"A romance develops as a detective partners with a lonely-hearts columnist to solve a murder mystery.

London, 1885.

Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage Gazette. When Amelie plays matchmaker with two anonymous lonely hearts, she also decides to secretly observe the couple's blind date. To her surprise, the man who appears for the rendezvous is Harold Radcliffe - a grieving widower and a member of Amelie's book club.

Police detective Michael Baker has been struggling ever since his best friend and brother-in-law died in the line of fire. Because he knows the dangers of his job, he has vowed never to marry and subject a wife and family to the uncertainty of his profession. But when he meets Miss Hampton, he is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.

When a woman's body is pulled from the river, Michael suspects the woman's husband - Harold Radcliffe - of foul play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining it will be like one of her favorite mystery novels. Her social connections and clever observations prove an asset to the case, and Amelie is determined to prove Mr. Radcliffe's innocence. But the more time Amelie and Michael spend together, the more they trust each other, and the more they realize they are a good team, maybe the perfect match.

They also realize that Mr. Radcliffe is hiding more than one secret, and when his attention turns toward Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm."

I'm a sucker for romances that develop while solving crimes!

This book was a murder mystery set I the Victorian period. It had the perfect blend of mystery and romance. The characters I this book were so much fun! I loved that Amelia and her cousins were strong women with a lot of spunk and personality. Michael was also a great character. He starts off a little gruff but I loved watching him change as he allows himself to fall in love.

This book started a little slow and it took me a while to get into it but it picked up its pace about a third the way in and then I was totally hooked. I didn’t want to put it down. I am really hoping for some sequels with some of the other characters! This is a book I will definitely be recommending.

This book has everything you’d want in a Proper Romance - strong independent woman + grumpy swoony hero + mystery and intrigue + couldn’t put it down + sweet romance!
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Amelie loves mystery novels and can’t believe to have been sucked into living one. Although she’d prefer the man she admires not to be the suspect and the boorish detective she’s forced to drag along would give the charming man a moment of doubt.
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Alas that’s not to be so Amelie does what she can to be useful and as a Woman of Independent Means, she sets out to solve this mystery.
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Detective Baker is half amused by Amelie and half frustrated. He can see her naivety and doesn’t want this case to diminish that but he’s worried she’s become the next target. She comes along with two cousins who are eager to help with the case. The department won’t know what hit them.
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I loved every minute of reading this. Cheering for Amelie and her cousins - which I hope they have their own stories too!) and seeing the pieces of the mystery come together was so fun.
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This has been my first romantic mystery novel and I think I need to read more! Of course it’s done by Nancy Campbell Allen - and I love her books! She made a full believable world with fantastic characters and even side characters that you love. Some danger *there are some brief descriptions of violence but it’s a murder mystery novel so I’d expect that but it was tastefully done.
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This book releases in September. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ebook arc copy. These are my own thoughts and opinions and I will definitely be buying a paperback copy for myself.

When I heard Nancy Campbell Allen had a new book coming out, I couldn't wait to read it! The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart was so good! It has the perfect blend of romance and mystery and I didn't want to put it down. The character development was fantastic too! Seeing Amelie go from being a naive young woman to one who was more mature and confident was so fun. I also enjoyed Michael's growth from a cynical and jaded Detective to a man who realizes there's a place in his life for love and fun. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know!

I usually think of Mrs. Allen as a romance writer, but this book (as well as her steampunk series) really combine murder mystery and romance in a magical way. I don’t think a lot of authors can do that- make readers alternate between swoony smiles and edge of their seat nail-biting. I hope she will write the cousins’ and the other detective’s stories as well…

This is a Victorian romance that centers around a murder investigation. I really enjoyed the writing style and the characters! Amelie has two cousins she is very close to and I'm hoping each cousin gets their own book in the future. Would recommend for fans of historical fiction!

Good historical fiction is the next best thing to time travel. Historical fiction that is…less than good…takes you right out of the story. Unfortunately for me, this title falls in the latter category.

Right off the bat, I was basically expelled from the story due to glaring inaccuracies. The detectives were called just that, “detectives”. Anyone watching any sort of tv at any point in the last forever years would know that calling a detective a “detective” is an Americanism. In England, especially Victorian England, they would be called Inspector, or Sergeant, or Constable. Maaaaaybe Detective Inspector, or Detective Sergeant, or Detective Constable. And there is no such rank as “director”.

At least the author got Greta Green correct.

And Amelie? The main character? Not at all endearing and actually quite annoying. Michael was only slightly easier to stomach but even with him, his 180 on marriage really didn’t ring true at all to the character he had been pigeon holed into. It was borderline insta-love which, yes, I get as this is a romance. But c’mon. It was also too insta and to the point of whiplash.

This was also quite dialogue heavy and slim on the showing, not telling.

I had high hopes for this title. Alas.

I really wanted to get into this book, but I think it could have used another round of edits. I didn't find the characters compelling, and the writing was at points distractingly overwrought.
I love the setup, and concept. Maybe this book just wasn't meant for me.

Very enjoyable read! I'm a big fan of mystery and suspense, especially with romance thrown in. The characters were fun to get to know and I thought the author did well showing what actual love looks like, rather than a crush based on looks and charm. I enjoyed the process of discovery of the guilty party. I hope this becomes a series!

For fans of The Blue Orchid Society, Ms. Scarlet and The Duke, The Thief of Blackfriars Lane, and all things Victorian Era romantic suspense!
Things I loved:
Amelie's sweet, naive innocence and determination to help
That slow burn romance though 😍🙌
Michael and his gruff attitude, trying keep everyone at arm's length
Amelie's cousins - I hope they get their own books, too!
Seriously exciting action that kept me on the edge of my seat!
This is a real winner!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

As a hopeless romantic, Amelie is well suited to answer lonely heart letters for her aunt's social publication, The marriage Gazette. She cannot resist secretly observing a rendezvous of one of the letter writers and is astonished to recognize a member of her book club. She is even more astonished when police detective Michael Baker demands she tell what she knows about the suspected murderer. Together, this unlikely pair must solve a murder and keep themselves safe!

I love a good mystery romance, and I was intrigued when I first read the description of this book. Amelie is just as she sounds: a naive young lady who looks for the best in the world. She also has a crush on the recently bereaved member of her book club. At times, her naivety made me roll my eyes but her heart was in the right place.

Michael Baker was a sympathetic hero. He has seen the darker side of life and given that his partner was recently killed on the job, he has a more cynical opinion of the world. Amelie's naivety often frustrates him, especially when she insists she become his deputy to solve the case. He made the most character growth, I think, in the story.

The pace of the mystery was excellent, and the suspense kept me glued to the page. However, the romance fell flat. in fact, when Michael declares he will propose to her, I was surprised because it felt like it came out of nowhere. It did not feel as though they had near enough time to know each other.

Another thing that is quite honestly me being overly picky is that if the synopsis hadn't said the story was set in 1885, I wouldn't have known. The atmosphere and details of the book are Victorian, but the Victorian era was a long time and each decade different from the last. Even a hint in regards to the fashion would have been nice.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read for the mystery and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical mysteries. I would honestly rate it at 4.5 stars, but that isn't an option.

I’m a big historical romance reader, so I was disappointed that I wasn’t a raving fan of this one. It was okay. Initially the writing style was particularly corny, so much so that I almost stopped reading. But I pushed myself to make it to 20%, and by that point, I was invested in the resolution. This book reminded me of a Hallmark Channel movie—goofy and relatively predictable, but you feel like you’ve invested too much time to not see it through to the end.

I will say I liked the characters! They were all strong women, even in the face of a patriarchal society. And the dynamic between the two romantic leads was pleasant. It reminded me of the PBS series Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

Overall, I believe some people will enjoy it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Giving this author such a low rating hurts. I've liked her steampunk fairy tales books, but this book disappointed me so much.

Amelie Hampton works for her aunt's magazine. She meets a police detective Michael Baker who suspects that a member of her book club is a murderer. To prove the man innocent of the crime, she teams up with Baker to solve the murder.

I don't like spunky heroines. There are exceptions, but this wasn't one of them. Amelie is not only spunky but naive, which is a deadly combination. As a murder mystery, there was no question of the culprit. There was no tension anywhere. For me, there was too much fluff.

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

I really enjoyed this book! It was well written and the characters were so much fun. This author definitely knows how to write chemistry. I look forward to reading more from them in the future.

I received this from net galley and I loved it! It was the first book I read from Nancy and it was truly amazing. I'm excited to read her other books. This was a mystery and really well written.

this was a fun ride that i did absolutely NOT expect.

i had never read something from the author, nor something similar so i really went into this blind, with absolutely 0 expectations, and let me tell you i was not disappointed.

this books follows Michael & Amelie, who were both spying on the same man. Michael is a detective that thinks he is guilty of killing his wife, and Amelie works at a gazette, where she sends advice, and simply wanted to see how the meeting between Radcliffe & a woman she was advising in secret went.

Michael then follows Amelie outside of the restaurant, and makes her help him with his investigation.

this was honestly so much fun to read, and while its a little predictable, i still had a great time reading this and couldn’t stop once i started; which is to say something because lately i have had no motivation whatsoever to open a book, and this definitely reminded me of why i love to read.

this book just made me love suspenses with romance set in the 1800s.

Amelie Hampton writes for the Marriage Gazette, offering love and relationship advice. Detective Michael Baker is trying to solve the murder of a woman, who he suspects died by her husband's hand.

When Detective Baker recruits Amelie, Amelie originally tries to prove Mr. Radcliffe's innocence, but soon she begins questioning if Radcliffe is who he says he is.

All in all, this was a fun adventure! I enjoyed the plot and the mystery, and could not put this down. Also, I have a feeling some of the side characters might have their own stories, which I'm looking forward to.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this eARC! I really appreciate the opportunity to read this!

I really enjoyed this book as shy Amelie goes from crushing on the charming Mr. Ratcliffe to working with police detective Michael Baker to gather evidence to prove Mr. Ratcliffe actually murdered his wife. This was clearly the first book in what will be a series about Amelie and her two plucky cousins as they find romance while exploring the professional opportunities for young women in late 19th century London.

The one quibble I have is with the historical timeline. The blurb for the book tells us that it takes place in 1885 but that doesn’t line up with some little details dropped in such as that women have been going to medical school for three decades. It is more like two decades. And they refer to taking fingerprints from pieces of evidence (though they never seem to actually take the fingerprints). I think that is too early for the British police to have been using fingerprints. And the medical details from the body of Ratcliffe’s wife are just unbelievable. It has been at least two months since her death when the police finally dug up her body and conducted an autopsy. But the doctor can detect the bruises on her neck indicating she had been choked and identify that she had been drowned in lavender-scented bathwater. I just doubt that such details would remain that long to be detected. And besides, her body was fished out of the Thames and examined on the spot. Wouldn’t they have detected the bruises on her neck at that time?

Besides those quibbles, I really enjoyed the story and would happily read the sequels.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen brings plenty of mystery, intrigue, and atmosphere to a tale that is part historical mystery, part police investigation, and part romance. It’s the first book in the Proper Romance Victorian series. Set in and around London in 1885, the main characters are Amelie Hampton, Harold Radcliffe, and Detective Michael Baker. When a dead body of a young woman is found in the Thames River, these three meet and the sparks fly in more than one way.

Amelie is an independent but somewhat lonely woman working for her aunt at The Marriage Gazette. She answers lonely heart letters, writes the occasional essay, and does some matchmaking through the personal ads. Her character comes through strongly as naïve, hard-working, intelligent, impatient, and outspoken, but she has successfully matched more couples than the rest of the staff combined. She does show some growth during the course of the book, but also makes some ill-advised choices along the way. Harold is charming and good looking, but he’s somewhat harder to get to know. Michael is hard-working and calm. A cast of secondary characters provides support, conflict, and interest.

The author did a great job of transporting me to a different time and place. Quotes from different publications that were at the beginning of each chapter provided additional insight into the times and how women were perceived and treated. While this is not a time I would want to live in, it was fun to visit and spend time with Amelie and her friends, family, and acquaintances. While the plot was clever, suspenseful, and perfectly paced, it was the characters and situations that developed that kept me reading. However, I did wish that a red herring or two were thrown in the mix so that the villain wasn’t known so early in the book. Danger, suspense, and some twists crop up before you get to the heartwarming and satisfying ending.

I was immediately drawn into the characters’ lives and enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and the development of the romance. Themes include death, relationships, poverty, treatment of orphans, corruption, assaults, romance, family, institutionalization of those with certain disabilities, and much more.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which was suspenseful, engaging, and atmospheric. In both of the books I have read by this author, I had a connection with the writing style that I found relatable, vivid, and irresistible. I can’t wait to find out which of the secondary characters will show up in future books in the series. I recommend this to those that like historical mysteries with some romance.

Shadow Mountain Publishing and Nancy Campbell Allen provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently expected to be September 7, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

This was a fun murder mystery set in regency times. I enjoyed the mystery while at least knowing some answers. There were a few surprises but for the most part you know the murderer. There is some suspense but not terrifying. Amelie has such a feisty spirit and is so brave. The romance was cute and it was fun watching them get to know each other better. The character growth is spot on and the story development while semi predictable was nice.