Welcome to my tour stop! Check out my review and the other stops on this tour below...
The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart
(Proper Romance Victorian)
By Nancy Campbell Allen
Adult Historical Romantic Suspense, Mystery
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 336 Pages
September 7, 2021 by Shadow Mountain Publishing
Summary
London, 1885
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.
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
“I was immediately drawn into the characters’ lives and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of the romance.” —Mystery and Suspense Magazine
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My Review
THE MATCHMAKER'S LONELY HEART is a story that starts with a mysterious death. From there, a journalist and a detective end up working together to investigate as the suspense and danger intensifies to a climatic end. With great leading and side characters, and a story with all the feels, readers will find this an engrossing story. Highly recommended to fans of historical romantic suspense!
I loved Detective Baker from the start! He was a great character with his rough edges, intellect and heart. I also liked Amelie with her desire to be independent and contribute to the detective's case. I loved Amelie's cousins and Michael's partner. I felt like all the characters were well done. Then there was the plot that began a bit mysteriously and grew in intensity as the characters tried to figure things out. I adored the chemistry between Amelie and Michael and how their relationship develops as they work together. The story had all the feels, from heartbreak to swooning to fear to humor. The ending was especially intense, but topped off with a perfectly sweet happily-ever-after for these characters.
I only have one complaint about the story and it's a minor one. I wish Amelie would have been a stronger character in the beginning. However, she did develop as the story progressed and I ended up loving her.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed reading this book and couldn't put it down. It had a great mix of mystery and suspense, romance, family relationships and friendships, danger, and laughter. I loved the dialogue and the connection between Amelie and Michael. I'm hoping there will be additional books that will focus on Amelie's cousins and possibly others who are part of the police force.
Content: Some violence, which could be triggers for victims of abuse, all applicable to the story and not overly descriptive.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Austenprose, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Tour Schedule
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 a spotlights, exclusive excerpts, and reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in London, England.
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 -itch (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)
Have you read any of the other books by this author or line from Shadow Mountain? Will you be reading this one?
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