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The Good, the Bad and the Are-You-Kidding-Me?
Filed in Book Covers , The Geeky Lover , The HEA Lover Posted on April 25, 2011 @ 2:00 pm
22 comments
This week’s topic was decided after reading a comment from LSUReader on last week’s Romance and Me post. She pointed out how often characters’ physical flaws aren’t shown on the covers. We agree that this is an interesting topic, so this week we’ll be telling you about covers that got it wrong! While researching this topic we noticed that it’s harder than we thought to remember the BAD one sin this case. So please share you’re discoveries with us.
Susi: I actually really like these covers. The colors are so lush and for me they show how I imagine the downside. But for me the girl doesn’t look like Chess at all. She looks too healthy to be a drug addict and her tattoos aren’t runes. No idea what these cover artists think runes look like just O_o
Caroline: It’s funny because these covers didn’t disturb me. I didn’t see anything wrong with them until you pointed it out. You’re right Susi, she does look too healthy to be a drug addict. She should be skinnier and her face shouldn’t be so full. *shrug* Now I have to admit that her tattoos do not resemble runes at all.
Susi: That guy is a vampire and never ones is mentioned that he has a weird skin condition that makes his skin look red. And let me tell you in print he looks even redder. Just eww.
Caroline: LOL this is one of the covers I wouldn’t have pointed out as weird. But I had no idea he was a vampire. I also even tried to put the red tint of his skin on the reflection of the moon (do’t ask me why). I guess it IS a bit weird.
Caro: I am pretty sure that Rachel doesn’t have fluorescent hair. Yes she has red hair, but it’s natural red! Also she doesn’t look anything like the model on the cover. I have no idea why but on every cover of this series, Rachel is turned into a voluptuous woman. Also she’s nearly always half-naked or wearing clothes she wouldn’t really wear. *sigh* When I saw the cover of the latest book, I thought ‘WTF, a white leather minidress?’ …but she does end up wearing one, so for once I won’t complain 😉
Susi: This girl looks like one of these wanna-be punk girls. All big mouth and kick ass. Never read the books so I can’t say if it fits.
Caroline: Well she DOES kick ass but still she doesn’t look like this model!
Caroline: Long before I learned to read in English, I read Bridget Jones’ diary in French. Here’s the cover it had…yes that woman is the plump and very blond Bridget.You can see her long blond hair brushing her shoulders 😉
Susi: This is so not Bridget. Seriously what did they think. She is blond and a bit on the curvy side and not at all looking like a boy. This is wrong in the so many ways. O_o
Thank you to @ClaudiaGC84 for pointing this one out to us!
Caroline: Oh this is a good example of wrong covers. LOL Where’s the hook? Did they think we’d confuse left and right and not notice the hand in place of a hook? *shakes head*
Susi: We want the damn hook! Enough said!
This catch of the day could be the dish of a lifetime!
First Date à la Maggie
Take one lovelorn diner owner (me)
A generous helping of nosy local gossips
A dollop of envy at married sister’s perfect life
A splash of divine intervention (my matchmaking priest)
Combine ingredients with one adorable puppy, add a strong but silent lobsterman with a hidden heart of gold. . . and watch the sparks fly.
Caroline: So you read the blurb…you see the cover…now tell me you’re not expecting a book with a puppy at the heart of the story?! This was a great book but I felt mislead by the cover and blurb. I kept waiting for this adorable puppy…let me tell you…you have to wait VERY VERY long. *spoilery cough* last page *cough*
Susi: It was rather funny to hear Caro talk about this book while reading it. I got messages like: ‘There still is no puppy’. LOL I can understand the feeling, even though it sounds weird. 😉
What do you think of these?
Do you know any other cover that show something wrong?
A bald guy instead of blond mane? Let us know.
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I'm a little surprised you don't have any whitewashed covers on this list. (Whitewashing = a character of color is represented by a White cover model.) That's the first thing that pops into my head when I hear about a character who looks wrong on the cover. Some whitewashed covers, such as Liar and Magic Under Glass, were fixed in later editions, but Fury of the Phoenix still shows a White girl.
I remember the Smart Bitches comment thread for The Admiral's Penniless Bride, and it was suggested that perhaps his hook was meant to be under her hand on his shoulder, and perhaps the image was mirrored in post production by someone who didn't understand the significance of right/left and was looking at it from a strictly marketing perspective.
@Sylvia Sybil ep true about the whitewashing but I have to admit I never read one of those so I didn't think about it. ^_^ And about the hand: I think that is a really logical explanation. I know that a foreign edition of one Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom books had that problem too.
Yes give me the puppy, and the hook! 😉
@Sylvia I thought about the whitewashing covers but the only examples I've heard of were the ones you mentioned and were indeed fixed later. Last 'whitewashing' debacle I remember is the cover of Across the Universe.
I had no idea about the Phoenix book.
@Blodeuedd Hopefully not a puppy with a hook LOL <===set up of a very bad horror movie
@SusiSunshine Wow, the Allie Beckstrom books make a huge deal out of her tattoos and the flow of energy from one side to the other. A simple mirror flip could really make a significant difference in that case. (As with the Admiral book, if that is what happened.)
@pattepoilue I think the whitewashing scandals that really take off in the blogosphere do end up being fixed; it's the ones that don't get that press I'm curious about. I looked up a list of diverse covers, several of which have White-looking cover models, but since I haven't read any of those books I can't state definitively that the character isn't Jewish or multiracial or something else that would allow her/him to look like that.
@Sylvia Exactly it was a big thing. Just need to remember which one it was. They just mirrored the original cover.
@Sylvia @Susi I think it was the Australian cover that had the mirror effect. Can't remember which book in the series though.
@Sylvia I do have the same problem, since I haven't read most of these books I can't really tell. I remember that when I read Naked by Megan Hart I had a hard time picturing the heroine black because on the cover she's not really black. O_O
Man, you gals are speedy about suggestions; thanks! I see you’ve also “moved in together” on a new blog. Congrats.
As for cover awkwardness, the Rachel Morgan issue is one I’ve noticed, too. Caro, I had the same feeling you did when I saw Pale Demon! And Susi, why haven’t you read this series yet? (Tsk, tsk.)
Anne Mallory’s One Night is Never Enough features a blond H/H couple. But the cover kept throwing me off, because this guy is definitely not blond. (Is she with his brother? I kept wondering!) Check out the cover of Tessa Dare’s One Dance with a Duke. Does that woman look plump and plain to y’all?
The Bridget Jones cover is too funny. And I think cover artists must have a secret stash where they bury all the character hand hooks (Carla Kelly) and scars (Elizabeth Hoyt, Four Soldiers covers) they don’t want to show! We should be so lucky in real life as to be depicted by cover artists.
Thanks for pointing out the reason for the redness on the "Blood Born" cover. I was griping to a friend about the yummy chest of my favorite cover model (Paul Marron) in such a weird color. I suppose I should read the book at some point (yes, I have a copy).
"Catch of the Day" was the first Kristan Higgins book I read and I, too, wondered about the beagle puppy.
@Sylvia – I recently noticed some whitewashing issues with Anne Bishop's book Tangled Webs. The main character of that book is supposed to be mixed race. But, as the other whitewashing fiascos taught us, in publishing brown hair is close enough to non-caucasion.
I remember Silver Phoenix had a gorgeous Hardcover design….but then whitewashed it for the paperback. So infuriating since they clearly knew at one point.
@LSUReader We kinda jumped on the suggestion LOL *g* And thank you,we decided to make if official and move in together for our personal blog. It'll be just crazy us nothing serious. 😉
Did you end up liking Pale Demon btw?
Remember the cover of Black Magic Sanction? The first cover was showing a 'blondish' woman O_O good thing they changed it and now there's mist hiding her face and her hair looks more red.
LOL Good luck trying to make Susi read this series LOL
@Sheree hmmmmmm i just googled that Paul Marron guy and NOM NOM NOM
Well at least I'm not crazy, the cover of Catch of the Day was indeed misleading! =P I still liked it but I wish I hadn't been waiting for the puppy to appear (hook or not lol)
@Draconimoi I googled the Silver Phoenix and now I see the problem. :/
@LSUReader Yes we did. We are so excited. *g* And ahem…I actually started this series in the past and read around 50 or so pages and stopped. *hides in shame* And I hate when the haircolor is worng on a cover. I know it is kind of a minor faux pas but still irks me so bad- as you said I always wonder if she will end up with someone else. LOL We should start a treasure hunt to find the hook stash. LMAO
@Sheree He is not that red. >.< The books wasn't much for me though- I expected more from Ms Howard.
@draconismoi This is just so sad- even more that they think it should be done or the book won't sell as good.
@pattepoilue We aren't serious? *gasps* Do you want to break my heart so fast? LMAO
@Susi:
You're right about the Downside Ghosts covers. I like them, too, but Chess really looks a bit too healthy regarding the amount of drugs she consumes. I like the tattoos on the pics but I'm sure they must look different, because they are told to be special magic tats. And: she doesn't wear her hair that long!
@evi Yeah as I said it makes them more pretty and I'm sure more ppl will grab them in a store. Did you see the original Unholy Ghosts cover? Look here it fits more but still her skin and all looks too good. Perhaps it's just me but that'S not what I think of when I read about a drug addict living like Chess does. But the covers the published are prettier so that's probably what made the decision.
Okay so my link doesn't work. Here it is: http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n62/n310213.jpg
@Susi You and Me <3 it's foreverrrrr (take that the geeky lover's lover! nia nia nia)
@pattepoilue LMAO!
Caro–I did enjoy Pale Demon. I like that Harrison shook things up a bit…and leaves BIG questions about the future direction of the series. I still don't understand what you see in Trent, although he does get a tiny bit redeemed in Pale Demon. The Hollows covers–eh, they never quite do it for me!
Susi–Please go back to the Hollows when you have time; it's worth it. As for the wrong hair color…I think it drives me crazy BECAUSE it is such a little, but easy thing. It's not rocket science here, to get it right. The author usually covers that detail early on. Okay, that horse is really dead now!
Thanks for the fun, gals.
Great post ladies, I really am going to have to be more eagle eyed from now on!
I can't believe the Bridget Jones one!
As for the puppy….. there was no puppy? I would be wanting a puppy!
@LSUReader I will try. At the moment I'm not much of a PNR/UF reader. Seems I'm a bit burned out. But I still got the book.
@Minxy Yes it is so crazy that they put a girl like that ohe cover. And yes we want the puppy. *secret handshake*
@LSUReader Trent *swoon* Teeeheee. Well at least you found him redeeming qualities *g* that's a start! Yep the covers pretty much suck. There was one I did like, where there was a candle and you only saw Rachel's legs. This one was kinda nice =)
@Minx I know! LOL That Bridget Jones cover is just O_O. I still have it somewhere. It's one of the first book 'for fun' I've ever read. When i started reading i couldn't beieve how wrong the cover was =P
And well there's a dog, an old one. The puppy appears at the very very very end of the book. I felt cheated