The Romantic Novel of the Year, 2014
Richard Lee
This year’s shortlists for the RoNAs have been announced, two of the categories relevant to the HNS. We will be featuring each of the shortlisted authors in due course.
The awards are somewhat unique in the way they are put together, so I spoke with Christina Courtenay, Chair of the RNA, who explained the judging process and introduced the judges:
“Each book entered for the awards is read three times by three different readers. These are ordinary readers, members of the public who have expressed an interest in reading romantic fiction and helping us to judge the entries. Each reader is sent five books and we try to match them to the categories they have specifically told us they enjoy so as not to disadvantage any authors. For each book they read, the readers have to return a score sheet where they judge the books on everything from plot, characters and setting to overall page-turning quality. The emphasis is obviously on romantic content, but in for example the Epic category, the background (whether historical or contemporary) can take more of a centre-stage. And yes, a darn good book with slightly less romance can definitely win – they have done in the past.
The shortlist this year is:
Charlotte Betts, The Painter’s Apprentice (England, 1687)
Christina Courtenay, The Gilded Fan (England and Japan, 1641)
Liz Harris, A Bargain Struck (Midwest America, 1880s)
Joanna Hickson, The Agincourt Bride (France, 1415)
Carol McGrath, The Handfasted Wife (England, 1066)
Annie Murray, The Women of Lilac Street (England 1927)
Secondly, there is the relatively new Epic Romantic novel, a previous winner of which was Rosie Thomas (in 2012, for The Kashmir Shawl).
The shortlist this year is:
Jessica Blair, The Road Beneath Me (Scotland, 19th Century)
Mary Fitzgerald, Love of a Lifetime (England and Burma, 20th Century)
Emma Fraser, When the Dawn Breaks (Skye, Edinburgh, France and Serbia 20th Century)
Kate Lord Brown, The Perfume Garden (England and Spain, 20th Century)
Jennifer McVeigh, The Fever Tree (South Africa, 19th Century)
Lucinda Riley, The Midnight Rose (England and India, 20th Century)
