WHY LORDS LOSE THEIR HEARTS – Manda Collins
Wicked Widows Trilogy
St. Martin's
ISBN: 978-1-250-02386-5
August 2014
Regency Romance

England During the Regency

Background: Perdita's husband, the Duke of Ormonde, was a brute. During one especially tense scene when he threatened to kill her, Perdita's friend Georgina shot the duke, thereby saving her friend from a gruesome death. Keeping the secret about the duke's death between Perdita, her sister Isabella, Georgie, and their husbands is easy. But someone else knows about this, and the threats against Perdita grow more dangerous every day.

Perdita's late husband's secretary, Lord Archer Lisle, also knows about how the duke died, and vows to protect his late employer's wife from the avenger. He has adored Perdita all along and was aware of how brutal her husband was to her behind closed doors. As the youngest son of a duke, Archer can't offer Perdita a titled husband, but he has made sure that their life would be comfortable if, in fact, she would notice him.

Not wanting to ever fall in love with another man after her miscalculation with the duke, Perdita would like a safe, non-threatening husband who will allow her freedom to be herself. While she has strong feelings for Archer, trust is difficult at this point in her life. She trusts Archer with her life, but not with her heart.

As threats against her life become even more violent, Perdita fights the restrictions her family, friends, and Archer want to put on her freedom. Who could possibly know about what happened that fateful night? Will Archer be able to find the perpetrator and protect the woman he loves? And will he be able to convince her that his feelings for her are real?

WHY LORDS LOSE THEIR HEARTS, the conclusion of the Wicked Widows Trilogy , is filled with excitement, mystery, and plenty of romance. I've thoroughly enjoyed these well written, witty, books, and highly recommend them.

Jani Brooks