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. 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! 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.

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It was a fast-moving, joyful book and I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be looking out for more books by Sophie Irwin. 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. 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. 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 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.The book opens with Kitty Talbot being jilted by her fiance. Kitty being Kitty, she decides that the thing to do in response to this, is to go to London for the season and find herself an even richer husband, so that she might pay off her father’s debts and support her four younger sisters. There, she meets Archibald de Lacy, who seems a perfect fit for her plans… but for his older brother James, who sees right through her. 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. 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 was a joy to read, a story set in the regency period where social manners and etiquette rules were so different to todays society. 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.

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

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

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.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 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. In the beginning I was put off by Kitty's character a great deal. However, as you read and discover more about her, you begin to see who she is and all the things that make her so wonderful. The same can be said about Lord Radcliffe. 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!