More cover angst

I still struggling with these book covers! It is common for any Regency romance book to feature an illustration of a woman or a couple. The woman is usually young and beautiful, and she wears a sweeping ballgown, and the man is usually a handsome duke.

Although my books occasionally have a scene in a ballroom (or at least an assembly room), that isn't really my vibe. My books are more about midlife middle-class characters. Ladies with a profession or an ambition, and gentlemen who work for their living.

Should I feature a leading character on my covers? Does it make it easier for readers to find book genres they like, or does it put people off if they can't relate to the character?

It is also a challenge to choose between conventional covers which attract the usual Regency romance audience, covers which appeal to a general romance audience, or covers targeted at a more mature audience.

Here are the two covers I am considering for The Little Regency Bookshop. Do you prefer the one featuring my heroine Marina, or the one without? Let me know!