Strangers came fourth in the cover competition.

Nora Roberts' cover won - of a bride showing her shoe. Huh. But Strangers came fourth and this is what was said.

The nomination for Strangers by Barbara Elsborg came in at the last minute, but the cover immediately became a favorite. It came in fourth in the final voting. Readers loved the simple, romantic image.
Jill said: “Wow, a couple of really beautiful ones. This one gets my vote because it is a clinch cover done right. The focus is on the faces and their emotional interaction, not on body parts and impossible contortions."

Stuart agreed: “The intimacy hints at a forbidden closeness. It captures the absolute most exciting time of the rush of a new relationship.”

Many voters commented on the artistry of this cover. Willa said: “Great chiaroscuro! I love the contrasts of their dark hair and lashes and the whiteness of the rest of the cover.”

Cover Cafe’s Mary Lynne was also a fan: “I love the interplay shown with the hero and heroine’s expressions here. There’s also a very interesting, washed-out quality to this image that helps it fade to white at the bottom that’s something I haven’t seen often in covers before...”

Paul agreed: “The way white suffuses the space is arresting and catches my eye.”

Laurie also commented on the cover’s artistic qualities: “Love the expressions and emotional interaction in the characters, the warm natural tones, and the dynamic font. Beautiful!”

And of course the author's vote is important, too. Barbara Elsborg simply reasoned: "It's my book! What can I say!!"