Publication: 12th May 2022 – HarperCollins
The season is about to begin – and there’s not a minute to lose…
Kitty Talbot needs a fortune.
Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. This is 1818 after all, and only men have the privilege of seeking their own riches.
With just twelve weeks until Kitty and her sisters are made homeless, launching herself into London society is the only avenue open to her. And Kitty must use every ounce of cunning and ingenuity she possesses to climb the ranks.
The only one to see through her plans is the worldly Lord Radcliffe and he is determined to thwart her at any cost.
Can Kitty secure a fortune and save her sisters from poverty? There is not a day to lose and no one – not even a lord – will stand in her way…
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!
A huge thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.
Sophie Irwin grew up in Dorset before moving to south London. She has spent years immersed in studying historical fiction, from a dissertation on how Georgette Heyer helped win World War Two, to time spent in dusty stacks and old tomes losing herself in Regency London researching this book.
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is Sophie’s debut novel and it has already sold in nearly thirty countries worldwide.
Book After Book 