2021: #46 – The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (Mackenzi Lee)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #01
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on June 27, 2017
Genres: y/a adventure, lgbtq, young adult
Pages: 513

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.

Monty is a gentleman in name only. He is much more interested in partying and carousing (mostly with other men) than he is with learning how to run an estate, something that has angered his father greatly. So he has issued an ultimatum. Monty will be allowed to go on a “grand tour” of Europe with his sister, Felicity, and his best friend (and unrequited crush) Percy, but after that, Monty will buckle down and work, or he will be disowned.

But the tour isn’t quite what Monty expected, and when, in a fit of pique, he takes something he shouldn’t have, their tour turns into more of a run. Along the way, Monty discovers something unexpected about Percy, and his goal changes from having fun to finding a way to change Percy’s life.

Parts of this story are fun, but overall I thought Monty was sort of an annoying character. He’s very self-absorbed, even if you do feel bad about how he has been treated. Percy is plainly the best character in the book, and I wish we had gotten some of his point of view. And overall, I thought the plot was held together by only the thinnest of threads. But, I was entertained, and I’m interested in the next book from Felicity’s point of view.

Other reviews:

• “The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is really fun. It has three well-rounded, likable characters at its heart, and the relationship and character development over the course of their ridiculous adventures is compelling and well written.” — A Blog of Books and Musicals
• “While at first this seems like your traditional historical romance with a forbidden love story, it quickly turns into an unimaginable quest that leads them to danger.  I had so much fun along the way with them.” — Under the Covers Book Blog
• “Of course, I enjoyed the book, the main plot is very entertaining, something fantastic too, which I’m glad to discover. I can’t wait to read the next one, I think it’s a companion book or something, I’m excited because it’s focused on Felicity and I can’t wait to know what happened to her.“ — a book, a thought