Heather Osborn has the most awesomest bestest collection of vintage romance novels ever. I’m sure they carry their own insurance policy because they are THAT WICKED GOOD. She was kind enough to photograph a set of her favorites, and this is part three of a triple installment of cover art magnificence.
Yes indeed, this is The Fatal Fortune by Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz, 1986. And despite appearances the heroine is not covered in white…goo – the cover is a bit damaged. Sadly, I only have two of the Guinevere Jones books – and since I don’t believe in spending insane money on these hard to find titles, I’ll just have to hope I stumble upon them someday.
The Sinister Touch by Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz, 1986. Look at this amazing book. This man has a bouffant mullet. A BOUFFANT MULLET. He is also wearing dad pants up to his pectorals. She meanwhile is sporting a loose bun, some sensible slacks, and a mandarin-collared blouse. I don’t know about you guys, but this screams adventure to me.
Gentle Pirate by Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz, 1980. Sadly, he is not a real pirate.
The Copeland Bride by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Claire Kiehl, 1989. Sadly this is not the first edition, which came out in 1983. But still, look at the awesome curly mullet! Anf the ruffly awesome shirt. Perfection.
Risen Glory by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, 1984. This one is a first edition, yippee! The poofy purple shirt, feathered blond mullet, and crazy eye makeup on the heroine are enough to place this one firmly in the 80s.
Across A Wine-Dark Sea by Jessica Bryan, 1991. Jessica Bryan wrote a mermaid trilogy in the early 90s that was so, so good. Sadly, I only own one of them right now, but I plan on tracking down the other two ASAP. As far as I know, Bryan never wrote any other romances, which is a total tragedy.
Summer of the Unicorn by Kay Hooper, 1988. I have given away so many copies of this book. An early, early paranormal fantasy romance, this is such a great romance. In fact, it may be time for a re-read. Besides, who can resist a pastel colored cover complete with unicorns!
That’s it for now – hope you liked this peek into my keeper shelves!
What I want to know is, on The Sinister Touch, what IS that in the front of the heroine’s trousers? Just above the crotch area?
That is indeed very sinister.
I don’t care what anyone says, I love mullets on a man—always have, always will.
I love the Sinister Touch cover! They are so obviously disco dancing. I also like that under-the-sea one, because I know it would have utterly captured my imagination when I was far too young for such escapades, had I found it on a friend’s mom’s shelf.
Starfish says: I see London, I see France…
Wow, I’ve read all of these! When they were first released! I am older than dirt!
Thanks for sharing, these brought back some great memories. In those days I needed the cash and exchange credit for used books and never held on to my editions. Is this the romance version of “I’d be rich if my mom hadn’t thrown out my comic books”?
I’m sorry, but with a title like “Risen Glory” and that flash of flesh just below his belt-line… I know it’s really her bosom, but surely the cover artist was having a laugh?
It scares me how similar our book collections are. With the exception of the SEP’s, I have all of the others.
Makes me nostalgic for the great time I had finding those Jayne Castles in used book stores. I loved the Guinevere Jones books.
Ooooh I loved those Jessica Bryan novels! I think I had two of the three and could never find the first one? I might still have them in my boxes at my mothers house…must find time to go hunting…
Across a Wine Dark Sea, sigh, I remember those books. At one point I actually had all 3 books, but then I left home for college and my father …generously.. donated them to the library. I have googled Jessica Bryan and never found anything. sniffle.
I agree with Cath about the whole sinister crotch, that is why high-waisted pants are terrible, make you look like you have a huge pannus or something else
Jessica Bryan’s books are available at Half.com—the whole trilogy, multiple copies—cheap!
And yes—I succumbed to temptation and just ordered all three! Mermaid Romance?!?!? I just couldn’t resist.
Ever since the movie Splash I’ve had this irrational love of (wish I could be one) mermaids.
But hownell do they make beautiful mullet love under the sea? With her having scales, fins, and no discernable lady parts from the waist down?…
Guess I’ll find out now when my books come huh?
You can get both the Jessica Bryans you’re missing on the secondary market for—get this ONE CENT plus shipping. Amazon.com’s secondary market has them.
I have 2 of the 3 Jessica Bryan books because Fabio is on the one pictured and Steve Sandalis is on the next one. But the model on the 3rd wasn’t so hot so I got rid of that book. I did enjoy reading them, however, but I can only keep those with good cover art. I’m just not a re-reader and I have 4 very full bookcases as it is.
Thanks for sharing these covers.
You know, after years of putting up with seeing guys with their pants on the ground, men with their pants pulled up to their nipples are SOOOOOOOOO sexy!
The Fatal Fortune loos like surprise imminent buttsecks to me.
OKAY so he may not be a “real” pirate in Gentle Pirate, but he has a HOOK for one of his hands. C’mon, that’s gotta be worth something! 😛
A hook, seriously? BWAHAAHAAAHAA!
I think there is mermaid sex, ooh, I remember, the one in china, definitely, underwater action. I don’t recall scales though, they have fins and gills. Please be warned it has been more than 10 years. Correct me if I am wrong, I remember learning about Jewish communities in China for the first time in this series.
Re Risen Glory: is it a mullet if it’s longer on top than in the back? I thought that was just some peculiarly ‘80s mutation of the pompadour.
What’s the setting of Across a Wine Dark Sea, ancient Greece? Looks interesting…and that’s overlooking the hero’s nudity, not because of it!
~Amy
@Donna re: hook in Gentle Pirate. Yes, yes, it is true! I’ve now forgotten how he lost his hand (war injury?), but I can’t forget the spanking scene!
Like Darlene Marshall I read all these books as they first came out, as an adult!!, which does indeed make me a member of the ‘older than dirt’ club.
spamword: you93. Well actually, not quite THAT old.
Cath Bilson said:
Looks like a large FUPA.
Ok… I need to read a book with a unicorn on the cover!!! LOL
Thanks for sharing these Heather!!!
Lisa 🙂
Spamword – Act44… For anyone who loves Strange Brew, Bob & Doug MacKensey… “Psst… Act!”
Book # 1: Another variation on “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
Book # 2: “Dancing With—And Robbing—The Stars”: NBC’s newest hit.
-from the artist formerly known as Elizabeth Wadsworth*
*until the Geek Squad got hold of my PC
Barb, a hook AND spanking. I have GOT to find this book. And I started reading series romance in college shortly after this was published, so I too am a member. How about the not quite as old as dirt club?
History26. Well, I’m not history, yet.
@Lisa K. Be careful what you wish for! Have you seen the manicorn pic going around the interwebs right now? You will not sleep for days.
Oh and what I meant to say, before the issue of manicorns waylaid me, is that I think the Gentle Pirate cover dude is pretty sexy. Does he look a bit like a younger Paul Newman to anyone else?
ACK!!!!!
My eyes!!!!!! LOL
The horror….
Lisa 🙂
until48 – God I hope I won’t have to wait until I’m 48 to forget the manicorn! *shudder*
There are Jayne Castle books I don’t have? horrors! gotta see if I can find these… won’t say damn the price, but still…
are they any good?
Good God !
I didn’t know Simon Cowell was a cover model in the 80’s .
At least he’s got a midas touch now, & not a Sinister one
@Lisa K. I want to say I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you, but that would be dishonest. Join me in my sparkly hell! And do not wash your eyes, it only makes the manicorn prance harder!
Oh, thank you—this is so fun. Scary, but fun.
@Brooks*belle. If you like mermaid stories try Shana Abe’s {url=http://www.shanaabe.com/thelastmermaid.shtml}The Last Mermaid{/url}
and while this one has no mermaid but instead dolphins – it’s delightful anyway: Betina Krahn’s The Mermaid.
For those who said they wanted Gentle Pirate, here you go, though the other cover (on Amazon) isn’t as awesome.
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0440129818/mixi-20/ref=nosim
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/jayne-castle/gentle-pirate.htm
http://www.fictiondb.com/author/jayne-castle~gentle-pirate~8149~b.htm
http://www.alibris.co.uk/search/books/qwork/2559506/used/The Gentle Pirate
This was fun,fun and more fun! I could look at The Sinister Touch over and over again. Thanks so much.
Love seeing these old school covers! What a great title, across a wine-dark sea. Mmm. Brings back memories of the used book store. Good times.
Hi, I have 2 Guinevere Jones: SINISTER and THE CHILLING DECEPTION. I also have THE COPELAND BRIDE. Mine says 1983, but it lists FANCY PANTS, RISEN GLORY, so it can’t be a first. I found it a Thrift for 25c, I almost fainted; got the GJs at a library book sale for 50c ea; and the GENTLE PIRATE as well.
I haven’t read but own the 4 Onyx Lisa Kleypas historicals; never to be published again (2 copies of 2 of them); probably from library sales or thrifts; not more that 50c ea. I have 5 Candelite Diana Palmer/ Diana Blayne incl TANGLED DESTINIES, COLOR LOVE BLUE,WHITE SAND…,and DARK SURRENDER, A LOVING ARRANGEMENT. All, I know, purchased at Thrifts.
So many books out there, so little space and time.
Cait
Yeah The Fatal Fortune looks like there could be a bit of “struggle snuggle” on the horizon…
I am showing my age but in the late 80’s I started going to the library to get books to read (after divorce and I had given Friends of the Library over 1100 books) since I had read what I had.
I remember these covers. I have forgotten the book but the covers are so familiar. Brings back memories, some good, some sad but I have been reading over 55 yrs so I have read thousands of books. I am retired now so bloggin, gardening and reading are my past times. LOL
Thanks for the memories…
Lovin these covers – thanks for sharing. Covers today don’t have the same “cheese” factor that those early 80’s covers do. I kind of miss that!
I have a whole slew of the Johanna Lindsey covers from the 80’s featuring Fabio in all his glory. I got a real kick out of the nekkid man on the cover, covered by the strategically placed dress of the heroine. This could explain why the books are in a cabinet behind closed doors!
And I’m back. Manicorn? So wrong on so many levels. As a collector – unrepentant, I say it loud I say it proud – of unicorns for more than 30 years, I am appalled. And the truly horrifying thing is that I know somewhere out there is a 3rd rate PNR author whose wheels are turning.
hard68. It’s going to be a hard 68 minutes trying to get back into work after that.