“We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”
The Gentleman’s Guide by Mackenzi Lee wasn’t as much fun as I thought it would be. But it was well written.
Book Review: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Rating:
Title & Author: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Genre: History, Romance
Release Date: June 27 2017
Series: Guide
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Synopsis
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.
I give The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee three out of five hearts, I didn’t love it as much as I thought it would and it fell a bit flat for me.
Monty’s love for the dark boy Percy is clear from the beginning and even though he makes several moves during the novel I found it took forever for them to actual get anywhere for a romantic novel. There were no reason for it at all and maybe it would have been more fun to read if they had been together earlier in the book.
Percy is a tortured boy, he has a dark skin, lives with his aunt and uncle and doesn’t have much money. But he also has to go to school in The Netherlands after their year on the mainland. The real reason why he has to go to The Netherlands and I found it a bit odd.
I loved Felicity she was all up for equality between men and women. She wants to be a doctor or surgeon, but her gender doesn’t allow for it. It made me happy that in the end she still got her wish, unfortunately not for every woman in the world.
Overall the story of The Gentleman’s Guide is well written, but I thought there would be more stupid drunken behaviour than there was. Not that I think drunken behavior is good, but the pieces where Monty is drunk are sort of more fun than most of the novel. I loved the travels and the adventure, but Monty and Percy weren’t my favourites. I loved Felicity though.
Let me know what you thought of this book!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.
For now, let books enrich your life!