Book Review: The Gentleman's Guide of Vice and Virtue

Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Young Adult | Historical Fiction | Romance | Adventure
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Source: Audible
Format:  Audiobook

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).



The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was a whole lot of fun.
Plot: Monty, his best friend Percy, and his younger sister were granted a tour of the continent before returning to school. On this tour, the group encountered highway men, went on the hunt for a rumored item, and even got kidnapped by pirates. Quite the interesting road trip, huh? Even though there was so much going on, I didn't find the actual tour memorable. They definitely put Monty and co. in interesting and funny situations, but it wasn't what kept me reading. It was the relationship building that kept me apt with attention, especially when it came to Felicity and Monty. 

Characters: Oh Monty, I was so wary of him in the beginning. He was a douche and he knew it and I didn't like how forward he was about Percy. The more they explored the more I starting liking Monty and I was impressed by how many realizations he had during the journey and he was downright funny. Lee excelled at writing awkward scenes and her dialogue between characters had me giggling to myself and swooning as well. My favorite character was probably Felicity. She was a strong opinionated woman who had some things to learn about life as well. And Percy, precious Percy. He was a lot stronger than I had expected. He wasn't afraid to educate Monty about his experiences as a biracial man and he handled all of life's prejudices with astounding grace. I loved him thoroughly and the ending that Lee gave them. 

Worldbuillding: The tour was, without a doubt, fun. The narrator for this novel really helped me flawlessly transition from France to Spain and I highly recommend if you haven't picked this one up yet. Lee had a fantastic grasp of the time and I felt like I was right next to Monty and the gang as they stole away on ships and butchered the French language. 

Narrator Performance: Christian Coulston made this book so much fun! His delivery was perfect and he was pretty impressive with his various accents. I highly highly recommend the audiobook!

Short N Sweet: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was a fun ride that made me feel a wide range of emotions. 


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