With the explosion of e-publishing, and e-retailing, it's becoming less and less likely that readers will encounter an actual book cover prior to purchase. Even if you are primarily a print reader, chances are good you will first see the book's cover on a computer screen.

Book covers still matter, but how do you perceive them now? How has the process of 'judging a book by its cover' altered?

Where are all the Jewish characters in historical romance? Old Testament retellings of Biblical stories are readily found in inspirational romance, but isn’t there more? The history of Jewish people in England, for example, goes back to the time of William the Conqueror, and the first documented Jewish immigrants set foot in the American colonies in 1649. With a rich culture, both religious and secular, and traditions that stretch back thousands of years and across the globe, there’s an endless supply of interesting characters with stories ready to be told. Readers looking for a Jewish hero or heroine in English or American historical romance may have to do some digging, but oh, the gems that can be found. Where to look?

Medieval lovers might consider Barbara Samuel’s classic A Bed of Spices, which pulls no punches regarding the difficulties faced by interfaith lovers Rica and Solomon as the Black Death spreads across Europe, while anti-Semitism points an accusing finger at the Jews. Solomon, a physician in training, wants nothing more than to heal, and though he never expected to find his soulmate in Catholic Rica, he admires her intellect as well as her passion. To say that both families do not react well to this pairing is an understatement. At one point, Solomon’s father gets physical with his son to keep him from bringing danger to both families, and yet it is Solomon’s faith and traditions that form the backbone of his character, and indeed provide a way for the couple to be together at last.

[Want more recs? This way!...]

J.R. Ward said in late March that the next book in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series would be titled The King, and would continue Wrath's story—and now there's a cover!

It's also up for pre-order. Here's the scant official information:

The newest installment in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Wrath and the Brotherhood are locked in an epic battle over his throne and the very future of the vampire race.

The King will be released March 25, 2014.

We're now one step closer to seeing Fifty Shades of Grey's Christian and Ana on the big screen—moments ago, the word came down that Sam Taylor-Johnson has been chosen to direct the filmed version of E.L. James's Fifty Shades Of Grey.

One of the producers commented:

Sam’s unique ability to gracefully showcase complex relationships dealing with love, emotion and sexual chemistry make her the ideal director to bring Christian and Anastasia’s relationship to life...E.L. James’ characters and vivid storytelling require a director who is willing to take risks and push the envelope where needed, and Sam is a natural fit.

Like James and the screenwriter, Taylor-Johnson is a British woman. Do you think that perspective will affect the resulting movie?

Megan Frampton
Baring It All
Loveswept / June 24, 2013 / $.99 digital

It is with great discretion that this columnist discusses the sensitive topic of undergarments. Some ladies, it seems, do not pay strict attention to what they wear under their gowns. A crucial error, my ladies.

Lady Violet knows Lord Christian Jepstow is interested in women. The problem is, he hasn’t seemed to realize that Violetis a living, breathing woman—a woman with needs. Which is a huge problem, considering the fact that Violet and Christian are betrothed. Violet has no intention of saying her vows without knowing if her husband has the capacity to love her properly, so she does what anyone would do in her situation—she steps into his study and offers to take off her clothes. What happens next could be an utter disaster . . . or it could be surprising, seductive, and sizzlingly sexy.

(Full disclosure: Megan Frampton is the community manager for Heroes and Heartbreakers.)

Megan Frampton's Baring It All begins where most Regency romances end—the blushing innocent bride is happily engaged to the handsome, titled gentleman to the joy of both their families. What kind of story could come after that? When the young woman in question is Lady Violet, the story is sexy and playful and wonderful.

[The beginning in the end...]

Stacia Kane has revealed the cover for Wrong Ways Down, a Downside Ghosts story—but told from Terrible's point of view. Here's the blurb:

It’s a thin line between right and wrong. It’s an even thinner one between wrong and dead…

Terrible has always been on the wrong side of the law, living up to the only name anyone ever gave him. As the chief enforcer for Downside’s most powerful criminal, it’s his job to collect debts and protection money by any means necessary. And he’s very good at his job.

But part of that job is also to keep Bump’s various employees safe. So when a street dealer is found dead and a prostitute is brutally attacked, Terrible immediately starts using his fists to hunt down the ones responsible.

He’s determined to find and destroy them. They’re determined to use his desire for the woman he secretly loves to break him.

What's more, she's previewed more of the book as well.

His phone beeped. A text.

From Sela. “Home alone. Bored and lonely.”

He knew what that meant. She probably already had her clothes off; she usually did, when she sent texts like that. Specially when she’d been drinking some, which he guessed she had been with them shrieky dames she hung around.

“Something wrong?” Chess asked.

He glanced at her, glanced at the phone, and set it back down. He could tell Sela he was busy when he got it, be why he ain’t answered. “Naw, naw, just sayin no problems this night.”

“So what’s happening with that?”

Read the rest at Stacia Kane's site.

And don't miss the H&H original story “Home,” available as an e-book now, for another Downside Ghosts fix!

Find your future faves with this delightfully convenient shopping list of romance novels coming out in July. We’ve divided them up by subgenre to make it easier for those who’ve got a very specific obsession and there are some great books to look forward to—from modern-day marriages of convenience and secret babies to dragons and the ever-entertaining “younger man”. Our shopping list is the biggest yet, so don’t forget to take this printable version with you when it’s time to shop!

Heroes and Heartbreakers July 2013 Shopping List!

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/SfR

[Check out the complete list!...]

World War Z, starring Brad Pitt, opens this weekend, and it combines an action movie (with a fantastically good-looking hero) with fears about a zombie uprising and general apocalyptic concerns. From the trailer, it appears that Brad Pitt's character is the only guy who can possibly save the world as we know it.

If you had to rely on only one character to save the world as we know it, who would it be?

Just as the summer wears on and the days grow ever longer, so too do the hours one can squander spend enjoying first-run television shows brought to us by networks both cable and non.

Following up on previous instalments Part 1 and Part 2, here are the next crop of premiere offerings...

Franklin and Bash
TNT
Season Premiere: Wednesday, June 19

Best buds and unconventional lawyers Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) and Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) try an assortment of tricky cases while turning the upright and respectable firm of Infield Daniels on its head, with the aid of their trusty sidekicks, the ex-con Carmen (Dana Davis) and the agoraphobic, neurotic genius Pindar (Kumail Nanjiani).

Where’s the love? The boys have various flings throughout the course of the show, but most notable is Bash’s seemingly incurable adoration of tiresome prosecutor and ex-girlfriend, Janie (Claire Coffee).

Reason to tune in: Malcolm McDowell as the boys’ boss at the firm is always a pleasure, but the real reason to watch is the comfortable bro-chemistry of Meyer and Gosselaar. If you need more, though, Heather Locklear joins the cast in Season 3, and who isn’t curious to see how she’s doing nowadays?

[What else is on TV this week?...]

Maya Banks will be meeting and greeting readers tomorrow evening at a special event in New York City—and you're invited! The Heroes and Heartbreakers staff will also be there, and we'd love to see you!

The event is being held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Opal Bar in Manhattan. Here are the details:

Meet Maya Banks for an evening of romance and conversation! Maya will mix and mingle with readers and answer questions about her popular books. There will also be a book signing with books available onsite for purchase.

Food and refreshments will be served.

Readers will also have the opportunity to meet the great team from the romance site Heroes and Heartbreakers, who will be offering fun door prizes to readers.

This event is FREE.

Please do RSVP to let the Love Always Team know if you’ll be attending!

Each month, we ask our bloggers to share the best thing they’ve read (or things, plural, if our bloggers declare a tie ’cause they just can’t choose). It doesn’t have to be a new book, as evidenced below; just something that made the month sparkle a bit more.

Without further ado, here’s the installment for April 2013 (and if you’ve missed any, be sure to check out past recs via the related posts section at the bottom of the post):

Jennifer Myers

Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh was my most anticipated book of the year.  That is saying a lot for a book where I didn’t even know the name of the hero or heroine until a couple of weeks before release day. It didn’t disappoint. Ms. Singh gave us a truly epic love story combined with breakingtaking steps in the fall of the PsyNet. Neither plot nor romance was sacrificed for the other when it came to this book.  We were given so many answers; who Kaleb had been looking for, the identity of the Ghost, what will happening to the remaining council members, what happens with Pure Psy, yet we were also left with questions we all are desperate to solve. Ms. Singh totally outdid herself with this one.  Now to find out the identity of the next hero...

[The rest of the best...]

It’s a long hiatus to Season 4 of Lost Girl, scheduled to premiere in the U.S. in January 2014. That doesn’t stop us from speculating on what might be afoot in Faeville next season. After the long suffering of having to endure season three’s disappointing and ultimately failed Doccutopia, the season ended with a literal bang with all players (save Doctor Lauren) in jeopardy and tossed to the far winds.

Word is that Season 4 starts right up from where Season 3 ended: Bo off somewhere with a now red-headed Wanderer. Dyson and Tamsin saved from their Thelma and Louise cliff dive as they were swept from the truck by The Black Smoke right before impact. Kenzi and Bruce hunting down the druid, Massimo, so Kenzi can maybe become Fae. A hunted Trick running off to Scotland with Stella. A newly-dethroned Hale finally chasing after Kenzi amidst what looks to be the beginnings of another Great Fae War. Or is it a Fae vs. Human War? The Dal blown up!

With their first table read on Friday, May 31st, the cast began filming Season 4 on Monday, June 3rd. Rick Howland, Ksenia Solo, Kris Holden-Ried, KC Collins, and Paul Amos all had call times last week. Anna Silk has a delayed start due to some recent “giving birth” excuse (lame). No word yet on whether or not Zoie Palmer’s had her first day on set.

[What's next for our favorites?...]

Rebecca Zanetti
Twisted
eKensington / June 20, 2013 / $2.99 digital

Maggie is a wolf shifter who was captured and experimented on by the Kurjans. Now that a cure has finally been found for shifters (although not for vampire mates or witches), she can concentrate on creating a new life for herself and finally accepting that her memories are gone forever. Most memories, that is. Sometimes in the hazy world between dreams and dawn, she hears a Scottish voice, dark and deep, that sounds suspiciously like wolf-shifter Terrent Vilks. A man she happened to anger by kidnapping a few years back. Hey, it was for a good cause.

Terrent Vilks knows more than he’s let on for the past several years. After digging for answers, he knows exactly why the demons want Maggie dead. And he remembers his past with Maggie…very well. She is finally where he wants her. Now all he has to do is discover what exactly the Kurjans did to her, beat the demons into so much submission they leave her alone, and get her to fall in love with him. Again. Good thing he’s used to wrangling monsters.

Twisted, the latest book in Rebecca Zanetti’s Dark Protector series, gives us the missing pieces from the life of the wolf-shifter Maggie. The vampires' mortal enemies, the Kurjans, have been infecting vampire mates and shifters with their Virus-27 for 10 years now. When they first developed their virus, they certainly weren’t against testing it on live subjects. In fact, they had incredible results turning shifters into werewolves, making them into mindless and controllable killing machines.

[That seems...unpleasant...]

A long time ago, before the time when seeing Sean Bean on-screen meant that his character would die, Bean starred as Richard Sharpe, based on the series written by Bernard Cornwell, about a low-born soldier who eventually reaches the position of Lieutenant-Colonel in the British army.

And why are we telling you about this today? Because June 18th is the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, when the Emperor Napoleon was defeated by an army led by the Duke of Wellington. The period of the Napoleonic Wars is the backdrop of many historical romances set in the Regency period, with heroes (and sometimes heroines) either returning from war, spying for England, or dealing with war's ramifications.

To celebrate Napoleon's defeat, might we suggest eyeballing young Mr. Bean? Especially right in at the two-minute mark, where his shirt is interestingly unbuttoned.

Hey, we love Almack’s, the Season, ballrooms, and Dukes—but sometimes a girl needs a little change of scenery. Without further ado, here are some historical romances hitting the shelves in June that will take readers away from the Regency marriage mart.

Action & Adventure!

Sweet Revenge by Zoe Archer

When Jack Dalton escapes from Dunmoor Prison, he has only one thing in mind—finding the nobleman who murdered his sister and making him pay. But when he reaches the inn where the Lord Rockley is rumored to be staying, three well-dressed strangers are there to meet him instead. And the pretty blonde is aiming a pistol right at his head …

Joining Nemesis, Unlimited has made Eva Warrick much more than the well-mannered lady she appears to be—one who can shoot, fight, and outsmart any man in the quest to right the injustices so often suffered by the innocent. She’s not afraid of the burly escaped convict, but she is startled by their shared attraction. She and her partners need Jack’s help to get to Rockley, but Eva finds she wants Jack for scandalous reasons all her own…

[More unusual historicals this-a way...]

We're pleased to show you the cover for Jade Lee's What the Groom Wants, Book 4 in the Bridal Favors series. Apparently what the groom wants is to get him and his heroine less clothed! Funny, we're looking forward to that as well...

Here's the cover blurb:

Wendy Drew, co-owner of A Lady's Favor dress shop, is working at a gambling den to help pay off a relative's debt when she catches the eye of the den's owner. Wendy is attracted to his dark, dangerous ways, but she has no idea how far he'll go to make her his. 

Seaman Jacob Teel has been in love with Wendy from the first time he met her. Now he's home, done with the seafaring life, and has recently inherited a Welsh title. Finally, he can court Wendy for real—if he only he knew about his deadly competition.

What the Groom Wants will be available on February 4, 2014. In the meantime, look out for Book 3 in the series, What the Bride Wore, out this August!

The White Queen (BBC One), an adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling trilogy of novels set around the Wars of the Roses, had a strong debut in the UK on BBC One over the weekend, a good sign for when the series debuts August 10 in the United States on the Starz network. The White Queen centers on Elizabeth Woodville, wife of the man who became England’s first Yorkist king, Edward IV.

A glimpse at the full trailer shows just why it's so appealing. Will you be watching? Could it perhaps help fill the void left by historical dramas The Borgias and (while it's on hiatus) Downton Abbey?