The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Ratings163
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings163
Average rating3.9
Henry "Monty" Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven't been able to curb any of his roguish passions--not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family's estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still, it isn't in Monty's nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty's reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
This description comes from the publisher.
Featured Series
3 primary books4 released booksMontague Siblings is a 4-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2015 with contributions by Mackenzi Lee.
Reviews with the most likes.
2.75/5 stars
“God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed from having words instead of friends.”
“But Emi, you gave this three stars? How is it a disappointment?”
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Like I understand why you'd assume Monty stole this thing, but it was stolen at a party. Literally, anyone could have snuck into that room and taken it???? But France just assumed he took it and pursued him. They were right and stuff, but literally, anyone could have taken that box. Also, what the hell was that box? The explanation was vague af. I still don't get what the importance was? Something about eating hearts? Idk.
and by innocent I mean like kissing people and not stealing from some lord of France
Monty.
Percy.
Felicity.
The piratespirvateers happened and I pretty much had to hold myself back from throwing this book into the closest fireplace I could find. What was the point? They added nothing to the story? They weren't funny? In fact, they made this book just become unrealistic to me. I hated the pirates so much. I'd stab this book if I could.
Cheeky and fun with some genuine laughs from the audiobook narration. Loved both Monty and Felicity, though Percy felt less well drawn. Good humerous historical (with many liberties) fiction that's also delightfully queer.
I was really hesitant about this book when I got it initially. But I went to a signing with MacKenzi Lee and the more she talked about the book and her writing process the more intrigued I became. The idea of reading about two friends and a sister on a journey around Europe in the 18th century is not at all appealing to me. But this book is so much more than that.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is about two best friends coming to terms with their feelings for each other, a sister figuring out how she is going to live her life, throw in a bunch of drunken endeavors, some streaking, and pirates and you have this fantastic book.
I was never bored reading this book, between Monty's antics and the adventure of the tour there was always something moving the plot along. Mackenzi Lee did a fantastic job adding her own spin to the Grand Tours of the 18th century. From the signing, I know she spent a lot of time researching and reading journals from English adolescents during their Tours and she used this information to augment the adventure Monty, Percy, and Felicity embark on.
Our trio of characters are fantastically well written and each are so unique but also work so well together even when they are fighting. While this is definitely Monty's story, Percy and Felicity still play a large role throughout the book and it was so easy to fall in love with these characters and want them happy at the end. There were times when I wanted to slap Percy or Monty across the head for some of the stupid choices they were making, and let me be honest, I'm mostly talking about Monty because that boy can be absolutely ridiculous sometimes. I also appreciated how his character grew throughout the book, but he was still very much him at the end too.
I'm sure the genre of Historical Fiction will turn many away from this book, but hopefully the cover and the summary will help reluctant readers pick it up and fall in love with this characters like I did. I cannot wait to read Felicity's story next in The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. Hopefully we see more Percy and Monty in there too, but also more pirates!
dnf at 19% because monty is annoying (managed to be both racist and sexist in the first 100 pages) and according to other reviewers he never grows so bye bitch
