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I've been reading Harlequin romances (in the UK known as Mills and Boon romances) since I was about 13. My mother used to borrow them from the library, and I would sneak a look, particularly dwelling on the "bedroom scenes"! (This was the 80's and sex had made it's way into the Mills and Boon novel).

What is the appeal of these books? Fantasy and escapism mainly. After you've dealt with fixing the plumbing because your husband is simply hopeless at dealing with anything practical, it's nice to relax for an hour reading about protective Alpha males who get suppliers to jump to attention with a curt phone call, solve all the heroine's problems, whisks her off to his mansion and buys her nice clothes on top of all that.

These books tap deep into women's fantasies. All the heroes are billionaires (millionaires simply don't cut it these days). They are all good-looking (no beer bellies allowed). Latin heroes feature frequently because the Mediterranean world is famous for it's strong family values, and again this taps into women's secret hopes and desires. How great it is when the Latin hero decides immediately to marry the heroine on discovering she is pregnant. Let his child struggle with a single parent? Unthinkable! Then there is the glamour factor. The action takes place on private Greek islands or yachts, or in penthouses in the best locations in town.

Then there is the "reforming the rake" fantasy, where a womanising man gives up his old ways and discovers marital bliss with a good woman, and the "taming the beast" fantasy, where the cold-hearted ruthless alpha male discovers he is capable of tender feelings where the heroine is concerned. Essentially in these books, the hero and heroine are "saving" each other - she is saving him from a cold emotionless existence and providing warmth and love, and he is saving her from the big bad world by providing protection and support.

Harlequin has branched out, so that they now have several sub-genres. The "Presents" genre has the powerful alpha male in glamourous settings, in "Intrigue", the worlds of romance and crime come together, so you get a thriller thrown in with your romance, and the heroines are usually feisty crime fighters themselves. "Medical Romance" has the usual love blossoming in a medical setting, Tender romance features couples in an equal setting with emphasis more on the emotional side of things than the bedroom side, and Historical romances speak for themselves.

Harlequin Mills and Boon now churn out 50 books a month, so there is something for all tastes. If you've never delved into the world of the Harlequin romance, have a look at this Harlequin Mills and Boon fan site, which features book reviews and free online reads.

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