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atamano's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, War, and Sexism
Minor: Death
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The plot for this was interesting and there were so many funny lines throughout. Unfortunately, I thought the character and relationship development fell short. There were some interesting aspects of the characters that the book never go to really explore. The main plot, where the FMC has to spend a lot of time with various other suitors to try to secure a proposal, took up so much time that it didn't allow much room for the actual romance to be developed. I found the abrupt changes in POV, sometimes in mid-paragraph, to be quite jarring and strange. The characters in this book are in their mid-20s but for some reason, they read as late teens or early 20s to me. I still enjoyed the book overall, but I wish I could have felt more strongly about the main relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Classism, Misogyny, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, War, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual assault
bookforthought's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Twenty-year-old Kitty Talbot isn't exactly having the best time of her life. Her father just died, leaving her and her sisters deep in debt, the bailiffs are ready to come knocking on their door, and her fiancé just dumped her. With no way to make her own fortune in 1818 England, Kitty needs a husband and a rich one at that. Armed with her wit and cunning, Kitty sets off to the only place where this can happen: London. Too bad Lord Radcliffe sees right through her plan and takes it upon himself to thwart her plans to marry his younger brother, forcing Kitty to change her course of action in a rather unconventional way...
I had a ton of fun with A Lady's Guide to Fortune-hunting! The plot is quite simple and moves smoothly, with no big surprises along the way. I enjoyed all the nods to Pride & Prejudice along the way but yes, if you've read P&P (or are just vaguely familiar with any other romance really), you won't be shocked by anything in this book.
The best things about this book were definitely its main characters. Kitty is smart, determined and ready to do whatever it takes to save her sisters from poverty. She is unapologetic and ready to call out society's failures and hypocrisies, but we also get to see and appreciate her more vulnerable side and her many qualities, such as her love and devotion for her sisters or her kindness. Lord Radcliffe was also an interesting character, and I appreciated seeing some of the story from his point of view, as it helped to show the pressures and constraints that men were subjected to as well as women. The banter between the two of them was always a pleasure to read, and I really liked seeing their relationship evolve from profound dislike to begrudging admiration.
The secondary characters were, sadly, not as well drawn despite a very promising start. Kitty's sisters were quickly forgotten, fading into the background, and most of the other characters came across as very one-dimensional. I did enjoy the atmosphere and was delighted to find some ball scenes, since I do love a ball! I'm not sure how historically accurate any of this was (some parts didn't really feel like it), but I didn't much care about that aspect so it wasn't an issue for me.
There are a lot of quick wits and plenty of humourous moments, which was just the vibe I was looking for when I picked this up, so this book hit the mark for me in that. I also liked some of the stabs at deeper themes being inserted here and there, especially those on gender inequality and class, but they didn't have a lot of space - nor did they need to, in fairness.
Overall, this was a very pleasant and light read and certainly a great debut: I'll be looking out for the author's next book! It's not groundbreaking and doesn't try to reinvent the genre, but it plays with tropes and stereotypes in a smart and fun way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, War, and Sexism
naomi_k's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Classism, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Sexism, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and War
littlewishling's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A really fun romance. I loved all the characters and even enjoyed the drama.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Toxic friendship, Sexism, and Bullying
readingthroughinfinity's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It's official, I've found another Regency romance that I adore. This was a delightfully fun adventure, following Kitty as she heads to London in an attempt to find a wealthy husband to stave off financial ruin, save the family house, and ensure her sisters' future by the end of the season. No pressure.
I really liked Kitty's character; she's whip smart and cunning, and outmaneuvers everyone around her with skill and flare. But she also realises that her plans don't leave much room for other people's feelings and she gradually develops more compassion and sympathy as the plot progresses. One of my favourite aspects of her character was the fact that she never let herself be belittled or believed herself worth was less because she wasn't a man or someone from the highest echelons of society.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kitty and Radcliffe's verbal sparring and their gradual progression from enemies to lovers. I especially enjoyed the moments where Radcliffe was grumpy and Kitty was all sunny smiles, which completely threw him off balance. I would have perhaps liked to see a few more scenes of them getting to spend time together at the end of the novel, but this is just personal preference.
This book was great fun from start to finish and if I'd had a little more time in the day, I could have probably finished it in one sitting, it's that addictive. If you like Pride and Prejudice, Kingscastle, or any of the Bridgeton books, I'd definitely recommend picking this up.
I really liked Kitty's character; she's whip smart and cunning, and outmaneuvers everyone around her with skill and flare. But she also realises that her plans don't leave much room for other people's feelings and she gradually develops more compassion and sympathy as the plot progresses. One of my favourite aspects of her character was the fact that she never let herself be belittled or believed herself worth was less because she wasn't a man or someone from the highest echelons of society.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kitty and Radcliffe's verbal sparring and their gradual progression from enemies to lovers. I especially enjoyed the moments where Radcliffe was grumpy and Kitty was all sunny smiles, which completely threw him off balance. I would have perhaps liked to see a few more scenes of them getting to spend time together at the end of the novel, but this is just personal preference.
This book was great fun from start to finish and if I'd had a little more time in the day, I could have probably finished it in one sitting, it's that addictive. If you like Pride and Prejudice, Kingscastle, or any of the Bridgeton books, I'd definitely recommend picking this up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Addiction
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