simple erotic dreams of the sexy new profession. Kate doesn't know what to think and goes to Aidan for help. But Aidan isn't who he appears to be and Kate doesn't know if she can really trust him or how much in danger she really is.

Aidan has a lot of secrets and the biggest one of all is that he's been cursed by a black witch who has brought him back to life for 1,000 years all with the intention of seeing him kill the reincarnation of his first love. The only problem is once he sees her again, in Kate, he isn't sure he'll be able to go through with his mission of killing her. After 1,000 years of coming back and remembering his past he's turned cold and hard, but still can he kill the one woman he has loved for enternity?

Lots to obsorb in this book. The author works to weave a tale that includes witches, reincarnation, just plan good sex and a love to last many lifetimes over.

Description:
Kate Casterbridge, professor of Victorian literature, prefers to spend her evenings alone with her cat on her lap and her nose in a book. Aidan More, the world’s preeminent scholar on witches and witch burnings, has suffered the tortures of the damned over thousands of years and hundreds of incarnations. He’s bone weary and determined at all costs to fulfill the ancient obligation that binds him.

When Kate shakes hands with her drop-dead gorgeous new colleague, she knows he’s in mortal danger. A confirmed skeptic about paranormal phenomena, she’s shocked and terrified by this sinister premonition. And that’s just the beginning of what’s in store for the shy, scholarly professor and the sexy stud with a dark, horrific secret.

Aidan bewitches Kate right into his bed, where they have the hottest sex she’s ever experienced. But is there more to this mysterious stranger than meets the eye? Kate crashes head-on into a world where witchcraft is alive and well and ancient evil still holds sway—and where she’s in grave danger of losing more than just her heart.

Romance Byte: Maddie James' Murder on the Mountain

Author: Maddie James
Series Connection: Ladies of Legend
ASIN: B0078EOJTO
Kindle Release
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press

Purchase This Book Here

Description:
A Ladies of Legend Romantic Suspense Novel

Kate Carpenter thinks her Tennessee State trooper husband is dead.

ATF Agent Michael Lehman knows he is not.

When Michael goes undercover into Kate's elementary classroom for a few weeks, posed as a school drug cop, his mission is to find out what Kate knows about her husband's supposed death, and to determine if she has any involvement in hiding away the AWOL trooper turned drug runner.

His mission is to get answers. Get into her life. And not into her panties.

But somehow things go haywire....
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Murder on the Mountain was previously released by Resplendence Publishing in 2008. This is a revised and updated edition of the novel. First time available on Amazon for Kindle.

Romance Book Review: Debra Kayn's Margot's Lawman

Author: Debra Kayn
Series Connection: Sisters of McDougal Ranch
eISBN: 9781426893209
On sale date: Feb 13, 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Western Romance

Purchase this book here

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For a year Pike's local Vet, Margot, has been keep a secret from the town. She's been involved with and in love with the town Sheriff. She had her reasons for keeping it a secret but now Sheriff Roy Lee is more than ready to tell everyone their secret.

It wasn't that Margot was ashamed of her relationship with Roy Lee, but the past year had been hard with her father's illness and his death. She wanted to keep something to herself and Roy Lee had been good about letting her keep the secret.

Now Margot is ready to tell the town and all who will listen that she loves Roy Lee.

This is the fourth in the Sisters of McDougal Ranch series, but can be pretty much read on its own. After, however, you might want to read the other stories as I wanted to. Good writing skills, wonderful characters and strong series connections will make you want to go back for more.

Description:

It's hard to keep a secret in the small town of Pike, Montana, but veterinarian Margot McDougal and sheriff Roy Lee Hanson managed to keep their relationship on the sly for months. Margot cares for Roy Lee, but the last thing she needs is to worry about local gossip while she's busy running her clinic and dealing with the loss of her beloved father.

Roy Lee can't wait to tell the world that he loves Margot. He respected her decision to keep their affair quiet—until now. It's time for everyone to know Margot is his gal...especially Ryan Martin, her new assistant. He's formed an attachment to Margot and Roy Lee is sure the city boy's unexplained appearance in Pike means he's up to no good.

Margot just wants to help Ryan fit in, and Roy Lee's jealousy soon drives a wedge between them. A wedge that only increases when Margot is roped into Ryan's secret, too...

Romance Byte: Mary Manners' Mattie's Meltaways

Author: Mary Manners
Series Connection: Sweet Treats Bakery
ISBN: 978-1-61116-113-7
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Pelican Ventures Book Group (White Rose Publishing)

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Description:
Mattie Spencer has spent the last decade raising her three younger and grooming Sweet Treats Bakery into a thriving business. Over the years, she's watched her sisters grow into beautiful women and find the men of their dreams. Now it's her turn, but, at thirty-five, she feels too old to dream of a husband and children of her own. Tyler Jacobs, a firefighter in the small town of Mount Ridge, keeps busy raising his seven-year-old daughter. The death of his wife during three years ago still haunts him, but morning stops into Sweet Treats, along with a dose of conversation and a handful of Mattie's delicious mint meltaways, kindle a desire he thought was extinguished forever. Now Tyler has just one goal--to convince Mattie that love knows no age.

Romance Book Review: C.L. McCullough's Song of Life

Author: C.L. McCullough
Digital ISBN: 9781616503482 
Genre: Romance/Contemporary
Publisher: Lyrical Press

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For those who appreciate a little drama and suspense in their romance reading, C.L. McCullough's Song of Life would be a perfect choice for a weekend read. The love story features a younger man and a beautiful widow. The young man is dealing with a lot of issues he needs to overcome in his life.

When Sunny hired drifter, Cas, some of her friends were a little skeptical, but Cas quickly won them over with his hard work ethic and handsome looks. Sunny knew from the start that there was something about Cas that she recognized in him and he felt the same about her, but aside from being several years old then Cas he's on the run from something. Can she really trust her heart to him.

Cas decides he wants to "woo" Sunny. This is his first time at it, but he knows Sunny is worth all the trouble. In the meantime, Cas has to learn to find songs in his soul with a little help from a local priest and Sunny he just might do it.

Trouble is what lerks just around the corner, however, and the small town that Cas calls home will have to have a little faith in Cas to see him through.


Description:
When Sunny hired a handyman, the last thing she expected him to fix was her heart.

Sunny Douglas is running out of time. A widow buried in debt, she struggles to find the money to keep her Inn up and running. When drifter Cas Martin comes to town, Sunny finds he's just the handyman she needs. The problem is, soon she wants him for more than his handiness with a wrench. She doesn't want to be one of those women who tries to feel young by dating a younger man, but neither of them can fight the attraction.

Cas has spent his life under his father's tyrannical thumb. Now he's on the run, hiding from his father and trying to become his own man. In Nevis, Cas begins to think he can be happy. He has found a place that calls to him, a town that accepts him and a woman who loves him. Now if his past would quit haunting him...

Will he find the courage to defeat his father, bare his soul to the woman he loves and finally lay his ghosts to rest?

Romance Book Review: Morgan Q. O'Reilly's Courage To Live

Author: Morgan Q. O'Reilly
Series Connection: Open Window
Digital ISBN: 9781616503505
Genre: Romance/Contemporary
Publisher: Lyrical Press

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One of the hardest styles there must be to write is in the first person. It is always the hardest for me to review because it isn't my favorite style to read, so please keep that in mind as you read on. 


The last time Candace saw he husband was the night her beat her up and walked out on her and her son six months ago. Since then she's been living with the fear and hostile stares of neighbor. On the verge of leaving him before he left her, Candace moves about her days split with hoping that he will turn up so she can get her divorce signed and worried that he'll either kill her or take her son from her.

In the meantime she meets the young Air Force fly boy who's just recently moved in next door who takes an interested in her and her son. Cayden is cute and is showering her with attention no matter how much she tries to push him away.

This is an emotionally gripping story about abuse, love and family. It is the second in Morgan Q. O'Reilly's Open Window series which follow the Shaughnessy family. A well written supporting cast fills out the story. The story takes place in the wilds of Alaska where there are some great descriptive verses that talk about the area around the Air Force Base outside of Anchorage.

Description:

She’s living in fear. He’s a born protector. There’s a missing man holding them apart.

Candace Cutler intended to leave her abusive husband, until he vanished one snowy Alaska night. She lives in a limbo of dread, wanting only to care for her son. And now a cocky young pilot has moved in next door.

Cayden Shaughnessy is a born protector. He doesn’t like the rumors about the guy who left a single mom and cute kid next door—and who’s he kidding? He finds the mom pretty adorable, too, in a hot, can’t-resist sort of way.

But Candace doesn’t have time for games. Too many loose ends leave her unsettled, and she can’t help expecting violence to step once more from the shadows...

WARNING: Contains two brief descriptions of violence; however, justice is served. Also contains hot loving, a Top Gun-worthy fly-by, sex and more sizzling Shaughnessys.

Romance Book Review: Sydney Landon's Weekends Required

Author: Sydney Landon
Series Connection: A Danver's Novel
ISBN: n/a
Genre: Contemporary Romance


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Sydney Landon first book offers a contemporary romance featuring a love story between an administrative assistant and her workaholic boss. Claire has been working hard taking care of her sick mother. She needs extra money to keep her month in her own home, so she takes on the job of jumping out of cakes at bachelor parties.

One night she jumps out of a cake for her boss's best friends party, where her boss is attending and changes her life forever.

Jason can't believe his eyes when his beautiful assistant jumps out of the cake at his best friend's party and he can't believe how jealous and protective he feels toward her. Now he can't stop thinking about Claire in a way that doesn't just have to do with boss and assistant.

I was very impressed with the writing of this first book and would enjoy reading the future books made available in this series. Both Jason and Claire are great characters and work well together as a couple. The supporting cast in the way of Claire's friend Suzy is a great source of comic relief in Claire's otherwise saddened life. It will be great reading her story next.

Description:
Claire Walters has worked for Jason Danvers as his assistant for three years and he has never thought of her as a woman until the day she jumps out of a cake at his friends bachelor party. Claire is forced to work a second job at a party planning company to support her ailing mother. She is horrified when Jason not only finds out but has a front row seat to the action. Jason is determined to know how the beautiful, sexy woman in the cake can also be his Plain Jane assistant who tries her best to blend in to the background from 8-5 every day. Now not only does Jason see her as a woman, he fully intends to give her the fairy tale ending that she deserves!

End of book...
"There are tentatively three books planned for the Danvers Series. The next book in the series is scheduled for Spring of 2012 and will be Suzy’s Story... Not Planning on You."