By Les Phipps – Business Development Manager

As we near the end of January, those of us with love in our hearts turn our thoughts to Valentine’s Day. Although it is now a highly commercial animal, with retailers exhorting us to part with our money for anything that can be remotely connected to love, it is still a great way to express your feelings for your partner or to maybe strike up a new romance.

Valentine’s Day first became associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards known as “valentines” which is where we arrived at today with Valentine’s Cards.

There was a much more interesting element with cards which seems to have faded these days, when it was tradition to send cards anonymously, which could lead to some awkward situations of mistaken identity and in some cases, mischievousness when one partner in a relationship would receive an anonymous card!

One of the great gifts for Valentine’s Day which had its roots in cards is the romantic novel, though the trouble with trying to define a romantic novel is that there are so many sub-genres.

The words romantic novel cover an amazing variety, from classics such as Pride & Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights to more recent classic novels which tug at the heartstrings but are beautifully written such as Atonement and The English Patient.

Then there is the more populist range such as Mills and Boon which is still going strong today and may not attract critical acclaim but has its audience and provides entertainment for many a reader.

What could be more romantic than a bunch of roses and a vintage edition of a classic love story on this special day.

What is your favourite romance novel? Tell us in the comments below.