STAR Award 

2026 Finalists

DEBUT 2026 FINALISTS 

Where in All the World by Vanessa Croft

Harriet Watson dreams of a life beyond the Canterbury plains of 1890s New Zealand. When a celebrated English explorer sets his sights on her, she is swept into a grand romance and a far greater deception.

From the hills of New Zealand to the drawing rooms of London, through the wilds of East Africa and the brutal heart of the Congo Free State, Where in All the World traces one woman’s journey through betrayal, resilience and self-discovery. Faced with the violence of empire and the constrictions of Victorian marriage, Harriet must summon extraordinary courage to reclaim her life — and her freedom.

Somewhere Past the End by Alexandria Faulkenbury

Alice Greene knows it's a hoax when the leader of the cult she's been raised in announces the end of the world. She also knows it's the perfect chance to escape before he finds out she's pregnant with the baby she's not supposed to have. But as she watches his prophecy come true and over 100 members of the group disappear into a plume of smoke and light, all her plans crumble. 

Told in dual timelines, Somewhere Past the End offers a panoramic view of one family and how the repercussions of their choices muddy the lines between truth, belief, and delusion.

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy Kaufman

Jane Crowe is an ordinary peasant girl who never dreamed she would work for the infamous Lord of the Greenwood. But when she’s forced out of her home, she has no choice but to turn to Robin Hood for help—and he makes her an irresistible offer. He needs a pair of eyes in the King’s Houses, and quiet, unassuming Jane—who has spent her whole life going unnoticed—will be the perfect spy.

But when Robin’s schemes implicate Jane in a brutal murder, she must decide: is she a prize to be won, a pawn to be used and discarded—or is she an equal player in the game between nobles and thieves?

GENERAL 2026 FINALISTS

Both Things Are True by Kathleen Barber 

Vanessa is a yoga influencer living high in New York. But after her crypto-entrepreneur fiancé ruins both their lives by fleeing the country amid fraud allegations, Vanessa’s only choice is to start over—by flying home to Chicago and moving in with her sister.

Just as Vanessa puts her life back together, she bumps into Sam. Years ago, they fell hard and too fast and their relationship ended in heartbreak. But if anyone can turn a negative into a positive—and a first love into a second chance—it’s a young woman with influence.

The Marriage Slip by Laura Barrow 

Selling real estate full time, raising two young daughters, clinging to a slipping marriage—Audrey’s life is definitely a balancing act. But when a tumble down the stairs leaves her with more than just a bump on the head, she wakes up five years in the past, before the first tear in her marriage threatened her trust in Travis.

As she relives and revises the past, Audrey discovers who her real friends are and what her heart actually wants. But before she can truly come home, she must decide. Is Travis the obstacle holding her back from her dreams, or the key to having it all?

Roadside Sisters by Catherine Matthews  

When Molly Casey asks her sisters to drive her home from Reno to Seattle, they’re reluctant—until they learn she has cancer. Recreating the last road trip their family took before everything fell apart, she hopes to heal the rift between them. Instead, misunderstandings and repressed grievances explode across state lines.

Told through heartache, laughter, and moments of unexpected tenderness, Roadside Sisters is a powerful story about family, forgiveness, and the secrets that divide us—unless we choose to set them free.