A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Review

Author: Mackenzi Lee

Genre:  Historical Fiction / Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 513

I cannot believe that I waited this long to read this book. That I deprived myself of Monty for this long for really no good reason. It was honestly surprising how quickly I fell in love with the characters, and quickly I devoured this book. To the point I didn't realize how quickly I was reading it until I was forced to stop and see where I was. I'm the farthest things from a quick reader, but I finished all five hundred, plus, pages in a few short days. 

The hardest part is deciding where to start with this review. Because honestly there was so much I adored about this book. I loved that it was set in the 1700s. For me it was a nice change in time periods for what I normally read. So there was a fair amount of stopping occasionally to Google here and there things. Which lead me realize this books was well researched. Between the spot on fashion, political climate, and mode of transportation available, I couldn't find a flaw in the history part of the historical fiction.

Next on the list is our narrator, Henry "Monty" Montague. He's a cad. There's really no reason to sugar coat it. He's anything but perfect. In fact he is a drunk, selfish, and not really all that bright. But, I honestly wouldn't want any of other trio to have told this story. Because Monty is all these things it adds a bit of drama to the story. While Felicity, Monty's sister, is all brains, and Percy is everything a Gentleman should be, neither would have told quite such a thrilling story. I fell in love with Monty in the first few pages, and I loved watching him grow through the misadventure of his Grand Tour.

In fact I loved all three of main characters. Felicity is fierce, cunning, and devious in ways only a lady of 1700s can be. Her sharp wit was what I first fell in love with, but she just got better with every passing pages. And, Percy. Poor sweet, loving Percy. I spent the entire book just wanting to wrap him in bubble wrap, my sweet precious bean. But, throughout the story every single one of these three grew. They learned from their hardships and the came closer together. Monty and Felicity finally found common ground. Percy accepted things about himself that he needed to realize didn't make weak, and Monty. Well, he grew up and learned to finally throw that punch.

Now the plot seems a little ridiculous, but in this way that I just had to see how Mackenzi Lee pulled it off. I mean: highwaymen, pirates, Grand Tours, and epic love story. Okay, so the latter isn't generally my thing, but everything else, I was game for. There was so many moments where this story could have gone off the rails, but it didn't. Mackenzi Lee weaves an amazing, high stakes, story that pulls you in and never lets go. There wasn't a single point to this book where I wanted to put it down. No moment where I was bored and waiting. The answer to one mystery only lead to more questions, to more danger. 

Honestly at points I had secondhand stress everyone involved. There were moments Monty and Percy nearly had me in tears because they are so head over heels in love with each. The problem is they are both such boys about it. Not wanting to tell the other for some legitimate reasons due to the time period, and some real stupid ones. 

As I sit here writing this I really can't find anything I really didn't like about the book. The romance between Monty and Percy worked with the plot, and I never felt like it got in the way. I adore that Felicity wasn't given a love interest. That she was allowed to stand along, fierce, on her own two feet. I even don't mind that things kind of got tied up nicely. 

I also really loved we got a good classic villain in this book. He even had a small little monologue moment with Monty about the lad's father. It was brilliant. So yeah, I'm kicking myself for depriving myself of putting Monty into my life, but I'm really glad a waited too. Because here in a few short months Monty and Percy are back in a novella all their own, The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky. 

Skip, Borrow, or Buy: Whatever it takes to get this bad boy in your hands. In fact because it's in first person and Monty has such a great written voice, I've already put the Audiobook on my shelve. This is definitely one I'll want to reread.

HAPPY READING!!