To be qualified to earn the coveted prize, a book (published in 2011), must score higher than 8.0 on twenty questions provided to six randomly selected reader judges. This year's winners were the best of the best!NEW FORMATTING!Lies have consequences…Twelve years ago, Max Crayton had no choices. Honor bound to hunt a traitor, the government declared him dead to the outside world. He completed his mission, but lost the only woman he ever loved and a child he never knew existed.And so does breaking a woman’s heart…Max was her life, her very heartbeat. After his death, alone and haunted by a dangerous past, Kat Jannsen made the ultimate sacrifice to keep their daughter safe.When Kat discovers Max is alive her carefully constructed jigsaw puzzle life is torn to pieces. But an old enemy has been watching…waiting to strike. As the danger mounts, she has nowhere to turn but to Max. She can trust him with her life, but does she dare trust him with her heart?

    Five years after the derailment of her dreams she's just barely existing, using her job as a hospice nurse to give others the one thing she can't seem to find-closure. So when her elderly neighbor Charlie, a brilliant conspiracy nut known for harassing the FBI, is murdered, Sadie suspects Charlie might've been onto something and intends to make sure someone solves the mystery of her friend's death, even if it's her. The feisty little blonde may have found the victim's body, but FBI Special Agent Archer Hayes has no intention of letting some nosy civilian interfere with his investigation. The guilt he feels is bad enough. The last thing Archer needs is another distraction to haunt him. Especially one as beautiful and beguiling as the girl next door. But throw in a mountain of hoarded evidence and suspiciously coded journals and the case takes a puzzling turn toward a decades old conspiracy cover-up from World War II-one only the victim's closest confidant can help untangle. Sadie and Archer reluctantly join forces to decode the riddle of secrets Charlie carried to his grave. Or did he? Someone is after a dangerous truth. But to uncover it or bury it is a question that leads the unlikely pair on a quest for redemption that lands Sadie in the crosshairs of a desperate killer. And when the dangers of the past and present collide Archer must fight to save the life of the woman he's falling for . . . only to discover he might be the one in need of saving.

    Trapped by poverty and without many allies, Jaymee nearly gives up hope of getting her daughter back after her best friend is murdered. Now, four years later, a wealthy woman with legal connections hires her as a housekeeper, and Jaymee gathers the courage to seek her help. But Jaymee’s last chance ends up in a puddle of blood in one of the historic antebellum mansions in Roselea, Mississippi.I just murdered your wife...again.An unsigned letter consisting of six horrifying words turns Nick Samuels stagnant life upside down. Stuck in emotional purgatory since his wife’s unsolved murder four years ago, Nick is about to self-destruct. The arrival of the letter claiming credit for his wife’s murder and boasting of a new kill sends Nick to Roselea, where he and Jaymee’s worlds collide.Jaymee and Nick realize exposing the truth about her daughter’s adoption is the only way to solve the murders. Up against years of deception, they rush to identify the killer before the evidence–and Jaymee’s daughter–are lost.But the truth doesn’t always set the guilt-ridden free. Sometimes, it destroys them.

     Until one mission turns his world upside down. He left Mercy to fight for his country and escape a broken heart. Years later, he is hard. Cold. A man without mercy. Part of an elite Task Force, he tracks a brutal terrorist to his home town. And runs into the woman who betrayed him… Evangeline Videl was destroyed when Hunter left. Determined to move on, she finds another man, but discovers too late the monster hidden beneath his smooth smile. Struggling to find the conviction to live, Evie finds her life spinning out of control. Then Hunter returns… Forced to band together to find the terrorist before its too late, Hunter and Evie must learn to forgive or risk losing the promise of redemption and their lives…

    When a call from her stalker makes it clear he wasn’t deterred, Aelissm asks her overprotective uncle for advice. His decision to send Patrick O’Neil to keep her safe might become an even bigger problem. Pat is a haunted man with a kind smile and sad eyes. Aelissm knows he will leave, but there is something irresistible about him. He could be the best thing to ever happen to her… if she can convince him to stay.

    A neuroscientist in danger.And one dance that might give them a second chance... CatherineA stranger has been warning me about my research for the government. My coworkers tell me not to worry, but it bothers me. I can't let it show, though. This is my first time as a project lead. At least, a weekend wedding in Newport promises a much needed escape.But when I come face to face with Angelo DeMarchis, that illusion shatters.He's the one who got away.And he's grown even sexier after all these years.That's when I realize I'm in even more trouble.And once again, the price might be my heart.AngeloI've needed this leave for a long time, but the memories haunt me no matter where I go.Even at a wedding--a happy occasion--where I run into a woman from my past.Catherine has become even hotter since high school. I wouldn't mind spending every minute I'm home with her.There's only one problem.Her research has gotten her into trouble. She downplays the warnings, but I'm not buying it.I have ten days to make sure she's safe.She's mine and I won't let anyone get to her. This time I'm playing for keeps.Meet the DeMarchis family in this series by USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle. Navy SEALs, Marines, and hometown heroes -- each who encounters his most complicated mission yet when he will find a woman from his past challenges his plans for his future.

    Not this one.Brutalized as a young girl by a vile sexual predator, Skye Cree is a survivor. Guided by the visions of her mystical spirit guide to the whereabouts of abducted girls, she uses her unique abilities to turn her horrifying past into a positive force for justice. Fighting the demons that have haunted her for years, she trusts only in herself—until she falls hard for a man for the first time in her life. Now, discovering her abductor is back with a vengeance, she becomes locked in a deadly race against time to stop the horrors of an evil human-trafficking ring that threatens to tear her world, and her newfound love apart.

    After losing his team in a fiery betrayal, he left the army. Now he works for cold hard cash.And the girl he loves? She's better off without him.Until her story makes her a target.Then he'll protect her. He'll kill for her. He just won't let himself fall for her again. That would be dangerous, for both of them.WARNING: Contains an inked military man, a plucky reporter on a mission, and explosive chemistry!ANTI HERO is a full-length standalone novel with plenty of heat and suspense!!

    Yet he's very much a man. When Caro Bishop shows up at his Seattle headquarters with a dangerous secret agenda, his ordered life is thrown into chaos. Caro is a woman like no other—and her luminously sensual beauty cloaks a mystery he must solve.Caro's lying low, evading a false charge of murder. She means to clear her name, and she'll do whatever it takes to survive—but seducing a man like Noah is more than she bargained for. His amber eyes have the strangest glow when he looks at her—she could swear he sees the secrets of her heart. The desire smoldering in Noah's eyes awakens her own secret hunger, but Caro has to resist his magnetic pull. Anyone close to her becomes a target. The only right thing to do is run, far and fast, but Caro can't outrun Noah's ferocious intensity—or deny the searing passion that explodes between them.Nothing else matters—until a vicious enemy bent on the ultimate revenge puts his murderous plan into play. Noah and Caro must battle for their lives...and their love...

    He wishes he didn’t want her. Can they stave off a killer long enough to give love a second chance?Emily lost her P.I. husband far too soon. To pay the mounting bills and solve his cold-case murder, she dives headfirst into the family business. When she takes the case of a wrongfully accused wife, Emily’s biggest obstacle is a sexy cop who refuses to back down.Detective Colin Andrews catches killers to forget his tragic past. When a cute PI doubts his hunch about a murderer, he can’t close the case or get the gorgeous rival off his mind. But if he’s not careful, his budding feelings may prove to be a fatal distraction.As Emily and Colin’s clash brings them closer, can they uncover the truth before a murderer kills off their happy ending?The Scent of Lies is the first book in the Paradise Valley romantic cozy mystery series. If you like captivating characters, juicy intrigue, and clean romance, then you’ll love New York Times bestselling author Debra Burroughs’ engaging stories.

    But when her boss sends her on a mission to recruit “Heartbreak Harper” for their Super Bowl commercial, she’s brought face-to-face with both. Beckett Harper is sick of it all: the tabloids, the celebrity of being a football player, the social climbing women. At his family’s farm in Picketts, he can finally lie low—until Jordyn comes crashing in just before an impending blizzard. The storm hits hard. The power goes out. And the ice between them must melt—before Jordyn leaves for good.

    And those knitting needles aren't just for craft projects. To most people, Gin Bombay is an ordinary single mom. Then again, they don't know she's from a family of top secret assassins. Somewhere between leading a Girl Scout troop for her kindergartner--would nooses count for a knot badge?--and keeping their puppy from destroying the furniture, Gin now has to take out a new target. BUT YOU CAN PICK THEM OFFExcept this target has an incredibly hot Australian bodyguard who knows just how to make her weak in the knees. But with a mole threatening to expose everything, Gin doesn't have much time to let her hormones do the happy dance. She's got to find the leak and clear her assignment...or she'll end up next on the Bombay family hit list.

    Being Steele Ridge’s first female sheriff isn’t easy. Especially when your cousins are magnets for trouble. The Steeles do everything the hard way, but Maggie’s tougher than she looks. Nothing shakes this sheriff until her cousin brings one of his superstar players—and the accompanying media circus—to town. The press can’t get enough of the sexy quarterback. And neither can Maggie…Jayson Tucker devoted his whole career to the New York Knights. So when the team takes a rookie’s side over his after a locker room brawl, he takes refuge from the spotlight. Except reporters aren’t the only ones after him. Someone wants Jayson benched. Permanently. When the threat becomes deadly, hiding won’t be enough. And in Steele Ridge, security comes in the luscious form of its gorgeous, no-nonsense sheriff.Jayson’s always fought his own battles. The closer he gets to Maggie, the less he’s willing to risk her being caught in the crossfire. Yet Maggie is no damsel in distress. She’s more than capable of keeping her town—and her man—safe. But can she say the same about her heart?

    Graves has seen a lot of dead bodies in her line of work...She's not only in the mortuary business, but she's also the coroner for King George County, Virginia. When a grisly murder is discovered in the small town of Bloody Mary, it's up to J.J. and her best friend, Detective Jack Lawson, to bring the victim justice.The murders are piling up...The residents of Bloody Mary are dropping like flies, and when a popular mystery writer shows up on J.J.'s doorstep with plans of writing his new book about the Bloody Mary Serial Killer, J.J. has to decide if he might be going above and beyond the call of duty to create the spine tinglers he's so well known for. It only clouds the issue and puts her reputation on the line when the attraction between them spirals out of control.And passions are rising...J.J and Jack are in a race against time. They discover each victim had a shocking secret, and the very foundation of J.J.'s life is in danger of crumbling when it turns out she’s harboring secrets of her own—secrets that make her the perfect victim in a deadly game.

    He’s an assassin who’ll die to keep her safe. His secret will destroy them both. Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn't enjoy killing, but he's damn good at it. FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there's a vigilante operating outside the law. When Mallory starts asking questions, Alex is ordered to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex's life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target. Start reading this award-winning Romantic Suspense series today! Winner of the New England Readers' Choice Award and the Aspen Gold. Available in digital, print, and audiobook format. From New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson. This edition features a brand-new cover.