This book is a heartwarming and captivating story that is told with sincerity. I definitely recommend picking up this book! The author's writing style is smooth and descriptive. I really like that. This is the third book in the series. it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the previous book to become familiar with the previous characters.

A female doctor, police detective, friends to lovers and a murder mystery - what a delightful little historical romance. The development of friends seeing each other in a new light, was do so well here. Very believable and swoon worthy.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finally got around to reading this one and I was NOT disappointed! This was a cosy, romantic and thrilling little period novel that was a fairly quick and very enjoyable read.

Things I loved:
- Charlotte and John. She is fierce, independent, brave and not afraid to show her vulnerability in front of those she loves. He is strong, kind, protective and takes everything Charlotte says and feels seriously.
- The murder mystery. Because YES. I love a good whodunnit, and this didn’t disappoint…I was kept guessing right until the end, and I didn’t pick the right culprit which is always a nice surprise!
- Dirk. A strong, silent, protective Scotsman with a hidden sense of humour and a penchant for rugby? Love.

Constructive feedback:
- Female doctors were not common (sadly) and although it was more common in America, I still struggle with the slightly unrealistic approach to her qualification and employment situation.

That’s it! Solid 4 ⭐️

It was very well written. I enjoyed Charlotte as a strong female lead. It was hard for me to get into the book. Mainly because I can’t relate to being a strong female doctor. And I don’t think it’s necessary to not show weakness. We all have weaknesses. But I appreciated her caring and giving nature.

It was well written. The mystery was very well done. It left me enthralled to the very end. I’m excited how the ending went. Overall, this was a good book to end with a HEA.

I didn’t realize I was getting a historical romance mystery when I decided to apply for this ARC because I definitely did not read the blurb haha

But I enjoyed it! Truly a surprise and I’ve never been happier for it. Charlotte is an awesome main character, determined to solve this decades old crime that has come to light upon her arrival back home.

The mystery is intriguing for sure, but it lacked some intensity that I would have wanted to keep me engaged the entire time. Could this be because of the historical elements? Maybe, but it didn’t completely hinder my enjoyment of the book.

Charlotte and John’s relationship, as childhood friends to lovers, is very cute. Charlotte’s work as a doctor has affected her view of herself and what she’s capable of, and John has never been interested in relationships because of family expectations. A lovely slow burn.

My only issue is that the ending feels horribly rushed which makes me so sad! We have such a great build up for the first two thirds and then in the third act, it feels like we waste time on scenes that were included just for the sake of raising the stakes to be a climactic reveal. The reveal ended up being one of my least favorite parts, just because it felt underwhelming.

That being said, I still enjoyed the story and I do really like this author’s writing, I’d read more from her! An unexpected ARC turned out good this time.

3.75/5, rounded up to a 4 for the sake of the review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review! Looking forward to seeing this in stores in January 2024!

This 3rd book in the series brings John and Charlotte together. As we all knew it would. It is full of adventure. I was surprised and how much roughing up was involved. The characters are great. I wondered why the idea that a doctor working in a hospital couldn't get married if she was a female. Male doctors had wives so I was confused by this issue of conflict. All in all, I enjoyed this offering. If you like this type of historical mystery romance, you will enjoy this book.

Oh my, this story was an absolute delight!

The cover immediately caught my eye, and after reading the blurb, I was sold. Women doctors, police detectives, and a murder mystery?! Yes, yes, yes!

John and Charlotte were adorable. They’re long time friends whose friend group has paired off into couples, leaving them the last singles standing. Their romance is tender & slow, protective & built on mutual trust and understanding.

The chilling murder mystery is the perfect cosy read, and yet will keep you on your toes! While this is technically the third book in a connected series, they don’t have to be read in order.

My heart rejoiced over allll the delicious medical facets & details. Allen so wonderfully handles the balance between the Victorian independent woman and marriage & romance. And the side characters are enchanting! The Van Horne sisters had me rolling, and I fell in love with Dirk, the loveliest Scottish bodyguard ever. I would be soooo happy to read his story! 😍🥺

Allen is a new-to-me author, but I will quickly be devouring her backlist!


*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I enjoyed every minute of reading this book. Now I really would like to go back and read the first two books. The romance was amazing and the mystery kept me guessing until the end.

I just reviewed Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen. #ProtectingHerHeart #NetGalley

A very exciting addition to this series.
When Charlotte receives a letter from her father, about his failing health, she returns home, planning to spend his final days with him. When arrives home, he has already passed. He left a letter for her, stating he had evidence to prove her mother's death was not the accident everyone was told.
As she embarks on the journey of finding the hidden evidence, she encounters a stranger, who will stop at nothing, to keep her from finding the truth.
John is determined to keep her safe throughout the investigation. Though both are focused on their careers, they work together on the mystery of 20 years ago, with little evidence to go on.

Nancy Campbell Allen always delivers a wonderful story. Protecting Her Heart is exactly that. Though it could be read as a stand-alone novel, I recommend reading the previous two in the series first. It will make your reading experience all the sweeter. Here's what I particularly loved about this story.

The female heroine - a strong and independent medical doctor
The male hero - a kind and thoughtful director of police
The mystery - solid with a good amount of action and suspense
The trope - friends to lovers, my personal favorite

Add all of that to Allen's top-notch writing and you have the perfect Victorian romance. I loved it.

FYI - The romance is chaste

I received an ARC from Shadow Mountain and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

i have a habit of picking up romance books that are actually part of a series, when i just think they are standalones. i’ve done it again here — however, despite being the third in a trilogy, ‘protecting her heart’ can be read as a standalone. it quickly fills you in on it’s surrounding characters simply and easily, so you don’t feel left out at all.

the book is short, but it fills it’s pages with a sweet romance and an interesting crime, both of which i enjoyed reading about. the mystery is heavily focused on and intricate and keeps you guessing until the very end.

for fans of strong female characters, this one is for you. charlotte is strong-willed and incredibly likeable. and so are the surrounding characters too. it’s easy to root for her and john to fall for each other and nice to read about as they do.

When Charlotte receives a misterious letter from his dying father asking for her help, in order to discover the events surrounding the death of her mother, she decided is time to go back to England. But is too late, and before she can meet him, his father has died. Now she has to take matters on his father state. There she finds a box with her mother letters, but besides containing memories from her, they are also discoverings of information that doesnt fit the reality of her mother´s circunstances of death. So, she has no choice but to count with the help of his childhood friend, John Elllis, now the Director of Police London force.
John has always had feelings for Charlotte, admiring her incredible mind and beauty, but never has been able to say a word to her about it. But that doesnt mean he is going to turn her down. He has to help her.
in the process, they will find pieces of information, lies and secrets that will put them in danger but also bound their hearts together. John will protect her and her heart no matter what. But by doing it, will he be able to protect his of heartbreak?
I have enjoyed this book a lot! From the 1st page you smell the mistery and the romance is just swoony and tender. Its my first book from Nancy but is not going to be the last! Can´t wait to read her next release!

PROTECTING HER HEART is The third and last book in "The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart" by Nancy Campbell Allen.
This book is a great blend of mystery, intrigue and a slow-burn romance between long-time friends, Scotland Yard's Director John Ellis and Dr. Charlotte Duvall part of the "Notorious Branch of the Hampton family".
This book is fast paced and keeps you engaged till the end, with witty dialogue, well fleshed out plot, interesting twists, and wonderfully written characters,
I would highly recommend this book and the whole series.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I have been waiting for this book for SO long. Since first reading The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart, Charlotte was my favorite of the "Notorious Hamptons" and ever since their first scene together, I have shipped Charlotte and John Ellis. I'm happy to say that this book did not disappoint!

The story was engaging, and I enjoyed the mystery. I can't remember for certain, but I felt like the previous books in the series might have hinted that something was off about the death of Charlotte's mom, and so I found it interesting and satisfying to delve into that more deeply here. Also, it was lots of fun seeing Eva and Amelie (and Nathan and Michael) again. I enjoyed seeing how their lives were progressing and moving forward.

Now for the romance. It was a bit slow-burn, but I think the author did a great job of not stringing the reader along too much. Like I said above, I have been waiting for this one since John and Charlotte's first moment of interaction back in book 1, so I don't think I would have appreciated it if this book took too long for them to get together! Thankfully, I think it was handled really well.

Overall, I think I really only had two complaints. The first is that I wish there had been more resolution with John's family. They had major issues with his potential relationship with Charlotte, which seemed to be a focus during the earlier parts of the book. It was great to see John stand up to his father, but that was that last time we saw or heard about his family. I think it would have been nice to have some more definitive conclusion to that... It wouldn't have to be anything big, but just something to wrap it up. The author did this with Charlotte's relationships with her brothers, as well as Charlotte's career future... just a quick wrap up. So it felt a little odd to me that John's family was just never mentioned again.

Second, I wish some of "the Friends" had been developed a little bit more. Besides the Carters and Anastacia Worthingstone, I had a hard time differentiating any of the others. However, I wouldn't have wanted them to be developed in place of Charlotte or John's characters and relationship... so, if that was the trade off, then I'm happy with how it worked out.

Overall, I loved the book. I read it in less than a day, and then went back immediately and took my time re-reading it. I can't wait till it comes out so I can buy my own copy! I would definitely recommend to romance fans, especially if you've been reading the series from the beginning.

I've enjoyed this whole series. I thought the mystery and intrigue with its twists was well done and held my interest. This was just as much a mystery as a romance. I found the friendship stellar and enjoyed the humor sprinkled in their interactions. I also found the romance part of the story had its tender and aww moments. I always enjoy when a little bit of historical fact gets woven into the narritave. I think it helps bring the story and characters to life and gives believability. A couple of times, I feel, the author wrote in a bit of social commentary, I.e. Married women and employment, in a way I thought it leaned towards more the told not shown. I don't support the idea of restricting the type of work or if women can work during marriage but I guess a couple of times how it was written in pulled me out of the story. However, that was once maybe twice and overall that was not the feeling of the book. Of course, another reader wouldn't even notice this. I enjoyed the pacing of the story and the characters. We do get a nice wrap up of questions the reader will have once the crime is solved which I loved. I did wonder how the H's family was doing though. I will continue to read from this author again. I find her stories, plots and characters interesting and engaging.
*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

Loved every minute of it. Now I definitely need to go back and read the first two books. Romance was great and mystery kept me guessing until the end.

"Protecting Her Heart" features the third Hampton cousin, Charlotte Duvall. She joins cousins Amelie and Eva as a Woman of Independent Means. Now a physician, she's reunited with friend Detective John Ellis, and together they work to solve her mother's long-ago murder.

This well-crafted tale has mystery and murder. Charlotte and John's journey from friends to much more is sweet and believable. Many characters from the previous two books make memorable appearances. The delightful Van Horne sisters play a pivotal role in unmasking the murderer. The clever scheme unfolds, and the complicated truth emerges. This reader was left guessing until the end, and that is a GOOD thing.

I've long been a fan of Nancy Campbell Allen's work, and I have read most of her novels. Her prose is wonderful. As with her previous tales, "Protecting Her Heart" is also clean. As Charlotte Duvall is the last Hampton cousin, this may be the final book in the series. Although this work can stand alone, characters are better understood if the two books preceding this are read first.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC of this engaging read.

There is something so charming about this series that makes me forget that romantic suspense is not my thing. I adored this book about two old friends, independent and successful in their own rights, who are reunited when Charlotte returns home to mourn her recently deceased father and investigate the circumstances of her mother’s long ago demise. John is not only her friend, he is the head of the police force so it only seems logical to ask for his help. As things get riskier with their investigation they also get riskier with the feelings they share becoming undeniable. The romance is more in the background to the well done mystery in this installment but is no less lovely for it. Their steadfast appreciation for each other made my heart flutter. I loved that Charlotte was a highly trained doctor and could have read hundreds more pages about her career. I am hoping that a certain Scottish bodyguard will get his own book because I would hate to see this series end.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A terrific who done it with a romantic twist. I love an English style who done it. I don't know why, maybe the characters go about finding out who done it so naturally and smartly manner or maybe the story is more important than the grisly detail of other type of mystery stories, but whatever it is this story has done a marvelous job in unraveling the puzzle. Lets just say the past comes back for justice.

I love that this storyteller has given the main women in this story real jobs even though they are living in the 1880's and jobs in those days are looked down upon. I like that the three women Charlotte, Eva and Alice are strong and have significant others that except them as they are. And there not afraid to pursue what they think is best.
I love the relationship that grows between John and Charlotte it's very romantic. I hope to hear from this couple in the future, maybe with another mystery.

I want to thank Shadow Mountain Publishing, Shadow Mountain and NetGalley for the advance copy of this, who done it, story.

“"My reputation can only be enhanced by keeping company with the smartest, most stunningly beautiful woman in London."”

The final book in the Hampton House series is here and you don’t want to miss it. Join Dr. Charlotte Duvall, Director of London’s police John Ellis and their friends for one more murder mystery.

Charlotte is returning home from America after becoming a Doctor. She receives news of her father’s death on her journey. Charlotte was such a fun character to learn more about! She is a strong, independent woman in a time of when that wasn’t a good thing, but that doesn’t stop her. While starting a new job where one of her coworkers tries to get her to leave, she is also trying to solve a murder. It’s quite impressive. Thank goodness she has John around to help her manage everything, even though she tries to keep him an arm’s length away when it comes to her heart. I also enjoyed seeing Charlotte and her relationship with her cousins from her point of view. I love how close they are.

John has been in love with Charlotte basically since the moment he met her. He loves everything about her and wants her to succeed in every aspect of her life. John is such a great character, I love how he fell first and he didn’t pressure Charlotte to love him back. He played the long game and was always there for her. He was one of her best friends before she realized she liked him back. I love the banter John has with all the other characters. I definitely got some good laugh from his interaction with his group of friends.

This book is the last one in the series but you can read it as a standalone. Nancy gives you enough information so you’re not lost if this is the first book you picked up in the series. You do see the couples from the previous first two books, which I think you would appreciate more if you’ve read the other books. This is also a fast pace book, it doesn’t take long for things to happen.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. These thoughts and opinions are my own.