%$&*! I've had it!

Someone needs to explain to me why romance novels (particularly Harlequin published ones) must have such slap-you-in-the-face-with-with-a- frozen-halibut for titles. Seriously, The Roman's Virgin Mistress (!)... I wonder what that must be about.

And that was the best of the worst. I've seen titles like The CEO's Sexy Secretary and Kept by a Spanish Billionaire. If they're going to give the plot away, they might as well just start calling books The Doctor's Infatuation for the Virgin Nurse, Plus an Abandoned Secret Baby, Leads to a Kidnapping Plot, Use of the Word "Mine" to Often, and, Ultimately, Wraps up Far too Quickly to be Anywhere Near Satisfying or Well Written. Buy now for $5.99!

Ugh.

It's stupid titles like these that help give romance novels their horrendous reputation. I'd rather see a book with an overused word (like Endless or Breathtaking) as a title than this drivel. Throw in the mantitty festooned cover-art and you have to wonder what the marketing department is snorting.

I don't need the publishers to demean my intelligence. Do they honestly think that I will buy their book because it does or does not tell me exactly what the plot is about? How condescending can you be? I know that titles and covers sell books. I have been swayed by the shiny ones more times than I can count. People, I am not looking for the "The Greatest Title Known to Man" to rear it's head. I just want something that does not say "Here is the Plot Because We Don't Trust You to Get It Otherwise" on the cover.

The worst thing is, I like Michelle Styles (author of the The Roman's Virgin Mistress) and want to read her book - but I won't buy it because I don't want to encourage this sort of behavior.