Enlisting the help of an old friend of her deceased mother Kitty travels to London for the season to hunt for a rich husband. She may appear a hard hearted manipulator and schemer but she is doing this for her sisters, prepared to sacrifice marrying for love for their sakes. If you loved the Julia Quinn Bridgerton series or Georgette Heyer, this is definitely the book for you!

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin - Waterstones A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin - Waterstones

This was a genuinely fun and lighthearted read that I absolutely loved! Kitty was a likeable and incredibly intriguing protagonist-she’s smart, pragmatic and rather mercenary in her goal to catch herself a wealthy husband which I found refreshing among the dozens of Regency romances that’ve cropped up in the wake of Bridgerton’s success.I requested A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting on a whim and ended up with probably what will be one of my favourite reads of 2021, and definitely what is one of my new favourites full stop. It’s more on the romcom side of things than a full on romance, lighthearted for the most part, and with a cast of characters you’ll love. As with Anne Sharp’s predicament in Godmersham Park, Kitty’s financial situation perfectly highlights the position of women in society and how financially dependent they were on men. The only one to see through her plans is the world war hero Lord Radcliffe and he’s determined to thwart her at any cost, especially when her charm is focused solely on his impressionable younger brother, Archie who’s set to inherit a fortune. Can Kitty secure a fortune and save her sisters from poverty? There’s no time to lose and no one—not even a Lord—will stand in her way… A couple of weeks ago I had The Terrible Cold That Isn't Covid and found it hard to concentrate or settle on what I wanted to read and it was in this unpromising frame of mind that I started A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting. For the first chapter I thought maybe I had made a mistake, it felt a little overwritten and self consciously Heyerish and I almost put it aside. Thank goodness I didn't because this charming regency romp was exactly what I needed and I raced through it.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Madeleine Milburn A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Madeleine Milburn

Sophie Irwin’s debut novel is charming and I honestly could not put it down! It engaged me completely for an entire evening, immersed in Regency era London. With a pair of wonderful main characters supported by an excellent cast we enter Kitty’s life. After Kitty’s father dies Kitty and her three sisters are on the point of destitution unless Kitty can by making an advantageous marriage clear her fathers debts and fully support her sisters, otherwise the family will have to be broken up and each sister go into service or become a governess.

Featured Reviews

Kitty’s interactions with Radcliffe sparkled and the sarcasm and irony that dripped from the dialogue was very Austen-esque. I loved that Radcliffe matched Kitty in wit and how she encouraged his more mischievous side to come out.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - HarperCollins Publishers UK

I loved reading this so much! It was one of those books that really grows on you, not just in the way the plot progresses but also with how you see the characters evolving. The romance was a slow burn and had you on your toes all the way through.I loved the enemies to lovers trope, it's one of my favourites and one that was executed tremendously by Irwin. I loved the chemistry between the characters and how much their relationship developed over time.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Publishers Weekly A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Publishers Weekly

She meets a suitable family with a young son who could solve all her problems so Kitty goes all out to ensnare this rather naïve young aristocrat, unfortunately his elder brother Lord Radcliffe is on to Kitty and determined to stop her. The interaction and dialogue between the two is sparkling, witty but also honest, Radcliffe will help Kitty in her task as long as she leaves his brother alone. This leads to all manner of humour, dramatic and romantic episodes.It was great to get a protagonist that’s honest and rather upfront about her scheming and watching her navigate the social etiquette of the upper classes (and the faux pas she inevitably makes along the way) was both phenomenally entertaining and period accurate. With only twelve weeks until the bailiffs call, Kitty has no choice but to launch herself into London society, using every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb the ranks. A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting was a joy to read, a story set in the regency period where social manners and etiquette rules were so different to todays society.