LibGuides: Christy Awards: Contemporary Romance (2000-)

The Christy Awards

Contemporary Romance

2020-2029

WINNER: Now and Then and Always by Melissa Tagg

Now and Then and Always (Maple Valley #1) by Tagg, Melissa
Call Number: FIC TAGG MEL M1 (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9780997964233
Publication Date: 2019-05-20
Last year, after traumatic circumstances forced her from her job as a nanny, Mara Bristol finally found a place to belong--the winsome Everwood Bed & Breakfast at the edge of Maple Valley, Iowa. For months, she's helped its owner, Lenora, maintain the ramshackle property despite their shortage of guests. But when Lenora fails to return from a month-long trip and the bank threatens foreclosure, Mara worries she's once again alone... abandoned... about to lose the only true home she's ever known. Detective Marshall Hawkins is no closer to whole today than he was two years ago... the day his daughter died. Between his divorce, debilitating migraines, and a dependence on medication, his life is falling apart. And when a reckless decision on the job propels him into administrative leave, he has no other plan but to get in his truck and drive. A one-night stay at the Everwood was supposed to be just that. But there's something about the old house--or maybe its intriguing caretaker--that pulls him in. Together, Mara and Marshall set out to save the Everwood. But its secrets run deeper than they could've imagined. As they renovate the house and search for its missing owner, they'll each confront the pain that brought them to the Everwood in the first place... and just maybe discover a faith and love to help them carry on.

FINALISTS:

Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh
Sweet On You by Becky Wade

WINNER: Stay With Me by Becky Wade

Stay with Me by Becky Wade
Call Number: FIC WADE BEC ST (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9780764235603
Publication Date: 2020-05-05
Led to her hometown by a mysterious letter, Genevieve Woodward wakes in an unfamiliar cottage with a big secret. The last thing Sam Turner wants is to help a woman as troubled as she is talkative, but he can't turn her away when she needs him most.

FINALISTS

Some Bright Someday by Melissa Tagg
Just Like Home by Courtney Walsh

Some Bright Someday (Maple Valley #2) by Melissa Tagg
Call Number: FIC TAGG MEL M2 (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9780997964264
Publication Date: 2020-11-19
Just Like Home (Harbor Pointe #4) by Courtney Walsh
Call Number: FIC WALSH COU P4 (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9781735527604
Publication Date: 2020-08-18
Prima ballerina Charlotte Page has a life any dancer would envy, but the tragic loss of her best friend, Julianna, leaves her wanting more. Or maybe--less. In an effort to make her life about something other than accolades and applause, Charlotte leaves professional ballet to save Julianna's small-town dance studio. This lands her directly in the path of cranky high school football coach and Julianna's older brother, Cole Turner. Fresh off a state win and a bitter divorce, the last thing Cole expects is for a prima ballerina to chip away at the wall he's grown quite comfortable hiding behind. Will their fledgling relationship be strong enough to weather the storm of old secrets and a haunting past? Or will Charlotte lose the new, simple life she's given up everything to gain?

WINNER: All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese

All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese
Call Number: FIC DEESE NIC AL (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9780764238130
Publication Date: 2021-04-06
Molly McKenzie has made social media influencing a lucrative career, but nailing a TV show means proving she's as good in real life as she is online. So she volunteers with a youth program. Challenged at every turn by the program director, Silas, and the kids' struggles, she's surprised by her growing attachment. Has her perfect life been imperfectly built?

FINALISTS:

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter
Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

Bookshop by the Sea [large print] by Denise Hunter
Call Number: FIC HUNTE DEN BO Large (Large print collection)
ISBN: 9781643589374
Publication Date: 2021-06-01
Sophie Lawson should be enjoying her sister's wedding day. But nothing could have prepared her to see the best man again. After her mother became bedridden and her father bailed on the family, Sophie found herself serving as a second mother to her twin brother, Seth, and younger sister, Jenna. Sophie supported her siblings through their college years, putting aside her own dream of opening a bookshop in Piper's Cove—the quaint North Carolina beach town they frequented as children. Now it's finally time for Sophie to follow her own pursuits. Seth has a new job, and Jenna is set to marry her college beau in Piper's Cove. But the destination wedding reunites Sophie with best man Aiden Maddox, her high school sweetheart who left her without a backward glance. When an advancing hurricane strands Aiden in Piper's Cove after the wedding, he finds the hotels booked to capacity and has to ask Sophie to put him up until the storm passes. As the two ride out the weather, old feelings rise to the surface. The delay also leaves Sophie with mere days to get her bookshop up and running. Can she trust Aiden to stick around? And will he find the courage to risk his heart?
Bookshop by the Sea [E-Book] by Denise Hunter
Call Number: FIC HUNTE DEN BO
ISBN: 9780785240488
Publication Date: 2021-04-13
Bookshop by the Sea [streaming audiobook] by Denise Hunter
Call Number: FIC HUNTE DEN BO Audiobk (OverDrive)
ISBN: 9780785240495
Publication Date: 2021

_____

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
Call Number: FIC STRON ANG HU (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9780825447105
Publication Date: 2021-07-20
Meri Newberg is the last of her friends to remain single, so she jokingly agrees to try a ridiculous list of ways to find a spouse that was published in a 1950s magazine article. Confirmed bachelor Kai Kamaka suggests he film her attempts for a YouTube show so he can make a name for himself as a cameraman, but the more time he spends with her, the less he likes being alone. The only problem is that he's not the kind of husband material she's advertising for on billboards or trying to lasso on street corners.

WINNER

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh
Call Number: FIC SHILO TON TO
ISBN: 9780764240881
Publication Date: 2022-09-01
As a fashion aficionado and best friend of the queen of the African island country Oloro Ilé, Iris Blakely dreams of using her talent to start a business to help citizens in impoverished areas. But when she discovers that Ekon Diallo will be her business consultant, the battle between her desires and reality begins. Ekon Diallo has lost everything: his princely title, his material possessions, his friends, and the respect of his countrymen. To pay for his actions against Oloro Ilé, he's forced to assist the charismatic Iris Blakely--but he can't allow his heart to distract him from regaining his status. As Iris strives to get her business off the ground while keeping her heart intact, will her dreams of happily ever after survive the challenges she faces?

FINALISTS

A Seaside Wonder by Melissa Tagg
All That It Takes by Nicole Deese
To Believe in You by Emily Conrad

A Seaside Wonder (Muir Harbor #2) by Melissa Tagg
Call Number: FIC TAGG MEL H2
ISBN: 9780997964257
Publication Date: 2022-10-04
Professor Philip West never wanted to return to Maine or his grandfather's miserable old house. But after his mother's death, he's now the guardian of a teenage half-sister he barely knows--one who doesn't want anything to do with him. He longs to help her heal, but he's exhausted and numb, desperate for relief of his own. More than a decade has passed since Indi Muir made the heartbreaking decision she's never recovered from--though she's certainly tried. She has a full life running her shop and creating the artsy pieces that fill its shelves. If she can just stay busy, she'll keep her hurt and regret at bay. But when her ex-fiancé returns to Muir Harbor, he brings news that shatters her carefully built walls. Things only get worse when lurking danger comes calling at her childhood home.
All That It Takes (McKenzie family romance #2) by Nicole Deese
Call Number: FIC DEESE NIC M2
ISBN: 9780764234972
Publication Date: 2022-04-05
After moving cross-country with her son and accepting a filmmaker's mentorship, Val Locklier is caught between her insecurities and new possibilities. Miles McKenzie returns home to find a new tenant is living upstairs and he's been banished to a ministry on life support. As sparks fly, they discover that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.
To Believe In You (Rhythms of redemption romances #4) by Emily Conrad
Call Number: FIC CONRA EMI TO
ISBN: 9781736038888
Publication Date: 2022-10-17
Since his dismissal from the band Awestruck, former bassist and addict Matt Visser has been transformed by faith and a year of sobriety. If he can repay his parents for one last major debt from his years of irresponsible living, he can move into the future with a clear conscience. Now if only his latest stunt hadn't gotten him fired from the family business. After Lina Abbey's fiance gambled away their wedding savings, she surrendered her hopes of a family of her own - what man could she trust enough to marry? - and moved for a fresh start in Wisconsin. She busies herself with her jobs managing Awestruck's social media and directing Key of Hope, a non-profit funded by the band to teach music lessons to kids from low-income families. She would never hire a man with Matt's track record as a bass guitar instructor, but Awestruck's manager, Tim, forces her hand. In need of a job and eager to clear his debts, Matt begins work. Unable to resist a challenge, he soon adds the goal of winning the trust of his beautiful but cautious coworker. Lina is impressed that Matt resists Tim's ongoing efforts to reconnect him with Awestruck, but when a new truth about Matt's past reveals a wrong he can never right, he and Lina both need something more trustworthy than Matt to believe in. Otherwise, history will repeat itself in all the worst ways.

WINNER

Indigo Isle by T. I. Lowe

Indigo Isle by T. I. Lowe
Call Number: FIC LOWE TI IN
ISBN: 9781496465597
Publication Date: 2023-06-06
A successful Hollywood location scout's latest gig finds her back in her childhood home of South Carolina, where she forms an unlikely friendship with the reclusive owner of a private barrier island.

FINALISTS

Her Only Wish by Shelley Shepard Gray
The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen
The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight

Her Only Wish (Season in Pinecraft #2) by Shelley Shepard Gray
Call Number: FIC GRAY SHES P2 (Adult fiction)
ISBN: 9780800741686
Publication Date: 2023-06-01
Sheltered yet adventurous, Betsy Detweiler is on a mission to get out of Kentucky and experience new things in life. She's got a list--a life list. What better place to start than with her friends in beautiful Pinecraft, Florida? From the moment Betsy walks into the Snow Bird Golf Course to sign up for lessons, August Troyer is mesmerized. Betsy is a mass of contradictions--beautiful yet awkward, outgoing yet unsure, joyful yet hesitant. She's like no one he's ever met before, and as the only child of missionary parents, he's met a lot of people. As Betsy and August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest, they'll encounter several reasons to back off and play it safe. But playing it safe has its own consequences. This tender romance reminds us that life--and love--requires a fair amount of risk.
The Rhythm of Fractured Grace (Sedgwick County chronicles #3) by Amanda Wen
Call Number: FIC WEN AMA S3
ISBN: 9780825448492
Publication Date: 2024-02-01
PRESENT DAY. When a new customer brings in a badly damaged violin, it is exactly the sort of challenge Siobhan Walsh craves. The man who brought it in is not. He's too close to the painful past that left her heart and her faith in shambles. Matt Buchanan has had a rough start as worship pastor at Pursuers Church. A car accident on his way into town left him with a nearly totaled truck, a sprained ankle, and an heirloom violin in pieces. When he takes it to a local repair shop, he's fascinated with the restoration process-and with the edgy, closed-off woman doing the work. As their friendship deepens and turns into more, the history of the violin itself reveals more about their current problems than they could have ever expected. It may be more than they can overcome. NINETEENTH CENTURY. On the nineteenth-century frontier, a gruesome tomahawk attack wiped out most of Deborah Caldwell's family. Her greatest solace after the tragedy is the music from her father's prized violin. Given her horrendous scars, she'd resigned herself to a spinster's life until a soft-spoken local farmer proposes marriage. Levi Martinson's gentle love starts to chip away at her hardened heart, until unexpected, devastating details about the attack are revealed, putting their love-and Deborah's shaky faith-to the ultimate test.
The Thing about Home by Rhonda MCKNIGHT
Call Number: FIC MKING RHO TH
ISBN: 9780840706324
Publication Date: 2023-05-09
Casey Black needs an escape. When her picture-perfect vow renewal ceremony ends in her being left at the altar, the former model turned social media influencer has new fame--the kind she never wanted. An embarrassing viral video has cost her millions of followers, and her seven-year marriage is over. With her personal and business lives in shambles, Casey runs from New York City to South Carolina's Lowcountry hoping to find long-lost family. Family who can give her more answers about her past than her controlling mom-slash-manager has ever been willing to share. What Casey doesn't expect is a postcard-worthy property on a three-hundred-acre farm, history, culture, and a love of sweet tea. She spends her days caring for the land and her nights cooking much needed Southern comfort foods. She also meets Nigel, the handsome farm manager whose friendship has become everything she's never had. And then there are the secrets her mother can no longer hide. Through the pages of her great-grandmother's journals, Casey discovers her roots run deeper than the Lowcountry soil. She learns that she has people. A home. A legacy to uphold. And a great new love story--if only she is brave enough to leave her old life behind.

2010-2019

WINNER: Falling for You by Becky Wade

Falling for You (a Bradford Sisters Romance Book #2) by Becky Wade
Call Number: FIC WADE BEC F Ebook (OverDrive)
ISBN: 9781493413782
Publication Date: 2018-05-01
Willow Bradford is content taking a break from modeling to run her family's inn until she comes face-to-face with NFL quarterback Corbin Stewart, the man who broke her heart—and wants to win her back. When a decades-old family mystery brings them together, they're forced to decide whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

FINALISTS:

Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano
Wait for Me by Susan May Warren

Wait for Me (Montana Rescue Book #6) by Susan May Warren
Call Number: FIC WARRE SUSM M6 Ebook (OverDrive)
ISBN: 9781493415212
Publication Date: 2018-11-06
When two women go missing in the Montana wilderness, Pete Brooks must trust his skills, teammates, and the woman who broke his heart, if he hopes to bring them all home alive.

2000-2009

WINNER: Whispers from Yesterday by Robin Lee Hatcher

FINALISTS:

Blue Mist on the Danube by Doris Elaine Fell
Surrender of the Heart by Sally John

WINNER: A Touch of Betrayal by Catherine Palmer

FINALISTS:

Awakening Mercy by Angela Benson
True Devotion by Dee Henderson

True Devotion (Uncommon heroes #1) by Dee Henderson
Call Number: FIC HENDE DEE U1 Ebook (OverDrive)
ISBN: 9781414355320
Publication Date: 2011-02-07
Kelly Jacobs has already paid the ultimate price of loving a warrior; she has the folded flag and the grateful thanks of a nation to prove it. Navy SEAL Joe "Bear" Baker can't ask her to accept that risk again—even though he loves her. But the man responsible for her husband's death is back; closer than either of them realize. Kelly is in danger, and Joe may not get there in time.Uncommon Heroes: Welcome to a world where friendships go deep, loyalties stand strong, and uncommon heroes perform the toughest jobs in the world. Dee Henderson's military romance series provides a detailed passage into the world of the military and homeland heroes, and those they love.

WINNER: The Guardian by Dee Henderson

The Guardian (O'Malley series #2)) by Dee Henderson
Call Number: FIC HENDE DEE O2 (Adult Fiction)
ISBN: 9780739416068
Publication Date: 2001
A federal judge has been murdered. There is only one witness, and an assassin wants her dead. U.S. Marshall Marcus O'Malley thought he knew the risks of the assignment . . . but he was wrong.

FINALISTS:

Spring Rain by Gayle Roper
The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson
WIldflowers by Robin Jones Gunn

Wildflowers (Glenebrooke series #8) by Robin Jones Gunn
Call Number: FIC GUNN ROBJ G8
ISBN: 9781590522394
Publication Date: 2004-05-14
Genevieve finds the challenge of starting her own business surprisingly difficult, especially with her husband frequently absent, but she soon discovers the strength of her friendships, and even finds an unexpected love in the process.

WINNER: True Honor by Dee Henderson

True Honor [E-Book] (Uncommon heroes #3) by Dee Henderson
Call Number: FIC HENDE DEE U3 Ebook (OverDrive)
ISBN: 9781414355412
Publication Date: 2011-02-17
CIA officer Darcy St. James is after a man who knew September 11 would happen--a man who chose to profit from the knowledge. Navy SEAL Sam "Cougar" Houston is busy: The intelligence Darcy is generating has his team deploying around the world. Under the pressure of war, their romance flourishes. But it may be a short relationship: for the terrorists have chosen their next targets, and Darcy's name is high on the list.

FINALISTS:

The Healer by Dee Henderson
Summer Shadow by Gayle Roper

The Healer (O'Malley series #5) by Dee Henderson
Call Number: FIC HENDE DEE O5 (Adult Fiction)
ISBN: 9780739426364
Publication Date: 2002
Rachel OMalley works disasters for a living. Her specialty? Helping children through trauma. When a school shooting rips through her community, she finds herself dealing with more than just grief among the children she is trying to help. One of them saw the shooting, and the gun is still missing.

WINNER: Hideaway by Hannah Alexander

FINALISTS:

Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren
Playing by Heart by Deborah Raney

Happily Ever After (Heart Quest #1) by Susan May Warren
Call Number: FIC WARRE SUSM D1 (Adult Fiction)
ISBN: 9780842381178
Publication Date: 2003-03-27
God answers Mona Reynolds' prayers, giving her the chance to open her own bookstore-coffee shop in an old Victorian house. Renovations to the place leave her no time for a love life. When she hires a mysterious drifter as handyman, she finds that it isn't only fairy tales that end with "happily ever after."

WINNER: Secrets by Kristen Heitzmann

FINALISTS:

Wild Heather by Catherine Palmer
Winter Winds by Gayle Roper

WINNER: A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist
Call Number: FIC GIST DEE BRI Ebook (OverDrive)
ISBN: 9781441202994
Publication Date: 2005-07-01
Drew O'Connor isn't stirred by news of a ship full of brides. Still broken-hearted from the loss of his beloved, he only wants a maid to tend his house and care for his young sister. What he ends up with is a wife—a feisty redhead who claims she is Lady Constance Morrow, daughter of an Earl, brought to America against her will. And she wants to go straight back to England as soon as she can. She hasn't the foggiest notion how to cook, dares to argue with her poor husband, and spends more time working on mathematical equations than housework. What kind of a wife is that? Drew's Christian forbearance is in for some testing. Headstrong and intelligent, deeply moral but incredibly enticing, Constance turns what was supposed to be a marriage of convenience into something most inconvenient, indeed.

FINALISTS:

Chateau of Echoes by Siri Mitchell
In Sheep's Clothing by Susan May Warren

In sheep's clothing [E-Book] (Global guardians #1) by Susan May Warren
Call Number: FIC WARRE SUSM GG1 Ebook (OverDrive)
Publication Date: 2010
On the run from the murderer of her best friends, missionary Gracie Benson is all alone in Siberia. What she doesn't know is that she has in her possession a medical secret that will save millions of lives -- or cost hers. Trying to keep her alive is an FSB agent, a man pursued by his own demons, including a killer who destroyed his father's life. He and Gracie find themselves in a decades-old mystery of betrayal and Cold War secrets. Only with the help of their friends -- a group of Americans and Russians committed to freedom -- can they outwit the old guard . . . and save Gracie's secret, as well as her life.

WINNER: The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist

FINALISTS:

Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland
The Redemption by M. L. Tyndall

Redemption [E-Book] (Legacy of the King's Pirates #1) by M. L. Tyndall
Call Number: FIC TYNDA ML L1 Ebook (OverDrive)
Publication Date: 2012
Lady Charlisse Bristol sets off on a voyage in search of a father she never knew, only to find herself shipwrecked on a desert island. Near starvation, she is rescued by a band of pirates and their fiercely handsome leader, Edmund Merrick. Will Clarisse win her struggle against the seductive lure of this pirate captain? While battling his attraction to this winsome lady, Edmund offers to help Charlisse on her quest-until he discovers her father is none other than Edward the Terror, the cruelest pirate on the Caribbean. Can Edmund win this lady's love while shielding her from his lecherous crew and working to bring her father to justice?

Christy Awards

2020-2029

WINNER: Now and Then and Always by Melissa Tagg

FINALISTS:

Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh

Sweet On You by Becky Wade

WINNER: Stay With Me by Becky Wade

FINALISTS

Some Bright Someday by Melissa Tagg

Just Like Home by Courtney Walsh

WINNER: All That Really Matters by Nicole Deese

FINALISTS:

Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

WINNER

To Win a Prince by Toni Shiloh

FINALISTS

A Seaside Wonder by Melissa Tagg

All That It Takes by Nicole Deese

To Believe in You by Emily Conrad

WINNER

Indigo Isle by T. I. Lowe

FINALISTS

Her Only Wish by Shelley Shepard Gray

The Rhythm of Fractured Grace by Amanda Wen

The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight

2010-2019

WINNER: Falling for You by Becky Wade

FINALISTS:

Brunch at Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano

Wait for Me by Susan May Warren

2000-2009

WINNER: Whispers from Yesterday by Robin Lee Hatcher

FINALISTS:

Blue Mist on the Danube by Doris Elaine Fell

Surrender of the Heart by Sally John

WINNER: A Touch of Betrayal by Catherine Palmer

FINALISTS:

Awakening Mercy by Angela Benson

True Devotion by Dee Henderson

WINNER: The Guardian by Dee Henderson

FINALISTS:

Spring Rain by Gayle Roper

The Truth Seeker by Dee Henderson

WIldflowers by Robin Jones Gunn

WINNER: True Honor by Dee Henderson

FINALISTS:

The Healer by Dee Henderson

Summer Shadow by Gayle Roper

WINNER: Hideaway by Hannah Alexander

FINALISTS:

Happily Ever After by Susan May Warren

Playing by Heart by Deborah Raney

WINNER: Secrets by Kristen Heitzmann

FINALISTS:

Wild Heather by Catherine Palmer

Winter Winds by Gayle Roper

WINNER: A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

FINALISTS:

Chateau of Echoes by Siri Mitchell

In Sheep's Clothing by Susan May Warren

WINNER: The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist

FINALISTS:

Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland

The Redemption by M. L. Tyndall