“A penny for your thoughts”
“The blood rushed to her face, and heart stopped for a second before doubling the beat,Can he hear it too?”
“I have never met a more arrogant man than you earlier,And I have never met a more irritating woman than you”
“As soon as they touched electricity passed through them”
“You fool, I always loved you but I was scared of my feelings , was angry with myself rather than you”
Ahaa the same old lines which I have read and reread again and again and yet never lose their magic.
My first brush with the Mills & Boon was in Class 9th with a typical Medical Romance and it has kept me hooked since then.
I still carry the same passion for the collection despite many telling me “Grow up Swati!”; Just a query crosses my mind how do they know what charm it holds, either they just don’t want to admit the addiction or plain cowardice. But am sure everybody has been touched by the romances churned by these series sometime or the other in their life.
Characters
The Hero :Obviously holds the maximum charm for me.The usual is the Tall, Dark & Handsome.He would always enter as a very arrogant I don’t care attitude.He coolly assesses the heroine.Slowly he turns out to be a perfect gentleman utterly charming and the savior always on call.He would possess a tough exterior but all soft and gooey inside.He always makes the heroine lose her bearings by just a look!!Ohh so dreamy.
The Heroine:Is usually a simple yet beautiful lady. She always will possess an utter feminine charm yet a mind of her own.She impresses the hero right from the start and never gets undermined by his arrogance. Though she always has a thing for the hero but is always scared to admit to him.She is vulnerable yet really tough .
The Wannabe:This one is always present as an ex of the hero.She probably possesses the drop dead looks and is equally aspirant.She’s venomous to the core and would leave no occasion to undermine the heroine.She acts as the vamp and uses all occasions to create a misunderstanding between the two lovers.
The Dependable:The Mr. ever dependable is the best friend of the heroine.He silently nurses a love for her but she never takes him anything more than that.He always act as a crying shoulder for her which is always mistaken by the hero wrongfully.He suspects her to have an affair with him.
The Housekeeper:An ever bustling cheerful lady who acts as the house keeper of the hero.She is the mother figure who holds an opinion in trifle matters.She will always be the maternal figure for the hero.Though she would always side the heroine and supports her.
This is the usual framework and characters of the novels.
The Series’
Medical Romances:The most famous ones being among all the series.They usually lay down the romance between the Doctor-Nurse romance.Personally my favorite.
Modern Romances:In which its usually about a billionaire and exotic locales
Intrigue:Besides holding the romantic rendezvous it also has a thrill and suspense in sidelines.It is my second favorite.
Desire: Needless to say what it holds!! They are the boldest and most sensuous of the series.
Historical:Mostly talking about the romances set in the era of Lords,Ladies,Knights and Kings.They hold a charm of their own.
They are others series too but I have limited myself to these series only.
The Publishers
Mills & Boon known for the two men who started them :Gerald Mills and Charles Boon has been churning out romances for 100 years.
The company is now a subsidiary of Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.,and known as Harlequin Mills & Boon.
For further details : www.millsandboon.co.uk
In the End
Mills & Boon has always been the symbol of romance since ages. No mention of romantic books go without the mention of Mills & Boon.
Last I heard they were thinking of launching Indian series, which I just hope they do not.For loyalists like me am not sure how will I digest this..My very set mind cannot accept such changes in my favorites.Anyways still inquisitive what it would be like..
Love it or hate it but you just can’t ignore it ;such is a magic of M&Bs.