Crazy Covers: Fry Pans and Kittens

Cover art is something I don't usually comment on in my reviews for several reasons. First, because I'm no expert on graphic art or the like. Second, because many of the books I read are ebooks, so who cares about the cover. And third, because I know authors often have little to no say in how that cover turns out. I've actually heard a few authors express distress at the way their covers look. So it's not fair to include cover art in the review, but there's no reason I can't talk about it separately.

Romance covers are the most frequent victims of slightly silly (or in some cases completely outrageous) cover art. Let's take my current read, Too Hot to Touch by Louisa Edwards (full review coming soon!)---

Shirtless Cooking! Because shirts are for non-sexy people!

The absurdity of this struck me as soon as I bought it. Sauteing something shirtless just seems like a really dangerous idea. I can barely make grilled cheese without burning myself--and that's while fully clothed! That's a pretty bad example to be setting, Mr. Model. Tsk tsk. Although the idea of a man cooking is sexy in general.

And continuing with this shirtless theme...

Ooo. Aww!

I like this one! But yes, it's still pretty funny. You have your shirtless fellow, kind of standard in romance land. And then you have your kitten, presumably Photoshopped right into his muscular arms. So that we, the potential readers, understand that this hero is both hot as hell and sensitive.
  

And speaking of Photoshop...

At least he appears to be doing something that would logically require shirtlessness.

Yeah...Fake tattoos are kind of a pet peeve for me when it comes to cover art. I haven't read this book, but I can only assume that the character has a dragon tattoo? So the art department, in their infinite wisdom, chose some stock art and drew in the tattoo? I wish they hadn't, because it's really distracting me from what would otherwise be a very romantic pose.