Why Lords Lose Their Hearts by Manda Collins

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I'm not sure why I liked this book so much better than the first two. Perhaps it is because we got to meet Perdita and Archer in previous books. Or maybe it's because I'm such a sucker for the friends-to-lovers trope. Either way, I quite enjoyed this book and was glad it went out with a bang. At least for me. There is at least one part of this story that I think other readers will take issue with and I'm looking forward to reading other reviews.
Perdita, the widowed Duchess of Ormand (never called the dowager, perhaps because her husband's grandmother is still alive?), became the duchess one night when her husband was trying to kill her and he was killed instead.
Her husband's secretary, Lord Archer Lisle (fifth son of a duke), wasn't in the room when death occurred but he learned of the circumstances soon after. He is ashamed that he didn't realize sooner what the duke was doing to Perdita, especially because he loves her. But, as the fifth son of a duke, he has hopes that he can marry Perdita but is realistic about how society will view the marriage. Plus, there's the inconvenient fact that Perdita will not marry for love (look where that got her the first time!)
Of course, the two are forced together, working to discover who blames Perdita for the duke's death and why they're trying to thoroughly discredit her before they kill her.

I really don't know what to think about the kidnapping. I mean, Perdita's friends conspired with the man who was wanting to "rescue" her so that they could get her out of town. Collins did a good job of running through Perdita's thoughts on the matter so I guess I could sort of buy that part of the story but... it still didn't sit quite right. And having the killer be a deranged woman who just so happened to be the daughter of the duke's grandfather as well as the lover of the present duke...? I just don't know. If this were a mystery story, I'd be disappointed that the killer was so clearly pointed at but this is a romance so that didn't factor into my rating.
Previous books: Why Dukes say I Do, Why Earls Fall in Love

Why Earls Fall in Love by Manda Collins

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At the beginning of this book, we once again recap exactly why the three widows who are heroines in this series are so closely tied together. Georgina Mowbrey is forced to work for a living. She rather likes Lady Russell. That makes it hard when Georgie starts receiving mysterious threats against her life. She doesn't want anyone else harmed just because she helped a friend.
Lord Coniston "Con", is Lady Russell's nephew so he's also in Bath to attend her 70th birthday celebration. After meeting Georgie in London, he was intrigued. And after seeing her more in Bath, hes even happier to be a part of the party.

I was a bit disappointed that in both of these books, it was the husband's mistress that was trying to kill the wife. Can't there be a different sort of villain? Is the mastermind of the whole thing the former Duke of Ormond's mistress? And why do attempts on these women seem to stop as soon as they get married? You'd think the mastermind would keep trying.

Previous book: Why Dukes Say I Do

Next book: Why Lords Lose their Hearts

Why do Dukes Say I do? by Manda Collins

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Isabella, her sister, Perdita, and their friend Georgie have formed a friendship based on the fact that they were all abused wives. With Isabella's husband being gone, she is enjoying her society lifestyle. For the most part. There are these annoying anonymous letters... and somebody might be trying to kill her. But that just seems silly. Why would anyone want to do that? 
Now her godmother, the grandmother of Perdita's husband, is blackmailing her into going to the country to bring back a reluctant duke (in fact, the man taking over after Perdita's husband passed away). While there, Isabela may learn a little bit more about herself as well as discovering that not all men are controlling bastards.
An okay story but I really had to slog through it. Neither Isabella nor Trevor was a compelling character. I was mostly reading to find out how MC was going to tie in the "I know what you did last season" to the movie.

Books after this one: Why Earls Fall in Love, Why Lords Lose their Hearts

Then Came You by Jill Shalvis

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This book had so many tropes that I hate in books. The heroine is all, "I can't do this - but I want to - but you're my boss - but you're so hot." So annoying. And the hero was all, "I am amused man who wants you and will have you." And, yet... I really liked this story. Really, really. I tore through it in a couple of hours, even laughing out loud a couple of times.
p. 38 "Calories." Emily said on a sigh. "The evil tiny creatures that live in my closet and sew my clothes a little tighter every night."
Emily Stevens has her life figured out. She's going to finish vet school and then continue taking care of her father and her sister while simultaneously getting her college study partner to fall in love with her. She just has to get through this internship, which is not in L.A. like she had planned. Nope, it's in Sunshine, Idaho. Well, at least it looks like it's going to be interesting, since she just walked in to the waiting room and saw "a golden retriever, a collie mix, two pissed off cats in carriers, and... a Shetland pony." (p. 9)
Too bad the guy she's going to be reporting to is her hot one-night stand from the veterinarian's conference in Reno, Dr. Wyatt Stone. He of the glasses and T-shirts with funny sayings.
Wyatt has his own issues. He lives with both his sisters and they're trying to drive him insane. Well, they're trying to help him fix up their grandparents house but it seems like they want to drop him off at Insanity along the way. It doesn't help that his hot new intern is helping him as well.
Jill Shalvis fans, rejoice. This is an excellent addition to her canon and a book not to be missed.This book had so many tropes that I hate in books. The heroine is all, "I can't do this - but I want to - but you're my boss - but you're so hot." So annoying. And the hero was all, "I am amused man who wants you and will have you." And, yet... I really liked this story. Really, really. I tore through it in a couple of hours, even laughing out loud a couple of times.
p. 38 "Calories." Emily said on a sigh. "The evil tiny creatures that live in my closet and sew my clothes a little tighter every night."
Emily Stevens has her life figured out. She's going to finish vet school and then continue taking care of her father and her sister while simultaneously getting her college study partner to fall in love with her. She just has to get through this internship, which is not in L.A. like she had planned. Nope, it's in Sunshine, Idaho. Well, at least it looks like it's going to be interesting, since she just walked in to the waiting room and saw "a golden retriever, a collie mix, two pissed off cats in carriers, and... a Shetland pony." (p. 9)
Too bad the guy she's going to be reporting to is her hot one-night stand from the veterinarian's conference in Reno, Dr. Wyatt Stone. He of the glasses and T-shirts with funny sayings.
Wyatt has his own issues. He lives with both his sisters and they're trying to drive him insane. Well, they're trying to help him fix up their grandparents house but it seems like they want to drop him off at Insanity along the way. It doesn't help that his hot new intern is helping him as well.
Jill Shalvis fans, rejoice. This is an excellent addition to her canon and a book not to be missed.

The Trouble with Harry by Katie MacAlister

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Harry, Marquise Rosse, is in a bit of a pickle. He has five children (including a daughter on the brink of womanhood.) So, he decides to advertise for a wife. And, ooo, does he get a woman.
Plum, Fredericka Pelham, has a rather scandalous past. Now forty, she is anxious to create a family of her own. She seizes the chance not realizing exactly what she's getting herself into.
Are the children plot moppets? Yes. Yes they are. Sometimes annoying and occasionally adorable but plot moppets.
While I liked Plum, I hated that she and Harry never talked (common Romance trope, right?). More than one of their conflicts wouldn't have been conflicting

if she had just asked Harry how he thought she was doing

. I did like that Harry was so accepting of Plum's "secrets."
Not as good as the first book in the series but worth a read for the unconventional heroine.

Until we Touch by Susan Mallery

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I have been waiting to read this story. Larissa Owens and Jack McGarry have been features in the Fool's Gold series for so long with their relationship that is obviously more than just friends, that I couldn't wait to see how it resolved.
Well, it starts out with Larissa's mother telling both that Larissa is in love with Jack. Something neither of them had acknowledged. Mostly because neither Larissa nor Jack believe it to be true. 
Larissa is a bleeding heart. In earlier books she's rescued snakes (poisonous, buy hero of that book), puppies, and any number of other animals. In this book, she's adopted a cat. A very fancy cat that probably would have been her last choice for when she adopted an animal of her own. 
Working for the guys and Taryn at PR firm Score as their private masseuse/Jack's personal assistant has been the perfect job. She was nervous about their move from LA but it's turned out to be a good thing. She's got her friends on the job and is making friends in town as well. Friends that are quick to back up her mother's assertion. 
Again, I have to wonder how small this town is supposed to be. Small enough that everyone knows everyone but large enough to have a university? Not just a college. And one that's big enough to have football team at that. I know I should suspend my disbelief, but living in a small mountain town makes it really hard to read about "small mountain towns" that seem to grow exponentially for plot points. Granted, the characters do talk about the town expanding but this seems awfully fast. 
But, if you like Susan Mallery's books, especially the ones in this series, I think that you will enjoy this one as well.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green

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This book scared me. There is just so much love for it out there and I often don't like books with just so much love. And then I get scared of people coming after me with pitchforks. I know it's never happened but even metaphorical pitchforks can hurt, people.
But, no, this is a lovely, lovely book about two teens who have faced, and still have to face, their own mortality at a time of life where most people feel immortal.
Oh, the feels that this book pulled out of me. I'm a little scared to see the movie (see how the pattern perpetuates?) but I'll probably wait for some night when I need to cry and pull it up for a weep-fest.

Why not five stars? Because, while the book was very, very good, I kept getting pulled out of the narration. Some of it was maybe the editor's fault more than the author's but that doesn't change my review. A few times it was because of word choice.
Reclusive - is an adjective. The noun is recluse. Or reclusiveness depending on what you're going for.
p. 51 Isaac was still throttling the wall with the pillow. -- Um, how would that work?
Other points it was the narrative arc that seemed a bit far-fetched, even for a reader who is soooo ready to suspend her disbelief.

One last note, it's funny to me that An Imperial Affliction ends in the middle of a sentence from the female narrator because, before Hazel even read the book, that's how I assumed that this book would end.