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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee is an amusing book. It tells the story of a group on a tour of Europe and contains such likeable characters. I listened to the audio version of the book, and I can definitely say that it completes the epic experience of the story and does and amazing job transporting the listener to 18th century Europe. This book is so original, and I would consider it to be a must-read this year.
Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings #1)Series: Montague Siblings #1
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Narrator: Christian Coulson
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Rating:
Series Rating:
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.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Mackenzi Lee
This book is absolutely hilarious! It follows Monty, Percy, and Felicity on their tour of Europe turned escape for survival after Monty steals a valuable item at a party. I loved learning about the characters’ journey across the continent and how they escape death along the way. I’m not normally a huge fan of historical fiction, but, for what may be the first time ever in a historical novel, I wasn’t bored at any point in the book. There is so much excitement with the pirates, the alchemy, and all of Monty’s shenanigans that it is hard to put down. The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue really has it all, and I would recommend it to everyone, even hesitant historical readers like myself.
❀ Incredible Cast of Characters
One of my favourite aspects of this book is the incredible cast of characters. First up, there’s Monty. He’s honestly a spoiled brat sometimes but does the most entertaining and reckless things. He also has such a complex backstory and is so developed. Monty’s experiences and the way he deals with them make the book so enjoyable, and I would love another book about his drama. Another main character in the book is Percy, Monty’s crush. I adored his character since he is so sweet, and I really sympathized with him because he experiences a lot of racism. I totally shipped him with Monty as well. There is also Felicity, Monty’s sister, who is so sassy and intelligent. She has some of the best lines and is honestly the reason why Monty and Percy aren’t dead.
❀ Phenomenal Narration
Christian Coulson does a phenomenal job narrating the audio version of the book. He played young Tom Riddle in Harry Potter, so I knew it was going to be good. His voice is so calming to listen to, and it perfectly captures the emotions (and the sass) of the characters. I loved the various accents in the narration as well. If you are looking for audiobook recommendations, I would absolutely recommend The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, since it really completes the experience of the story.
❀ An Entertaining Story
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee is an entertaining story about the shenanigans of three friends on a tour of Europe. The characters are all so developed, and I loved the amount of sass each of them is capable of. The narration in the audiobook is also so incredible, making this book the perfect thing to buy with your extra Audible credits.
About Mackenzi Lee
Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Simmons College. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the historical fantasy novels THIS MONSTROUS THING and THE GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE (HarperCollins), as well as the forthcoming THE LADY'S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY and SEMPER AUGUSTUS (coming in 2019 from Flatiron/Macmillan). She is also the author of BYGONE BADASS BROADS (Abrams, 2018), a collection of short biographies of amazing women from history you probably don't know about but definitely should, based on her popular twitter series of the same name.
She currently calls Boston home, where she manages an independent bookstore, drinks too much Diet Coke, and pets every dog she meets.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
This sounds so fun and unique, definitely going to add it to my TBR now! Great review!
I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
I’ve heard only good things about the audiobook, it sounds super interesting !. I’m glad you enjoyed it 😄
It was definitely one of the best books that I have read this summer! 🙂
I agree. To be honest, I listened to “The White Devil” by Justin Evans in the past because I saw he was reading the audio book for it. 😂 Then when I found out he was reading the audio for TGGTVV, I knew I had to have the audiobook as well. 🙌
The voice is everything in an audiobook, right?! I will have to try The White Devil as well. 🙂
The sheer amount of positive reviews for this book make me want to stop what I am doing and read it right now. And I could, because it is on my shelf just waiting for me. But now I want to listen to the audiobook…. I have never listened to an audiobook before, and I am seriously always up for some awesome suggestions. this may be my very first!!!
This is definitely one audiobook that I highly recommend! I hope that you enjoy it when you get to reading it. 🙂
Its my favourite audio book and Christian Coulson is brilliant. I would love more of Monty & Percy too, hopefully after Felicity’s book we will get another foray into Monty’s hilarious antics. Great review.
I can’t wait for it! I think that it is bound to be just as wonderful. 🙂
Great Review! This book was so much fun to read! I’m glad you loved it as much as I did! I can’t wait to read Felicity’s story! 🙂
I’m really glad to see you enjoyed this! I didn’t care much for Mackenzi Lee’s previous book so I’ve been really hesitant to pick this one up, but it keeps getting such awesome reviews, so I might have to grab a copy one of these days.
I haven’t read her other book yet. This one is definitely worth a try! I have a feeling that you will really enjoy it. 🙂
I’m going to add this to my TBR list now that I’ve seen your review. I could use a funny book once in a while!
I’ve seen this book before but never paid any mind to it, but maybe now I’ll give it a chance! Thanks!
This sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing!
This audio sounds awesome!! I don’t get to listen to to many audio, I’ll definitely have to jot this one down.
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