Regency novels have long been my guilty pleasure ever since I read my first Georgette Heyer novel way back in my teens, so to have a Regency novel by a debut novelist to look forward too is a real delight.

With her family fortune in dire straits, Kitty Talbot has no option but to seek a marriage with a wealthy man in order to save her younger sisters from a life of penury. With only twelve weeks before the bailiffs take away all their possessions, Kitty, and her younger sister Cecily, set out for London where they take up residence with Aunt Dorothy who launches the sisters into high society but warns Kitty to keep her options open. However, with complete disregard, Kitty quickly targets the rather hapless, but wealthy, Archie de Lacy, a plan which seems to be going well until the arrival of Archie’s older brother,the taciturn, Lord Radcliffe, who seems hellbent on thwarting Kitty’s best laid plans.

What then follows is a delightful Regency style romance which brings to the page all of the constrained notions of polite society in 1818. The historical background feels authentic, there are evenings at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, scintillating soirées and gentle walks in the park to keep the atmosphere alive. Kitty is a feisty heroine and her interaction with Lord Radcliffe adds an interesting dimension to what is, after all, is a sweet and gentle Regency romance.

I was in two minds as to whether I liked Kitty or not. She did have the best interests of her family at heart and she did put their needs before her own. However, Kitty had little thought for the man she might marry and his feelings. James, Earl of Radcliffe, was soon onto Kitty but she somehow managed to inveigle her way into getting him to do as she asked. This was an entertaining read with amusing banter between Kitty and Radcliffe. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received the arc for this book from netgalley as an exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book, it had a lot of quite good elements although it was only after having reached the mid point that I was able to let go of some of it's faults and just go along with the story.
So, if you are looking for a mind bending, life-altering book, this is not the one for you. It is quite predictable, the characters are kind of interesting but one-dimensional and some of the events that occurred were hard to believe even for fiction.
On the other hand, it was quite a fun read if you lowered your expectations, it had a nice plot and it was quirky in the right places.
I cannot help but think though that this book would benefit from another re-write, making the good elements shine, rather than be lost in a sea of predictability. For example there were some instances, especially in the beginning, that the author told us rather than showed us things.

To summarise, I think it is an enjoyable read, one you should pick up if you want something that is an easy read, but not an exquisite one.

Kitty Talbot’s parents have died, leaving their daughters with debts and an uncertain future. Determined to secure her sisters’ future, she decides the solution is to marry well and heads to London with the last money they have to try to secure a rich husband. She’s never moved in this sort of society before, but with the help of her mother’s best friend she’s sure she can succeed. And indeed she soon attracts a suitor and is intent on reeling him in, until his older brother, Lord Radcliffe comes to town to put a stop to it. He knows she’s a fortune hunter and is determined to keep her out of his family, but somehow he finds himself helping her ingratiate herself with the ton…

As you might be able to tell from that summary – which doesn’t even cover half the book – this has got a lot of plot and a lot of twists. It rattles along so fast that you don’t have time to think about it, but when I was trying write that plot summary I realised how much had gone on beside the whole fortune hunter main idea. It pulled it off, but I do wonder whether there are any ideas left for Sophie Irwin’s next book! But I enjoyed this a lot so I’ll definitely be looking for it when it comes to see. It’s “not quite in the common way” of the historical romances I have read recently, not least because the steam level is basically smouldering glances for most of the book and never gets higher than kissing – so not so much enemies to Lovers as enemies to soon to be marrieds!

Kitty is in a predicament. Her family faces financial ruin and she doesn't want to let this happen. Her parents have died and she wants to support her sisters. So she heads to London in search of a husband, a rich one to save them. But there is a time limit and it is not going to be an easy task.

I thought this was going to be an addictive read and it proved to be just that. Kitty seems to settle fairly quickly on a potential suitor. However she is thwarted from Archie de Lacy by his older brother, Lord Radcliffe. Kitty then decides to persuade Lord Radcliffe to assist her with finding someone suitable.

1818, Kitty Talbot has just been jilted by her betrothed and, as the oldest of five sisters, she now finds herself in desperate need of a rich husband if she’s to keep the wolves from the door.

Deciding to launch herself into London society, she must use all her wits and guile in order to snare a match. But ingratiating yourself into the haute ton is harder than it sounds and to succeed she has to make a deal with Lord Radcliffe, a man who sees her as nothing more than a ruthless fortune hunter.

This is a regency era romance more in the style of Georgette Heyer than Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels so if you’re looking for some steamy scenes this will sadly disappoint. It’s clearly been inspired by Pride & Prejudice - the five sisters who need to try and marry well, the rich but standoffish love interest and the witty and intelligent Kitty who can spar verbally with the best of them.

The plot is slow to start and it doesn’t really get interesting until about a third of the way through the book when Kitty and Radcliffe make their deal. Before that we get far too much of his brother Archie who is so wet you’d drown in him. Kitty is a likeable enough character but for some reason I just didn’t really connect with her or become fully invested in the romance. The characters just felt a bit bland and while I did enjoy some of the exchanges between the couple I didn’t feel enough of a spark to truly root for them.

This was a lighthearted regency romance with moments of fun and humour and if that’s what you’re into then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this.

This Heyer fan loved it as it reminded me of the best moments of Ms Heyer, made me root for the characters, and had a lot of fun.
It's well plotted, compelling, and entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eArc!

Enemies to lovers and historical fiction?! An amazing combination, I loved this book!!

I am on a historical romance spree right now and reading lots of Regency novels and A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is another one I really enjoyed.

After the death of her parents, Kitty has one goal: marry a wealthy man who won’t mind that there is no dowry, who will pay her family’s debts and save their house, and who will take care of her and her four sisters. After her engagement is suddenly broken, Kitty travels to London for the season to find a new suitor and she lands her eyes on young Archibald De Lacy. He quickly becomes besotted with her, but when his older brother, Lord Radcliffe, learns of their relationship, he quickly leaves the country estate, where he’s been hiding since his return from the battle of Waterloo, to stop Kitty’s advances. However, he didn’t expect to find in front of him a smart and headstrong woman who makes him a deal: she will leave his brother alone and, in exchange, he will help her find a rich husband.

I liked the character of Kitty. She is not perfect, but she is realistic and honest. She has flaws and I didn’t always agree with her choices. She schemes and she manipulates to get what she wants. She doesn’t apologize for being a fortune-hunter. She wants to save her family home and take care of her sisters even if this means spending the rest of her life with a man she doesn’t like. I also really liked the character of James, Lord Radcliffe. The battle of Waterloo left him emotionally wounded and he spent the last two years away from his family and friends. He returns to London to keep Kitty away from his brother, but their relationship soon turns from suspicious to some kind of friendship and I loved their witty exchanges and the way they naturally develop and grow throughout the story.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is an enjoyable, compelling, and entertaining novel. It is well-written and with a cast of fantastic characters that you can’t help but love. Highly recommended!

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.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC.

A fun and enjoyable romp through a very typical regency romance, but with a modern twist. Kitty is a refreshingly modern heroine who is candid and calculating in her desire to catch a rich husband in the short time she has to save herself and her sisters from ruin.

All the fun of a modern day Jane Austen, with relatable characters and a fast-paced storyline that leaves you breathless as Kitty looks like she's running out of time.

I enjoyed this delightful debut romance novel set in England's regency era. A good example of well researched and well written historical fiction with strong character development. Would be enjoyed by fans of Jane Austen. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC.

This regency romcom was mostly enjoyable, but did sometimes feel a bit like a paint-by-the-numbers exercise. It does what it says on the tin and hits all the plot beats you'd expect, but nothing more.

Kitty Talbot travels to London to ensnare a rich man and therefore save herself and her three younger sisters from poverty. She sets her sights on Mr Archie De Lacy, younger brother of Lord Radcliffe, who determines to stop her. What follows is a collection of your usual regency tropes and people-who-are-at-odds-to-lovers scenes. There were a few unexpected moments, but mostly this felt somewhat predictable.

The joy of romance is knowing the characters will end up together and enjoying the journey to get there, but I think this book suffers from knowing that Kitty and Lord Radcliffe will, as per romance convention, end up marrying for love and saving Kitty's family from poverty, as it takes all the tension from Kitty's situation. (To be clear, I don't think it would have been made better by not having the HEA, as that would have been an incredibly disappointing ending. It's very much a problem with no real solution, unfortunately.)

Overall, a fun enough read but not dazzling. Though, if you love a good regency romcom and all its associated tropes, you will still more than likely enjoy this book.

After blitzing my way through the Bridgerton series lately, I was well and truly on a historical romance train and this definitely did not disappoint. This book was funny, sassy and an all round good time! The characters were likeable and I found myself staying up until the early hours just so I could remain in the regency world.

Such a perfect piece of Regency romance! Though certainly in the tradition of Austen, Heyer and Bridgerton without becoming a tacky mash-up, thanks to the witty and sharp Kitty, a heroine who would seem just as at home in the modern world as she does in the world of Almack waltzes and Hyde Park promenades, there’s a freshness to the storyline and dialogue that’s really inviting and fun. Such an entertaining way to while away a few hours, with a rather dashing hero thrown as the icing & cherry on the rather delicious cake.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers, I received an ebook to read early. It did take me a while to warm to the main character, but once I did I was rooting for her. I loved where the story went and how all the different relationships formed and changed during the course of the book. I highly recommend reading this if you are a Pride & Prejudice fan!

This regency romance had all the qualities of a beloved period drama - with its yearning glances and witty dialogue - but it felt uniquely modern by being from a perspective often overlooked in the genre. Typically, the character of the fortune-hunter is depicted as a grasping villain intent on coming in the way of true love. However, the fortune-hunter is the novel's, albeit flawed, protagonist. Kitty Talbot is relentless in her mission to secure a wealthy husband but it is repeatedly made clear that she is fuelled by her need to protect her sisters. In this way, Kitty elicited sympathy as it was similarly obvious that she was a romantic at heart but forced into fortune-hunting out of necessity. Over the course of the book Kitty evolved to become kinder, more thoughtful and have a greater appreciation for her sisters. One of her standout moments for me was when she defended her sister against a slimy toad of a man. All in all, this made her an easy heroine to root for.

As to the novel's central romance, it was definitely swoon-worthy. The chemistry between Kitty and Lord Radcliffe was undeniable and their relationship developed naturally. Despite starting off by blackmailing each other, there was never any real animosity behind their bickering. I didn't expect Radcliffe to figure out Kitty's fortune-hunting scheme so quickly but this made for an exciting dynamic.

As a hero, Radcliffe was on par with many of his brooding regency counterparts. He had the generosity of Mr Darcy as he never hesitated to help Kitty regardless of the consequences. Kitty was similarly prepared to set aside her goals to come to Radcliffe's aid, highlighting how well matched the pair was.

Even when the focus deviated from Kitty and Radcliffe's romance, I still found the sub-plots thoroughly interesting. They kept the story fast-paced and helped create a fuller picture of the main characters. Overall, this was such a fun read, one which I will be sure to repeat, and it makes me eager to see what the author writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Anyone who enjoyed the latest season of Bridgerton (or the first season!) will enjoy this romp through Regency London. Kitty Talbot (a more feminist version of characters such as Austen's Elizabeth Bennett) is on the hunt for a husband to save her family's fortunes. But when faced with the challenge of a season in the Ton, will she get more than she bargained for?

Irwin's writing is light and pacey, and the narrative is thoroughly enjoyable - if a bit predictable (but then sometimes that's part of the fun!). Kitty was a fun character to read, as were most of the characters, though I particularly enjoyed Aunt Dorothy and her sordid backstory! If this is a beginning of a series, I'll definitely read on.

It's hard to believe this book is a debut. The regency era is extremely well researched and you can tell a lot of work went into that.
Kitty needs a wealthy husband and fast. The house which is home to herself and her four sisters is about to be taken from them if they don't come up with the money owing. She has twelve weeks to achieve her aim so throws herself into the London season and tries to hide a secret that could ruin everything if it became public knowledge. As her parents are dead she feels the weight of responsibility for her sisters.
At times Kitty comes across as heartless but I did like her. She was blinkered at times but loved her family dearly and was determined to shield her sisters from penury. The banter between herself and James, Lord Radcliffe, was amusing. He also had a lot to learn. The romance was almost non existent but charming once it appeared. Aunt Dorothy's character I loved. She was fun and honest and stepped in at times to stop Kitty making a fool of herself.
I loved the descriptions of London, especially Cheapside. It made me want to stroll down the street myself.
I read this in a single day, it totally sucked me in. I look forward to more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an early copy of this book to read.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting is a regency romance that tells the story of Kitty Talbot, a young woman with 4 sisters to raise and her late parents debts to cover and house to save, who sees no other option but to travel to London with one of her sisters, Cecily, in the hope of finding a rich husband to save her family. Powered by the obligation of restoring her family, Kitty is disillusioned by love, it is something she literally cannot afford, and so she integrates herself into high society to catch a rich man. In catching one such man, Archie, Kitty attracts the attention of his protective, allusive older brother Radcliffe. Radcliffe has been away from the family after fighting 100 days at Waterloo, he is tired of the frivolities of high society, the shallowness of it all after facing the ugliness of war, and he has no time for Miss Talbot, a young woman only after his family’s money. In a bid to get rid of Kitty altogether, Radcliffe finds himself scheming with her to find her a husband.

I really enjoyed this book. Is it original, or complex? No. To be honest it’s actually quite predictable, the plot straight forward, the writing digestible and it is literally Bridgerton meets Pride and Prejudice. Kitty is Lizzy Bennett’s pride with Kate Sharma’s defiance and selfless sisterly love, she is so much like Kate. Radcliffe is Darcy’s seemingly cold exterior and prejudice looking down on others with Anthony Bridgerton’s protectiveness and suffocating obligation to his late father. There’s even an elopement very reminiscent of P&P and characters and plots you certainly will have met before.
But here’s the thing. I actually didn’t mind. The simplicity of this book actually made it charming and comforting to read, it’s easy to not just read but sink into. While some books are overwritten or complex to a point I even don’t feel mentally prepared to open because your mind is already quite spent,, this book doesn’t need you to be on high alert, you can curl up and just go somewhere nice.

I did like Kitty, she doesn’t always do kind things but she has a kind heart, a heart she just doesn’t allow herself to acknowledge because she’s too busy being practical, too busy scheming and plotting to do something just to be happy. I liked how she went against the grain of societal expectations in a world where women were only really supposed to be demure. Radcliffe is cliche but yes, I can’t help but like him and the scenes of both characters bouncing off of each other, sniping with longing undertones, they are well matched together. I also like Aunt Dorothy’s scenes it’s Kitty, a character Kitty allows herself to be cared for by when she’s usually the mother role.
Cecily is constantly referred to as am intellectual and in being sent to a top school for several years, you would think she would have been surrounded by peers to not just work on her education but also social etiquette. Which makes her lack of common sense and her emotional immaturity quite confusing. Kitty has not hidden the importance of their London trip and the debts surrounding the family, and yet Cecily thinks her cold and selfish and often hinders her progress. I didn’t warm to her and Archie is just a plot device to really comment on.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review