Mills and Boon

mills and boon logo

The Grandmother of Category Romance

Mills & Boon is the big grandmama of category romance. Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon were the founders of the company. They originated in 1908 in the United Kingdom as a general publisher.

Fortuitously enough, the first book they released happened to be a romance, Sophie Cole’s Arrows from the Dark.

Arrows From the Dark

However, romance would not be the publishing house’s primary focus until the 1930s.

M & B sold their romances mainly to lending libraries. They produced brown, hardcover books which were instantly recognizable.

Mills & Boon

The M & B Romance

Mills & Boon’s romances were almost always told from a third-person perspective that focused on the heroine.

the hard man penny jordan

Usually, they left the hero’s thoughts unknown. Only through his words and deeds did the heroine, and thus the reader, know how he felt about her. The stoic, inscrutable hero would be a staple of the genre for decades.

the-art-of-mills-and-boon

Mills & Boon and Harlequin Ltd

A UK-based company, M & B, never directly released their books in North America. They distributed their books through Harlequin. In 1971 Harlequin Ltd bought out M & B.

Like Harlequin, they currently publish several lines.

LINE  
Mills & Boon Blaze (Australia)
Mills & Boon Cherish (Australia)
Mills & Boon Desire (Australia)
Mills & Boon Essence (Australia)
Mills & Boon Forever (Australia)
Mills & Boon Heart (Australia)
Mills & Boon Heartwarming (Australia)
Mills & Boon Historical (Australia)
Mills & Boon Intrigue (Australia)
Mills & Boon Medical (Australia)
Mills & Boon Modern (Australia)
Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense (Australia)
Mills & Boon Sexy (Australia)
Mills & Boon Western (Australia)
Mills & Boon Best Seller (reissues)
Mills & Boon Blaze
Mills & Boon Blaze 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Cherish
Mills & Boon Cherish 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Desire
Mills & Boon Desire 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Enchanted
Mills & Boon Heartwarming
Mills & Boon Heroes
Mills & Boon Heroes 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Historical
Mills & Boon Intimate (Australia)
Mills & Boon Intrigue
Mills & Boon Intrigue 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Medical
Mills & Boon Medical 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Modern Romance
Mills & Boon Modern Romance Extra
Mills & Boon Modern Romance Heat
Mills & Boon New Romance
Mills & Boon New Romance 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Nocturne
Mills & Boon Presents
Mills & Boon Riva
Mills & Boon Romance
Mills & Boon Romance (Australia)
Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense
Mills & Boon Sensual Romance
Mills & Boon Special Edition
Mills & Boon Special Moments
Mills & Boon Special Moments 2-in-1
Mills & Boon Super Historical
Mills & Boon Super Romance
Mills & Boon Supernatural
Mills & Boon Temptation
Mills & Boon Tempted
Mills & Boon Tender Romance
Mills & Boon True Love
Mills & Boon True Love 2-in-1

Covers