Mystery and Romance set in Victorian London (4.5 stars)

This book delivered in so many ways!
*clever and engaging plot
*sweet romance (I could have gone for a bit more, but the end was perfect!)
*rich details (the many levels of texture from side characters, to historical details, to locations, chapter headings that captured the social views at the time..... and it all connected and felt intentional and important.)
*main Characters that are so likeable and a bit unpredictable. So fun!
*mystery and suspense without any horror

This author has become a go-to for me and I hope that there will be spin-offs from this book. I want Charlotte's and Eva's stories!

From the delightful Victorian cover to the witty and engaging writing to the quirky characters, this book set in 1885 London has fun in spades, yet it's not over the top. Realities of Whitechapel poverty help to balance the story. I like books which aren't all syrupy happiness and joy. Life's not like that.

Amelie Hampton is an independent young woman who proudly earns her own living writing for The Marriage Gazette and also makes matches. One day she peers through a cafe window to see how a blind date is going and is shocked to discover the man is a renowned handsome recent widower by the name of Harold Radcliffe. She runs into Michael Baker that evening who happens to be a detective. They don't start off on the right foot but circumstances bring them together. Michael investigates the case of a dead woman pulled from the river and Amelie insists on helping as she has a vested interest. Detective Winston is on the case, too, which leads to Mr. Radcliffe who is chock full of secrets. We see romance and insights into family relationships as well as adventure.

Though the plot is predictable, to me the story is more about the characters and relationships. I really enjoyed Amelie's naivete and personality. The chapter blurbs are one of my favourite aspects of the book, brilliantly done, especially those of Chapters 8 and 14. Love the writers' names! And the Chapter 17 heading made me giggle.

My sincere thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this refreshing and clean escapist book!

This was certainly a page-turner, and I loved Michael, Amelie, and the family and friends who made up the supporting characters. Although I want Allen to get back to the Steampunk Proper Romances, I wouldn’t mind seeing more books with these characters, maybe focusing on Eva, Charlotte, Winston, Aunt Sally, or Ellis.
As always, there were several swoon-worthy scenes and sweetness among the characters that made me smile. I like the friendship, affection, and respect among the men and women in these books, and I appreciate that Allen doesn’t lean on dumb misunderstandings and angst to drive the love drama.
The villains are usually the weak point, and that held true in this one, especially at the end. A little too much of the evil laugh and mustache twirling for me. The final scenes were still exciting and romantic, so I finished the book happy as usual.

A romance develops as a detective partners with a lonely-hearts columnist to solve a murder mystery.

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.


My Review to come closer to my tour stop

"A romance develops as a detective partners with a lonely-hearts columnist to solve a murder mystery.

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."

I'm a sucker for romances that develop while solving crimes!

This book was a murder mystery set I the Victorian period. It had the perfect blend of mystery and romance. The characters I this book were so much fun! I loved that Amelia and her cousins were strong women with a lot of spunk and personality. Michael was also a great character. He starts off a little gruff but I loved watching him change as he allows himself to fall in love.

This book started a little slow and it took me a while to get into it but it picked up its pace about a third the way in and then I was totally hooked. I didn’t want to put it down. I am really hoping for some sequels with some of the other characters! This is a book I will definitely be recommending.

This book has everything you’d want in a Proper Romance - strong independent woman + grumpy swoony hero + mystery and intrigue + couldn’t put it down + sweet romance!
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Amelie loves mystery novels and can’t believe to have been sucked into living one. Although she’d prefer the man she admires not to be the suspect and the boorish detective she’s forced to drag along would give the charming man a moment of doubt.
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Alas that’s not to be so Amelie does what she can to be useful and as a Woman of Independent Means, she sets out to solve this mystery.
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Detective Baker is half amused by Amelie and half frustrated. He can see her naivety and doesn’t want this case to diminish that but he’s worried she’s become the next target. She comes along with two cousins who are eager to help with the case. The department won’t know what hit them.
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I loved every minute of reading this. Cheering for Amelie and her cousins - which I hope they have their own stories too!) and seeing the pieces of the mystery come together was so fun.
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This has been my first romantic mystery novel and I think I need to read more! Of course it’s done by Nancy Campbell Allen - and I love her books! She made a full believable world with fantastic characters and even side characters that you love. Some danger *there are some brief descriptions of violence but it’s a murder mystery novel so I’d expect that but it was tastefully done.
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This book releases in September. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ebook arc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions and I will definitely be buying a paperback copy for myself.

When I heard Nancy Campbell Allen had a new book coming out, I couldn't wait to read it! The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart was so good! It has the perfect blend of romance and mystery and I didn't want to put it down. The character development was fantastic too! Seeing Amelie go from being a naive young woman to one who was more mature and confident was so fun. I also enjoyed Michael's growth from a cynical and jaded Detective to a man who realizes there's a place in his life for love and fun. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know!

I usually think of Mrs. Allen as a romance writer, but this book (as well as her steampunk series) really combine murder mystery and romance in a magical way. I don’t think a lot of authors can do that- make readers alternate between swoony smiles and edge of their seat nail-biting. I hope she will write the cousins’ and the other detective’s stories as well…

This is a Victorian romance that centers around a murder investigation. I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters! Amelie has two cousins she is very close to and I'm hoping each cousin gets their own book in the future. Would recommend for fans of historical fiction!

Good historical fiction is the next best thing to time travel. Historical fiction that is…less than good…takes you right out of the story. Unfortunately for me, this title falls in the latter category.

Right off the bat, I was basically expelled from the story due to glaring inaccuracies. The detectives were called just that, “detectives”. Anyone watching any sort of tv at any point in the last forever years would know that calling a detective a “detective” is an Americanism. In England, especially Victorian England, they would be called Inspector, or Sergeant, or Constable. Maaaaaybe Detective Inspector, or Detective Sergeant, or Detective Constable. And there is no such rank as “director”.

At least the author got Greta Green correct.

And Amelie? The main character? Not at all endearing and actually quite annoying. Michael was only slightly easier to stomach but even with him, his 180 on marriage really didn’t ring true at all to the character he had been pigeon holed into. It was borderline insta-love which, yes, I get as this is a romance. But c’mon. It was also too insta and to the point of whiplash.

This was also quite dialogue heavy and slim on the showing, not telling.

I had high hopes for this title. Alas.

I really wanted to get into this book, but I think it could have used another round of edits. I didn't find the characters compelling, and the writing was at points distractingly overwrought.
I love the setup, and concept. Maybe this book just wasn't meant for me.

Very enjoyable read! I'm a big fan of mystery and suspense, especially with romance thrown in. The characters were fun to get to know and I thought the author did well showing what actual love looks like, rather than a crush based on looks and charm. I enjoyed the process of discovery of the guilty party. I hope this becomes a series!

For fans of The Blue Orchid Society, Ms. Scarlet and The Duke, The Thief of Blackfriars Lane, and all things Victorian Era romantic suspense!
Things I loved:
Amelie's sweet, naive innocence and determination to help
That slow burn romance though 😍🙌
Michael and his gruff attitude, trying keep everyone at arm's length
Amelie's cousins - I hope they get their own books, too!
Seriously exciting action that kept me on the edge of my seat!
This is a real winner!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As a hopeless romantic, Amelie is well suited to answer lonely heart letters for her aunt's social publication, The marriage Gazette. She cannot resist secretly observing a rendezvous of one of the letter writers and is astonished to recognize a member of her book club. She is even more astonished when police detective Michael Baker demands she tell what she knows about the suspected murderer. Together, this unlikely pair must solve a murder and keep themselves safe!

I love a good mystery romance, and I was intrigued when I first read the description of this book. Amelie is just as she sounds: a naive young lady who looks for the best in the world. She also has a crush on the recently bereaved member of her book club. At times, her naivety made me roll my eyes but her heart was in the right place.

Michael Baker was a sympathetic hero. He has seen the darker side of life and given that his partner was recently killed on the job, he has a more cynical opinion of the world. Amelie's naivety often frustrates him, especially when she insists she become his deputy to solve the case. He made the most character growth, I think, in the story.

The pace of the mystery was excellent, and the suspense kept me glued to the page. However, the romance fell flat. in fact, when Michael declares he will propose to her, I was surprised because it felt like it came out of nowhere. It did not feel as though they had near enough time to know each other.

Another thing that is quite honestly me being overly picky is that if the synopsis hadn't said the story was set in 1885, I wouldn't have known. The atmosphere and details of the book are Victorian, but the Victorian era was a long time and each decade different from the last. Even a hint in regards to the fashion would have been nice.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read for the mystery and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical mysteries. I would honestly rate it at 4.5 stars, but that isn't an option.

I’m a big historical romance reader, so I was disappointed that I wasn’t a raving fan of this one. It was okay. Initially the writing style was particularly corny, so much so that I almost stopped reading. But I pushed myself to make it to 20%, and by that point, I was invested in the resolution. This book reminded me of a Hallmark Channel movie—goofy and relatively predictable, but you feel like you’ve invested too much time to not see it through to the end.

I will say I liked the characters! They were all strong women, even in the face of a patriarchal society. And the dynamic between the two romantic leads was pleasant. It reminded me of the PBS series Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

Overall, I believe some people will enjoy it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Giving this author such a low rating hurts. I've liked her steampunk fairy tales books, but this book disappointed me so much.

Amelie Hampton works for her aunt's magazine. She meets a police detective Michael Baker who suspects that a member of her book club is a murderer. To prove the man innocent of the crime, she teams up with Baker to solve the murder.

I don't like spunky heroines. There are exceptions, but this wasn't one of them. Amelie is not only spunky but naive, which is a deadly combination. As a murder mystery, there was no question of the culprit. There was no tension anywhere. For me, there was too much fluff.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was well written and the characters were so much fun. This author definitely knows how to write chemistry. I look forward to reading more from them in the future.

I received this from net galley and I loved it! It was the first book I read from Nancy and it was truly amazing. I'm excited to read her other books. This was a mystery and really well written.

this was a fun ride that i did absolutely NOT expect.

i had never read something from the author, nor something similar so i really went into this blind, with absolutely 0 expectations, and let me tell you i was not disappointed.

this books follows Michael & Amelie, who were both spying on the same man. Michael is a detective that thinks he is guilty of killing his wife, and Amelie works at a gazette, where she sends advice, and simply wanted to see how the meeting between Radcliffe & a woman she was advising in secret went.

Michael then follows Amelie outside of the restaurant, and makes her help him with his investigation.

this was honestly so much fun to read, and while its a little predictable, i still had a great time reading this and couldn’t stop once i started; which is to say something because lately i have had no motivation whatsoever to open a book, and this definitely reminded me of why i love to read.

this book just made me love suspenses with romance set in the 1800s.