December 20, 2009
This week no "In My Mailbox" as I didn't receive a single book in the past week *sob*. This rarely happens but there are indeed weeks that no books arrive and while I should be happy (relieved) with that because my bookcases are overflowing, the bookaddict in me can't help but feel a bit sad about that...

I was sick a while back and didn't have the energy to read and didn't read a single word for more than 2 weeks! In that period of time I did however work on my wishlist for 2010 as my inner list and order loving persona was twitching at the fact that 2010 was approaching and I didn't have my wishlist sorted out but having notes and scribbles of release dates, author names and book titles all over the place, on sticky notes, in notebooks, on random pieces of paper and in an incomplete worksheet in Excel... *gasp*
So I took the laptop with me to bed and started sorting everything out. Visiting author sites, fantasticfiction.co.uk and amazon.com to get some much craved order.
While doing this I stumbled on something that made me cringe....

In historical romance my preference definitely goes out to medieval romance. Something about Knights, Vikings, Saxons and Normans attracts me to no end. Therefore I have a collection of Julia Latham (aka Gayle Callen) medieval historical romances on my bookshelves. I've have read a bunch of the Gayle Callen books but the Julia Latham medievals, sadly, are still unread...I'll spare you all my usual mantra about unread books and Mt. TBR and get to my point.

Here are the covers of Julia Latham's first three books:





Then the first book of her new series: Raised to Be Bladesmen





And then the cover of the second book of the new series, this book comes out in January 2010:






This last cover is SO different from the rest I really had to look a few times before I really believed it was a Julia Latham book, let alone in the same series as TAKEN AND SEDUCED!
I first thought she had changed publishers but no, she's still with Avon?
I must say I really prefer the other covers over this last one. Don't misunderstand me, there's nothing wrong with this last cover, it's just so...I don't know old-skool, eighties-nineties, and it really doesn't give me the urge to buy it as much as the other covers did...

What do you think? 

14 comments:

Leontine said...

This is such a coverfail IMO! The first four have such an earthly sensuality to them that they get me all hot and bothered for their stories but the last one is kind of like a cold shower...it is a true AVON cover but not what you would expect after such previous covers :S

Marissa said...

The last one really has this old fashion vibe, I prefer the first four, but maybe it had to do with budget, maybe the other cover artist wasn't available for this one, who knows? This happens all the time to other authors as well that they change a cover concept in the middle of a series, too bad...

Lou said...

It's oldskool, and not of the good kind.

Hero is on a windy moor type hill, bare chested and the heroine for some bizzare reason has her dress undone at the back. Yeah...

They would catch colds!!

Has said...

If its mid series and the cover style has changed its def a big fail. It really looks like its a reprint of an older book and usually readers may miss on that. I also prefer the previous covers too. Although the new one has the old school vibe and theres nothing wrong with that its boring compared to the other covers

Janna said...

I agree with you and all of the above commenters. It's a fail to do a style change in the middle of a series. A book with a cover like that is one I would never notice, let alone buy! The wind is fake, the undone dress too and it has the vibe of being a prudish story. Maybe it's a marketing thing: to lure a new desired group into this series?

Stacy ~ said...

I totally agree. It's old-fashioned and doesn't feel like it belongs with the first book. I think with other books we get a feel for Latham's style but this out totally throws it off-whack. Why would they do that?

Sophia (FV) said...

I'm always disappointed when there's a cover style change mid-series. The heroine has great hair though...hehe.

Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

Oh wow, I agree with everyone here. Why change it up in the middle of the series. I can see if you were breaking it off and making a new series or something, then switch covers... but mid stride. Especially when the reader is use to seeing the previous books on the shelf. I would have never thought it to be part of that series.
Well, I hope you enjoy hon. Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

I have to agree, it is VERY different. I have the first three and I love the covers. They're gorgeous.

Smokinhotbooks said...

Funny the first 3 books seem like newer releases vs the 2010 covers. Wicked Sinful Nights Cover looks like one of the old bodice rippers in the 80's. Ewwww.

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

Definitely strange that the cover look switched so drastically mid series!! The last cover isn't bad, but I really love the first four covers. They are really different from most other books and defnitely are eye catching!

SusiSunshine said...

I so hate cover change! And this would looks really old fashioned! To change that was a bad choice!

Silver @ TRR said...

Yup, agree with you. Don't like the latest cover at all. (the one that's coming out in January 2010, I mean).

Haven't read a Julia Latham before, although her books are in my sights. It'll be a welcome change from the Regencies, definitely.

Oh by the way, The Raving Readers (http://theravingreaders.blogspot.com) is now open! Yay! Reviews, though, will start posting only by tomorrow.

A Buckeye Girl Reads said...

I haven't heard of this author before-I'm off to check her out! I love the art work on the books.

Nice to meet you!

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Pearl
Netherlands
39, married to my real life romance hero, addicted to TV shows, reading romance novels and Twitter. I'm a chronic (e)book hoarder and my absolute favorite genres within romance fiction are contemporary romance and romantic suspense, but I don't shy away from historical, paranormal or erotic romance either. Even the occasional (urban) fantasy romance, futuristic and sci fi romance may make it to my Mount TBR. This is my corner of the world wide web where I let you know what books I'm hoarding, reading and reviewing.
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