Hey, guys! Today we will be discussing a Book everyone has been raving about for months, and that is The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. This was absolutely freaking fabulous. I loved every single second of it. This book made me feel so many things. It was just a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and I absolutely freaking loved it. But enough with the gushing. Let’s go ahead and get into the review!
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 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.”
My Thoughts:
This book was one I was definitely expecting to love. This story went places I was not really expecting. Like, I had no idea that any of this shit would end up happening, but it did. And I freaking loved this book. I listened to this via audiobook with my best friend Emily, and we both really loved it, and I think we have decided to do this more often, listen to audiobooks together. That is literally what we have done all day. All we did was listen to this audiobook for eight and a half hours straight. And it was a really fun time!
I really loved all of the characters, even if I did want to physically murder some of them at one point or another. These are all flawed characters, but I just really loved them despite their flaws. Monty was hilarious and very emotional, but he could also be a bit daft at times, very selfish, and a bit of an asshole, not going to lie. But he is still a Character that I ended up loving. I loved him despite his flaws. He had so much depth to him as a character because yes, he was definitely a privileged, rich, white aristocratic man, but he also has had to put up with a lot of shit in his life. To overcome all of that and remain a strong person just really elevated his character in my eyes, and made me like him so much more than I already did.
Percy was literally my heart and soul. I freaking wanted to murder anyone who dared to look down on him because he was an African American. People assumed that he was a slave because of his skin color, despite him continuing to tell people that he actually grew up with a nice family in England. I hated how people ended up treating him. It just rubbed me the wrong way. But he is literally the definition of a cinnamon roll and he deserves all that’s good in this world. I just loved him so much, and I never wanted any harm to come to him. He was just one of my absolute favorite characters and there was never a moment in this book where I hated him. He was just a really kind person, and I just loved him so much.
Felicity was literally my spirit animal. I freaking loved her. She was not backing down from anything. She was not one of those girls who was just going to let people walk all over her. She was not going to stay quiet, and she will tell you exactly what she thinks no matter the consequences. She was so kickass, for one, and so intelligent and ambitious, and I honestly think Percy and Monty would have ended up dead in a ditch if it was not for this girl. I think she is just a really good role model for women today. She just is going after what she wants, and I admire the shit out of that. She was just my everything, and she will forever be my favorite character. She is just the best!
Man, the romance between Percy and Monty was difficult with this novel. This is not the sort of novel where they immediately get together. The amount of build up in this novel is absolutely absurd. The amount of almost things happening scenes (whether a kiss or just SOMETHING) is literally ridiculous. There was literally a point where Emily and I were gasping and squealing and holding onto each other for dear life because we were like, “OH MY GOD. SOMETHING IS GOING TO FINALLY HAPPEN.” And then something came along to screw it up, and we were so pissed. I think we ranted about it for a good ten minutes before we could continue on with the story.
But the romance definitely was not easy. It was complicated and difficult. It’s something you have to have patience with. It is totally worth it in the end, even if there are still a thousand bumps in the road along the way. But it was really beautiful, and the amount of times Emily and I rolled our eyes because Monty said or did something stupid or hurtful or selfish was kind of ridiculous. I wanted to throttle the man most of the time, but eventually, he stops being daft and stupid and actually doesn’t screw up as much. But that is the thing about relationships. They take a lot of work, but they are totally worth it in the end, which definitely proved to be true by the end of the book. But it was still frustrating as hell…
Now the plot actually surprised me. It went in a completely different direction to what I was expecting. It was action-packed, emotional, suspenseful, and just so many other things. I definitely was not expecting it to go to all these different places, and I really loved it. It was a good unexpected. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and it was just super enjoyable. I am not going to say too much about the plot of this book just because I think it is better to go into this book blind, but just know it was absolutely bloody fantastic.
Overall, I really loved the characters, the love story, the plot, the writing, and just everything about this book. I think it was fantabulous, and I am so happy I decided to read this. The audiobook was fantastic, as it was narrated by Christian Coulson who portrayed Tom Riddle on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and this book as a whole was just absolutely fabulous. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I am so excited to read more from Mackenzi Lee!
And there you have it! That was my review of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. What are you currently reading? Comment down below! I would love to know. And that is going to be it for this post today. Thank you all so much for reading this, I hope you enjoyed it, and I will see you next time!
