Nowadays, it seems like everywhere you look in a bookshop, there is a sea of illustrated romance covers. Most will look at the covers and think "oh, yeah! I love that writer!" when they look at one, purely because of the style of the cover, only to discover that the book is by a completely different writer, indistinguishable from the cover. It's almost always the same two cartoon characters in some cheesy pose, wearing the same basic clothing every time.

My Opinions

This isn't me dissing these covers by any means. Sometimes, I think an illustrated cover definitely fits a certain type of book, like a rom-com such as Better Than The Movies. In my mind, Lynn Painter's novels are synonymous with this type of cover because it just seems to be the right sort of vibe to match the book itself. It just gives that sort of cute, lovey-dovey feeling.

In my opinion, these covers are much better than old romance novel covers, often just stock images of a shirtless man with the face cut off. Illustrated covers allow artists to do the work and make money, whilst also appealing to more readers.

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What's The Problem?

However, I do disagree when you pick up a book by Emily Henry which has the same style of cover as a light-hearted, clean book. Certain authors are known for the level of 'spice' in their books, and Emily Henry is one of these. My worry is that illustrated covers tend to infantilize the novel and market it more to younger audiences when it's not appropriate for that age range.

In our current society, it's becoming more and more noticeable the way that children are seeming to mature faster than they probably should, and we're beginning to see the reason- Overexposure. This basic design is appealing to young teens and even children, and when paired with a lack of knowledge of the book from a parent buying it, can lead to young people reading this they most definitely shouldn't.

The Stories Aren't Special Anymore

Now, I know that everybody always finds these books so predictable- "They don't like each other, but along the way they're going to fall in love"- and most often, they're right. Yes, the stories are predictable. But then again, so is a movie like When Harry Met Sally or 27 Dresses.

As a society, we find comfort in these simple stories that we already know. The real story that we read for is the small details- the dates that are definitely just "casual hang outs as friends" or the frustrated "I hate you" when we all know they don't. These new covers that are always the same as each other are forcing our perception- The story will only be a success if it follows this story line, leaving other stories unsatisfying sometimes. Those illustrated covers promise a cute, comedic vibe and are often put on the wrong sorts of books. For example, How To End A Love Story by Yulin Kuang has one of these covers which leads you to believe it will be in line with a romcom. Kuang herself as expressed her unhappiness with the cover as it misleads the reader- This book is not a romcom, and it is demeaning to the writer to think of it as such.

The Publishing Side of The Story

Ultimately, it comes down to publishers and what sells, which is currently cartoon covers. The demographic for reading is changing rapidly with the rise of BookTok- Teens who regularly wouldn't read are picking up books again. And, of course, marketing would target this aspect.

For a thirteen year old girl, an illustrated cover is probably more appealing than a stock image of a random man's chest. Also, most readers like their privacy, and don't want people knowing what they're reading- problem solved with a generic illustrated cover.

Conclusion

Once again, as a lover of these books myself, I don't have a problem with some of these covers. It just gets ridiculous when I see shelves full of them and can't tell the difference. I think we should move away from the completely identical covers and add some individuality to them.

Maybe a central part of the story? Maybe an item? Just stop using the same drawings but changing the hair and clothes on the characters every time.