He's rich, powerful, noble, and very good looking. He is beloved by women around the world who continue to admire and ardently love him. He remains one of the most adored romantic heroes ever--not bad for a bloke who is over 200 years old.

Right now, we're in a Jane Austen golden age - a brief window of history in which we have the time and resources to form good marriages (or marriage-like arrangements) and before the science fiction future makes relationships fantastically baroque.

The romance industry is big -- it's the second largest category of fiction, outselling science fiction, fantasy and the classics -- which means there are a lot of readers, who may or may not fit the stereotype. It means that you or someone you know might be reading romances.

We examine one of the most timeless (and studly) of literary heartthrobs: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. 200 years and 20 million books sold later, we have quantified the swoon.