Signet
Cover artist: Unknown

This year's winning cover was The Love of a Lawman. It was probably the most traditional cover in the group, and certainly the sexiest. Readers agreed on the appeal of this cover: that sexy cowboy!

Angie called the cover, "Every woman's fantasy, a cowboy waiting alongside the road with a convertible."

Melanie agreed. "This one caught my eye before I even clicked on the other ones. But I forced myself to click on them anyway (just to be fair). Me likes me some cowboy!"

Karen summed up the cover's appeal: "Who doesn't love a cowboy?! Those jeans! That t-shirt! That cowboy hat!"

The second place cover was just a few votes behind the winner, and Bachelorette Blues seemed fresh and modern to many voters. Readers wanted to know what happened to that broken shoe!

Jean commented, "I haven't read this book, but this cover intrigues me and makes me want to read it. Isn't that what a cover is supposed to do?"

Kaye agreed. "This cover made me smile. How many of us have one those days when everything goes wrong? I can't wait to see how true love comes about."

Lauri found the cover a refreshing change: "A simple clean image in a genre that tends toward the highly overwrought. Very evocative."

Silhouette
Cover artist: Unknown

Thorndike
Cover design: William B. Hubschwerlin

The third place cover was a landscape, a perennial favorite for contemporary covers. This reprint of Dangerous Magic by Jayne Ann Krentz is actually a large print edition from Thorndike, primarily sold to libraries. But the beautiful golden sunset attracted many readers.

Caroline said, "Lovely colours! The landscape corresponds well with the promised "magic" of the title, and the darkness goes well with "dangerous" without being too threatening to promise an enjoyable read."

Liz agreed, adding "I like the scenic pictures, I think they evoke more feeling. I love this cover."

Taking Flight, the fourth place cover, appealed to many readers who wondered, "who is that heroine?" Susan commented, "This cover appeals to my imagination. Is she starting over? Suddenly free? Moving on? Letting go?"

The beautiful color scheme attracted Kate. "The colours! So light, so carefree, so muted, so magical. I love the parallels drawn between the imagery and the title and falling in love. Very subtle, but beautifully crafted."

And Christine also wanted to find out more. "It looks like a beautiful sunny day and a woman freely running barefoot in the grass without a care. It makes me want to know how she was awakened and set free from hardships."

Mira
Cover artist: Unknown

Barbour
Cover artist: Kevin Fleming / Corbis

Just a few votes behind these two, the fifth place cover was the inspirational romance Alabama. Readers loved the beautiful scenery, as Isabelle commented: "I can practically feel the warm breeze and hear the grass rustling. It's a very peaceful cover."

Susan felt it was "A beautiful, timeless picture. I don't know Alabama at all, but the picture makes me want to."

And Dorothy summed up the appeal of this cover: "Hands-down the most splendid cover in the whole contest! It is beautiful and calming and romantic. I wish more romance novels would get thoughtful, reflective covers such as this."

The sixth place cover was Timeless Devotion. Readers loved this clean, simple cover with its romantic couple. Malvina said, "The simplicity of this cover is stunning. Gorgeous blue colours, with the reflection of the embracing couple and the title mirrored in the still water behind them. It just conjures up the image of the hero and heroine being devoted to each other for time without end. Very eye-catching and romantic."

Rachel agreed. "Less is more, and while we all love a steamy story, at the end of the day, if the emotional relationship isn't there, I'm not reading the book."

Genesis
Cover Artist: Unknown

Steeple Hill
Cover artist: Peter Gloege from Lookout Design

That Christmas Feeling, containing novellas, seemed perfect for this time of year, evoking warm feelings of the holidays. Kathy said, "It makes me want to be in that warm, welcoming house, singing carols and eating fruitcake."

Kimberly said it was the Christmas scene she always wanted. "I grew up in Florida; we went to the beach on Christmas Day. I've always longed to spend a snowy Christmas somewhere that looks like this!"

Intuition, the eighth place cover, was one of the only covers in this category to feature a close-up of a couple. This was my choice, because I loved the rich and lush feel of the cover, and the romantic scene depicted there.

Liz liked its understated sexiness. "It's sexy without being obnoxious. Subtle wins big points with me."

Rebecca liked that it featured real people. "It just feels like a book about people when you see real faces on a cover. It makes me want to know more about their story."

BET
Cover artist: Unknown

Pocket
Illustration: Ben Perini;
Design: Anna Dorfman

Although cartoon covers are very popular for romantic comedies, they haven't fared very well in the cover contest. Have Glass Slippers, Will Travel is the only one that made the finals. Several voters commented that they don't normally like cartoon covers, but this one was an exception. Curandera liked its contemporary look: "A very fun, upbeat, and modern cover." Cover Café member Linnae agreed. "I hate cartoon covers but I love this one! It's fun and interesting.... love that title."

Hand in Glove rounded out the contemporary ballot. Readers appreciated that the couple on the cover wasn't in the traditional "clinch" pose. Liz said, "Wow! We have here a man and a woman who look like they're actually having fun together! There is something intimate about this shot and I find it totally romantic. I can't help wondering what's going on in this scene, and what's going to happen next." Jenny agreed. "This is two people laughing and not trying to be "romantic" and I find that romantic. I want to know what they're laughing about."

Genesis
Cover artist: Unknown

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