The history of Mills and Boon

For BBC News, Samanthi Dissanayake explores the 100-year history of romantic fiction publishers Mills and Boon.

Nowadays, Italians and Spaniards remain popular heroes and at least one sheikh romance a month is published. Even Russian oligarchs have made an appearance.

"As the world has become more globalised our settings have had to become more exotic, more luxurious and exciting. Where our heroes were once millionaires, now they have to be billionaires," says Clare Somerville, marketing director for Mills and Boon.

There's also a video guide to writing a Mills and Boon novel.