A hilarious and swashbuckling stand-alone teen historical fiction novel, named one of summer's 20 must-read books by Enternatinment Weekly! A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee-Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s. Henry "Monty" Montague doesn't care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are 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. So Monty 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, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.
I don't get it. Did I read a different book to everyone else? Because this kind of sucked. I hated Monty for the first 20%. And I didn't particularly like him for the last 80%. Yeah I felt sorry for him - because his dad is an ass - but frankly - so is he. He's obnoxious and rude and mean. I thought this would be a bit like Gossip Girl - Monty would be like Chuck and on some level he is - but he's also really not. I'm not even sure Monty understands half the time what the problem is, let alone cares about it. I didn't hate the adventure, but I didn't love it - the plot line just fell a little flat for me but that could've just been that I didn't like Monty. I liked Percy but he deserves better. I don't understand what he sees in Monty. I certainly wouldn't say Monty is redeemed by the end of the book - for all he makes a few weak strides towards being a better person. I did love Felicity - she was easily the best part of the book. I will definitely read the next one because of that. She was a total badass. I mean
“And with your brains and my brute strength and Felicity’s— Dear God, Felicity Montague, are you sewing yourself shut?” Felicity looks up, innocent as a schoolgirl. She’s got the bloody cravat unwrapped from her arm, sleeve pushed up, and that wicked needle buried in her own arm around the gash left by the splinter—already sewn half shut while Percy and I were distracted. “What? It needs to be done and neither of you knows how.” She dips the needle out and pulls tight so that the ripped edges of her skin meet. I slump backward against the cannon to keep from keeling over in earnest. “See if you can find Henry a couch before he’s overcome,” she says to Percy, though he’s looking nearly as horrified. After two more neat stitches, she knots off the thread and cuts it with her teeth, then gives her embroidery an examination, looking pleased as Punch. “I’ve never actually done that on a person before.” She glances up at us—Percy looking very obviously away and me swooning against the artillery. And rolls her eyes. “Men are such babies.”
Lee, Mackenzi. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (pp. 396-397). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition - does it get better than that?
I will say that this book handled some very heavy topics with sensitivity. Sexuality and racism were both potrayed in a meaningful way without jamming a message down your throat. But it was still not enough to redeem this book. I don't understand how it can have as many high ratings as it does. 2 stars, edging on the lower side of 2.
