Rename That Book: A Smart Bitch Contest

Back when I reviewed Julie Cohen’s His For the Taking, also known as Driving Him Wild if you’re in the UK, I mentioned how mildly disappointed I was with the decision to re-title the US issue. Except instead of “mildly disappointed” substitute, “Pissed off and dumbfounded to the degree that there’s a head-shaped dent in my desk.”

A headstrong, tomboy character who drives a freakin’ CAB from the BRONX for Chrissakes gets it on till the break of dawn with a hot Maine park ranger and the US title is… His for the Taking?!

And don’t even get me started on the cover art. Red hot man hands with extra bonus thumb the size of a Yugo? What the almighty crap?

Can you tell it pains me that this book might get skipped over by the average buyer looking for a good category romance because the watered down submissive vanilla flavoring that is the title and cover art have so little to do with the flavorful Mexican vanilla that is the actual book? I’m a little het up, is all I’m saying.

So! Spontaneous contest! I have here a copy of the UK issue of Cohen’s book, with the much hotter and more sexy and genuine cover art.

Ya wannit? Here’s what ya gotta do: come up with a better title than His for the Taking, and post it in the comments. I’m judging because, well, I’ve been crowned Empress for the Day. Feel free to try to sway my judgment by commenting on your favorite. I’m leaving this one open until Friday at 12 noon Eastern, so bring it on. You can use common Harlequin title hook words, or you can go buck wild and pay homage to that freakish red thumb on the US cover.

Comments are Closed

  1. darlynne says:

    Taxi to His Heart
    The Ride of His Life
    Fare to Love
    Take Me There

    Get Your Thumb Out of My Eye or I’ll Kick You to the Curb

    Sorry, book titles, not country western songs.

  2. Kristen says:

    Thumbs Up For Love
    I Break For Love
    Junk In The Trunk
    Under Her Thumb
    She Drives A Hard Bargain
    Driven To Distraction
    Thumbin’ A Ride
    One For The Road
    Park This

  3. snarkhunter says:

    Taking Him for a Ride
    Driving Passion

  4. snarkhunter says:

    Oh, and b/c I’m total dork for puns…

    Park and Ride?

  5. lizzy says:

    I read this book, and thought it was good fun. I’ll pass on the contest since I already own it, but I can’t resist submitting a title. Harlequin, obviously.

    “The cab driving aerobic instructor’s random and irresistible pigeon-rescuing houseguest”

  6. E.D'Trix says:

    Caught Red-handed

    Time’s Torrid Taxi

    Thumbbody Loves Me

  7. Eunice says:

    The Meter’s Running
    The Ranger’s Secret Cabbie
    A Sore Savage Thumb

    (Okay they’re bad, but for a free book it’s worth trying right?)

  8. Eeyore9990 says:

    Oh!  Oh!  I know!

    “Get In My Cab (And By That I Mean ‘Screw Me Silly, Mr Park Ranger!)”

  9. darlynne says:

    Hailing Love
    Bronx Cab Cheer
    Metered Man

    This is always so much fun and a slippery slope into title awfulness. Once started, it’s very difficult to stop.

  10. DianeH says:

    Law and Order Meets the Cabbie
    Love and the Single Cabbie
    City of Love (this one is so generic, it just might work!)
    * The Urban Jungle (This one might just have that “I’ve gotta get this through both Marketing and Legal” appeal.)
    The Heart of the Bronx

    Wooo-HOO!

  11. Castiron says:

    Her Wild Ride

    His for the Fare (Plus Tip)

    Enticed by the Ranger (Who’s Still Not King) [with apologies to Cassie Claire]

    Taken for a Ride

    Love in a Taxi

    (And now I’ve got “She Drives Me Crazy”, Kermit the Frog cover version, going through my head. Sigh.)

    (wanted17—yeah, 17 hot park rangers bearing massage oil could go over well right now….)

  12. Rachel says:

    Song-inspired ones:

    Love Cab for Cutie
    Baby, You Can Drive My Car (beep beep, beep beep, yeah!)

  13. rebyj says:

    Sit And Spin

    Smell My Finger

    Manicure My Love

  14. Invisigoth says:

    Pigeons for Ferrets

    The Cabbie’s Park Ranger

    The Cabbie, her Park Ranger and his Rescued Pigeon

    Bronx Cheer

  15. Silver James says:

    Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Wild

    Taxicab Confessions

    And if I have to vote for someone else’s title, snarkhunter’s “Park and Ride” gets my vote. It made me snort coffee.

  16. Michelle says:

    Taking Him for A Test Drive Down the Highway of Love.

    Sorry couldn’t resist

  17. Freezair says:

    Ours for the Snarking?

    Sorry. Too early in the morning. I got nothin’ yet.

  18. Aimee says:

    Her Maine Event

    A Fare to Remember

    She Wore a Yellow Cab (the image is kind of upsetting)

  19. Elyssa says:

    A Tip for Love
    Revvin’ Him Up
    The Park Ranger’s Secret Lover
    Highway to Heaven
    Highway to Bliss
    Highway to Desire
    Red Means Stop, Green Means Oh Yes
    Breaking for Business
    Backseat Lovin’

  20. rebyj says:

    Aimee’s “A Fare to Remember” gets my vote! LOL

  21. RStewie says:

    Thanks for the Ride

    The Ride of His Life

    Taming the Bonx Cabbie

    Hot Cabbie Love

    Escapades of a Cabbie

    Under His Thumb

    pick me pick me!!

  22. Cat Marsters says:

    Ride Me, Ranger
    I’m Mainey, Ride Me

    (Okay, 10cc style pun there not working so well)

    Or, if we’re looking for Harlequin Tombola-style titles…I got nothin’.  No babies, mistresses, marriages, tycoons, millionaires…  Bedded By The Bronx Babe is the best I can do!

  23. RStewie says:

    oh, my bad!  w/d The Ride of His Life!

    ha! Easy67…why not hard69??

  24. Krystn says:

    All’s Fare in Love and War

    My Fare Cabby

    Away in a Ranger

    The Maine Event

    north12

  25. AnimeJune says:

    All’s Fare In Love and War

    That’s all I got.

  26. Her Maine Squeeze
    Her Maine Man
    Pink Cadillac (the mountain at Acadia Nat’l Park in Maine—-oh, nevermind)
    Uptown Girl, Downhome Boy
    Maniacs Do It Better
    The Long Ranger

    (and I live in Maine, which says it’s Vacationland on my car plates)

  27. Eirin says:

    I’m rooting for Kristen’s (post 06:50 AM) “Thumbin’ A Ride”

    Has it all, that title does ;>

  28. Marcia in OK says:

    The Meter’s Running

  29. Ziggy says:

    Lizzy’s contribution – “The cab driving aerobic instructor’s random and irresistible pigeon-rescuing houseguest” – makes me want to read this book RIGHT NOW.

  30. LadyRhian says:

    “Get Out of My Cab (Get into my Bed)”

    “Free Ride”

    “Sex Cab”

    “The Brooklynite Cabbie’s Hot Maine Ranger Lover”

    “Playing Fare”

    “Shocks and Ahhh!”

  31. Yvonne says:

    Hey Maggie, shouldn’t it be
    ‘Uptown Girl, Downeast Boy’

    and talking about Maine:
    ‘Bangor Boy’

    and Krystn, it should be
    ‘Away ON a Ranger’

    Heh, thats funny.

    I liked Rachel’s contribution:
    ‘Baby, You Can Drive My Car’ (beep beep, beep beep, yeah!)

  32. Wry Hag says:

    Front-Seatin’ It

    Ploot, Sweat and Smegma

    Is That My Thumb Up Your Ass?

    Pigeon Hole

    Ranger Randy’s Really Rambunctious Ride

    Anita Blake’s Day Job

    Rode Hard and Put Away Smelling Like Whore-Skirt Vinyl

  33. Heidi says:

    Shouldn’t it be

    Caught Red-thumbed?

    ED’Trix?

    How About

    He’s Got a Ticket to Ride?

    or has someone else already got that one? I can’t remember, brain freeze

    And why is there a pigeon mixed up in all of this? (am afraid to ask)

  34. Ahem says:

    “A Fare to Remember” has my vote.

  35. Wry Hag says:

    Thumbday We’ll Be Together

    Baby, You Can Ride My Thumb

    Pigeon Ho’

    (I ain’t finished ‘til somebody slaps me!)

  36. megalith says:

    Cabbie vs. Ranger: LoveMatch

  37. Andrea says:

    Driving Stick 🙂

  38. muguet says:

    Hers for the Fucking.

    (There.  Turning the tables on the US publishers’ idea.)

  39. megalith says:

    Crouching Pigeon, Hidden Lobster?

    (Hey, it’s better than Crouching Cabbie, Hidden Salami, which is what first came to mind!)

  40. Angelina says:

    How about

    Taxi Driver 2: This time the cabbie rides you

    Put it in my trunk… your luggage, dumbass!

    Let me rotate your tires oh cabbie of my dreams!

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