My brother recently informed me of a study that seemed to explain something I’d wondered about.

But first, let me tell you my husband’s reaction when I first showed him the cover for Saving Lord Verwood, and commented on the fact that the gentleman on the cover actually looked a lot like I’d described him. And my husband’s reaction was something like, “Wha, there’s a man on the cover?” His next, more coherent observation was “Nice cleavage.” Then I realized that Verwood wasn’t looking at the ducks.

And I have doubts that the hero of Rules of Love (below) is actually reading the book the heroine is showing him. From the heroine’s amused expression, she’s got his number, too.

So what’s up with these handsome ne’er-do-wells ogling their heroines’ “necks” (the discreet term used during the Regency to describe everything above the décolletage)?

According to the article my brother showed me, the art departments aren’t just trying to portray gentlemen smitten with their ladies’ “charms”. They are showing that these heroes are health-conscious, well ahead of their time.

To quote:

“A new German study of 200 men over a five-year period revealed that staring at a woman’s bosom is good for a man’s health. Dr. Karen Weatherby, who carried out the study wrote in the Journal: “Just 10 minutes staring at the charms of a well endowed female each day is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobic workout. There is no question, gazing at a woman’s breasts makes men healthier! It cuts the risk of heart attack and by doing so the average man can live up to five years longer.”

Alas for modern would-be rakes, this has been outed at www.snopes.com. Sorry guys! We have your number.

Elena 🙂
www.elenagreene.com
LADY DEARING’S MASQUERADE, RT Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee