“Insert (Y/N) Here”: Universality and Anonymity on Modern Romance Covers

Stand in front of the romance table in any bookshop and let your eyes go slightly out of focus. If not for the titles, the covers could easily start to blend together. Vibrant pinks, corals, and teals serve as backdrops for vaguely human-shaped blobs. Anonymous and amorphous, these silhouettes representing the romance hero and/or heroine could be any one of us. They’re both no one in particular…