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Aldbey Park #1

Thoroughly in Love

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A beautiful young widow trying to save her estate.
A murderer determined to ruin her.
A duke in disguise who has vowed to get to the bottom of it all.
And a life changing kiss...


Welcome to book 1 in a fabulous new series titled Aldbey Park from the very talented Chantry Dawes!


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. And now it has been left in a woman’s hands for the first time. Lady Amelia’s hands.

Lady Amelia does not care if the men of the Ton do not think she should be training horses or wearing breeches. It seems that there are those among the Ton that will do whatever it takes to see Lady Amelia Darley fail so they can take her estate and her prized Thoroughbreds.

Are they the same men responsible for her husband’s death?

Enter Alexander Godolphin Hawke, the Duke of Leids. He 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 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.

Can Amelia trust Alexander enough to tell him her plan? Can the two of them keep each other from harm while falling thoroughly in love with one another?

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 14, 2021

44 people are currently reading
92 people want to read

About the author

Chantry Dawes

4 books12 followers
Chantry Dawes lives on her horse farm in the south east where she raised her four sons and wrote historical romance in her spare time. She has two dogs, a cat and several horses. Once her four boys were grown up and gone, she turned to writing full time.

Chantry’s stories always have strong women, oftentimes a horse or two, and men who very often think they are coming to their ladies’ rescue, only to find out that it was themselves who were blissfully rescued by their lady. A self proclaimed history nerd, she is fascinated by the massive part that horses have played all throughout history. She believes that no tale is complete without that sigh worthy hero who comes riding up to his lady on an equally swoon worthy horse.

Step into her new Aldbey Park series and see for yourself… beginning with Thoroughly in Love

Chantry loves to hear from her readers!

Follow her on Facebook at Chantry Dawes

Sign up for her newsletters by contacting her at chantrydawesomancenovels@gmail.com

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for &#x1f989;Maggie Whitworth.
3,254 reviews113 followers
September 10, 2021
❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

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
1,646 reviews15 followers
September 22, 2021
t seems this author has hit it out of the park with her first story. My goodness, I was so lost in the story that I kept hoping it would never end. I am following her so I don't miss her next story.

This is book 1 of the series called Aldbey Park. This has so many amazing character's that I can't wait to read their stories. The character's of the Aunt and daughter's of the h will have you laughing out loud. To say the banter/dialogue was top notch is an understatement!

You have murder, suspense, great dialogue, horrible villain's, so many twists that the story never dragged.

I'm not of fan of secret's and holding true identities back, but you understand why it was being done. This author has a big job in writing the rest of the series, because this one will be hard to top.

This was romantic, lovemaking just barely outside of marriage, heat level .05 out of 5 - door almost shut. But, you will feel the love and passion of this couple. I did want to know where they would live. Hopefully that will be in the next story.

No cheating, no cliffhanger, HEA, romantic, great banter and character's and bedroom door just ajar.

I highly recommend this story and I'm excited I've found a new author! I can't improve on the blurb so not attempting, just what I got out of reading it!! (ljb)
Profile Image for Lori D.
4,080 reviews131 followers
September 15, 2021
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!



Profile Image for Rainelle.
2,204 reviews124 followers
May 6, 2022
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.
Profile Image for Janet.
5,194 reviews64 followers
October 12, 2021
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
527 reviews4 followers
September 11, 2021
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!
3,282 reviews37 followers
September 21, 2021
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
Profile Image for Margaret Watkins.
3,565 reviews88 followers
September 11, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Petula.
3,090 reviews87 followers
September 10, 2021
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.  
Profile Image for Texastwang.
580 reviews3 followers
September 12, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Lesley.
2,467 reviews19 followers
September 7, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Bridget Love to read Lewis.
2,464 reviews28 followers
September 19, 2021
Just who you need

Alexander aka Hawke aka Major has been titles he has been a world traveler and specializes in Arabian horses! Amelia runs a horse farm and has for the past two years barely surviving with her three daughters! The horses are the finest in the land but gossip and prejudice was against her as a woman! Almost any woman running a business then would encounter prejudice. Amelia encounters Hawke and sparks fly! Many times I wished Hawke secrets to be told but I also understood his silence and his honor! These two are a match made in heaven with the help of puppies, three daughters and several scoundrels! This is an action packed story and I love that they are a !little older couple with still lots of life and love left! This author is brand new to me but well done!!
Profile Image for Candy Briggs.
731 reviews14 followers
October 30, 2021
Lady Amelia Anne Darley had lost her husband one night two years ago. She was left with the horse farm her three daughters and the property. She had thoroughly well-bred and trained horses. But she wasn't selling them? Her Aunt Eggy and beans, oh and the cat, plus all the horses. Needless to say, she was one busy lady. Her daughters would put on their breeches and boots and muck along with the best of them.

Alexander Godolphin Osburn Hawke, Duke of Leids and fifth Marquess of Carmaythin, had been gone from England for a very long time. He had enjoyed his time in the desert and being a Major in the Dragoons. He had searched all over the desert for horses to send home. He only wanted the best. His horses were fast, could race distances, and were very loyal. They were beautiful.

I loved this book. It was heartwarming, showed ladies with a lot of strength, and wonderful horses.
It showed how important friendship was. The characters were so strong, yet loving, and the gentlemen were gallant. He was strong, tall, and handsome. The story was entertaining and you have all the twists and turns to keep it interesting. I read it straight through, too much was happening, to put it down.
Profile Image for Farida  Yasser .
466 reviews17 followers
March 5, 2023
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*
1,599 reviews19 followers
May 3, 2022
Thoroughly in Love (Aldbey Park book 1) - Chantry Dawes
Good Clean Mystery+Suspense+Romance
I started reading this story to see if I should add it to my TBR booklist. BUT, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. For me, it was the right story at the right time. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I found this story as a free read on facebook's Dragonblade Publishing Book Club (page?).
This review expresses my honest opinion.
577 reviews5 followers
September 16, 2021
Love is Real

I enjoyed reading this story about Lady Amelia, her three daughters Lula, Julia and Birdie. It also has Alexander Hawke the Duke of Leids.
I would recommend this book!!
Profile Image for Jill Long.
1,364 reviews6 followers
September 14, 2022
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!
2,379 reviews6 followers
January 20, 2023
intrigue and sweet romance

Absolutely delightful read about a widowed lady who owned and cared for a well known stable, noted for it’s fine breadline of thoroughbreds. The story reveals a man who steps in to assist her and take care of all the fatal mystery surrounding her life
1 review
November 22, 2021
I never laugh so much!!!!

This book was thoroughly enjoyable. Strong lead characters were very likeable. The supporting characters were a hoot especially Aunt Eggy!!
Profile Image for kelly mccurley.
19 reviews
May 26, 2022
Enjoyable

This book was perfect for a quick, easy, spring time read. Who doesn't enjoy true love. I love that the ladies in the book are strong and independent.
11 reviews
Read
August 4, 2024
It was a cute story. It made me laugh. I loved Aunt Eggy! She made me laugh all the way through the book. 😂😂😂
32 reviews
April 28, 2022
I enjoyed the heck out of this book

I didn't grow up where I got to ride horses. In fact, I was offered a chance to ride a horse and I was too scared to take advantage of it. The reading this book with something that allowed me to ride these glorious thoroughbred horses vicariously. And I really got into it thanks to the author's skill in writing.
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