This story was absolutely diverting. I loved how unique it was. I also loved the mystery aspect. People should read this story because it is unique within it's genre. Michael is a delight and I loved watching his character grow and develop throughout the story. I'm excited to see if there are more stories in this world because it is thrilling!

I didn’t quite know what to expect when starting this book but was pleasantly enraptured with this story. While there were circumstances that could have been better explained (Amelia’s job at the Gazette, the history of her family, the Notorious Hamptons) I enjoyed the characters, the murderous plot and the romance, although I did find the love declaration abrupt. All other emotional scenes were very proper so the love declaration seemed out of place. While this is a stand alone, there was enough character development of Amelia’s cousins to warrant their romantic stories as well. I loved the cover.
This is a new to me author who I will definitely be looking out for in the future!

This book has left me speechless and all smiles. It was absolutely incredible. The characters, the mystery, the romance! I got swallowed up into this wonderfully spun story and my goodness, I wish there was more. I want an Agatha Christie sized series of Michael and Amelie solving crime together. What fun that would be!

Detective Michael Baker is working a dead end investigation. Everywhere he turns he cannot find evidence to prove his gut instinct, that Harold Radcliffe murdered his own wife.

Miss Amelie Hampton is a matchmaker for her Aunt Sally’s newspaper, the Gazette. She studies the characteristics and facts about each anonymous person and matches the ones who would suit. With a good track record of success I’ll add. When her friend signs up to be matched, Amelie’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she spies on the couples “blind date”. Only to find the man her friend has been matched with is, Harold Radcliffe, a man from her book club and one she is growing more and more interested in for herself.

Of course, like any good detective would do when he has no leads. Michael follows Mr.Radcliffe to his date, only to find a suspicious woman watching the couple as well.
And thus begins an incredibly entertaining friendship, partnership and relationship.

I promise you will want to read this one. If you enjoy murder mysteries, romance, and humour, this is for you. Go grab a copy and cuddle up with this wonderful book.

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content: PG-13
Romance: Some kissing.
Violence: It’s a murder mystery- there’s murder, recounting of crimes, threats made, a very creepy bad guy, etc. No worse than your average murder mystery you’d see on TV. Not gruesome.
Language: none.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the other two cousin's get their own stories. Detective Baker comes off as harsh as first but as the story unfolds you can’t help but become a fan. I loved how Amelie blossomed in the story. I could not book the book down until the mystery was solved. I highly recommend this book.

This is the first book I have read by Nancy Campbell Allen, and I really enjoyed it! It was a perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and romance. The story has good pacing. I was entertained throughout.

Amelie is the perfect female lead in this story. She is strong and independent. While at the beginning of the story she may come across as being naive, she quickly adapts to any and all situations. Michael was the perfect suitor for her. Supportive without being overbearing.

I also liked the cousins and Sally. All great characters to get to know.

I would definitely recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC.

Nancy Campbell Allen has woven a delightfully suspenseful historic romance.  The plot thickened as the intrepid heroine was allowed to work alongside the hero in a world that was slowly opening to women.  I enjoyed the strong women around her and their opinions and support of each other as they pushed boundaries and began making their way as independent women of means.  The insightful characters drove the story and made it an intriguing ride!

I received a complimentary copy of this book.  All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Can we just take a moment and applaud Nancy Campbell Allen for creating a beautiful murder mystery? How does one create a balance of romance and murder? I don’t even understand how she did it, but it was absolutely delightful. I was given an ebook copy in exchange for my thoughts (thank you, netgalley) and now I’m just counting down the days until I can purchase my physical copy. This book is going on my shelf of favorites.

The romance was perfectly sweet and a slow burn that you just kept thinking, “oh my gosh, just kiss.” The chemistry these characters had is what romance readers dream of. There were so many lines that I highlighted, many that I’m hoping will make the final edit. There’s one thing for certain, the author delivered a stomach flipping, heart fluttering romance.

As for the mystery and murder, the whole time I’m trying to figure it out. I was lucky enough to have a friend who read this the same time as me and it was the PERFECT buddy read. We were constantly texting each other “where are you at??” The suspense was real! I didn’t know how things would work out. And a sure sign of a good suspense is when you’re asking yourself “is he in the room with her?!?”
It had a little bit of a Sherlock Holmes vibe with it being Victorian and our Michael Baker is a detective, that’s not to say it didn’t hold its own. I loved the mystery and suspense that was tied into the romance.

Truly, do yourself a favor and preorder this one. It has been one of my favorite reads this whole year out of the 115 that I’ve read. Come September, I will be doing another read through, I have to see this beauty edited.

Romance with a mystery is not what I have read a ton of. However, Nancy Campbell Allen has made me really enjoy this genre just as she did with her steampunk series. I enjoyed that while the reader gets an early indicator on the most likely suspect is there is still twists and suspense to stay very much interested to the end. I felt there were great hooks and intrigue to keep you turning pages. The author did well in drawing me into the story & imagery as to be able to picture oneself living the story right along with the characters. I'm not quite sure but I believe this was a time period were more woman were living independent from their families and worked. This was woven into the story seemesly and in the background. It's nice to get a bit of history with the story. I found the h endearing and the H dashing! I do hope this is a series and the two female cousins get their story. I'd even love a Winston and Aunt Sarah book. All the characters were enjoyable and I'd love to read more of them.

The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart is a fun romp through a murder in Victorian London.

This was a very fun read, and I loved the idea behind the story. The chemistry was great, and while at times the writing took me a bit to warm up to, I really got into it about halfway through the book.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My head is still reeling from this one. 🤯🤯 I am sooo glad I was given an advanced copy of this book because it is an absolutely MUST read! My friend was sweet enough to buddy read it with me and that made the twists and turns that much better. There were so many times that I had no idea where the story would go and it kept me up late falling for the just one more chapter trick.

This is a murder mystery with some good, slow burn romance and I was there for it. I’m still giddy after reading the ending and thinking of Michael and Amelie together. Like, WOW! 😍😍

I’m not usually one to go for suspense because I can’t handle not knowing. Anyone else have that problem? This was perfectly mysterious without being too gory. Plus, I LOVED that the characters didn’t act in the typical way. They were mostly level headed which made it that much more enjoyable to read. This was a five star read in my book!

I liked the characters in this book. The good were really good and the bad were downright evil. It doesn't take long to learn who the bad guy is but how it will be proved is the mystery of the entire book. How someone so creepy, slimy and evil can be as charming as he is, I have no idea. The book is a romance but I think the mystery was the bigger part of the story. Amelie was a lot naive and easily taken in but she was also bold and fearless. Sometimes I wasn't sure if her bold decisions were made because of her naivety or fearlessness. She did stuff I would never do. I liked Michael and his calm manner. And I liked all the secondary characters.

Sex: no
Language: no
Violence: yes
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book through Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

#TheMatchmakersLonelyHeart #Netgalley

A creepy story. that will capture you from page one.

Amelie Hampton has led a lonely life, working for The Marriage Gazette, being a matchmaker. Her life is definitely lonely, until she decides to follow a young lady to the one she was matched with. To Amelie's surprise, it is none other than Harold Redcliffe, a man from her book club group; a man that Amelia would like to be matched with herself.
Detective Michael Baker, is in the middle of a case, trying to find evidence that a man killed his wife. He keeps finding himself, mixed up with an inquisitive young lady, who is determined to get in his way.

I love romances, cozy mysteries, and police procedurals. This book ticks all the boxes. The romance and the mystery were delightful to get into. The dynamic between the grumpy detective and the matchmaker advice columnist was so *chef's kiss". I finished it too fast, and with a smile on my face. I immediately recommended it to a friend, with a caveat that it would only be available in September. I did notice when I sent her the Amazon link that an ebook version wasn't available in my country (I could only see paperback and Audible on Amazon) so I'm glad I was able to get an ARC. Hope this becomes available to international readers!

I love this book!
It was an enjoyable, unique read.
I’d recommend it for anyone looking for an easy, short romance to help them through a slump or maybe just on a rainy afternoon!

MURDER/THRILLER
Victorian, England

Detective Michael Baker of Scotland Yard is unexpectedly forced to work with advice columnist Amelie Hampton of the Notorious Branch of the Hampton family to follow up on a case he believes has not been fully resolved.

Detective Nathaniel Winston is his partner and one I found interesting and mysterious, leaving plenty of room for a story of his own.

Amelie has 2 cousins: Charlotte and Evangeline who each possess strengths that make the trio a force one can not help but admire and want to know better. They are also showcased in a way that highlights the value of women in society during a time when women were barely given any regard.

Harold Radcliff - VILLIAN extraordinaire! I will not give much away here, but he is slick and creepy!

Tea Quote: "The bus stopped in front of an old inn that boasted a dining room serving the "best tea westward of India." Michael looked at the sign and grinned at Amelie. "We must have a cup of that tea.""

The story grew in a steady climax with several twists, turns and increasing danger. The growing romance was sweet. I don't usually reach for this type of book & truthfully did not realize what I was in for. But, if you like a strong murder mystery, with a bit of romance, this book is well-written.

I gave it 3 stars=I liked it overall, maybe I would recommend it depending on the person.
NetGalley (Would you recommend?): 1= No, 2=Not Really, 3=Maybe, 4= Yes, 5=Strongly
GOODREADS STAR RATINGS: 1= Did not like it, 2= It was ok, 3=Liked It, 4= Really liked it, 5=It was amazing

I received an eBook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion without further expectation or compensation.

The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart is the best book I’ve read in many moons.

Not only does Allen make sure you fall in love with each of her characters, her book is infused with such mystery and intrigue that it’s a wretch to set down.

Amelie was darling. Her and her cousins are who I’d like to be if I lived in this time period; a Woman of Independent Means ;)

The premise behind this story is very unique. Amelie, a columnist at the Marriage Gazette embarks on an investigation of one of her clients with a handsome detective from Scotland Yard. I was immediately engaged in the story, and the author’s impeccable writing style kept me so for the entire book.

Romance and Mystery fans alike will adore this novel.

Thank you @netgalley and @shadowmountainpub for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Content Rating: Suspense, Murder

This book was well written, exciting and had just the right touch of romance. It was fun and easy to read
I enjoyed the relationship between the cousins and the aunt- they were all loyal to each other.
I really liked the character of Detective Michael Baker- he was a manly man, but still tender and sensitive to others needs.
On the other hand…. I hated Harold he was a money grubbing scoundrel from the start.
I liked reading about independent working women as opposed to simpering, helpless, entitled aristocrats.
This was a great read.

Although I really enjoyed the premise and the writing of this book, I really couldn't get through with the main characters. It was a struggle to finish and I didn't really like Amelie. I know this was supposed to be a sunshine and grumpy couple trope but Amelie sometimes crossed the line into complete naivety and I found it quite annoying, which was a challenge throughout my reading. Quite sad, since this was one of the books I was anticipating reading. Will definitely check out the author's other books though.

Amelie Hampton is a matchmaker helping couples find their perfect match through the singles advertisements they place in her Aunt's newspaper. Michael Baker works for Scotland Yard and is investigating a woman's murder. Amelie and Michael end up investigating a murder together when one of the bachelors from her singles ads is suspected of being single because he killed his last wife.
Working together, Amelie and Michael fall into a quick and easy comradery and friendship. As the danger of the investigation ramps up so do their feelings for each other. This was a really charming and sweet romance. l loved the main characters and all the side characters and the mystery stayed intriguing through out. I am hoping there are more in this series and that Amelie's cousins also get the happily ever afters.

A cozy mystery with a little romance that builds slowly in a lovely Victorian setting. This was a cute light read. Amelie Hampton is spying on the dashing Harold Radcliffe who was recently widowed and seems in search of a new wife. There she meets Detective Michael Baker, who believes Radcliffe got away with his wife's murder and is set on bringing him to justice. They join hands in investigating the man, although at first rather reluctantly on Amelie's side. Though initially enamored of Radcliffe she grows increasingly disillusioned while drawing closer and closer to the detective.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an ARC of this novel.
#TheMatchmakersLonelyHeart #NetGalley