By Abbie Wright, Megan Coote and Tessa Thejas Thomas
January has finally ended and it’s time to celebrate the month of love. February is the perfect month to curl up with a new romance novel and your favourite chocolates. Book covers for romance novels have some of the most unique and beautiful designs in literature and below are some designs that stand out from the crowd.
Talking At Night by Claire Daverley
Claire Daverley’s romance novel follows Will and Rosie from their first meeting as teenagers to their life as young adults. Rosie is an anxious girl struggling to balance her exams and her family problems, while Will is branded as the ‘bad boy’ of school despite his intelligence. The pair come together unexpectedly but are pushed apart, leading to a rocky future for them both. The story is beautiful and perfect for any readers who love Sally Rooney-esque novels and the kind of love story that comes with realistic challenges.
In terms of the book’s cover, its simplicity and use of orange as its signature colour makes it stand out on a shelf. The image of the cereal bowl connotes the most important part of the story and also gives potential readers an idea of what the title of the novel relates to. The two spoons in the bowl are a subtle way of highlighting the romantic themes of the novel, and the slight spill of milk might imply that the relationship will not be smooth sailing. As well as the orange background attracting the readers, it is also a colour that signifies confidence and enthusiasm. This links to Rosie and Will’s new found confidence when they are around each other. The simple font pairs beautifully with the rest of the book cover and creates a unique and simplistic design that represents this coming-of-age romance.
This Spells Love by Kate Robb
This Spells Love is Kate Robb’s debut romance novel. When Gemma tries to heal her heartbreak by casting a spell to erase her ex from her past, she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for. The cover is charming and the cartoon style is an especially popular trend in the romance genre, used for many bestselling romance novels. The sprinkle of glitter looping around the characters adds that touch of magic tying to the magical realism element of the story. The design depicts both of the alternate realities that occur in the book: on one side, Gemma and her ex Dax are together and looking at each other lovingly while on the other, they are walking in opposite directions, indicating the effects of Gemma’s spell.
Overall, the cover design for This Spells Love is endearing, combining the popular cartoon style with clear nods to the magical elements. This is the perfect read if you’re looking for a light-hearted, cosy romantic comedy.
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee
Victoria Lee’s A Shot in the Dark is a love story with transgender representation, following Elisheva Cohen who moves to New York after accepting a photography scholarship. After an explosive night with a stranger, Elisheva comes to find out that this very stranger is also her teacher. What follows is a story of love, connection and confrontation of painful memories of the past.
The cover is visually striking in its brightness and use of colour. The background is hot pink and the title text is emphasized using variations of glowing colours. These colours give the illusion of neon lights. The silhouettes of the main character's face can be seen behind the text – enveloped in a kiss – following the same pink colour scheme. The cover design is fitting against the New York art-and-clubbing scene of the novel.
With February being the month of love, A Shot in the Dark is the perfect sensual juicy read for those looking for something vibrant both in its story and design.
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