IBPA Book Awards
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The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award is now the IBPA Book Award. Recognizing excellence in independent book publishing for 40 years. The awards are administered by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). Each year, a gala award ceremony is held in conjunction with the IBPA Publishing University conference where one Gold and two or three Silver award winners are announced in each category.
1 Books Honored in 2026
Love in the Key of Summer: A Love Set in Summer novel
Love wasn’t on the agenda—until one summer night changed everything.
Tawni’s finally putting herself first—teaching by day, singing by night, and rebuilding after mistaking manipulation for love. But Rue’s quiet strength and lingering sadness pull at her heart, igniting a connection that feels as risky as it is real.
Widowed single dad Rue Edwards has mastered the art of holding it all together—until a chance encounter with Tawni Alexander, his son’s former intervention specialist, disrupts his routine and stirs something he thought was buried with his grief.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of a Cleveland summer, Love in the Key of Summer is an emotionally rich romance full of second chances, unresolved emotional ties, and the courage it takes to embrace vulnerability. For readers who crave meaningful romantic connections and the slow burn of authentic Black love—this story sings your song.
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