This was good fun to read and I cared about the characters and what happened to them. It was interesting to think about why people had to get married and the whole shebang about meeting and going to parties. The ending was predictable but enjoyable.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kitty is a character you just get to love. A little predictable in places but storyline held my attention. This would make a fabulous Sunday night TV drama.

An excellent, witty, warm and fast paced Regency romp. I absolutely loved it. The two central characters are fantastic and the pace whisks you through a dramatic, funny and entertaining story from start to finish. Loved it.

This was a fun, light hearted regency romance written much in the vein of Georgette Heyer. Our feisty and intelligent heroine Kitty needs a wealthy match to save her family who are on the verge of ruin and poverty. She sets off to London with one of her younger sisters to ensnare a rich Lord and become accepted into High Society, accepting nothing less as a solution. She targets once such young Gentleman, Archie De Lacy and all seems to be going well until his protective older brother Lord Radcliffe turns up. Then ensues witty repartee as they clash until their feelings begin to change and they challenge each others hypocrisy. Delicious dialogue, well researched, a great cast of characters and some adorable tension between the hero and heroine. I am really looking forward to reading more from this author.

WOW. I've been casting about, looking for something to fill the Bridgerton sized whole in my heart, and A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting did that and more. This was the perfect book to kick off my holiday reading... and I already have everything crossed there will be more in the future!? The enemies to lovers trope is perfectly played in this fresh Regency romance, and I'm so excited to see what characters Sophie Irwin tackles next!

I don't usually read these sorts of books, but watching Bridgerton at the start of 2021 gave me a bit of a taste for it and this would also make a good Sunday night adaptation. Kitty Talbot is a headstrong, determined young woman, looking to safeguard her sisters' futures through a financially advantageous marriage. In London, she and her sister Cecily discover all sorts of things about their family - including things Cecily would rather not know (Kitty, the practical one of the family, knows that her mother was a courtesan while the others just think she was an actress). Originally looking to trap a rather clueless young man from the highest echelons of society, Kitty finds herself in a battle of wills with his older brother, while toying with the affections of the tedious and patronising Pemberton, one of the richest men around. While it's a different time period, there were also some lovely echoes of Pride and Prejudice in the last third of the book, with the two leads channeling Lizzy and Darcy as they try to get their younger siblings out of trouble and come closer together as a result. What *could* possibly happen? A delightful piece of escapism that will melt the hardest heart.

When her parents die and leave Kitty Talbot in charge of her four younger sisters and all of her father's debts, the smart young lady reasons that the only way that she can support her family's future is by marrying someone wealthy. In fact, she is just on the verge of sealing the deal with her fiance of two years, but he has other plans. Not to be dissuaded, Kitty sets off for London with her aunt and sister, determined to infiltrate the higher echelons and bag herself a rich beau.

I loved this witty Regency romance, which had the period detail of a Georgette Heyer mixed with the modern freshness of Bridgerton. Yes, you can probably guess the direction it is going in, but isn't that always the case with a romance? The journey to get there is entertaining and I was sad to finish the book and say goodbye to the characters.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Normally I love novels like this but for some reason I couldn’t get into it. I picked it up and put it down so many times that it left me frustrated.

Actual rating: more like 3.5 stars

Was 'A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting' a good book? I don't really know - the setting, the plot, the characters, none of it was particularly original...

But while I'm not sure it was necessarily 'good', it was definitely entertaining! This was the most fun I've had reading a book in ages, so even though there were a million cliches and the plot was relatively predictable, I had a great time reading it.

In a lesser book, the plot would run out of steam like halfway through, but Sophie Irwin kept up the pace the whole way through. While her writing style was pretty basic (and I noticed some grammatical errors in the book), it's also pretty funny (I feel like there will definitely be some Bridget Jones comparisons at some point).

To be fair, the author did bring up more serious themes, such as class, but overall, this was a light, fun and addictive read (I think I read the whole thing in like 3 hours). Would definitely recommend if you're looking for something to brighten your day.

Are you ready for another Regency romance?

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by @sophie.irwin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks so much to @harperfiction & @netgalley for my advanced copy!

This book is so much fun, and whilst I think some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more, and I think it took a little bit to get going, if you’re fan of the genre but you’re very picky like me (hashtag tired old romance tropes) A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is the new Regency read you’re going to want to pre-order this summer!

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. With four sisters to support and her later fathers bailiffs at the door what is a girl to do in than try and attract a rich husband? Kitty and her sister Cecily set out for London and the 1818 season, ready to use all of her wit and cunning to land herself a husband who will solve all their problems. However, when she encounters Lord Radcliffe, an ex soldier who sees right through her charade he becomes determined to get in her way, especially as she’s set her sights on his baby brother.

This book had me laughing, and carving out time to get it finished once I was near the very end. Not all books have to be ‘the best thing ever’. I want great books I can really enjoy when I just want a bit of entertainment, and this is one of them. As this is a debut novel, I can’t wait to see what Sophie Irwin writes next!

A bit of an early review here (I’m very much a mood reader and I fancied it!) - A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is out May 12th though do pre-order a copy now - speaking as an author, pre-ordering our books is the very best thing you’d an do to help them become a success!

This was so smart, charming, frothy and fun. The perfect combination of quite light-hearted, but doesn't shy away from the dark reality of Kitty's situation - trying to find a husband so that she and her sisters don't get turfed out of her late parents' house. I wish there was more questioning of the class system, and its unfair hierarchical nature, but there was a bit and I suppose it would not have fit either protagonist. I have never read Sophie Irwin but will continue to do so.

I really enjoyed 'A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting' by Sophie Irwin and, as others have commented, it has a modern day Georgette Heyer vibe to it and is an historical romance without the 'heat' that comes with many. What you do get is an often charming, enemies to love, story and great escapism into a fictionalised past as our central protagonist finds herself forced to marry for wealth to save her family from potential destitution. There were a few times that this felt mercenary and quite annoying, but on the flip side it was an arrangement most of the wealthy opted into at the time; she was simply taking advantage of these types of transactions on the marriage mart. It's a tale of misunderstandings, family, personal desires in the face of social restrictions and, well, love and fun. It wrapped up quite suddenly for me, and I personally would have liked a little more, perhaps an epilogue, but that's just me. Recommended to historical romance readers and people looking for some escapism from today's world.

Great fun if you’re looking for some light reading.It’s about Kitty Talbot’s search for a rich husband in order to avoid her family being turned out of their home following the death of her parents unless she can pay off her father’s debts.
It’s a bit predictable as I worked out what was going to happen in the end fairly quickly, but it’s easy reading and held my attention for the time it took me to read it.I did find Kitty quite irritating at first ,but I grew to admire her by the end.
Hopefully the final edit will get rid of the Americanisms and American spelling ,which I don’t think would be used in Regency England.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

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.

Kitty Talbot is an orphan with a lot of debt and four sisters. She thought she had a fiance to ensure that her sisters would have a comfortable home but when he jilts her she realises their chances are bleak indeed. She has no choice, she needs to marry rich and she needs to marry quickly and the only way to do that is to go to London and do a Season. The only problem, lack of money and lack of connections. But Kitty isn't the kind of girl to let those put her off. A chance encounter in Hyde Park leads her to the perfect man, young, impressionable and about to come of age and inherit. If only she can charm his mother... But Kitty hasn't factored in the older brother. Lord Radcliffe doesn't like to interfere in his family's lives but if he needs to protect his brother from a fortune hunter then that's exactly what he will do.

This is an engaging, funny, romantic read which doesn't shy away from the unpalatable situation women with no means faced in eighteenth century and the double standards imposed on men and women. Witty, clever and very sweet, this is the perfect book to curl up with on a wintry day.

This is the only book I have read by Sophie Irwin but it won't be the last! Kitty is the most amusing, brave and interesting character. She must save her family home and keep her sisters safe by braving the London Season and find a husband who is wealthy. Her experiences in London are funny, heartwarming and courageous and I loved her. This is very well written with many great characters which you learn a lot about throughout the story. This book will appeal to all lovers of historical romance, it is a clean HEA. My grateful thanks to Netgalley and the publishers and the author for allowing me an ARC of this delightful read.

Kitty's parents have died, leaving her and her four younger sisters with nothing but debts, so Kitty has to hatch a plan - get married as soon as possible to someone with enough money to save them all. She and her next sister Cecily head to London to take part in the Season, and meet Lord Radcliffe's family. He recognises her plan, but will he help them or ruin them?

It's a fun romance, with enough references to things like the wrong kind of shoes which give away poverty to ground it a little. It's reminiscent of Georgette Heyer but with slightly more realism, Aunt Dorothy's background gives some entertaining moments as well as reflecting on women's career options. Is it completely historically accurate? Well, no, all the characters behave in slightly anachronistic ways but it's not sufficiently jarring to spoil an enjoyable story and after all, it's a romance not a documentary! Overall it's very readable and enjoyable, which is just what's needed.

A really fun historical romance with a lovely mix of characters and some interesting twists and turns. The highlight for me was Radcliffe and Kitty and the development of their relationship from sort of enemies, to reluctant allies to confidantes and then more. Their interactions were full of witty banter and they felt like equals. I liked that fortune hunting shenanigans aside these two characters could really “see” each other. A good, well written read (4 ⭐️)

With both her parents dead, bailiffs knocking down the door, and four younger sisters to support, Kitty Talbot needs money. As a woman in regency England this is no easy feat. She can think of only one option that will generate sufficient funds in the required timescale. Kitty must marry rich. To do this she must attempt to gain entry to the elite upper class of the London season, a society that her parents were exiled from upon their unconventional marriage decades earlier, and then she must wow them. With an unrivalled strength of determination and a finely tuned set of specific skills it soon seems that Kitty may be able to manage the impossible after all, until Lord Radcliffe returns unexpectedly to London to save his younger brother from a fearsome fortune hunter…

It is the eclectic cast of characters that make this book the success that it is. The omniscient narrator is used skilfully to provide just the right amount of insight from each character at just the right moment. In particular I found that the thoughts of Archie de Lacy often added a sympathetic humour which contrasted beautifully with Kitty’s more intense scheming. Similarly it allowed for a full view of the subtle (and sometimes note so subtle) dance that Kitty and Lord Radcliffe were weaving between themselves. Cecily’s character was allowed just enough insight to cement her personality and anchor her firmly in the story, hinting at some of the outcomes for her character without the need to shout about them. Of course Kitty herself stole the show and I found myself fully drawn into her inner battle between doing what was needed and doing what was right – and the occasional battle that occurred when she allowed her own wants to surface.

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.

Packed with calculating schemes to find a rich husband, genuinely good humour and a twinkling undercurrent of love and attraction throughout, this book stayed true to the finer details of social etiquette in this time. It presented a vivid image of dinners, ballrooms and interactions to be swept away by, as well as having genuine heart through Kitty’s relationship with her family. Well-written, witty dialogue and conversation drives the plot forward and allows the reader to feel very much a part of the connection and spark between characters (also LOVED each of the supporting characters and would love to hear more from them - Hinsley next!).

If you loved the Julia Quinn Bridgerton series or Georgette Heyer, this is definitely the book for you!

I cannot wait to read Sophie Irwin’s next novel and have already signed up for updates! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

England 1818 is classic Regency novel territory and evoke expectations and hopes of a Georgette Heyer style novel. The trope in this case is the impoverished young lady who must make a grand match in order to save her home and family. Kitty’s parents are dead and her debts are huge, but though her father was a gentleman who had rubbed shoulders with the ton in his youth, his marriage to an actress of ill repute meant Kitty and her sisters have little to recommend them to any potential husband of wealth or name. Kitty takes matters into her own hands and manages to gather enough money to go to London and stay with her mother’s old friend. Cue many little manipulations and dogged determination that eventually secure Kitty an acquaintanceship with Lord Radcliffe and his family. Radcliffe suspects much about her goals and her background so they lead each other a merry dance and get drawn into minor twists that throw them together and always at odds. The style aspires to Heyer, in fact the author has written a dissertation that involves Heyer’s work, whose wit and phrasing are so outstanding, but it often falls short and the conversations seem a little forced at times. The historical detail also isn’t as accurate as it could be, especially with some of the social customs and culture. But overall it’s a lively tale and one that will sure to please many who love Regency romance tales.