We’ve highlighted quite a few romance covers here at Sweet Savage Flame. A common theme for many is to include animals, particularly horses, in the background to demonstrate passion and vitality. Some equines weren’t content to be cast as mere decoration, however. Neigh, these horses demanded a starring role with the couples engaged in their usual passionate clinches. (That sentence came off a bit odd, didn’t it?)
Secret Fire was the second Johanna Lindsey romance I read and cemented her works among my favorites. This romance set in Russia and Victorian England was released during Lindsey’s peak years of output. 5 stars
We had a lot of fun a couple of months back doing Covers of the Week #12, where we posted images of when romance covers by talented artists go hilariously bad. So we’re doing it again! For the week of Monday, October 4 to Sunday, October 10, 2021 (which happens to be my birthday week), enjoy these silly or awful-looking covers that make us smile.
For over 40 years Ken Otsuka has worked in commercial and then fine arts. For the week of Monday, September 27, 2021, to Sunday, October 3, let’s take delight in the beauty of Ken Otsuka’s romance covers!
Robert E. McGinnis’s illustrations for book covers, movie posters, and other mediums are chronicled in the book The Art of Robert E. McGinnis.
So… Johanna Lindsey’s Tender Is the Storm. If you’re familiar with your romance history, then you must know of this book, even if you haven’t read it. The cover is the infamous one designed by Robert McGinnis with the naked hero standing tall as the heroine kneels before him, her ample breasts pressed firmly against his–er…dongle. 3 stars
For the week of September 20 to Monday, September 26, 2021, let’s appreciate these clinch poses on romance covers featuring hot air balloons. From afar, what a magical sight to witness those colorful inverted teardrops float through the air!
Hearts of Fire is a more satisfying sequel to the first installment of Anita Mills’ medieval romance series, Lady of Fire, than its second outing, Fire and Steel was. The forbidden romance between Richard and Gilliane de Lacey is stellar. 4 stars
Illustrator and fine-art painter Sharon Spiak has made a name for herself in the romance industry for producing various gorgeous covers for many bestselling authors. She also had the privilege to paint Fabio almost as much as the Duillo ladies did.
For Mary Anne Landers’ first Covers of the Week post, she wants to honor the late, great Elaine Duillo (1928 to 2021). Elaine left us on July 30 of this year, and had been retired for some time. But her wonderful illustrations live on.
