Bibliographic Information
Title: A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting
Author: Sophie Irwin
Publisher: Pamela Dorwin Books
Copyright Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0593491348
Genre
Historical Romance
Format
Book
Print Length
336 pages
Reading Level/Interest Level
Adults – with appeal to young adults (per NoveList Plus & Alex Awards)
Awards or Honors
- Alex Award (2023)
Plot Summary
“Only the rich have the luxury of honor,” she said coldly. “And only men have the privilege of seeking their fortune on their own.”(p. 90, Kindle edition)
Kitty’s parents have both died, leaving her to care for her four younger sisters and their humble cottage. Deep in debt with the mortgage due, Kitty sets off with her sister Cecily to London, where they enlist the help of their mother’s friend, “Aunt” Dorothy, to introduce them to high society. Kitty employs all manner of feminine charms to attract wealthy suitors and appease their overbearing mothers while trying to blur the details of her family’s checkered past. Not everyone falls under her spell, though. Lord Radcliffe sees Kitty for the fortune-hunter she is, and, in order to keep his own family safe, reluctantly helps her try to land a rich husband and save her family.
Author Background
Londoner Sophie Irwin worked in publishing before writing her debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting. She has a particular interest in reading and writing historical fiction, with a focus on Regency London. Her second novel, A Lady’s Guide to Scandal was published in 2023, with her next book, How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days, due in 2025 (Madeleine Milburn, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a fresh, light, charming read. There is nothing ground-breaking in the story itself; it follows the pattern laid out before it for a typical Regency-era romance. It’s the execution that makes the book so thoroughly enjoyable. Author Sophie Irwin writes distinct characters, each with their own distinct voice, and I loved them all. There is humor and heart, and the banter between Kitty and Radcliffe is intelligent and well-used. The setting also feels well-researched, with details about the dress, the people, the places, and the culture, creating a believable, immersive reading experience. It’s also worth noting that although the book is quite chaste, Irwin still manages to generate plenty of swoon.
Creative Use for a Library Program
Several scenes in A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting are set in a ballroom. A library could put on a program for youth to dress up and learn the popular dances in Regency London, also mentioned in the book: country dances, the quadrille, the cotillion, and the waltz.
Speed-Round Talk
Miss Kitty Talbot and Lord James Radcliffe come from two vastly different worlds, but they have one thing in common: they will do whatever they can to protect their families. When they come head-to-head in London’s high society, tempers flare and sparks fly, and they soon discover they might have more in common than they think.
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Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
I cannot anticipate any challenges to A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting. There is no significant violence, language, or sexual content. Two characters were “courtesans” in the past, but their exploits are not discussed. There is a good deal of deceit, but none of it ever comes to actual harm. I cannot think of any genuinely objectionable content in this book.
Reason for Inclusion
With the enormous popularity of the Regency-era Netflix series Bridgerton among teens (Lupupa, 2022), and the rise in sales of romance books among Gen Z (Schwartz & Collins Sullivan, 2022), any well-done romance like A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting is likely to find a ready audience in a collection for today’s teens.
To be...read/watched/played/heard 
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