Cover Candy: First Edition | 2019 Works of Art
Hello, readers and fellow book nerds. If you have read this blog for a while, and know anything about my bookworm status, you likely know I’m something of a cover art snob. This is why I tend to become lost when looking at upcoming book releases. Over the years, one of the things I do share this love is “cover candy” lists in which I feature some of the recent newly revealed covers that caught my eye. Last I put one of these together is now over a year ago, so on a blustery, chilly Sunday afternoon, this seems a good day to share a new Cover Candy 2019 Edition One!
Below, I collect fantasy and sci-fi’s, historical novels and contemporaries (my favorite!) across a sea of genres. Some of them will end up on my bookshelf (because of the author or plot), while others paint a pretty image that is pretty to look at; and then there is the books that hype surrounds. Many of these are likely already familiar from their popularity on social media, but still. I wanted to share their prettiness again.
Either way, I’d love for you to take a look, and share all of your favorites below. Tell me which ones you’re anticipating – and whether or not I missed yours!
Cover Candy 2019 Edition One
SOUL of STARS by Ashley Poston 
The highly awaited sequel to Heart of Iron, Soul of Stars is a thrilling sci-fi adventure packed with romance, shocking twists, and witty banter, perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Cinder.
Once, Ana was an orphaned space outlaw. Then she was the Empress of the Iron Kingdom. Now, thought dead by most of the galaxy after she escaped from the dark AI program called the HIVE, Ana is desperate for a way to save Di from the HIVE’s evil clutches and take back her kingdom.
Ana’s only option is to find Starbright, the one person who has hacked into the HIVE and lived to tell the tale. But when Ana’s desperation costs the crew of the Dossier a terrible price, Ana and her friends are sent spiraling through the most perilous reaches of the Iron Kingdom to stop the true arbiter of evil in her world: an ancient world-ending deity called the Great Dark.
Their journey will take the sharp-witted pilot, Jax, to the home he never wanted to return to, and the dangerous fate he left behind. And when Robb finds out who Jax really is, he must contend with his own feelings for the boy he barely knows, and whether he truly belongs with this group of outcasts.
When facing the worst odds, can Ana and her crew of misfits find a way to stop the Great Dark once and for all? – Goodreads, July
THE KILLING TIDE by Dani Pettrey
When one Coast Guard officer is found dead and another goes missing, CGIS special agent Finn Walker faces his most dangerous and volatile crime yet. His only clues are what little evidence remains aboard the dead officer’s adrift cutter, and the direction the clues point will test him and the guard to their limits.
Complicating matters further is the arrival of investigative reporter Harper Grace. An unrelenting journalist who was nearly killed as the result of her last expose, Harper has been sent to Wilmington on the hunch of her boss that the Coast Guard is stonewalling the truth about the officers. An interview with the dead victim’s wife convinces her there’s a story worth uncovering, even if it means risking her life again.
Thrown together by the heinous crime, Finn and Harper can’t ignore the sparks or judgments flying between them, but will they be able to see past their preconceptions long enough to track down an elusive killer before they become his next mark? – Goodreads, August
VOW OF THIEVES by Mary E. Pearson
Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor’s Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.
But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor’s Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.
Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits. – Goodreads, August
CORAL by Sara Ella
Multiple award-winning young adult author Sara Ella reimagines The Little Mermaid in a powerful and unexpected way.
Sixteen-year-old mermaid Coral has always been different, standing out from her stoic sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease. Said to be carried by humans, the Disease imposes emotions on its victims, causing them to commit unspeakable acts. The growing illness inside her, while terrifying, fascinates her very core. Where others see danger, Coral sees life. Could it be the colorless merfolk who are truly ill?
Above the sea, seventeen-year-old Brooke Jordan has nothing left to give. A homeless girl abandoned and forgotten, the only thing Brooke can rely on is the ocean. Her aching feet find refuge within the cool and comforting waves, while her broken heart grows harder with each passing day. When Brooke’s and Coral’s worlds collide, everything alters in an instant. From learning to stand alone, to discovering the strength it takes to rely on another, the girls find that living requires taking that first painful breath. Each must make sacrifices, and when it comes to finding true love? Let’s just say the boys in their lives must learn to swim if they’re ever going to survive the storms.
Battling the odds against them, the girls will do whatever it takes to survive. But what must end for love and life to finally begin?
Taking a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale, this modern-day story explores mental health from several perspectives, questioning what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost. – Goodreads, September
AMERICAN ROYALS by Katharine McGee
What if America had a royal family? If you can’t get enough of Harry and Meghan or Kate and William, meet American princesses Beatrice and Samantha.
Two princesses vying for the ultimate crown.
Two girls vying for the prince’s heart.
This is the story of the American royals.
When America won the Revolutionary War, its people offered General George Washington a crown. Two and a half centuries later, the House of Washington still sits on the throne. Like most royal families, the Washingtons have an heir and a spare. A future monarch and a backup battery. Each child knows exactly what is expected of them. But these aren’t just any royals. They’re American. And their country was born of rebellion.
As Princess Beatrice gets closer to becoming America’s first queen regnant, the duty she has embraced her entire life suddenly feels stifling. Nobody cares about the spare except when she’s breaking the rules, so Princess Samantha doesn’t care much about anything, either . . . except the one boy who is distinctly off-limits to her. And then there’s Samantha’s twin, Prince Jefferson. If he’d been born a generation earlier, he would have stood first in line for the throne, but the new laws of succession make him third. Most of America adores their devastatingly handsome prince . . . but two very different girls are vying to capture his heart.
The duty. The intrigue. The Crown. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee imagines an alternate version of the modern world, one where the glittering age of monarchies has not yet faded–and where love is still powerful enough to change the course of history. – Goodreads, September 2019
THE LADY ROUGE by Jenn Bennett
The Last Magician meets A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in this thrilling tale filled with magic and set in the mysterious Carpathian Mountains where a girl must hunt down Vlad the Impaler’s cursed ring in order to save her father.
Some legends never die…
Traveling with her treasure-hunting father has always been a dream for Theodora. She’s read every book in his library, has an impressive knowledge of the world’s most sought-after relics, and has all the ambition in the world. What she doesn’t have is her father’s permission. That honor goes to her father’s nineteen-year-old protégé—and once-upon-a-time love of Theodora’s life—Huck Gallagher, while Theodora is left to sit alone in her hotel in Istanbul.
Until Huck arrives from an expedition without her father and enlists Theodora’s help in rescuing him. Armed with her father’s travel journal, the reluctant duo learns that her father had been digging up information on a legendary and magical ring that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler—more widely known as Dracula—and that it just might be the key to finding him.
Journeying into Romania, Theodora and Huck embark on a captivating adventure through Gothic villages and dark castles in the misty Carpathian Mountains to recover the notorious ring. But they aren’t the only ones who are searching for it. A secretive and dangerous occult society with a powerful link to Vlad the Impaler himself is hunting for it, too. And they will go to any lengths—including murder—to possess it. – Goodreads, September
A TREASON OF THORNS by Laura E. Weymouth
Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.
Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.
When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.
Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known. – Goodreads, September 2019
ALWAYS LOOK TWICE by Elizabeth Goddard
At the advice of her therapist, homicide survivor Harper Reynolds has traded her job as a crime scene photographer for a more peaceful life taking photographs of the natural world. But her hopes for a life surrounded by the serenity of the outdoors are dashed when she inadvertently captures a murder being committed in 
Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She flees the scene in fear–and loses the camera.
Former Green Beret Heath McKade is a reserve deputy in an understaffed county who has been called in to protect Harper, a childhood friend he is surprised to see back in the area. When Harper learns that the sheriff’s department can’t find any evidence of the murder she witnessed, she is determined to do what she can to see that justice is done. What neither Harper nor Heath could know is how many explosive secrets from the past will be exposed–or how deeply they will fall for each other.
In this suspenseful page-turner, bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard keeps you on the edge of your seat as you discover that uncommon justice lies just on the other side of fear. – Amazon, October
A PURSUIT of HOME by Kristi Ann Hunter 
When she learns the family she thought dead might be alive and in danger, Jess Beuchene knows her secrets can only stay buried for so long. Desperation brings her to Derek Thornbury, an expert in history and artifacts, to help her decipher the clues in an old family diary. Will their search to uncover the truth of the past lead to a future together? – Goodreads, November
MY STUBBORN HEART* by Becky Wade
Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.
Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can’t help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can’t quite put her finger on. He’s clearly wounded–hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light… whether he likes it or not.
When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed? – Goodreads, November
*repackaged
DEADLY DECEIT by Natalie Walters
Independent and tenacious journalist Vivian DeMarco is back in Walton, Georgia, for one reason–to do her job and get out. When her boss suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, Vivian’s only hope for finding the truth–and the next big story–is small-town law enforcement’s lanky poster boy, Deputy Ryan Frost. But the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes, and Vivian finds herself fighting for not only answers but also her life. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called The Watcher force Vivian to confront the secret of her past and decide: How much is she willing to risk for the sake of a headline?
Author Natalie Walters welcomes you back to Walton, Georgia, where everyone knows your name–but no one knows your secret. – Amazon, November
SECONDS TO LIVE by Susan Sleeman
When cybercriminals hack into the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection database and auction off personal details to the highest bidder, FBI Agent Sean Nichols begins a high-stakes chase to find the hacker. Trouble is, he has to work with U.S. Marshal Taylor Mills, who knows the secrets of his past, and the seconds are ticking down before someone dies. – Goodreads, December
ECHOES AMONG THE STONES by Jaime Jo Wright 
Mystery begins to follow Aggie Dunkirk when she exhumes the past’s secrets and uncovers a crime her eccentric grandmother has been obsessing over. Decades earlier, after discovering her sister’s body in the attic, Imogene Flannigan is determined to find justice. Two women, separated by time, vow to find answers . . . no matter the cost. – Goodreads, December
Sharing just a *few* of the upcoming 2019 books with pretty cover art! Have you seen all of these? Cover Candy 2019: Edition One | Works of Art Share on XShare all of your thoughts; which of these do you like? Did you spy a new title to add to your TBR? Comment down below with all of your bookish thoughts!
Thanks for visiting!
I *love* the cover for The Killing Tide!!! It’s so different from the bold cover of her last series, but is so eye-catching in a different way. I also love the fabulous font choice for the title of My Stubborn Heart and the emphasis it has with the contrasting black and white.
SAME! It’s the concept is just SO DARN cool, and as you say, it’s really different for the market, which I love. So fun to chat about new favorites, Heidi – and I will confess, despite already owning Becky’s, I’m SO purchasing this new cover, too. #BookwormProblems ;)
These are all so pretty! My faves are probably the Laura Weymouth, Mary E Pearson and Ashley Poston ones. I can’t wait to get my hands on those!
Laura’s is so intricate; Mary’s fits in so well with the first series book (which I’ve heard is AH-ma-zing); and Ashley’s looks unique. I haven’t read her first book yet, but REALLY want to. :)
LOOOOVE these. Especially Treason of Thorns and Soul of Stars- those legit should be posters that I can hang on my walls. The cover game just keeps getting better and better and I am SO here for it!
I agree! So many I’d like to have as decor too. These designers are all about the artistic talent. :)