Anna Wibberley: Were this Wild Thing Wedded

Were This Wild Thing Wedded by Anna Wibberley was published by Fawcett in 1976. It may have an unfortunately named title, but has a great Allan Kass cover art! It's the story of Caroline Hamilton who is a rebellious young heiress and the men who flock around her.

Allan Kass shows our couple at a duel and it's interesting to see our heroine there since by tradition women weren't allowed at duels. I like the look that the hero gives her and his combatant looks fierce. It's a great scene and I hope you enjoy.

Helen Tucker: The Halverton Scandal

The Halverton Scandal was published by Fawcett in October 1980. Set during the reign of Queen Victoria, Faine Tillery is persuaded to pretend to be married to Norris Halverton in order to protect his inheritance from his own brother!

Allan Kass gives us a double dose of hero in this book cover! Two handsome twins and a heroine who is having problems making up her mind! The setting is colorful while the heroine's white gown seems a bit heavy and fussy next to the cool elegance of the gentlemen.

Mira Stables: High Garth

High Garth, by Mira Stables, was published by Fawcett in April 1980. Ann is the daughter of a gentleman who takes a position as housekeeper for a man in Yorkshire. He is a farmer and has a son, but Ann soon realizes that she belongs at High Garth.

Allan Kass portrays our couple at the top of a hill which overlooks a farm and pretty rolling country. The heroine is simply dressed in a periwinkle blue gown and her hair is flowing loose in the wind. The hero is casually dressed and we wonder if he's been herding the sheep in the background. It's an unusual and pretty picture.

Elizabeth Renier: The Moving Dream

The Moving Dream by Elizabeth Renier was published by Fawcett in 1977. Veronica Danby was a young widow and not looking to remarry until she met Adrian Fullerton, a childhood friend whose heart is heavy with the memory of a lost love.

Allan Kass gives us an action pose for this cover. We see the hero rescuing the heroine from an overturned carriage. He carries her from the accident and her hair and skirts give us the feel of motion and movement. Again Kass uses autumnal colors for the clothing and landscape.

Elizabeth Renier: Landscape of the Heart

Landscape of the Heart by Elizabeth Renier was published by Fawcett in 1978. Jennifer Haslam went home to Dartmoor after 2 years in London to find a lot of changes but the biggest being the new American who inherited and enclosed a lot of the moor land. How could she be attracted to someone who stood against everything she believed in? Renier wrote other books but has only one other illustrated by Kass.

Allan Kass illustrates our couple while out riding. Our heroine wears a simple, yet elegant green riding habit while our hero is autumnal in brown. I like her white blouse sleeves protruding from her habit's sleeves. They seem enchanted with each other and we hope for a happy ending.

Claire Rayner: Bedford Row

Switching gears, we come to Claire Rayner's Bedford Row. Published by Signet in August 1979, it is the story of Martha Lackland who left England for the Crimea and worked with the camp followers of the army and how she found love in that war torn land.

Allan Kass created a few Victorian covers and they are always a treat to view. I especially like this one because it is bright and cheery with our couple standing near a park. The heroine's ornate blue gown is edged with lace and tiers most becomingly. Her hair is swept close to her head and she carries a straw hat. The hero is plainly dressed in black but also elegant. It's almost as if he's telling her not to go away.

Frances Lynch: The Fine and Handsome Captain

The Fine and Handsome Captain by Frances Lynch was published by Fawcett in 1975 (though I believe that the paperback copy is closer to 1977/8). Hester Malpass was an orphan working at a railway restaurant. She meets a balloonist who knows about her past and soon she is on a quest to confront its secrets.

Allan Kass illustrates a very Victorian cover with our couple standing near a balloon launch. Our heroine is dressed in the latest fashion with her bustle gown and umbrella to guard against the sun's rays. It's as much fun looking at the detail of the other people on this cover. The colors seem muted and almost faded.

Veronica Heley: Kate

Kate, by Veronica Heley, is a Coventry Romance for Fawcett, numbered 185 and published in May 1982. This is the only book by Heley illustrated by Allan Kass, but I believe she wrote a few other regencies. This book is considered Victorian, which was the time frame after 1830.

Kate was in love with Max, who was engaged to Amy. Unfortunately for him, he is falsely accused and thrown into prison, so his fiancee marries another. Kate ends up helping him, but finds out that through all of this torment, he is still in love with Amy. We'll end here, but realize that the cover is probably the best part of this book!

Allan Kass creates a rare Victorian illustration for this cover with our couple standing in a room with an elegant fireplace! Our heroine's dress is emerald green, full and fancy. I like the headband of ribbons that match her gown and the lacy, frilly gloves. It's the gown of a young girl, but beautiful in its detail. The hero wears a suit similar to our modern tuxedo, where his cravet resembles a tie.

Mary Ann Gibbs: The Tulip Tree

The Tulip Tree by Mary Ann Gibbs was published in November 1979 for Fawcett's Coventry Romance line. This line carried mainly regencies, but also featured stories set in Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian times.

Allegra Lakesby has become a governess after her father loses their home at the home of Lord Fetherstone. He proposes, but she can't forget the handsome railway engineer she met on her way to Fetherstone.

Allan Kass shows our couple sitting on a bench in a park or garden of an estate. Our heroine is pretty in a pink Victorian gown with full sleeves and a big collar. She also carries a picture hat and wears fingerless gloves. She looks at our hero with a face full of love. He is handsome and well dressed. I like the statues in the background and believe that this cover would again have benefit from being larger. You can click to enlarge the photo.

Mary Ann Gibbs: The Glass Palace

The Glass Palace by Mary Ann Gibbs is the first of 4 books that Allan Kass illustrated for her. This is a Fawcett publication and was published in 1973 (though I think this is closer to 1976/7).

Tabitha Sackroyd, an adopted daughter, agrees to marry one man but falls in love with the village physician. However, the secret of her past will come to shadow her love.

Allan Kass illustrates our couple sitting in front of a mansion with a wrought iron fence. Our heroine wears a Victorian day dress, which is fuller and more covering than the Regency dresses of 30 years before. Our hero wears a green coat and has a cane resting against the bench. Note the detail on the iron fence!!

Mollie Chappell: The Loving Heart

The Loving Heart was published in 1977 by Fawcett and authored by Mollie Chappell. It is the only book I have of hers that Allan Kass illustrated. The story is set in Victorian times (1839-1901) and is about Martha, who falls in love with Robert, a young man from a wealthy family.

Allan Kass illustrates our couple outside a millinery shop. She is pretty in the full dress and frills of the mid Victorian era while he is dressed formally in black with a top hat. Note the ornate hats in the window! Her hair is smooth and she wears a full bonnet with large bow, which was popular in this time period. Note the hero's waistcoat and glass. This is a departure from the regency clothing that Allan usually depicts. A pretty cover evoking a street in London!