Object of Desire: Unabashedly sexy covers show off the male physique of Harlequin heroes and frequently portrayed the iconic American hero: the cowboy. The Hero’s Story: The Man of the Month miniseries for Harlequin Desire heralded a different type of love story written from the hero’s perspective. Tropical settings supplied sultry heat.Ī Woman of Her Own: Confident heroines took the forefront of many covers in the 1960s and 1970s with men seen in the background reflecting their roles as secondary characters.Ī Rising Passion: Scenes of passion began dominating Harlequin covers in the late 1970s and into the 1980s as heat levels intensified in romance novels. The Lure of the Exotic: Romance novels began taking readers to exotic locations where duty, romance and adventure collided, featuring independent heroines who lived daring and adventurous lives. Whisked Away: As jetliners made international travel an enticing possibility, covers showed fashionable women and dashing men in lavish destinations with European scenes and landmarks as backdrops. Risky Romance: Before making its name in romance, Harlequin printed a wide assortment of books, including crime stories and thrillers whose covers depicted risqué images women and men in high-stakes situations.Ī Prescription for Love: Nurse-and-doctor romances dominated in the 1950s and 1960s, depicting confident heroines in the forefront working alongside one of the period’s most desirable hero types, the doctor.
![rhythm heaven rhythm heaven](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51mdQnmwMDL.jpg)
1949įirst publication: Harlequin released The Manatee in 1949. Part of this material is based on or taken from an art exhibit titled “The Heart of a Woman: Harlequin Cover Art 1949-2009” that coincided with Harlequin’s 60 th anniversary, with permission from the curator Elizabeth Semmelhack.
#RHYTHM HEAVEN SERIES#
Series Romance through the Decades Harlequin is celebrating 70 years in publishing by looking back at its series romance cover art, from the vintage to the contemporary.