 |
Harlequin Next |
Harlequin Next has scored another winner from among the wonderful covers produced for this line (last year’s winner was also a Harlequin Next). This year, the winning cover of the 2006 Series category is The English Wife. You can’t get much quainter than a stone hut, complete with thatched roof and small painted window, in a field of wildflowers, supporting a bicycle with a red bag. The size, color and placement of the title and author box fits just perfectly with the image on the cover, making it a part of the artwork rather than a glaring imposition.
Elizabeth: “It has no human figures, and no filmy/fuzziness, but the bicycle with pack, the window with curtains, and the cheerful colors imply the kind of people I might find interesting.” Kristin: “Love the colors, love the scene. It's a place I'd like to spend a while.” Karen: “Wow! I'd buy this book in a second. In fact, I'm off to the store to get it. I love the composition and the very English feel of it. GREAT cover!” Lee: “Although I enjoy the covers with half-dressed men and women, I feel embarrassed while reading them in public. This is a non-descript cover.” Christy: “Beautiful, classy cover. Lovely composition and color scheme.” Jeanne: “Could take this in public, lets me fill in the details of how the hero/heroine look.” Mary Beth: “It's not the slightest bit embarrassing. There aren't any goofy looking people in unnatural poses.” |
Dangerous Temptation came next in second place. Blue is always a favorite and the monochromatic scheme with such a romantic, ethereal, mysterious image won over many viewers - and may have made a few sales! Tia: “It's very mysterious. The woman looks almost transparent, like a dream. The man looks very intent on her too, which makes the title very real.” Karen: “Picture makes me wonder...who's tempting who? I want to read this book now.” April Jo: “Life will give you temptations and you'll have to know when to not take them, what will they choose? Now I have to go find this book...” |
Silhouette Nocturne |
Harlequin |
Learning Curve was the third place winner. Voters thought it was sexy, classy, modern, understated, and intimate. It was my pick because I liked that it showed an indistinct couple in a unique pose that suggested flirtation, affection, and restraint. That, the soft focus, and the colors all worked together to create a very nice cover that made me pick it up and look at it in the store.
Cover Café’s Jackie: “A surprising number of decent Series covers...This one is subtly sexy and implies a position of power for the female depicted, which is never a bad thing!” Justin: “...The Learning Curve wins, though, on sheer sexy, something which the cover of The English Wife, however beautiful, lacks. The Learning Curve is so wonderfully restrained and flirtatious, whereas The English Wife is just restrained.” Susan: “I actually thought the cover of The English Wife was prettier, but there's something very romantic to me about this cover -- I can imagine a man and a woman sitting just as these two are, talking and falling in love without even knowing it.” Nana: “The hero and heroine aren't even in physical contact with each other here, and it's five times as sexy as a clinch. And come on. Who hasn’t had at least a *little* crush on a teacher? Okay, so we don't know which one of them is the teacher. But it can be him if I want it to be! Oh, and one other thing: SHOES!” Wanda: “I'm a sucker for a skinny nerdy looking guy.” |
|
Storm Force was published by Silhouette Bombshell which has gone away. There are two other covers from this line on the ballot, so it probably wasn’t because of the covers!
This fourth-place cover, had voters talking about the storm, the hair, and the radio. They liked seeing a woman in charge this time around! Laurie: “It's "moody", has a great tag line, and I like the title being bigger than the author's name. Also, the heroine looks interesting!” Karen: “This was a tough category to choose. There are several I like, but this one gets the nod for its eerie graphics and the woman's stance. The wind and storm are battering her but not blowing her down.” Susan: “I like the movement in the heroine's hair, the way she's looking off at trouble coming in. It's brooding and different.” Marilynn: “The English Wife almost had me, but in the end I had to go with this one. I FELT the storm looking at this. It's all in the hair...” |
Silhouette Bombshell |
|
Daughter of the Flames won fifth place. Most voters for this cover felt it was mysterious, ethereal, and hinted at a good story. They liked that the figures faces were indistinct.
K.E.: “It suggests not only romance, but fantasy and especially PLOT -- is she following someone? Did someone accidentally call or free her? Is the mist real or magical? Lots of good "what ifs" to make you pick up this one and read a few pages.” Anna: “Pretty! The neutral color scheme makes a good backdrop for the dramatic shadowy figure, the hints of the setting, and is that lightning around the heroine's forearm?” Cover Café’s John: “Amazingly "hot" woman on the cover and the title has flames... it just works.” Cassandra: “Wow! I'm impressed - all of these covers are fantastic. Particularly liked Learning Curve, but I just can't go past the beautiful colours and composition of Daughter of the Flames.” |
Silhouette Bombshell |
Harlequin Romance |
Married Under the Mistletoe came in sixth place. This is a clean, crisp cover with lots of white and splashes of color. It’s romantic and sweet and seasonal. Delia: “I like covers that tell me things about the book. Even without the title staring me in the face, I'd be disappointed to read this book and discover it didn't involve a wedding at Christmas time.” Debra: “It is just so romantic. Like a Fairy Tale.” Traci: “Of all the covers, it is the one with most appeal. The way the bride's head is tilted in, the way the groom has his head bent in toward her. It is a very intimate, private moment in a public ceremony.” Maryann: “You can almost feel that they are so much in love they can't feel the cold.” |
|
Legally Tender won the seventh place slot. It’s no surprise that a lot of the voters cited the books on the cover as “That Which Could Not Be Resisted”. The colors, the pose, the peek-a-boo, and the clever play of the title all combine to make a fabulous cover.
Cora: “One word: Books - lovely old leather bound books. What bibliophile could resist? And glimpsed through the bookshelf, we have a couple kissing. It’s a very clever design that sticks out from the usual series muck.” Jo: “It's different, and a shelf of books always catches my attention. I like the rich, warm covers and the kiss looks tender.” Roni: “It's not only romantic, but classy.” Ellen: "I always knew that those lawyers were up to no good back in the stacks. Or at least I always hoped they were. Up to no good, that is.” |
Harlequin American Romance |
Silhouette Special Edition |
Harlequin Romance |
|
A Wedding in Willow Valley elicited some wonderful comments. Of course, it’s a wonderful cover so that’s as it should be! It’s simple yet elegant, understated yet powerful, and most of all just plain old sigh-inducing. Read on and enjoy…
Malvina: “About time we had some heroes and heroines on the covers of these romances! Thank God for the series covers where we do get lovely couples. This one is particularly romantic - the intimacy of the couple is so charming - he's got his hat off (something a cowboy doesn't do for everyone), and is holding her hand and smiling, leaning towards her while she leans towards him so their heads nearly touch. Their arms are pressed together all the way from shoulder to hands, sigh... The deep V of her gorgeous dress makes her seem a little vulnerable, yet her relaxed body posture says she feels safe and secure next to this tall, dark-haired groom. Very romantic, set under the weeping willows. Just lovely.” Cover Café’s Karen: “I liked most of the covers in this category, but my favorite cover is A Wedding in Willow Valley. The pose is natural and romantic, and we get a hint of "cowboy" with the belt and hat, without it being too obvious. I can imagine this image as a candid snapshot at a real wedding.” Y: “Lots of covers show people in lust, but this one, IMO, shows two people in love. There's such bonding and friendship there that you can feel the HEA just by looking at it!” |
Snowbound Reunion was a favorite for the absolute fun of it! Most everyone who voted for this cover loved the image of the hero and heroine showing the fun side of falling in love. This is another cover which is clean and crisp, very white, yet festive. They liked that it looked natural, light-hearted, flirty, and that the couple seemed to be having a good time for once!
Janice: “At last, a cover that makes falling in love look like fun! I like that the couple are smiling and laughing with each other.” Lucy: “For once, a natural looking couple who seem as if they're having a good time, no simpering and fawning over each other here!” Cover Café’s Linnae: “This is a perfect holiday romance cover. It's subtle, cute, romantic, and the couple looks like they’re really having fun. Their pose looks natural not planned. I just know she rubs that snowball in his face in the next few seconds.” Mary Beth: “It is simply a book that would catch my eye...especially in the winter when I was looking for a terrific Christmas time read! I envision curling up by the fireplace with hot cocoa and having an enjoyable time reading a great romance!” |
|
Devil’s Due has a great little cover which unfortunately got lost among all the other great covers on this slate and came in at number ten. The voters all liked splashes of reds on the mainly purple background, the energy, the lightning (and lighting), and of course, the envelope. Who isn’t biting at the bit to open the book, as well as the envelope, to find out what’s in it?
Amber: “Creepy! I want to know what's in the envelope!” Linda: “Lot's of electricity in the air and pending disaster.” Sarah: “Just grabs the attention. I'd pick this book up just from the way she is in a storm, a forgotten letter, or is it abandoned? Who is the devil, and why is he getting his due? This cover would make me pick it up and read the back.” |
Silhouette Bombshell |
To the Contemporary Cover Results |
To the Worst Cover Results |
 |
Return to the summary page of Winners |
|
|
Comment on our Message Board |
|
|
Submit a nomination for the current year's cover contest |
|
|
Return to Cover Cafe's Home Page |