The Truth about Leo by Katie MacAlister

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If this hadn't been an ARC from NetGalley, there is no way I would have made it past the first chapter. I just plain do not like Dagmar (Dagmar?). She is headstrong as well as ignorant and just something of a spoiled child. Yes, I get that is supposed to be her character, but we don't really see any evolution. She just magically becomes a good person... or maybe her negatives were just over-emphasized and then suddenly de-emphasized. It was odd. Anyway, she needs to escape her current situation so when she finds a near-dead English soldier in her garden, she marries him.
Only it turns out he's not just any soldier, he's an earl. The seventh earl of March, Leopold Ernst George Mortimer doesn't know what's going on. He's not in heaven because it seems he's surrounded by harpies. Luckily, those harpies save him. And one is even his wife! That's a surprise.
While there were a lot of issues with this book (a LOT of issues), Katie MacAlister overall weaves a wonderful story as long as you can really, really suspend your disbelief (e.g. use of the word recap which didn't come into the current use until the 1920s. Even the first use wasn't until the 1850s).
Overall, an enjoyable story. Not as good as the first book in the series but definitely better than the third.
It's coming out on August 5.

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.