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.
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.
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
Taking Him for a Ride
Driving Passion
Oh, and b/c I’m total dork for puns…
Park and Ride?
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”
Caught Red-handed
Time’s Torrid Taxi
Thumbbody Loves Me
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?)
Oh! Oh! I know!
“Get In My Cab (And By That I Mean ‘Screw Me Silly, Mr Park Ranger!)”
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.
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!
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….)
Song-inspired ones:
Love Cab for Cutie
Baby, You Can Drive My Car (beep beep, beep beep, yeah!)
Sit And Spin
Smell My Finger
Manicure My Love
Pigeons for Ferrets
The Cabbie’s Park Ranger
The Cabbie, her Park Ranger and his Rescued Pigeon
Bronx Cheer
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.
Taking Him for A Test Drive Down the Highway of Love.
Sorry couldn’t resist
Ours for the Snarking?
Sorry. Too early in the morning. I got nothin’ yet.
Her Maine Event
A Fare to Remember
She Wore a Yellow Cab (the image is kind of upsetting)
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’
Aimee’s “A Fare to Remember” gets my vote! LOL
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!!
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!
oh, my bad! w/d The Ride of His Life!
ha! Easy67…why not hard69??
All’s Fare in Love and War
My Fare Cabby
Away in a Ranger
The Maine Event
north12
All’s Fare In Love and War
That’s all I got.
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)
I’m rooting for Kristen’s (post 06:50 AM) “Thumbin’ A Ride”
Has it all, that title does ;>
The Meter’s Running
Lizzy’s contribution – “The cab driving aerobic instructor’s random and irresistible pigeon-rescuing houseguest†– makes me want to read this book RIGHT NOW.
“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!”
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!)
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
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)
“A Fare to Remember” has my vote.
Thumbday We’ll Be Together
Baby, You Can Ride My Thumb
Pigeon Ho’
(I ain’t finished ‘til somebody slaps me!)
Cabbie vs. Ranger: LoveMatch
Driving Stick 🙂
Hers for the Fucking.
(There. Turning the tables on the US publishers’ idea.)
Crouching Pigeon, Hidden Lobster?
(Hey, it’s better than Crouching Cabbie, Hidden Salami, which is what first came to mind!)
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!