Following the death of her parents Kitty Talbot knows that the only way for her and her sisters to survive is if she can marry in to a fortune. With this in mind she heads off to London, with one of her sisters in tow, to find a husband. With the help of an aunt to guide her through the rules of society Kitty joins the season.
It would be extremely difficult not to listen/read this story and compare it to the likes of Jane Austen and Bridgerton. It contains all the same elements. Kitty is a feisty young woman who has little regard for the rules of high society in London, she is much more used to a quiet country life. Her outspokenness is frowned upon and at times is a barrier to some of the events.
When Kitty finds a gentleman she considers meets her requirements she goes on a charm offensive, knowing that it is important to have the mother's onside as it is the women who make the decisions as to whether individuals are a suitable match. Unfortunately the gentleman's older brother, Lord Radcliffe, does not agree with the match and puts an immediate end to the courtship.
Lord Radcliffe fits the mold of the distant, overbearing gentleman who clashes regularly with Kitty, even though we, the reader/listener, know that this is just an elaborate courting ritual and by the end of the novel they will be madly in love.
As you would expect there are lots of minor stories which pad out this tale while the major characters dance around each other. We have a dishonorable gentlemen who tries to swindle money, an elopement and an aunt with a dubious past.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this, the narrator does an excellent job and the time flew by. I felt as if I was fully ensconced in London society.
A Lady's Guide To Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin is available in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for a review copy.
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