A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a delightful Regency romance about a young woman who needs to find herself a husband to secure the well-being of her siblings. Kitty Talbot finds herself in a precarious position when she's orphaned and left with her parents' significant debts. Kitty is very smart and likeable with a lot of gumption. I would recommend this for someone looking for a fun and witty Regency romance.

Thank you Penguin Group Viking / Pamela Dorman Books for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Hello! I liked this book, but the story and characters did not grab me from the outset. I thought Kitty and Lord Radcliffe were fairly typical Regency characters. That said, though...there is also something to be said about the typical and meeting expectations. I think this book was sweet and comfortable. I often tire of the frequent romances with sex scenes that are overdone or overplayed. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting was a nice deviation. It was entertaining and a good escape. I was furnished an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you! :)

This seemed a bit by the numbers and lacked any real sparkle. The idea of a self-professed fortune hunter as the heroine and the wealthy lord out to block her was clever; however, it never really took off. The characters never became people I cared about and the story just plodded along. It actually was more like a book targeted for a middle school audience just being introduced to Regency romances rather than an adult novel.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

This is a debut? I am so surprised because it reads like it was written by a seasoned author and I mean that in the best way. She really did well with the regency era and you can tell that she spent a lot of time on her research. Kitty was so unique to me and I think that's another reason I had so much fun reading this book on top of the fact that it had me giggling to myself at points. I really hope Sophie Irwin continues to write in this genre because I will definitely pick up any futures works by her. Bravo!

Included as a top pick in bimonthly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

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I went in with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The structure is more akin to traditional regency and Heyer-style romances: 1) no sex, only a few kisses at the end, 2) no active relationship or confession of love until the end, 3) battle of wits dialogue that reluctantly turns into mutual admiration, and 4) the antics of headache-inducing relatives. Unlike Heyer, there is no on-page bigotry, thankfully (though the world is very white and straight, like most trad pub historical romances).

Basically: this doesn't reinvent the wheel for Regency Romance nor does it want to. I had a fun time, it was well-written, and I'll read Irwin again. What I liked most was the constant emphasis on money and the heroine refusing to be apologetic about fortune-hunting. Kitty is fantastic and unrepentant and manipulative — more heroines like that, please.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I went in with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised! I really enjoyed that the female lead is ambitious and shows no remorse for being a fortune hunter because she knows this is the only way she can help her family. She is very refreshing as a lead and has great chemistry with the male lead! They have great banter and I really enjoyed their relationship grow from open hostility to mutual admiration over the course of the book.

This was a fun romance. The woman is unapologetically her. This isn’t the next pride and prejudice but it’s super fun and worth the read. Love all the antics, with and love in this book.

I enjoyed the banter between Kitty and Lord Radcliffe. The story could have used a little more spice, but the plot and characters were interesting. I saw a review that describes this as a cozy YA historical romance, which is extremely accurate.

As a Bridgerton fan this story was right up that same alley, but slightly different. If a sequel of some sort to come out I wouldn't mind reading it. James and Kitty's relationship was quite lovely to read about and the side characters were quite good. Kitty's younger sister who goes to London with her was not as fleshed out as I could of hoped. The 'Aunt' was a hoot.

Such a fun book! In the first half I thought I knew exactly where the story was going, and while I wasn’t wrong per se, there were also a lot of twists and turns that I couldn’t have anticipated! The second half of the story really picks up, and I read it in one sitting. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel for this kind of story, but I still really had a good time reading it.

The best part of the book was the MC, Kitty. She was funny, clever, honest and relentless in her pursuit to provide for her family and make her goals happen! She really demonstrated the power that a person can make for themselves even when it is denied them by society (and I think we all need to be reminded of that agency right about now, right?).

Unfortunately for me, the character named Arden is a pervy old Lord. But hey, you win some, you lose some.

Super fun read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Kitty Talbot is in dire straits. Her parents married for love and it created a huge scandal. Her father was a gentleman and he married his mistress. His family disowned the couple and banished them from London with a small allowance. Five lovely daughters and a loving home could not make up for the parents lack of frugality. Kitty is left holding the debt and trying to care for her four sisters when typhoid takes her parents. The best thing Kitty can do to keep them all together is to marry well. When her fiance abandons her for someone else because the circumstances of her birth were revealed by her father before his death. Kitty must travel to London to find a spouse who will clear the family debt in a few short weeks for that is all the creditors have given her. If she can’t do this they will take her home and the sisters will have to becomes servants or worse.

The girls mother has a close friend the girls called Aunt Dorothy. Kitty asks Dorothy to help her find a suitor who could solve her problems and keep her sisters safe. Upon arriving in London with her younger sister Cecily, the ladies visit the park and run in to a classmate of Cece’s who is with her mother and brother. Kitty charms the brother and has him enamored. The mother Lady Radcliffe is worried the Talbots may not be of the highest quality and calls home her oldest son Lord Radcliffe. Thus begins the merry dance of the season! Love, ambition, admiration, and wits battle it out between the two.

Reader’s of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austin will love this novel of love and wit between a member of the ton and “normal” girl who is on the fringes but has luck and spunk.

This was good! I don’t usually ever read Regency Era books, but I enjoyed this one. It wasn’t hard to understand. Third person omniscient narrator. Witty banter. No spice.
Lots of characters, but not hard to keep track of.
Storyline kept me hooked. I guessed the match right, but there were still some tidbits that surprised me.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for this digital ARC.

I loved this book, I've always been a huge fan of historical romances, and this hit all of my favorite things about the genre. A principled heroine and perhaps a little ahead of her time, a sarcastic and witty enemy to ally to lover. The wit and snark are on point and very good at being what it is; I really appreciate that. Some characters do fall a little flat but the narrative pulls the reader along nicely enough that you barely notice. If you like historical romances this is a great book, if you're not a fan of the tropes that come with it you may find yourself a little frustrated.

‘A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting’ is perfect for fans of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. While very much a romance, it focuses on character development first before evolving into a romance between our two leads. I normally hesitate to describe a character as “a strong female character” but that’s exactly what Kitty is. The weight of responsibility and her family’s poverty rests heavily on her shoulders and she soldiers through all obstacles with wit and determination, even if it doesn’t always pay off or turn out how she expects. Radcliffe is not quite the opposite but close. Rich and distant from his family after returning from war, he’s certain to do the opposite of whatever his own father would have done. Together, Kitty and Radcliffe make an entertaining pair. Between battling at every turn and vaguely blackmailing one another, they eventually come to an understanding and eventually love. Its a funny, delightful read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking/Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am rounding up a bit for this one. I get that this book is titled A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting, so the reader should expect a certain amount of mercenary behavior on the part of the "lady" in question--Kitty Talbot. But in order for the reader to either 1.) truly sympathize with Kitty's plight and understand her mammoth undertaking in finding a rich husband in order to save her family, or 2.) enjoy the machinations of Kitty as she searches for a wealthy man to beguile and entice into matrimony, the reader has to identify and LIKE Kitty. And I did neither. She came across as robotic and unfeeling. The few misguided attempts to make Kitty seem sympathetic fell flat and so I really just began to feel sorry for Arthur. I was also astounded as to how she managed to be such as master manipulator when she had such a sheltered upbringing and gained most of her experience with men from her fickle "fiance." I was continually surprised by how easy it was for Kitty to find just the right thing to say or do to wrap Arthur around her finger. By the time the true love interest, Lord Radcliffe, was introduced--waaay too many pages in, in my opinion--I found I really didn't care about Kitty and was bored with the story.
I would not recommend this book. Is it trying to say something about the sexist and snobbish attitudes of Britain in the early 1800s? Umm...Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813--if you haven't figured out by now --over 200 years later--that Regency England had numerous flaws, then you need to be reading another genre. If you are looking for something in the same vein as this--done much better--check out the real classics, by Georgette Heyer or Clare Darcy.

Left destitute after her father's death, Kitty must go to London in hopes of catching a husband. She must use her wits, creativity, and cunning to land a wealthy husband to save her family. The obstacle: Lord Radcliffe. He can smell a fortune hunter a mile away. Even after he warns her off his family, Kitty is able to enlist his help in finding other suitable options. But will he include himself in that list?
Tones of Pride and Prejudice. Quick and witty dialog. Enjoyable quick read.

Dorsetshire England 1818 - 5 sisters, orphans and destitute. The oldest, Kitty, just jilted by her fiance whose family thinks HER family is inappropriate. What's a girl to do? Why, go off to London to find a wealthy husband, no love needed!!

Kitty and Cecily Talbot go off to London to be with Aunt Dorothy. Auntie has the ins with some of London's society. The 'Season' is just about to begin. Kitty starts looking.

At first, I thought the book would be predictable. I almost stopped reading it. I am glad that I did not. While some things were inevitable, others were a COMPLETE SURPRISE. That's what I like in a book - the surprises.

Not all of the characters were likeable but all were well developed. I got a good sense of London Society in the early 19th century. And I fell in love with Kitty; she was quite resourceful as she carried out her plan to find a rich hubby.

4 stars

This was such a fun regency book! If you love regency romance for the witty banter, this book will definitely be for you. I think this will certainly appeal to fans of Bridgerton.

A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting is a ubiquitous story with little surprises. The characters lacked the depth to overcome this

I was really excited for this book. It unfortunately just wasn’t for me. It was very slow and kind of boring. It plays on the historical romance side of the coin and I’m just not into that.