The first two things that grab your attention when you’re looking for a book are the title and the cover, right? Then it all hinges on the blurb. I have read a few great books with terrible covers, but generally, if the cover is atrocious, I’m likely to keep scrolling.
A lot of romance novels have very similar covers. Half naked men are pretty standard in contemporary romances. Women in ball gowns are pretty standard for historical ones, or men in kilts for Scottish historicals. Men in cowboy hats, with or without a woman at his side for Westerns. And so on and so forth. So it’s hard to find covers that really stand out. I’ve done my best to choose five though. Note that I limited to myself to only choosing from books I’ve actually read.
I like the blend of kickass, supernatural and femininity that Jessica Sorensen’s covers for her Guardian Academy series have. You know by looking that the heroine isn’t going to be an insipid pushover.
The first two books in Kiersten Fay’s Shadow Quest series have beautiful covers. Pretty and other-worldly, with a hint of darkness.
Maya Banks often has unique covers on her books. Some feature more traditional covers, but most don’t. The first three books in her Slow Burn series feature striking covers, although I admit, they don’t give much clue to the stories inside.
These are the covers of the Kindle editions of the first four books in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. I think they look dark and dangerous, which gives them an added advantage over the half-clothed men on many other covers.
These are the only two books currently in Dianne Duvall’s The Gifted Ones series, but it is very closely tied to her Immortal Guardian’s series. So closely tied, in fact, that you can move from The Gifted Ones to the Immortal Guardians without feeling like you missed anything. Especially if you read Marcus’s story in the Immortal Guardians series, as it ties the two series together nicely. Anyway, these are historical romance novels, with a paranormal twist and some time travel in the second one. The covers are unique and eye catching.
So there you go. There were a few others I hummed and haa’d over, but eventually you have to make a call, right? As it was I cheated by doing five series instead of five individual books!
What are some of your favourite book covers?
