Saturday, June 11, 2005

Cover Gallery

Because, obviously :) , book covers are one of my favorite things, here are a few upcoming books that have caught my eye.


Confessions of a Lingerie Addict by Jennifer Ashley
Dorchester, May 31st
I like the idea of a once-shy girl opening up to her sexuality, as long as it is by her own choice, and not because the "hero" forces her to do it. This one is out already, but I haven't picked it up because I wanted to see what others think about it. Anyone read it yet?


Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner
Berkley, July 5th
I like this little blurb: "What would happen if Buffy the Vampire Slayer got married, moved to the suburbs and became a stay-at-home mom?" I think this is a book that could be really good, or really disappointing, depending on execution.


Dare to Love by Yahrah St. John
Arabesque, July 5th
I don't know much about this one, but I like this cover, and Monica has really made me realize more about my buying habits and makes me want to step out of my comfort zone. This is a new-to-me author. Looks like this is her second book.


Over Her Dead Body by Kate White
Warner, July 11th
From the cover, I'd peg this as a chick-lit-mystery, but I'm not familiar with the author. Looks like this one is the fourth in a series, but I like this cover a lot. And it got a starred review in Publishers Weekly.


The Bought Bride by Juliet Landon
Harlequin Historicals, August 1st
The title and cover blurb make me a little leary, I think execution could go either way on this one, but I do love the cover. And it's only $5.50, so I will probably go ahead and pick it up.


Have Glass Slippers, Will Travel by Lisa Cach
Pocket, August 30th
I like this whimsical cover, which is drawn but not cartoony. And I have liked Cach's books, particularly her latest two.


The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe
Bantam, September 27th
Another one I don't know much about, but I've been meaning to try an Abe book (anyone know how to do the accent?), and I like the cover. Looks like a fantasy romance, two of my favorite genres.


Dear Penelope by Sharon Ihle
Leisure, September 30th
Another one I don't know much about. But I like the cover a lot, and I have enjoyed romances that revolved around letters (My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway). And I've always like the name Penelope, she was my favorite character in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series. (Anyone else seen Club Dread, where that guy pronounces her name as Pee-na-lope instead of Pen-el-o-pee? That just cracks me up.)


Stuck in Shangri-La by Kasey Michaels
HQN, November 1st
I liked The Butler Did It, though not enough for it to be a keeper, so I will probably read this one to see how Michaels contemporaries are. Anyone else noticed how nice the covers for HQN and Harlequin in general are looking lately?


Card Sharks by Liz Maverick
NAL, November 1st
I didn't care for Maverick's Adventures of an Ice Princess. The heroine was the epitome of all that has made me leary of chick-lit-style books. I'm not bashing (really, Maili, I'm not), because I have found a couple of chick lit and chick-lit-romance books that I have enjoyed, like MJD, but I really don't like the vapid, shallow, shopping, trying to trap a guy type like the one in Ice Princess. And I don't know that this one is actually a romance, but I do like the cover.


Strictly Taboo by Jaid Black
Berkley, December 6th
I've got One Dark Night sitting on my bookshelf and one day I will get to it, but I think I will still buy this one. I want to support erotic romance now that it is becoming popular, and Black is an author who has been around for a while (in e-books). This one has three original short stories, one a historical, one contemporary, one futuristic.
Posted by Hello

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

There's an excerpt for Confessions of a Lingerie Addict on Jennifer Ashley's website. The excerpt didnt do much for me - I actually thought it was rather bad, but I'll probably still read the book anyway.

Alyssa said...

You always find the coolest covers. I don't know how you do it, but thanks!

Alyssa

Beverly said...

Jay -- I don't usually read excerpts (I don't know why), but since I've never read anything by Ashley, I'll probably check it out. Thanks.

CW -- But how old were you when you said Pen-a-lope? :)

Keishon -- I've seen that mystery series (aren't there three or four already?) and I knew it was Jennifer Ashley writing them, but for some reason never did try one.

Alyssa -- I am addicted to book covers, sadly.

lost said...

I'm sulking because I wrote and plan to have a blog entry about book covers up tomorrow. Half of your blog are on mine.
*laughing* Well, I'll have some fun hunting down for replacements. :)

Nicole said...

lol so funny, I just grabbed a bunch of book covers the other day to put up in a book cover post. Might have to finish it up soon.

I too am addicted to book covers.

Bev (BB) said...

I've looked at this entry twice now reading it and then checking comments and it just now hit me that Carpe Demon is a Kenner book.

Want.

I see a trip to the store in my immediate future.

Beverly said...

Maili -- Sorry :)

HelenKay -- People should be paying me. :)

Beverly -- Do you read Kenner? What do you think is worth starting with of her books?

Nicole said...

Oh..Carpe Demon is really really good! I feel like a Kenner fangirl now.

Bev (BB) said...

Yes, I think I have most of Kenner's books except for maybe one of the most romantic suspense she did. I really like her whacky humor and universes but then I'm a humor addict in romances and really REALLY enjoy it when authors twist the world as we know it so that may not tell you anything. (BG) I even have her first romantic suspense on ebook, I believe.

I won't say she's the best writer out there technically but she's a doggone good storyteller with a whopper of an imagination.

All of which reminds me that I have yet to read the last two Protector books . . . too many books and so little time. (BG)

Beverly said...

Actually, that helps a lot, Beverly, because imagination is definitely what I am looking for right now. I think that is why I have been reading so much outside of romance lately. Too many romance writers seem unable to think beyond the conventions of the genre. Some conventions are okay, but I need some variety and imagination now and then.

Bev (BB) said...

Have you read Simply Irresistible by Kristine Grayson? I picked it up solely because it mentioned Superman in the back blurb. (VBG) No, he wasn't in it but there was a connection shall we say between the hero and Superman that was pretty cute. It was a pretty good romance, too.

I mention it because I believe it was one of a group by Grayson that were spins on characters right out of fairy tales, and twisted ones at that. The fairy tales were twisted, not the characters, I mean. Actually they might have been too. Anyway, this reminded me that I've been meaning to check the rest of those books out. Anyone read hers?

(Don't ask how a Superman connection wandered into a collection related to fairy tales because I'd have to reread it to explain because it's way complicated. (G))

Bev (BB) said...

Oh, yeah, I forgot you asked what to start with on Kenner. Well, a quick check of Readerware tells me that The Cat's Fancy is the oldest one I have but I just recently got my hands on it used so I'm not sure it's in print currently. It is connected to her "Protector" group - that's the ones that all start with Aphrodite - but not actually part of the group. At least I don't think it is but I haven't read it yet.

I really liked the first of that set, Aphrodite's Kiss a lot so you could probably start with it since it introduces the Protectors. She's a librarian . . . with secret powers . . . and lots of problems with her powers.

Yeah, I have thing about superheroes. (VBEG)

Beverly said...

I have heard of Grayson, but somehow pegged her books as straight contemporaries (maybe it's the cartoon covers?). I will check her out. And I've been meaning to try Kenner's Aphrodite series, just never got to it. Now you've given me a reason, because I like superheroes too. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm jumping in late on this conversation, but The Cat's Fancy by Julie Kenner gets a big old MEH from me. I actually reviewed it for AAR years ago, when it first came out. Lots of other people liked it better than I did, though. And I liked her debut novel, which was a Harlequin. Now I'm all antsy for Maili to do her July book mailing so I can get my mitts on The Givenchy Code.

And thanks for the cover round-up. I didn't know Shana Abe (pronounced ah-bay) had a new book coming out. She's one of my auto-buy authors.