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A few weeks ago, RWA announced this year’s nominees for the RITAS and the Golden Heart competition.

(Full disclosure: I entered GH, but didn’t make it to the finals. Since I had zero expectations of this happening, I wasn’t upset.)

Anyway, the RITA category I take the most interest in is the single title contemporary. As I might have mentioned before, contemporaries are my favorite romance subgenre. I wanted to see if I’d read any of the nominees. Plus, I’m always on the lookout for new (to me) names and the RITAS are a good place to start.

There were a couple on the list that I’ve read and enjoyed - Victoria Dahl’s Lead Me on and Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson (I basically worship the ground she walks on and have read all her books). I haven’t read Nora Roberts’ Happy Ever After, the fourth title in her wedding series. I’ve read the first (which I discussed before) and have no doubts that I’ll read the others at some point. She is La Nora, after all.

I haven’t read Susan Donovan and Jill Shalvis’ books, but I am familiar with their work.

The names I wasn’t familiar with were Molly Harper and Robin Wells, so I headed straight to Amazon. When I saw the cover for Wells’ book, the first thing to pop into my mind was, “I never would’ve picked this book up.”

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I like to think I’m not shallow enough to only judge a book by its cover, but in reality I am. Covers do matter, and I most definitely have a preference.

I have no clue what the book is about (and haven’t read the blurb as to not taint this post), but the cover is kind of wholesome and evokes a dreamy home and hearth feeling from me. The muted colors and the woodsy background don’t appeal to me.  I’m a city girl and spending time in the great outdoors really isn’t my thing.

Maybe the book is fast-paced and edgy and current and hilarious and sexy, i.e. the exact thing I love to read, but I don’t get that from the cover.  If I saw it at Borders, my eyes would keep right on moving to the next title. It's pretty, but it doesn't "speak" to me.

Let’s contrast Wells’ cover to Dahl’s.
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Love it. The colors are bright. The font is modern. It’s minimalist. It’s very modern. Granted, I’d read the first two books in the trilogy, so the cover wasn’t that important to me by the time I bought the third book.

But here’s the cover for the first book in the series, which did matter when I was in the bookstore. It’s sexy and sleek. Love it even more.
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Cover design is a risk all publishers take. They want to evoke a certain feeling. They know everything isn’t going to appeal to everybody.

Maybe the perceived demographics for Dahl’s and Wells’ books don’t cross over. I suspect that Wells’ book takes place in the country/small town. Ironically, so does Dahl’s. The setting never once bothered me, but it is an interesting choice that Dahl’s publisher made by choosing not to highlight this aspect of the book.

I’m sure there are some people who haven’t read Dahl’s books because the very things that appeal to me turn them off.

It’s a gamble. I assume publishers have done all kinds of market research and know what does and doesn’t appeal to people and they know what they’re doing.

If I’m ever fortunate to get published, I’d like my covers to fall closer to the Dahl end of the spectrum than Wells.

Now with that said, I probably will read Robin Wells’ book because it’s RITA-nominated, so it has to be good. And I don’t like being shallow.

Are you affected by covers or do you give all (most) books a chance and at least read the back of the book blurb before you decide whether or not to purchase? What kind of covers do you like?

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Yeah, yeah, I know it’s Thursday. I’ll get back on the ball…at some point.

Anyway…

This week's entry is If You So Desire by Yahrah St. John.

Hard-charging labor lawyer Sage Anderson is a barracuda in the courtroom. But when it comes to romance, the burned-by-love sister isn't interested in playing the field. Until her hunky new client tosses the ball into her court.

Hotshot media mogul Ian Lawrence has a killer rep—in and out of the bedroom. But when he's hit with a lawsuit, the freewheeling playboy is intrigued by his gorgeous, go-get-'em attorney. When Sage refuses to mix business with pleasure, he ramps up the seduction, tempting her with a kiss that's in both of their best interests.

From a passion-filled cruise on the Hudson to whisking her away to his Malibu beach house, Ian is a man on a mission. With things heating up between them, he isn't ready to sit this one out. It's time to get personal and convince Sage it takes two…to fall in love.

I chose this book for several reasons.

1. Ms. St. John is a fellow alumna of Northwestern University. I wanted to support a fellow Wildcat.

2. The plot intrigued me. A lawyer getting involved with her client is pretty much a big no-no. It’s a situation ripe with potential conflict.

3. The hero REALLY intrigued me. I do love an arrogant hero. They annoy some readers because they can often venture into jerk territory, but they just amuse me because they can be so over the top. I can’t be mad. And let’s be real.  A guy who goes after what he wants is sexy.

The hero, Ian, does not disappoint. The story works because of him. He cracks me up. He wants what (or who, in this case) he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer because the word isn’t in his vocabulary. He’s rich and privileged and uses these facts to his advantage.

But it’s not all about Ian. I also liked the heroine, Sage. She’s smart and great at her job. She knows what she wants and deserves and doesn’t want to compromise even when that leads to hurt.  

As a writer, there was something about the book that stood out to me. Ms. St. John head hops A LOT. I’ve read Nora Roberts, the Queen of Head Hopping, for twenty years. Head hopping (aka rapid point of view changes) doesn’t bother me. When it’s done between the hero and heroine, I’m fine. However, Ms. St. John goes inside most of the characters’ head. This bothered me because I don’t care what every character thinks. The story isn’t about them.

I asked myself if this would have bothered me a few years ago before I ever heard the term “head hopping.” My answer is, “I think so just” because I don’t think knowing what every character thinks at all times is necessary.

Did it affect my enjoyment of the story? No, not really. It was a little annoying, but I still really liked the story and would recommend it. Did I mention that Ian amused me? J

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie
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This week's entry is Vision in White by Nora Roberts.

The first book in the Bride Quartet—following the lives and loves of four friends who run Vows, a wedding-planning company. Wedding photographer Mackensie “Mac” Elliot is most at home behind the camera, but her focus is shattered moments before an important wedding rehearsal when she bumps into the bride-to-be’s brother…an encounter that has them both seeing stars.

A stable, safe English teacher, Carter Maguire is definitely not Mac’s type. But a casual fling might be just what she needs to take her mind off bridezillas. Of course, casual flings can turn into something more when you least expect it. And Mac will have to turn to her three best friends—and business partners—to see her way to her own happy ending.

I picked this book because I needed some Nora in my life, dangit. I’ve been a huge fan of La Nora since I began reading romance in the early 1990s when she used to write for Silhouette. A few of those, namely Luring a Lady and Falling for Rachel, still hold a special place in my heart. I’ve read most of her single titles and enjoyed them all.

However, her contemporaries have always been my favorite. There are not enough words to describe how much I adore Born in Fire and Sea Swept.

Ms. Roberts writes across romance subgenres and it had been awhile since she wrote a straight contemporary. When I heard about The Bride Quartet, I nearly jumped for joy. I hadn’t read a Nora book in awhile, so I thought I’d treat myself this week.

I’ve always marveled at her style. She has such a lovely way with words and description that draws the reader in and paints a perfect picture. And the detail she puts in her books are amazing. These strengths hold true for Vision in White. I feel like an expert on wedding planning reading this book.

The best part of the book is the hero, Carter, who is adorably beta. He’s geeky, clumsy and sweet, but strong in such a quiet, effective way.

Is this my favorite Nora book? No, but I’m glad I’m reading it. As a reader, I find the book to be so comforting. It’s old school Nora. The storyline isn’t complicated, but that’s okay. As a writer, I’m taking copious mental notes on how she handles certain situations.

So whatcha reading? Are you enjoying it?

xoxo,
Jamie

 

 
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