Georgette, Great questions! I am also puzzled by the tendency to make the covers more and more blantantly sexual. I'm not sure it makes it more Romantic and it seems to embarrass some women readers. I have always though, ( with my limited understanding of women!), that the feminine mind prefers a more gentle touch, or a more subtle and believable approach to love. These sexy covers are more what a man would like.

My belief is that publishers follow fashions and they see one book with very undressed people selling very well and they quickly try to copy it. There is a big tendency to try and scream at the customers from the bookshelves. I believe that readers are more sophisticated than that and are looking for something else in the illustration, like a feeling of desire or tenderness or some other genuine emotion.

It's like the earlier question of why the publishers are cutting off the couple's heads. They think it's what you want!

I love strong design and I love posing the figure in dramatic ways, but you can be sexy and romantic without being pornographic.

I would love to hear other reader's opinions about this subject.

Thanks for bringing it up.

James