The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue follows Monty during his chaotic tour of the Continent with his sister Felicity and best friend (but not really just a best friend) Percy. Monty is an 18th century playboy, but also desperately in love with Percy. The two young men explore their relationship and find themselves as more than just friends when their Grand Tour turns into a Grand Goosechase. The wrong box stolen, the wrong duke angry, highwaymen, pirates, and more come together for a grand adventure.
Honestly, at first I wasn’t super invested in the plot or romance but the last chapter pulled through really well. In the beginning, Monty could be summarized in one word: douche. He’s really entertaining but hard to become invested in. As more of his backstory with his father and Percy got revealed, his character gained much more depth and he grew on me a lot (but he can still be a bit dense sometimes). I also prefer subtle and deeper romance over drama, which was why I found their romance harder to be absorbed in. There were classic misunderstandings and a lot of push and pull, which isn’t totally my style. But as time passed, the story showed how much they genuinely cared about each other and I liked their relationship more.
The scene at the end of the last chapter is one of my favorites in the book, along with the flashback about Percy. After all the adventure and excitement come to a stop, Monty and Percy have the chance to speak alone for the first time in a while. In the scene, I felt the depth and weight of their relationship a lot stronger than the rest of the book. Even though there wasn’t much going on, the scene made me appreciate the characters a lot more and was a nice ending. It was like taking a step back and tying everything together. Another important scene for the development of their relationship is the flashback where Percy supports Monty through his darkest times. The scene showed a completely different side of the two than what was portrayed in the present. Monty feels sad and tired, which is rare and adds a lot to his depth and maturity compared to his usual joking and flirting. The scene shows just how much they care about each other and what they’ve gone through together, which I really enjoyed.
I read this book incredibly slowly, which definitely took away from the full effect (my short attention span self simply cannot), but it was still a good read. The characters feel very human, and the relationships between characters are very sweet. The novel only gets better as it goes on, and the character and relationship development are well-written. If you enjoy historical fiction and romance this is the book for you (the author gives really good historical context). Overall a very entertaining and solid read.
- Sabrina
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