Mills and Boon – a Century of Romance
Popularity of Modern Romantic Fiction
It is a whole century since Mills and Boon began publishing books. To be in the enviable position of publishing five hundred titles a month in twenty-five various languages, it has to have a vast readership. Indeed, Francesca Segal of the Observer reported that Mills and Boon books in UK bookshops sell at the rate of roughly one every 6.6 seconds. So, what has made these books in the romance genre so incredibly popular, not just in the UK, but worldwide?
Trends for the Romantic Fiction Series
From its very beginnings, Mills and Boon has been exceptional at spotting just what readers want. During World War I, women began to retreat from the atrocities of war into optimistic romance fiction – a trend which Mills and Boon was quick to spot and for which it is now noted. The company has continued keeping a close eye on its audience, accepting feedback and reacting to the changing tastes of the readers.
This last factor goes a long way to explaining why there are now twelve very distinctive series in the Mills and Boon range of category romances for very different readers. Each sports its own individual cover colour and are as distinct from one another on the inside, too, from the whimsical historical tales, through the specific doctor-nurse medical romances, to more modern representations of, among others, divorced women and single parent families.
Features of the Category Romance Which Appeal to Readers
The books are relatively short, often around fifty thousand words and the plots are formulaic within each series and every series ends in the same fashion. Regardless of the characters’ situations throughout the story, the final denouement will always produce a satisfying conclusion. They are also often bought on a subscription basis in a similar way to magazines and, consequently, tend to be regarded rather unjustly as disposable and inferior fiction.
However, if someone is reading romantic literature, are they really looking for a story ladled with reality, pain and misery? No, of course not. And this insight into what makes a good, readable romance is just what has made Mills and Boon so very popular.
Stemming the Romance Genre Critics
There are, unfortunately, other factors about the Mills and Boon series which have set the critics in motion. Feminist critics have condemned them as male dominated, failing the cause for the emancipated woman. However, although male characters continue to have a strong presence (after all, what is the point of a weak lead male character?), the modern females in current stories, such as, for example, Indulge Me by Joanne Rock, are independent thinkers and doers, having their own erotic whims and wishes fulfilled by male protagonists..
These category romance novels have always been written by women for women. This seems to be, somewhat illogically, the argument behind the critics’ regard for the Mills and Boon stories as poor quality, irrelevant fiction. But just who is meant to understand the workings of the female mind or the insecurities and desires of a woman better than another woman?
New writers for all the various series have always been actively encouraged and lengthy submission guidelines are found easily on the Mills and Boon website. This ensures the books have writers who understand the intricacies of modern life while continuing to fulfil readers’ dreams of romantic fulfilment. It is why over three million UK readers and fifty million readers worldwide will continue to buy the Harlequin/Mills and Boon series. They are stories after all. Why not escape into one?
The beauty of romantic fiction - a happy ending
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Reading & Literature
Latest Articles