Synopsis
‘When Kitty Talbot is jilted by her fiancĂ© three months before their wedding, the future looks dark. Without his fortune to pay off her late father's gambling debts, she and her four sisters face certain ruin.
But Kitty has never backed down from a challenge, so she leaves the countryside and heads toward the most dangerous battleground in all of Regency England: The London Season.
The aim is simple: find a wealthy bachelor to wed in order save the Talbot family from destitution.
Kitty is neither accomplished nor all that genteel, but she is utterly single-minded; imbued with her father's gambling spirit, Kitty knows that risk is just part of the game. What she doesn't anticipate is Lord Radcliffe, elder brother of the deliciously wealthy Archibald de Lacy. Radcliffe sees Kitty for the fortune-hunter that she really is, and is determined to scotch her plans at all costs...’
This is one of the easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given to a novel, especially one of the Regency era.
Sophie has really outdone herself with this novel, and you can tell so much research was done to keep the story accurate to the era.
Kitty is a brilliant heroine, full of passion, kindness and dedication to her family that leaves me in awe. At times, she can be seen as cold and calculated, especially in the eyes of Radcliffe, however, her determination to not allow her sisters to fall into squalor is her only motivation. She even contemplates marrying some absolutely grotesque men, of whom she would never wish to marry under normal circumstances.
Before going into the novel, I knew there would be some form of romance, but I did not initially expect it to be between Kitty and Radcliffe, as they seemed to have complete distain for each other. Once they were spending more time together however, you could see that they are very similar characters, and almost made for each other. I definitely enjoyed this slow-burn romance, probably slightly more than other Regency novels, such as the Bridgerton books, mainly because I felt the novel has much more action and a better plotline, and not just waiting for Kitty to fall in love and marry which I find the Bridgerton books are like.
Some of the anecdotes and quips that Kitty and even Radcliffe come out with are very witty, and their banter was just perfect! It really made me fall for Radcliffe, and he reminded me a lot of the TV version Anthony from Bridgerton.
If you’re looking for a modern-day Jane Austen style novel, I would definitely recommend you pick this one up! Absolutely brilliant and I cannot wait for the 2nd novel!
ps. How beautiful is this special edition copy from Illumicrate?!
5/5 stars