Such a great conclusion to this trilogy. The twist was unexpected and tragic. It's always hard for me to read about mothers dying because it is a legit fear of mine-leaving my children behind unexpectedly. I love how strong our FMC is and the way she follows her gut even when it's hard. Charlotte and John make a great team in life and in love.

Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen has a great mix of a murder mystery and romance. Follow John and Charlotte as they set off to discover not only a dangerous case but matters of the heart. This is a childhood friends to move romance!

It's 1889 and Charlotte Duvall has just become a medical doctor in America. She receives word of her father's death and returns home to England. This is book three of the series and it has been five years since book one when we first met Charlotte and her cousins Amelie and Eva, both now married to their detective husbands. Charlotte's mother died in a drowning accident twenty years ago but some letters she finds belonging to her mother make her suspect foul play. She turns to her friend John Ellis, the Director of London's police force for help investigating the death. Being a female doctor at this time, Charlotte has to face many obstacles, one being a woman couldn't be married while having a professional career. This is an engaging murder mystery with a sweet friends to lovers romance. I received an ARC of this title via NetGalley for an honest review.

A sweet read that is surprising light considering the main characters are investigating possible foul play and murder. I felt like I learned a lot while reading. I didn't realize women could become doctors in Victorian England, yet her caring nature as a doctor was a main theme in the book. The characters are likeable and I found myself rooting for them to find closure and a happy ending. She was sweet and witty, he was strong and kind. The story and intensity built to a good conclusion.

"Protecting Her Heart" by Nancy Campbell Allen, the third book in the series, proved to be the most captivating installment yet. What sets this book apart is its richly woven mystery, which keeps readers eagerly turning pages as they unravel clues alongside the characters. Allen's storytelling prowess shines as she seamlessly blends suspense with romance, creating a narrative that is as compelling as it is heartwarming.

One of the strengths of this book lies in its engaging characters, each with their own complexities and motivations. As they navigate the twists and turns of the mystery, readers become invested in their journeys, rooting for them every step of the way. Allen skillfully develops their relationships, adding depth and emotional resonance to the story.

For fans of cozy mysteries, "Protecting Her Heart" is a must-read. Allen's masterful storytelling, coupled with an engaging plot and well-developed characters, makes this book a delightful and satisfying read from start to finish.

I loved this story. Learning about women and their professions in the Victorian era is fascinating- makes me glad that things have changed. I loved that she studied in America that was fun.
I love that this author does a good romance with smart female characters and some mystery added in. Makes it more enjoyable to read. I’ve read the other books in this series and loved them all. This one can be read as a stand alone but it was fun seeing characters from previous books make appearances.

I really do think this is my favorite Proper Romance series of all time! I love the element of suspense and drama these books hold while still being a clean read. No language, no sex, just good old fashioned "who done it?"

John and Charlotte make a great team. I love the unconventional female and the male who isn't afraid to go against his parents and society's expectations.

I appreciated that I never really did know who the culprit was and I was in suspense until the big reveal. (The 1869 ball was genius!!)

Thank you for writing clean romantic suspense that is an absolute delight to read!!

Wow! This is another great story in the Hampton family. I'm so sorry that this is the last cousin. Trying to figure out who else Nancy can write about because I'm not ready for this series to end. SO good!

I look forward to reading all of Nancy’s books! She is an amazing author! This book was so good. Go read this book! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

It's 1887, and the third member of a trio of cousins is finally going to get her happily ever after. I read and liked the first two books of the series, the second more than the first. Although there is continuity, there is no specific need to read all of the books to understand what is happening in this one, but it does make sense to go in order to get a feel for the people involved.
This book has jumped a few years in the future in the timeline from the last time we visited the cousins. The third character in the trio is a doctor. She has just finished her training in the US and is headed back to her country because of a strange letter she received from her father.
This leads her to start to look into her mother's death, something she did not know was suspicious to begin with. Her partner in helping her is the man who saw two of his friends and colleagues get hitched recently and is left to pair up with the remaining cousin. This is not a situation he has a problem with, although their getting together spells trouble for both of them professionally.
We get a peek at how the medical industry and the fledgling Scotland Yard worked at the time. The mystery itself plays out systematically, and the investigation is methodical enough to follow. The pool of suspects is narrow, so it makes sense to not be too surprised by the reveal.
I enjoyed visiting this time and place and would recommend this series to fans of historical mysteries with a dash of romance. The second is still the one I liked best of the lot.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I am a huge NCA fan, really having loved her steampunk series, and she seems to be perfectly matched with Victorian England. I have loved each book in this series about the cousins. The mystery elements and romance are intriguing and sweet.
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Charlotte has returned back to England at the news her father her passed. But before he did, he sent her a cryptic letter that raises questions of what she thought she knew of the past. This has a great mystery and action, friends to lovers, forbidden love, women supporting women and a friend group. The books don’t need to be read in order but the stories are all so unique from each other.
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I could easily see this as a movie. It was a little slow in the beginning but I know it’s to build the situation. It was interesting to learn about fingerprinting was considered new and not widely used.
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This book released earlier this year. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the arc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

OK SUHC A GOOD SERIES I LOVE A HOT HISTORICAL ROMANCE THANK YOU SO MUCH TO NETGALLEY FOR THE ADVANCED READER COPY VERY COOL!

This series is an example of this author’s amazing ability to write a Victorian suspenseful romance. Each book stands alone, but the characters intertwine.

The plot: Charlotte returns as a surgeon and not everyone is happy about this accomplishment. Before his death, her father sent her a letter that raised suspicion regarding her mother’s death. John is the police officer and friend she turns to for help. Hellooooo John.

The characters: Loved both of these characters to pieces. Charlotte is smart and carries herself with dignity through her trials. John is her protector in the best of ways.

Verdict: Read the entire series and find out what happens when the past resurfaces and affects Charlotte’s future. And you need John in your life folks.

Nancy Campbell Allen has a beautiful way in weaving a love story. I loved the intrigue and danger that makes the love and attraction between Charlotte and John grow even stronger. This story had me on the edge of my seat and turning each page through the wee hours of the morning. SO GOOD!

This is the third installment in a series I have loved! I was happy Charlotte finally got her chance to shine. John aka Director Ellis may have been my favorite hero in this series. I thought he was so tender! The mystery element of these stories always keeps me invested. I also appreciated that the conclusion of the story wasn't dragged out. A delightful way to finish a lovely series!

I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books in the series - the Hampton cousins Amelie, Eva and Charlotte. Charlotte left England to attend medical school in the US because it wasn’t considered acceptable for women to be doctors. She comes home as quickly as she can when she receives a letter from her father hinting that her mother’s death wasn’t an accident, but he dies before she gets home. She spends the rest of the book investigating that day with the help of her good friend John Ellis, director of the metropolitan police criminal investigation unit.

Read this is you like friends to lovers, clean romance, murder mystery, close friends, and strong independent women. It’s so sad her mom died when she was very young, but I loved that she looked like her mom as she grew up into adulthood. Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC to use for my review.

A beautifully crafted novel. Characters full of depth and a well-build mystery/murder case.
I absolutely loved the story of John and Charlotte! While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, since the connections are carefully explained.
Nancy Campbell Allen was a new to me author, but I'm looking forward to reading as many as I can from her books.

I've read and loved the previous books in this series and anxiously awaited for Charlotte's story. Charlotte's been in America studying to become a doctor, but before she can begin her first assignment after graduating she receives a letter from her father asking her to come home because he's fallen ill. While on the journey home, Charlotte's father dies. While taking care of things at the estate, she comes across some old letters belonging to her mother, which raise several questions and suggest that maybe her mother's death wasn't an accident.

There are so many things I loved about this book. I like that it's set in the Victorian era because women were getting a little more freedom and holding jobs other than being a seamstress or governess. I loved that Charlotte followed her dream to become a doctor and how John supported her, as there were many men who thought women were too delicate or not intelligent enough to be in medicine. I loved the multiple POV and getting to catch up with Charlotte's cousins and catch up on their lives since they found love.

I love romantic suspense and no one does it better in a historical setting than Nancy Campbell Allen. The mystery kept me guessing who wanted Charlotte's family gone and what their motive could've been. I love, love, love that John fell first and thought he and Charlotte had fantastic chemistry!! Speaking of John, I really liked that he followed his own path and not one his family picked out for him. I found him so swoony and thought he was perfect for Charlotte!

One of my favorite lines from John showed how much he cared about Charlotte. "To not have her in his life at all would be worse than loving her from a safe distance."

This can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend all of the books in this series. You won't be disappointed. I loved each of them. I received a digital copy from Shadow Mountain via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I ended up enjoying this book! I love regency and Victorian romanced and I was skeptical about the “Pure Romance” line. While this book didn’t have as ma at lingering glances to build the romance, I really enjoyed the friendship between the main characters, the relationships with secondary characters, and the mystery element. It was well-written with good dialogue and an enjoyable read!

The Notorious Hampton gets her story! I LOVE Nancy Campbell Allen's historical novels, so this was a treat! Charlotte Hampton ("of the notorious branch of the Hamptons," haha), returns to England for her father's funeral. He had been suspecting the death of his wife a decade ago was, in fact, murder. Charlotte has to decide what to do with this unsettling information, so she turns to her good friend and London's police force director, John Ellis. They unravel clues, investigate the cold case, and unfortunately attract attention from the murderer. And during the course of events, they fall in love of course!

I loved the historical details and the suspense. I always enjoy interesting jobs--and director of the police force and a trailblazer woman doctor are both fantastic. I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, as it begins with the mystery and I didn't have an emotional connection as to whether or not Charlotte learned the truth (I'm here for the historical fiction and romance--mystery is an added bonus). I was curious if Charlotte's father was murdered as he got too close to the truth, but that's unclear. The romance is sweet. I liked the second half of the story the most. The group of friends is nice to revisit and the I enjoyed this final (but also stand alone) addition!

I listened to the Audiobook and the narrator was pleasant (I did speed it up a tad).