Wednesday, April 14, 2010

On Book Covers and Blurbs



Maybe it's the artist in me, but I've always had a thing for good cover art on a book. It's the first thing I notice when browsing. And paranormal romance novels have some of the most kick-ass covers. I picked this one 'cuz not only is it a beautiful cover (I love purple), but it is an awesome series. I generally don't pick books that have yellow covers because that color offends me for some reason.

If the cover grabs me I read the blurb on the back to see if it does the same. Author recommendations mean nothing to me. A few things that will turn me off are:

A.)love triangles. I think it's because I've been in one or two and the emotional baggage of them nauseates me.

B.)If the heroine/hero has a kid/kids. Harsh, I know. But as a mom, I read to escape.

C.)Getting back with an ex. This one's 50/50 for me. If it sounds like the backstory will be told and it's interesting, I may give it a whirl.

Of course I can still be willing to read these types of romances if they come recommended by friends or are by a well-loved author.

How about you? What grabs you in a book's cover art and blurb. What things make you go, "meh," and put it back on the shelf?

2 comments:

  1. I go for cover art too. Smooth, swirling images and a good font help to draw me in. Men without shirts do it too. LOL

    Blurbs - pregnancy plots/kid books are out...I don't have/want kids and am not really interested in reading about them, and the whole pregnancy plot/trap/whatever is just tired and overdone IMO.

    Anything that hints of extreme tension, suspense, or emotional angst will probably get me to read the first page (checking for POV - I really don't care for 1st person narratives). And as for thrillers, the more complex the better. Plots that sound funny and full of misadventures get my attention too.

    I am sometimes swayed by author blurbs, if I'm still on the fence after the back cover blurb.

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  2. Ooh, good point about the pregnancy plot/ trap thing. So not my cup of tea.

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