A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin – a Review

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Description:
Kitty Talbot needs a fortune. Or rather, she needs a husband who has a fortune. Left with her father’s massive debts, she has only twelve weeks to save her family from ruin.

Kitty has never been one to back down from a challenge, so she leaves home and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of England: the London season.

Kitty may be neither accomplished nor especially genteel—but she is utterly single-minded; imbued with cunning and ingenuity, she knows that risk is just part of the game.

The only thing she doesn’t anticipate is Lord Radcliffe. The worldly Radcliffe sees Kitty for the mercenary fortune-hunter that she really is and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs, until their parrying takes a completely different turn…

This is a frothy pleasure, full of brilliant repartee and enticing wit—one that readers will find an irresistible delight.

Review:

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin is her debut romantic novel. We meet our heroine, Kitty Talbot, at the start, when she is jilted by her fiancée.  Kitty is not only shocked, since they planned to marry soon, and now she is in a bind.  Kitty is the oldest of 5 sisters, with her parents gone; she knows she is responsible to find a way to come up with money to save their home.  She only has few months to find a wealthy husband, who can pay off their debts, as well as fix their decaying cottage; she decides to go to England, as the London season is open to find a rich man.

Kitty brings her sister, Cecily with her to stay in London with their aunt Dorothy.  She is determined to push herself upon the London wealthy families, using her own ingenuity, pretending to have money.  At first, she meets young Archie de Lay, who becomes enamored with her, and Kitty uses her wiles to get his mother and sister into a friendship; that is until the older brother comes home, and can see she is a fortune hunter. 

Lord Radcliffe has been away from London and his family for a couple of years, but when his mother writes him to come home, and talk to Archie from getting married.  When Kitty meets James (Lord Radcliffe), they immediately get off on the wrong foot, but her friendship with the mother and sister continues, as she begins her conquest of finding a rich man, who once married, would help pay off the family debits, and help her sisters future.  The continued banter/arguments between Kitty and James were amusing, as Kitty changed her tune, and put pressure on James to help her in finding the right man.  The only thought I had throughout the story, was they the eventual slow burn romance was just about nonexistent; even though we found it fun and charming.  With all the possible conquests, James does help, but as we get closer to the end, he fights off his own attraction to Kitty.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting was a fun story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did find Kitty a bit annoying early one, but she was an amazing and strong heroine, who put her sisters first, in her desperation to marry, even if not for love.  I also enjoyed the aunt and Cecily. To say too much more would spoil the fun.  A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting was a regency era romance, that was very well written by Sophie Irwin.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher