The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart is author Nancy Campbell Allen’s best book to date! This Shadow Mountain Proper Romance is fresh and original, set in proper Victorian England. Campbell Allen creates a delightful romance AND page-turning mystery. With a dastardly evil villain, this novel is extremely entertaining and impossible to put down. The story provides impressive character development as Amelie and Michael check their biases and find themselves working together and falling in love. Favorite parts in the book include a whodunnit mystery at an Egyptian party (like a scene straight out of the game Clue!), witty conversation, and the inclusion of characters with disabilities. The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart emphasizes themes of family and love and it couldn’t be more fun. 

Review of an Advance Reading Copy This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Shadow Mountain

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:  A few verbal threats, multiple secondhand reports of violence including policemen being killed in the line of duty, murder of women, unmarked graves, bullying; a few brief scenes of violence include a character being struck on the arm and head and passing out and physical fights where characters are struck and one stabs another with a hatpin; a non-detailed scene of violent death includes a stabbing victim and blood and gore from stabbing wounds. 

Sex/Nudity:  Frequent incidents of kissing on the hand, head and lips; a sexual reference asking if a woman had ‘cheated’; implied sexual activity when a woman reveals she is pregnant.

Mature Subject Matter:

Murder, death of family members, widowhood, blackmail, extortion, child abduction, orphan, Down Syndrome and disabilities, mention of gamblers, men and female roles in Victorian England. 

Alcohol / Drug Use:

A character glances at men outside a pub.