blue_lotus13 | Harlequin romance

I'll confess, I like to look at Harlequins when I'm in a bookstore. I've only read one, and the writing was of such poor quality that I've never read another. However, it's the themes in Harlequins that interest me. I first developed this interest when I worked in a bookstore and began to notice the covers of the Harlequins.

There were several themes that cropped up frequently:

1. Romance with a cowboy or Texan, or on a ranch
2. Romance with a sheik
3. Romance with a bad boy
4. Woman gets pregnant by one man, then falls in love/ marries another (This series was known by some title such as "Little surprise" or "little miracle" etc.)
5. Single mom falls in love with man (who of course adores her child)

I have to ask myself why these themes are popular. Do a lot of women fantasize about sheiks or cowboys? (I certainly don't) Do women, especially "fallen women with children" want to be rescued by a white knight with a hefty chequing account?

*It should also be noted that university educated women read the most Harlequins.