Sadly, at 45% through this is a DNF for me, at least for now. It just wasn't catching my attention right from the beginning and I kept finding myself zoning out at times and having to go back and reread certain parts, just to zone out again. I also felt like there wasn't enough of the fake dating trope even though that's what is put in the synopsis. Maybe I just didn't give it enough of a chance before I DNF?🤷🏼‍♀️ I also didn't get a lot of the danger and mystery in this one. Again, maybe that's just because I didn't give it enough of a chance.

I really did enjoy the time period and the new technology back then, I thought it was cool how Nancy describes how the camera worked.

This book may not have been for me, but if you enjoy historical romance with mystery and suspence, I think you'll like this one by Nancy Campbell Allen.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I love Nancy Campbell Allen's work, and I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment of the Matchmakers. Like most of Allen's lead females, Eva is grounded and complex enough to be relatable and likable. Nathan, likewise, is a very likable character although not quite as deeply developed as Eva. The chemistry exists from the outset and the tension lies in Eva's previous disappointments, resulting in several barriers she has constructed and is consciously but cautiously trying to dismantle. Eva's vulnerability to the 'mean girls' of society makes her character more sympathic, and the steel she develops in standing her ground is enjoyable to see.

The relationship between Eva and Nathan drives the novel, and the mystery is secondary and a bit dry. The danger aspect becomes a bit repetitive. Had the secondary characters been developed more, the mystery could have been a fun one for readers to untangle. As it stands, the mystery essentially provides a faint background for the interplay between Eva and Nathan.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

In To Capture His Heart, Nancy Campbell Allen continues the enjoyable love story of Eva Caldwell, a determined young woman - professional photographer in the Victorian era, and Detective Nathan Winston. Both were in the first book of the series (The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart), where Eva and Nathan were drawn to each other. In an unfolding mystery a vengeful (almost invisible) villain is threatening Nathan, his family, and guests at his mother’s weeklong, charity-fundraising country house party. This sets the stage for closer contact between Eva and Nathan, especially since she is to portray his fiancée as well as to be the event’s photographer. Nathan and Eva are well-developed characters, and the Eva and her family are exciting female trailblazers of their time. Naturally, as the danger increases and they are thrown together, Eva and Nathan’s love for each other intensifies to the expected outcome of declarations of devotion and kisses. The romance is billed as “Proper Romance Victorian” – and it is that. Genteel, sweet, and in stasis from beginning to end. Nathan loves Eva at the beginning and he knows it, so I’m not sure of the title’s meaning. I wish Eva’s beloved cousins and more of the bold Detective Baker (who does show up at the end) were part of this story. The delightful book cover is enticing.

My opinion is all my own. I am grateful to NetGalley, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and Nancy Campbell Allen for allowing me access to this book.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were witty, charming and had wonderful chemistry. I love this author's style and look forward to reading anything she releases.

Loved! Read the first in the series and have been so patiently waiting for this one. Great author who thoroughly creates a great character you want to be successful. Very clean.

I just reviewed To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen. #ToCaptureHisHeart #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

wow this was amazing. i am surprised as to how much i loved this.
in beginning, i wasn't much invested because i thought it was very forward for a regency romance until i realised that it is based in victorian era.
after that, my interest piqued and even the plot became good.
seriously everything about this book was good, in my opinion.
the writing was great, the plot was great, all characters were great especially both main characters. the romance was sweetttttt and so was the ending. (loved how they adopted sammy 🥺)
i also loved the mystery sub-plot although its execution was rushed, but i didn't mind much.
i was thinking of rating it 3 ⭐ in the beginning, then 4 ⭐ in the middle but by the end, it became so good that i couldn't see any point of giving it any less than 5 ⭐.
I've not read the first book in the series so looking forward to reading it and the 3rd one, whenever it comes out.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy.

This Victorian sequel doesn't disappoint. Eva Caldwell and Nathan Winston are perfectly matched in this masterful mystery. The suspense and mystery elements really add to the overall book and gives purpose to our detective and photographer. There are definitely elements true to the time period including women with independent incomes and women's rights.

The story was definitely set up in the previous book in the series but this one does stand on it's own. This one really kept me guessing where the mystery was concerned. I had feelings about the truth but didn't catch it all which was very clever of the author.

The characters were well developed and I loved them. This was truly a joy to read.

I received an early copy through the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This book is boring.

Detective Nathan has a criminal from his past threatening his family. At this same time, his mother is throwing a match-making country party. Nathan asks Eva, a photographer he has a crush on, to pretend to be his date. But how much of it is pretend?

Romances are run on tension. It doesn't have to come from the romance itself, but it does have to come from somewhere. There is no tension anywhere. Nathan and Eva are already in love at the beginning of the book, so we have to wait for them to confess, which doesn't take long. The tension should have been surrounding the country party. Instead, we got a lot of petty party conversations that went nowhere, and nothing happened until the very end. When we finally meet the bad guy, he's so pathetic that he is anti-climatic. I've tried giving this series a chance because I like the author's previous series, but this was so boring.

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

During the summer 1886, Eva Caldwell finds herself employed as photographer for a 10-day fundraising party, hosted by Detective Inspector Nathaniel Winston's mother at the Winston family estate in Seaside. Nathaniel and Eva agree to act enamored with one another to help Nathaniel stave off a few marriage-hungry harpies that have been invited to the party. As the party rolls on, two things become apparent: their affection for one another may not just be a show, and someone on the premises has murderous intentions. Eva and Nathaniel must have the courage to share their true feelings for one another and outwit the villain before he claims his victims.

This is a cute companion story to Nancy Campbell Allen's other book, The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart. I enjoyed the appearance of a few familiar characters throughout the course of this story.

The romance was very sweet and founded upon mutual respect (always very refreshing!), and I thought the element of suspense gave it a nice flair. I have to admit though, that the mystery was not as puzzling nor adrenaline-inducing as I had expected, based on my experience reading The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart. This book is definitely a little more tame. I did think that the plot and characters were both believable though and I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the noble intentions of the good characters. These characters are the kind that do the right things for the right reasons, and I'd have to say that's one of my favorite things about Allen's books--the good guys are just really good, inside and out.

Content Guide:

Sex & Affection--Ardent kissing.
Language--None
Drugs, Alcohol, & Substance Use--None
Violence & Crime--Two men are found dead, one with bodily injury but descriptions can hardly be considered graphic. A few people are injured and injuries are not described graphically, save for one character noting the spreading of blood on another character's clothing.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

4.5* This book had a wonderful combination of characters (in all their variety and uniqueness), a whodunnit element, and historical details about photography processes in the Victorian age to delight readers. I enjoyed seeing ties to characters from The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart, but I feel like this story can stand alone. Nancy Campbell Allen has crafted a clever story that you will want to see through to the end for both the mystery and the romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Eva and Nathan are already drawn to each other. Neither is aware of the feelings of the other but they have spent enough time with each other to recognize their own. When Nathan’s mother insinuates that matchmaking will be a part of her upcoming house party Nathan blurts that his attentions are already set on someone. Luckily Eva agrees to the charade and now they just need to get through a week under his mother’s scrutiny not to mention the rest of the guests”.

Loved loved loved the heat already surrounding Eva and Nathan. For a sweet and chaste courtship they still bring the sizzle with their longing and affection.. I adored the setup and watching Eva who is such a strong and accomplished business woman also face insecurities as she charms Nathan’s family and traverses the social quagmire of those assembled. Their story was lovely. The mystery the two also face seemed unnecessary when the rest of the story was so well done. It was underdeveloped and took me away from what I truly cared about.

Eagerly looking forward to book three in the series. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Eva Caldwell is a working woman. She's independent, educated and makes a living as a photographer. She's been able to help her detective friends on a few cases with her skills. When one of the detectives, Nathan, finds himself in need of rescue during his mother's house party, and the onslaught of eligible females, he tells his mother his heart is already engaged, unfortunately for him, it's truer than he lets on. Eva is invited to the house party as the photographer and when Nathan's nemesis from the past comes back, she's there to help him figure it out.

Eva's history doesn't allow her to trust easily, even though she wants to. The house party brings back unwanted memories of how she's been judged and dismissed in the past. We watch her wrestle with who she is and develop the confidence in the person she wants to be.

Written for general market it's a sweet, clean, suspenseful story.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review.

This was a fun second installment to the series. The writing was lovely as always with this author. Eva and Nathan are quite the modern Victorian era couple and I love how I feel transported to this time period and I didn't realize how dangerous photography could be back then! The romance was not as exciting this time around, but overall it was a pleasant read.

This was another great historical romance from Nancy Campbell Allen. We're first introduced to Eva and Nathan in 'The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart', and I instantly knew I wanted them to get their own story. They're such a great pair. I'm happy to say that 'To Capture His Heart' lived up to my expectations. I enjoyed it so much!

This book features everything I love in a historical romance: wonderful characters who are easy to root for, a setting that comes alive, historical accuracy, a swoony and sweet romance, a good amount of humor, and a little bit of a mystery to add to the excitement. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good Victorian romance. I didn't want it to end.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

"He smiled and winked, and Eva wondered how she would possibly survive ten days of the man's attention and emerge unhurt on the other side."

If there is one thing I love to see in any and every romance I read, it's winking. I love it and I find it especially delightful in historical books which can often feel so proper, a little flirtacious wink is a nice touch 😉

This is the first book I read by Nancy Campbell Allen and I really enjoyed it. I definitely want to read more of her books.

This story had the perfect amount of mystery and it wasn't predictable. I tried, but I could not figure it all out and I preferred it that way. I don't mind predictability when it comes to knowing that the girl and the guy are going to get together (I have to have my HEA), but having aspects of the story that I can't figure out are fun!

Eva and Nathan were fantastic characters and I loved their interactions. I am a big fan of the fake dating trope and I really enjoyed seeing it in this time period. It was easy to read as it had great flow.

I loved the secondary characters, especially Sammy.

This is the second book in a series (I have not read the first yet, but I will!) but can easily be read as a stand-alone.

Nancy Campbell Allen does it again! She delivered another fantastic romance that is engaging and entertaining from start to finish. From the opening lines of the story her voice captured the essence of these characters and transported the reader to an enchanting world of romance and mystery. I loved getting to see Eva at work with her photography business and see her loyal assistant Sammy. Nathan’s world was an unexpected one that was such a delightful insight into who he was. I loved getting to know his family throughout the course of the story and seeing how he takes care of those who are important to him. His kind and protective nature is evident in the way that he interacts with those around him at work and also the way he cares for his family.

Read this if you enjoy:
🎩 Friends to lovers
🎩 Fake dating
🎩 House parties
🎩 Mystery and intrigue

I loved the camaraderie between Eva and Nathan, how they knew each other so well from working together over the past year. In addition to noticing how beautiful Eva was, you definitely sensed that Nathan appreciated her for her intelligence and for her observation skills. He admired the way that she made a name for herself and pave the way for her own career despite being one of the few women to do so. Beyond seeing the appeal of Nathan‘s exterior appearance, Eva admired Nathan’s caring and protective nature as he looks out for those he loves.

The two of them find themselves at a house party and agree early on pretend to have an entendre for one another in order to prevent unwanted advances from the women in attendance. What unfolds from this house party is not only delightfully entertaining and an enjoyable romance, but a series of secrets and mysteries the unfolds into an exciting and gripping conclusion full of dangerous secrets.

Many thanks to Nancy Campbell Allen, Shadow Mountain, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the story. All opinions are my own. I can’t wait to see what Charlotte’s story has in store next!

Okay SO good! I enjoyed the first book, but I’m obsessed with this one! I love Eva and Nathan! He is so sweet and their banter is my favorite. The mystery amidst the house party and their pretended affection that wasn’t really pretend, just so good! I loved it!

Also, can I just say. I love that the kissing happens sooner than like 90% in with Nancy Campbell Allen’s books.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and all opinions are my own*

To Capture His Heart? More like to capture MY heart!

After reading The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart, I knew I wanted more in this world Nancy created. I got my wish, and I have a feeling we will get more as well. Eva and Nathan are a delight. I love the pleas Nathan gives Eva over and over again and how she just laughs and shakes her head. I did miss Eva's cousins and Detective Baker, but I did love getting to meet Nathan's family, especially his sisters. I would love to see stories for them as well, especially Grace.

I read anytime I can get; audiobooks during the day, kindle by night mostly. This was a kindle read for me and because of that it took me longer to get to the end. I had to force myself to stop every so often so I wouldn't be freaked out. There were some seriously suspicious and kind of creepy moments that, when read at night, when my whole family is a sleep and the lights are off, it can get to you. So I had to put it down or risk bad dreams. But nothing was truly terrifying. It was more a mental game that is brought on by our protagonist that got me some nights.

I highly suggest this book. It was full of great characters, a wonderful storyline that kept you on your toes, some seriously swoony kisses, and writing that kept you wanting more with every turn of the page. Nancy Campbell Allen is a master at this era and genre. Historical, romance, suspense and mystery. It is filled with so much amazing story telling that draws you in and keeps you captive until the very end.

I loved this so much! Nathan and Eva were some of my favorite side characters from the first book so I was very excited to read their story. It didn’t disappoint! There’s not a single thing I didn’t love. Now I’ll be anxiously waiting for Charlotte’s story.

This second book in the Matchmakers series was exactly what I'd hoped it would be...and then some! All of the things I enjoyed about the first book were improved in this one, making it a story that I savored and looked forward to picking up again. The romance was swoon-worthy but also plausible in its development. The mystery was truly a mystery; I did not expect the villain, yet in retrospect, the identity made sense. Great tension and suspense throughout! I just love the characters in this series, even the secondary ones. I particularly like the heroine portrayed as intelligent and mature, without being obstinate or petulant, and the hero admiring her for more than just her appearance. A thoroughly enjoyable Victorian-era, romantic murder-mystery!