A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting: A Novel

by Sophie Irwin

Hardcover, 2022

Status

Available

Genres

Publication

Pamela Dorman Books (2022), 336 pages

Description

"A whip-smart debut that follows the adventures of an entirely unconventional heroine who throws herself into the London Season to find a wealthy husband. But the last thing she expects is to find love... 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"--… (more)

Rating

½ (84 ratings; 3.7)

User reviews

LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Georgette Heyer fan. In my reading of many authors who have tried to write similar Regency adventure and social escapades with strong female leads, I have never encountered a single one that could hold even a guttering candle to Ms. Heyer.

However, author Sophie Irwin has

accomplished this feat in her story of Miss Kitty Talbot seeking a rich husband to keep her family from losing their home and facing destitution. I enjoyed every bit of this story because the writing was splendid, the gentleness soothing but always intriguing, and the Regency society fairly accurately portrayed in a Heyer-esque fashion. Was the novel exactly true to factual early 19th Century norms? Was the aggressiveness of Kitty and her supporters reminiscent of the day? Perhaps not entirely.

But think on this: Kitty and Cecily were very much modelled on the impecunious sisters, Maria and Elizabeth Gunning. The Gunning sisters took Georgian society by storm with Elizabeth becoming the Duchess of Argyll, in a similar fashion to the way Irwin wrote her story of Kitty and Cecily.

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LibraryThing member nicole_a_davis

I couldn't get past the first chapter. Maybe would be a fun read for people who like period romance, but for a Jane Austen aficionado or purist, this was cringe-worthy. The language and attitudes of the characters were entirely modern and felt out of place in the Regency setting. The author's

understanding of Regency society and norms seemed shaky at best.

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LibraryThing member ronincats

First of all, it is clear Irwin is a Heyer fan. It is also clear that she has not yet mastered Heyer's pacing, side character development, or sparkling repartee. She has included at least three of Heyer's plots in addition to the main one as subplots, which for me slowed the pace of the book as

well as being very predictable. That said, I did enjoy the main characters' development throughout the book and felt that was the more original and interesting part of the story. I also felt that her settings were better than the average Regency.

I have hope that this author may develop into a solid Regency author. Now that she has gotten all those pesky plots in her head unloaded into this story, may she work on pacing and side character development beyond the stereotypical (being possible with fewer subplots).

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LibraryThing member Inishowen_Cailin

Charmingly addictive and a real treat. A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting has the best of Heyer and Quinn combined to create a remarkably original regency heroine who takes the ton by storm.
The London season doesn't know what's hit it when Kitty arrives with the sole aim of landing a rich husband in

order to settle her family's debts. The scheming and machinations that go on behind the scenes in order to present a passable facade to high society are humorous and witty. I loved watching Kitty convince the ton to accept her and her family to the fold. The banter between Lord Radcliffe and Kitty as she embroils him unwillingly into her scheme makes for delightful reading. The pair are reluctant allies and they spend more time riling each other up and quarrelling than finding Kitty a suitable match. Archie and Cecily's dramas were as equally entertaining as Radcliffe and Kitty's scenes. I also adored Mrs Radcliffe, a Mrs Bennett type of character who only has the best interests of her children in her mind.
A Lady's Guide to Fortune Hunting is an uproariously good read and I'm excited there's a talented fresh new voice in regency romance.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy provided by the publisher.

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LibraryThing member eyes.2c

When needs must!

Kitty Talbot must marry and marry well within the next four months else her beloved siblings will be left virtually homeless. That means off to London for a season, fortune hunting with a vengeance. How to gain access to the higher echelons of the ton is only a minor setback, and

acquiring an Almack’s voucher? Well! Kitty lays her plans, garnishes her intuition and takes leaps of faith when the situation presents. Her goal is firm and unwavering. Family first!
Only Kitty doesn’t plan on running across James, the Earl of Radcliffe, who recognises at a glance this young woman’s mission, an outsider spinning the wheel of chance. Although he doesn’t perceive the reasons driving her.
Of course there are confrontations, annoyingly so. Witty repartee, humorous situations with a real poignancy of fighting for loved ones, flows underneath. Kitty is a breath of fresh air à la Heyer.
A pleasing read with a couple of fractiously determined, yet loveable leads.

A Viking ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.

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LibraryThing member rmarcin

Kitty Talbot is responsible for securing the future for herself and her four sisters. Since there is no one in her town able to marry her and provide for their future financially, paying off her family debts, Kitty sets off to London to seek a proposal. However, the secrets of her parents'

courtship precede her and polite society doesn't want to accept her and her sisters. Kitty sets her sights on some wealthy patrons, but is thwarted by Lord Radcliffe who recognizes her intent.
This is a cute romance for those enjoy tales of royal society.

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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend

Kitty Talbot needs a fortune, her prospects are poor and the man she was assumed to marry has decided to marry another. Now she and her sister have decamped to London to see if they can find a husband for Kitty and maybe for Cecily. Her Aunt Dorothy is certain that she should marry someone from the

middle class but her sights are set higher.
KItty has twelve weeks to save her family and find someone who is at least unobjectional, but her biggest issue is Lord Radcliffe who believes that she is a money-grubber.and not the right sort.
I had a few laughs while reading it. Very enjoyable.

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LibraryThing member samnreader

Ultimately, this book is about the ambitious heroine and her social maneuvering--there isn't anything wrong with that, but the romance aspect is extremely light touch and didn't give me all the feels. Kitty is easy to root for, and the book is solid, as is the writing...but I wasn't taken by the

pairing because they didn't have the space I wanted them to have to develop.

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LibraryThing member quondame

That this somewhat more cynical take on a Regency romance falls short of Georgette Heyer's work is not surprising. Something in the pacing kept the plotting a bit to static and the choice to have the central character spend her time, and therefor ours, chiefly among those who only interest her for

their position and fortune, does not add sparkle to her pursuit.

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LibraryThing member bookworm12

Kitty, the eldest of 5 daughters is in desperate need of a fortune after her parents die. This regency-style novel has the feel of a Georgette Heyer or Jane Austen romance, though it doesn't quite reach those heights. Kitty feels very mercenary, though her cause is justified. Her antagonistic

banter with Lord Radcliff provided my favorite moments. the story starts of slow, but is worth reading if you love Heyer.

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LibraryThing member foggidawn

Kitty Talbot is in a fix. Her parents are dead, her four younger sisters are her sole responsibility, creditors are beating down the door of their cottage, and she's just been jilted by the only gentleman of fortune in the area. With no other options open to a woman in the Regency era, she sets off

to London to find a rich husband. An old friend of her mother's has offered to launch her into society, but Kitty soon finds that her benefactor's social circle doesn't extend to men of the kind of fortune Kitty needs in order to secure her sisters' futures. Can she engineer a chance meeting that will launch her into the upper echelons of London society? Kitty is a very resourceful young woman, after all...

It's not Heyer, but it's still a cut above most other Regency romances I've read. There's a lot going on in this story, but I found it all most amusing. It kept me reading and ignoring the other things I was meant to be doing, so clearly I was engaged in the story, especially towards the end. Kitty's scheming nature and the sheer number of things going on meant that I didn't entirely buy into the romance, as I don't think it had space to really develop. However, I have high hopes that this author's future works will be even more delightful. Recommended to those who love a good Regency romance.

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LibraryThing member littlel

Light, fun, well written.

LibraryThing member electrascaife

With both parents gone and the massive debt left by her gambling father looming over her, Kitty finds herself responsible for her four younger sisters, all of whom – including herself – will be without even a home to call their own in just a few short months. And so she decides to travel to

London for the season in search of a wealthy husband, all thoughts of a love match for herself abandoned as absurdly unrealistic. She quickly finds a likely target in a bungling-but-kindly second son in a landed gentry family, but finds an obstacle in the older brother, Lord Radcliffe. She soon strikes a deal with the lord, agreeing to leave his younger brother alone in exchange for help navigating a society of which she is sorely lacking in understanding. You can guess the results.

A fun and happy entry in the genre. The characters are instantly likable and the story unfolds with nice pacing and just the right amount of conflict.

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