The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue: A Witty LGBTQ+ Historical Romance Where Friendship Becomes Love Across 18th-Century Europe (Montague Siblings, 1)
A Kirkus Prize nominee and Stonewall Honor winner with 5 starred reviews! A New York Times bestseller!
Named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR and the New York Public Library!
"The queer teen historical you didn’t know was missing from your life.”—Teen Vogue
"A stunning powerhouse of a story."—School Library Journal
"A gleeful romp through history."—ALA Booklist
A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee—Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.
Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are 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.
So Monty 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, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.
Don't miss Felicity's adventures in The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, the highly anticipated sequel!
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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say this book features witty, well-developed characters, with strong LGBTQ+ representation and a clever blend of adventure and humor. Reviewer...
I’m not really sure where to start with this book.
I really liked the first half, but the second half, lacked quite a bit.
Between the traveling on tour, the highway men, the panacea, and thepirates aspiring privateers those aspects just made it seem like several different books smashed into one. Frankly, I could’ve lived without the panacea storyline. I found it dull.
I loved having an LGBTQ+ main character and enjoyed reading the romance, from Monty’s POV. With that being said, I identify as a straight female, so I’m not sure if this book is an accurate representation or not, but I found it enlightening.
Also, half the time I wanted to slap Monty, he absolutely drove me crazy. Although, Felicity was delightful and so loved her spunk. I am excited (and hopeful) that the next book should be better. 🤞🏻
I really liked the first half, but the second half, lacked quite a bit.
Between the traveling on tour, the highway men, the panacea, and the
I loved having an LGBTQ+ main character and enjoyed reading the romance, from Monty’s POV. With that being said, I identify as a straight female, so I’m not sure if this book is an accurate representation or not, but I found it enlightening.
Also, half the time I wanted to slap Monty, he absolutely drove me crazy. Although, Felicity was delightful and so loved her spunk. I am excited (and hopeful) that the next book should be better. 🤞🏻
“We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”
There’s a trendy new sub-genre in YA literature right now that I am ALL on board for called Gaslamp Fantasy, or in this case, Gaslamp Romance. We’re all familiar with Steampunk, and while there are similarities it would be unfaithful to call it “Steampunk.” Steampunk is still Punk; it’s entirely aesthetic with little interest in historical accuracy – as you would be very familiar with if you’ve ever heard me complain about wearing corsets on top of the chemise. This is the modern equivalent of wearing your bra on top of your t-shirt. It’s not that we don’t do it just because it’s improper, the way that Steampunk novelists would have you think, but because it’s stupid.
Anyway, I have a steady TBR pile growing of other Gaslamp’s I’ve been meaning to read, hopefully, this book inspires me to get to them quicker, because…
HOLY CATS I LOVED THIS BOOK
I loved the characters, I loved the set-up and adventure, I loved the banter and the use of historically accurate slang, but maybe most of all I loved the fact that this was a non-traditional-for-YA m/m romance. Yes, sorry, full disclaimer readers, I’m a proud SJW because I’m not a shitty human being. And I really do love seeing gay and bi-sexual romances in as many different genres as possible, even if I’m not gay or bi-sexual. The fact that it’s rolled into a Regency adventure makes this particular burrito that much cheesier and saucier and delectable – like knowing you’re getting the cheesy bean & rice burrito, but not having to pay extra for the avocado. (In my wildest romantic fantasy, a rich and mysterious patron pays for my avocados and plays it off like that extra $1.30 is nothing. What a card! Only God can judge me, Y’all.) I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to equate gay romance with a messy, difficult to eat lunch – or snack as it were. What I meant to say is, it always feels like a victory when I encounter one in the wild, so I want to throw it a party. Or at least tell everyone I know about it, regardless of if they share my same convictions or not.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue introduces us to 3 high-born English kids who aren’t afraid to cause a ruckus wherever they go. Henry “Monty” Montague is our Rakish, foppish, bisexual, Dandy Lord. He oozes charisma and sass, and while it would be easy to hate him, you’ll find that it is impossible to. Felicity is Monty’s little sister – she’s, well, she’s a nerd. She has none of her brother’s social-charms and plays the straight man in the trio, but that doesn’t make her a stale character. Rather, she happens to be a huge fan favorite, and for good reason. Felicity may be a nerd, but she’s no shrinking violet – she’s a total badass. Her dream is to go to a proper school and train to become a doctor – an impossible dream for her because she’s a She. And finally, we have Percy – Percy isn’t necessarily high-born like the rest of our group because he his mother is black and was raised by his aunt and uncle, but he is very posh nonetheless. Also, while Felicity intends to attend a university, Percy intends to study music – the violin – in Europe. After Monty was kicked out of his college for… causing quite the stir, his father decides to send him on the traditional Grand Tour of Europe, having him chaperone his sister and best friend. Oh, did I mention he’s in love with Percy? Well of course he is – and you will be too when you see what a perfectly adorable sweetheart Percy is.
Anyway, this is the only crowd I have ever heard of who can find themselves bummed out in Paris, and in an act of pettiness and recklessness, Monty steals something from Versailles for a hoot. Turns out, that was the wrong thing to do (who’d have guessed?) and it ended up having some major consequences. At any rate, our trio is separated from their party and their stale European romp is up-ended and diverted into a much more exciting adventure. There’s pining! There are smooches! There’s sibling bickering & bonding! Thrills and Spills! Have I hooked you yet?
When I say that my favorite thing about this book is probably the characters, I mean I really can’t emphasize enough how great these characters are. I think I’ve mentioned that Monty might not seem likable at first to most readers because usually a character of his sort would be annoying and trashy. Whoever wrote those characters in the past must have done a bad job of it, and hadn’t bothered to give their dandys’ any credit. Monty is a pansy, but he’s my pansy, and I love him. He’s just a gay little shit who doesn’t know when to give up and I’m fine with it because, at the end of the day, he has a lot of depth. He’s not all zingy one-liners (though those are wonderful and I could easily sit here and talk about them for hours), he also has character growth. Is there anything more satisfying than watching a spoiled little turd of a main character become a stronger, more interesting and complex little turd? I’d say not!
Percy could use a little more depth and is sort of a damsel, but he’s still an interesting character. I think the gender trope took a bit of a spin with him – this might be controversial, and I’m not saying that I’m asking for something different, I just want to state an observation. In a traditional romance, there’s a Rake (Monty) and a Damsel (…Percy?). And in a traditional romance setting, we picture the Rake and Damsel to be Cis-Het, which is not the case here. Percy isn’t helpless, but he does consider himself burdensome for reasons that would be spoiler-y to reveal, and so he’s dependent on Monty – who is up for the challenge. I don’t want to suggest that I think that trope is bad and gross; in actuality, I love seeing how far and in how many different directions writers can spin that old cliche out. Percy might depend on Monty for emotional support, but everyone can pretty much agree that Monty is useless in a fight. Percy at least has his violin case and he’s not afraid to implement it.
And then there’s Felicity. Oh, how I love, love, love Felicity. Those Monetigue kids don’t back down, and she would be a divine pupil at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Felicity, I’ve said before, doesn’t have the same charms as her brother – he might tell you she has all the charm of a bulldog. But of all the characters, Felicity is the most concrete, fully formed personality. She’s awkward at times, but she’s not an awkward character. She’s fantastic and solid and relatable, though that may also be because she’s Ace and is trying hard to be taken seriously in a man’s world – in a time and setting where she’s meant to be both pretty and ignored. She might be very serious and straight-laced, but she’s a bad bitch and I can’t wait to hear more from her.
So, while I went into this book championing the fact that it was a YA Gay Gaslamp Romance, it really ended up standing on its own as and defied my expectations, which were already pretty hopeful, that it checked off all my marks and then some:
Historical accuracy without being boring and old-fashioned? ✔
Characters I really care about? ✔
Queer POC characters in Regency Europe? ✔
Sass?? ✔ ✔ ✔
So yes – sign me TF up for more.
This review was originally posted on my blog, which you can find here
There’s a trendy new sub-genre in YA literature right now that I am ALL on board for called Gaslamp Fantasy, or in this case, Gaslamp Romance. We’re all familiar with Steampunk, and while there are similarities it would be unfaithful to call it “Steampunk.” Steampunk is still Punk; it’s entirely aesthetic with little interest in historical accuracy – as you would be very familiar with if you’ve ever heard me complain about wearing corsets on top of the chemise. This is the modern equivalent of wearing your bra on top of your t-shirt. It’s not that we don’t do it just because it’s improper, the way that Steampunk novelists would have you think, but because it’s stupid.
Anyway, I have a steady TBR pile growing of other Gaslamp’s I’ve been meaning to read, hopefully, this book inspires me to get to them quicker, because…
HOLY CATS I LOVED THIS BOOK
I loved the characters, I loved the set-up and adventure, I loved the banter and the use of historically accurate slang, but maybe most of all I loved the fact that this was a non-traditional-for-YA m/m romance. Yes, sorry, full disclaimer readers, I’m a proud SJW because I’m not a shitty human being. And I really do love seeing gay and bi-sexual romances in as many different genres as possible, even if I’m not gay or bi-sexual. The fact that it’s rolled into a Regency adventure makes this particular burrito that much cheesier and saucier and delectable – like knowing you’re getting the cheesy bean & rice burrito, but not having to pay extra for the avocado. (In my wildest romantic fantasy, a rich and mysterious patron pays for my avocados and plays it off like that extra $1.30 is nothing. What a card! Only God can judge me, Y’all.) I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to equate gay romance with a messy, difficult to eat lunch – or snack as it were. What I meant to say is, it always feels like a victory when I encounter one in the wild, so I want to throw it a party. Or at least tell everyone I know about it, regardless of if they share my same convictions or not.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue introduces us to 3 high-born English kids who aren’t afraid to cause a ruckus wherever they go. Henry “Monty” Montague is our Rakish, foppish, bisexual, Dandy Lord. He oozes charisma and sass, and while it would be easy to hate him, you’ll find that it is impossible to. Felicity is Monty’s little sister – she’s, well, she’s a nerd. She has none of her brother’s social-charms and plays the straight man in the trio, but that doesn’t make her a stale character. Rather, she happens to be a huge fan favorite, and for good reason. Felicity may be a nerd, but she’s no shrinking violet – she’s a total badass. Her dream is to go to a proper school and train to become a doctor – an impossible dream for her because she’s a She. And finally, we have Percy – Percy isn’t necessarily high-born like the rest of our group because he his mother is black and was raised by his aunt and uncle, but he is very posh nonetheless. Also, while Felicity intends to attend a university, Percy intends to study music – the violin – in Europe. After Monty was kicked out of his college for… causing quite the stir, his father decides to send him on the traditional Grand Tour of Europe, having him chaperone his sister and best friend. Oh, did I mention he’s in love with Percy? Well of course he is – and you will be too when you see what a perfectly adorable sweetheart Percy is.
Anyway, this is the only crowd I have ever heard of who can find themselves bummed out in Paris, and in an act of pettiness and recklessness, Monty steals something from Versailles for a hoot. Turns out, that was the wrong thing to do (who’d have guessed?) and it ended up having some major consequences. At any rate, our trio is separated from their party and their stale European romp is up-ended and diverted into a much more exciting adventure. There’s pining! There are smooches! There’s sibling bickering & bonding! Thrills and Spills! Have I hooked you yet?
When I say that my favorite thing about this book is probably the characters, I mean I really can’t emphasize enough how great these characters are. I think I’ve mentioned that Monty might not seem likable at first to most readers because usually a character of his sort would be annoying and trashy. Whoever wrote those characters in the past must have done a bad job of it, and hadn’t bothered to give their dandys’ any credit. Monty is a pansy, but he’s my pansy, and I love him. He’s just a gay little shit who doesn’t know when to give up and I’m fine with it because, at the end of the day, he has a lot of depth. He’s not all zingy one-liners (though those are wonderful and I could easily sit here and talk about them for hours), he also has character growth. Is there anything more satisfying than watching a spoiled little turd of a main character become a stronger, more interesting and complex little turd? I’d say not!
Percy could use a little more depth and is sort of a damsel, but he’s still an interesting character. I think the gender trope took a bit of a spin with him – this might be controversial, and I’m not saying that I’m asking for something different, I just want to state an observation. In a traditional romance, there’s a Rake (Monty) and a Damsel (…Percy?). And in a traditional romance setting, we picture the Rake and Damsel to be Cis-Het, which is not the case here. Percy isn’t helpless, but he does consider himself burdensome for reasons that would be spoiler-y to reveal, and so he’s dependent on Monty – who is up for the challenge. I don’t want to suggest that I think that trope is bad and gross; in actuality, I love seeing how far and in how many different directions writers can spin that old cliche out. Percy might depend on Monty for emotional support, but everyone can pretty much agree that Monty is useless in a fight. Percy at least has his violin case and he’s not afraid to implement it.
And then there’s Felicity. Oh, how I love, love, love Felicity. Those Monetigue kids don’t back down, and she would be a divine pupil at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. Felicity, I’ve said before, doesn’t have the same charms as her brother – he might tell you she has all the charm of a bulldog. But of all the characters, Felicity is the most concrete, fully formed personality. She’s awkward at times, but she’s not an awkward character. She’s fantastic and solid and relatable, though that may also be because she’s Ace and is trying hard to be taken seriously in a man’s world – in a time and setting where she’s meant to be both pretty and ignored. She might be very serious and straight-laced, but she’s a bad bitch and I can’t wait to hear more from her.
So, while I went into this book championing the fact that it was a YA Gay Gaslamp Romance, it really ended up standing on its own as and defied my expectations, which were already pretty hopeful, that it checked off all my marks and then some:
Historical accuracy without being boring and old-fashioned? ✔
Characters I really care about? ✔
Queer POC characters in Regency Europe? ✔
Sass?? ✔ ✔ ✔
So yes – sign me TF up for more.
This review was originally posted on my blog, which you can find here
2/5
Henry “Monty” Montague is a rake and a disappointment to his family. He drinks, he gambles, he shirks his responsabilities, and is promiscuos with partners of all sexes. His father gives him an ultimatum right before he goes on his Grand Tour of Europe: conform to the norms or be disinherited from the family fortune. Knowing this is the last time he'll be able to let loose, Monty heads off to Europe with his younger sister and Percy, his best friend and hopeless crush. But the Tour doesn't turn out quite the way he hoped after a reckless decision turns everything upside down.
This is the kind of book that either charms you and drags you into it's own quirky internal logic or completely loses you, sadly I happen to be in the second camp. The plot isn't heavy in the historical accuracy, it's more of a fantasy or a Bridgertonesque alternate universe and I could have looked past that if the characters had grabbed my attention or if the plot was good. Monty is the narrator of this book and I just never liked him. He never got over himself or showed any signs of positive growth nor was he, at least, interesting. Coupled with that is the mess that was the plot. I like to think about this as everything AND the kitchen sink. This book had everything (derogatory). It had aristocrats, robbery, multiple countries, a conspiracy, alchemy, PIRATES, you name it you have it. There was never any space to breathe, to connect with the characters and their actions.
The author should have focused more on the romance. I never cared for Monty and Percy together, in fact I don't think they're good for each other. Too much of their story happened before the book, and what I saw in the plot wasn't romantic. It also rested heavily on the miscommunication trope which is one of my most hated tropes. For me the moment that made me go yeah no was when Monty basically told biracial Percy to go act like the slaves at Versailles and how that was never really adressed. Like YIKES, that's the love interest??? In general the way race and racism was handled, or not handled tbh, in this book was questionable. Felicity was fine as a character, even if she came across as a 21st century feminist and not an actual girl in that time period, however I have zero interest in continuing with this series.
...I've always been of the mind that subtlety is a waste of time. Fortune favors the flirtatious.
Henry “Monty” Montague is a rake and a disappointment to his family. He drinks, he gambles, he shirks his responsabilities, and is promiscuos with partners of all sexes. His father gives him an ultimatum right before he goes on his Grand Tour of Europe: conform to the norms or be disinherited from the family fortune. Knowing this is the last time he'll be able to let loose, Monty heads off to Europe with his younger sister and Percy, his best friend and hopeless crush. But the Tour doesn't turn out quite the way he hoped after a reckless decision turns everything upside down.
This is the kind of book that either charms you and drags you into it's own quirky internal logic or completely loses you, sadly I happen to be in the second camp. The plot isn't heavy in the historical accuracy, it's more of a fantasy or a Bridgertonesque alternate universe and I could have looked past that if the characters had grabbed my attention or if the plot was good. Monty is the narrator of this book and I just never liked him. He never got over himself or showed any signs of positive growth nor was he, at least, interesting. Coupled with that is the mess that was the plot. I like to think about this as everything AND the kitchen sink. This book had everything (derogatory). It had aristocrats, robbery, multiple countries, a conspiracy, alchemy, PIRATES, you name it you have it. There was never any space to breathe, to connect with the characters and their actions.
The author should have focused more on the romance. I never cared for Monty and Percy together, in fact I don't think they're good for each other. Too much of their story happened before the book, and what I saw in the plot wasn't romantic. It also rested heavily on the miscommunication trope which is one of my most hated tropes. For me the moment that made me go yeah no was when Monty basically told biracial Percy to go act like the slaves at Versailles and how that was never really adressed. Like YIKES, that's the love interest??? In general the way race and racism was handled, or not handled tbh, in this book was questionable. Felicity was fine as a character, even if she came across as a 21st century feminist and not an actual girl in that time period, however I have zero interest in continuing with this series.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to! I honestly only picked it up because I was interested in listening to the 2nd book in the series on audiobook because it's narrated by one of my favorite narrators Moira Quirk. I actually really enjoyed the narrator of this book as well! I was worried at the start, since the main character who is the POV for the whole book seemed insufferable, but he and his companions (who were much more to my taste) were dragged on quite the adventure with a lot of growth along the way. There were many twists and turns, just when I thought I had figured out how the story was going to go some other mini adventure would pop up and some new characters would come into play.
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