Historical Romance Book Club discussion

Hi,

When you choose a book are you influenced by the cover (design and illustration) of the book? To me, it has a lot of influence, despite some very good books have awful covers, I can choose a book by it's cover, contradicting the old saying :D.

I've notice that a lot of HR books, some very recent, have ancient and totally outdated covers and I don't get why. Must HR covers are with shirtless men and girls with big necklines, legs showing, almost everytime laying. It seems that they only target one kind of audience. Look, I'm not a prute, I really don't mind, I even enjoy, reading the steamy parts in the argument but looking at some covers it seems the all book it's just that...

And then some books have really, really bad covers, with awful design.

I don't know if you get my meaning... sometimes it's hard to explain and maybe it's just a case of taste but that's something it wonders me.

PS If this not the place to put the question please erase the topic

If I am in the library I often pick a book by its cover. Recently HR have been doing the silhouette. It has been a mixed bag. Still seeing some of the Fabio covers but more with the peek a boo styling of a lady's stocking or off the shoulder dress.

I pick books first for the titles, then read the back cover. I find if I am reading a book with the characters all over each other on the cover, its a bit embarrassing when wanting to read while waiting in the hospital, doctors, or some other waiting area. lol.
Covers I prefer

I was just thinking about this yesterday while perusing old Johanna Lindsey classic covers. I'm in love with the old covers probably for nostalgic reasons. Gentle Rogue, in particular, is a famous Lindsey cover and I remember when I purchased it.... yes I'm that old. I bought it for the cover. Not the couple, or the sexy man chest, or Fabio, but because it had a Rogue and a ship and those are two things I liked then and now.

I would have purchased it for the blurb, but the real question is whether I would have read the blurb if I'd first seen the book with one of its other covers. After flowers and mansions became vogue for romance (Judith McNaught had a hand in that) I'm not sure I would have picked up Gentle Rogue.

It's a bit hypocritical I know, to say I wouldn't have looked at the blurb with a house and flowers on it, but I'm afraid it's true. Even though I used to get teased badly for reading romance novels, it was, and still is, the covers that often fill me in on what is in store story wise.

I'm not a fan of the silhouettes, at all. They're great for humor and comedy, but I can't get a good pulse of the more serious books, or dramas from them. They make all romance look like a comedy and I'm not drawn to rom-coms.

It's an awesome discussion. I suppose a part of me misses the old art...and it was art. The books may have been based off of photography, but they were painted and exaggerated. Jon Paul Ferrara still makes this kind of art and it's BEAUTIFUL! I believe he's responsible for the artwork for this group's thumbnail.

All in all, if the author is a favorite of mine, I'll read the blurb and skip the cover. But if it's someone I don't know, then I'm looking at the cover and then the blurb.

Trends will generally drive covers and stories. So if the silhouettes continue, that's what we'll be seeing until the publishers decide otherwise.

Shannon wrote: "I was just thinking about this yesterday while perusing old Johanna Lindsey classic covers. I'm in love with the old covers probably for nostalgic reasons. Gentle Rogue, in particular, is a famous ..."

Gentle Rogue Is one of my fav books. I also like the cover for the ship and Pirate affect

I remember buying bodice rippers and yes my entire family made fun of me. Of course I read more than all of them combined lol. I watched a video recently and saw an author that did the photo shoot herself. With many self publishing I can see that happening. If I am reading an Ebook the cover art makes little difference to me as most of my books come from recommendations or KU. I have to say the reviews of my goodreads friends really play a big part on my seeking out info on my future reads.

Most of the time, I am drawn to the covers first, then I consider the title. If I like the book, I will read the blurb and decide if I want to add the book to my TBR. Occasionally, I'll ignore the cover if the title sounds interesting and read the blurb.

Yes, the cover plays a big part in my selection. If it stands out I'm going to look at the blurb first. It's human nature to go to what is pleasing to the eye. TG for reviews.

sidenote: I wish they would stop changing the covers of my books so much. I have difficult time finding my favorite books.

I don't say that I don't read the book if the cover isn't to my taste, I read a book, recommended by Lauren with the most ugly cover and loved it. When a book is recommended I read it and I don't care about the cover, but if I choose one and I don't know the writer, first I look at the cover, then the blurb.

Some book's cover are so dated that you look at the cover and skip it, and sometimes it's written today...

Who is Fabio?!?!

Some of my favourite covers:

Georgana's Secret


Where the Stars Meet the Sea


Blackmoore

I also like this kind of cover, more fun, when the book is also light and fun:

Portrait of a Scotsman

Another thing I've notice it's the different edition from USA to UK, I usually read the books in English so I don't know how are the covers in Portugal, if they usually follow the UK version or the American version

@Sandra. Fabio was a model for many of the covers of HR in the 1970's or 80's.

Those are lovely covers, @Sandra. I especially like the old-fashioned look of Georgana's Secret.

I have this book Wild Bells to the Wild Sky by Laurie McBain. Don't know if I'll ever get around to reading it but I'll keep it just for the cover. I don't care about the H & h on the cover - it's the colors. This photo doesn't quite do the colors justice but close. IRL they just burst off the cover. Gorgeous. (I also like the title)


I also love this cover (loved the book, too!)
The Bronze Horseman


Finally, another favorite cover. Was really excited to read this just b/c of the cover, but sadly the story didn't work for me. Still love the cover. And the title!
Edenbrooke

That was the question I was going to ask Sandra.
Thanks for the answer Merry 👍

Merry Jewelhound wrote: "@Sandra. Fabio was a model for many of the covers of HR in the 1970's or 80's."

Thaks, Merry!! I don't know him, but I'll investigate! ;)

Cath wrote: "Those are lovely covers, @Sandra. I especially like the old-fashioned look of Georgana's Secret.

I have this book Wild Bells to the Wild Sky by Laurie McBain. Don't know if I'll ever..."

Georgana's Secret it's one of my favourites and I also enjoyed the book a lot.

"Wild Bells to the Wild Sky" as a ring to it!

I liked Edenbrooke and the cover ;)

Loved the cover of The Bronze Horseman, very pretty!

I like almost every cover in this collection:

https://shadowmountain.com/book-categ...

I'm not heavily influenced by covers...it's not a deal breaker for me, but my preference is a sexier step back cover. I find it interesting when the covers change dramatically from one edition to the next

yes, that is interesting

Example is Balogh's Slightly Married bold, red, swirly cursive eye- catching cover which I bought several months ago. The new one has a woman on cover in regency attire looking pensive. Such a different feel!

I think deceptive book blurbs bother more than the covers.

However if the author described a heroine a tad overweight by
ton standards, and the cover shows a woman thin as a reed...

I've noticed that happened in some book I've read, the description from the author was a men with black hair and the person in the cover was blonde...

Marketing spends time trying to attract readers. What about a good love story?

HR-ML wrote: "Marketing spends time trying to attract readers. What about a good love story?"

A lot of readers enjoy visuals (and I know I'm not the only one that has fandom folders on Pinterest haha), but also colour psychology might have something to do with the covers? For instance, red usually stands for romance or love, yellow happiness, and blue for calmness and loyalty. Just a thought, and it might explain why cover artists change the hair colour on the cover- it drives me nuts, though, when they do. Anyway, here are some of my favourite covers in terms of HR (I love Blackmoore and the Bronze Horseman, too!):

beautiful!

Christine L. wrote: "HR-ML wrote: "Marketing spends time trying to attract readers. What about a good love story?"

A lot of readers enjoy visuals (and I know I'm not the only one that has fandom folders on Pinterest h..."

So beautiful! I believe there is some colour psychology indeed. It seems a good point, but they can always use the mane colour in a psychological way and put the colour of the hair straight, eheh! When I see that happening it seems lack of care and unprofessional.

Sandra wrote: "Christine L. wrote: "HR-ML wrote: "Marketing spends time trying to attract readers. What about a good love story?"

A lot of readers enjoy visuals (and I know I'm not the only one that has fandom f..."

Yeah, I think there's a fat chance that the cover designer hasn't read the book, or isn't that passionate about it when that happens. Then again, it happens a lot with book to film adaptions, too. Even when the character gets a full paragraph about their black or blonde hair, they get cast as the opposite *shrug*.

It's kinda annoying, I hate when that happens. it doesn't make sense...

I was just thinking... the major problem with some of this covers very similar and non distinctive (girl + boy without shirt in bed and so on) is that I don't even remember the cover of this books, I don't distinguish one from the other. That doesn't happen is some of the covers we posted here

Who is Fabio!! Fabio is legendary in our household. Anyone man with luscious locks is automatically branded “Fabio”. And who doesn’t remember those adverts for “I can’t believe it’s not butter”....

I tend to read on kindle, so book covers have become redundant.

Sandra wrote: "I was just thinking... the major problem with some of this covers very similar and non distinctive (girl + boy without shirt in bed and so on) is that I don't even remember the cover of this books,..."

Dear Fabio we could write a series dedicated to him...HAHA. "The Fabio Saga Continues."

I was perusing my reads for this year's Goodreads challenge, and none of them really have girl+boy with no shirt...except for and , and even then I'd say they're pretty because of the vibrant colours :p . There are some exceptions with the dude having a very low cut v-neck shirt.Some might as well be shirtless:

Susan wrote: "Who is Fabio!! Fabio is legendary in our household. Anyone man with luscious locks is automatically branded “Fabio”. And who doesn’t remember those adverts for “I can’t believe it’s not butter”......."

I still remember that commercial. He really did make the most of his 15 minutes of fame.

I think Fabio didn´t appear in Portugal! ;)

Fabio just turned 60 so it was has been a while since he was on the book covers.

If you read any old BR from the 80s and 90s, chances are Fabio was on the cover. He had long blonde hair. He's on the cover of 'Warrior Woman' by Joanna Lindsey and 'Sweet Revenge' by Lynsay Sands - just to name a couple.

Defy Not the Heart
Fabio.

HR-ML I just added that to my TBR list lol

Merry Jewelhound---

Hope you like it. I'm almost afraid to make recs anymore- how we
perceive books is subjective.

Fabio was on a horse w/ a lady on a rom cover. His character had
vertigo. I'm blanking on name.

I would never have read these books if I had known Fabio was on the cover. Cheesy! Looks like I would have never read any Johanna Lindsey's books.

Strange, now when I see an old cheesy cover, I'll read the blurb. I love old BR.

HR-ML I just had one of my reads picked as BOTM. Everyone hated it lol. I liked it. So I know what you mean about everyone being different. Plus I no longer feel compelled to finish a bad book like when I bought the hard copy.
Lauren I still like BR

What's BR?

Merry which one of the BOTM?

I loved Fabio covers. After Fabio came John DeSalvo, both really eye catching cover models.

Bodice Ripper BR mainly books written in the 1970's thru 90s?
A Lady's Lesson in Scandal was last months read. I liked it. Having read it twice will not be reading it again lol

Thanks, Merry!
A Lady's Lesson in Scandal was not bad. It wasn't amazing but not bad

I just looked up John Desalvo. My God! He looks like a brunette Fabio.

OMG, I did the same, Lauren!! They are very similar and totally not my kind of guy, but very fine male book covers specimen, eheh!!

lol Not my type either. I must be getting old bc I so want to cut his hair.

Eheheh