More romance authors share their 2012 favorites

Here are more of your favorite romance authors' favorite books of 2012. And if you missed the first two best-of-2012 posts, you can see them here and here.

HEA will be posting authors' picks for 2012 several times a week for the rest of the year. At times, authors are going to gush about a book that might not have come out in 2012, and I've made the executive decision that that's OK.

(Authors are listed with the title of their recent or upcoming book.)

Grace Burrowes, The Courtship

• Firelight and Moonglow by Kristen Callihan. Steamy, Victorian, paranormal, scrumptious writing.
• Not Wicked Enough and Not Proper Enough by Carolyn Jewel. Steamy, Regency, perfect historical details, terrific writing.

Carolyn Brown, Just a Cowboy and His Baby

• Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell. Love, love her work! Funny, down-to-earth and oh, so British.
• Cowboy Crazy by Joanne Kennedy. She knows her Wyoming cowboys so well that it makes me want to move there!
• A Creed in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller. Heartwarming and hotter 'n hell at the same time.
• Gambling on a Secret by Sara Walter Ellwood. Hot cowboys, just my style!

Willa Blair, Highland Healer

• Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire. Anything Rocki writes is fun, but this one has a hurricane, sexy men and a tropical beach.
• Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher. Eerie, fresh, amazing. Not your usual romance, but once you start reading, you'll be hooked.
• Vortex by Cherry Adair. Cutter brothers. Sunken treasure. And then there's the mermaid Logan pulls from the sea. Love Cutter Cay.
• The Wild Princess by Mary Hart Perry. Beautifully written, well-researched love story of Queen Victoria's rebellious daughter.
• Out of the Ashes by Lori Dillon. Unusual settings — ancient Pompeii and WWII Italy — make for a riveting story, with a little angelic help.

Kate Douglas, Dream Unchained

• I happened to pick up a copy of Sylvia Day's Bared to You, the first book in her Crossfire series, and loved it so much I paid for expedited shipping for Reflected in You. I can't wait for Entwined in You, but it doesn't come out until May 2013. All the shipping in the world isn't going to help!
• Another favorite of 2012 was J.R. Ward's Rapture, from her Fallen Angels series, but I'm even more anxious to get Lover at Last, the next in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Love her writing — there's such an amazing rhythm to her stories that I hear the music when I read. And, yes, it's heavy metal.
• Finally had a chance to read Lisa Kleypas' two Friday Harbor stories that have been waiting on my huge TBR pile, Rainshadow Road and Dream Lake. I settle into her books as if I'm with old friends. Love the way she writes and can't wait for Crystal Cove, the next in the series, to release in February 2013.
• Another favorite was Eileen Wilks' Mortal Ties — love the world she's created for her Lupi shapeshifters.
• And then, of course, there's CC Hunter and her newest YA, Whispers at Moonrise. Chosen at Nightfall comes out in April, and I've already pre-ordered it.

There are so many more I don't know where to begin, but I love the fact that there are always wonderful stories out there to keep me happy, and even more to look forward to.

Julie Ann Walker, Rev It Up

• Sultry With a Twist by Macy Beckett. Sweet, sexy, oh-so-fun and sexy! Did I mention sexy? Meow!
• With No Remorse by Cindy Gerard. Fast-paced, action-packed and full of sexual heat. Cindy never fails!
• Lethal by Sandra Brown. Gritty, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat drama. I love Sandra's complex and brazen heroes!

Check back in next week for more romance authors' Best of 2012 picks! And feel free to share your favorites in the comments ...