Book of the Year - Romantic Fiction
Book of the Year - Romantic Fiction Winner and Shortlist
The inaugural Romance award was founded to recognise a vivacious and chart-topping genre that has been supercharged by BookTok. This shortlist encapsulates the genre’s beguiling variety, showcasing everything from sagas to small-town romances and swoonworthy contemporary stories.
Winner
Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry
Viking
Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life had the judges falling head over heels, and triumphs as the first winner of this new category. Henry is the “romance writer of her time”, said one judge; she is “the future of the genre”, added another. The panel agreed that Viking has nurtured a “genuine and passionate” relationship with Henry – with each book the publisher has cemented her brand and asserted the market strength of the genre.
Great Big Beautiful Life was impossible to miss. The now quintessentially Henry cover design, drenched in bright oranges and pastels, stood out as Viking was determined to make it not only the book of the summer, but the romance book of the year. The publisher’s “innovative” and “original” campaign went further than ever before, rewarding long-time “EmHen” fans with a series of fun bookshop events at Waterstones branches and Book Lovers, Edinburgh. The judges agreed that Great Big Beautiful Life would “stand the test of time”.
The Shortlist
All Together for Christmas
Sarah Morgan
HQ
Sarah Morgan’s festival romance was the only one of its ilk to hit number one in the charts. HQ actioned a fun, inventive strategy that appealed to Morgan’s core readership, while expanding her appeal with her first influencer event. Premium book space was secured across the supermarkets and All Together For Christmas racked up an 104% increase on pre-orders compared to Morgan’s last festive outing.
An Almost Perfect Summer
Jill Mansell
Headline Review
Ornamented in playful pink, An Almost Perfect Summer marked a strong 30-year relationship between Jill Mansell and Headline. The team got into the summer spirit for this Cotswolds-set romance, organising the first summer reading with Jill Mansell campaign. They also catered to Mansell’s core audience and grew her newsletter subscribers by 54%. An “always on” approach to the campaign made this feel-good romance a hit.
Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry
Viking
Emily Henry’s Great Big Beautiful Life orange and pastel-drenched cover was unmissable in the bespoke outdoor displays that Viking created in three UK cities. The team delivered their largest campaign for Henry yet and achieved her best hardback chart performance. Key “EmHen” fans were rewarded and Viking broke through the competitive media landscape with winning interviews in the Sunday Times and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast.
King of Envy
Ana Huang
Piatkus
Ana Huang’s dark billionaire romance King of Envy debuted at the top of the charts thanks to Piatkus’ ambitious campaign, which engaged retailers and influencers alike. The latter were treated to a covetable proof box, while a special edition was created with The Works. A midnight release party and an original song were just some of the standout initiatives that helped secure a 32% increase in first-week sales against the last in the series.
Our Sweet Violet
Rosie Goodwin
Zaffre Books
Rosie Goodwin returns to the awards shortlist this year with Our Sweet Violet. Zaffre executed a no-holds-barred approach, launching the campaign 18 months ahead of publication and assembling a cross-departmental team to focus on the title. A fun collaboration with clothing brand Popsy and community events in Goodwin’s local area, helped secure her highest pre-orders to date and her best ever week-one performance in both hardback and paperback.
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
Laurie Gilmore
One More Chapter
One More Chapter has grown Laurie Gilmore from a TikTok debut into a romance brand. The publisher cooked up their biggest marketing campaign ever for The Strawberry Patch Pancake House, delivering deluxe influencer mailing and high-impact outdoor advertising. They built Gilmore’s profile, establishing a reader community on Facebook and a website, alongside a dedicated newsletter. Brilliance paid off: The Strawberry Patch Pancake House was a whole market number one in its first week.
