Although it was fairly obvious how this novel would end, following Kitty’s adventures into high society was very enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed reading about the do’s and don’ts of living in those times and the problems facing Kitty trying to fit in and the ingenious situations she got into whilst trying to get her rich husband. Historical novels are one of my favorites and I will look out for Sophie Irwin in future. If you enjoy Georgette Heyer, although this novel is not quite at that level, you will enjoy this book.

I was in two minds about this book after reading some of the other reviews which were mixed but I’m glad to say that I really liked it, yes it’s simply written but that’s the beauty of the story, Kitty is the strong independent type of character that I love and what you see is what you get, She is blunt and to the point but there are glimpses of her warm and kind personality now and again. A truly delightful story that made me laugh in places.

This book was perfect to fill the Bridgerton shaped hole in my heart after watching season two (twice). I’m fairly new to regency romances so I didnt know what to expect with this book.

First off, I loved the characters. Kitty was strong-willed, cunning and determined. I loved her devious plans and quick wit throughout the story. James/Radcliffe was dashing and stubborn. I liked how his cold exterior was slowly chipped away throughout the book as he opened up to Kitty. Although it was a slow start, the pair had good banter and funny antics to antagonise one another. Moreover, the side characters of Aunt Dorothy, Lady Radcliffe and Hinsley were funny and wild in their own right.

I liked how Kitty and Radcliffe mirrored each other through their roles as older siblings, and how their relationship with each other allowed them to explore and work through their own trauma and family issues. They learned to respect each other upon realising their mutual positions of responsibility as the head of their families, and it was their love for their siblings that truly connected them. It was a slow burn worth the wait and I only wish I had had more time with them together at the end.

The book had a slow start and took the first several chapters to really engage me, but once it clicked I couldn’t put it down and finished it quickly.

Kitty is the eldest sister of her family and both parents are dead. They are in desperate need of money so she has to find a rich husband.
This was an enjoyable read, and for the most part the characters were likeable. You do truly feel Kittys desperation at the situation as the season goes on.
However the two main love interests seem to genuinely despise each other for about 3 quarters of the book and isn't really any romance through the beginning of the book.
I wish Cecily's story was explored further as I think that could have been quite interesting! Perhaps she will do another book.
3.5 stars

What a delicious treat to spend the weekend reading this book! It’s in the style of the best Regency romances, with a spirited heroine, a smouldering hero, a cast of quirky supporting characters and where the passion is provided by covert glances across the room and the occasional brushing of gloved hands. I raced through it and immediately wished I hadn’t. I really hope there will be a sequel!

I absolutely inhaled this delight of a novel. Fun, fast and full of Bridgerton-esque drama, A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting was a treat from start to finish.

When Kitty Talbot's fiancé breaks off their engagement she has only twelve weeks to find a new, wealthy husband before she and her four sisters are turned out of their home. She heads to London with a plan and a lot of determination, but pretending to be a member of the ton isn't as easy as she expects, especially with Lord Radcliffe watching her every move.

I really enjoyed A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting. It was so much fun to read, with great characters and plot twists. Kate's motivations are really clear and strong throughout, I loved Cecily with her fondness for literature and learning (and ability to say the wrong thing at the worst time!) This novel is filled with Regency dress, manners and dances, and it's interesting to view the customs and rules of the ton as an outsider alongside Kate.

The romance is well written, with plenty of tension and witty arguments. It's also builds slowly enough to feel completely natural.

Now I'm just hoping that, in true Bridgerton style, five sisters means a five book series - one novel definitely wasn't enough! I'll definitely be buying whatever Sophie Irwin writes next.

The perfect novel to cure a Bridgerton hangover!

Following the death of her father Kitty finds herself jilted by her fiancé. Drowning in her parents debts and with four younger sisters to support she sets out for London. After all how hard can it be to fool the entire ton and bag herself a wealthy husband?

Harder than first thought, apparently…

This is a truly delightful novel. Kitty is a wonderfully witty heroine, driven by the need of her sisters, she is ruthless but with a soft underbelly. Her relationship with Lord Radcliffe is a true battle of wills, topped off with a sprinkle of pining. The romance is well developed and believable, and the family relationships are equally well thought out.

The writing style is lovely. It feels appropriate to the regency era, without being inaccessible to the modern reader. The novel is well paced, stuffed full of amusing characters and all of the tropes you would expect from a regency setting.

What struck me the most was just how fun this novel is, I found myself grinning almost the whole way through — far too many historical romances fall into the trap of taking themselves too seriously. I for one would love to see more from Sophie Irwin.

All in all a fantastic debut novel, massively recommended!

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting was a delightful and funny read. The writing style is sort of reminiscent of Jane Austen, the way it was on the sarcastic side and how it poked fun at certain characters and high society members.

Kitty is an engaging character to follow and I adored her. I love how her fortune hunting was shown unapologetically and that it wasn't such a bad thing at all — especially due to her situation in life. I admired how deeply she loved her sisters, and her role as the eldest sister in the family was one that I related to in some level. I liked Radcliffe as well and I really enjoyed the banter they had together.

The other characters were also funny, but many subscribe to a certain archetype. Cecily is the "misunderstood, absentminded sister" whilst Archie was the "naive, clueless one." They lacked a certain bit of depth and it felt like once their part was done they were consistently ignored until they were relevant to the plot again.

To be honest, there isn't much romance in this book, even if it's one about finding husbands. Kitty and Radcliffe's relationship is a slowburn one, and I did wish there was more of it — the love confession scene was one of my favorite scenes here. I do tend to enjoy books with heavier romance in them, so perhaps this may just be a personal preference.

Overall, a fun and quick read with entertaining characters. Wouls definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys the historical romance genre and a spunky, unapologetic main character.

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting has everything I want out of a regency-style romance, and exactly what I needed after finishing Bridgerton Season 2 on Netflix and yearning for another strong-willed female lead. Kitty is a witty and intelligent woman who deserves to marry for love, but instead she's desperate to secure a money-match as she's been left in debt after the death of both her parents, with sisters to care for. She recruits her colourful Aunt in London and sets her sights on a price per year that would look after them all. Ensue a few prospective matches, an epic battle of wits, a wee bit of blackmail, meddling relatives, confusion and mistakes, and ultimately a satisfying conclusion. It follows the formula I wanted and expected and does it well; fans of Jane Austen and any regency romance will enjoy.

A Regency-period romcom. More Bridgerton than Austen in writing style, but with Austen-esque strong female lead. Kitty and her sister are orphaned with a large amount of debt. Kitty has just 12 weeks to secure their future by finding a rich husband. An easy and enjoyable read with enough content and historical detail to keep most readers happy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book.

A charming read that will be enjoyed by romance novel and historical fiction fans alike.

Kitty Talbot is a wonderfully devious charcter. I fully enjoyed her character, full of substance, playing the ton like a fiddle. Often female characters in Regency-era novels are doe-eyed, with no thoughts or discernible qualities but Kitty has a spark.

I will say that when reading, I could very easily compare some characters to another, very popular, Regency period novel. Is that purely coincidence?

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the death of her parents, Kitty Talbot finds herself responsible for supporting her 4 younger sisters. With mounting debts and a broken engagement, she decides the only way to save their home and a life in service is to find a rich man to marry her.

With her sister Cecilia in tow, they set off to London to find her a husband. Staying with a friend of their late mother, they start to scheme. Everything is going well until Lord Radcliffe appears and sees right through her plan.

With a host of wonderful characters, this book was just delightful and reminded me very much of Bridgerton. Even though the ending was very predictable, I raced through the pages, eager to discover Kitty’s fate.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC of A Lady's Guide To Fortune Hunting

This novel is very different to what I have been reading and I thought a change would be good.
A lady's guide to fortune hunting follows Kitty in her pursuit of finding herself a rich husband to help her and her sister's debts.
This novel would be perfect if you like Jane Austin and Bridgerton, it has the regal feel.
The story itself plods along nicely and the writing is wonderful, however there's nothing exciting that happens. There's no love scenes - there's merely a kiss and the relationships don't seem to fathom to anything until the finish.
It's a nice story and fans of period dramas will love it.

Ohh this book! It was exquisite. I loved the premise of the story, with a scheming Miss Talbot on the market for a rich husband, to save her sisters and the only life they have known. She has 6 weeks to secure a match of convenience and find a man to pay off the debts left by her parents after their deaths. But can she do it?

This book was so addicting to read. The pages honestly flew by and I so so enjoyed it. Reading her efforts to be introduced into London’s societies with her helpful benefactor of her aunt, she explodes onto the scene and begins trying to source a match right away. She must be ruthless, clever and plan her match well but of course, there were bound to be obstacles set in her way..

And that obstacle came in the form of the delightful Lord Radcliffe. I loved the banter and relationship they both had together. One of seeming distrust and loathing. Their encounters were so funny to read and I just loved how the book ended. I was left feeling very happy and fulfilled and found the whole thing very heartwarming. I loved it!!!

This novel had an interesting plot. A woman is on a quest to find a rich man, he needs to be a particular level of rich, if he is rich but not rich enough that will not do, even though the girl comes from a very poor background so what gives her the right or even have the audacity to be picky? As the saying goes, beggars cannot be choosers. Especially if you are not of a particular type in terms of coming from money. The main characters attitude like this is clearly annoying.
I found the novel to be okay though it should have had more personality as it felt like it was missing something. This novel had the potential to expand into something wonderful if the characters where anything but boring.
This novel is set in a different era however unlike great novels, this one didn’t have as much research. I really hoped this novel was better.
Overall, great and interesting plot however it does have the potential to have been improved.

After being unceremoniously dumped by the man she was expecting a proposal from, Kitty Talbot is in a spot of bother. Both her parents are dead and it has been left to her to provide for her younger sisters, as well as paying off the debt her parents left her with. What she needs is a rich husband, and she knows exactly where to go to find one. Launching herself into the Ton, Kitty quickly catches the eye of a young gentleman, but there is one not so small problem, his elder brother is on to Kitty and her scheming ways. Kitty will have to use every skill she possesses is she is to make it through the social season and come away with a husband at the end.

I loved this book! It was the perfect regency style romance filled with longing glances and brief touches but, through Kitty, Irwin injects a fair amount of wit and humour that ensured I fell in love with her and the story as a whole. Kitty knows she may be coming across a little bitter and jaded, but who has the time to marry for money when in a matter of weeks your house is going to be taken from you. She is determined to at least give her sisters a chance at a good like, give them the ability to marry for love if they so wish is, and if she has to sacrifice her heart in the process so be it. She is strong minded, witty, and utterly without shame and I cackled as she took on the ton who simply did now know what to do with her.

Irwin also graces us with a standout cast of side characters from Kitty's sister Cecilia who travels to London with her, to the people of the ton, especially the Radcliffe family. My favourite without a doubt being Lord Radcliffe who takes on Kitty when he realises her reasons for wanting to marry his brother. They are more similar than they realise, both elder siblings simply doing what they must to ensure the happiness and survival of their siblings, though going about it in vastly different ways.

One of the things I loved about this book is how Irwin shows the contradictions between how women and men were treated, and still are, for the same behaviours. Kitty, for wanting to marry up & for money instead of love is described as a harpy. Her reasons for wanting to do this seemingly not enough to warrant her behaviour. Whereas a man looking to do the same thing would be celebrated for it. Through the story we see Kitty challenge the behaviour of the Ton, asking the questions no one thought or dared to ask, and bringing to light a lot of the irony in differences between how men and women were treated. She is not your stereotypical lady and I adored seeing people trying to deal with her and, mostly, failing.

The romance was *chefs kiss.* It gives off big enemies to lovers vibes, but what I loved was how similar both Kitty and Lord Radcliffe were, even if they couldn't/didn't want to see it themselves. She constantly challenges his views on things, and I cackled when they entered their agreement and she kept pestering him with questions on how to behave, how low to bow to certain people, how to get invites to all the exclusive balls. Their's was a journey filled with heat, bad tempers as well as longing glances and subtle touches and I adored reading the scenes where they would interact.

The perfect regency romance! If you're a fan of strong willed female MC's who are ahead of their times, love interests who change themselves instead of having the MC change them & all the drama the regency ere has to offer then look no further.

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

Not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps, stop/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me.

If you are a fan of period dramas, Bridgerton, et al, then this is a perfect read for you.

It follows the somewhat predictable plan of Kitty, a pretty but impoverished young woman, who has to provide for herself and four sisters. The only option is is to marry for money. With increasing debts, she becomes ever more desperate, and not all her schemes go according to plan. There are lots of high society mamas to contend with!

This is a light, frothy read. Pure escapism for a couple of hours. No great storyline, it’s obvious within a few chapters what will happen, but nevertheless a pleasant little story.

Thank you NetGalley.

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 Bennett, 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 amongst high society. I loved how she slapped down one of the main characters to protect her sister, much to the horror of ‘the ton’.

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.

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.

You can read my full review at https://mmbbookblog.com/a-ladys-guide-to-fortune-hunting-by-sophie-irwin-review/

It was a fast-moving, joyful book and I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be looking out for more books by Sophie Irwin.

”Fortune may not favour women… but it always favours the brave..”


SUMMARY
Kitty Talbot is in dire need of a rich husband after being so unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé of two years. As sole guardian of her sisters and their reputations, a household on the cusp of financial ruin, and approximately eight weeks to find a wealthy enough man, snatch up a proposal, and get married, Kitty get her problem solving cap on and lets her cunning nature and smart wits rise to the challenge.

OPINION
I really loved this book. Quite honestly, I didn’t expect it to be so funny or the characters so likeable. I find a lot of historical romance really intense and stuffy, whereas A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin made for light, easy reading.

”’Is she a fool?’ ‘An intellectual,’ Kitty explained softly. Aunt Dorothy sighed. ‘I was afraid of that.’”


Kitty is such a refreshing main character. Whilst many historical romance MC’s are fussing over propriety and respectableness, Kitty is too busy cooking up a scheme… or maybe ten. I found the side characters so full of life. Even Lady Radcliffe who describes herself as an ‘unwell woman’. And poor Archie who is so naive and unwaveringly polite stole a little piece of my heart. I found the little snatches of his thoughts and feelings really sweet and amusing.

”‘Well, you displayed so little anxiety about my being murdered,’ he said to her hotly, pride very much injured, ‘that I have a great mind not to tell you whether I was or not.’”


My one flaw with this one is the romance. It did seem rather sudden. I think the author was so focused on the enemies to lovers trope that the sudden change of heart seemed to come out of nowhere. More time could have been spent sorting out the MC and love interests feelings for each other rather than the characters studiously ignoring it and then declaring it.

RECOMMENDATION
Although the genre of this book is definitely historical romance, I would suggest if you’re a hardcore fan of the genre to keep in mind the light, playful tone of the story and not look for more conformed writing. Also for my UK reader friends, Waterstones has an utterly gorgeous hardcover of this book coming out with decadently sprayed edges!