Or at least, let's get on with it!
I've encountered a problem with several recent books by romance writers whose work I adore. Too much back story. Not only do I want to meet the hero and heroine early on, I want them to meet each other. It's their interaction, chemistry and conflict that will drive me to read the book. I think of it as the Grey's Anatomy requirement.
On the pilot episode of Grey's some of the first scenes were Mer/Der. The emotions of that first meeting have carried the show and kept me watching even when the couple was apart. Because once they had the spark and sizzle, no matter who they're with or what they're doing, the S&S factor flavors every encounter. I give Shonda Rhimes some props for kindling the fire and for being smart enough to keep the embers burning.
That's what I want from my books. Even though Mer/Der got to the grinding and grubbing right away, a literary couple doesn't have to (and I really, really hope they won't) sleep together in the first 10 or even the first 50 pages. By the time they have sex, I want to be emotionally invested. On the other hand, I don't want to be so tired of details and history and minutia that I'm too bored to care much by the time they meet, greet and make it sweet.
I'll take some history if I have to, but first, I need a spoonful of S&S to make it go down and keep me hanging around.