I had no idea what to expect when I requested this book, but the cover was cute and the story sounded intriguing. I'm glad that I did though! Fortune-Hunting was a cute, quick read that was fun and enjoyable. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down.

The book doesn't follow what I would call modern-day historical romance beats. There's no active relationship on page until the last chapter, there's no sex, and any kissing doesn't appear to the end. The banter between Lord Radcliffe and Kitty was entertaining and engaging. The times they interacted were my favorite parts of the book.

The book appeared to be well-researched and the author did a great job of making what could be an unlikeable character, extremely likable in the end.

If you're looking for a Regency romance that has the witty banter of the genre without the sex, I recommend picking up this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Kitty has a problem. Her parents have died, there's no money left, and the debts are so enormous her family is endanger of losing their house! There is, essentially, 1 option open to her - marry a rich husband!

This book was so so delightful. Definitely has the regency flavor. In fact, it reminded of Georgette Heyer's The Grand Sophy in some respects. Kitty has Sophy flair for planning and scheming, although Kitty doesn't seem to encounter quite as much chaos. This quote perfectly describes Kitty though: "It is not uncommon to encounter persons who are in the habit of making outlandish claims. It is rarer still to meet persons who are also in the habit of fulfilling them, and it was to this second group that Miss Kitty Talbot belonged."

James, on the other hand, thinks of Kitty as the villain. She is out to ruin his family's good name and cause scandal! Yet, these 2 can't help but try to help the other. The must each decide if what they think they want is truly what the heart wants.

Do NOT miss this book. One of the best books of 2022!!

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting gives us Kitty, a woman so focused on making a wealthy match during the London season that she seems almost mercenary. When the older brother of her first intended groom sees right through her, she enlists his help to maneuver through the complex world of London society in order to find another suitable candidate for marriage. With each ball and social event where they interact, Radcliffe and Kitty grow to a much deeper understanding of each other's actions and motivations, until <spoiler> suddenly it becomes apparent that they are very well suited for each other.

I wanted to read this after seeing it on social media and went in with little expectation. I really enjoyed the fresh take on the genre and thought it was fun to see where the book went with the premise. I do think some of the plot points did not come across as clear and I had to reorient myself while reading, but I enjoyed seeing the relationship grow. Some of the romantic tension could have been more, but I had a fun time reading this. Thank you Netgalley!

Kitty Talbot is an unapologetic gold digger, and I love her for it. She's so practical and manipulative, without being malicious, though there were definitely parts where she got pretty ruthless.

This was such a refreshing take on a historical romance -- though the romance was pretty tame and definitely not the highlight of the book for me, but I had an amazing time watching Kitty manipulate her way into Society with a capital S. Kitty is one of the most memorable historical romance heroines I have read. There were so many parts in the book where my jaw dropped, and I was like OH MY GOD, SHE REALLY WENT THERE. Obviously, you have to kind of suspend belief because I'm not sure how it would actually play out IRL, but it was SO much fun reading.

If you can imagine being a woman during this time, having four sisters to provide for, a mountain of debt and threats from debt collectors of what sounded like physical harm, and previous exposure to the possibility of success of marrying above your social class, then Kitty's solution of marrying as rich as possible makes complete sense. She's all about growth mindset, this one...except when she's judging her admittedly kind of annoying little sister.

I loved the themes of hypocrisy throughout the book, especially the judgement between sisters and commentary on feminism. They are each trying to take their power back and fight the good fight against the patriarchy, just in different ways, and they definitely judge each other for it, which is a pretty realistic portrayal of how harmful and invalidating internalized sexism can be. I also love how Sophie Irwin juxtaposes widely accepted modern beliefs with how foreign those beliefs must have been to these characters -- things like the mental health benefits of exercise and the importance and usefulness of literature and narrative.

I absolutely loved the banter between Kitty and James, and I thought their enemies-to-lovers arc was a lot more believable than Bridgerton Season 2. They're not just hating each other for the sake of conflict - you completely understand why they would feel that way. It seems like Sophie Irwin is constantly holding up a mirror for her characters to see themselves in -- it's just that some characters are like those animals who can't recognize their own reflection.

All in all, so much fun, and I can't wait to read more from this author!

I was instantly drawn to A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting simply because of the title and the cover. But let me tell ya, it was a treat! This book is marketed for fans of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton and although I have neither seen nor read either, I figured why not!

With both parents gone, four younger sisters to care for, and significant debt to pay off, Kitty Talbot needs a miracle…in the form of a rich husband. She leaves home, determined to secure a proposal, and with it her family’s future, during the London Season. If only Lord Radcliffe would get out of her way.

This book was super fun and I couldn’t put it down. Kitty is unapologetic and I absolutely love that about her. It’s a very clean romance without any steam, but I didn’t mind. I could see this being a series since there are so many excellent characters to develop!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I enjoyed reading this book. I thought Kitty was a fascinating character. There are lots of fortune hunters in regency novels, but I really liked Kitty's reasons and backstory. And loved that Radcliffe knew what she was all about and ended up admiring her for it.

The only thing that Katherine (Kitty) Talbot could do to support herself and her sisters, after she was jilted, was to go to London for the Season and find a rich husband. With the help of her late parent's friend, Aunt Dorothy, Kitty and her sister Cecily, began the hunt for a suitable match. One day they met Cecily's school friend, Lady Amelia and her brother Archie de Lacy and Kitty thought he was well suited as husband material.. But his brother, now the Earl of Radcliff, thought her a fortune hunter and decided to make sure that a marriage wouldn't happen.
A thoroughly delightful historical romance with a feisty heroine, an arrogant Earl and snappy dialogue.
Thank you NetGalley and Viking for his e-galley of "A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting".

A Lady’s Guide is what a Regency Romance should be: witty, true to the time period and full of well-drawn characters. I would love to read sequels based on the supporting cast. The author delivers a superb story while appealing to all ages and keeps the novel free of sex and profanity.

Sophie Irwin's A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a lighthearted Regency romance, a la Georgette Heyer. The heroine is an impoverished young lady, who is responsible for her four younger sisters. Miss Talbot is well aware of the limited options available to her, but, determined to spare her siblings from the consequences of her late father's debts, she is determined to rescue the family by marrying into money. On the brink of achieving a proposal from a wealthy younger son, though, her plans are threatened by her intended's elder brother. Can she prevail? There is a lot of witty dialogue, as well as accurate descriptions of the unspoken rules of the upper class of the time period. An enjoyable read!

Kitty is a clever beauty who understands she must sacrifice herself in marriage to save her sisters and their home. She travels to London to secure a match with a wealthy man. She almost immediately befriends Archibald de Lacy but his brother James, the Earl of Radcliffe, sees her for the fortune hunter she is. For what she sees as practicality he sees as avarice. James makes it his priority to get her away from Archibald but, as she looks further afield for a rich match, she and James end up with a strange, adversarial friendship. Surely they won’t fall for each other?

Kitty is a very engaging character. She is quite upfront with James about her need to marry a rich man. It is quite the most sensible thing to do, given the family’s debt. I love that she is never ashamed of her reasoning. And that is reasoning rings true given the times and the circumscribed lives and influence of women. James is constantly amazed at what he sees as her greed but his honest nature forces him, eventually, to see her side of the issue. Their banter is lively and it is fun watching them grow closer without either of them realizing it. This is just a delightful read- I read it in one day!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a regular reader of Regency romance, but enjoyed this tongue and cheek look at the "ton" and the marriage market in early 19th century London. The characters were well drawn, especially Kitty, her sister and aunt, and Radcliffe. The Archie storyline felt contrived. I cringed a bit at the trope of a middle aged woman (Lady Radcliffe) who imagines illness for attention...seems to align with the unkind and unreasonable idea that women invent and exaggerate pain and are "hysterical." Find another character trait for her.

Without exception, the very best historical romance I have ever read. Boom.

I laughed a great deal. I cried a bit. I was surprised by many turns of events. I loved so many of the characters. And I genuinely could not put this book down. I especially love that, though I figured out who would be the couple at the end of the book pretty early on, THEY didn’t figure it out until much later. And it was so clean and sweet and I just really really loved it. 💜💜📚

This was well written, very structured and simplistic. There is a kiss at the end and a profession of love, nothing new and inventive when it comes to this book, but still and enjoyable read.

A funny, lighthearted regency romance - 3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book, although the plot was fairly predictable and similar to others I’ve read in the genre. Kitty’s motivation to marry rich came only out of the need to take care of her sisters, and I applaud her scheming. Lord Radcliffe should’ve known better than to underestimate a woman determined to get what she wants.

Most of the characters were a bit over-the-top with the drama, but personally, I love that. Give me all the mamas with made up ailments, the backhanded compliments at the balls, and of COURSE the grumpy lords who think they’re above the drama of the ton. Anyone who’s a fan of Evie Dunmore or India Holton should definitely give this one a try.

I do wish we had learned more about Cecily, but I’m just hoping the lack of closure on her story means we have a sequel to look forward to.

Absolutely wonderful!! Kitty and Radcliffe practically smoke off the page in their banter. We shouldn't like Kitty, but she is the sister I would want to have. Kitty needs a wealthy husband to secure her home and have a place for her four sisters. Radcliffe sees her for the fortune hunter she is, but she makes no lies about that. Oh she is so charming.

This was a pretty fun read! I loved how headstrong and determined Kitty was. She wasn't shy about being ambitious in her endeavors, even if it did make her a potentially unlikeable "fortune-hunter." Radcliffe was such a great character and Kitty's perfect counterpart. I loved their back and forth banter, I only wish there was more of it! I would have loved it if the author had leaned into those interactions more, instead of giving us a summary of events at the end of the scene. I wanted to see Radcliffe teaching her manners, butting heads with her, and whatnot, in real-time.

This feels really close to a true historical romcom, I just wish there had been more of Kitty and Radcliffe on the page together more often.

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Given how much this was being toted as Bridgerton-esque, I really expected it to be more sexy so I was a little disappointed when it wasn't. Once I realized that and adjusted my expectations, it was a quick read. I wasn't a huge fan of the "ship", but it will do.

I requested this book because I read a blurb describing it as a great read alike for fans of Bridgerton and Downton Abbey. I loved both shows and was excited to start this book. However, the book didn't have the same sizzle as the shows. There are many readers who enjoy a very tame romance, and I think they will enjoy this title. It wasn't quite what I was expecting when I picked it up, and ultimately didn't really hold my attention.

{3.5 stars}

I'll admit it Bridgerton has gotten me back into Regency era historical romance. I've really enjoyed recent stories from Evie Dunmore and Martha Waters who put a new spin on an Austen-esque opinionated women who aren't living their life for just marriage. Our heroine in A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting, Kitty, is not that. Her main aim is marriage, and one to a man who is loaded. She cares little for their personality or her feelings but whether she can save her family from financial ruin. Both parents have passed and she and her four sisters are about to lose their home. She has mere weeks to craft a way to save them. She and one sister head to London for the "season" so she can scheme and manipulate her way into the right match. She has few connections and boy does she use every trick she can think of to attach herself to the Radcliffe family whose second son is her initial target. When the eldest son comes home and uncovers her scheme, he'll do anything to stop it, until she blackmails him into helping her secure a place with a worthy match.

We see some of the glitz and glam of the Bridgerton-type season but get a different perspective as Kitty's family have some scandalous baggage and little wealth. I admit at first, like Radcliffe, I was quite annoyed with her gold digging but it's easy to see her motivations as the story progresses. Sister Cecy was an easier character to love. This one is a bit more scheme-y than romance-y, so don't expect a lot of steam or even much angst. I hoped for some more witty banter but we didn't get that til the last few chapters. Some nice girl power moments, my favorite scene is quite a jaw dropper when Kitty uses her power in an unexpected way towards the end of the story. A solid story but needed a little more in a few areas to be a shelf worthy choice for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for advanced access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.