Title: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis
Henry “Monty” 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 laughed a lot throughout the course of this book even though it took me ages to actually finish it. I just finished it yesterday and all I can think about is how much I enjoyed reading about Monty, Felicity, and Percy.
Characters
“God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed from having words instead of friends.”
First up we have Monty who is an absolute gem. Monty is kind of the black sheep of the family due to the fact that he likes fooling around with both men and women which same to be honest. Monty’s heart is definitely in the right place; he just sometimes has trouble displaying those feelings in a way that makes sense to other people. There were times where what he did was so absurd that I just didn’t understand why he would do or say something like that. In the end, though, he turns out alright.
I wish there had been more of Percy in the book. Even though he is the main love interest, I feel like we didn’t really get to see him grow or be fleshed out as a character. He honestly felt kind of flat to me and he was just reduced to being the source of Monty’s problems which sucks because he could have been a really great character all on his own.
Felicity was great at times but annoying at others. I did like the fact that she hid her medical books underneath the covers of romance novels. Iconic honestly. To be frank, it felt like Monty was the only character who was explored and actually developed. Both Felicity and Percy were just there to prop him which I understand but also wish there had been more of them.
“We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”
Writing/Plot
I liked the writing style as well as the plot. Both were easy to follow and read. The plot was well paced which I enjoyed. Overall the book was easy to follow and understand. The scenes were well written and funny. I was smiling and laughing throughout the whole thing.
Overall Thoughts
I really liked this book and wish I had read it earlier because it was so fun and light, something that I desperately needed after reading some really dark and heavy books lately. I do recommend this book especially if you’re looking for a fun, light queer romance.
library of a witch 