The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart

GIVEAWAY

ALLEN, NANCY CAMPBELL

THE MATCHMAKER'S LONELY HEART

Set in Victorian London from the Queen of Mystery Romance.

Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in the Matrimonial 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 bookclub.

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 captured by her innocence, beauty and her quick mind.

When a woman's body is pulled from the river, Michale suspects the woman's husband -- Harold Radcliffe -- of fowl play. Amelie refuses to believe that Harold is capable of such violence but agrees to help, imagining that it will be like one of her favourite 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 to Amelie, Michael knows he must put an end to this case before the woman he loves comes to harm.

My Review:

So.

Much.

Fun.

Seriously hilarious (and, yes that's an oxymoron but it fits!) From the laugh-out-loud meet-cute to the amateur sleuthing to the dangerous undertones -- The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart delivers the perfect reading getaway! And I haven't even mentioned the romance yet!

Witty dialogue, an intelligent heroine (who happens to have two equally intelligent cousins who I hope are featured in their own stories sometime soon), a detective who can't afford to be besotted but he is (I love how rattled he gets at times!) and a truly odious, conniving villain made this  a rabid listening frenzy for me, enhanced all the more by Justine Eyre's captivating narration.

Victorian romance + cozy mystery = one sublime read!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT AND DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 16  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!