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You've all heard the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover," but I've seen covers that just make me want to cringe. Not that all romance covers are crap, but I'll freely admit that I'm a cover-critique. XD

Sometimes I just hate the cover so much I won't pick up the book. Other times, the fact that the cover has nothing to do with the plot/has cover models that look nothing like the characters will detract a little from my entire reading experience. I tend to obsess about trivial things like that.

Example: (It's really more of a stepback issue, but close enough) When He was Wicked by Julia Quinn. Why the HECK would someone take off their shirt, but leave their cape on? That makes no sense to me. And if there isn't a 'we got naked in a field' scene in a book, don't put a 'we got naked in a field' scene on the cover. mad

I do have exacmples of good covers, though! Karen Marie Moning's covers are amazing (the newer ones, anyway). Also Lori Foster's covers. Simple, but eye catching.

[/rambling] sweatdrop

(If you post pictures, just watch out for the page stretching? >_>)
Edit: I just realized that Gaia ate one of my poll options, so I had to delete/make it again. So if you voted, vote again! XD

Let me rephrase: I've not tried new authors becuase a cover is awful. But if later I hear from someone else that so-and-so is "So awesome, you have to read them!" I may pick up one of their books. But sometimes, a book will sound really good in the blurb, but you read the excerpt or skim through or, heaven forbid, you buy it and it ends up being just awful. I've wasted money that way. gonk

Examples: 'A Knight's Honor' by Connie Mason and 'Kiss Me While I Sleep' by Linda Howard

i'll be scanning some in my collection once my friend returns it.
I often buy romance novels FOR the cover XD


One was "signed" by Fabio, and had him wearing what looks like a dimestore pirate get up, complete with cardboard buckle, but i gave it away as a prize to best female costume at my pirate party.

Though I must admit that the other day I got a book out just because the cover on the book looked cool. It is a good story to. I think it might be because the ppl on the cover were wearing periodic costumes and one girl had a matchstick in her mouth. Hehehe

you also gave that link to me. There were so many i would have liked to make banners of, but for they most part the scarns are too small.

but i should be able to raid my private collection for pics when it's returned to me.

As for covers, now days I have more brains to know to read the back of the book, but when I was a kid, I'd dig through my mom's romance books to look at the covers. There were two that confused me.

One was of a woman who looked like she fell and a man lifting her up from under her shoulders. She was looking hopelessly romantic and he was looking hopelessly lustful. I wanted to know why she fell.

The match to this, though, was a man who was kneeling by a river and a woman in a insanely poofy late 1700's dress and she looked like she was trying to life him. The expressions didn't change much whee

I haven't read a book because of it's cover. In fact, there's a section of books I avoid because of it and the fact that they don't catch my attention. But I try and give it a chance by reading the back and maybe the first page or so. But, there was an instance that I didn't read a book because the Vampire's name was Angus. If I didn't read Angus, thongs, and Full-frontal snogging his name probably wouldn't have bothered me.
( Angus is a Cat that attacks dogs and is about the size of a large dog in the books I'm reading so every time I read his name, it made me think of the Cat. Dx )