I thoroughly enjoyed this Regency novel. It was delightfully witty and made me laugh out loud. Jane Austen fans will especially enjoy it.

This itched a very specific spot in my brain that doesn't get reached very often. A light-hearted romance with a lot of heart, humor, and honesty. Kitty tries her best not to be a romantic and comes to London with the sole aim of finding a rich husband to take care of her sisters, and when her plans are discovered by the brother of the very man she hopes to ensnare, she has to come up with a compromise, and fast.

The characters here really shine. This is a perfect example of a Heyer-esque novel that captures both the absurdity and romanticism of her books. I couldn't help but laugh at them and with them- but the entire time, I was on the edge of my seat hoping for them to get their happy endings. It's not just the main character and her love interest, though. Everyone gets something of their own, a side plot or a fun aside or some manner of influence on the plot.

The book is average length, but I read it in one sitting and literally refused to put it down. I enjoyed it so much and with was the breath of fresh, light-hearted air that I needed after a stressful week. Irwin is an author on my watchlist after this brilliant, frothy delight that I plan on rereading over and over.

This book was a quick and engaging read. Loved the witty banter between Kitty and Radcliffe! The parallels between them as eldest siblings were delicious and I loved the climactic rescues at the end. I do think that the female characters were more interesting compared to the male love interests. However, I would be interested in something further about Cecily and Lord Montagu, they were adorable nerds together. Possible sequel? Definitely filled the hole left by Bridgerton season 2 and I am looking forward to other books by this author.

While this book seemingly has all the makings of a season Bridgerton-- the Regency setting, the luxurious fabrics, and societal intrigue-- Irwin fails to combine these aesthetic elements into a fully cohesive plot or compelling characters. Characters are little more than the cardboard character tropes commonly found in the historical romance genre (wide-eyed ingenue, meddling wealthy relative, resentful brother). While these dry characters might've been saved by the seemingly tense "must secure husband to provide for family" plot or the later enemies to lovers arc, I found that even that the book lacked the crucial character-building at the beginning of the book needed to build enough empathy for its characters (namely Kitty or Radcliffe) for the dramatic devices used to hold any weight or stakes.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

3.5 Stars rounding up to 4 Stars
This was a delightful read. I enjoyed the character growth and the determination of the main female character. I liked how the somewhat linear seeming plot had little side twists and adventures along the way as well. There was a slight lack in romantic tension and romance in general as most of the relationship tension came from financial strain and a love vs money ideal. I enjoyed the banter between Kitty and Lord Radcliffe and enjoyed the historical views on courting and how to find a man to marry. It was a quick, easy read for when I needed something light and fluffy.

"A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting" is a delightful historical romance full of society intrigue, dramatic scenes, and chemistry-filled bickering between the two main characters. Kitty and Radcliffe grudgingly agree to granting each other favors, but their enemity soon begins to turn into something more.

I loved both main characters in this story. They feel like outsiders in society, and they would do anything for their families. They're witty and challenging, and their banter is so fun to read. The chemistry is all there on the page, but this is a closed-door romance.

I'm hoping this book turns into a series where we see the other siblings find love and get glimpses of how Kitty and Radcliffe's marriage is going.

What a delight this book was! It was witty, charming and romantic. I loved the sparring between Kitty and Lord Radcliffe. What a treat!
Irwin is definitely an author to watch!

This was an entertaining Regency romance. It’s very reminiscent of season 2 of Bridgerton.

I enjoyed the characters and the storyline, but I felt most of the angst was regarding the financial position the main character found herself in rather than any romantic tension that could have made this even better. Overall it was a quick, fun read.

I received a free copy of the e-arc from NetGalley.

Within the first chapter, Kitty loses the man she had planned to marry to solve her family's insolvency and prevent the loss of the home she shares with her four sisters. Once this happens, she is forced to come up with a plan to find a new husband who has enough funding to save her home. Since both of her parents are dead, she decides to go to London with one of her sisters and stay with her "aunt" who knew her mother when they were both "on the stage" and courtesans. Her mother was fortunate enough to have one of her suitors marry her (although he was disowned because of the unsuitable marriage). She meets Archie de Lacy (her sister went to seminary with his sister), but when his brother Lord Radcliffe gets wind of her plan (through his mother the hypochondriac) he comes to town to put the kibosh on the marriage. Kitty finds ways to manipulate Lord Radcliffe to better herself in the eyes of the ton and even asks him to check on her suitors' financial suitability. Of course you will have guessed the end.

This is my favorite time period to read about in historical romance. I enjoyed this book and the writing kept me reading long past my bedtime. I liked the characters of Kitty and Lord Radcliffe although I wish some of the other characters had been fleshed out a little more. My only real criticism of the book is that I wished there was a little more romance at the end.

While this was definitely a fun read, it didn't have the wit or bite I was anticipating. The characters were lovely. Who doesn't love an eldest daughter on whom the entire fate of her family depends. Or an eccentric Lady who would probably find too much pleasure in the idea of webmd a couple centuries down the road. Or even an aunt figure who has retired from the world's oldest profession. Basically, all the women are great. And then there's the jerk of a lord who may hold the key to a young girl's plan to marry rich.

The plot here didn't blow me away by any means, but if you're looking for something to scratch an itch created by Netflix's take on Bridgerton, than this may be just your thing.

What a cute, enjoyable, Bridgetown-era read. Kitty is quick-witted, resourceful and knows how to get what she wants. In this case, she needs a husband and one with a lot of money, quickly. In a race to find a suitor before her families home gets taken away, Kitty enters the London season and turns her unknown name into a name everyone knows. Funny, charming and light, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting is a great book to add to your TBR pile this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

Coming at the perfect time to fill the void of a gap in Bridgerton content, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting is a wonderful enemies to lovers set in the regency era. Well written with compelling, if imperfect, characters, this book is a joy from start to finish. Despite being set hundreds of years ago, the book’s themes of class and love hold true with modern times and allow to hold poignancy with its 2022 readers. As a book that would make Jane Austen proud (a strong likeness to Pride and Prejudice), this book will delight regency romance readers

An enjoyable Austen style story. I enjoyed the practicality of Kitty, love would be nice but she has to save her family and provide for her sisters. Loved the progression of the relationship between Kitty and Radcliffe.

This was a very cute, and fun read that is perfect for any Bridgerton fan! I love the Regency era and thought this was an adorable book.

What would you do to save your sisters and yourself from homelessness? Find a rich husband and not worry about love? That is exactly what Kitty sets of to do. Her father has passed and left massive debts. Now Kitty must secure a wealthy husband in three months or lose her home. But a certain gentlemen sees right through her plan and tries to stop her in her tracks. Things take a turn and maybe Kitty will find more in a husband than she expected!

What I enjoyed:
- the time setting for this book. I love a good historical fiction book. Especially when there is romance involved. Plus the regency era is a fun setting for all the swoon worthy moments!
- Kitty! Even with all her plotting, I still liked her character. I found her enjoyable, and I could understand her motives.
- Slow burn AND enemies to lovers
- Well written, and great pacing!


Overall, I really loved this book! I was able to finish it with in a day because I couldn’t put it down. You really get drawn into Kitty’s world and it is definitely a delightful escape. The romance was spot on and really had me smiling at times. I cannot wait to read future books by this author! 4 stars out of 5. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Kitty Talbot must leave her sisters in their country home to ruthlessly husband-hunt (within 12 weeks) in London after their father left them in debt, and they’re in immediate danger of losing their beloved home. She woos Arthur, the naive younger brother of Lord Radcliffe but is found out by Radcliffe to be a gold-digging schemer. She moves on, but manages to blackmail Radcliffe into helping her insinuate into the ton to find other wealthy husband material.

While I started out literally hating the devious Kitty, to my surprise I found myself almost grudgingly coming to understand and even respect her as she begins her struggle in wrestling with her conscience. I also liked the evolving banter and more serious conversations between she and Radcliffe. My only complaint was that the turn toward love came a bit out-of-the-blue, and there was a sudden leap from tentative friendship to HEA.

But overall I found this a well-written and quite enjoyable story from a debut author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for providing the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a delightful read that even the most discerning Regency fan will enjoy.
Kitty Talbot needs money, and fast. It's only been a year since she and her sisters were orphaned, leaving her to take care of all four of her younger sisters and save their family home from falling into the hands of her father's debt collectors. In an effort to keep her family's future safe, she travels to London to stay with one of her mother's friends, who has graciously offered to sponsor her and "her prettiest sister" in the upcoming Season. But none of the men Kitty meets have wallets thick enough to meet her family's needs -- that is, until she meets Mr. Archie de Lacy. Not only is Archie a member of the richest family in the ton, but he's also fairly young, and with a bit of attention from Kitty, is fully convinced that he's ready to propose to her. And he almost does propose, until Lord Radcliffe, Archie's older brother, steps in. Radcliffe sees Kitty for the gold digger she is, and in order to keep his family safe from her, makes a deal with her: he'll help him find a suitable (ahem- rich) husband as long as she stays far away from Archie. But as Kitty and Radcliffe start to grow closer, and as their respective familial issues grow more exigent, they begin to wonder if this is really the way things have to be.
I absolutely loved this book. In fact, it's been a good five days since I've finished it and everyday, without fail, I've caught myself wishing there were more of it to read. I loved that Kitty was street smart and unafraid to manipulate people to protect her family. I also loved that Radcliffe was always able to see through Kitty's manipulation. Irwin wrote one of the best slow burn enemies-to-lovers I've read in a long time and I loved every minute of it. It was clear that Kitty and Radcliffe genuinely disliked each other at the beginning, and with every interaction their walls fell down a little bit more. Another aspect I really enjoyed was how the side characters played important roles in the story. They didn't simply exist to move the romance plot forward, and their interactions with the two leads were always valuable, even if it wasn't always immediately clear why. I loved how certain scenes, which initially read as fluff, tied into the story later. Another thing the book did well was make me laugh. Historical fiction isn't typically paired with humor, but many of Kitty's one-liners in this book surprised me enough to make me laugh out loud. My favorite thing about the novel, though, is that it had what I considered the perfect balance between romance and plot. I liked that the plot was driven by the issues that the characters were facing, and the scenes where Kitty and Radcliffe interacted never felt contrived, or like they took up too much of the book. Everything came when it was needed, and I appreciated that.
I truly have nothing but good things to say about this book, and I can't wait to see what Irwin comes out with next.

I was lucky enough to receive and ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. All thoughts and comments about this book are my own

What a delight!

Kitty is the eldest of five sisters, orphaned and in desperate need of financial relief. In 1818, her best bet is to find a wealthy man tolerable enough to marry-- even if it pains her to do so. She sets sights on the London Season, and a certain member of the ton, whose brother immediately sees through her dashing smiles and slipper mishaps. Lord Radcliffe is willing to cut a deal with Kitty if only she'll leave his brother alone, but the deal brings the two closer and closer together.

This was exquisitely written. So many phrases and sentences were cleverly crafted and not only decadent, but often laugh-out-loud funny (a rarity for me in books). I honestly felt like I was reading a Jane Austen at times, because of that wonderful wit.

And the characters! I was so delighted by this cast and all their little quirks. Kitty especially was a wonderful heroine, full of grit, determination, love, and imperfections. The same can be said for her match, Radcliffe, and that's why they worked so well together.

I also really appreciated the critiques and discussion of marriage in this. Kitty's entire focus is to save her dear sisters by marrying rich, but in quiet moments she can admit to herself that she's scared of the prospect of marrying someone she doesn't love, and miserable at the idea of conforming herself to a man and how he wants her to be, as his wife. She hurts some feelings in her relentless pursuit, but you almost can't blame her-- she's in a horrible situation that can only be rectified with a marriage that she expects will strip her of her autonomy.

Sometimes these historical romances, then, feel like a fantasy. The reality is, most women then had to settle and sacrifice for the security of marriage. But Kitty, in her pursuit, finds true love in someone who sees and respects her, and it is a most gratifying journey to witness.

Thank you Net Galley for making this book available!

I absolutely loved this book. I didn’t want it to end and yet I couldn’t put it down. The characters were all likable and I found myself chuckling as I read. The plot was engaging from the beginning, I would highly recommend reading this book!

This was cute and fun!

I got out of it what I expected. A little Bridgerton. But I enjoyed this slightly more.

I loved Kitty. She almost feels like ME if I had grown up in that era.

This was a perfect light, quick read for me! Fun regency era romance with strong Kate + Anthony from Bridgerton vibes but make it PG instead of R. It was well-written and had lots of good historical details. It’s a simple, familiar structure with a more contemporary perspective of a heroine fully owning up to needing a wealthy husband to support her family. Amazing debut novel, hope there is more to come!

Thanks to Penguin Group Viking Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.