It’s alive!! So it’s been a minute since my last post, because I’ve been busy not being on exchange, finishing my degree and graduating, but I’m back to continue the bibliophile part of The GLOB with a two-in-one review of an incredible duology by Mackenzi Lee.
I read The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue a little while ago and recently finished reading the sequel, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. I absolutely adored both books and had to write something about them!
THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE
Author website synopsis
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 and 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 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.
Witty, romantic, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a sumptuous romp that explores the undeniable fine lines between friendship and love.
Thoughts
First up, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I love literally everything about this book – the adventure, the romance, the history, the suspense, the mystery, the everything! Not to mention that it’s set in the eighteenth century and seamlessly addresses big topics like racism, sexism, homophobia, and physical abuse. The characters are endearing to no end and I could read endlessly about their capers across Europe. Monty is exasperating and hilarious, but troubled; Percy is adorable and tackles every obstacle in his life with grace; and Felicity is the eighteenth century wildcard woman I aspire to be. The three companions all have their own qualities that would mark them as ‘different’ in the time period – Monty is bisexual, Percy is biracial and epileptic, and Felicity is a strong-willed woman aspiring to be a doctor instead of a lady. It makes the story all the more interesting to see how these things play out for the characters, and makes you want nothing but happiness for them.
The adventure starts out simply enough – embarking on the infamous Grand Tour of the English elite – but swiftly turns into a roller coaster of a trip as the trio gets caught up in an intrigue full of alchemists, highwaymen, and privateers. There are so many layer and so much happens that it keeps you on the edge of your seat, turning the pages to see what happens next; whether or not they escape evil clutches, where they end up next geographically and situationally, and whether Monty and Percy end up together. It’s a wild ride that I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of, and I appreciated the combination of fun and adventure with the intricacies, and sometimes difficulties, of humanity. I was also very happy that there’s a second book that continues the adventure, but with the focus on Felicity!
THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY
Author website synopsis
Felicity Montague is through with pretending she prefers society parties to books about bone setting – or that she’s not smarter than most people she knows, or that she cares about anything more than her dream of becoming a doctor.
A year after an accidentally whirlwind tour of Europe, which she spent evading highwayman and pirates with her brother Monty, Felicity has returned to England with two goals in mind – avoid the marriage proposal of Callum Doyle, a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh; and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.
But then a small window of hope opens. Doctor Alexander Platt, an eccentric physician that Felicity idolizes, is looking for research assistants, and Felicity is sure that someone as forward thinking as her hero would be willing to take her on. However, Platt is in Germany, preparing to wed Felicity’s estranged childhood friend Johanna. Not only is Felicity reluctant to opening old wounds, she also has no money to make the trip.
Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid. In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that will lead her from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.
Thoughts
This doesn’t happen often, but I think I like the sequel more than the first! As much as I love Monty and Percy, I love the idea of following Felicity’s trials and tribulations and adventures equally if not more.
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy is a continuation of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue in the sense that we see familiar characters and take part in crazy exploits, but it follows Felicity’s life after returning to England and can definitely be read as its own story. I adore Felicity and all her inspiring attributes – strong-willed, determined, intelligent, no-nonsense, independent, definitely on the aro/ace spectrum – and her frustrating ones, and I love the new characters as well. Johanna is like Felicity in some ways but also her polar opposite, Sim is mysterious and dangerous but really just fluff deep down, and by the end of the book the three are inseparable and what I consider to be the ultimate triad of strong women. The familiar faces of Monty and Percy make brief appearances, as do the pirates of the first book, but other than that there are new people, new places and new plots to unravel.
This book has a more fantastical, mythical element than the first (dragons!!) but still retains the historical elements and harsh realities of the time period, notably being a woman during the Enlightenment. I loved the themes of science and medicine that follow Felicity and of course I continue to be a huge fan of the pirates and intrigue. Like the first book, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! Also like the first book, I actually liked the ending as it had everything come together nicely but definitely leaves it open to another story. Overall, I loved both of these books dearly and would 100% recommend either or both to everyone!
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I would love to know your thoughts on these books or if you have any recommendations for similar ones!
Happy reading!
x Lauren
The Globetrotting Bibliophile 