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Mira |
The winner is a cover with a striking contemporary look: Lucy Gets Her Life Back. Yolette summed up the appeal of this cover: "I don't know who Lucy is but from her body language on the cover I like her already!" The unusual composition of the cover seemed fresh and original to many readers. Nana was particularly impressed. "I picked Lucy for its fun colors, its interesting composition, and its ability to convey the personality of the heroine using only three-fourths of her body. It's cute, it pops, and I'd definitely pick it up off the shelf." Everyone who voted for this cover loved Lucy and wanted to know her better. Judith agreed. "Immediately you know this is a woman you would like to know. You can tell by the room, her shoes, her posture and that she's fiddling with something while she is thinking. The colors are warm indicating her personality too." Sarah also found Lucy appealing. "Lucy looks a lot like a woman I can relate to. She is on the phone, feet up, and just letting time pass her by. We all have days like that, where we need to focus on ourselves, and this cover is the epitome of that exact moment when she is taking back herself." |
Many of the other finalists in this category depict nature scenes, and the most popular of these was The Butterfly House, which finished in second place. Voters loved the colorful, beautiful butterflies, which made this cover stand out. Maria thought this cover was particularly beautiful. "I love the shades of blue and the beautiful butterflies. It seems to me that they're not often seen on covers, making this one stand out next to the lovely landscapes that tend to blur together after a while." Marian agreed. "I've always had a weakness for butterflies, but this cover is delicate and beautiful. It makes me think of cool fresh spring air, freedom and flight into blue horizons. Don't look away - the butterflies just might flitter away through the open window when you're not watching." Several readers commented that they'd like to use this cover as a work of art - a comment that's echoed for several of the other finalists. K.E. said, "I have no idea what it's about -- but the cover is intriguing, could be fantasy, could be romance, could be mystery -- I'd pick it up! It's also one of the few I might like tucked away as a painting in my hallway or a powder room. Several excellent covers here, but this one is my favorite." |
Mira |
Harlequin |
Only a few votes behind, the third place cover was Her Perfect Life. Many voters were torn between this cover and The Butterfly House. Susan agreed. "I find this cover quite beautiful, almost like a still life painting. The butterfly cover is quite pretty as well, but the lovely springtime colors in this one made it stand out." Other readers liked the simplicity of the cover. Denise commented, "An eye-catching cover both for the contrasting color combinations and the still-life composition. Not something I'm used to seeing on a contemporary. Very nice." Kristin liked the modern feel: "It's modern and fresh, signaling its contemporary status." Justin was impressed by this cover as well. "The cover image of Her Perfect Life has so much depth, such a rich palette, and such stellar composition. So much care has been put into the cover that one can only imagine equal care was put into the book itself." |
The fourth place cover was Something Beyond The Sky. Readers were intrigued by the cover, and wanted to know more about the story. Nelly was drawn to the cover immediately. "The letter concept immediately grabs me - who is writing a letter? Is it a long distance romance? I'm already sucked into the story." Sarah agreed. "I don't read contemporaries as a rule, but this one appealed to me. Maybe its the patriotic feel, I am not sure, but the cover opened possibilities in my mind about what this book was about, made me WANT to read it." Other voters were drawn by the cover's design. Fiona said, "This unusual cover design caught my attention immediately. I like the simple composition: combination of envelope cover and photo. It is a very simple composition and the limited colour scheme works well. The red stamp and the title really stand out. I like the hand-written style of the typeface as it fits in with the imagery (long distance romance during a time of conflict where the written word is the main means of communication). Very romantic." |
Harvest House Publishers |
Signet |
The fifth place cover, Home By Starlight, had a homey feeling that appealed to many voters. Readers saw this cover and immediately thought of cozy winter nights by the fire. Danielle commented: "I love the cozy feel of this cover. It makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of tea and spend the night reading." Linda agreed. "Stunningly inviting, a warm respite from the cold world." And Mary summed up the appeal of this inviting cover: "All of these were lovely and it was hard to choose. But I liked the peaceful snow scene; the golden light form the windows was inviting; the title font complements the picture beautifully." |
NAL |
St. Martin's Press |
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The sixth place cover, Defining Moments, was particularly popular among
readers who like to see people on covers. (This was my favorite cover, for that very reason.)
Nikki commented, "I simply like seeing a man and woman on the cover. Her skin is beautiful and
seems to glow. The way she is holding his arm/hand and he has his face next to hers just
speak to me." Alyssa agreed. "I feel a human emotion and a connection between the characters
that I don't get from the others."
Other voters liked the simplicity of the cover and the couple depicted there. Janice agreed. "I like the realism. These are ordinary looking people yet they're both very beautiful, and the pose is one of tenderness indicating a real bond between them." Kathleen found the cover "soft and sensuous, with a great use of color and fade-out." |
Sailing To Capri was tied for sixth place. Voters wanted to jump into this
cover and sail away. Tina summed up the cover's appeal. "It looks like why I read a book: to
escape somewhere romantic."
Cover Café member Linnae agreed. "Simply breathtaking, and so serene it makes you want to sail to Capri, too." Helen also found the cover appealing. "I was immediately drawn to this romantic landscape. What a great place to have a love affair." |
Sea-loving voters also fell in love with Sea Gypsy (although several voters worried that the heroine might tip over!) Voters enjoyed the light, whimsical cover, including Cover Café member Mary Lynne. "The way the heroine is playfully dipping her toes into the water on this cover makes this book seem like it will be fun to read!" Katherine agreed. "I like the whimsical nature of the outfit and the setting. The muted colors are relaxing and soothing. It looks like the perfect book to read after a long stressful day." And Terry found the cover particularly intriguing. "Eye-catching, great flow with the colors, nice composition. I like the fact that the model is looking ahead, into the distance--makes me wonder what she'll find there." |
HQN Books |
Barbour Publishing |
Yuletide in Ireland and Wales also appealed to readers who loved its warm and cozy look. Malvina found the cover particularly appealing: "An isolated cottage, a bit of snow, yuletide... the promise of a warming fire, snuggling up with someone you love, all implicit in this lovely cover. Also, hey, it's beautiful, gorgeous Ireland and Wales. Who wouldn't want to be there?"
The final cover is The Lavender Field. Like several other covers in this category, voters were attracted by the beautiful scenery and the lovely imagery. Elyse found it particularly evocative. "Ooh, I can smell the lavender!" Pamela commented, "This is more like a piece of art. I love the vibrant colors, the sense of the lavender field stretching on and on." |
Mira |
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