I was so excited when I got an email from @shadowmountainpub saying they sent me this newest sequel to a favorite book of mine from last year. I was so excited to read it and reunite with beloved characters.

This novel follows Eva and Detective Nathan Winston’s love unfolding. Nathan convinces Eva to join him at his family’s vacation house for 10 days of adventure as the official photography.

I loved the writing, the banter, and the plot. Things are always amiss and there might even be a murder or two.

This one comes out on October 12th so go ahead and preorder or request it at your library! If you loved the first one, I know you’ll love the second equally!

Thanks to @netgalley @shadowmountainpub @authornancycampbellallen for letting me read this in advance!

This is the second book in the matchmakers series, but you don't need to read the first one for this one to make sense.
This was a great historical romance with a bit of a mystery. I did not guess who "Toole" was, and I liked that it wasn't super predictable. I also liked the characters, but did wish they had more interactions with each other. Overall I really liked it and recommend to fans of historical romance!

Many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Really like the premise and the characters in here. I like historical fiction and the romance in here is so sweet. I enjoyed reading this so much and looking forward for more. With the mystery and fast paced plot, i was invested in this

Another fantastic story by the great Nancy Campbell Allen. Seriously! Everything she writes has been so fun and a definite must read!

A fun, romantic romp through a Victorian house part, where sinister events keep getting in the way of a detective's attempts at courtship. The language is slightly stilted, and the book isn't clear at first on how well the lead's understand their own feelings, which is confusing, but once we get past that and they're committed, it's a charming love story. Eva and Nathan are great characters, and whether they're flirting or investigating a murder (or doing both *cough*the cave*cough*), their chemistry is apparent. I especially like how firmly their relationship is based on mutual respect and friendship, and when Eva finally decided she was ready to pursue something deeper, I cheered! Their friends and family are equally delightful, and I'm excited to read more in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love another book from Nancy Campbell Allen! To Capture His Heart was another great book. I really wanted to give all my free time to finishing this book once I got into it.
Eva and Nathan are great together I enjoyed their interaction together it was genuine and real. I liked that there was a mystery to solve I truly didn't figure it out as quickly as I normally. do. Read this and I recommend reading The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart as well.

I liked the first in the Matchmaker series, and I’m sure I’ll read the third whenever it gets written, but this one was only O.K. Reading it does kind of make me want to reread the first one, which I may very well do.

I liked the leads and that cute little waif Sammy, and the romance was sweet enough. I think Allen must have done some research on old timey photography for this, which was cool.

One thing I like about this author is you don’t have to wait until the last chapter for the characters to realize they love each other. I like being able to see them happy together for longer than a second.

I usually don’t think the villains in Allen’s books are that great, and this was no exception. I found all the mysterious packages and near-misses to be rather silly. I guessed who the baddie was, but that’s probably due to the blatant clues repeated multiple times by Nathan.

I also didn’t love the one-note mean girl characters. With Eva’s past, I see why they were introduced, but I really hate seeing competitive, nasty, female bullies in plots.

It definitely didn’t put me off Allen or this particular series, and people who liked the first will want to read it. I hope at some point she writes more in the Steampunk Proper Romance series.

Synopsis:
Seaside, England, 1886

Eva Caldwell is an accomplished and well-known photographer who often works with the local constabulary to assist in documenting crime scenes, which means she also often works alongside the handsome and charming detective, Nathan Winston. She appreciates his intellect and how he treats her like an equal, but Eva’s heart is still healing from a past relationship, so, for now, she decides to keep her feelings for Nathan a secret.

One evening, Nathan arrives on her doorstep asking for a personal favor. Would Eva be available to photograph his mother’s legendary, week-long dinner party and matchmaking event? The catch is that Eva would also have to pretend they are courting in order for Nathan to avoid the many single women seeking his attention.

Though wary of the charade, Eva agrees. Spending a week with the two things she loves most—her detective and her camera—sounds simple enough. And if she wants to imagine that Nathan’s pretend courtship of her is real, well, what’s the harm in that?

But when a criminal from Nathan’s past threatens revenge on the detective, Nathan must be extra vigilant to keep his mother and the rest of the partygoers safe. He confides in Eva, and as the two work together to solve the mystery and apprehend the criminal, they find that they might capture more than they expected—each other’s heart.

Review:
I've loved Nancy Campbell Allen's previous book in this series and I was so excited to read Eva and Nathan's story.
Eva and Nathan are such a good match in this book. He's an inspector and she's very curious about everything. This was such a good mystery, and in parts I wished there was a little more setup for Nathan's concern. I love seeing him interact with his family and their relationships.

Eva is a great character. She's well throught out and she has motivations and inspirations beyond jsut being a women who is interesting. She intelligent and kind and I loved seeing her in a new environment.

The premise for this plot was interesting and had a good pace that didn't feel rushed or like it was lagging behind. I did find Nathan's protests at the beginning about not wanting a partner dumb since the first thing he does after that is tell his mom he likes Eva and then continues to perpetuate that ruse.

Overall, this was a delightful read and it was such a fun jump back into this world. I like this as the second book in the series but I really believe it could be read as a stand alone book if you missed the first one.

Nancy Campbell Allen's 'To Capture His Heart' is a perfect combination of history, mystery and romance. The characters are delightful, and I especially appreciated the lack of artifice displayed by Nathan. Learning about photography in Victorian times was fascinating, and I was impressed with Eva's temperament and expertise. the suspense was deftly created through Nathan's profession. All in all I highly recommend this book for a wonderfully entertaining read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I'm a huge Nancy Campbell Allen fan and really enjoyed the first book in this series. I was thrilled to hear that Amelie's cousins were getting their own stories and this one was just what I needed.

I love Eva and Nathan together in this book! Their chemistry is amazing and I love that their relationship has been built on a year of friendship and a professional working relationship.

Eva agrees to help Nathan avoid the husband-hunting women at his mother's house party,  but both of them quickly realize that they'll never be able to go back to the way things were before. Meanwhile, a criminal from Nathan's past has decided to come and torment the detective who put the rest of his family in jail, and the clock is ticking before he makes his move.

The mystery adds such a great element to this story and the romance is perfect. Make sure you check this one out when it releases in the fall!

Nancy Campbell Allen does it again! I couldn't put this one down! I loved Nathan and Eva's story! It had the perfect balance of mystery, intrigue, and sweet romance! Can't wait to see what comes next in this series!

*note- series should be read in order

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

This was... fine. Besides the fact that I was entirely mistaken on this being set in Edwardian England (it's Victorian, why ever would I think otherwise), I found the research done on the time period a little superficial compared to other writers of similar genres. The romance is cute, but not breathtaking - the mystery falls into the mellow, cozy crime spectrum. I don't think I'll continue reading the series, but if you're looking for a light romantic read with minimal heat, "To Capture His Heart" would be a nice choice for a book to take to the beach!

This book was so good! I read it super quick and then waited too long to write my review, so it won't be as detailed as I'd like.

But, this book was very engaging. I expected a murder mystery like the last one, but this wasn't quite that. Still, I would buy it and put it on my favorites shelf. I did think the threat resolved very quickly, which felt a tad unrealistic. However, the rest of the book was a very very good read.

The premise of this book was a little unique for a book in the Victorian era. It had light flavors of love and adventure and mystery. The female character was strong and determined and very independent. (And really, who doesn't love a strong, independent female character?!)

Eva and Nathan end up working together, but as they work together other feelings develop as well.

Overall, a very fun and entertaining read!

As someone who read the first novel in this series, "The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart," I was excited to receive this copy from NetGalley and dive in.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between Nathan and Eva, as well as the inclusion of past characters in the series. The supporting characters were also a fun element, especially the Winston sisters. And while I didn't like how convenient some pieces of the mystery plot fell into place, I still didn't guess how it would end.

4/5 stars, just because I think it may be hard to follow for those who haven't read the first in the series.

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved the first book in this series, The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart, and was happy to see that Eva Caldwell and Detective Nathan Winston had their own story. There were many things I enjoyed about this story:
Eva’s compassion to have an orphan as an apprentice
The house party and all of the fun activities
The mystery and suspense
The fake romance that was actually there all along
The Winston sisters
Eva’s entrepreneurship and confidence

This can be read as a standalone, but I recommend you read the first book because it was an outstanding story and several characters are in this book.

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not expected to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I'm a huge fan of this series and loved this book! Nathan and Eva were so sweet and balanced each other perfectly. The mystery of trying to find Nathan's enemy kept me on the edge of my seat and had me reading way past my bedtime.

Mrs. Winston, widowed when her children were still young, took over running the family's business, and established a habit of hosting charity benefits in the form of week-long entertainments at their seaside holiday house every year.

Her son (and eldest, the others all girls), had chosen a career to leisure, and was a successful police Detective with CID. Being a clever woman, and hoping to bring together her grown children with possible "matches," this year's wealthy donor invitees were mostly single ladies and gentlemen of marriageable ages. Her only difficulty was to get her busy detective son to attend.

Nathan Winston agreed to attend, yet was tired of dodging overeager young ladies, so he quickly "invented" an existing interest in the very pretty Eva Caldwell, whom he had been admiring for some time (she helped the police by photographing crime scenes). He didn't want to admit his blunder. So he asked her to attend as his guest (where they could pretend a mutual interest), and she, as it turned out, could also work part time for his mother by taking photographs of the festivities. A win for all three!

As fortune often arranges things, the long-term plans of many individuals came together in unplanned-for ways. Schemes were foiled and rearranged, hopes were dashed and others lifted, and the two "pretenders" began to wonder whether the other felt as they did.

If this was not excitement enough, a criminal from Nathan's past wanted revenge, and arranged chilling surprises for everyone. The party began as parties do, but death was walking the seaside estate and grounds; listening at doors, and peeking into windows. Worst of all, no one knew what Bernard Toole looked like. He could be posing as almost anyone!

This was a fun (clean) Victorian era romance mystery. I enjoyed the silver nitrate photography details, and it's always nice to read a clever mystery and entertaining story that is wholesome and entirely without swearing! Very refreshing!

4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the e-copy of this proof (it is not available in ebook format for pre-order); the review is voluntary.

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To Capture is Heart is the second installment of progressive photographer Evangeline (Eva) Caldwell and hunky detective Nathaniel (Nathan) Winston. Although this is the second and I’ve not read the first in the series, it was easy to fall into the story of these characters!

The romance portion of this story wasn’t doing it for me, but the mystery was compelling. The connection between Detective Winston’s family and Eva was pleasing to read and see develop during the extended house party in balance to the mean girls was charming.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and for my reading ratings this makes it a 3-star story.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of To Capture His Heart. I found this novel to be a nice, little reprieve from reality. Set in 1886, England, this novel is the second in a series. Nathan and Eva have know each other for some time and circumstances bring them together for a social retreat at Nathan’s family home. The premise of this story is a simple one, Nathan asks Eva to attend this retreat so that he may avoid the eager socialites vying for his attention. Of course things become more complicated since Nathan secretly pines for Eva. During the course of this story, disturbing events occur and a villain (from book 1) is the suspect. Throw in high society, ‘mean girls’, a historical setting and To Capture His Heart provides a nice, unoffending read.

A strong three star rating only because I felt as though I were missing much of the back story, having not read book 1. Previous events were briefly explained and interspersed throughout this novel almost as an aside and didn’t help to provide much character development or further the plot to any great extent. It was almost as if this author were saying “ Oh yah reader, you should know about this thing that happened in book one” which resulted in flat characters and a villain who wasn’t really villainous. I did enjoy the brief and chaste romantic tension between Eva and Nathan, and perhaps that should have been explored to a greater extent along with the social machinations of the time.