Protecting Her Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
I have enjoyed each book in the Hampton House series and this one was probably my favorite. From the very beginning I was drawn in. There was suspense, romance, danger, and intrigue. I did not want to put it down and was invested in the story right up to the very end.

I loved seeing the cousins from the previous book and enjoyed seeing John and Charlotte fall in love.

I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a read full of suspense and action. I really want to learn more about Dirk (I loved him) so I hope we see him again in a future book or series.
#ProtectingHerHeart #NetGalley

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Nancy Campbell Allen for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Protecting Her Heart coming out January 2, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve been a fan of Nancy Campbell Allen’s writing for a long time. Historical romance is one of my favorite genres. This series is really fun because I feel like they could all be standalone books. They all have different stories and plots. I loved To Capture His Heart especially. I really enjoyed this one as well, but I think it was missing a couple things for me. I thought a lot of the time was spent on Charlotte’s parents. A lot of it was about solving a mystery which I really enjoyed. I loved the mystery element to the book. However, it always seemed like John was bending over backwards for Charlotte. He even enlisted his friend’s help to protect her. And she was always like “We’re just friends. We could never work.” I think her hesitations and doubts didn’t really have a justifiable reason. But overall I really enjoyed the book. I love the Victorian era, and I thought it was really interesting that Charlotte was a doctor.

I would recommend the series to anyone who enjoys Victorian era romance!

This Victorian era novel was such a great read! It was the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and romance.

The tension and chemistry between Charlotte and John was wonderful, and it was clear from the start how perfect they were for each other. I loved their bantering, and friends to more, slow burn romance.

The story was fast paced, and the mystery involving the death of Charlotte’s mother, hooked me from the beginning and had me second-guessing myself as to who the villain was and what their motive was.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys an engaging mystery and romantic historical fiction; one that is full of secrets, forbidden love, jealousy, danger, murder, good friends, sweet romance, kisses only, and closure that leads to a very satisfying HEA.

I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain but a positive review was not required.

'He'd best unravel the tangled web Mr. Duvall had left behind quickly les he fall irretrievably in love with his best friend.'

Ahhhhhh! This series! It's delightful in every way-well except for the fact that murders are happening lol.

The characters chemistry between romance and friendship is so much fun.
The suspense that has spanned a generation will leave you on the edge of your seat!

'Now that Pandora's box had been opened, Charlotte wasn't certain she wanted to look inside.'

Trying to solve this mystery was so much fun. I put a post-it note in my book each time I guessed a suspect and by the end I don't want to say how many post it notes were in that book, but I will admit that I loved every second of it!

I loved the representation of an early female doctor well ahead of her times and someone who would pave the way for future women in the medical field. Charlotte's character right from the beginning is inquisitive and outgoing and I knew right from the first chapter that I would love her character.

John is my new favorite "Best Friends to More" male lead! Nancy did such a great job with his character. I loved his protectiveness, friendship and definitely his romantic banter and swoony ways!

I can't recommend this book enough or speak highly enough of it! It's an all-around fantastic read from start to finish!

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

Content: Murder, mild violence, past and current wounds are talked about in detail as the main female character is a doctor and observes them, romance-kisses only.

Charlotte Duvall finished her medical school training in Pennsylvania and had secured a job at St. Anne’s Women and Children’s Clinic in New York, when she received an urgent, yet cryptic letter from her father, begging her to return to England. The letter was regarding the death of her mother and warned of danger and long-kept secrets and implied that her mother, Katerine Duvall’s death was not an accident, he also claimed he had proof and wanted her help. She had put in for a leave of absence from her job to return to England to see him and was making travel arrangements when she got word from her eldest brother that their father was ill and his prognosis was not promising. Sadly, he passed before she arrived home, leaving her to figure out what he meant in his letter. At her father’s funeral she is reunited with her cousins Amelie and Eva, as well as their husbands and her dear friend Johnathan “John” Ellis, director of the Metropolitan Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (the only other unmarried person in their circle of friends). She tells them of her father’s letter and they promise to help her. She is grateful and decides to stay in England, she even finds work at a hospital for the underprivileged. Things seem to be going well, but almost as soon as she starts investigating, it becomes clear that her father was not wrong about the danger. She is attacked and warned to return to America, but her attacker underestimates Charlotte and her friends, especially John.

John is the second son of the Earl of Ashby and is happy working for the Metropolitan Police Force, despite his family’s dismay. He has worked hard and achieved success on his merit, not his family’s name. When Charlotte returns, John realizes how much he missed her and how much deeper his feelings go beyond friendship. He isn’t sure if Charlotte feels the same, and knows that she has just begun her career, one that she would most likely have to give up if she married, so he plans to keep his feelings to himself and maintain his distance. But when Charlotte is attacked, nothing will stop him from protecting her and keeping her close. Working together, along with their friends and his colleague, security professional, Mr. Dirk, they will find the truth about Katherine’s death. But the closer they get, the more deadly their quest becomes, will they find the answers they seek, or will their unknown foe continue to elude them?

This was a great historical romantic mystery, I loved it and felt that the author struck the perfect balance between romance and mystery, both getting equal consideration. Charlotte and John have a wonderful chemistry and it is clear from the start that they are perfect for each other and I couldn’t help but root for their HEA. The story is centered around the mysterious death of Charlotte’s mother and will have readers second-guessing themselves as to who is the actual villain, it is a story filled with secrets, forbidden love, hatred, jealousy, danger, murder, prejudices, great friends, true love, kisses and finally revelations, answers, and closure, leading to a very satisfying HEA ending. This is the third book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone title, I had not read the first two books and had no problem understanding the character interactions, but now I want to read the first two books (there goes the “I won’t buy any more books until I read the ones I already have” New Year’s resolution – LOL) I am happy to recommend this title and will be looking forward to reading the other books in the series, and hoping for a book for Dirk!!!

4.5 stars, rounded up

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

I wish that I could go back and read this book again for the first time! It is one of those books that you can’t stop thinking about after you finish it. Within an hour of finishing it, I was flipping back through it to soak up everything. I didn’t want to be done with the story.

I was so excited to go back to this series and see the characters that I grew to love so much in the previous books. I loved to see where they were in their lives and watch them embark on this story together. I appreciated Charlotte’s cousins roles in the story. This book had a great balance of involving past characters without them taking over the story too much. I don’t think reading the first two books in the series is necessary but I do think it adds enjoyment to the story knowing the side characters a little more.

I enjoyed watching the relationship develop and grow between Charlotte and John. I enjoyed their friendship in the beginning and the closeness that continued to develop as they worked together to solve their case and stay safe. I appreciated that obstacles their relationship faced and how they overcame them in the end.

It was the perfect amount of mystery for me. I was anxious to solve the crimes with the characters but it wasn’t too intense for me. It kept me guessing without causing me too much anxiety. The danger the characters faced was believable without being too distressing. I enjoyed how they went about obtaining a confession to the crime. It was a dramatic way to wrap up the case and I enjoyed that.

“The world is not kind, but sometimes we are cruelest to ourselves.” ~ John Ellis

This was my first read of a Nancy Campbell Allen book and it was wonderful. It was fast paced, engaging, mysterious and romantic. I adored John and Charlotte, their sweet friends to more romance was perfection. Charlotte is a forced to be reckoned with. She was smart and strong, brilliant and brave. A woman forging her way through a man’s world. And John embraced her unique boldness.

If you love mystery and suspense, or Miss Scarlet and the Duke vibes, then this story is for you. Although book is incorporates characters from previous series (ones that I have not read yet, but hope too soon) it can read as a standalone with no difficulty.

I wish I could heartily recommend Protecting Her Heart, but I can't. It wasn't terrible, but I didn't love it. My experience with Nancy Campbell Allen has been hit or miss. This one was mostly a miss for me.

The plot of this friends-to-lovers mystery felt like a discarded idea for an Anne Perry novel. I was very underwhelmed by the big reveal when it came. I had a hard time with the light-hearted flirting and "do you love him?" dialog next to the violence and supposed true peril that the main character was in. Although I expect some behavior that is not true to the time, I felt it was excessive here. I'm very tired of characters who look EXACTLY like a grandmother/mother/sister/cousin. (Charlotte looks EXACTLY like her deceased mother, which is necessarily for revealing the truth about her mother's death.) I also found the time lag between the mysterious death and the investigation (20 years) unbelievable.

If you've read the first two Matchmaker books you might enjoy this one more than I did. I read the first a long time ago and I felt the author's reliance on our knowing and loving the characters from previous books was excessive.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

After reading Amelie and Eva’s stories, I wondered how Charlotte’s story would unfold. Protecting Her Heart opens more than four years after the events of To Capture His Heart. Charlotte has completed medical school in America. She returns to England after she receives a mysterious letter from her father. She never gets to ask him about the letter because he dies while she’s still en route.
Thus begins a suspenseful Victorian era novel. There are secrets that need unraveling and battles to be fought.
The sweet love that blooms between Charlotte and John is fun and also beautiful. I love the interactions between John, Michael, and Nathan and Charlotte, Eva and Amelie. The men are friends and respect each other. The women are cousins and friends. The support they offer each other is what makes this series about the Notorious Hamptons fabulous.
Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

Loved this book!

I hadn't read more than a novella or two from Nancy Campbell Allen. She was on my To Be Read list though. I requested this book from Netgalley and was approved in July. Here we are in December. Can you say procrastinator?!?

Well this Victorian Era mystery/romance is the 3rd book in a series about 3 female cousins. I didn't realize this at first, since they aren't listed that way on Amazon. Once I found out, I needed to read the others first. (Not that it is necessary for this story, but that's just how I am.) The characters from the previous books are in this one as well, but you can read this and understand it fine without having the other stories as background.

This is a mystery with a good dose of romance. I was intrigued and surprised several times along the way. This was definitely my favorite book of the series. Highly recommend to anyone that likes clean, historical romances and mysteries.

Thanks to Shadow Moutain Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this book. I am happy to leave an honest review.

Protecting Her Heart is the third book in a series about the Hampton cousins and their love interests who are all part of the Metropolitan Police. In this installment, Charlotte, who has trained in America to be a doctor, returns to England to learn the truth about her mother’s long-ago death. She is helped in her investigation by Director John Ellis, who is evidently her dear friend now.

The strength of this book is in the mystery. I thought Nancy Campbell Allen did a great job of creating an unsolved murder case and revealing evidence a little at a time, while also keeping the action going through danger to the protagonists. The mystery is much more fleshed out and entertaining here than in the second book in this series—more in line for me with the first book which had an intriguing plot.

For me, a weaker area for this book is the romance. Just like in the second book, we begin the story finding out that the main characters have been good friends for a long time but they just haven’t realized yet that they are in love. Unfortunately for me this made it feel like the best parts of the romance had already happened before the book, and it left me trying to catch up with who these characters are and what their relationship is like. It took me awhile to get into the book for this reason. It just felt hard being dropped into the middle of their story, and honestly it was a little confusing to figure out where they stood. It seems far-fetched to me that they could be best friends and be the only two unmarried members of their group of friends, yet never consider the possibility of a romantic relationship.

Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for giving me a free ARC of the book, which I am reviewing voluntarily.

I quite liked this addition to this series! I loved John! I thought he was a delightful hero and Charlotte is an adorable heroine. I loved that Charlotte was making her own plans to be independent, but also wasn't opposed to changing those plans when life changed around her. Quite a good book!

Fantastic! I completely devoured this book. From the get-go, I was drawn in by Charlotte and John and their story. I loved the friendship between them and how the attraction quickly flared up when they were together again. I also appreciated that there wasn't a whole bunch of dithering (e.g. oh, he can't possibly like me; oh, she's too good for me, etc.) but just a rather straightforward romance--yes, there were obstacles but they weren't pretending not to have feelings for each other. I loved their banter and the way they worked together. The mystery aspect and the details of Victorian life were also really engrossing.
5 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the series and can be read on it's own however it is great to read them in order and in this one we can see how the other two families have developed which is nice. Charlotte and John have a shared past and friendship however absence really does make the heart grow fonder and on reuniting they find that things have changed so quite a slow burn friends to lover's situation. I loved the mystery in this as well as the romance it was suspenseful with both and intrigue well worth a read a real page turner. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review

Can the Matchmakers series keep getting better and better? Oh, yes it can! I have loved these books from the very start. The third book, Protecting Her Heart, was full of characters I already loved, another intriguing mystery, and a captivating romance. Readers get to see the third Hampton cousin, Charlotte Duvall, at the forefront of the suspense. I was happy to see John Ellis and Charlotte finally getting their own book. Years have passed and now Charlotte is a doctor after going to medical school in America. On the way back to England she finds out her father has died and leaves an ominous message that Charlotte's mother's death wasn't an accident but murder.

The rest of this novel deals with a lot of action while dealing with someone trying to stop Charlotte from finding the truth about her mother's death. There is also that wonderful friends-to-lovers romance. All of the Hampton cousins come together to help Charlotte and John in uncovering the truth. There are some very interesting twists that surprise readers. I loved this last book in the series! I highly suggest you read the books in the series in the order written, even though it could be read as a stand-alone, either way, you will be delighted with this new Proper Romance.

Such a great addition to the Hampton House series. I have enjoyed all of the stories, but this one is probably one of my favorites. Charlotte had such a good heart, but was still able to stand up for herself as needed. John had a not-so-great family, but he handled them as well as could be expected, given the time period.
The author does a great job at weaving the romance part of the story in with the mystery part of the story. Neither one feels overdone or rushed. I definitely recommend this book.

In 1887 London, recently graduated medical doctor Charlotte Duvall returns to London and learns of her father's death. His final letter to her hinted at a hidden truth behind her mother's death. Seeking answers, she turns to her trusted friend, John Ellis, director of London's police force. As they delve into a web of secrets and lies, Charlotte finds herself relying on John, gradually opening her heart to him. Amidst the encroaching danger, John vows to protect Charlotte, grappling with the fear that safeguarding her heart might mean breaking his own.

Due to the time between each book, I don’t remember much about Charlotte and John from the previous two books, so I can’t say I was anticipating them getting together. Slow-burning romance? It was so slow I didn’t realize it was happening in the previous books! This meant the romance was set to take off from the start of this book, but there is a lot of hesitation and avoidance from both characters. Still a reader who has not read the previous books won’t be left in the dark.

The driving mystery was intriguing, but I did find the solution a little underwhelming. The pace of the book was pretty good, though at times it felt like nothing happened. Still, it was an enjoyable weekend read.

I would recommend this to readers looking for a historical read with romance and mystery.

I really enjoyed this series! Charlotte returns to London after her father dies and she learns of inconsistencies surrounding her mother’s death years before. Charlotte and her longtime friend John begin investigating, but certain people want that mystery to be left in the past.

Delicious, witty banter, a delightful friends to lovers romance, intriguing mystery, and heart pounding danger make Nancy Campbell Allen’s latest Victorian Proper Romance unputdownable! I adored Protecting Her Heart. This is Charlotte’s and John’s story and I loved their friends to more, slow burn romance.

Charlotte Duvall has been in America studying to become a doctor. She’s finished her studies ready to work in a clinic in New York. Before she can start her new position, she receives a letter from her ailing father asking her to come home and suggesting her mother’s death wasn’t an accident. On the voyage back to England, she receives a telegram that her father has died.

While she sorts through her parents’ things, she begins to find unsettling information about her mother’s past. She turns to her good friend John Ellis to help her in the investigation. While she’s determined to remain single, the handsome detective begins to wear down her defenses and she finds herself wondering what it would be like to fall in love with him.

John’s worked hard to earn his position as the director of the Metropolitan Police’s Criminal Investigation Department. While his wealthy family looks down on his detective work, he thrives in it. But, he’s not anxious to start a family though his mother works hard to throw every eligible debutant at him. When his dear friend Charlotte returns to England, the attraction that’s always simmered between them flares to life. As he does everything to protect her and find the truth behind her mother’s death, he finds himself having a hard time seeing his friend in a platonic way.

I loved the sizzling romance between these two. Their close relationship and witty banter makes watching them fall in love so enjoyable. I loved the way they were both determined to succeed and respected that quality in each other. I loved the scene where she hides in his coat closet. I also loved seeing familiar characters from the previous books again. The cousins have such a great relationship and I loved seeing them together again.

The mystery was so good! There were several suspects which made figuring out whodunit all the more intriguing. The danger from getting too close to what really happened was always present with someone stalking and threatening Charlotte. I loved the way they finally pushed those responsible for her mother’s death to reveal the truth. I also loved the stoic body guard Dirk.

Highly recommend this book and the entire series! It can easily be read as a standalone, but is more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous books. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

This book was a fun ~death under mysterious circumstances~ mystery with a great romance on the side. I was not able to predict the true details of the ~mysterious circumstance~ that led to the death and was surprised when the full mystery unraveled. The suspenseful build-up to the big reveal was second only to the blossoming romance between the two main POV characters, who spend the first half of the book denying their obvious mutual attraction and love. The moment they finally began to admit their feelings for each other had me grinning like Amelie. Speaking of, it was fun to see how the couples and characters from the previous books in the series were getting on in life. I also enjoyed the setting and atmosphere of the book. I love a good historical fiction and it certainly didn't hurt that I was reading this book during my first trip to England. I wandered around London with this book in mind, knowing I was walking the streets these characters were supposedly to have walked over a hundred years earlier.

I didn't love the misogynistic subplot though. I know it was more commonplace in that time, but it's a theme I find entirely overused in media today. As a career woman in a male-dominated profession looking forward to being a stay at home mom in the future, I found Charlotte's dilemma over choosing between a career and a family at times relatable and at other times quite at odds with my experience. Her resolution in the end I found satisfying.

I enjoyed reading this book. Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an interesting read while riding the London Underground. In an exchange for an honest review, I was able to read this book for free.