‘Happiness guaranteed’: Why love legend Mills & Boon is still going strong after 50 years
Romance snobs might scoff, but a Mills & Boon title is sold every eight seconds. Few know the phenomenon better than Clare Connelly, who reveals why it is still massive after 50 years.
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When you think of publishing powerhouse Mills & Boon, you undoubtedly think of romance novels. In fact, in 2024 this household name is celebrating fifty years of publishing happily-ever-afters in Australia – what a milestone!
But did you know that Mills & Boon started off as a general publisher and moved exclusively to romance after the Second World War, when paper costs went through the roof and they needed to ensure they had an inventory of books that would sell? And sell they did – and do – with a Mills & Boon novel being purchased somewhere around the world every eight seconds. That’s not including all the borrowed-from-a-friend copies and second-hand titles that flourish in op shops and at garage sales.
These books are enduringly popular, and as someone who’s loved reading them since I was twelve years old – and now gets to write them for a living – I have a fair idea why readers keep coming back to these delightful stories.
Happiness. Guaranteed.
These are not the books to read if you like tragic endings. The promise of these stories, no matter which imprint you read, no matter what your characters go through for most of the pages (and sometimes that’s a whole lot of angst, like with poor Mia and Luca in my latest book!), is that you will enjoy a sigh-worthy happy ending over and over again.
Growing up in a small country town had a lot of advantages, though I probably didn’t perceive them as such at the time. As a pre-teen, I was often bored and thus forced to find ways to entertain myself. So began a weekly pilgrimage to the local op shop where, in a shelf out the back, stacked all higgledy-piggledy with no attempt to order titles by imprint or author name, I could find the stomach-swooping Mills & Boon novels I’d fallen in love with.
I chose my selection by trope – and still do. Though I was feeling my way as a romance reader, I knew I gravitated to a certain kind of story, regardless of line. I read offerings from the Medical, Historical and Sweet series, though over time, my tastes began to settle on books in what was then the Sexy imprint (now Modern).
Fast-forward to 2024 and I’ve written more than forty Mills & Boon novels, which are available in many countries and languages around the world. I have titles that have been turned into Manga novels, which is one of the coolest things ever! And now, this Valentine’s Day, I’m getting ready to celebrate the release of The Sicilian’s Deal For ‘I Do’, which captures everything I have always loved about these amazing, escapist pockets of delight.
These books represent such a fantasy – that of losing yourself to a world that is as utterly removed from your own as possible. In the pages of these books, you can fly on private jets, enjoy stunning island getaways, shop up a storm, travel anywhere at the drop of a hat and fall in love while you’re doing it. You’ll find my books whisk you away to places such as the Italian Alps, glitzy Manhattan, stunning Spain, the heart of France’s wine regions and now the bustling, beautiful and romantic streets of Sicily.
I’m a big believer that romance and love should be celebrated all year round, but it’s still nice to have a single day of the year where the whole world goes a bit gaga for love. As someone for whom food is a love language, my husband and I always make a point of celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special dinner, usually a meal that I’ve cooked (I love cooking too, especially for my favourite people!). It’s no surprise that food is a part of every book I write, with my characters enjoying delicious meals in fancy restaurants or intimate home-cooked feasts. Mia has a soft spot for gelato – and the south of Italy has to be one of the best places for the fresh, creamy dessert.
Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, I hope you find your way to a Mills & Boon. I would have said I’d be losing myself in the latest selection of Moderns, but at my editor’s urging, and just for fun, I took part in the Mills & Boon quiz and have discovered I have a penchant for the new Afterglow series. Make sure you do the quiz to discover which Mills & Boon series is right for you: www.millsandboon.com.au/pages/quiz
Claire Connelly’s latest novel The Sicilian’s Deal For ‘I Do’ is out, appropriately enough, on Valentine’s Day, Feb 14, published by Mills & Boon.
Less romantic, but just as gripping, our new Book Of The Month is Anna O by Matthew Blake. Get 30% off the RRP at Booktopia with the code ANNAO. Only on ISBN 9780008607807. Not with any other offer.
And tell us which books make your pulse quicken – and which you don’t – at The Sunday Book Club group on Facebook.
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