Sophie Irwin’s debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a new romantic comedy set in Regency England. The novel centers around Kitty Talbot, a young woman down on her luck — both of her parents have recently passed, leaving her responsible for four younger sisters as well as a massive amount of debt. With just twelve weeks before the debt collectors come to seize her family home, and no means of earning a sizable income independently (it being 1818), Kitty realizes she needs to find a husband with a fortune, and fast. She entrusts her younger sisters to the second eldest, gathers up the last of her savings, and leaves Dorsetshire for London, arriving just in time for the start of the Season. For high society, spring isn’t just any season, it’s the Season, a months-long parade of dinners, parties, and balls — and Kitty knows it’s the perfect setting to find a wealthy match. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife, and where better for a meet-cute than on the dance floor? With the help of her mother’s old friend Mrs. Kendall, and through her own clever schemes, Kitty plays the part of a guileless debutante and charms her way into the upper echelon. All is going according to plan until the brooding, handsome Lord Radcliffe appears on the scene… and sees right through her façade. Now Kitty must use all the powers in her arsenal to outplay Radcliffe, stay in the good graces of society, and return home with a fortune.
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is an absolute gem. It’s entertaining and tender, witty and well-written; plus, it’s set in London at the turn of the century, which made my Jane Austen-loving heart beat wildly. Irwin’s depiction of the Regency-era fashions, estates, and rules of decorum feel imaginative without straying over-the-top, and I loved how she sprinkles in historical tidbits, taking her characters to Vauxhall Gardens and giving Radcliffe a background in the Napoleonic Wars. Radcliffe, surprisingly, was one of my favorite characters — male characters in romance novels are sometimes a bit one-dimensional, but Radcliffe has this complicated relationship with his father that informs a lot of his behavior, and I found his evolution poignant. Kitty, too, is a refreshing take on the romance novel norm. She’s a resourceful, self-assured heroine, the opposite of a damsel in distress, but she has an endearing softness about her, too. One of my favorite tropes is the “enemies to lovers” storyline, even more specifically “enemies to friends to lovers,” and Irwin deploys it here to great effect. I think a romance feels most believable when the two characters establish a genuine friendship first, and Irwin lets us linger in that sweet spot between affection and attraction for just the right amount of time. Speaking of the romance of it all, Irwin keeps things at a demure level (i.e. a PG rating). Although I don’t mind steamy bedroom scenes, I quite enjoyed the lack of them here; it made every glance more scintillating, every conversation more flirtatious, and every waltz downright lustful. I loved A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting, and am already excited for a reread.
I’d recommend this book to…
- Anyone who loves a Regency-era romance, especially of the “enemies to lovers” variety… it’s similar in theme to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Anyone looking for an entertaining read with a well-researched setting… it’s similar in style to Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz
- Anyone who wants a lively, uplifting book with a plucky narrator… it’s similar in tone to The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
