This was a fun and quick read. I appreciate the heart behind the story and the development of relationships and characters. Parts were laugh out loud, parts were saucy, and others were swoony. I think that it could have been fleshed out a bit more - like, I’d want to know more about the couple at the end of the story (trying not to spoil anything). All around entertaining closed door rom com. The voice actor did a fantastic job narrating.

I received an ARC of the audiobook courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. The opinions are mine alone.

This wasn’t my favorite Emma Hart book, but I did enjoy it, and it was a quick read. If you are a enemy’s to lovers fan you should give it a whirl!

Emma hart never fails me with her romances. Every time I see a new book coming out it's an auto-buy. I really enjoyed this story, but I will say it wasn't one of my favorites. It may have been because it was the audio version but I'm not sure. It was a slower romance read but still enjoyable!

This was a cute little romance about an aristocrat and her
Gardner. This story follows our main character as she is being
pressured to be married but she come to an agreement to not
fight the matchmaking if she has a chance to meet Mr Right
before her father started setting her up. The story was cute but
not the most original and the characters fell a little flat for me. I
did listen to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration I thought
it was easy to understand and engaging. I would like to thank
NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this review
for an honest review.

Such a wonderful enemy-to-lovers book. I enjoy it when two potential lovebirds are thrust into a situation forcing them to come together and it was expertly done in Lady Love. Emma Hart has graced us with another whirlwind romance.

Gabby is also Lady Gabriella. She isn’t supposed to be taking gardening classes but she does so behind her father’s back. Miles is the gardener of the estate that Gabby’s family owns. He’s a grump to her sunshine. I loved Aunt and all the animals! It was delightfully fun!

This is a lighthearted rom-com book about Lady Gabriella Hastings. Lady Gabriella has a few secrets. She holds a grudge against her younger brother who will inherit the estate because that's how the British do things. She also holds a flame for Miles Kingsley, the grumpy but drop-dead gorgeous gardener who wants to be left alone. He hides at Arrowwood Hall and despises Lady Gabriella. Or so she feels. Yes, it is unrequited love. Finally, her third secret is, that she is the online writer for a love column. Did I mention she is single and her father wants her married, once and for all? Her dream is to take horticultural classes and become one.

It's a sweet story where you have a PG-13 version of Bridgerton. The audio has a delightful read with a perfect British accent that really made the characters come alive.

I enjoyed the unfolding of Lady Gabriella's relationship with Miles but it is again, a sweet story so there is no titillating writing for those of us who just want a modern-day version of the Bridgerton series. That said, because it is billed as a romance novel, I had higher. It was a fun and lighthearted read.

The story also includes her eccentric family and while they are fun to hear, I was personally hoping to hear more about Lady Gabriella as a secret online advice dispenser. She gives great advice.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I really wanted to get into this book...but I just couldn't. I didn't connect with the characters or the story line and I am sad to say that I did not finish it. I am wondering if maybe this author just isn't for me. I'm sure it's got enough cuteness that other people will like it, but I couldn't find the desire to finish it.

Lady Love is an adorable love story featuring an upstairs downstairs romance between the aristocratic girl and her gardener. There’s defying parents and an aunt assembling a secret petting zoo!

This book just didn't work for me. I never felt the connection between the characters. I also felt the characters weren't fleshed out enough. The story felt disjointed with the advice column thrown in. It didn't add to the plot.

Way to much gardening and jumping around for my liking. Despite my best efforts I just couldn’t connect with the charters or story line.

⭐️⭐️ 2 stars, Unfortunately it was a miss for me

this was not a book that I liked or could get into, even the narrator was just not working for me
was not able to finish it and don't plan to later on
sorry

ARC kindly received for an honest review
I was really excited about this book before reading it. It had the grumpy sunshine trope and I personally have an obsession with gardening so it was a definite draw. I loved that they both bonded over the gardening and landscaping work, but I wasn't expecting most of the plot to be driven Gabriella's need to succeed in her horticulture class. In fact I'd say a lot of this book's synopsis is kind of misleading compared to the plot. The whole "Lady Love" romance blog aspect ended up being a pretty small piece of the plot. I felt like I was missing a prequel about it.
While I did really like Lady Love, I think it was more of a happy accident because it ended up catering to my interests.

This book was hilarious from start to finish and this will not be the last book I read from E.ma Hart because she is amazing.

Lady Love is book one of the aristocrats dairies series. It English contemporary romance that had a light feel. Nothing serious and what I would call mind candy. Everything was centered around aristocrats and their lives. And If anything it compelled me to get in my garden again.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and was narrated by Shakira Shute. She did a bang up job. I loved her voice and want to hear more from her.
The novel was ok. The main character sorta drove me crazy and I wasn’t in love with the family. Would I read another one by this author? Probably not.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via NetGalley.

I couldn’t get into the on at all. Why I have no idea 🤷‍♀️ I don’t really know how to describe why. It’s simply not for me.

Lady Gabriella Hastings would have been next in line to inherit her family's Arrowwood Estates, if only it wasn't for those silly rules that pass on titles and land to the male heirs! So while her brother is gallivanting somewhere off in the ocean on a yacht, Gabi is at home being set up with every dreadful suitor her father meets. But Gabi is hiding some secrets that could change everything. Gabi has enrolled in the local college in a horticulture class, and her father has yet to find out about it. She is also running an online blog called Lady Love where she gives advise to people who write in for relationship help. And the biggest secret is that she is in love with the gardener, Miles Kingsley.

Gabriella's father finds out about her being enrolled in college and is less than thrilled. Her father makes a deal with her: He will stop matchmaking for two weeks, and she will create a garden plot in an area drawn out for her. If she fails, she will meet with all the suitors that her father sets up for her. But if she succeeds and builds a beautiful garden space and passes her course, he will pay for all courses she needs to reach her goals and will cease the setups forever. Gabi has just two days to turn in her assignment, and she isn't sure she will meet her deadline!

In the course of drawing up her plot, she enlists the help of the handsome gardener Miles Kingsley. Together they draw up a plan. Her deadline is fast approaching and so is a huge storm! It is starting to look like she is going to be stuck with the gardener, and completely fail her assignment!

In the beginning of the novel there was a TON of background information thrown at the reader all at once, but most of it was kind of a waste because (at least for this book) none of it mattered. It looks like there will be at least two more books in this series, so maybe some of the information will be important, but it just seems so superfluous to add in now. There were a lot of names to remember, and since I'm not awesome at names and facts, that was kind of stressful!! One of the reasons for my "info" sections is to help me and other readers quickly remember key facts about books when looking back (starting with the POV, and then I sometimes do a "players" section which is all the characters and a tiny blurb on them. It is mostly so when I need to remember about the book I can go back and read these reviews and say "Oh yeah, now I remember that person and the job they had and why that is important!")

In this book Hart also threw in a lot of the useless plot points that either weren't explained or may be explained later (but again, why were they brought up right at the beginning of this book?!) Like, Gabriella runs an online blog relying to other people. She says it is her secret, and no one knows about it. Ok, great start! Is this going to cause conflict or contention later in the book? Nope! It is mentioned a few times more, but nothing becomes of it. Are the blog posts foreshadowing to something? Maybe, but nothing in this book from what I saw! Are they a metaphor for the complexities of love? Possibly, but again, no relation to what is happening in the book...

In this book, Gabi also says *ahem* a lot, and I did not like that at all. Maybe once would have been cheeky, but multiple times was downright annoying. It was super obnoxious in context, and it took me out of the book. The audiobook narrator also did the sound in the worst way. It was like nails on a chalkboard. Just no.

Hart also mentions a brother who will inherit everything but is never in the book. It is kind of funny, he is kind of like Bruno. We don't talk about Bruno. He is not seen and never heard from. I couldn't even find his first name when I went back and searched for it!! Hart also has an entire conversation in the kitchen as the opening scene about a dead body in the town square. We don't know who this body is. Will this come up again later? Nope! Is this important in some way? Nope! But it is now in my brain, noodling around, keeping me up at night- "Why was there a dead body? Why don't we know who it is? Who killed the person? Why was the person killed? What is the purpose in the plot of the dead body? Is the dead body a metaphor?? Why can't I sleep? Dead body dead body dead body...." You see how this is a problem!?

I feel like Hart also had so many missed opportunities to spark more romance between the main characters. They were alone in the house. All alone. during the storm! Is there not a better setting for kissing? Warm by the fire, rain falling outside? Perfect Forced Proximity chance! Especially with the hurt ankle!!! Nope, missed that opportunity. And then again, there is a party, people all around, dancing, cute and witty banter! Will they get together then? Nope, not then either... What about while walking around the secret garden? Nope... Missed that chance as well. How about while helping in the church? What a better way to get close to someone than serving others? Also nope, just more fighting. All they do is fight. It isn't cute fighting, it isn't a good push and pull. It isn't angsty... It is just repetitive. Fighting, then making up (but just words, no kissing). More fighting. More making up. Grumpy grump... I just wanted more romance from this book!!

Ok, so I know I grumbled a lot about a lot of things in this novel, but I did actually like the premise, and the characters were pretty cute. I especially loved the getaway goats (Obviously I loved the goats- #MyNameIsHeidi #IAmTheGoatGirl), their little escape artist antics made me laugh! I loved that they were named after monarchy! Emma Hart has some pretty quippy lines, and some quotable ones also. I love how Gabi talked a lot about pockets and food! A girl after my own heart! Overall, this book was ok, but could have been better.

<b>PoV:</b> First person, present, dual
<b>ToN (Type of Narration):</b> Solo by Shakira Shute
<b>Audio book length:</b> 7h 2m
<b>Genre and Sub genre:</b> Romantic Comedy, Contemporary
<b>Location:</b> Arrowwood Estate
<b>Time(s):</b> Current/Contemporary
<b>Tropes:</b> Sunshine and Grump, Enemies to lovers, Royalty, a splash of Forced Proximity, and a little bit of employed by lover
<b>TW/CW's:</b> <spoiler> Mention of cancer, mention of death, mention of heart attack, death of a father, death of a mother, Natural disaster (rain storm with flooding) </spoiler>
<b>Language Rating:</b> 3
<b>Sex Rating:</b> 3

<b>Audio book review:</b> Shakira Shute did a really good job narrating this book. Her voice fit the part perfectly! She was easy to understand. Her word were clear and she had good diction. She also did a good job acting out her part as Gabi and doing the part of Miles.
The audiobook editing was pretty good, you could definitely tell when parts were spliced in because of the change in volume, but it wasn't so much that I had to adjust my volume. There wasn't any Background or broadband noise, and I didn't notice any sibilance or plosives. Overall, not bad!

**Audio book notes do not change my GR book rating, it is only here for reference. This entire review is also cross posted to Amazon and Audible**

The Players:

Lady Gabriella Hastings: Three secrets- 1)signed up for community college, horticulture class. 2)She responds to blog write-ins as Lady Love and gives dating advice. 3) She is in love with Miles the gardener. She has one brother 6 years younger than her. She loves plants but can't tell a potato plant from a pumpkin plant. Very clumsy.

Miles Kingsley: Gardner. 30 years old. Won't let Gabi into the greenhouse. Likes working away from the public. Grumpy and broody. Lives with and takes care of Grandfather and the cat

Aunt Cat: Goat Farmer. Purchased 10 new black ducks to piss off brother

Aunt Elizabeth: Once married to Late Uncle Arthur who came from a long line of aristocrats. Arthur died of a heart attack. Elizabeth inherited nothing from her own father, it all went to Henry, the male.

Arthur Fredricks: Butler, secretly in love with Cat, friend to Henry for many years.

Henry, Duke of Bath: Father to Gabriella, brother of Cat and Elizabeth, trying to marry off her daughter to a duke.

Alexander Winthrop Bently, Duke of Wooster (Alex): Has a child named Olympia who is 10 years old. Olympia's mother is deceased. He is almost a Grand Master in chess, if it weren't for his birthright. Diagnosed with Dyslexia. Took over Bently mannor Estate at 21. Banned from local chess club. Leased 20 acre plots of the manor to locals for "pennies" for them to garden and farm on. Many of the farmers were mentally ill or disabled. All were his friends, he is friends to the working class.

Addy and Eva: Twins Eva: Asst mg in art gallery in village. Addy: Aspiring writer

Caleb: Farmhand hired to tend to Cat's animals, 24 yo.

Emily: New housekeeper who doesn't like Gabi (That's never explained either!)

Matthew Hornby: Horticulture tutor

Howard Billings: Wouldn't stop talking about new business deals

Louie Fitzgerald: Kept talking to Gabi's breasts

Helena's cousin only spoke about ex girlfriend who traded down and now engaged to billionaire


Helena: Gabi's friend. Aristocrat

Amelia Hughes: Had a tacky wedding in Siccily

Stephen, Duke of Westminster: Known to have a wandering eye. Dating Annabelle Fasteskew (who slept with Alex)

Gabi's Brother: All we know is that he is 6 years younger and he is partying it up on a yacht somewhere in the ocean. What's his name?!

I could not get into this book. I didn’t make it past a couple of chapters. The narration was awful and the storyline was less than intriguing.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was my first introduction to the author, Emma Hart. If I am being honest, this book took me a bit to get into. Lady Gabriella is a British aristocrat who secretly has a relationship column offering advice to others and is secretly taking horticulture classes all while being expected to meet acceptable eligible bachelors; often pushed by her father and aunt. Gabriella is more interested in Miles, the gardener of the estate. Miles seems a bit grumpy and standoffish to Gabriella. If all this isn't enough, she has a crazy aunt with multiple goats.

What worked for me
The banter between Gabriella and Miles, but overall, I did not make many connections to the characters in the story.
The aunt was a fun character, especially with the goats. I only liked her more as the story went on, especially revolving around the revelations towards the end.

What didn't work for me
The relationship column Gabriella had. It was mentioned a few times in first quarter of the book and then very little after that. I didn't really find it necessary to the story. There was enough going on with the horticulture plot to forgo the Lady Love column, in my opinion. I guess the column serves the purpose for the book title, but little else.
In the second half of the story there were some chapters in Miles POV. I would have preferred the entire novel to be in multiple POV rather than changing the format near the end.
Despite the banter between the characters, I didn't really FEEL the attraction. When the love scene came along it just didn't seem right to me. They didn't have much chemistry prior to that. Cute banter but no sparks.
 
Overall, I found this to be good, but not great. I would be willing to read the second book if one is written just to see what the next one is like.

Quick Summary: Hilarious and sweet

My Review: Lady Love by Emma Hart was a delightful romance. It had just enough sweetness to make me smile. Although the main couple took center stage with their like to love/hate to love relationship, it was Aunt Cat who stole the show. She was hilarious. She needs her own story, that's for sure.

Rating: 3/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A

Thanks is extended to the author, publisher and NetGalley who provided an audio copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have not been influenced by the aforementioned in any way.

* A Goodreads review has been submitted.