Remember Harlequin Romance Novels? CW to Adapt 6 Books This Holiday Season
There was a time when nearly every grocery store checkout line had a spinning rack filled with Harlequin paperback romance novels, many of them featuring the hunky, long-haired Fabio. Though the company, which was dominant in the ’70s and ’80s, has had a quieter presence in recent years, this holiday season, Harlequin is coming back, with a series of original TV movies inspired by classic Harlequin stories. The CW network will debut six films throughout November and December 2025, including Montana Mavericks premiering on November 16, Second Guessing Fate on November 23, Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell on November 30, Paws in the City on December 6, Recipe for Romance on December 13 and Ordinary Girl in a Tiara closing out the season on December 20. It’s a full-circle moment for a company that has sold billions of books worldwide.
Need a refresher on the iconic company?
The history of Harlequin romance novels
Founded in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1949 by Richard H. G. Bonnycastle, Harlequin started as a small paperback publisher, printing cookbooks and westerns. But by the 1960s, it had found its true calling in romance. When the company acquired the British publisher Mills & Boon in 1971, it became an international powerhouse, translating its stories into dozens of languages and releasing hundreds of titles every year.
By the 1970s and ’80s, Harlequin was at its peak, churning out love stories by the thousands and becoming a cultural phenomenon in the process. The books were sold everywhere from pharmacies to airport kiosks, often arriving as part of a monthly series like Harlequin Presents or Harlequin Superromance. The covers became so iconic that they made models like Fabio famous.
Part of what made Harlequin special was its formula, one that readers never tired of. Each story followed a rhythm of attraction, conflict and the ultimate happy ending. Some critics called it predictable, but to millions of fans around the world, it was exactly what they needed. Harlequin novels became a reliable way for many to escape reality.
Though Harlequin is most associated with its ’70s and ’80s peak, it still continues to publish new novels every year today.
CW Harlequin films schedule
All times EST.
Sunday, November 16, 8pm: Montana Mavericks
Sunday, November 23, 8pm: Second Guessing Fate
Sunday, November 30, 8pm: Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell
Saturday, December 6, 8pm: Paws in the City
Saturday, December 13, 8pm: Recipe for Romance
Saturday, December 20, 8pm: Ordinary Girl in a Tiara
Remind 
February 2021
1990s Rom-Coms
Pop some popcorn and cozy up to feel-good movies and TV shows from a generation ago.
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