Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

So this came out quite some years ago now and I remember it being a hype then. It's been on my shelf for so long and I was afraid it might have aged dubiously but no this was actually so much fun!!
I mean it checks all the boxes for me: a queer historical romance with disability and POC rep that has actual good plot, friends to lovers and a badass female character (who is the MC in the sequel which I will DEFINITELY be buying).
The writing was quite compelling, a relief as one of the main reasons I put off reading this for so long is the fact that it's 500 pages long. But I enjoyed it from start to finish. There were enough propelling windings in the plot to keep it interesting and the wit and banter from the characters kept it light and breezy.
Just a good time all the way through with some action and heart.

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andyourstruly's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

GGtVaV is a very indulgent queer adventure story. Though the main cast all struggle with their own hardships, external and internal, the reader always knows they'll overcome to get their happy ending, and in that way, despite themes of racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and physical/emotional abuse, it feels very light.

The author studied history in university, so a lot of the historical details of events and cultural norms are more accurate than your average YA novel, but there are still glaring blind spots, like the author not being well-versed in clothing culture or that almost every educated person would have been fluent in French in the early 1700s, particularly if they had a French parent.

My biggest takeaway with it was that, as fantastical as so many elements were, it seems strange that the author didn't just ... write an adventure where people happened to be queer or black or women. It felt like a strange decision to hand-wave away a lot of actual problems they may have encountered but to really spend a lot of time projecting modern-day feminism onto a character from the era and bringing up homophobia and racism that wasn't even always period-accurate. Fun book, may read the sequels, not so invested that I'm prioritizing it.

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getawaytiger's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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musicmagician823's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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mixmousereads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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megelizabeth's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

I did not expect to completely, utterly love and adore this book the way I did. It's easily a new all-time favourite and I am entirely obsessed. It was the kind of book that I kept trying to slow myself down from reading as I didn't want it to be over, but at the same time I physically couldn't stop myself fully devouring it. I was hooked from the very beginning and I loved Monty and Percy's characters so, so much and I just could not wait to see how things turned out for them. I don't usually gravitate towards adventure-type stories and so this sat on my shelf for literally years before I finally read it and whilst I wish I had done so sooner because I ended up loving it so much, I'm at least glad that I was able to experience the thrill and unadulterated joy of reading it for the first time now! It's definitely one I can see myself going back to and loving even MORE each time around. The characters, the plot, the relationships, the 1700s setting, the balance of humour and discussion of serious topics, the character development (particularly Monty's).........all 100/10.

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elspethmigliore's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i really enjoyed this! i’ve read this book around 5 times now because it’s so unique and interesting, and it never fails to impress me. like i was actually obsessed with this book 4 years ago. i will say that the most recent time i’ve read it, i found it to be very difficult to get through and kind of boring, but i think that’s because i know the story so well.

all of the characters are hilarious and unique and i very much appreciate monty’s growth. i’m excited to finally read the rest of their stories.

definitely reread material ✅

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hollowhallow13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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