Review: A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin

I downloaded this book after reading an interview with the author. The cover is absolutely beautiful but (ironically) had originally put me off because I thought the story was a satire. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is actually a sweet homage to Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen.

Regency England, 1818, and Kitty Talbot has been left destitute by the deaths of her father (once a member of the ton) and mother (an ex-courtesan). She has several sisters to support, as well as a crumbling house, and the bailiffs are due to collect in 12 weeks. What's a girl to do? Go to London and seek an eligible bachelor with a fortune of course!

A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting is a lot of fun. There are the usual romance tropes (enemies-to-lovers: my favourite!), lots of banter, a refreshingly independent heroine, eccentric relatives and a swoon-worthy hero. Historically accurate, with lush descriptions of gowns and parties, but also a nod to the fact that the Regency period was not such a fun place to live if you had no money or society connections.

This was a five-star read for me because I really enjoyed it - it's the perfect escapism! The only drawback (and this is probably because I've read a lot of Georgette Heyer), is that I'd have liked a more original twist on the characters and plot.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like The Grand Sophy or Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer. Or, if you prefer something with more 'heat', perhaps Julia Quinn (Bridgerton) or Lisa Kleypas (The Devil in Winter).

Thank you to Sophie Irwin and Harper Collins UK for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer

It was Georgette Heyer who kindled my love of escapist historical romance. I originally read Faro's Daughter as a teenager and it remained one of my favourite books for a long time. When it came up as a 99p Kindle Daily Deal, I was curious to see if the story would seem dated or old-fashioned after all this time. Well, I absolutely loved it and it was as good as I remembered! Although one thing I did notice this time around was how many of my favourite historical romance authors Georgette Heyer has inspired!

Deborah Grantham, well-born but fallen on hard-times, runs her aunt's exclusive gaming establishment. Lord Mablethorpe is desperate to marry her but unable to do so until he either reaches his majority or gains the approval of his wealthy guardian, Max Ravenscar. Max, while utterly horrified, is far too clever to tell him he can't marry Deborah. Instead, believing her to be the worst kind of gold-digger, Max attempts to buy her off. Deborah, understandably, is furious, and the battle between them begins.

I love this kind of book. Engaging characters, sparkling dialogue, witty one-liners and one of my favourite tropes, a hero and heroine at war with each other due to a complete misunderstanding. Great fun!

Recommended to all fans of historical romance, particularly readers of Eloisa James and Julia Quinn. But bear in mind that this was originally written in 1941, so there are no sex scenes and very little kissing.