Why Lords Lose Their Hearts

Good conclusion to the Wicked Widows trilogy. It all started with the death of Perdita's abusive husband, as he held a knife to her throat. Only Perdita, her sister Isabella, and their friend Georgina know exactly what occurred - or so they thought. In the first book, someone starts tormenting and threatening the three women, claiming to know what happened and threatening to expose them. Isabella and Georgina are saved from their stalkers with the help of the men they love, but the person behind it is still unknown.

The stalker has moved on to attacks on Perdita, and the only person she can go to for help is Lord Archer, her late husband's private secretary. Unknown to her, Archer has been in love with her for years, but had been unable show more to help her before. Now he is determined to keep her safe.

I really liked Archer. As the youngest in the family he learned how to read people, keep calm in chaos, and wait patiently for his chance at what he wants. I loved the way that he has been watching out for her since the trouble began. Knowing some of what she's been through, I really liked the way that Archer was sensitive to the way that he made suggestions. I also thought that he was incredibly patient with her stubbornness in dealing with the threats against her, but when it was time to take action, he did it.

I liked Perdita, too, but there were times I wanted to shake her. Because she had been in love with her husband before they married and he showed his abusive side, she now has no confidence in her ability to trust her judgement of whether someone is a good man. She is taking the time of being unmarried again to try to develop some confidence in herself again. She is considering the idea of marrying again, but refuses to allow herself to fall in love with any man, sure that it would impair her judgement once again.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Archer finally made his interest in Perdita clear to her. Perdita finally admitted her attraction to him, but refuses to consider being anything other than lovers. Of course, Archer wants more, but has the sense and patience to try to bring her to his way of thinking. Their physical relationship was great, with plenty of heat, but also some fun. I did get frustrated with the way she would frequently push him away. Fortunately, she does start to believe that she can have it all, thanks to an unexpected conversation with Archer's mother.

The suspense of the story, as it continued from the previous two books was really good. I could definitely feel the creep factor several incidents portraying her as a murderer occurred. When the attacks turned physical, the intensity increased, especially as Perdita resisted all suggestions for her safety. Even when Archer took her to the safest place he could think of, trouble still found them. As this book went on I had a couple of suspicions of who the bad guy was, but it wasn't obvious who it would really be. My initial suspicion turned out to be right, but the reason behind it was completely unexpected and definitely high up in the ick factor. There was an interesting twist at the end regarding Gervase's death.

I liked seeing the couples from the first two books and how their involvement continued in this one. As all three women had previously been victims of abusive husbands, it was lovely to see them with men who loved them. I really liked the way that Isabella and Georgina didn't hesitate to tell Perdita when they thought she was wrong, and I loved their part in getting her to safety.

I also loved seeing Archer's family. His parents were great. I really liked how they obviously cared about their boys. I loved the part where his mom asked Perdita her intentions toward Archer. His brothers were also terrific. There was plenty of sibling rivalry and teasing, but when the chips were down, their support was instant and complete. As they are all unmarried, I hope to see them getting books of their own. show less

We begin with a death… And now the widow is being harassed and threatened. Determined never to allow her heart to lead her again into a situation she can't easily escape, she decides to marry someone she cares nothing about and seek love in an affair. Lord Archer Lisle isn't opposed to having an affair with the woman he's loved for years, but he wants it to lead to marriage. Meanwhile, her mysterious opponent steps up the assaults upon her. Can Lisle keep her alive long enough to persuade her to accept him as a husband?

A nice romp with a plucky heroine… isn't that what regency romance is all about? This goes a bit deeper, with the unmentionable subject of domestic violence darkening the edges. Our heroine discovers she's not the show more only woman to be brutalized by a man she trusted. show less

Listened for Review (Tantor)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.25
Character Rating: 3.75

Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Why Lords Lose Their Hearts by Manda Collins was my first book by the author but it won't be my last (especially after the end--now I NEED to get the first two). This was a great combination of action, suspense, love, and intriguing characters. I really loved the friendship between the women and what they would do for each other. Gotta love strong women! Overall, a great friends to lovers romance!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik /Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

It is no secret that Anne is one of my favorite narrators and the reason I picked up this book. She totally show more delivered and felt she was a terrific fit for these characters! I will be getting the other two on audio too!

Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! reviews show less

Review to come soon.