RIO Award of Excellence Winners

The RIO Award of Excellence was created to recognize the achievements of books that were published within the last calendar year. The RIO Award of Excellence is the only award of its kind. All of these books were
nominated and voted on by RIO's member reviewers rather than reader polls or an individual review site contest. Our members come from a number of book review sites, some staff and some freelance, so the final outcome of our award is based on a wide range of reviewer tastes and preferences. RIO prides itself on this unique award and the recognition that it brings from the publishing industry. Each years winners are posted on the RIO website .

On behalf of all the members of Reviewers' International Organization, congratulations to this years winners of RIO Award of Excellence and continued success for 2007!

FAVORITE LONG CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
1. The Crossroads Cafe by Deborah Smith

Runners Up
2. Squeeze Play by Kate Angell
3. Miss Understanding by Stephanie Lessing

Honorable Mention
Love is All You Need by Lori Devoti

FAVORITE SHORT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
1. Dancing In The Moonlight by Raeanne Thayne

Runners Up
2. Noon by Katherine Warwick
3. Meant-To-Be Marriage by Rebecca Winters

Honorable Mention
Interior Motives by Ginny Aiken

FAVORITE LONG HISTORICAL ROMANCE
1. The Falcon's Bride by Dawn Thompson

Runners Up
2. The Taming of the Duke by Eloisa James
3. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

Honorable Mention
Lord of Temptation by Paula Quinn

FAVORITE SHORT HISTORICAL ROMANCE
1. Falcon's Heart by Denise Lynn

Runners Up
2. Kitty McKenzie by Anne Whitfield
3. Of Paupers and of Peers by Sheri Cobb South

FAVORITE DEBUT NOVEL
1. A Restless Knight by Deborah MacGillivray

Runners Up
2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
3. Not Quite Dead by Sela Carsen (tie)
3. You Belong to Me by Patricia Sargeant (tie)

FAVORITE ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
1. Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard

Runners Up
2. Home Before Midnight by Virginia Kantra
3. To The Brink by Cindy Gerard

FAVORITE MYSTERY/THRILLER/non-Romance SUSPENSE
1. Dirty Laundry by Tori Carrington

Runners Up
2. S is for Silence by Sue Grafton
3. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Honorable Mention
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson

FAVORITE PARANORMAL ROMANCE
1. Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp

Runners Up
2. Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
3. The Falcon's Bride by Dawn Thompson

Honorable Mention
Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon

FAVORITE FUTURISTIC/FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE
1. A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

Runners Up
2. The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe
3. Conspiracy Game by Christine Feehan (tie)
3. Master of Swords by Angela Knight (tie)

MAINSTEAM FICTION
1. The Blonde Geisha by Jina Bacarr

Runners Up
2. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick
3. The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue

FAVORITE STORY FROM AN ANTHOLOGY
1. Bad Cat by DeborahAnne MacGillivray (from the No Law Against
Love anth)

Runners Up
2. A Whisper of Spring by Lynn Kurland (from The Queen in Winter
anth)
3. Something Borrowed by Jim Butcher (from My Big Fat
Supernatural Wedding
anth)

Honorable Mention
Tutti-Frutti Blues by Kemberlee Shortland (from the No Law
Against Love anth)

REISSUES/MISSED GEMS
1. Daughters of the Grail by Elizabeth Chadwick

Runners Up
2. Bloodwind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo (tie)
2. By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter (tie)
3. By Possession by Madeline Hunter