2003 Rita Award Winners

Awards List

Contemporary Single Title

No Place Like Home (Winner)
Barbara Samuel

Feb-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

First Book

Shades of Honor (Winner)
Wendy Lindstrom

Jun-2002
/ Historical Romance

Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal

Contact (Winner)
Susan Grant

Oct-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

Inspirational Romance

Never Say Goodbye (Winner)
Irene Hannon

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Long Contemporary Series

Taking Cover (Winner)
Catherine Mann

Nov-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Long Historical Romance

Stealing Heaven (Winner)
Madeline Hunter

Aug-2002
/ Historical Romance

Regency Romance

A Debt to Delia (Winner)
Barbara Metzger

May-2002
/ Traditional Regency

Romantic Novella

To Kiss in the Shadows (Winner)
Lynn Kurland

in Tapestry

Sep-2002
/ Historical Romance

Romantic Suspense

Three Fates (Winner)
Nora Roberts

Apr-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

Short Contemporary Series Romance

Taming the Outlaw (Winner)
Cindy Gerard

Oct-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Short Historical Romance

The Bride Fair (Winner)
Cheryl Reavis

Apr-2002
/ Historical Romance

Traditional Romance

The Christmas Basket (Winner)
Debbie Macomber

Oct-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Contemporary Single Title

The Beach House (Finalist)
Mary Alice Monroe

May-2002
/ Women's Fiction

Love in Bloom's (Finalist)
Judith Arnold

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Once upon a Wedding (Finalist)
Kathleen Eagle

Jul-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Twice Burned (Finalist)
Jan Coffey

Jul-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

The Boy Next Door (Finalist)
Meg Cabot

Oct-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Chesapeake Blue (Finalist)
Nora Roberts

Nov-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

First Book

Danger's Promise (Finalist)
Marliss Moon

Mar-2002
/ Historical Romance

Wedding at White Sands (Finalist)
Catherine Mann

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Falling Star (Finalist)
Diana Dempsey

Aug-2002
/ Romance

A Perilous Attraction (Finalist)
Patricia Frances Rowell

Aug-2002
/ Historical Romance

Silver Dagger (Finalist)
T.L. Sinclare

Oct-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

The Baby Plan (Finalist)
Susan Gable

Dec-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal

Twilight Hunger (Finalist)
Maggie Shayne

Mar-2002
/ Paranormal Romance

The Charm Stone (Finalist)
Donna Kauffman

Aug-2002
/ Paranormal Romance

The Forest Lord (Finalist)
Susan Krinard

Nov-2002
/ Historical Romance

Inspirational Romance

Whirlpool (Finalist)
Lorena McCourtney

Mar-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

Gifts of Love (Finalist)
Crystal Stovall

Apr-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Summer Shadows (Finalist)
Gayle Roper

May-2002
/ Romance

Firstborn (Finalist)
Robin Lee Hatcher

Aug-2002
/ Christian

Ruth (Finalist)
Lori Copeland

Oct-2002
/ Historical Romance

Long Contemporary Series

Babes in Arms (Finalist)
Kathleen O'Brien

Mar-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Capturing Cleo (Finalist)
Linda Winstead Jones

Mar-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

The Secret Son (Finalist)
Tara Taylor Quinn

May-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Seduced by the Enemy (Finalist)
Jamie Denton

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Wedding at White Sands (Finalist)
Catherine Mann

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

What the Heart Wants (Finalist)
Jean Brashear

Jul-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

What a Woman Wants (Finalist)
Tori Carrington

Nov-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Long Historical Romance

Tempted by Your Touch (Finalist)
Jen Holling

Jan-2002
/ Romance

Lost in Your Arms (Finalist)
Christina Dodd

Mar-2002
/ Historical Romance

Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Finalist)
Julia Quinn

Jul-2002
/ Historical Romance

A Summer to Remember (Finalist)
Mary Balogh

Jul-2002
/ Historical Romance

Magnolia Creek (Finalist)
Jill Marie Landis

Aug-2002
/ Historical Romance

Prairie Moon (Finalist)
Maggie Osborne

Oct-2002
/ Historical Romance

Regency Romance

Kissing Cousins (Finalist)
Nadine Miller

Apr-2002
/ Traditional Regency

The Errant Earl (Finalist)
Amanda McCabe

Jun-2002
/ Traditional Regency

The Former Fiance (Finalist)
Teresa DesJardien

Jul-2002
/ Traditional Regency

The Storybook Hero (Finalist)
Andrea Pickens

Oct-2002
/ Traditional Regency

Romantic Novella

Breeding Season (Finalist)
Lisa Cach

in A Mother's Way

Mar-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

The Bed Is Made (Finalist)
Connie Brockway

in Once upon a Pillow

Jul-2002
/ Historical Romance

The Bed Is Unmade (Finalist)
Christina Dodd

in Once upon a Pillow

Jul-2002
/ Historical Romance

Kismet (Finalist)
Fiona Brand

in Sheiks of Summer

Aug-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

An Interrupted Tapestry (Finalist)
Madeline Hunter

in Tapestry

Sep-2002
/ Historical Romance

A Rancher in Her Stocking (Finalist)
Leanne Banks

in So This Is Christmas

Nov-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Romantic Suspense

Reunion in Death (Finalist)
J.D. Robb

Mar-2002
/ Police Procedural

Someone Knows (Finalist)
Karen Young

Mar-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

Hush (Finalist)
Anne Frasier

May-2002
/ Suspense

Purity in Death (Finalist)
J.D. Robb

Sep-2002
/ Police Procedural

Wild at Heart (Finalist)
Jane Graves

Oct-2002
/ Romantic Suspense

Short Contemporary Series Romance

Good Time Girl (Finalist)
Candace Schuler

Feb-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Private Investigations (Finalist)
Tori Carrington

Apr-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Taming Blackhawk (Finalist)
Barbara McCauley

May-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Two Catch a Fox (Finalist)
Isabel Sharpe

May-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Two to Tangle (Finalist)
Leslie Kelly / Leslie A. Kelly

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

The Doctor's Mistress (Finalist)
Lilian Darcy

Jul-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Take Me (Finalist)
Cherry Adair

Aug-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

Lazaro's Revenge (Finalist)
Jane Porter

Feb-2003
/ Contemporary Romance

Short Historical Romance

The Colonel's Daughter (Finalist)
Merline Lovelace

Jan-2002
/ Historical Romance

Shades of Honor (Finalist)
Wendy Lindstrom

Jun-2002
/ Historical Romance

Tess and the Highlander (Finalist)
May McGoldrick

Oct-2002
/ Historical Romance

The Willing Wife (Finalist)
Claudia Dain

Oct-2002
/ Historical Romance

Embrace the Sun (Finalist)
Linda Lea Castle

Nov-2002
/ Historical Romance

The Texan's Wager (Finalist)
Jodi Thomas

Nov-2002
/ Historical Romance

Diamond in the Rough (Finalist)
Patricia Waddell

Dec-2002
/ Historical Romance

Traditional Romance

Finding Her Prince (Finalist)
Lilian Darcy

Jan-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

True Love, Inc (Finalist)
Jackie Braun

Jun-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

The Tycoon's Takeover (Finalist)
Liz Fielding

Jul-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

A Royal Proposition (Finalist)
Marion Lennox

Nov-2002
/ Contemporary Romance

City Girl in Training (Finalist)
Liz Fielding

Feb-2003
/ Contemporary Romance

A Millionaire for Molly (Finalist)
Marion Lennox

Mar-2003
/ Contemporary Romance

Award Categories

Best Romance

Contemporary Romance: Long

Contemporary Romance: Mid-Length

Contemporary Romance: Short

Contemporary Series Romance

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure

Contemporary Single Title

Erotic Romance

Erotica

First Book

Futuristic/Fantasy/Paranormal

Historical Romance

Historical Romance: Long

Historical Romance: Short

Historical Series

Historical Single Title

Inspirational Romance

Long Contemporary Romance

Long Contemporary Series

Long Historical Romance

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Award Years

Romance

Mystery/Thriller

Speculative

Younger Readers

2003 Rita Award (Awarded by Romance Writers of America)

Awards List

Award Categories

Award Years