The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart 

By Nancy Campbell Allen 

Published by: Shadow Mountain 

Synopsis:

Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple’s blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe—a grieving widower and a member of Amelie’s book club.

Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.

When a woman’s body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman’s husband—Harold Radcliffe—of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe’s innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.

They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.

Review: 

This book was really fun and interesting. I wouldn't ever pick out a murder mystery to read, but I appreciate how this book brought together the murder mystery with romance and put it all into the Victorian era. It made it similar enough to what I like to read for me to enjoy it while simultaneously being different enough to make it give me a break from what I normally read and keep things fresh. So I really liked that. I also liked the characters; Amelie and Michael are very different and yet they worked well together. I was also intrigued by secondary characters whom I hope to see more of in future books. Fun book for a quick escape. 

4 stars. 

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

About the Author:

NANCY CAMPBELL ALLEN is the award-winning author of eighteen published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres, ranging from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her most recent books, which include Regency, Victorian, and steampunk romance, are published under Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance brand, and the What Happens in Venice novella series is part of the Timeless Romance Anthology collection published by Mirror Press. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.

Nancy loves to read, write, travel, and research, and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She nurtures a current obsession for true crime podcasts and is a news junkie. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah, with her family, one very large Siberian Husky named Thor, and an obnoxious but endearing YorkiePoo named Freya.

For author interview requests, please contact Callie Hansen at chansen@shadowmountain.com

Advance Praise:

“Allen pairs a matchmaker and a detective in this charming Victorian romance. Allen expertly combines mystery and romance into a fast-paced tale complete with plenty of surprises and a central relationship founded on mutual admiration and respect. Readers are sure to appreciate the strong, well-shaded heroine and twisty plot.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Allen's chaste tale of Victorian romantic suspense will also appeal to historical mystery readers, and it would be great for mother-and-daughter reads. This has great appeal for teens who like historical fiction laced with mystery and romance.”

—Booklist

“Michael and Amelie's slow-burning romances combines well with the fast-paced tale of surprise, death, and heart. The core of the story is their relationship; it builds from a place of admiration and respect, and eschews any forced obstacles to being together. Amelie is a nuanced heroine who is both naïve and fierce as she gathers her knowledge of fictional crimes and joins Michael in his off-duty undercover work. And the endearing secondary cast of friends and coworkers results in humor and warmth; they support Amelie's headstrong nature and Michael's softening heart. Charming...combines a Victorian murder mystery with an endearing romance between two souls.”

—Foreword Reviews

Join the tour!

Join the virtual book tour of THE MATCHMAKER’S LONELY HEART, Nancy Campbell Allen’s highly acclaimed historical novel, September 6-19, 2021. Thirty popular on-line influencers specializing in historical romance, mystery/suspense, and inspirational fiction will join in the celebration of its release with spotlights, exclusive excerpts, and reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in London, England.

TOUR SCHEDULE

Sept 06 Timeless Novels (Review) 

Sept 07 The Book Diva Reads (Excerpt)

Sept 07 Wishful Endings (Review) 

Sept 08 Robin Loves Reading (Review) 

Sept 08 A Darn Good Read (Review) 

Sept 08 Storeybook Reviews (Spotlight) 

Sept 08 Austenesque Reviews (Review) 

Sept 09 Bookfoolery (Review) 

Sept 09 The Lit Bitch (Excerpt) 

Sept 10 The Bluestocking (Review) 

Sept 10 Bookworm Lisa (Review) 

Sept 10 The Silver Petticoat Review (Review) 

Sept 11 Book Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina (Review) 

Sept 11 My Bookish Bliss (Review) 

Sept 11 Nurse Bookie (Review) 

Sept 12 The Bibliophile Files (Review) 

Sept 12 My Jane Austen Book Club (Spotlight) 

Sept 13 Heidi Reads (Excerpt) 

Sept 13 Reading with Emily (Review) 

Sept 13 Our Book Confessions (Review) 

Sept 14 Rosanne E. Lortz (Review) 

Sept 14 Laura's Reviews (Review) 

Sept 14 Beauty in the Binding (Spotlight) 

Sept 15 All-of-a-Kind Mom (Review) 

Sept 15 Gwendalyn's Books (Review) 

Sept 15 Life of Literature (Review) 

Sept 16 From Pemberley to Milton (Review) 

Sept 16 Probably at the Library (Spotlight) 

Sept 17 Greenish Bookshelf (Review) 

Sept 17 Relz Reviewz (Review) 

Sept 18 Novel Kicks (Review) 

Sept 19 Historical Fiction with Spirit (Excerpt)