Top Ten Tuesday: I Love You Just the Way You Are (aka Cover Redesigns Gone Bad)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 

Cover Redesigns Gone Bad

When given the choice with Top Ten Tuesday topics, I typically go for the more positive option. Something I love over something I dislike. A good change over a bad change. You get the idea. But when it comes to cover redesigns, I tend to want them to leave well enough alone. New isn't always better. And 99% of the time I prefer the original cover over the redesign. So I'm not going with the positive option this time... I'm sharing the cover redesigns that I really dislike. The ones that got worse instead of better. The ones that make me want to sing (à la Billy Joel) "don't go changing to try to please me... I love you just the way you are!" 

THE LUX SERIES - JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

I'll admit that I'm extra picky about these covers because the Lux series is an all-time favorite. I LOVE this series. And I know that plenty of people consider these covers cheesy but I'm all for them. When I think of the Lux series (which happens a lot, actually LOL) I think of these covers. They ARE the Lux series. 

But the publisher has changed these covers not one, not twice, but many times. *sigh* First they decided to do bind-ups and came out with these covers that were sparkly for no apparent reason (did they confuse the aliens with the Twilight vampires??) and added a girl with very bad makeup.

The latest covers are even worse, if that's possible, and we've moved on from Bad Makeup Girl to Silhouette People. They should have just left them alone. For me nothing will ever beat the original covers with Pepe Toth.♥

THE OFF-CAMPUS SERIES - ELLE KENNEDY

So, I've mentioned before about how I'm not a huge fan of the whole shirtless-guy-on the-cover thing. I mean, I love a six-pack as much as the next girl, but even so... they're a little cringey. However, I make an exception for the Off-Campus series. When it comes to new adult/college romance these are practically iconic. Romance readers know these covers. So when there was a cover redesign a while back there was quite the scramble to quickly add the original covers to collections before they were nowhere to be found. (I currently have two and am still trying to track down the other two in the original covers.) The new covers aren't bad... but to me they just don't represent the series well. 

THE DARK ELEMENTS SERIES - JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT

Here's a cover redesign that happened mid-series. The worst! Books one and two came out and I liked them well enough. Layla + Roth, Layla + Zayne, both in muted tones. Then as the third book was being released... *bam*... cover redesign. Muted tones are gone and we get half a girl's face. The new covers stayed with the partial-face theme and I can't say I was a fan. The new covers are totally generic and boring. Boo.

THE CALLOWAY SISTERS SERIES - KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE

These original covers represented each character so well. Rose's elegance, blonde wild-child Daisy, Connor's cool sophistication, and Ryke's extreme lifestyle. I'm not sure what prompted the cover change (Krista & Becca are self-published so it's not like a publishing house made the call), but I don't feel like it adds anything. And instead of reflecting four distinctive characters it's just four random shirtless guys. Thumbs down.

BITTERSWEET - SARINA BOWEN

   

Maybe it's just me, but the guy on the original cover of Bittersweet is Griffin Shipley. And apparently it really is just me because I recently saw Sarina Bowen talking about the cover change and saying that the original cover didn't capture the tone of the story. But I think the old cover is perfect... and way better than the couple on the new cover. (I'll be standing over here alone in my feelings for the original cover. *looks around forlornly*)

ARCHER'S VOICE - MIA SHERIDAN

   

I love the original cover for Archer's Voice. It's one of those books I would recognize instantly by the cover art, no title or author needed. The newer cover? Just... why? It says nothing about the story. It looks like some generic stock photography that could be used for anything. Why do that? I am confused.

MAKING FACES - AMY HARMON

     

This is another case like Archer's Voice. The black and white cover with Ambrose pictured is what I think of every time I picture Making Faces. I get that the newer cover is supposed to be Fern, but for me the original cover is the one that fits the story best. The photo of a tortured Ambrose, the black and white photography, the font(s) used for the title... it all fits the story best.

TRUST - KYLIE SCOTT

     

Okay, this last one is another I feel strongly about. I received an e-arc of Trust and loved it. I knew I wanted to buy a physical copy but in the blink of an eye they changed the cover. Like, within the first month of release! I have no idea why (I heard that the original cover looked too new adult instead of YA... but who knows.) So all of a sudden, even though it was a new release, I couldn't order a physical copy with the original cover. I was on a mission! I ended up finding a copy on eBay and paid a ridiculous sum of money to get it. While the redesigned cover is okay (I can totally see that being Edie and John), I much prefer the first cover.

So, I know I've only shared eight, and Top Eight Tuesday just isn't a thing, but I can't think of any other cover redesigns that I feel particularly strongly about. I'll let you fill in the last two spots... which cover redesigns do you think got it all wrong?