My favorites up there are far and away the Sherry Thomas covers, I love them and can’t wait to hold Delicious in my hands. My mind never matches the cover to the character so that isn’t a factor for me.

I’ve enjoyed Kresley Cole’s book but hated most of the covers. On the first, the guy looks anemic and HELLO, it’s the girl that’s the vampire. The second is too generic. Nathan is pretty but I prefer no man titty (it rhymes). I’d say the third is my favorite because it does feel slightly unreal, otherwordly, and fairy tailish.

Can’t stand Meljean Brook’s covers, except the fonts. I love fonts when they’re well done. I’d take Demon Night over the first two.

I tend to avoid the cartoons but didn’t realize it until I thought about it now. I’m not terribly fond of the Fallen cover–odd woman out here.

I find the terribly realistic Quinn strange but I think I could get used to it.

Other recent favorites have been the new Hoyt and Mine before Midnight. That’s probably enough with the Thomas covers to declare my preference to be beautiful, non-painterly woman alone in a state of undress.

Here’s more pictures of Nathan and where you can find a link to his portfolio! Yummy!

Holy jamoly, that IS Nathan Kamp? Whoa, he must have like 328 different kinds of gorgeous looks! I’ve been all fangirly over him for months now, but I didn’t make the connection.

(Sorry, now I shall go squee in private.)

When a certain cover model begins to appear everywhere, I usually hesitate to pick up the book he is on because it’s annoying. I remember that one model was the hero for two of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton books–the model portrayed the hero for a Bridgerton sister on one cover, and the other cover was portraying a Bridgerton brother, so it came across as though the Bridgerton sister and brother were love interests. Plus, I don’t find any cover models very attractive.

I watch Avon’s covers because I’ve heard they put a lot of money into finding out what entices the average romance reader. Berkley–their live action covers can look really cheesy. Bantam–hasn’t had enough authors to have an opinion, but I’m meh about Sherry Thomas’ covers. Too plain for me. Signet–tends to have very beautiful covers. St Martins Press–switches between live action covers and “painted covers” and do a pretty good job. Kensington and Dorchester–more misses than hits. Pam Rosenthal’s Bravas were the best I’ve seen from that line. Not a fan of a male cover model’s torso and face being used.

What do people here think about covers that are taken from famous paintings? A few years back I loved the cover for Susan Carroll’s The Dark Queen. The cover of Pam Rosenthal’s The Slightest Provocation was also lovely. And ditto Lauren Willig’s covers.

I’m usually drawn to covers with weaponry too, but I don’t remember seeing very many heroines with them.

For Sherri: http://samhainpublishing.com/books/steelflower

I stopped in at B/N and saw a blurb on Cover Stories so I thought I’d add to the explosion.

Books as seen through the eyes of those who design them
This week – John Gall – Vintage & Anchor Books
Coming Soon:
Stephen Youll – Science Fiction Illustrator
Judy York – Romance & Fantasy Illustrator

Now to catch up with all the links and comments.

Fallen’s cover is beautiful! Love the angel.

I’m a huge fan of Anne Caine’s work, especially her yaoi themed covers. Her boys are just too cute for words. As a whole, I don’t pay a great deal of attention to the cover of a book. I buy based on whether I like the author, the genre, or the blurb. I did get all confused once when I saw the same photo of a model used for covers of two different authors. I had already associated him with the main character of the first book, so it was a bit off-putting to see the guy pictured as the hero of another story. Coincidentally, they were both m/m. Guess he made good gay eye candy.

The comments on the female gaze are interesting. I recently commented that I didn’t like the cover of the new Elizabeth Hoyt because as a straight female I’m not drawn to covers with a woman falling out of her dress. At least some of the old clinch covers had the man in an equivalent state of undress (all those unfastened shirts blowing in the wind!). I liked Hoyt’s prince trilogy enough that I’m going to buy her book anyway. It does bother me, however, that the publisher will think I like the cover when it’s just the opposite, and if I wasn’t already favorably disposed to her writing I’d definitely have skipped it.

I’m usually drawn to covers with weaponry too, but I don’t remember seeing very many heroines with them.

I confess,the face of that man on Cole’s Dark Needs cover just makes me melt. Damn, he’s beautiful. Has a certain mystique, too. Invariably, it’s the male models’ faces that capture my attention, not their bodies (which all look alike after a while). Most clutches prompt that “seen it before” yawn as well. But some faces are just so bewitching, they make me instantly curious about the characters they represent.

Here’s more pictures of Nathan and where you can find a link to his portfolio! Yummy!

Hate to say it, but a lot of erotic-romance ebook covers are off-putting, too; many could benefit from a lighter, defter, more imaginative touch. Readers might very well share this attitude. My most luminous and whimsical EC cover, with nary a nipple in sight, has made that fantasy a consistent seller.

I was struck by the difference between the Penthouse cover Jane posted and the other two erotic titles. I had this visceral sense of the *overselling* of eroticism on the other two covers, which frankly makes me less inclined to buy a book, because I am so wary of the old bait and switch. At some point, those erotic covers virtually scream ‘trying too hard,’ which not only makes me wonder at the contents, but also too often clash with my own taste preferences. Not that I prefer covered up covers — but I think it takes some real thought to be provocative on all levels, and few erotic book covers accomplish that for me.

I agree about the cover model for the Cole book, too. There are a few models, especially of historical Romance, who don’t appeal to me at all. But this guy is really sexy, and not in a sleazy way. And he fits the book, too. I hate it when the cover models aren’t even the right coloring, etc. as the hero and/or heroine.

Is that the same guy on the latest Brook cover, too, or someone different?