Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Guide #1)

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.

I am soft for this book.

When I picked this book up, I have no idea what to expect except from what my favorite Booktuber has said in one of her videos where I heard about this book. I was quite anxious whether I'll like reading this book because I've never read a humorous historical fiction before, and some of the time the books recommended by the booktubers I subscribe to (and some of my reader friends as well) I ended up not finishing or liking. I was really glad that I read this book, despite the doubts, because man, this book is so freaking good. I never thought I would end up laughing my ass off reading a historical fiction book, but I did!

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is a story about Henry "Monty" Montague, a nobleman trained all of his life to be a proper gentleman so he could take over as the head of the house but could never be truly one because of his lifestyle that mostly involves alcohol, gambling, and chasing girls (and boys). Enraged by Monty's roguish lifestyle, his father resorted to sending him into a Grand Tour around the European continent, in hopes of changing Monty's behavior, along with his sister Felicity and his childhood best friend Percy; whom he has been in love with for most of his life. As they embark on the Grand Tour along the European continent, they are met with a series of misfortunes that led them to an adventure of a lifetime.

One of the things I love the most about this book is the characters. I've never rooted for characters as much as I've rooted for the characters in this book. There is not a single character that I did not love (except for Monty's dad and the Duke of Bourbon). I couldn't come up with something that I did not like about these characters. They are so well written and so well developed and the banter between them never failed to crack me up. 

I also love how this book didn't focus much on the romance between Monty and Percy, but rather shine a light to important topics such as racism, homophobia, sexism, abuse, as well as epilepsy and how it is perceived in the 18th century. I also love the representation of feminism in this book in the form of Felicity. She was the embodiment of female strength and showed the men who's boss throughout the book.

Another thing that I love so much about this book is its balance. It's light, but not to the point that it was flimsy. It's dark, but not that dark to make it angst-y. It's humorous, but not to the point where it forgets to shine a light on serious topics. I rarely find that balance in young adult books before so it's really refreshing to see that balance in this book; more importantly on a historical fiction.

All in all, reading this book has been one hell of a ride for me. Although, I must admit, I find it a bit long and the pace a little bit dragging at some point and it didn't feature much of  the European continent as I would like to. But overall, I more than enjoyed reading this book. It's a fun and exhilarating read that'll leave you crying and laughing all at the same time.

P.S: Felicity is my spirit animal.

My rating: