Time Warner
Cover artist: Larry Rostant

Our winner (by a wide margin), was Shadows and Strongholds, and it is an example of both of the above, as it pictures a heroine with her back turned from the viewer, and part of her head is concealed. Former Cover Café member Kellye thought this was an “outstanding cover! Beautiful dress, beautiful pose, and the cross! I know it's part of the window, but still! Just wow!” Anna said she liked “the details that make it stand out from other heroine-from-the-back covers. The period costume and hairstyle, along with the background combine to give the reader/viewer a taste of the medieval atmosphere, and the red/gold palette lends a crackling warmth.”

Many voters praised the colors in Shadows and Strongholds. Elle liked “the warm colors of the image,” as did Catherine. Helen thought that the colors were bold and beautiful.

The woman’s hair and dress were also praised by many. Diane said that she’d always wanted hair like that, Iris had a case of hair-envy, and Debbie admitted that it was “the red hair that did it. I'm red-haired and it's so unusual to see it in a heroine.”

Maria was one of the many voters who absolutely loved the dress. She thought it was elegant and intricately detailed and continued on to say “if I don't get to wear it I'll just have to follow the heroine who does.” Kimberlee said “the detail in the dress's fabric is incredible and the dress design elegant yet sensual in a demure way.” And Sheela confessed that it was the dress that won her over.

Michelle voted for Shadows and Strongholds even though she admits that she doesn’t approve of “chopped figures on covers.” But, she says, they “escaped the worst fault and didn't cut off her head completely.” Thea wonders “what's up with all the covers featuring a woman's back?” and continues with stating that “it must be effective because I'm voting for one.”

In second place came A Bride Most Begrudging. Like the winning cover, this also features a heroine with her face and back slightly turned from the viewer.

Many voters found A Bride Most Begrudging simple yet beautiful. Caroline said the “contrast of light and darkness here almost reminds me of a chiaroscuro painting”, and Bonnie loved “the photographic aspect of the picture, as well as the lovely dress!”

Bonnie wasn’t the only one who admired the heroine’s dress. As with Shadows and Strongholds, voters praised the heroine’s dress in A Bride Most Begrudging. Cecelia thought the dress was gorgeous, and Anna held it as her favorite of all the dresses. Isabelle said “the white dress and upright posture suggest a heroine in quite the tough spot, but the crossed fingers add a bit of playfulness.”

That the heroine was crossing her fingers behind her back was liked by many voters. Quite a few of them wanted to know why the heroine’s fingers were crossed. Bonnie thought the crossed fingers added a touch of humor to the cover, Beth thought it made the heroine seem “spunky,” and Heather mentioned a “hint of sass.” Rebecca simply stated “simple cover but the fingers being crossed speaks volumes. It is clever and appealing.”

Heather summarized why she voted for A Bride Most Begrudging; “the combination of beautiful mood, dress, lighting and photo, plus the hint of sass demonstrated by the woman's crossed fingers. Great!”

Bethany House Publishers
Cover artist: Unknown

Leisure
Cover artist: Judy York

The Care and Feeding of Pirates, the third place cover, had only a slight gap up til second place. Many voters absolutely adored this cover. One of them was Monica, who thought that “this is how a lot of covers should look like.” Wendy called it fun, flirty and saucy. Sandra joined in about it being a fun cover and said that it “lets me know I'm going to have fun reading this book.” Maharia thought that it was “the most fun cover and title I have seen in ages.”

There is just something about a pirate... Caryl called them just plain fun, and thought that “both characters seem to be laughing at themselves and the situation and it gives a playful spirit of levity to the outcome.” Cover Café’s Linnae had The Care and Feeding of Pirates as her favorite and commented “such a lazy pirate and she looks like she has his number!”

Voters also mentioned that The Care and Feeding of Pirates was sexy. Amy likes covers with sexy men on them. Karen agrees and says that she wants “a good-looking guy with his shirt off (or at least open)!”

Fourth place went to The Dark Queen. Lisa voted for this cover and confessed: “I'm a sucker for historical covers that look like paintings. The Dark Queen won just because it looks so rich and lush with a hint of darkness that suits the title.” Liz also held this cover as her favorite and said “I really liked all the covers that had this sense of a painting about them. In the end, I picked this one because of the lovely dress, but I also really liked The Exiled and Shadows and Strongholds. More like these, please!!”

Kate loved the historical feel of the costumes, and the gown, but also that she was left to imagine the face of the character herself. She said: "The use of red and gold suggests opulence and wealth. I especially like how the gold is carried through subtly in the gown, and in the books and frame behind her.” She had trouble choosing between The Dark Queen and The Exiled but said that what made her choose The Dark Queen was the writing. “No quotes, just a simple 'A Novel', which doesn't detract from the historical element.”

Malvina also liked it and said: “Rich detail, rich colours, gorgeous golden frock, and some mystery about the woman wearing the frock. Is she the Dark Queen, or is she another character? I like the way you can't see her face - sometimes it's nice to just have that hint without having an artist's impression of the face - that way you can put your own 'face' on the character.”

Ballantine
Cover artist: Unknown

Dutton
Cover artist: Designed by Leonard Telesca

Cover Café’s members Lisa and Jo-Ann had this cover as their favorite. Lisa thought that it seemed to be an “accurate historical artistic representation.” Jo-Ann confessed having had trouble choosing between this cover and A Bride Most Begrudging and wondered: “How much does a title have to do with influencing our choices here? Both of these titles are also excellent and go so well with the covers. In the end, I actually bought this book because of the title and cover so I'm picking this one.”

Cora also chose The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and said: “I always like those historical covers using actual art from the period rather than new images best. What makes this one stand out is that we actually see the full portrait and not just a headless torso or a lady from behind (both of which are good the first few times, but are becoming cliché now). Plus, the portrait fits the title of the book, as the lady wears pink and has a carnation in her hand. Finally, I also like the parchment with seal look of the title.”

The Viscount’s Bride came in sixth place, only two votes behind The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. Many voters commented that it was a very beautiful and elegant cover. They also liked the cameo. Ruby: “Beautiful cover. Everything is balanced and the cameo center is gorgeous.” Ramona also liked the cameo appearance and said “for some reason that seems romantic to me!”

Cover Café’s Mary Lynne chose The Viscount’s Bride and commented: “I love the rococo feel of this cover, and I like seeing a couple who are interacting on a historical cover, since that's rarer and rarer these days. A Bride Most Begrudging was my second choice--why *are* her fingers crossed? And the lovely beauty shown on the Shadows and Strongholds covers is also wonderful.”

Rachel: “Rather than depicting the H/H in a state of unadulterated lust, this cover depicts a sweet and intimate exchange. Both are clothed, I love that he is holding her hand and especially that they are gazing intently at each other (as if there is no one else in the world but them). Very sweet, but very sexy!”

Nana: “Cropped and painting covers are certainly viable, interesting ways to catch a browser's eye. They let us imagine the heroine instead of forcing her on us, they have a guaranteed dynamic composition, they make the book look "classier" and more literary, and they focus on dresses - and who doesn't love a dress? But the market is so saturated with these covers that I don't even see them any more. And when I do, I don't have any idea what they are. Historical fiction? Actual history? Romance? Literature? Something I have to read for English 110?”

Harlequin
Cover artist: Unknown

Arrow
Cover artist: Unknown

In seventh place came April Lady, six votes behind The Viscount’s Bride. Susan thought that it “perfectly captures the spirit of a Heyer book--fun and frothy, yet elegant and classy.” Linda: “It's delightful! There's so much expression on their faces; it makes you want to find this exact instant in the book. I understand from last year's contest that these book covers are only available in the English editions...what a shame!”

Sandra: “Ok can I say that I just love the dog! He's so cute! Anyway...I love how this looks like an actual painting and not a studio shot photo. I love how the couple look real and not modely beautiful. I also love how they are looking at something else, and not each other. It looks like they having fun together. I almost voted for The Bought Bride cover because I liked how they were posed. It seemed original and dangerous. It is like good sexual tension, ‘I know you there. I shouldn't look at you, but I can't help myself!’”

Jocelyn: I love the happy, expectant looks on their faces. It feels true to the period and makes me think that the book will be a lot of fun, too. Even the dog looks like he sees something interesting just out of our sight.

Liz: “I like the way the cover has the feel of the book it describes. I also love that there's a man and a woman on the cover and that they're not disheveled and on their way to third base.”

Eighth place went to The Exiled, and it only received three less votes than April Lady. Voters commented on the warm colors, and patterns of this cover. One was Eunice who said: “It was tough choosing between The Exiled and Shadows and Strongholds. I like the use of colors, the simplicity, and the natural poses. They don't have the cluttered or stiff feel some of the other covers do. I ultimately went with The Exiled because my favorite color is green. But that's how close it was, I had to go with the color!”

Marian: “Many of the covers in this category hide the heroine's face - to make her all the more intriguing - but in only The Exiled did she seem to fit the book's title. I like the fact that she's actually looking out of a window - and not just standing there passively, but turning her head to look, as if she's waiting less than patiently for something or someone. I also like the sunshine streaming over her - it's that much more realistic.”

Addy: “Oh man, this category is SO tough. I love all the back poses. They are elegant and allow the reader to keep his or her imagination. I would have voted for any of those three. But, not being able to choose between them -- I also loved this one. Great patterns and lighting and no face!”

Kush: “I really, really like the cover of The Dark Queen, But this is the first time I've seen this book and I'm definitely going to check it out because of it's cover. I like the subtle coloring, the stone surroundings and even the lettering of the title. I also like the fact that the face of the heroine is (mostly) not shown.”

Atria
Cover artist: Unknown

Harlequin
Cover artist: Unknown

Signet Eclipse
Cover artist: Unknown

Lee liked the playfulness of the cover: “It's quite a playful cover, like the couple are playing hide and seek. And I love the church interior.”

Cover Café member Karen said: “I love that this cover features a couple, that you can see both their faces, and the beautiful architecture. As much as I love the beautiful dresses on the other covers, I'm getting very tired of women with cut-off heads.” She continues and says: “I was really torn between this and the Jennifer Ashley cover, which is sexy and fun without being tacky.”

Cover Café’s John also chose this cover: “This is a hard category because the covers have become very ‘art-y’. This one reminds of the cathedral in Cordova Spain (ok only a little).”

Katherine: “These covers are all ravishing (I want them all to grace my shelves NOW!), but The Bought Bride departs from the norm a little. It's the architecture that does it for me, the arches and the vaulting - it has a real sense of place and time.”

Deception placed in tenth and last place. Voters commented on the colors and scenery, and they wanted to know what was in that note.

Suisan: “I loved this cover so much that it caused me to buy the book twice. The dark violet of the dress and the title stand out from the other books on the rack, I love the hairstyle, and I want to know what's in the note.”

Kristie: “I like the way she is standing, with the rose and the letter hidden behind her as if she is deciding whether or not to go on to the castle to deliver them. There is a bit of a mystery there.”

Sandra: “it's simply a lovely, lovely cover: lovely cover pic with lovely colours. And a lovely errant curl. :)”

Kuska wondered about those headless bodies: “I am getting tired of all these covers of women with their heads cut off - I am not sure what started this trend, but it seems horribly psychologically unhealthy. I wish there were some pictures of half naked men to choose from, but given none made the cut I will choose this cover, at least unlike most of he others they let the poor girl keep her head (though they still refused to let her show her face).”

To the Two-Image Cover Results

To the Contemporary Cover Results