This past May Harlequin celebrated its 75th anniversary.
In May 1949 Harlequin published two books - The Manatee and Lost House. Over 40,000 titles and 6.7 billion copies later (see Harlequin press release), in May 2024, four Harlequin Romance titles were published. The Harlequin Romance series is the direct descendent of the earliest Harlequins. We know this because Harlequin has maintained the numbering for over 75 years, a record unmatched by any other publisher.
The first title published in May 2024 is Secretly Married to a Prince, number 4899 in the series. Next up, in June 2026, is #5000.
Harlequin 1 May 1949
Harlequin 2 May 1949
Harlequin Romance 4899 May 2024
