Val Derbyshire, School of English. Harlequin Mills & Boon Romances have long been the black sheep of the literary world. And yet, from a commercial point of view, Mills & Boon romances remain more popular than ever. Why, with 3.2 million devoted readers in the UK and 50 million worldwide, has such snobbery persisted? Could it be the case that it would be impossible for the imprint to remain so commercially successful if they were not giving their women readers precisely what they want? Could it be that these romances are not as empty- headed as literary critics would have us believe?