A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting - Sophie Irwin - ★★★★.¼

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Author: Sophie Irwin

Narrator: Eleanor Tomlinson
SERIES: A Lady's Guide, #1
Genre: Regency Romance
Rating: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: Want a good old Regency Romance with lots of fun banter and chuckle-inducing scenes and also some serious topics? Check this out. No major surprises to be found here. It is what you would expect from this genre, and does a great job at it. Doffs a nice hat to Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’.

Story Synopsis:
Dorchester & London, 1818. Kitty Talbot is a woman on a mission. She needs a RICH husband within the next four months if she has to save her family home and ensure the future of her four younger sisters. The problem is not just the time constraint. With no title, no parents, and no fortune, Kitty has to use all her cunning to push her way in the top echelons of London society. However, there’s a huge obstacle standing in her way and his name is Lord Radcliffe. Will Kitty overpower Radcliffe’s hurdles and be successful in her mission to save her family?
The story comes to us in a limited third person perspective of Kitty and Radcliffe.

Where the book worked for me:
❤ I am a huge fan of Jane Austen. So to see a nod to her most famous work, ‘Pride and Prejudice’, was a wonderful surprise. There are many elements in common – five sisters, the need to marry rich, a proud titled gentleman who can’t stand the leading lady. Even the name of two of the sisters – Kitty and Jane – were the same, though it struck me as hilarious that the Kitty in this book was the responsible go-getter and Jane was the youngest. The book also begins with a quote from Pride and Prejudice. It was fun to see the Easter eggs from P&P sprinkled in this story.
❤ Twenty year old Kitty is the heart and soul of the story. While she is a Regency heroine, her behaviour doesn’t match up to the typical leads of this genre. She is unabashedly in the market for a rich groom and doesn’t stop at anything to ensure that she achieves her plan within the deadline. Her vivacity and her cunning are extremely well-balanced. At the same time, Kitty was a character who could have been so easy to hate because of her mercenary tendencies. But the way she is written shows her emotional and vulnerable side too. I loved her character.
❤ The male lead usually gets ignored in this genre, but Lord Radcliffe holds his own very well. I liked the author’s decision to present scenes from his perspective also. It broke the monotony and also revealed the pressures that the men of the ton faced. Radcliffe’s banter with Kitty is charming and their strong love-hate connection is what elevates the story further.
❤ While most of the book is quite typical of the genre, there are some serious topics too highlighted such as the inherent sexism that is always in favour of men, the pressures faced by the eldest child (whether male or female), and the bias & prejudices of the upper classes.
❤ I am not sure how much of the historical portrayal is accurate, but whatever was present in the book was delightful to read. (I don’t look for historical accuracy in this genre, so even a lack of it doesn’t matter to me.) I’ll never understand how English high society could remember all those customs. The book takes a tongue-in-cheek jab at the silly rigidities and the gossipy matrons.
❤ That cover is so cool! I adore the bright hues.
❤ No steam, squeaky clean. Plus point for me, might be a minus for others.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
💔 There are a couple of incidents towards the end that went a little OTT.
💔 Some of the secondary characters were too stereotypical.

The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 9 hrs 40 minutes, is narrated by Eleanor Tomlinson. I found her narration decent, not exceptional. (It is a credit to the story that I still enjoyed the book so much.) I would have assumed Kitty’s character to have a very perky voice but the narration made her sound very muted. Some of the other characters were not voiced well. The narration of Cecily, Kitty’s younger sister, was the worst with an irritating nasal drone. Some of the words were pronounced incorrectly.

Overall, this is a nice story with some serious themes thrown in. The lead characters are awesome, the writing entertaining. For a debut work, this took me by surprise and I am going to keep an eye out for future works by this author. Definitely recommended for fans of Regency romances. This is like Bridgerton with tons more fun and none of the smut.

My thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

To read my review of the second book in this series: 'A Lady's Guide to Scandal', click HERE.

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