by Natalie Anderson, author of His Mistress by Arrangement
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Flowers… Chocolate… Dinner at your favourite restaurant… Something saucy to wear… A little note of love left for you to find after he’s already left for work… These are the traditional sorts of gestures of love that many of us, in the real world, might get to enjoy from the number one guy in our lives – occassionally 
But are these the symbols that we really want? (OK, we’re women, of course we want the chocolate!)Â If he could give you anything, what would you ask for? Would it be a ‘thing’ even? Or could it be something as simple as time and attention?
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Anyone can buy a box of chocolate but not everyone can buy kazillion carat diamond necklaces and bottles of Bollinger – in fact the only guys I know who can are the guys in my books! One of the wonderful things about writing romance with the Harlequin Presents sort of wealthy, full of action, heroes, is being able to meet those wishful fantasies… so it can be the flight to another city in the private jet, the couture dress to wear together with several thousand dollars worth of diamonds to add some extra sparkle to the evening… and of course, that evening is spent in his company – the most gorgeous hero you could imagine – and it is a very, very private affair!!! I love putting these kind of scenes into a story – for that sense of luxuriousness, the thrill, the sheer fantasy of it. Who wouldn’t want to be swept away like that?
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But then… did he choose the dress himself? Could he have gotten his PA to pick up the jewels?? Our hero’s wealth and status is assured – we know he can buy her anything. But is just ‘anything’ the answer? Of course not. And so for me, in writing the romance of these two wonderful people, it comes full circle – back to those smaller things, those incredibly thoughtful things – where he’s really put time and effort into what he could do or give her that she would truly love. Maybe he helps her to achieve something that she’s always dreamed of, but hasn’t managed to do until now… or maybe its something as little as finding the exactly the right flower to reflect exactly what he means…Â It comes back to the characters – to their deepening knowledge and understanding of each other.
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I love it most when the hero sees something and does something for her that maybe she hasn’t even realised she needed. It shows me how much he’s beginning to care. And perhaps for him, doing is easier than saying (actually, I think this is so true of many men!)
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In His Mistress By Arrangement, my June Presents, Emma and Jake communicate with those first two tried and true methods – flowers and chocolate. But they take both to new directions and imbue them with with subtle, even hidden, meanings. Ok yes, maybe he flies her somewhere special, admittedly not in his own jet – he’s a MH hero you understand – sure to be aware of his carbon footprint! But then, his final gift is tremendously personal and one that would be truly appreciated by her.
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Most often I like to go for the ‘have it all’ approach – after all, in romance we do want our heroine to ‘have it all’ – so yes, give me the big gestures AND the little – as personal as possible.
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So come on and tell me, if money, time and effort were no object, what would be the ultimate gesture of love that your fantasy hero would do for you?
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Find out the big and the little gestures that Jake offers in Mistress By Arrangement. It’s available now on eharlequin.com and will be on the shelves in the US in June.
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Meanwhile Rhys in Pleasured by the Secret Millionaire, goes for an altogether different approach. He’s on the UK M&B site now and will be on the shelves in the UK in June too!
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May your day be filled with flowers and chocolate!
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Well, I *definitely* don’t want the saucy underwear. That’s a present for themselves!
And, according to the magazine I read in the hairdresses around Christmas, they often buy a size too small. Now that would just be Depressing (the initial capital being deliberate there).
I think I’d like pretty much anything I don’t have to do the planning for. One seamless day where I haven’t expended a single brain cell on where to go, how to get there, what I need to take, how much is an appropriate tip, should I tip ….? You get the picture. I’d liked to be whisked away.
And if I don’t like where they whisk me I’d know they weren’t the right alpha billionaire for me and I’d pick up another. vbg
Hey Natasha – you’ve got me giggling over the too small saucy numbers…
but oh yes, a day to be whisked away and not have to *think* – other than pleasurable things… and someone else can be the one to have to remember everything! Yep, that would be wonderful…
- kinda sounds like a perfect holiday to me.
~Natalie
LOL- gotta agree on the underwear thing, Natasha! Definitely capital D Depressing.
You’ve got me thinking, Natalie. The whole “things” route is just too easy for a billionaire- and how could we know he didn’t just get his PA to choose what she thought would be a good gift. It really is the old “thought that counts”, and not in the sense it’s too often used- as an excuse for a bunch of limp flowers bought at the last minute on the service station forecourt! The biggest gift is that he takes time to think about what would have meaning for her, whether that’s planning one perfect day for her; choosing to send her sweet peas rather than roses because he remembered her saying how much she loved the scent; or tracking down a piece of vintage jewellery just right for her rather than having something flashy couriered around from Tiffany’s. (this heroine is starting to sound like an old-fashioned kind of girl- wonder who she is!). In one of the stories I’m working on at the moment the property developer hero buys the building the heroine lives and works in, planning to evict her and the other tenants. When he gives her the building, effectively giving up on a whole business plan that needed the building, that’s a gift with real meaning for her!
If I had my own personal fantasy billionaire he would present me with first class tickets to fly out to visit my family in Australia, and of course come too on the pretext of investigating business opportunities there (secretly, it’s because he can’t bear to be separated from me, but he can’t admit that to himself yet!)
I’ll have a look out for your books, Natalie!
I’m not a flowers or candy kind of girl…you gotta be original to win my heart! I like the presents that show thought, and too often flowers and chocolate (while wonderful!) are the default.
Grand fantasy gesture? A week on a private tropical island somewhere where people cater to my every whim…massage, food, ahh…
Hi Mulberry – yes, its the personal thing that makes all the difference to HER isn’t it? Not just the *things* – altho, things are very nice too – so long as they’re well thought through – and your story sounds fab!!! Giving up a lucrative deal for his woman – sounds like he has good priorities
And Kimberly – a week on a tropical island?! Oh yes – but they need to have erradicated every biting kind of bug there is – I seem to be the number one target for all sandflies, and mozzies – ugh!!! How to destroy the fantasy in a nanosecond…
Actually, my husband and I went to this tiny island in Fiji for our moneymoon – its was beautiful, we had our own little bure (house) on the beach etc BUT on the very first day my pale-skinned hubby got a massive sunburn stripe down one half of his body (despite the sunscreen and shade he was under) and I went for a swim and got attacked by sea lice – giving me a hugely itchy rash right across by chest… ah, it was so funny really. So we spent the rest of the time lying on the beds in the front part of the bure with the doors flung wide, me unable to wear a thing except a silk robe, lying back and reading PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves books together.
Funnily enough, for us, that was bliss.
~Natalie
lol – sorry, I meant Honeymoon not moneymoon – what a typo!!! *vbg*
Orange and yellow gerberas have seen me through births, deaths, sickness, and even my wedding. Even the sight of them at the florist can make me smile. The person who buys me these really knows what they’re doing… and saves a heap of money on more expensive flowers.
On a grander scale, I think space to do whatever it is you want to do is the ultimate gift. My dh has designed an eco friendly house for us to build. Granted I have to roll my sleeves up and actually build it with him, (yes literally), but eventually I’ll have the perfect writing room with the wonderful sound proofing qualities of strawbale walls.
Hi Nat,
Your heroes are gorgeous guys to die for, and who wouldn’t want to be romanced–hey, pleasured–with flowers, chocolates, diamonds, Chanel , islands and the whole thing!
But nah. Don’t want my guy to choose my undies for me. Keep him out of the lingerie shop.
I recently heard of a man who gave his wife a week-long beauty retreat at an exclusive and very expensive spa. Fabulous and indulgent, but what was he trying to say?
When it comes to the crunch, just give me a man who’ll cook dinner. That’s what I call a hero. And if he bites the bullet and agrees to read my stories then he’s ahead!
I received the absolute perfect gift from my husband today (for me, and many of us on this list.)
I had an unexpected day off work due to a power outage. The kids were in school and the husband was at home–but I barely knew it. I wrote all day, with only two interruptions. “Lunch is ready” and “Cookies are ready.”
That’s true love.
d
Ahh. Lucky Dani. That’s what I call a hero.
My love and I wrote long letters for months before our relationship started, and still now, I get a rush when I find an envelope in the letterbox with his scrawl on front!
I think, in a world where money can’t be trusted to distinguish one man above another, it’s the little, personal things that count. He cooks dinner, never complains about doing his fair share of the cleaning, and certainly has never ascribed me to the duties of a ‘woman’. That pure respect is what makes me feel special everyday to have his heart
But, of course, M&B heroes make me swoon with their money and power, because we always know they have so much more to offer under the surface! It’s the wonderful thing about such romance novels: they’re able to be trusted to include all wonders of a man, not just the wealth.
And everyone here also sounds so very lucky to have their men! Dani – what kind of cookies were they? That’s so special!
Emerald – your house plans sound amazing!!! What a talented dh you have – and yes, gerberas are wonderful aren’t they? Such lovely bright colour – you can’t help but smile… and your own writing room sounds fabulous!
Actually space is kinda the gift you had today too huh Dani? The time and space to be able to get on with pursuing your passion (writing) and then the guy in the background supporting you with the essentials – food! How can resist a man you makes you cookies??!!!
I reckon there’s a common theme with our wishes – time and space to do our thing (be it the creative thing, or maybe just to relax)and then to have someone caring for us (and so often its the stomach that craves the caring right?!). Like dinner Anna!!
Madeline – I love that line about you still getting a rush when you see his scrawl… I might just have to use that sometime!! (Its like when your heart goes crazy when his number flashes up on your phone – only pen on paper is that one step more intimate and touching don’t you think?). And yes, respect – for you we are, what we do, being felt valued – all greater than anything money can buy…
… altho again, if he wants to buy me something fabulous – he can just go right ahead!!!! A nil-maintenance home with a housekeeper and gardener would be great for starters!!!
~Natalie
Hi Natalie and others,
Although not strictly M&B, the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen is that sequence in the film Goodfellas – where the guy takes his girlfriend to a restaurant and everyone is rushing around after them. Second to that is the scene in The Railway Children when it’s Bobbi’s birthday (and also Christmas!) and all her family and friends give her little presents and keep sakes – that one gets me every time! So I think somewhere between the two, where you think the ordinary is going to happen, but then the magic comes and the romance follows!
Lauren x
Hi Lauren – “where you think the ordinary is going to happen, but then the magic comes” – oooh yes please!!! And that lovely feeling when you realise the effort someone has gone to – just for *you*
