Perfect summer read for Bridgerton and Jane Austen fans! It's a frothy Regency era summer read that kept me entertained for every page. It's simple, but so pleasant. Even though you could smell the enemies turned lovers trope from miles away, it still somehow felt fresh and a little surprising. I really liked the main characters, who seemed three-dimensional and quite well-developed.

I almost wish I had saved this for a beach vacation, but it's definitely got me craving a rewatch of Emma or Pride and Prejudice! One note for those that live for the steamy scenes in Bridgerton - you won't find those here, but I think it works perfectly as is.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the advance copy.

Following a broken engagement, Kitty has been left with four sisters and her father's gambling debt that she has less then a few months to pay off. Determined to pay off the debt and make sure her sisters still have a home, she takes off with her sister Cecily to the London season, planning on nabbing a husband with a fortune. Their mother's friend, Aunt Dorothy, hosts them and plans to help Kitty succeed in her goal, but thinks she might be setting her sights too high in the Ton.
Quickly the sisters become aquatinted with the De'Lacey's and Kitty starts courting Archie De'Lacy, scheming to get into the good graces of his family. Unfortunately, Archie's older brother, the Earl of Radcliffe, sees past her plan and tries to find a way to separate the two. Kitty finally relents as long as Lord Radcliffe promises to help her and Cecily enter into his high social circles in order to secure a match with a good fortune.
As Lord Radcliffe begrudgingly helps Kitty, they find themselves arguing and also helping one another out. Kitty quickly becomes a part of the Ton and finds many perfect suitors, all determined by their fortunes. Under her time crunch, Kitty finds clever ways to impress the Ton and keep her family history both transparent and hidden, fully determined to do everything she can to protect and care for her family. While a heroine, Kitty still has her flaws and she can't always see past her plan.
While Kitty's story is the main thread of the plot, there are many side-plots including Cecily, Archie, and Aunt Dorothy that help tie it all together.
Told in Kitty and Lord Radcliffe's point of views, this historical romance is a delight. I have to agree that if you enjoy Bridgerton and Austen, you'll likely enjoy this tale. It falls into the enemies-to-lovers trope, but is also a clean romance. I am impressed by this debut and will likely pick up whatever Sophia Irwin writes next.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I’ve been obsessed with the Netflix series “ Bridgerton” for two years. So when I requested this book from the description that it was a cross between Jane Austen and the Bridgerton series, I knew I had to read it! Dear readers, it did not disappoint. There’s a slow burn romance, scandal, humor and family honor! I loved the two leads and their family dynamics. I loved the sketchy past of the aunt and how Kitty maneuvers her way within the ton. This book is well worth your time!

It was exactly what I needed after finishing Bridgerton and wanting something from the regency era. Kitty is outspoken and goes out knowing exactly what she wants. First couple of chapters are admittedly slow, but once I was some pages in I was invested. It was fun, simple, and had some cliches that I love.

I loved the hell out of this book. It is smart, witty, engrossing, and steamy hot. I read this on a really long, boring journey from the US to the UK and I was distracted from my aching back and tired eyes enough to help the time pass. I haven't been a romance reader for a while and I tried the Bridgerton hype but those books just didn't pull me in. This one, though, made me feel as if I was being challenged and really placed my mind in a good spot.

Highly recommend, especially if you are trying to get into or interested in reading romance (again).

Kitty Talbot has a time-sensitive problem. Upon the death of both of her parents, she has to discharge their enormous debts in order to have her family home and to keep her sisters together. With only twelve weeks to conquer the London social season and to make a wealthy marriage, Kitty and her sister head to London to stay with an old friend of their mother's. As Kitty enters the social scene, she makes a deal with Lord Radcliffe to refocus her attentions on another suitor and not his brother and try to to help ease her way into polite society. As the season continues on, Kitty comes to develop a friendship with Lord Radcliffe as he reluctantly helps her navigate the insular world of upper-crust London. Full of humor and heart, this is a delightful read!

I suggest you escape reality for a bit with this delightful regency romp. Kitty Talbot's father married for love but did not leave his offspring in a position to do so. Kitty needs to marry for money. Fortunately she has looks and some connections. So she takes her prettiest sister and heads to London to snag a rich husband. Kitty is also clever and it is fun to see her working her whiles on London society. Of course there is a skeptical lord to get in her way, Lord Radcliff to be exact. Enjoy!!
This is a review of an eGalley provided by Netgalley.

A mischievous, fun tale of a young woman left to care for her 4 sisters and cover her late parent's considerable debt. She truly has no other choice than to head to London for the season in search of a rich husband. The problem, the young man she has chosen happens to have an older brother with absolutely no interest in allowing someone with no feelings for his brother at all to join the family and have access to their fortune. We get all the witty banter and scheming of a traditional enemies-to-lovers plot. Radcliffe plots to keep Miss Talbot away, and Kitty Talbot plots to secure a proposal. When Radcliffe finally finds some dirt to blackmail Kitty away from his brother, she turns the tables, and the two strike an unlikely truce. Now Radcliffe finds himself coaching Kitty through the season as she works to secure a different proposal and save her family. Getting her away from his family was the goal all along, so why does the idea of someone other gentleman proposing to her bother him so much. And Kitty has long known she wouldn't be marrying for love, so why is the idea bothering her so much now?

I love the banter and camaraderie between the two. Their singular focus on their own problems means they are blindly ignoring their siblings. This does lead to a wonderful, exciting, and slightly exasperating climax for the novel. The descriptions of the balls and dance sequences are delightful. The story also explores family dynamics and the responsibility that lies on the shoulders of older siblings. A fun, easy read. Perhaps a tad long in the middle, but forgivable due to the building of mutual respect and inclusion of humor between Radcliffe and Miss Talbot.

I read this delightful little book in a few hours, even though I really ought to be asleep. Romantic, charming, and compelling- I hope there are more books planned following the futures of the other characters!

#ALady'sGuidetoFortuneHunting is a traditional Regency about Kitty Talbot’s quest to find a rich husband in 12 weeks, after her father’s death leaves her and her four sisters on the brink of destitution.

With creditors hovering after Kitty is jilted by a local swain, Kitty decides she needs to fish in a bigger pond and contacts her mother’s friend, “Aunt” Dorothy, who invites her and her sister, Cecily, to London for the season. Although Aunt Dorothy does not have access to the highest levels of society, Kitty manages to turn her sister’s acquaintance with a former schoolmate into an introduction that provides her entrée to higher society. Initially, Kitty targets Archie De Lacy, brother of Cecily’s former schoolmate and younger brother of an earl, as a potential husband. She is well on her way to succeeding in having Archie propose, when his brother James, Lord Radcliffe, shows up to thwart her plans. She coerces Radcliffe into helping her to fit into society and pursue other suitors, in exchange for her agreement to drop her pursuit of Archie. Radcliffe sees Kitty as a mercenary fortune hunter and Kitty understands that as a lord, Radcliffe is out of her league. The nature of their relationship allows for an usually frank level of discussion between the two.

Some clever dialogue is one of the highlights of the book. Unfortunately, interactions between Kitty and James seemed somewhat limited since 1) they don’t actually meet until the book is almost a third over, and 2) they are one of three couples. (Aunt Dorothy and Cecily are also courted.) The large cast of characters slows the pace to a certain degree. Nevertheless, this is a fun story of a young woman determined to use strategy and creativity to surmount the obstacles that stand in the way of making the marriage she needs to ensure her family’s welfare.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #VikingBooks for an advance copy.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting is a fun romp through Regency London for those of us who are still refusing to burst out of our Bridgerton bubbles. Kitty is a refreshing heroine as the author is very upfront about her needing to marry rich to support her family and yet she’s still able to make her endearing as a character. I enjoyed the “outsider” perspective as Kitty learned the ropes of the Ton and refused to let anything get in her way. Her ability to quickly shift from plan a, to b then c gave me extreme Virgo energy which I always appreciate.

I’m definitely hoping this is the beginning of a series as I’d love to see what happens to the Talbot clan and of course always want an excuse to dive back into the world of the Ton.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, this was a 3.5 for me.

4/5⭐️

This debut novel was a well written regency era romance that gave me Bridgerton meets Pride and Prejudice vibes. I get nervous when I read historical romance because I really want to feel like I’m in that era and I think that’s something the author did very well. I loved how determined Kitty was to provide for her family against all the odds. I would have liked to see more banter and romance building between her and James, but what was there was good! Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting” by Sophie Irwin. The first chapter reels you in with Kitty’s unfortunate broken engagement and subsequent need to dash off to London to try to find a wealthy husband. Kitty remained, throughout the book, a character I could sympathize with because even though she was a masterful planner she always maintained a certain amount of honesty in her dealings. I loved that she looked out for her sisters and was motivated by her love for them and wanting to protect them from the fall-out of their father’s debts. Lord Radcliff started out as very prejudiced against Kitty, but through their conversations you could see that he considered her words. The growth of the characters, the witty conversations, and the love story makes this a book I will highly recommend to my adult friends! Since I am at a middle school, I don’t see my patrons reading this title, but I will be recommending it to our high schools and my fellow Jane Austen fans!

Turning traditional Regency romance on it's head, the slow burn enemy to lover trope is highly enjoyable. That isn't to say the fortune hunting is not highly typical but that the honesty and mentor tor seeking was refreshing.

This book was entertaining and fast-paced, although not steamy whatsoever (for the romance readers who need that!). I enjoyed the frank discussion of money and gender roles, and the back and forth between the two MCs was also strong. This was not my favorite historical ever, but I liked a lot of the components.

Fun read about a fortune hunting lady who takes manipulation to new heights. Once Lord Radcliffe blackmails Kitty Talbot off his brother, he finds himself playing a reluctant Henry Higgins to the scheming girl who needs to marry a fortune to save her family. The banter is the selling point for this book; it's very clean read but both James and Kitty enjoy a good round of sparring and that makes it worth it!

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting was a wonderful romp of a story— full of charismatic, hilarious characters, slow burn romance and all the trappings of a traditional regency novel.

While it can be argued the general plot line and stakes were fairy simplistic, this is not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoyed getting a more straightforward romance that allowed the character’s personalities and family dynamics to take the forefront. Sophie Irwin’s writing was easy to read and engaging, very well suited to a historical romance. She excels at writing witty characters and smart banter, as shown by the MC Kitty, in particular.

As a big fan of historical fiction I really appreciated the obviously well researched Regency details, and covers common themes present in this time period like sexism, the pressure to marry and the impact of the patriarchy. ALGTFH would be highly enjoyable to fans of Jane Austen and clean romance. Personally, I prefer to have a more “open door” approach to romance so was a little let down by the very chaste nature of Kitty and Radcliffe’s relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and it’s perfect for readers looking for an easy, fun read. 4/5 stars!

First thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Viking, Netgalley, and Sophie Irwin for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

What an absolutely lovely time this book was. I truly just enjoyed every moment of it and cannot wait to receive a special edition I have already ordered.

Kitty Talbot is a pragmatist. Left in a mountain of debt by her parents who had the whirlwind love story (along with her father's gambling issues) that left her and her sisters destitute and about to lose their home. Kitty, along with her sister Cecily for support, takes off for London in search of a fortune, or as society dictates, a man with a fortuen to marry. What follows is a twisting and turning tale of scheming, yearning, and unlikely love, that kept me turning page after page.

Fans of Bridgerton and Pride and Prejuidice (The Kiera Knightley version of course) will absolutely love this tale.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting
By Sophie Irwin

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an unexpected surprise! Regency romances tend to be very formulaic, which is all part of the fun of them, I guess. So I was expecting this to be at least a tolerable read.

But I was absolutely swept away by the dry, humorous prose, the full and vivid characters and the incredible premise!

Kitty is recently orphaned, but as the eldest of five girls with a small mountain of debt left by a gambling addict father and payment due, she’s got no time to grieve when she’s suddenly jilted by her fiancé.

Fortunately enough, Kitty’s a practical girl through and through, so instead of sinking into despair, she quickly comes up with a plan!

She sets off to London with her most attractive and eligible sister in tow! The plan, a simple, desperate one: to snag a rich husband before the season even starts and before her debt is due!

A determined young lady such as herself can do anything she sets her mind to and it was going all well and good until a hiccup arrived in the form of the reclusive (aren’t they always?!?) Lord Radcliffe!

The Earl sees through her every scheme and they face off at a battle field and end in a draw. But never fear, Kitty has as many lives as her namesake! They strike a bargain with the Earl and it’s from here that Kitty and her sister are swept into the world of the rich and frivolous; gilded staircases, high ceilings and dancing the night away in ballrooms.

The two get closer and closer even as Kitty diligently applies to the task at hand!

But is forsaking love in the name of money what kitty truly desires? Is it so hard for a girl to have it all?

I loved that this story touched on female agency in this time period and inequality behind the glitz and glamor

This book was a true delight! Filled to the brim with delicious banter, that dislike at first sight changing to something more and the most practical and scheming of little misses definitely check this one!

Definitely one of my top read of the year and I very much look forward to reading it when my copy arrives!!!

A LADY’S GUIDE TO FORTUNE HUNTING by Sophie Irwin


I love historical fiction, but I don’t usually gravitate toward ones under the romance genre. Then again, I also love silly shows like Bridgerton. When I came across this upcoming book I had to request it. Sometimes you just need an easy, fun, light-hearted read, y’know?

The main character, Kitty Talbot, is smart, ambitious and clever. I liked her right away. She is unapologetic about seeking a rich husband to save her and her sisters from destitution. No shame in her game! It also really sucked to be a woman in those days so I don’t fault her for being practical.

I figured out the end very early on as the story follows a very typical romance plot line. I did enjoy the some of the banter between Kitty and Radcliffe. They were the only characters I liked, the rest were unimaginative.

Overall, this was an OK story. I wasn’t expecting anything too involved and was pleasantly entertained. If you’re looking for a summer read, this would be a good choice.


**ARC courtesy of @NetGalley & Penguin Group

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
Release Date: July 12, 2022

#ALadysGuideToFortuneHunting