A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting

May 23, 2022
In Irwin’s sparkling debut, set in Regency-era England, a young woman’s plans to marry into wealth get derailed when the brother of her would-be beau catches on to her scheme. After Kitty Talbot’s fiancé calls off their engagement, she needs to find a new way to pay off the debts she and her four sisters inherited after the deaths of their parents. With dwindling funds, Kitty and her sister Cecily travel from Dorsetshire to London to stay with their aunt Dorothy, a widowed former actor. There, Kitty sets her sights on the moneyed Archibald de Lacy, but his brother Lord Radcliffe soon arrives in town and, recognizing Kitty’s motives, tries to prevent an engagement between her and Archie. Radcliffe is taken by surprise when Kitty promises to stop pursuing Archie if Radcliffe introduces her to high society so that she might meet a new suitor. He agrees, but quickly realizes that there’s more to Kitty than he first assumed, and the attraction between them deepens. Irwin’s zippy narrative is enhanced by the wry banter between Kitty and Radcliffe (“ ‘Perhaps I ought to compile a suitable list,’ said thoughtfully, ‘of gentlemen rich enough to satisfy you and yet so lacking in moral character that I feel no guilt about unleashing you upon them’ ”). Jane Austen fans will be charmed.

June 10, 2024

When Kitty Talbot is thrown over by her fianc�, she is devastated, not out of any great affection, but for the loss of the fortune that would keep her and her sisters from ruin. Never one to despair, she heads to London, determined to find an even wealthier replacement on the marriage mart. Her plans are thwarted, however, when the formidable Lord Radcliffe recognizes her fortune-hunting scheme, initially targeted at his brother. In an effort to protect both their families, they decide to join forces to secure Kitty a wealthy husband, discovering along the way that duty to family is not all they have in common. In her debut, Irwin delivers an entertaining, intricately plotted romance with an independent and intelligent female lead. Mildly sensuous, the story encompasses more playful banter than physical passion. While many Regency romances feature narrators better suited to the dowagers therein, Eleanor Tomlinson conveys a youthful air perfectly matched to the spirit and strength of Miss Talbot. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking an upbeat richer-or-poorer romance with an enterprising and engaging heroine. Recommended for fans of Lisa Kleypas, Suzanne Allain, and Sabrina Jeffries.--Lauren Hackert

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