No, no - please tell me I didn’t! (But unfortunately I did)

I love reading and have done ever since my mum taught me to read before I started school. I love the escapism that books bring from the real world. Overall I tend to read chick lit where, unlike real life, there’s always a happy ending.

I do admit they do tend to follow the same path; woman meets man and either:

a) they get together, there’s a misunderstanding, they split up, but then it all gets sorted and they end up together;

b) the woman can’t stand the man, but then falls in love with him (go figure) and they end up together;

c) the woman and man are already married, there’s a misunderstanding blah blah blah (see point a)).

What I like though, is the fact that the women’s characters in them are funny, feisty, can stand on their own two feet and won’t put up with any shit.

Before parting with any money, I tend to read the first page of a book in the shop – if it draws me in, I’ll buy it. Last week saw me do just that.

I started my book, and although it wasn’t unreadable, I started thinking it was a bit twee for my liking. Having got about half way through it I stuck with it, but kept willing the woman in it to grow a pair.*

She didn’t.

I got to the end of the book and the inevitable happy ending, but was left somewhat disappointed by it. I then flipped the page to see if there were any recommendations for other books (to avoid) and was faced with this:

*blink* ??? *blink*

With a not inconsiderable sense of trepidation, I closed the cover, looked at the spine and to my horror saw this:





Aargh! Mills and feckin’ Boon!!

Gack.

No word of a lie, I actually flung the book across the room in disgust.

Mills and Boon.**

Pfft.

Shoot me.

Shoot me now.

*A metaphorical pair. If she'd actually grown a pair, it would have changed the whole nature of the book. Mills & Boon... with a twist. Heh.
**If you are a Mills & Boon reader and have taken offence at this post - tough.