a critique site for book lovers, hosted by author Jude Hardin
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
No Fool by Ann Raina
What's the genre? What is it you like or don't like about this cover?
Does it make you want to know more about the book? Does it make you want
to BUY the book? Discuss.
Rawr. :) I do like this cover quite a lot. Erotic Romance, but it could also be romantic suspense. There's a lot of very successful hot romantic suspense out there, so this could fall in that category.
I like the overall design, the color, and the fonts and typographic treatment work well for me. The couple's pose is wonderful. The male model could benefit from a bit more muscle, but his slender physique is well toned. My personal preference is a bit of hair on the chest to differentiate him from a boy, but I realize not all men have hair on their chests. I just prefer that they do. :) It's a personal bias, that's all.
I'm more equivocal than Karen. To be truthful, the cover took me aback a little. I find the position of her hands a bit over the edge in taste for me.
I love her straightforward, confident expression. I don't love his pinkness or his hairless chest. He looks like a boy, which is another reason I find it unsettling. This looks like an older woman taking advantage of an adolescent.
Now I do like her author name, and the selection of typefaces in general, as well as how the title lettering is spaced. Love the transparent subtitle. Am not a fan of the black to white gradient on "No Fool," I would change the gradient fill color and perhaps drop the inner shadow and the heavy stroke; those just aren't in style right now. I think if the shadow and stroke were handled more subtly it might work, but still would change that gradient fill.
I'm afraid I'd just have to have a different (more mature) male model to make this work for me. Other than that it's small tweaks.
I would say that this is a confusing cover. The image says Erotic Romance, but the title "undercover" says more of an thriller type book. Unless they mean undercover = under the sheets?
I also think that the text work to be weak. I agree with robin's points. But I would also say that "an undercover mission" is also very hard to read.
I think there are some centering issues with the title as well. Just tweaky things. However, I didn't have a problem with the treatment of the fonts because frankly... I WAS TOO BUSY LOOKING AT HER HANDS DOWN HIS PANTS. :)
(The forwardness of this did not bother me, actually. I've seen some covers that I wouldn't even bother downloading to my kindle because I would be too terrified one of my kids would ask me about it.) While it's suggestive, at least their body parts are covered.
This cover works well for me at AIDA Stage 1 (Attention). It certainly attracts my attention. It's quite striking, and if I were casually browsing at Amazon, my eyes would be arrested.
But at AIDA Stage 2 (Interest), it fails for me. Part of this is personal: I don't like men with hairless chests.
Maybe this is to suggest his relative youth, and it's a cougar story? I'm sure he's eighteen, but I'm still uncomfortable. The pose looks a bit as if he weren't entirely comfortable with the situation either. The combination of a character who may be a minor, and him looking less than certain that this is what he wants to do, and the determined facial expression and explicit action of the woman (who looks like she's of responsible adult age) give me this queasy feeling that it may be a grownup seducing a not entirely consenting youngster. And that's not what I'd like to read. I'm sure that's not what the book is about, I'm just mentioning it.
For clarification, I looked at the title. But 'No Fool' doesn't help. And the subtitle 'An Undercover Mission' leaves me confused. The picture suggests erotic romance or cougar erotica, and the subtitle suggests thriller.
I'm afraid this discrepancy kills the interest for me. A different subtitle defining the genre (say, 'Erotic Suspense' or 'Cougar Romance') would help.
As it is, I'm left with no interest and just a vague discomfort.
But maybe this doesn't matter, since I'm probably not buying much erotic fiction and so am not your target audience.
Do you think it's the hairless thing that is bothersome? Or do you think it's that he has hair down toward his waistline but none above the title? That's what bugged me about it.
It's almost like they took a realistic guy and sort of airbrushed the nice realness out of him on top. It might be good to make the distinction if that's what bothers you. (Because it would make a difference as to how you'd do your "fix". In my opinion.)
Well, different men have hair in different places. Some men have it below the waistline and not above. Still, this chest looks so hairless, he probably waxed it. And strangely, he seems to have waxed his lower arms, too. Unless he's too young to have developed male body hair.
Is it bothersome? Kind of. On its own, it wouldn't bother me. But it's one of several factors which combine to a bothersome whole: his relative youth, his unenthusiastic pose, the woman's determined rather than caring facial expression, her anatomically impossible left arm.
Any of those on their own wouldn't bother me, but in combination, they make me uncomfortable.
Although the cover is eye-catching at a first glance, at a second glance, it's off-putting. At a third glance, it gave me shudders. I wouldn't read the book.
Rawr. :) I do like this cover quite a lot. Erotic Romance, but it could also be romantic suspense. There's a lot of very successful hot romantic suspense out there, so this could fall in that category.
ReplyDeleteI like the overall design, the color, and the fonts and typographic treatment work well for me. The couple's pose is wonderful. The male model could benefit from a bit more muscle, but his slender physique is well toned. My personal preference is a bit of hair on the chest to differentiate him from a boy, but I realize not all men have hair on their chests. I just prefer that they do. :) It's a personal bias, that's all.
Great job!
I'm more equivocal than Karen. To be truthful, the cover took me aback a little. I find the position of her hands a bit over the edge in taste for me.
ReplyDeleteI love her straightforward, confident expression. I don't love his pinkness or his hairless chest. He looks like a boy, which is another reason I find it unsettling. This looks like an older woman taking advantage of an adolescent.
Now I do like her author name, and the selection of typefaces in general, as well as how the title lettering is spaced. Love the transparent subtitle. Am not a fan of the black to white gradient on "No Fool," I would change the gradient fill color and perhaps drop the inner shadow and the heavy stroke; those just aren't in style right now. I think if the shadow and stroke were handled more subtly it might work, but still would change that gradient fill.
I'm afraid I'd just have to have a different (more mature) male model to make this work for me. Other than that it's small tweaks.
I would say that this is a confusing cover. The image says Erotic Romance, but the title "undercover" says more of an thriller type book. Unless they mean undercover = under the sheets?
ReplyDeleteI also think that the text work to be weak. I agree with robin's points. But I would also say that "an undercover mission" is also very hard to read.
I think there are some centering issues with the title as well. Just tweaky things. However, I didn't have a problem with the treatment of the fonts because frankly... I WAS TOO BUSY LOOKING AT HER HANDS DOWN HIS PANTS. :)
Delete(The forwardness of this did not bother me, actually. I've seen some covers that I wouldn't even bother downloading to my kindle because I would be too terrified one of my kids would ask me about it.) While it's suggestive, at least their body parts are covered.
If the left hand down the guy's pants belongs to the woman standing behind him, her arm must hang to her knees when straightened out.
ReplyDeleteLOL I hadn't noticed that - but now you've pointed it out, I see it as well.
DeleteAlso, I can't see how that arm gets into that position, unless it either is made from rubber or grows from her chest.
Delete:-D
This cover works well for me at AIDA Stage 1 (Attention). It certainly attracts my attention. It's quite striking, and if I were casually browsing at Amazon, my eyes would be arrested.
ReplyDeleteBut at AIDA Stage 2 (Interest), it fails for me. Part of this is personal: I don't like men with hairless chests.
Maybe this is to suggest his relative youth, and it's a cougar story? I'm sure he's eighteen, but I'm still uncomfortable. The pose looks a bit as if he weren't entirely comfortable with the situation either. The combination of a character who may be a minor, and him looking less than certain that this is what he wants to do, and the determined facial expression and explicit action of the woman (who looks like she's of responsible adult age) give me this queasy feeling that it may be a grownup seducing a not entirely consenting youngster. And that's not what I'd like to read. I'm sure that's not what the book is about, I'm just mentioning it.
For clarification, I looked at the title. But 'No Fool' doesn't help. And the subtitle 'An Undercover Mission' leaves me confused. The picture suggests erotic romance or cougar erotica, and the subtitle suggests thriller.
I'm afraid this discrepancy kills the interest for me. A different subtitle defining the genre (say, 'Erotic Suspense' or 'Cougar Romance') would help.
As it is, I'm left with no interest and just a vague discomfort.
But maybe this doesn't matter, since I'm probably not buying much erotic fiction and so am not your target audience.
I can't believe I didn't notice the arm! It would only work if her left shoulder was attached mid rig cage...
ReplyDeleteDo you think it's the hairless thing that is bothersome? Or do you think it's that he has hair down toward his waistline but none above the title? That's what bugged me about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost like they took a realistic guy and sort of airbrushed the nice realness out of him on top. It might be good to make the distinction if that's what bothers you. (Because it would make a difference as to how you'd do your "fix". In my opinion.)
Well, different men have hair in different places. Some men have it below the waistline and not above. Still, this chest looks so hairless, he probably waxed it. And strangely, he seems to have waxed his lower arms, too. Unless he's too young to have developed male body hair.
ReplyDeleteIs it bothersome? Kind of. On its own, it wouldn't bother me. But it's one of several factors which combine to a bothersome whole: his relative youth, his unenthusiastic pose, the woman's determined rather than caring facial expression, her anatomically impossible left arm.
Any of those on their own wouldn't bother me, but in combination, they make me uncomfortable.
Although the cover is eye-catching at a first glance, at a second glance, it's off-putting. At a third glance, it gave me shudders. I wouldn't read the book.