One tiny, pudgy little baby toe has more power than you can ever imagine – trust me! In a matter of seconds, all eloquence (and all pretence of sophistication) is lost and we are reduced to a cooing, gurgling form of communication far younger than our years. It’s a strange affliction that affects people around the world, but here in Romance HQ our department truly is baby crazy. 

Last Friday our latest Mills & Boon yummy mummy, Megan Haslam, visited the office with three-week-old baby Benjamin…the most adorable bundle of perfection. Our hearts melted, our arms ached from cuddles and, quite frankly, we were putty in Ben’s hands. He might have weighed little more than a bag of floor, but this pint-sized prince commanded the room in a manner that world leaders only dream of – and literally, with his eyes shut.

Whether it’s bump or baby, we’re absolutely fascinated by these tiny little humans…but also by what they represent. When it comes to capturing our hearts, forget jewellery or flowers – these are mere tokens of affection – a baby symbolises love in its purest, most precious form. Unconditional, unreserved, and unfaltering – whether it be a mother’s love for her child, a father’s for his baby, or the love between the parents themselves – nothing is more powerful. And, just like a really good pudding, most of us go back for more!

And it’s the same in our books, we just can’t get enough of these miracles of life and love. For just like in reality, these fictional baby bundles pack a powerful emotional punch, frequently acting as the ultimate turning point for both the hero and heroine. Perhaps it’s one night with consequences or a secret baby, adoption or IVF. A pregnancy or birth could mark the beginning of the story, the middle or the end…the possibilities are endless – but the baby is a total game-changer. Tugging on our heartstrings, any romance enters a new level of intensity when there is a third life at stake…and, as a result, it’s guaranteed to be a page-turner!

One thing’s for sure, these daddy-to-be heroes take our hearts as easily as taking candy from (you guessed it) a baby…

In The Best Man for the Job by Lucy King (Modern Tempted, June 2014) Celia Forrester knows that Marcus Black, her brother’s best friend, has always been off-limits. Especially after that night-that-nearly-happened! It may have been years ago, but Celia remembers it for all the worst reasons…and now Marcus is back in the picture as best man at her brother’s wedding…and he’s more gorgeous than ever! It’s all kinds of inappropriate, but giving in to temptation looks as if it’s the best way for Celia to get Marcus out of her system. But their one night comes with consequences – and this year it isn’t fifteen years before they have to face one another…it’s nine months! From that moment on, everything changes…and every choice matters so much more.

And in Nine Months to Change His Life by Marion Lennox (Romance, June 2014), another bundle of joy changes the hero and heroine’s lives forever when Ben Logan is shipwrecked on a deserted island with sparky nurse Mary. Trapped, and with only each other comfort, Ben and Mary give in to the inevitable! It was only supposed to be one night… but, back home safely, Ben finds Mary dominating his dreams. And when, three months later, Mary arrives at Ben’s New York office, she brings news that their one night has power to change their lives for ever…

Love at first sight is a powerful thing, but these tiny babies are ahead of the game, they stole our hearts nine months earlier!  

So tell us, have you had a little bundle of love arrive in your life recently…?

 

By The Mills & Boon team