This book had so much potential to be one of the best historical romance books ever, but unfortunately, it kind of fell flat for me.
.
It had a really engaging plot, and the execution of the major points and sequence of the scenes were great, However, I came for the romance, didn't I?
I absolutely disliked the MMC, Alexander was so boring and kind of arrogant, the whole dark protecting angel thing was a stretch, it felt like the author tried her hardest to give him this broody mysterious aura, but honestly it was badly done.
Also, I hated the random spewing of Persian words, usually I'm a sucker for one love interest declaring their love in foreign language, but this time it just made me cringe.
.
For the sake of not being b*tchy, I really liked the FMC, Amelia was such a compelling, lovely and strong character, that you can't help but fall in love with.
The side characters were all well written, especially Amelia's family, I loved their antics and how protective they were of Amelia.
The last part about the royals connection to the story was really uncalled for, it was so farfetched for me to easily accept, but at least, everyone got their happy ending.
.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This was a charming story starting at the first page. Amelia and Alexander captured my heart with their actions and words. They both are able to overcome their pasts. There was so much chemistry between them!

I liked the path that this story took when it came to cultivating a story for Amelia and Alexander. Having Amelia’s character for a love interest for Alexander was totally great. I loved how she took command of her person and everything around her. Adding three daughters to Amelia charge was another plus. In some ways I thought Amelia was a great mom to the girls; however her authority for guidance over the girls kind of fell off to the side. Alexander was an awesome fit to were Amelia sort of laps in her frustration of control. I thought that he was the perfect calm to her storm. The story was entertaining from the romance and the constant challenges that Amelia faced as a widowed woman who independently runs her homestead by herself.

Thoroughly Enjoyable

This story grabbed me from the first page. A man was riding his horse, on the run for his life. Who was he running from, and what tale would the horse tell? Would those who see understand the signs? Who is trying to ruin Lady Amelia, and why? Could her duke in disguise save the day, or would she be the heroine of the hour? This story had mystery, intrigue, and romance. It was my first read by this author, and it was a delightful find. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who like Regency romance with mystery, suspense, intrigue, and a woman with grit and courage. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Chantry Dawes thoroughly outdid herself in Thoroughly in Love! The premise of a ‘secret’ duke is not a new one, but Ms. Dawes tells the romance in a way that will keep you from laying her book down. You will want to know how beautiful widow Lady Amelia and her stable master/duke fall in love, how they reach their HEA. Their love of horses brings them together quickly. The duke’s search for the dangers surrounding Lady Amelia and her family only add to their relationship.

You will love how Amelia’s daughters and eccentric aunt add to the romance and the story line with their strength and knowledge. Ms. Dawes goes just a bit over the edge with the ‘women power,’ but it does not take too much away from the story line. Hawke’s friend, Pasha, offers great advice and seems to always be ‘there’ when needed. So many great secondary characters are hilariously part of this romance and cause you to laugh out loud at times.

Ms. Dawes tells a superb story with a sensual nature without sex, just good clean romance. I highly recommend Thoroughly in Love and look forward to Thoroughly Besotted coming next.

Some times, when I find myself in great periods of stress, I enjoy reading "light" stories, love stories mainly, to take my head off things for a while. This book revealed itself up to the task.
Chantry Dawes writing is simple yet effective, she lets you easily dive into the story and you find yourself enjoying the trip from the first to the last page.
As I said I read romance novels mainly to divert my focus when stressed or worried, so I can't really sell myself as an expert, but I thoroughly enjoyed (see what I did there? wink wink) the book and I recommend it to everyone who's looking for a love story tinged with some mistery, you'll be glad to have read this book.

Widowed at a young age, Lady Amelia Darley is left struggling to save her estate ever since her husband died in a suspicious riding accident. She has only the dwindling sales from the thoroughly bred horses that Aldbey Park is known for, for her home is where one of the first Thoroughbred horses was bred so long ago. Alexander Godolphin Hawke, the Duke of Leids has returned to England to collect a debt from Aldbey Park from horses sold before the war. He is battle hardened and unrecognizable after being away fighting wars for so many years. He is mistaken for a stable hand so takes on the role to investigate Darley’s death plus he’s drawn to Amelia. He is surprised to find that Lord Darley is dead and it is his beautiful young widow that has been stubbornly trying to manage all the work of the estate and its stables. He soon realizes that not only are the estate’s horses in danger but Lady Amelia is as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series starter from a new author. I loved the chemistry between Alex & Amelia & how their relationship developed. A well written story with a lovely mix of romance & mystery & it ticked all the boxes for me, I can't wait to read more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Lady Amelia, a widow with three daughters and a quirky aunt, hires Alexander as her stable manager. Unbeknownst to Amelia, Alexander is in fact a Duke initially looking to recoup money owed him by her late husband for horses sent from the Middle East. This story had it all, a strong heroine, thoroughbred horses, romance, intrigue and mystery. Definitely a must-read.
Thank you Chantry Dawes, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Five Plus stars! Great first book in a new series!
I loved Lady Amelia's strength of character and her daughters Lula, Julia, and Birdie. Together the ladies are determined to do everything they can to save Aldbey Park and their horses after Lord Darley dies. A unique position for women in that day. Let's also not forget Aunt Eggy - wonderful characters all of them.
Then Lady Amelia acquires the best swoon worthy stablehand in Alexander Godolphin Hawke. Oh my!!!!
So if you are wanting romance, amazing characters, murder, mystery, greed, and wonderful horses, then don't miss this fabulous story!
Personally, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series as soon as they come out.

Thoroughly in Love by Chantry Dawes was a book about horses: how to breed them, how to sell them, and the trouble they could cause. Lord Alexander Godolphin Osburn Hawke, Duke of Leids, was traveling home from Arabia for the first time in many years. On his way, he was to stop at Aldbey Park, the home of Sir Henry Darley, to whom he had shipped many horses, and now expected to be paid for them. He cam upon a most curious scene: a man and a woman arguing over a horse. The man was no horseman, although her believed himself to be. He was being cruel to the horse, and the woman was calling him out. Most curious. Through a series of miscommunications, Alexander and his friend, Pasha, were hired by this woman to work in the stables. He had to discover what was going on here, and where was Sir Henry?

This is another fine example of Regency England's view of women and the restrictions put upon them. It is also a fine view of a few women who refuse to put up with it. It is also the story of a man who has lied to a woman and now very much regrets that lie, as he is certain she will never forgive him, no matter how justified the lie. This book is full of interesting support characters that move the plot along but provide the color as well. It is a convoluted plot about dishonest men, the lengths to which they would go, and how they were found out. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to fee a free e-ARC of Thoroughly in Love by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dragonblade #thoroughlyinlove

Thoroughly in Love is an exciting book from start to finish! Beginning with a wild chase on a stormy night ending with the death of Amelia's husband. Two years later, she hires two men to work in her stables, and she doesn't know that one is the Duke of Leids, somebody her husband owed a lot of money to. Alexander won't tell her who he really is, he thinks she could be in danger, and her husband's death was no accident. The more he learns about Amelia, the stronger his feelings for her become, which he never expected, since he was betrayed by his late wife years ago and had promised himself to never again trust a woman. But Amelia is a different kind of woman. A woman that is falling in love with her stable manager. A very exciting story, it has a couple of love scenes, but they are not overly descriptive, which I liked a lot. Excellently written!

An exciting story that starts off at a gallop and made my heart pound, with the heroine's husband being pursued and killed.

Lady Amelia had been left trying to manage her estate and sell the thoroughbred horses her husband had begun. Her challenge was to be successful, since she was a woman and most men and society would shun her if they knew she trained and handled the beautiful horses herself.

To the rescue comes Alexander Hawke, Duke of Leids, who ends up acting as a stable hand. But can I say, wow, just wow!

This story has it all with a mystery, murder, wonderful characters that come to life, amazing horses and a romance that will not be denied. Cannot wait for more!

Amelia and Alexander met under unusual circumstances.
Amelia's husband mysteriously is thrown from his horse. After he dies she discovers she is rather poor because of her husband's gambling. But she keeps the manor afloat by managing the thoroughbred horses.
Alexander finally returns home after an extended stay on the continent. Scouring the middle east for horses to send home. He is mistaken for a stable manager and allows the mistake after he finds out the difficulty the estate is having.
I found I enjoyed her writing style. Its from both main characters point of view. Also, the romantic scenes are not drawn out but succinctly said and left at that. Great story telling.

I enjoyed this show-burn novel much more than I expected to. First in a series (curious about subsequent books), it starts off literally with a bang: We witness heroine Amelia's husband Henry's last desperate minutes as he races his stallion away from apparent murderers. The story then picks up a couple of years later when Alexander, Duke of Leids--newly arrived back in England after years abroad--arrives at Amelia's horse farm intending to retrieve payment for horses he'd sold to Henry from the Middle East. Finding the young widowed mother and her three daughters alone and struggling to maintain the property, he and his friend Pasha stick around under the guise of stable masters, determined to find out the truth about his missing money and the danger that the widow appears to be living with.

Amelia and Alexander share a love of horses and a growing respect for each other's abilities with the animals. As their friendship grows, so does their attraction towards one another. Amelia, however, believes Alexander to be a stable master and knows that she cannot be with him if only for the sake of her daughter's reputations. The three girls are nearing their come outs, and she needs to maintain decorum. For his part, Alexander is a little slow to trust at the beginning. He still chafes at the memory of his wife, who died trying to birth another man's child. It's soon clear that Amelia is nothing like his late wife however, but once he realizes that he wants Amelia in his life, he's stuck on how he can reveal the truth without losing her love.

The chemistry between Amelia and Alexander is great, and when he whispers Arabic words of love to her, it's hard not to feel swoony. Alexander's friend Pasha too is intriguing; I have no idea if he'll be a protagonist in the future story, but I hope in some way we get to see his and daughter Julia's obvious attraction pan out into something more lasting.

While I adored the characters in the story, there were a few minor issues that were nonetheless distracting. The author had a habit of repeating certain phrases, such as mentioning that Pasha is golden-eyed or that Alexander was Amelia's guardian/warrior angel. Both descriptors are lovely, but they lose their effect when dropped sometimes multiple times on a page. I was felt that the source of the danger could have been more clearly explained and resolved. I also struggled at times with the POV. It's told mostly from Amelia's and Alexander's, but it flipped back and forth between paragraphs rather than in alternating sections or chapters, and secondary characters' POVs were sprinkled in here and there. Third person alternating is my favorite, but when it jumps back and forth so frequently, it just becomes confusing.

Overall though, this was a lovely book and a great beginning to a new series.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

Widowed, Lady Amelia Darley is determined to keep her horse stables running and her daughters in the estate they all love. Her husband left her the estate but also a huge amount of debt. Our heroine has more danger to face. Even the horses will not be safe.

Alexander Hawke, Duke of Leids has returned from years away. On his way home he will collect the money for the horses sold before the war. Unfortunately there is a mystery to solve before he can collect. Working undercover he will solve it.

This is a marvelous historical romance with wonderful characters. All the females are brave, hardworking and talented. I especially loved Auntie Eggs. Our hero is a little sneaky, but with an honourable reason. The horses are very special, thoroughly bred for heart.

A very exciting story that is the start of a series. I will definitely be reading the rest.

I loved it.

Although this romance is suspenseful and a dark cloud of secrecy hovers over the lives of the women living at Aldbey Park, this novel is also a sweet romance that draws the reader in from the opening chapters. Struggling to keep her late husband's debtors at bay, Lady Amelia Darley immerses herself in keeping her estate going. With her eccentric aunt and daughters at her side, Amelia has had to keep her wits about her to prevent everything she has worked for from being stripped from her. With the arrival of the mysterious Mr. Hawke and his even more mysterious companion, the lives of the Darley woman start to turn around. Alexander Hawke hides behind the facade of a stable master, all the while investigating the strange turn of events he finds at Aldbey Park. However, the spark between Amelia and Alexander is undeniable, and as much as Amelia tries to control her feelings, her heart knows what it wants. As the truth about her husband's death and the men who engineered it emerge, Amelia and her horses are put in danger, but an even worse scenario comes into focus as Amelia finds that she is not the only person in peril. I enjoyed the romance in this novel, found the suspense intriguing, and loved the quirky natures of the members of the household. I received a copy of this standalone book as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Chemistry driven romance from the start between Alexander and Amelia, with great writing from Chantry.

Very enjoyable read, the two main characters have suffered much and deserve a little bit of passion tbh, and I loved the build up to their romance, from the tense start, when they first meet, and she’s unaware of his history with her husband, to the reveal.

Very good story and writing.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

I really enjoyed Thoroughly in Love. I love a story where the heroine is strong and takes control of her life and Amelia is absolutely doing that. After some trouble on her horse farm, she is having a difficult time finding people to work in her stables. She thinks she finally has two men come for the job, Alexander and Pasha. However, they may not be who they seem.

The supporting characters add so much to the book. Aunt Eggy's hair is a character in itself. I also love the fact that Amelia is raising her daughters to be strong and intelligent. This is a wonderful book. There is good chemistry between Amelia and Alexander, even without it having any steamy scenes.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Deception, Secrets and Girl-Power.
A Duke is mistaken for a stableman and rather surprisingly takes the post so that he can investigate the death of a business associate. In doing so he discovers that the beautiful widow is unlike any female he has ever met before but telling the truth before he exposes the villains could be risky. A lovely romance between two widowed persons who previously had no intention of re-marrying until an unexpected chemistry turns them inside out.
In this story the horses are the stars, strangely they are rarely referred to as thoroughbreds but as thoroughly bred - not sure if this is a play on the book title, an affectation of the author, or just plain typos in my advance copy.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.