Click here to read about where my ‘Judge a Book by its Cover’ started.

The book cover is the first thing to grab my attention, secondly the title, and then I’ll read the blurb.

Here’s the three book covers that caught my eye this week. I like to guess what the book genre is just by looking at the cover and reading the title. I’m usually not far wrong.

Number 1

The fire and darkness is what grabbed my attention on the cover of Secret Keepers by Teddie Peacock. Any title that contains the word ‘secret’ intrigues me. I love secrets and lies (not in real life of course). This cover combined with the title suggests suspense and maybe some mystery. More than one person here has a secret, but is it the same secret?

Lets read the blurb over on Amazon.

Here’s the blurb.

Kelly Ryan was bad, very bad and they all knew it!
But they were friends with him anyway. Kelly was a walking, talking chaos creator.

Years later, when Kelly dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances; Tessa can’t let it go. Not after the night that caused so much destruction, shattered friendships and changed all of them, forever.

They’ve all been telling lies and keeping secrets about that night and nearly everything else. They all had reasons to end Kelly but who wanted revenge enough to actually do it? Can Tessa stop the cycle of destruction that comes from being in Kelly’s orbit? Lies, secrets, loyalty, revenge and murder- how far would they really go?

So, this is a domestic suspense novel. I wasn’t far off the mark. This cover certainly has my thumbs up in regards to the cover telling me what to expect from inside the pages.

This is a story I would enjoy. SOLD! Into my Kindle it goes!

Here’s an example of an Amazon review.

Becca

4.0 out of 5 stars  Intriguing

This was a new author for me. I thought the blurb, title and cover were intriguing.
It’s not a genre I would normally read so that was refreshing.
It is paced well and keeps you interested. I enjoyed the viewpoints of the different characters.
Jason was my favourite. I would love just one more scene from him to find out how much he saw in the boathouse, why he was there, and his mother actually realising the cause of his issues.
I really liked Trent as well.
It explored all different forms of abuse such as between spouses, financial, between friends, lies. It was all done very well and created a great story and added intrigue with Jackson’s issues.
The ending was fantastic.
Overall, I would read more from this author.

Number 2

This one is easy. The title tells us that it’s a sweet romance. If I were to see the cover without the title, I’d think romance, yes, and adultery! The ring of flowers brings the softness to it (romance) and that red apple adds danger. (Adultery)

Now, I’ll look it up on Amazon and read the blurb.

Here’s the blurb.

Beckham James is my older brother’s best friend, a constant presence in my life from a young age. He was also my first crush, my unrequited love—and the one man I thought I could never have.

Until now…

When I move back home to Sweetbriar, South Carolina after several years away, I have big plans. Plans to share my love of art to the community. Plans to give back to the town that raised me and helped my family through a dark time.

Plans that do not include Beckham.

Seeing him again after all these years stirs up feelings I thought I had gotten over. Feelings that tempt me to let go of my fears and go after what I have always wanted.

Ellery Brooks was never meant to be mine. She is my best friend’s younger sister. The unwritten rule of friendship made her off-limits, so I did what I thought was best and walked away.

Until now…

Because Ellery has moved back home for good. After a brief encounter at her brother’s house, I realize she is no longer the innocent little girl I once knew. That makes her dangerous.

Every look, every touch, makes it harder to fight this growing attraction. If I give in to temptation, will I finally find something worth holding onto, or will it destroy everything I hold dear?

Top marks for a beautiful eye-catching sweet romance book cover! It tells us exactly what to expect.

I’ve just realised that Sweet Temptation is only being released tomorrow, so there are no customer reviews up yet. The best of luck to you, Danika Rose Lynn!

Number 3

This stood out for me because of the colour and the facial expression of the girl. The way the image is split intrigues me too. The girl looks troubled and things are complicated for her.

I imagine this to be a thriller. Let’s go and find out!

Here’s the blurb.

Four months of torture in an undisclosed location.
Four months of silence.
Four months of praying she won’t lose her mind and give away secrets she’s fought so hard to keep.

Avery Kent escapes with her life, but she is pursued deep into the heart of the British Columbia wilderness by the men who almost took her life—and shattered her mind.
After wandering for two days in the mountains, she stumbles upon a cabin—but little does she know that the man inside is not the sheltering protector he claims to be.

Haunted by his past, former CAF soldier Dakota Fontaine is trying to mind his business and keep his head down when a woman stumbles onto his property and collapses, wearing only a hospital gown and a tattered sweater.
As he nurses the battered woman back to health, he wonders at the way she talks in her sleep but won’t say a word when she’s awake. But Dakota knows better than most that the art of coercion isn’t always violent. Torture isn’t the only way to ferret out a person’s secrets, and he is confident of one thing; Avery Kent will confide in him, one way or another.

Just as Avery begins to trust Dakota, an unlikely encounter sends her fleeing back into the heart of the city where it all began.
On the hunt to collect the stash of lethal evidence that will take down her attackers, once and for all, the flashbacks grow stronger, and her grip on reality continues to falter.
Avery knows the chances of losing her mind before she can bring down her captors, are high—and deadly—and she’s not up to the challenge.
But she’ll die trying.

Definitely a thriller, mystery, suspense here. Fantastic blurb. If you’re into action and fast-paced thrillers, I think this might be for you!

Fallout by Ashley Nikole

Here’s a customer review from Goodreads.

Lauricia Dawn

Where do I start?
Fallout was amazing. It was grungy, dark and raw.
I firmly believe that those who stick through the ups and downs and wade through the process that is Avery’s story, will find themselves changed. Its painful to read at times, because the trauma and need for healing (but not knowing how to get it) is so real. But its worth it.
I love the dance between holding on and letting go in this book. The endurance & courage it takes to choose both of those. I love the characters and the things they care about.
The last 20% was my absolute favourite. I gasped and misted over and whispered “no” and “oh my” several times.

Even though reading doesn’t require much engagement, per say, I feel like this book doesn’t allow the reader to be passive. It requires your insides to wake up and listen and be attentive and real yourself. It challenges passivity and how far people are willing to go for someone. Its beautiful. Its deep. Its rough. Its such a worthwhile read.

Add it to your list, readers. It’s on mine!

See you next week for more fabulous book cover judging!

Thanks for visiting today! Before you go…

Would you like a peek inside the pages of my fictional novel? It might just be your cup of tea!

Set in a gossipy small town in Ireland at a time when marriage is for keeps and sexuality is repressed, Secrets in the Babby House is a family saga over three decades that starts in 1956. It is a story of love, deception, and stolen diaries filled with sins and secrets.