Review: The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice And Virtue By Mackenzi Lee || This Is How You Write A Road Trip Story

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Montague Siblings #1)

Pages: 513

Genre: Young adult historical fiction / fantasy
Publication Date: June 2017

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.

It’s been awhile since I read a book that I couldn’t put down. I didn’t want to let Gentleman’s Guide out of my sight. It kept me awake most of a night. When I was forced to do something besides reading, I was thinking about Gentleman’s Guide. You know that a book is good if it can distract me from food and Twitter. I raced through this novel in about two days, which doesn’t usually happen when I have to read 500+ pages.

“God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed from having words instead of friends.” - The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice And Virtue

This escapist romp is set in 1700s Europe and is narrated by Monty, a young, upper-class man who is supposed to take over his father’s successful business. Unfortunately (as the title suggests), Monty has a lot of vices. He’s massively irresponsible. He steals, fights, smokes, gets drunk every night, gambles away all of his money, and sleeps with anyone who’s willing. To break him of these habits, Monty’s father sends him, his sister, and their friend on a tour of Europe. On the trip, Monty is supposed to get all of his vices out of his system and come home a gentleman. The trip does force Monty to become more mature, but not in the ways his father expects.

I have to admit that I was hesitant about Gentleman’s Guide before I started. The synopsis sounds romance-focused, and it’s a road trip book. I’m not usually a fan of either of those things. I don’t care about people’s love lives, and road trip books often have underdeveloped settings. The characters are racing around so much that the settings go by in a blur. I like books that have a strong sense of place.

I shouldn’t have worried with Gentleman’s Guide. There is romance, but there’s so much other stuff going on that the romance doesn’t take over. It’s hard to focus on your love life when the government is trying to kill you for stealing something priceless from them.

This is a road trip story, but it’s a slower-paced road trip story. Actually, I think it’s too slow in places. The characters bounce around Europe, but they spend enough time in each location that the reader gets a sense of what makes each destination unique. I like that. The trip isn’t a blur like in other road trip novels I’ve read.

My favorite part of the book is Monty. He’s hilarious. Even though he’s annoyingly selfish and has many bad habits, I loved him right away. I like that he wants to find his own path in life. He knows that running a business won’t make him happy, and he’s (incompetently) trying to figure out what he’s passionate about. I liked watching him mature. As he travels through Europe, he learns to listen to people and care about someone besides himself. He makes some long-term plans instead of just doing what feels good in the moment.

“It occurs to me then that perhaps getting my little sister drunk and explaining why I screw boys is not the most responsible move on my part.” - The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice And Virtue

Like I already said, parts of this book are slow. It’s also tropey and occasionally too convenient. The characters encounter everything you’d expect them to encounter in 1700s Europe: thieves, pirates, social outcasts, corrupt royals. It’s not predictable, but it’s expected. It’s all stuff we’ve seen in historical fiction many times before. I can forgive the slowness and the adventure tropes, but I had a harder time with the convenience. Some things just seem too easy for the characters. For example, Monty steals a mysterious object. He doesn’t know what it is, but it (helpfully) turns out to be a solution to a problem in a subplot. That feels a bit lazy to me. He steals something random, and it turns out to be exactly what he needs.

Gentleman’s Guide has a few annoying quirks, but I think the good outweighs the bad. If you’re looking for a fun, escapist book that will make you laugh and keep you entertained, then this is your book. I’m very excited for the sequel and want it right now.

TL;DR: Do you like historical fiction or road trip books? Read this one. It’s good.