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 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’. 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! 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.

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

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… 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! 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. 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. 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.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. 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.

A Lady’s Guide To Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin Review A Lady’s Guide To Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin Review

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. 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.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. 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. This was a genuinely fun and lighthearted read that I absolutely loved! Kitty was a likeable and incredibly intriguing protagonist-she’s smart, pragmatic and rather mercenary in her goal to catch herself a wealthy husband which I found refreshing among the dozens of Regency romances that’ve cropped up in the wake of Bridgerton’s success.