This book is about Charlotte Duvall, a medical doctor in 1887. She has just graduated from medical school in America when she receives news of her father’s death. When she goes through his belongings after the funeral, she discovers things that suggest that her mother’s death a long time ago wasn’t as simple as she has been told. She starts to investigate with help from her friend John Ellis, director of London’s police.

John Ellis fell for Charlotte the first time they met but has never had the courage to tell her. Now when she’s back in London, he does whatever he can to help her with the investigation and protect her from harm.

The story is told from the point of view of both Charlotte and John. I like when it alternates between the main characters; it gives more depth to the story.

This is book three in a series, but it could be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the other two before this one, but I think it worked quite well. Maybe you get more invested in the story if you read the others before, but it’s not absolutely necessary to read them.

I liked the book and the characters overall. It is quite fun sometimes and is never boring. The love story is quite cute. Well worth reading, but maybe nothing that stays in your mind forever.

Charlotte Duvall receives a letter from her dying father, that alludes to her mother's death not being an accident. She returns home after her father's death and starts investigating. She sees her longtime friends again, especially John Ellis who is the director of the police. She tells them of her mother's death possibly not being an accident. John helps her try to solve the mystery. When more and more suspicious activity and threats happen to Charlotte, they know they must be getting close.

I really enjoyed this story. It was my first read by this author, and I loved her writing style. I loved both main characters, Charlotte and John. They are the friends to lovers trope, and I loved it. I really liked how they got together. They are both so brave, romantic and work well together. I also liked the other friends. I did not read the other books in this series, but I wasn't confused so it definitely works as a standalone. I want to go back and read the others though. The mystery element was really well done, and I enjoyed watching them figure out who killed Charlotte's mom. Overall, this is a great clean historical romance and I definitely recommend.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

3.5
I enjoyed the mystery aspect and also the parts regarding Charlotte's career as a doctor. I didn't think the romance was believable and I felt like a relationship between Charlotte and Dirk would have made more sense. It was still an enjoyable read though! I recommend for fans of historical fiction/romance.

Absolutely love this story. The mystery held great red herrings, subtle clues and awesome pacing.

The romance was the perfect amount of slow burn. I loved the friends to lovers vibe that gave their relationship both depth and tension.

It was impossible to put down.

Excellent…perfect…proficiency from surprise to surprise.
Many thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My favorite of the series! Set in the Victorian Era this was such a satisfying mystery. Charlotte is studying in America to become a doctor, receives a letter from her dying father with questions about her mother’s death and comes home to England. With the help of her friends she seeks to uncover the truth. Her slow burn romance with her friend and detective, John, is so sweet. I highly recommend it. The third in the series but can be read as a stand alone.

I enjoyed this book. I loved that we got to see characters from the previous 2 books and see what they had been up too. I liked that we got to see Charlotte and John finally admit their feelings for each other. I also loved how engaging the story was as we tried to solve the case along with the characters. I was on the edge of my seat while reading the book and didn’t want to put it down. This is a series that I will read over and over again.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

WOW! This book is PHENOMENAL! It is gripping, intriguing, romantic, heartbreaking, hopeful, sweet, full of twists and turns, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "Protecting Her Heart", I was whisked back in time to the Victorian Era, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Nancy Campbell Allen is an amazing author whose storytelling jumps right off of the page. Her writing is incredibly visceral, detailed, and immersive. As the reader, I was hooked from the very first page to the last, and found myself turning the pages into the early hours of the morning to see what was going to happen next. Furthermore, her characters all feel like such real people as well.

Charlotte, a doctor living in America, receives a letter from her father referencing her mother's death, and she rushes home. However, she does not arrive before he passes away, and Charlotte decides she must get to the bottom of what really happened to her mother, as she begins to suspect her death was not an accident. She is welcomed home by her friends and family (the cousins), who try and help Charlotte discover the truth. As she begins to spend more time with her friend John as they investigate further into what happened to her mom, their feelings for one another continue to deepen, blossom, and come to the surface. However, some other people are out to stop Charlotte from discovering the truth, and do not care who gets hurt along the way.

(Possible Spoilers!)
OH MY GOODNESS! Charlotte and John are absolutely perfect together, and are truly one another's happily-ever-after. Both are so brave, kind-hearted, intelligent, and have such loving hearts. They support one another in such a beautiful way, and the respect and love they have for each other is so beautiful to read. They are simply so sweet!

I absolutely adore Charlotte, John, Eva, Nathan, Amelia, and Michael, and their relationships to one another are so beautiful to read!

If you enjoy Historical Romance and / or Historical Mystery, I HIGHLY recommend this book! I so look forward to reading what Nancy Campbell Allen writes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the e-ARC of this novel, and to Shadow Mountain Publishing for the physical ARC as well, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved the two previous books about the Notorious Hampton cousins, and I was so excited to get a chance to read Charlotte’s story early. And I loved it, too! This book has a mystery and a romance, two of my favorite things! As much as I love this book, I was also sad to see it end, as I think this means the end of this book world, (unless Sally gets a story one day? 🙏🏻🤞🏻) and I have enjoyed every minute I’ve gotten to spend there. I haven’t read many Victorian Era books that have a really good mystery and romance, and I’m always happy when I find one. And I thought it was really cool that Charlotte was a doctor in a time when there were very few women in that profession.

“John watched her prepare to leave and finally understood the word “longing”.”

* These strong, charming men who have a soft spot for the girl? Love
* This mystery is intriguing so far and I like it!
* Kinda didn’t see the whodunit but definitely should have! Very well done.

This was such a sweet and fun book! I love this series and this was a fabulous way to end it!

Charlotte and John are such good characters and I loved their story! I loved the build up to the love and the way it all played out. They are so supportive of each other and I appreciated that the miscommunication trope wasn’t too heavy in there.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I kept putting off reading this book because I knew once I started I wouldn't be able to stop and I was right. I have loved this series. The Notorious Hamptons are such a fun bunch. I've loved getting to know the younger ones and seeing them find their HEAs. This stories are full of love, romance, mystery and peril. Charlotte is an amazingly strong woman. I was so proud of her love and determination. John was such a great hero for her. He understood her and loved and supported her. I loved their story. The case and mystery was tragic. It shed a light on a world we know, but try to ignore, as has been the case in this whole series. The end wrapped up rather quickly and I still have a couple questions, but I'll just have to make up my own answers I guess.

I like this final in the series and loved all the characters, it's slow burn, but honest friendships and relationships and independent women for the time.

This latest installment of the Matchmakers series raises the stakes quite a bit. Although the earlier books do include some danger, they fall more in the realm of cozy mysteries. This one had a touch more grit. This might be in part because some years have passed since the last book. The characters are a little older and more experienced in terms of crime scenes, injuries, and illness. Charlotte’s cousins are both married with children while Charlotte herself has become a skilled physician and surgeon in America. John has similarly spent the intervening years focused on work. It was interesting to see them reconnect. I also enjoyed catching up with characters from the earlier books. It was especially fun to see the Van Horne sisters up to their usual antics.

BRIEF REVIEW
I really enjoyed this one! The characters were likable. There was honestly never a point where I wanted to stop reading! I stayed up late a couple of times because I wanted that notorious "just one more chapter." And I could not settle on a theory! This is the third in the series, and I like that it takes place several years after the second book.

READ IF YOU LIKE
🇬🇧Victorian England
🩺FMC with education and experience
💕Sweet romance
❓Mystery

BRIEF CONTENT GUIDE
😘Mild romance
🙊No swearing
🍷Mild substance use
🤕Moderate violence/illness/injury

FULL REVIEW AND CONTENT GUIDE on blog (link in bio)

BOTTOM LINE
In my opinion, this was the best in the series! If you haven't read the others, you'll probably want to read those first, as this one takes place several years later and give some spoilers.

Many thanks to the author, @netgalley, and @shadowmountainpub for the digital copy.

If you enjoy Victorian romance with plenty of intrigue and mystery, Nancy Campbell Allen’s Matchmakers series is for you! Protecting Her Heart gives readers the long awaited romance between Charlotte and John, and has so many swoony moments. I’m hoping we see these characters again, and I had my head turned by a few others whose stories haven’t been told yet….hint hint! Definitely add this one to your TBR. 4/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen is the third book in her Victorian mystery romance series and it was well worth the wait. Charlotte Duvall has recently graduated from medical school in the United States. She receives a cryptic letter from her father, telling her that her mother’s death may not have been the accident everyone believes. Before she can speak to him in person, however, he dies. After the funeral, Charlotte is determined to look into her mother’s death—but someone is just as anxious to make sure she doesn’t. With the help of her friend John Ellis, who is the director of London’s police force, she follows the few clues that she has, but danger seems to lurk around every corner. John and Charlotte work closely together to solve the mystery, and they soon start to see each other in a new light. But with the odds stacked against them, can they take a chance on love?

This book has everything you want in a mystery romance. Intrigue and danger, villains and heroes. I stayed up until one in the morning just to see who the murderer was! And John and Charlotte’s relationship is a slow, delicious burn as they build on the friendship they’ve always had. There is plenty of swoon and sigh-worthy kisses expertly woven in between the solving of a mystery with an abundance of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. And while this book can be read standalone, there are several supporting characters from previous books that you will want to know just so you can see the continuation of their story in this book. Protecting Her Heart is definitely one you’ll put on your keeper shelf.

I really enjoyed this last installment in the Matchmakers series. We are back again with our group of friends, but its been a few years since the end of the previous story. Charlotte is returning from the United States after becoming a doctor at the behest of her father in a cryptic note about the passing of her mother years ago. Unfortunately, before she makes it back, she receives word of her father's passing, which ratches up the mystery of what he so desperately wanted to tell her. Her friends are all proud of her and pleased she is back in town, but no one more so than John, police director and her best friend. I really enjoyed that this mystery was more of a whodunnit rather than a howdunnit like the previous book. I also loved the friends to lovers aspect and the way the two understood each other. Overall, it was a really nice romance and a messy mystery.

What a delightful conclusion to the stories of these cousins! This is by far the best in the series, head and shoulders above the other two. What started as a series that didn't lean enough into the mystery or romance aspects has evolved into a series with a great cast, highlight reels for female AND male friendships, and an action-packed, heart-stopping novel that balances the romance (swoon!) with action (murder! conspiracy!).

The core strength of this last book is, rightly, Charlotte and John. They're both incredibly strong-willed, but there wasn't too much wishy-washing around about their feelings and the obstacles they faced in their romance. John is dedicated to keeping Charlotte safe and finding answers for her, but he never veers into condescension. He's handsome AND respects her intelligence and independence. Charlotte is equally determined, but is willing to accept help and doesn't push everyone away in her quest for justice.

Their story has so much action and romance that I was turning pages almost faster than I could get them read! The mystery, as it was, did slightly confuse me at the end, as there was a lot of setup for a big reveal that felt anti-climactic. However, this is a delightful conclusion to the series and I wish that there were more cousins to keep me in this world.

"If tonight has taught me nothing else, it is that love is not guaranteed, that one doesn't always love someone who will return it, and that with one blow, a life can end. I do not want to have regrets, and right now, this very minute, I want to know you are mine and I am yours."

My rating: 4.25

A stunning conclusion to the Hampton cousins' trilogy. With the perfect amount of mystery, romance, healing, and lighthearted fun.

I'm actually pretty sad this trilogy is ending. I loved this family, their dynamic, the support they gave each other—everything. The Hamptons are fun, unique, and delightfully unorthodox at times. In a time where women were encouraged to fall back, be quiet, and follow the status quo, Charlotte, Eva, and Amelie stood up, stood out, and followed their hearts. These women were incredibly well-crafted, and I thoroughly enjoyed each of their stories.

Charlotte and John were utterly entertaining, and their friendship was darling. I loved their obliviousness to each other and appreciated the distinct lack of miscommunication in general. The way they bantered with and supported each other was beautiful, and I know I'll be coming back to enjoy their antics again.

The mystery of was delightful and kept me guessing right until the truth was revealed. I appreciated that the author didn't skirt around difficult topics and situations. Everything was done and crafted incredibly well.

Gneral notes:
Book: Protecting Her Heart
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Genre: Historical Mystery Romance
Language: None
Romance: Kisses
Violence: Mild
Trigger/Content Warnings: Death of a parent, murder, etc.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and the author for my advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4/5

Reasons to read:
- Murder Mystery
- Suspense
- Friends to lLovers romance
- found family
- Victorian Era Setting
- Historical notes
- Surgeon FMC, Detective MC

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭:
Romance: Clean Read (kissing only)
Trigger warning: Murder, death

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

The third installment in Nancy Campbell Allen’s Victorian Mystery series, Protecting her Heart, may be my favorite yet.

After Charlotte returns from America for her father’s funeral, she discovers disturbing details about her late mother’s death that raise suspicions about her father's passing. She quickly calls on the help of her cousins and the detective, John. John and Charlotte have been in the same circles since their first meeting, yet have had nothing but respect and friendship between them, that is until a different sort of feeling starts to grow amid danger.

I loved watching the progression from friendship to love between John and Charlotte. I felt it developed realistically, and I enjoyed the banter that passed between them. Their chemistry was great, and I especially enjoyed the respect and open communication they had with each other, it highlighted the depth of their relationship. Both characters played off each other well, but each was equally strong individually. I loved Charolotte's independence and determination to make it as a surgeon and help others. John has had a heavy load on his shoulders, running a detective agency and trying to balance his family's expectations. Both held their ground and were a delight to read.

While the romance and the characters in this story were great, there is something to be admired about the mystery and suspense elements added. I could not guess the way that things would unravel, even if I had my guess as to what the final villain was. I was completely pulled in by the family secrets and conspiracies that haunted Charlotte. John’s protective nature and drive to see her safe, but figuring out the root of the mystery played beautifully into the plot.

With the final cousin having her happily ever after, I hope to see more of this family and their unconventional lives in more books.

While this can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the series in order, as to get the full journey between John and Charlotte.

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing for my copy of this book!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.