Temptation What can’t you resist?

Every year, to celebrate Valentine's Day, the world's biggest publisher of romantic fiction asks readers to reveal their secrets...

The 2010 Harlequin Romance Report reveals the greatest temptations facing modern women... and they're not what you might expect. This comprehensive study, conducted online and encompassing confessions from around the world reveals what we're willing to forgo to indulge ourselves and what we just can't resist.

A strong theme of action and consequence runs through this year's Report, giving a balanced view of our worst vices and their virtuous counterparts. Although the vast majority of Australian men (91%) believe in perfect love, while their female counterparts (55%) are more sceptical, 100% of men revealed they were tempted by a steamy one night stand, compared to 54% of women, and regardless of their beliefs, 27% of men wouldn't mind a sneaky hook-up with their best mate's significant other. Succumbing to temptation is a lot less appealing when you consider the outcome - but would that stop you pursuing the bad boy, even knowing the heartbreak that will follow the excitement?

Michelle Laforest, Managing Director - Asia Pacific said, "As publishers of the world's bestselling romance books, we ask our readers each year to answer a comprehensive survey to compile our Report. The results gathered measure the world's romantic pulse by staying in touch with the hottest romantic trends".

Sex, food, money, thrills and power are all massive temptations, especially in the wake of the global financial crisis. Australian men and women showed stark differences in what they would sacrifice, with 32% of women and 18% of men saying they would not sacrifice buying books, while 27% of men but only 8% of women would not sacrifice the lazy pleasure of heading to the movies. Not surprisingly, 63% of men are tempted by sex, and 52% of women are tempted by food.

The allure of distant, exotic places is an inspiration to escape. The top hot spots to get to this year include the ultimate City Of Sin, Las Vegas. With 46% of Australian men wanting to have sex on a sandy beach, and 20% of women refusing to forgo the luxury of holidays during tight economic times, why not jet off to Ko Lanta, Thailand or Bora Bora, Polynesia?

In 2010, stick to what's hot, forgoing dinner-and-movie dates for adventurous bonding; dump boring gym routines for active team sports; stop denying pleasure and possibilities to explore temptations together. Discover just who our favourite TV characters are and why they're so irresistible, and how history is repeating in the celebs we're drooling over - would you consider Gerard Butler the modern day Narcissus?

The workplace has revealed itself as a hotbed of temptation, beyond the obvious lusting after the hot photocopy boy. Do you recognise the traits of a Snake in a Suit in your colleagues? Do you spend your day like 20% of Australian women, fantasising about men in suits? Or are you too busy sneaking a look at your colleague's payslip (51%) or revealing your boss' mistakes to their superior to make yourself look good (24%)? Men are happily off misusing the corporate credit card (40%) or sabotaging a co-worker (10%), though neither gender would consider sleeping with their boss to get ahead.