Tuesday, December 22, 2009


Bundling Harlequin


Copyright Harlequin EnterprisesJessica of Racy Romance Reviews has a fabulously hilarious blog about how she feels gypped that Harlequin didn't offer her a personalized e-bundle of out-of-print titles like they offered to some bloggers (such as Dear Author and Super Wendy). Then she proceeded to show what her bundle would look like so that Harlequin might be, ahem, inspired.

In the same spirit, if I had the choice to design my own bundles, here're the titles I'd like to have...

Copyright Harlequin EnterprisesBetty Neels Bundle
Sister Peters in Amsterdam (1969)
Tabitha in Moonlight (1972)
Victory for Victoria (1972)
Roses for Christmas (1975)
The Edge of Winter (1976)
Philomena's Miracle (1978)

Ann Mather Bundle
Masquerade (1966)
Arrogance of Love (1968)
Master of Falcon's Head (1970)
Copyright Harlequin EnterprisesReluctant Governess (1971)
White Rose of Winter (1973)
Leopard in the Snow (1974)

1949 Bundle
The Manatee (Nancy Bruff)
Lost House (Frances Shelley Wees)
The Wicked Lady Skelton (Magdalen King Hall)
Flame Vine (Helen Topping Miller)
Blondes Don't Cry (Merlda Mace)
Close To My Heart (Margaret Nichols)

Do you have a favorite author whose fondly-remembered books you'd like to see repackaged just for you? If so, let's petition Harlequin Enterprises for special consideration.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is great Keira. I am printing it out to bring with me to the USB. They have so many older Harlequin's but I never know which ones to pick!

Anonymous said...

Anne Weale (The Lonely Shore)
Roumelia Lane (Terminus Tehran)
Juliet Shore (Attached to Dr. Marchmont; )
Mary Burchill (A Song Begins, Child of Music, Music of the Heart, Song Cycle, The Curtain Rises)
Eleanor Farnes (Sister of the Housemaster)
Margaret Rome (A Chance to Win)
Anne Hampson (Wings of Night)
Nerina Hilliard (Dark Star)
Lillian Peake (Gone Before Morning)

For more titles of OOP Harlequins/Mills & Boon, www.vintageromances.com has a good list.

But I have to add a caveat: While I remember loving these authors and I've saved these specific books through 7 moves, these books are 40 years old. That's old. (I'm old. *sigh*) In light of recent concerns in Romlandia about feminism, realistic depictions of sexuality, and the like, these books are dinosaurs. Read them with an open mind, otherwise they'll all be hitting the walls before too long.

Keira Soleore said...

Jessica, I'd love to run into a USB like yours if they still carry such ancient books.

Magdalen, thanks for the OOP title site. Janga on Twitter mentioned Romance Wiki.

I have some M&B's from the 60's that are now stored in ziplock bags--they're so fragile. I also have an ancient copy of Heyer's These Old Shades. Heyer is one author who never gets anachronistic for me.

Modern books of people in period dress are far more likely to be wallbangers for me than these "contemps" that reflect the tenor of society, culture, and romance novels of their times.