Like the Oscars but way more prestigious ;)
Goodbye 2020 and don't let the door hit you on the way out! Last year I didn't have the emotional or mental energy to do the Romancies, which had a little to do with time and what you all now know, how my dog's health was deteriorating. I want to send out a heartfelt thank-you to all that sent their condolences when I lost him in April and to all that still talk about or remember Raiden. I love how people enjoyed his pictures. In a memoriam, here are my favorite copy a romance cover moments we had:
I love how my t-shirts were tight on him, I do alright in the chest department but my dog's was bigger. What a burn.
Ugh, I had the perfect purple dress for this and was so excited but yeah, big dog, the dress wouldn't fully go over his chest. Also, people were constantly walking by, helped with getting him to look over his shoulder to match the heroine, hurt in the embarrassment factor. Yeah, I dress my dog up to match romance covers, move it along.
It was like -15 degrees when we tried to pull this off. I got him to put a leg on the patio and hold it like the hero, I count that as win.
Seasonally not quite a match but don't they both have beautiful backsides :)
One of the first we did, the flower in the sleeve was a Thing and sitting on the hill with his back to me was an Issue but the lovely head tilt!
My favorite, I'll never get over our "gloves".
💓 Raiden
I read less last year than I typically do and I couldn't seem to concentrate as well; I think I went two months without reading at all. I read 152 books with an average rating of 2.8, three stars means I liked it while two is ok. I rate a bit stricter than some, I had four books I rated 5 stars on GRs, some were 4.5 rounded up. When I could read, I read a lot of KU books that well, in no way satisfied me mentally or emotionally but helped to keep exercising my reading muscle. I was bound and determined to do the Romancies this year but I'm a little worried about finding the material for it because of my lack of reading. I've decided to go ahead and just celebrate what I can find for nominees and winners and go into 2021 with positivity and love for this genre.
The books eligible for my Romanices can be published in any year, (I'm still in 2017 for my new-releases tbr), they simply had to be read by me in 2020. There will be the usual 9 categories, Favorite Cover; Favorite Secondary Character; Favorite Scene; Favorite Quote; Favorite Hero and Heroine; Favorite Couple; Favorite Contemporary and Historical, and Favorite of 2020. As I participate in Halloween Bingo, some horror books could sneak in there; basically any book I rate or discuss on GoodReads is fair game.
Without further ado, let me kick off the award show today with Favorite Cover, I try very hard to not let how much I liked or disliked the actually story affect this one, all visual judging a book by it's cover here :)
Click on the cover for my review if I wrote one and if I didn't, you'll be directed to it's GoodReads page
Nominees:
1. Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis - The holiday vibe is delightful with this one, I read it in July but that is neither here nor there, and I love how he's holding her. Shalvis' name kind of brings it's own vibe but I would definitely pick this book up because of how the cover sends out the message that sweet holiday romance was inside.
2. No Judgements by Meg Cabot - Doggies always draw me because, yeah, crazy dog lady, but I like how the center placement of the dog seems to say they will heavily be involved in the story. I really like how the couple seems to be swept up together because of the wind effect drawing, makes me think of a romantic whirlwind.
3. A Trace of Deceit by Karen Odden - I love the sense of Victorian mystery this cover puts off. The dark room she's leaving and entering into the light, into discovery. I'm always in awe of how artists can create a sense of tone and mood in their artwork.
4. Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert - The toe point. I've talked about how I'm not the biggest fan of cartoon covers and do I think this one is a little plain or to much space? Yes, but I'm obsessed with the toe point. It brings a sense of playfulness that I love.
5. Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey - Whether you see cartoon covers as rom-coms automatically, which I kind of do but that is being beaten out of me, I like how the two leads are positioned with the divider between them. With rom-com in my mind, this cover makes me think there will be some fun back-and-forth with a touch of grit relationship moments. Y'all know how I live for my banter.
6. Lord Holt Takes a Bride by Vivienne Lorret - This cover is drawn from any and all girlie romance love I have. The soft pinks, clothes so artfully draped and slipping, and the couple's positioning just make me want to give that sigh. This cover sweetly draws you in with the lure of some Romantic Romance going down in these pages.
7. Unforgiven by Jay Crownover - My perving selection this year. Look, I don't have anything academic to say here. I have a secret crush for cowboys, this cover delivers and then some. Mama like.
8. My Kind of Earl by Vivienne Lorret - Along with doggies and perving, you know you'll always get a cover that speaks to my can't quite ever really get rid of bodice ripping roots. The Drama of this cover, mah gawd. The red gown with white snowy background, what a genius choice. I guess the shirtless dude, isn't bad either. This cover screams Angst, Drama, gown ripping, a possible sexytime in front of a fireplace?, I don't know, some kind of fire-y crackling and snapping is going down and I want to read about it.
9. A Duke, A Lady, and A Baby by Vanessa Riley - Ok, so at first, I was all up in my feels about a cartoon cover in historical romance but then someone mentioned the hint/clue about this cover and I swear I was every surprised/shocked meme. Genius. The colors are ok, the positioning of the couple, eh, but the hint/clue message, Genius. I wish more covers addressed moments or elements of the story within the pages like this.
10. Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur - I know I said I don't or try not to let how much I did or did not like the story affect my picks for this category but it might be happening a little bit here. This cover is a great contemporary example, cartoon-y, ugh yes, but the couple is cutely holding hands but also a hint of heat with the almost kissing, a background signifier to give setting, and a hint of romance with the stars and fantastic title large and clear. I feel like when I pick up this book, I get a modern fun, sweet, and some heat romance. Which I did get, but more on that in future awards :)
11. Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson - This one is surprising to me because I am not really a neon color person, I never like the shade of green the 'Real Men' and 'Knit' is in but all together something if working for me. The tough work-boot juxtaposed with the soft yarn and act of knitting is probably doing the heavy lifting. Gruff individuals with secret softness is my catnip and this cover is telling me this story has it in spades.
12. Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder - Along with the Chloe toe point, this is probably the cover I obsessed over the most. I'm obsessed. The sexy with hint of danger ingenious way to say without saying this story has paranormal/shapeshifter elements, just have my hands wanting to grab it. This book doesn't actually come out until this year (Jan. 26th) but I was amazingly granted a wish on NetGalley and it fit perfectly for Halloween Bingo, so I read it quick. The cover artist, team, nailed this one.
13. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I constantly say that Fantasy gets the best covers, they absolutely draw the eye and imagination. The night intrigue where magic, a little bit of danger, and romance can happen is calling me from this cover.
Winner:
#6 Lord Holt Takes a Bride
This was a war between this and Big Bad Wolf and if I was more of a paranormal reader, I probably would have went the other way. I can't help loving this cover because of how it speaks to a lot of reasons I read romance, it's so soft and loving.
2018 Winner
What was your favorite cover of 2020?
Stay tuned for Favorite Secondary Character....
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