Why Lords Lose Their Hearts

Collins’s third Wicked Widows Regency (after Why Earls Fall in Love) follows a young widow and her new lover as they embark on romance while dodging danger and uncovering secrets. Perdita, Duchess of Ormond, endured years of abuse at the hands of her husband before enlisting friends to help her escape. A confrontation ended with the duke’s death: he fell on the knife he was using to threaten her. Determined never to be controlled by a man again, Perdita has no desire to remarry. But when an unknown stalker accuses her of murdering the duke, she believes she needs a husband for protection. Lord Archer Lisle, the duke’s secretary, is determined to protect Perdita at all costs, even if she is only interested in taking him as a lover. This sweet and sensuous novel has an undercurrent of mystery that will keep readers riveted. Agent: Holly Root, Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. (Aug.)