THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi Lee

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND SHIPWRECKS By Mackenzi LeeThe Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #3
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 11/16/21
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Historical, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 592
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren’t battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother’s unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.

When a newly found keepsake of hers—a piece of a broken spyglass—comes into Adrian’s possession, he’s thrust into the past and finds himself face to face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry “Monty” Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.

In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.

Short and Sweet Review

Adrian Montague, is the heir to his father’s estate and he’s an up and coming political writer, he has a fiancé who is an activist and inspires him. But what no one knows is that Adrian struggles with anxiety, his mother also had a mental illness that she struggled with and after her recent death things just seem unclear to Adrian. When Adrian comes in possession of a spyglass that was his mother’s he thinks it will uncover the mystery of her death. Along his journey Adrian meets the siblings he never knew he had, and as they sail the seas the siblings will face off with a legend that threatens their family.

Adrian Montague is the youngest Montague sibling but he doesn’t know that because he’s grown up his whole life believing that he’s an only child. When he’s given a spyglass that once belonged to his mother it brings him to Monty his older brother. The reunion is a shock and not really a joyous one. It only leaves Adrian with more questions and with the realization that there’s one more Montague sibling out in the world. With the spyglass in his possession Adrian decides he needs answers so he sets sail with Monty at his side. Adrian tries to find out what led to his mother’s death, he’s convinced that the spyglass was cursed by the Flying Dutchman and now we’re back on the seas with pirates traveling to different areas trying to find anything that will give Adrian the answers he’s looking for.

Adrian is a character that struggles with anxiety and OCD so seeing everything through his POV is interesting. He’s a character that struggles with speaking up for himself and keeping his emotions in check. We can see that some of the characters just meeting him didn’t know what to make of him, like at first Monty didn’t know what to do but Felicity knew that she needed to be more patient and be careful with how she worded things. I loved that we got to see characters from past books Monty, Felicity, and even Percy! Adrian is engaged but we only see his fiancé Louisa in the beginning and end so not so much in the middle but she did seem like a strong female character. The adventure that our protagonist goes on was exciting and I feel like it was needed for him to realize that everything he needs is what he already has. Adrian now has his brother and sister and a fiancé who loves and cares for him.

I loved the ending and I’m sad that this was the last book in the Montague Siblings series but the ending was wrapped up well and these are characters and voyages I won’t forget!

THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO GETTING LUCKY By Mackenzi Lee

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO GETTING LUCKY By Mackenzi LeeThe Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #1.5
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 11/26/19
Genres: Historical, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 128
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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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?

Short and Sweet Review

The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky is a novella that takes place right after the first book. Monty and Percy are a couple now but they haven’t been together romantically yet. Monty wants this to be special and the romantic setting of Santorini should help, unless the anticipation and build up end up ruining the mood. This novella was so cute I’m glad I got to see these characters again. Not only are Monty and Percy worried about being together romantically but they’re planning the rest of their lives together which also ends up making Monty nervous. Monty and Percy are a great couple. They do have their moments when they fight or disagree about something but in the end they come together to find a resolution. This novella is cute and hilarious and just made my love for these characters grow even more! If you’ve read the other books, I recommend this novella!

THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY By Mackenzi Lee

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY By Mackenzi LeeThe Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #2
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 10/2/18
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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ReviewedbyDani

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.


Short and Sweet

After joining her brother Monty on his grand tour of Europe, Felicity Montague is determined to make her dreams of enrolling in a medical school and becoming a doctor come true. But her ambitions are usually ignored by male superiors who believe that practicing medicine is a job for men only. When Felicity finds out an old friend of hers is marrying one of the doctors she idolizes she believes this is finally her chance. The only problem is that Felicity has no money to make it to Germany on her own, but a women offers to pay for Felicity’s journey just as long as she gets to come along and pretend to be Felicity’s maid. Felicity doesn’t know what the girls motives are but when she finds out Felicity ends up on a quest around the countryside.

Characters

Felicity: Our main character who will do anything she can just to get a chance to learn more about medicine and become a doctor. We obviously learn a lot more about Felicity in this book because its her story. I did learn that though Felicity is more level headed and thinks things through more than Monty she seems to think she’s more superior than those who don’t see things the way she does. Even though she was a little off-putting and judgmental she grew so much throughout the book and I loved that and who her character turned out to be.

Sim: Sim our mysterious pirate who pays for the journey to Germany. Sim is the daughter of the most feared pirate commanders, and since she’s the first born she wants to prove herself but this proves to be hard because she’s a woman. Sim joins Felicity, because she wants to take something from Johanna’s house that she believes rightfully belongs to her family. I liked Sim despite all of the obstacles in her way she never gave up and was determined to do what she had to even if her means were wrong.

Johanna: Johanna… I loved Johanna so much. When Johanna and Felicity were teenagers they didn’t end on the right foot mainly because Felicity was into medicine and learning more and Johanna liked spending her time getting dressed up and going to functions. I think what I loved the most about Johanna was that she was seen as a girl who is soft because she preferred dresses and makeup but Johanna is fierce, smart, and loves her dog Max.

Platt: The Doctor that Felicity idolizes and Johanna’s fiancé. Platt obviously seems like a good person because he’s willing to Felicity a chance, but he plans on going on an expedition after the wedding but the details aren’t fully exposed.

Monty: Felicity’s older brother. I loved Monty in his book and I loved him in this book as well. He’s a sibling and as most people know siblings can get on your nerves but he does care about Felicity and wants to look out for her.

Percy: Monty’s boyfriend. I love Percy he’s like another brother to felicity and cares about her too I just love him so much and his sweet demeanor.

Romance

Felicity and Sim: Hmm well these two have an interesting relationship. They’re not very fond of each other in the beginning but as they get to know each other more they begin to form more of a friendship.

Monty and Percy: Well Monty and Percy are still as lovable as ever. They care for each other and we can see this in the book and they genuinely like each others company they balance each other out.

Johanna and Platt: I don’t know how their relationship started but this is one of those things where these two are just together to be together, mainly because Platt wants something he can only get if he says he’s Johannas husband.

Quotes

~ “Well,” I reply, “good thing I’d rather not be any man’s protege.”

My Thoughts

~ Lots of girl power in this book! I loved that Felicity never gave up on her dream to learn more about medicine. Johanna and Sim are also strong female figures in this book.

~ I like adventures and this one was perfect I mean all Felicity wanted was to go to Germany to meet Platt but the next thing she knows she’s going around the countryside trying to help Johanna proclaim her mothers work.

~ We also get some pirates in this book. At the beginning of the book we see Scipio and his crew again which is also where Felicity and Sim meet.

~ My favorite thing about this book was seeing Felicity grow as a person I mentioned it earlier but I feel like its worth mentioning again. Felicity becomes a softer version of herself  and more understanding to the fact that other people will have interest that are different than hers.

~ There were a few things I weren’t expecting in this book like Platt being an awful person, Johanna knowing this, Felicity finding out and being smart enough to find Johanna, and Sim trying to find something to keep her father’s territories safe from the English.

~ I was also so happy with the ending its not really what I was expecting but it was still good and I am impressed with all of the characters!

Overall

I’m glad we got a book with Felicity’s point of view and she got to go on an amazing quest on the German countryside and showed us just how amazing girls can be, especially when they work together. We get to see our favorite characters from the last book, meet new characters who are just as amazing. I definitely recommend this book if you’re looking to go on an adventure with our characters, I would also recommend picking up the first book and starting there if you haven’t already!

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THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE By Mackenzi Lee

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE By Mackenzi LeeThe Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Series: Montague Siblings #1
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 6/27/17
Genres: Action & Adventure, Historical, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 528
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

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 LeeSimon 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.


Short and Sweet

Monty and his best friend Percy are going on a grand tour of Europe, and they plan on having the time of their lives. Even with his younger sister, Felicity coming along, Monty won’t let it ruin his fun. But things get crazy when the group encounters an ancient artifact, highwaymen, and pirates.

Characters

Henry “Monty” Montague: Our main character who grew a lot over the course of the book. Monty has the most engaging voice, he’s entertaining and sassy. He got the group into the mess they were in by trying to get even with someone. Monty had the problem of saying things without thinking and often came to regret it, but his friends called him out on it. He was a flawed character but that’s whats great about him because over the course of the book he learned from his mistakes.

Percy: Monty’s best friend and our voice of reason. Percy is also a person a color which I found interesting, because of course during the time that this book takes place it makes travel for the grand tour a bit harder because certain places won’t allow him to stay. Percy also struggles in this book because throughout the course of his friendship with Monty he has always supported him and now Percy has his own demons to fight and wonders if Monty can support him.

Felicity: Monty’s younger sister and the brains of the group. Felicity’s strength and knowledge saved the group from dangerous situations. I was rooting for her throughout the book she had goals and I felt bad that during that time girls her age didn’t have many choices.

Romance

Monty has liked Percy for a while, and thinks the grand tour will be the perfect time to express how he feels. But things don’t work well mainly because Percy seems more annoyed with Monty than smitten. It seemed like Monty always said or did the wrong thing that ended up pushing Percy away.

My Thoughts

~ This isn’t an ordinary grand tour of Europe, like it was expected to be. Mayhem begins when the group reaches their first stop in Paris. This leads them to places that are off of their original course.

~ In Paris, Monty steals an artifact that leads to the group being attacked by highwaymen, hiding in a small town, going to Barcelona, meeting pirates, and trying to find something on an island that is sinking.

~ My favorite part of the book was the whole mystery surrounding the artifact and what it does. The artifact was the whole reason the group had to go off course so I was eager to find out what it could do.

~ What I loved the most about this book was how fast paced it was. From the very beginning we embark on a journey with these characters.

~ In each city we meet different characters and all of them add to the story in their own way. My favorite characters were the pirates I loved learning more about them and their ultimate goal.

~ I felt like I was with the trio of characters and I was worried about their well-being, they were in some dangerous positions and on the run from some people who wanted them dead.

Overall

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a must read! Everything about it is amazing, the characters, the action and adventure, the diversity, and of course the romance. The ending was great and everything was wrapped up nicely. Monty, Percy, and Felicity are a set of characters I won’t forget. This is hands down one of my favorite reads of 2017, and I encourage everyone to pick it up and read it!

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