The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

I think we all need characters like Henry Montague more often. He's spoiled, he's an ass and he lets his privilege cover up all his wrong doings, all the while he thinks he's just having fun and doesn't care about the consequences of his actions.

So when he goes in his grand tour through Europe with his best friend and his sister he thinks it's all just going to careless fun. But he quickly learns that a mindless choice can throw your whole world off balance. This story is cute and funny and touching. Henry learns slowly that maybe he's not always in the right and maybe he's fucked up too many times in the past. It's about how he comes to terms with an abusive past and how that's effected him. He's not perfect he's cowardly, and selfish but he wants to be better and I thinks it's something we can all relate to.

This books covers racism and sexism and ableism I thought in a way that felt realistic. Because Monty doesn't understand why someone would be offended when you're “defending them” or grief to fox then he feels like he's being a hero and therefore a good person, which is a hurdle that is jumped through patience and kindness, and it helps him become more aware of how he handles these situations.
All the dialogue is extremely realistic, they stuffier and say the wrong things and don't say what they mean for fear it will be the wrong thing, and it felt so much like conversations I've had or have heard and that's not always easy to do when you're writing.

Then there's the romance which is just too cute and fiery and shy at the same time and mutual pining is my life.

But then there felicity montys sister and I just really want her to have her own book about all the badass stuff she's capable of and really show off all of her strong points because she's by far my favorite character in this whole book.

All in all the book was absolutely gorgeous and lovely summer read! Everyone should read because you need this story in your life.


Note: this cover is sooooo ugly I can't stand it. I hope they do a new cover at some point.