Harlequin Romance Report 2009

Through its annual global online survey this year, Harlequin conducted a study in which people revealed how their perceptions have changed regarding what is sexy, what they've secretly been fantasizing about, and how far they are willing to go for love in this new era. The results are summarized in their 2009 Romance Report: Perfect Love? Fantasy Meets Reality.

Perfect Love

North Americans...
Thirty-nine percent of North American men believe perfect love is best represented through television shows and movies, but 36% of women fi nd their perfect love aspirations within the pages of romance novels. Our survey also reveals examples of perfect love in our everyday lives. Twenty-seven percent of men find it in their
friends’ relationships and 21% of women see their parents as the best representation of perfect love.

International...
We want to believe in the possibility of finding our one true love, but is this a fantastical notion? We are torn. Only half of women (51%) and men (52%) surveyed believe in the concept of perfect love. The vast majority of Australian men (91%) believe in perfect love, while their female counterparts (55%) are more sceptical. In India, both men and women strongly believe in the concept, while women in Hong Kong and Ireland are more jaded, with more than 80% admitting they are non-believers.

Fantasy Better Than Reality

North Americans....
What happens if one of your fantasies becomes a reality? Is it as magical as you imagined, or are you left feeling defl ated and wanting? Just over a third of North Americans who had the opportunity to meet their celebrity love interests were disappointed—39% of men and 34% of women—while one in three men and one in four women did not feel the expected spark after having sex with a stranger.

International...
There must be something sexy about a man in a well-tailored suit. Half of the women in Belgium and one in three women in the UK fantasize most about businessmen. Thanks to the stars of Mad Men, the skinny tie has never looked so good. A quarter of Australian women revealed their desire for a man in uniform (firefighters/policemen), French women (71%) lust after doctors, German women (67%) crave athletes, and Italian women have many objects of affection including all of the above. Our survey revealed that Australian men (46%), Canadian men (32%), and Dutch men (29%) lust after the sweet-tempered, wholesome girl next door. Models and actresses are still a treasured male fantasy for half the men in France and the UK.