The Ever-changing Landscape of the Romance Book Cover

By Jayne Kingsley 

Recently, I've found myself with time to kill on Saturdays in the city and being the book lover that I am, I've been spending that time perusing the fabulous offerings of local book stores. What's struck me, is the blurring lines of romance book covers and just how the hell I'm meant to understand the 'reader promise' from some of the new trends that have emerged. 

With that in mind, I thought I’d delve into a bit of research about how romance covers have evolved over time. 

 

Let’s start with the good ol’ ‘bodice ripper’ or ‘clinch cover’ as they were affectionately known. What’s not to love, right? The Fabio-esque male and his leading lady with luscious locks whose clothes clearly weren’t made well, since they always seemed to fall off at his one saucy wink. Too much? Fair. Back in the day this was the epitome of the romance novel – no confusion over the reader promises here. Truth – I have quite a few of these in storage

 

 

 

Moving on, and we start to see the rise in steamy and erotic romance, their covers depicted by suggestive single item objects and dark backgrounds. I can still recall when I was first told about the Fifty Shades phenomenon. Being a massive Twilight fan at the time (team Edward, always and forever), when I looked up Fifty Shades my immediate thought was that it was another vampire novel (I was really into Twilight so completely misread the situation). Reading the first few pages I kept waiting for the penny to drop… and it did… or should I say the whip did, not so much the penny. I’d based my entire thought process about the first Fifty Shades book on the front cover. I’d bought the e-book version, as it was the fastest copy of the book I could get, so I didn’t bother to read the blurb. That single object, dark mysterious cover had me sure that it was going to be a billionaire, hotter than Hades, vampire romance. My bad. 

 

 

 

Of course, there has always been the wonderful realistic depiction of an in-love couple on the front cover – screaming ‘read me if you want the romance promise of HEA’. These are a favourite of mine, and a large portion of the romances that I own have this style of cover. The slightly varied version that is still strong and has stayed within the ‘reader promise’ guidelines is rural romance – where we have a lovely, picturesque background graced with a main character – often a wholesome female lead or rugged handsome man. 

 

  

 

Authors such as Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, and Sally Thorne are just some of the names attributed to the great rise of the illustrated cover, which has been the dominant romance cover rising trend since 2020. The bright, composite, happy colours, bold font and illustrated couple are eye-catching, and are now synonymous with romantic comedy style romances with a HEA promise. 

  

 

This brings me to where I start to come unstuck with a cover. The title and author name are usually clues that it’s a romance, but the actual cover image leaves me a little stumped. Take for example, the beautiful watercolour covers. I first picked up Becka Mack’s novel ‘Consider Me’ at the airport. I was drawn to the watercolour illustration and was intrigued about the type of book. I had assumed maybe a sweet small-town romance or women’s fiction. You know what they say about assuming! 'Consider Me' is a sports ice hockey romance, quite a steamy one.

 

   

 

These covers below—text heavy, devoid of characters—have been popping up all over the place, and without reading the book I am left wondering if I’m going to be getting a steamy romance, sweet romance, young adult romance, cowboy romance or something else entirely. 

 

    

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a complaint. I’m loving the variety of covers that are out in the wonderful world of romance at present. The popularity of the genre and shift in covers is, I believe, creating a wider readership, allowing for more reading in public without the fear of censorship or judgement. It also gives me more reason to try new authors; and let’s face it, it’s always good to have another reason to buy more romance books, right?

**all images and photo credits contained in this blog post are courtesy of https://www.amazon.com/**

LOVE TO LOVE: finding new 'auto-buy' romance authors. I've recently added Sarah Adams and Victoria Levine to my list, their books are addictive!

LOVE TO LAUGH: at my cat chasing its tail. This is a new trick for Dora (who is middle-aged) but has apparently only just discovered she has an elusive, fluffy tail. 

LOVE TO LEARN: what others think about the new trends in romance covers! Hit me up with your favourite romance covers in the comments. 

Two steps behind...

Contemporary romance heroes who have no problem walking behind their heroines

Following the passing of Prince Philip a few days ago, one of the photos that keeps popping up is one of him dressed in full Grenadier Guard regalia as the Queen passes him by, and the Queen is giggling like a schoolgirl. You know the one. You can see a copy of it (and get the story behind it) here.

The photo had me thinking about the relationship between he and the Queen for the some seventy odd years they were together. For all of Prince Philip’s failings, and I’m sure there were a few, he seems to have happily taken on the role of always being a few steps behind his Queen (unlike the another Prince Consort who "threw his toys out of the cot" and absconded to France for a bit). There was never any suggestion that he strayed and, despite some expressed concerns about not giving his name to his children and his predilection to "put his foot in his mouth", he seems to have been a wonderful partner.

It got me thinking about romance heroes who would have absolutely no problem with walking a step or two behind their partners. This is what I came up with:

Officer Reuben Price from Amy Andrews’ All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate

Reuben is a police officer in Marietta, a small town in Montana and Viv Dawson is a successful businesswoman who brings her chocolates to town.

Reuben is a Good Bloke™ who is confident in his own skin. He makes pasta for his woman while she soaks away a hard day in the tub, knows how to show a lady a good time (both in and out of bed) and is prepared to make the tough declarations of love first when required… even if it takes his woman a little while to come around.

Reuben would have NO issue walking a few steps behind Viv and would absolutely enjoy the view.

Oscar Mendoza from Alice Clayton’s Cream of the Crop

Oscar is a small town, boutique dairy farmer who looks a lot like Jason Momoa and Natalie Greyson, a curvy, big-city advertising exec is assigned to a project designed to put his small town back on the tourism map.

Oscar has a particular love for – his words – Natalie’s great big ass… in fact, at an early meeting he tells her that the first best part of his Saturday is watching her walk away from his city farmers’ market stall where she buys her cheese. He’s also absolutely ready to compromise with her make their relationship work… and to give her the time she needs to wrap her head around what the word compromise looks like.

Oscar is absolutely comfortable sitting back and watching Natalie be the life of the party… and, like Reuben, he’s definitely enjoying the view.

And this was not meant to be a hymn to all the men who love booty but, it kinda turned out that way! 

Jafar from Katee Roberts’ Desperate Measures

And then, there’s Jafar.

If you’ve not read Katee’s Wicked Villains series… it’s a ride. She’s created a world in which characters based more or less on Disney villains have a LOT of sex while running various crime syndicates in one city. It’s the best kind of madness and, in her first book, we meet Jasmine and Jafar…just after Jafar has ordered Jasmine’s father be killed so he can take over the syndicate.

It’s not giving too much away to say that…Jafar has no issue with Jasmine ending up as the head of the crime syndicate, and being known as her second-in-charge, provided that she submits to him in the bedroom. It’s hot. And quite the contrast given that some sex play (albeit in future books) happens at a neutral club called the Underworld where everyone knows that she’s running the show but Jafar is her Dominant.

And, just a warning, this one is spicy, and contains some consensual non-consent.

Which of your favourite romance heores (or heroines) are happily walking a step behind their loves?

Love Speaks: Romance Quotes

by Enisa Haines

I'm a romantic at heart so of course I love immersing myself in romance novels. I especially love reading gorgeous romantic lines that tug at my heart and thought I'd share fifteen of my Aussie-author favourites:

"Oh, devil take you, you awful man. Of course I'm in love with you."

"I've never known a place to feel like home - until I came to Red Rock Downs. And the reason it felt like home was because you were there. I could live anywhere and it would feel like home - as long as there was you."

"I love you, Ben. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you there have been days these last three weeks when I didn't want to love you, but the thing is, I have no choice. You're part of my heart."

"I love you. I don't think it's something I can switch off like a tap. It's there and there's nothing, it seems, that I can do about it."

"Please don't leave me alone with memories of how you look because eventually they'd fade and I'll be left with nothing but a soft picture of you and that's not enough. I want you. With me, beside me."

"I thought I had it all. Until you came into my life and brought the sun, the moon...everything that matters."

"I love you, Coop. I love you so much I want to weep and yell it from the rooftops all at once and I want to be with you."

"You amaze me. Inspire me. You make me feel ten feet tall. You're so wise and silly and surprising. I want you by my side when I wake. I need you with me forever."

"Love. You deserve it, Luisa. That's what I want to give you. If you'll let me try."

"I fought it for the longest time. I thought it was your rakish wiles I couldn't resist but it was you. Just you."

"When you come to me, I know everything's going to be all right. Your love pushes me and cushions me and leads me to the light."

"When I look at you I see my forever home. You have shown me what love can be, and what a relationship should be."

"I am drunk on you, entirely addicted to your kiss, your laugh, your voice."

"All I want is you. Everything else will be a bonus."

"Babe. This chance with you...You're it for me. You're my number one and you're staying there."









There you have it. My favourite Australian romance novel love quotes. If you have favourite quotes not listed here, I'd love to know them.

Love to love: the beautiful ways heroes and heroines in romance novels say 'I love you.'

Love to laugh: laughing is good for the soul, after all.

Love to learn: about everything. I admit to being very inquisitive.

From Little Things Big Things Grow

with guest blogger Amy Andrews.

Authors colour the world of their books with many seemingly inconsequential things. Tiny things that usually never have any impact on the story at all but can go on to have huge significance.

For example, red glass vases. In Holding Out For A Hero, I gave the heroine, Ella, a couple of vases that belonged to her estranged mother, the only things Ella had taken from the house after her mother's death. When I first wrote them they were merely a prop to decorate Ella's room. They could have been anything else - a lamp or a painting. But they quickly became a memento from the happier times in Ella's childhood, a connection to her mother. Then as the story evolved further, they became so much more, they were the catalyst for the wedge that is driven between Ella and Jake.

I didn't know any of this when I first wrote the vases into the story. It was just a little detail, not the linchpin of the big black moment. But things like that often aren't planned - well, they're not for me anyway. They evolve as the story evolves and can often take on a life of their own. I like to think that my muse knew all along, laying little breadcrumbs for me, waiting for me to finally make the connection.

It was the same with my rural/small town romance Some Girls Do which, btw, is perma-FREE!!

Amazon Aus:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Some-Girls-Outback-Heat-Book-ebook/dp/B015GEUFCW

Amazon US:

http://www.amazon.com/Outback-Heat-4-Book-Series/dp/B01ABSZL4A

https://au.pinterest.com/pin/446067538074297818/

I found this image on Pinterest when I was searching (read procrastinating) another book.

I was really impressed with the handkerchief bustle. I'd not seen something like this before and I liked the gypsy feel of it. But I moved on through the rabbit hole that is Pinterest not really giving it much thought until I was half way through writing Some Girls Do and I knew I needed a handkerchief bustle.

You see, my heroine, Lacey, is a bit of a brat. She's young and reckless and wilful and all the things some reviewers have called her. But I don't apologise for that. She's grieving. Yes, she's making a hash of it but grief's like that sometimes. Messy and erratic. Anyway, all Lacey wants is to go home to Jumbuck Springs and be with her tribe - her brothers and the town she loves. But she knows she has to prove herself when she gets there. She knows she has one chance to show she's all grown up.

I didn't know when I made her a fashion design student that it would be the way Lacey was going to prove herself. It was just a tiny decision I made because I wanted her to be a bit arty and have to leave Jumbuck Springs to pursue it. I didn't know when I threw in an old school friend that was getting married as a secondary character that Lacey was going to save her wedding day. But when the scene came to me - when the skirt of the weddings dress is lying in hacked pieces at Lacey's feet - that handkerchief bustle I'd seen once many months before came back to me.

With less than 24 hours to the wedding, Lacey turns the savaged pieces into a handkerchief bustle, causes an absolute sensation in the district and a flurry of orders from other brides-to-be. A business is born and Lacey's place in Jumbuck Springs is secure.

None of these little decisions I made along the way seemed to be of any consequence until that scene. A little procrastination time on Pinterest seemed of little consequence until that scene. But all along my muse had been laying breadcrumbs because that scene is a turning point in Lacey's character and that damn bustle started it all even though it meant nothing at the time.

So what have I learned? Do not take minutiae for granted because from little things, big things can grow. Always trust that my muse will deliver. And Pinterest is the bomb.

Do you notice the minutiae in a novel only when it becomes significant? Are you a Pinterest tragic like me? If so, what are your favourite boards there?

I love to love: travel. I've just come back from exploring the Mediterranean where I totally confirmed something I've always suspected - I was a Roman goddess in a previous life!

I love to laugh: at myself! I don't think anyone should take themselves too seriously.

I love to learn: other people's stories. If you see me following you around Woolies with my shopping trolley I'm trying to figure out your story!