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Canada's Guiltiest Pleasures Revealed

Sleeping in and Skipping Work Trumps Sex in Harlequin Survey

(press release from HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED)

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TORONTO, Jan. 18 - For some it's sexy lingerie (4%), for others it's fantasizing about sex with someone who's off limits (13%), but for the majority of Canadians (29%), it's sleeping in and blowing off work that tops their list of secret guilty pleasures. As a new survey from Harlequin reveals, indulgent fantasies come in many forms and what some men and women crave is hardly what you might expect. More than 2,000 men and women across Canada and the U.S. participated in the survey as part of Harlequin's 2005 Romance Report, Guilty Pleasures: Whims, Desires and all Things Indulgent.(1) Respondents in 14 other countries were also polled on select questions.

According to the survey results, men are more likely to have guilty pleasures that revolve around sex. Twice as many Canadian men (17%) as women (9%) cite fantasizing about someone who is off limits as their secret guilty pleasure and 3% percent of men admitted that a sexy magazine is their treat of choice. In contrast, women consider eating junk food when no one is looking (12%), and watching reality TV and soap operas (24%) their guilty secrets.

"How we indulge ourselves reveals a lot about our personalities," said Katherine Orr, Vice President, Harlequin Enterprises Ltd, one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction. "If Canadians consider playing hooky from work their guiltiest pleasure, then we're working too hard. Rewarding ourselves every now and then is not only healthy, but absolutely necessary."

The top indulgent activities favoured by Canadians include: a romantic getaway with that special someone (25%), an extravagant vacation (22%), quitting your job (8%), unwinding with your favourite sports activity (8%) and spending a night of passion with your significant other (7%).

Other survey highlights include:

Desperate Housewives? - Men who want to sweep their girl off her feet this Valentine's Day might consider sweeping the floor first. One in five Canadian women (19%) said the number one thing their guy could do to indulge them is help with the household chores. However, if scrubbing the bathtub sounds too scary, just draw a bath. Twenty percent of Canadian women said they wished their men would pamper them more. And if all else fails at least remember to do something nice this Valentine's Day -- 30% of Canadian women want their guy to do something special on anniversaries, birthdays and, of course, Valentine's Day.

A Little Less Conversation - 24% of Canadian men have a simple request this Valentine's Day -- they want their partners to indulge them with more sex and a little more experimentation in the bedroom. But Canadian men are also crying out for a hug, or, in the very least, a birthday card -- 32% wish their women would be more affectionate and remember to do something special for their birthday, Valentine's Day or anniversary. Forget the hugs in Europe -- 40% of Italians and 30% of Britons would rather their partner indulge them by letting them watch more sports -- uninterrupted of course!

Cosmetic Surgery - The Ultimate Indulgence? - Attention Canadian women -- before you go under the knife you might be surprised to hear that Canadian men are saying no to plastic surgery. It seems that while men can appreciate Pamela Anderson's assets and a J-Lo derriere, plastic surgery for their special someone just isn't an option. More than 65% of Canadian men said they wouldn't change a thing about their significant other if given the option of cosmetic surgery. The most content men in the world are Swedish and German men -- 90% love their women just the way there are. Least content? Spanish and Mexican men, who at 50% and 40% respectively want their women to know that bigger is better when it comes to breasts. Proving that nothing says beautiful like a fabulous smile, 50% of Japanese men wish their women would get dental work. And it looks like Italian men are eating too much pasta -- 50% of Italian women think a little liposuction would do their hubby good.

Enviable Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - The 2005 Harlequin Romance Report also includes the highly anticipated ranking of celebrities with the most enviable lifestyles. With more money, power and influence than many small countries, Oprah Winfrey easily took home top honours as the female celebrity with the most enviable lifestyle. Reality TV darling Jessica Simpson, America's sweetheart Jennifer Aniston, superstar Beyoncé Knowles and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling rounded out the top five female spots. The personification of fabulous living, "The Donald" trumped royal heartthrob Prince William to take the title of male celebrity with the most enviable lifestyle. Uber-hottie Brad Pitt, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and filmmaking legend Steven Spielberg joined Trump as top picks. Other celebrities making this year's list include: Madonna, Kelly Ripa, Barbara Walters, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lindsay Lohan, Matt Damon, David Beckham, P. Diddy, Bono, and Jamie Foxx.

This is just a taste of the findings in the 2005 Romance Report. The full text of Guilty Pleasures: Whims, Desires and all Things Indulgent can be downloaded at www.press.eharlequin.com

HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED is one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction. Its books are published worldwide in 27 languages and sold in 94 international markets. Founded in Winnipeg in 1949 by Richard Bonnycastle, the company publishes 100 titles monthly and publishes more than 1,000 authors from around the world. Last year, Harlequin sold approximately five books every second. HARLEQUIN ENTERPRISES LIMITED is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation.

---------------------- (1) (*)This study is based on two simultaneous random telephone surveys conducted and supervised by Lieberman Research Worldwide: 1,015 interview in the United States and 1,000 in Canada conducted in July 2004 among a nationally representative sample of English speaking adults 18 years of age and older. The margin of error in total for each sample is +/- 3% and larger for demographic subgroups.

For further information: For a copy of the 2004 Romance Report or to arrange an interview with a Harlequin romance expert, please contact: Sarah Tuite, NATIONAL Public Relations, (416) 848-1703 or stuite@national.ca; Leanna McCarthy, NATIONAL Public Relations, (416) 848-1397 or lmccarthy@national.ca

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