Book Review: The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
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| Image Credit: Shadow Mountain Publishers |
London, 1885--During a time of surging societal changes, naive Amelie Hampton has joined the ranks of respectable working women and is employed at The Marriage Gazette, where she corresponds with readers and occasionally tries her hand at matchmaking. She longs for the day when she meets her true love and her lofty romantic ideals color her outlook on life.
Grouchy Detective Michael Baker does not possess a natural affinity for tact, but he does have a strong intuition. This aids him when a young woman’s body is pulled from the Thames and he cannot rest until he discovers the circumstances leading to her death.
After a chance meeting, Amelie agrees to help Michael gather information on a suspect. As they become more and more involved in the case, they begin to develop a relationship deeper than camaraderie--which is a beautiful surprise to both of them. However, all is not roses and daydreams, as the villain is watching them closely and intends to have the last word.
This book was full of surprises for me. I read it much faster than I thought I would (mostly because I got hooked and couldn’t put it down!), there were more moments of peril than I anticipated, and I didn’t get bored with the book the whole time I read--thus my quick reading time.
The characters in this book are dynamic and evolve as the story progresses. Amelie is naive but wants to jump into adventure when the opportunity arises. Detective Baker is naturally impatient but is aware of it and tries to become more gentle. In addition to those changes, Amelie becomes less naive, and yet maintains a perspective of optimism, while Detective Baker learns to open his burdened heart to the possibility of happiness. The protagonists are likable and relatable, and the villain is particularly dis-likable. In my opinion, that is an indication that Nancy Campbell Allen took the time to craft her characters.
Another surprise this book held was that it is relatively violent. There are not any graphic or distasteful details, but I was surprised at how much violence did happen. It is not excessive, it is just something I didn’t anticipate and something to keep in mind depending on the audience.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. I loved how the plot drew me in and wouldn’t let me step away. The story rolls without stalls or slumps. The characters have depth. This is a well-crafted story.
Violence & Crime--murders committed (no murder acts described, but murder scenes and corpses are), one character inflicts multiple injuries and violence upon another character.
Language--None
Sex & Affection--Passionate kissing
Drugs, Alcohol and Substance Use--None
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