I love Regency romances! This book is an excellent addition to the genre, and is a lot more nuanced and thought-provoking, for a light-hearted read! 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.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting | Sophie Irwin A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting | Sophie Irwin

With just twelve weeks until Kitty and her sisters are made homeless, launching herself into London society is the only avenue open to her. And Kitty must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb the ranks. The only person she can’t fool is Lord Radcliffe, who sees straight through her plans, and is determined to stop her at any cost. I can't recommend this highly enough. If you are a fan of Jane Austen, this is the book for you. Light, witty, with entertaining characters, to charm you, and a delightful plot involving an impoverished, but genteel lady needing to marry a rich man to save her sister. Does she succeed - there are twists, turns - read it and see.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. 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. 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. 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. And the best part about the book? The growth of James and Kitty’s relationship feels entirely realistic, entirely natural, and there’s no third act break up. Yes, there is angst, yes, there are miscommunications, but it’s all dealt with well. It feels like one of those relationships where each character respects the other, knows the other well enough to know what the other feels they have to do. I’m not explaining this at all well, but just now I love it. I love it so much.

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

honestly, this is one of the best romances I’ve read so far this year and regency romance/rom-com fans are bound to enjoy it!Kitty Talbot's journey to find herself a husband in 12 weeks had me engrossed from the first chapter. An agreeable entry into the Regency romance genre. The opening sentence of this book, “You’re not going to marry me?” sets the scene succinctly in a book which you know is going to be about finding a husband. Obviously the heroine’s attentions are going to have to be directed elsewhere. And because there is a pressing need for a wealthy husband due to a debt-ridden parent’s decease, this is going to be a difficult task. 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… 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.

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

I really enjoyed this book. Kitty was a fantastic character. She wasn’t the meek and mild heroine expected of the time, she was brave, brash and bold. I loved her feistiness and her willingness to do anything to secure her family’s future. No one will ever compare to Elizabeth Bennet, my all-time favourite heroine, but Kitty had the same wit and love for her family that Lizzy displayed in Pride and Prejudice. She also could see through the pomposity of these preening, pretentious men, despite not knowing exactly how to conduct herself in polite society. I loved how she slapped down one of the main characters to protect her sister, much to the horror of ‘the ton’. Kitty is a clever and determined young woman, who recognises that the societal limitations on women mean her only way of providing for her younger sisters after the death of their parents is to find herself a rich man. She leave Dorset for London on a quest to do exactly that. Kitty enters in to London society with only one goal in mind – to find a rich husband. She’s not looking for romance, her love for her sisters is what drives her and she’s quite prepared to sacrifice herself to a loveless match to keep a roof over their heads.When Kitty's parents pass away and leave her with 4 sisters and a mountain of debt, she must do everything in her power to make sure her and her sisters survive. 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. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. This is 1818 after all, and only men have the privilege of seeking their own riches. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting" is the tale of the Talbot sisters, who are left with a cottage and little else apart from debts when their parents die. Kitty, the oldest, sees it as her role to save the girls from homelessness and destitution. Her plan involves launching herself into London Society to snag herself a rich husband. She takes one of younger sisters with her and they enlist the help of their "aunt" Dorothy, their late mother's best friend.