I have been thinking about this and It is a strange Phenomenon. my take on this is that they the women do get a feeling of security from this. Woman tend to respond to the written word more then men. men tend to be more visual. The women get to have a relationship without all the bother of having to deal with everyday issues having a life with a mate there all the time. Long romantic and erotic letters may give them some satisfaction. I think it is more about the fantasy then the reality of the situation. Most of these woman could find a man on the outside. A good stable solid guy. There are plenty of us out here looking. I'm not after a barbie doll or a 26 year old trophy wife.
there is another form of relationship that kind of goes along this same line and that is on line relationships. They are also based on Fantasy and escape.