review: the gentleman’s guide to vice and virtue by mackenzi lee

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. ~ Goodreads

Source: Borrowed (Thank you Brooke!)

Review:
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue was a rip roaring, rollicking 18th century road trip adventure, filled with romance, scandal, pirates, intrigue and just a touch of magic. And as Monty might say – it was abso-blood-lutely hilarious. I was hooked from the very first page and despite it being just over 500 pages – read it in one sitting.

Monty is good looking, arrogant and self indulgent. He drinks, gambles, smokes, has affairs with both men and women – damn the consequences - but he also has a soft marshmallow center when it comes to his best friend, and unrequited love, Percy. Despite his many, many flaws – he is 110% lovable.

Monty's rich father bails him out of most of his scrapes but with his mother giving birth to a new male heir, Monty is given an ultimatum. He is allowed to go on one final Grand Tour around Europe, accompanied by Percy, his sister Felicity and a guardian that's supposed to keep him on the straight and narrow, then he needs to give up all his shenanigans, marry a nice girl or be cut off from the family entirely.

Monty is the definition of needing to get his white male privilege checked and Lee does an amazing job of weaving in the issues of mental health, privilege, sexuality, race, sexism, abuse, PTSD, mental health and disability head on – while never slowing the pace or taking away from the lightness of Monty, Percy and Felicity’s adventures.

Monty gets away with things and tries to drag Percy (bi-racial) and Felicity (a girl) into his schemes without realizing that they don't get the same get of jail free card as it does he does as a white male.

This book is smart and entertaining but with a tender heart at it’s quircky core. 

Monty and Percy were ADORABLE but Monty’s bookish sister, Felicity, damn near stole the show and I’m thrilled to hear that she’s getting her own book!

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for high stakes adventure, humor, romance with heart and EXCELLENT character development. You can read a preview here.

* I had a hard time with this review – as I do whenever I LOVE a book. I get too rambly and in my quest to reign myself in, I don’t include enough information. lol So here’s a few more reviews that capture what I loved so much about this book.

Fine Print: 5 Reasons to Read The Gentelman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Emily May's Reviews