Ladies buy romance novels for the hunk on the cover

The historical dresses are fun to wear, Jax Turyna says of photo shoots for covers for historical romances. Photos: TNS

Ah, the much-maligned romance novel: The pretzel-like plot featuring a lovelorn protagonist falling madly for the hunkiest of hunks until the two eventually foray into a world of soft sensual delights. And do we even need to mention those covers?

But yes, let’s talk about those covers and the bad rap they get for, according to the stereotype, featuring an impossibly attractive (and occasionally shirtless) bastion of virility. But as Iago said in Othello, “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving.”