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His lips descend, firm and demanding. You sway towards him bonelessly, feeling the heat course through your body. He lifts his head a fraction to whisper, his voice roughened with passion, "Pay up." Harlequin's patenting the kiss. Literally. More »
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Harlequin has introduced its newest line: Harlequin Teen. More »
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One market that's not suffering: escapism. While other publishers founder, Harlequin is way up, taking full advantage of ebooks and internet advertising and launching a short erotic efiction line called Spice Briefs. [PW] More »
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A few years ago, I became fascinated by the Harlequin romances produced in the late 70s and early 80s. In what I can only assume was a backlash against the feminist movement and increasingly independent portrayals of women, these romances contained an appallingly misogynistic bent made even more disturbing when you think that they were written both for and by women. The plots feature doormat heroines and sadistic, domineering males who see through their feeble protests and know that 'no' means 'yes.' Sometimes a woman has a career (see: A Passionate Appeal, about warring lawyers) but the 'hero' always manages to break through this shell to the soft, feminine woman beneath. For reasons that have never been clear to me, there are a lot of fake engagements in these books, as well as pretend marriages (for legal purposes) and mock-up affairs (generally to arouse jealousy.) Invariably these deceptions turn out to be elaborate ruses perpetrated by the man to trick the woman into marrying him, since he's been in love with her all along, even though he seemed cynical and abusive. A lip-mashing kiss follows. More »
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Harlequin Mills & Boon, the publishing company known for its romance novels, will be entering the market in India for the first time on February 4, reports the Times of London. Andrew Go, the head of the Indian operation says: "India is crazy about true romance. Look at the basic Bollywood plot: boy meets girl; conflict; happy ending." Romance novels have found their way into the country for decades, but now the titles will actually be printed in there and tailored for an Indian audience. First up? A tome called Virgin Slave, Barbarian King. Wait, what? [Times] More »
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