We exploire the mysterious life and career of Colleen Gruber, a prolific romance cover model who graced over a thousand book covers.
romance cover models
Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish People I’d Like to Meet
For this Top Ten Tuesday Jacqueline Diaz lists ten bookish people she’d like to meet. Almost all her choices are relevant to the romance genre.
Romance Cover Model: Tracy James, A Heartthrob Then & Now
Tracy James’s face–and his body–should be recognized by romance readers as he was on the cover of hundreds of books from the 1990s into the 2000s. In total, the six-foot-tall, olive-skinned, brown-haired, brown-eyed model has 1600 credits to his name.
Romance Cover Model: Rob Ashton
After Fabio officially retired from modeling for romance covers in 1993, Rob Ashton was one of the cover models who took his place, even earning the title of “New King of Romance Novels.”
Celebrities on Romance Book Covers
Before they were famous, 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!
Romance Cover Model: Michael O’Hearn
Romance novel enthusiasts may recognize Mike O’Hearn’s form–or face–as one of the cover models for Topaz books back in the mid to late 1990s. Fabio was the most famous of them all, but even his muscular physique seems slight when compared to O’ Hearn’s massive proportions.
Covers of the Week #35
For years this face on romance novels has mesmerized me. For the week Monday, December 6, 2021, to Sunday, December 12, 2021, I’ve chosen a selection of category and historical romances illustrated by big-name authors, featuring a mysterious male cover model whose name I’ve yet to discover. If any of our readers have any idea who he is, I would love to know!
Covers of the Week #23
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.
Covers of the Week #21: Male Cover Models
This week Sweet Savage Flame is highlighting male cover models! We all know Fabio, John De Salvo, and Steve Sandalis. But what about other men who modeled in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s? Looking at these attractive men, we can see how the image of the romance cover hero has evolved through the years.