Harlequin, the romance publisher, has joined forces with eReader to promote the company's eReader 1.2 eBook-reading software for the iPhone. The co-branding between the two companies started last week and is listed on the eReader site, which offers a free download of the app.

To promote the free software, the company is giving away a free eReader copy of The Tycoon's Very Personal Assistant. The free eBook becomes available once you have registered for the site. A company spokesperson said that there have been more than 12,000 downloads of the free books as of Monday.

Something that's always been puzzling to us is the fact that many cell phones can read eBooks, both free ones (such as those available in Project Gutenberg) and for-purchase ones such as those available on eReader.com, and yet consumer take-up of this feature is pretty low. Sure, cell phones aren't Amazon Kindle sized, but people are already carrying them, instead of having to spend an extra $300 or $400 to buy a separate eBook reader.