A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings, #1) by Mackenzi Lee

Read: Dec 17 – 19

It is meant to symbolise that things can be more beautiful for having been broken

Monty is embarking on his World Tour before his father forces him into submission to take over his fortune and land. However, what was planned to be a year of gallivanting Europe with his best friend and secret crush Percy, ends up being a harrowing manhunt across the continent with Monty’s sister Felicity in tow thanks to one of Monty’s more reckless decisions goes south.

When I first heard about this book I actually had no intentions of reading it. It didn’t particularly strike an interest with me, but then I started to see so many good things about it thanks to fellow bloggers and bibliophiles and thought there was no harm in giving it a go.

I did enjoy it. There is some great representation in there so I completely see why there has been lots of good things about this book. Monty is a hilarious lead. He has such a quick wit and is so entertaining to follow and it was nice to read a book with a flawed male lead that wasn’t constantly trying to be butch. Monty’s very flirtatious with everyone, his mistakes are plentiful but I really felt for him when it came to the relationship he had with his father.

The book is set in the 1700’s and Lee definitely didn’t shy away from showing the hardships women, people of colour, disabled people or queer people faced during this time period and it was quite refreshing to read a historical fiction that went into this so boldly. Also, Monty is quite well-off and obviously lived a sheltered life so doesn’t quite understand, when touring, the discrimination against said people despite having lived with them the majority of his life. You don’t normally see this at all. Characters having to explain to someone they know and love why life is harder for them and it felt quite relate-able.

All three of our main characters are great and so different. It actually felt like role reversal where the female character was actually the strong, useful one and the two male characters were the ones tripping over themselves, getting into trouble and being emotional. You don’t read that everyday. I didn’t find any of them annoying, I actually found them all to be quite endearing. They were just such as easy group to follow and fall in love with.

I’m very happy that the characters were so good because the pacing was very timid. It pretty much stayed at a constant level, but that level wasn’t highly entertaining and quick nor was it slow and dull. It was the characters that made me want to keep reading not the suspense of what was to come. It felt very much like a slow burner. The story itself at least, wasn’t predictable. It was like a fun little adventure, with a touch of thieving and piracy added in for good measure.

Overall, I found A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue to be a fun and enjoyable adventure with good characters, comedic timing and romance. I should pre-warn anyone who hasn’t read this yet and might, to be prepared for mild sexism, racism, biphobia, homophobia, child abuse, suicidal thoughts and ableism, but like I said its set in the 1700’s so it should be expected. I would have liked the pace to be a bit quicker, but it’s not a major issue. As a whole I enjoyed it.