WASHINGTON - South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s e-mails to his Argentine mistress Maria have fascinated both hopeless romantics and serious politicos alike.

If reports are to be believed, the emails are colorful, descriptive, and unabashedly romantic, at times to the point of being schmaltzy and embarrassing.

“Do you really comprehend how beautiful your smile is? Have you been told lately how warm your eyes are and how they softly glow with the special nature of your soul?” the Politico quoted Sanford as having written.

In between the mushy parts, the two of them write about everyday events.

While Maria talks about taking a lazy day trip and reading an Alan Greenspan book, Sanford writes about meetings in New York, the National Governor’s Conference and an invitational with then-presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

According to reports, the letters give the impression that Sanford was a real romantic with a knack for writing.

“The most cherished gift a lover can give and receive is a love letter from the heart,” says romance coach Leslie Karsner, who sells prewritten love letters through a website called ‘Love Letters Now’.

“It’s very romantic, especially with forbidden love. If you take the politics out of it, it’s the story of a man whose heart was captured and he was willing to run the risk of being caught.

“He’s good at keeping her on the edge. He’s good at encouraging future discussions. He’s a busy governor, so the moments they have together are fleeting, and these letters become that much more valuable,” Karsner adds.

When asked what makes the letters so effective, psychologist and relationship coach Anne-Renee Test notes that Sanford and Shapur are about their emotions in the letters.

Test points out that Sanford even compares Shapur’s affections to the unconditional love he felt from his mother.

“They talk about the intensity of teenage love, which is extremely powerful, very real, and it can feel very intense like this. That’s the same intensity you read in these letters. They’re beautiful. I’m jealous,” says the expert.

Sex has been indirectly mentioned, but not detailed, in the letters.

Sanford writes: “The erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of night’s light - but hey, that would be going into the sexual details.”

Maria responds: “I never gave you sexual details but you don’t need to. . .close your eyes and just remember. I’ll do the same.”

The one aspect of their letters that may appear negative is that both the governor and his mistress acknowledge that they may never see one another again.

“Although I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to meet again, this has been the best [thing] that has happened to me in a long time,” she writes, noting later that the situation is likely “hopelessly impossible” and that the love letters may pose a danger to his career.

“I genuinely enjoyed our special friendship…but it was all safe. Where we are is not,” he wrote. (ANI)