Thursday, February 17, 2022

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen.

About the Book
Amelie Hampton is a hopeless romantic, which makes her the perfect columnist to answer lonely heart letters in The Marriage 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 book club.

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 is captured by her innocence, beauty, and her quick mind.

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

Book Beginnings
Amelie Hampton blinked in surprise as her normally unflappable aunt called her to task over a mistake that, frankly, Amelie didn't believe was a mistake at all. Poor judgment, at most.

Friday 56
Another sound near the door startled her, and she squinted around her fingers, trying to sit up in bed. There was something off about the room, as though a door had been opened then closed, a puzzle she couldn't put together. The more she grasped at the wispy thought, the quicker it blew away.

What have you been reading lately?

24 comments:

  1. This looks like a good one. Have a great weekend!

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  2. I like that beginning. It makes you wonder exactly what the mistake was, but it gives you a good idea about who the characters might be - at least at this moment in time.

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    1. Yeah, I was so curious about what kind of mistake Amelie made. I was instantly pulled in. Have a great weekend! :)

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  3. Ooh well this sounds like it would be good fun! I like the mystery of the F56, and I totally recognise the way a thought or a dream will disappear if you focus on it too much! Thanks for sharing and I hope you have a lovely weekend :)
    Juli @ A Universe in Words

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    1. Yes! If I focus too much on trying to remember a dream or an errant thought, it just vanishes. I could totally relate with that. Hope you have a lovely weekend too! :)

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  4. That's a really cool cover and it sounds like a good one. Happy reading and happy Friday!

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  5. This sounds interesting! I'm curious about this one. :)

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    1. I really enjoyed it! I was in the mood for a historical, so this fit the bill perfectly. And the mystery was an added bonus. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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  6. OMG, I need to check this one, thanks for featuring it today!
    Mine is in French this time: https://francebooktours.com/2022/02/18/le-promeneur-sur-le-cap-friday-56-vendredi-lecture/
    I have free copies and also a giveaway, so if you read French or have friends who do, please pass the information along. Have a great week-end

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    1. Ooh, that's cool! I just wish I could read French. Hope you have a great weekend! :)

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  7. Now you have piqued my interest. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. I love the cover and the synopsis has me wanting to read this. There's something about advice type columns as a plot device that I find appealing. I really liked the two snippets you shared from the book--I am definitely interested! Thank you for sharing. I hope you have a great weekend.

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    1. I agree with you. There's just something about advice-type columns that I'm drawn to. They're such a fun element to add to a story. I hope you have a great weekend too! :)

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  9. Sounds like a good one, not what I expected at all from the boring cover. Happy weekend!

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  10. I just finished reading Allen's Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts. She writes such fun books! I'll have to add this one to my list. :) Have a great weekend, Ashley.

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    1. I'm excited to read Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts. I almost picked that one up instead of this one, lol. And I agree, Allen's books are so much fun! Hope you have a great weekend too, Lark! :)

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  11. This looks really interesting, and such a neat cover! Happy Reading!

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    1. I really love this cover. Happy reading and have a great weekend! :)

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  12. Very good writing. Sounds interesting and entertaining. My first Friday 56 is up with my First Line Friday. Happy reading!
    http://www.lyndonperrywriter.com/2022/02/first-line-friday-naked-in-death.html

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    1. I had a lot of fun with this one. Thanks for stopping by! Happy reading! :)

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