Six Famous People on Romance Covers
Before they were well-known, their faces were on book covers. While these celebrities appeared in various genres, we’re limiting our focus to romance. It’s always fun to track the career of the rich and famous to their humble beginnings, especially if they posed for clinches!
Another New Topaz Man
Mark Consuelos
Zoomers and Millenials may know Mark Consuelos from the tv show Riverdale or as the husband of morning television host Kelly Ripa. I recall first seeing Consuelos and Ripa together in the early 1990s on the ABC daytime drama All My Children as the super couple Matteo and Haley.
In 1996 Consuelos was chosen as one of three new “Topaz men” when Steve Sandalis branched out to other publishers and fields. One of the others selected was model/bodybuilder/actor Mike O’Hearn.
Consuelos posed for several romance covers before calling it quits. Below is the stepback for Catherine Coulter‘s The Heir.
The Heir, Catherine Coulter, Topaz, 1996, Gregg Gulbronson cover art
First Love From Silhouette
Teen romances were massive in the 1980s. They weren’t just limited to Scholastic Books, as mainstream romance publishers sought out younger readers. One of Silhouette’s lines in the 1980s was First Love From Silhouette. From 1981 to 1987, they published 236 romances aimed at the age 12 to 21 demographic.
Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Bleeth played LeeAnn Demerest on ABC daytime soap opera, One Life to Life. She shot to B-celebrity stardom as Caroline Holden on the syndicated television show Baywatch. Before acting, in the early 1980s, she was a model. A Touch of Love by Winifred Madison is one of her first covers.
Lori Loughlin
Yasmine Bleeth wasn’t the only celebrity to model for the First Love From Silhouette series in the 1980s. You may know her as Full House‘s Aunt Becky. Or you may know her for other reasons. Wherever you know her from, Lori Loughlin has been in the media most of her life. Here she is on the cover of Carrie Enfield’s Picture Perfect.
Jennifer Connelly
Yet another brunette actress who modeled for First Love From Silhouette is Oscar-winner Jennifer Connelly. As a teenager, Connelly was a model, posing for many magazines and book covers. Of course, she was also an actress, gaining acclaim in films such as Labyrinth. Connelly posed for several teen romance books, but as far as we know, only one Silhouette cover.
The Most Famous Cover Models
These two listed below were considered the King and Queen of romance from the mid-1980 to the late 1990s. They gained such fame through posing for covers that they became celebrities in their own rights.
Fabio
We’ve highlighted Fabio‘s career before on Sweet Savage Flame, and we can’t talk about him enough. After retiring from modeling, Fabio starred in commercials, tv shows, and movies.
Cindy Guyer
Cindy Guyer started her modeling career at the age of 14. She was the face of Nancy Drew mysteries before moving on to the more sensual romance genre. Called the “female Fabio,” she would appear on over 2,000 book and magazine covers.
Besides appearing in print media, Guyer is a restauranteur, a reality-tv star, and has appeared in film and scripted tv shows. She also posed for Playboy magazine.
While Guyer no longer models for romance covers, she maintains a strong presence on social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and her website.
Your Opinion on Celebrities on Romance Covers
Did you know these celebrities posed on romance covers? What other celebrities do you know posed on book covers, be they romance or other genres?
As always, please drop a comment, and let’s talk romance.
Since I’m not much of a TV watcher, the only way I know Lori Laughlin is “for other reasons”! 😁
Interesting topic, had no idea that Jennifer Connelly also modelled. The Heir stepback is so pretty! LOL at knowing Lori “for other reasons”