Mini Reviews: The Gentleman’s Guide To Getting Lucky || The Lady’s Guide To Petticoats And Piracy

The Gentleman’s Guide To Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee

Series: Montague Siblings #1.5

Genre: Young adult historical fiction

Pages: 54

Publication date: October 2018

Monty’s epic grand tour may be over, but now that he and Percy are finally a couple, he realizes there is something more nerve-wracking than being chased across Europe: getting together with the person you love. Will the romantic allure of Santorini make his first time with Percy magical, or will all the anticipation and build-up completely spoil the mood?

Likes: I feel bad about reviewing this novella. It’s so tiny! And it was a free gift from the publisher for preordering Lady’s Guide. Reviewing gifts makes me feel like a horrible person, but I’m going to do it anyway. I promise I’m grateful for the gift! I swear I’m not a heartless asshat.

Anyway, if you loved The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, then you’ll probably appreciate this little sequel. I adored Monty and Percy and was excited to be back in their world. Mostly, this book got me hyped to read Lady’s Guide, which was probably the whole point of giving away free novellas. Bookworms are very susceptible to marketing. Well played, publishers.

This novella is exactly what it says on the cover. At the end of Gentleman’s Guide, Monty and Percy are living in a small house with Monty’s sister and a crew of pirates. They rarely have privacy or time to work on their relationship. In this book, Monty’s awkward attempts to “get lucky” keep failing spectacularly. I laughed a lot.

For something so short and comedic, the book has a surprising amount of depth. Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves that we’re bound to fail. In some situations, you have to forget about making everything perfect and just have fun.

Dislikes: This novella isn’t a must-read. It doesn’t add anything to the series or help progress the characters’ stories. It’s mostly just a happily-ever-after epilogue to Gentleman’s Guide.

The Bottom Line: Funny and entertaining, but you won’t miss anything if you skip it.

The Lady’s Guide To Petticoats And Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

Series: Montague Siblings #2

Genre: Young adult historical fiction

Pages: 450

Publication date: October 2018

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.

In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

This novel can be read as a standalone, but you might want to check out my thoughts on the first book in the series.

Likes: Have you ever read a book at the exact right moment? That was me with this book. I badly needed it in my life. It’s escapist and funny and full of dragons and stubborn people who deeply appreciate a good pastry. There are giant dogs, and clumsy adventures, and hilarious banter. If you want to forget about the real world for a while, read this novel. You’ll have a fabulous time.

If I lived in the 1700s, I’d probably be Felicity. I care more about desserts than marriage proposals, and I could totally see myself blurting out disgusting medical facts at upper-class parties. Felicity is like a more-ambitious version of me. We’re both painfully awkward and hate hugs. I found her way too relatable.

This is definitely a girl power book. The three main characters are all ambitious women who will do whatever it takes to get what they want. They have to out-think and out-fight everyone who stands in their way. I love that “what they want” changes over the course of the novel. Felicity starts the book desperate to get accepted to medical school. When that doesn’t happen, she has to shift her expectations and find something else that will make her happy. All of the female characters are trying to make a place for themselves in the world. Sometimes that place isn’t exactly where they expect it to be.

The three main characters are friends, but they’re not afraid to challenge each other’s ideas. Felicity thinks she’s smarter than other women because she doesn’t like “girly” things. She looks down on her friends because they’re interested in romance and frivolous parties. The friends aren’t afraid to tell Felicity to get over herself. I love that. You can enjoy parties and still be a serious badass. Also, don’t be a jerk to your friends.

“In the company of women like this— sharp-edged as raw diamonds but with soft hands and hearts, not strong in spite of anything but powerful because of everything— I feel invincible.” – The Lady’s Guide To Petticoats And Piracy

Dislikes: Gentleman’s Guide is one of the best books I read in 2018. I don’t think this sequel quite lived up to the excellence of the first book. The stakes in Lady’s Guide aren’t as high. The characters aren’t running for their lives or severing ties with their families. Most of the truly dramatic stuff happens in Gentleman’s Guide. Lady’s Guide feels a lot tamer. The danger has passed. Because of the lower stakes, the book was easy to put down. I didn’t read it in giant gulps like I did with Gentleman’s Guide.

My favorite scenes are the ones where Felicity’s brother, Monty, makes an appearance. I loved him in the first book. Felicity is less compelling than her brother. I like that the siblings have opposite personalities, but Monty is funnier, more charismatic, more spontaneous. He was more fun to read about.

The Bottom Line: Not as good as the first book in the series, but if there’s another book, I’ll happily throw my money at the publisher. Give me more!