Romance Tropes That Annoy Me...

Which means I probably should jump genres soon?

Was speaking to mother last night, bemoaning "The Bride Test" which I could not finish.

Me: I thought I was getting a novel about a Vietnamese immigrant hunting her father with an autistic man, and they fall in love. [Note to self - read the reviews on Good Reads and the snyopsis there a bit closer. Not just the smart bitches rec on the Kindle Daily Deal.] Instead it's all about why he can't say the words I love you, and thinks for some dumb reason he can't love anyone. So she feels worthless - because he can't tell her he loves her. That's 90% of the book. THAT.
Mother: Oh god, I hear you - same problem. They can't tell anyone they love them, and feel that aren't worthy because of it, despite all the great sex, they wonderful things he's done for her, etc, but no...it's about whether or not they can say the words? I just finished a historical novel that did the same exact thing - that was the main conflict.

Neither of us can relate to this trope, and it's an on-going complaint we have. I wonder if people realize how many sociopaths, sexual predators and psychos manipulate women with those words? Heck, the horror film "FRESH" - in that the serial killer manipulates his victims by telling them how much he loves them.

Abusive husbands do this all the time. As do abusive husbands. It's abusive behavior 101, you beat your wife, then tell her how much you "love" her.

I want to throw this song at every nitwit romance writer who feels the need to bore me with this damn trope: Show Me.

So here's the list:
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My apologies if you love any of those. Please don't tell me.