Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

73 reviews

mothfemme's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

My god, what can I say that I haven’t already screeched about to my roommates, friends, coworkers, and basically anyone who will listen to me?? In no way did I expect to love this book as much as I did. I looked past the heinous cover (crossing my fingers for a pretty reprint one of these days) and borrowed the audiobook on Libby, thinking nothing of it. I’m not typically over the moon for regency romances, let alone YA ones, but this came so highly recommended and it was queer, so I figured I would give it a shot. Reader, you should be the next one to give this a shot!!

The story takes off running immediately with its sarcastic humor and gay yearning, placing us in the perspective of Henry “Monty” Montague, one of the most real and lovable characters I’ve encountered in a long time. Monty is a total slut (affectionate) and always the life of the party, covering up his problems with humor, charm, and alcohol…so much alcohol. He is hopelessly in love with his childhood best friend, Percy, and the boys venture on a tour of Europe to have one last adventure before Percy goes off to law school.

After a social faux pas at Versailles and a petty theft gone wrong, Percy, Monty, and Monty’s younger sister Felicity are caught up in the reluctant adventure of a lifetime, featuring highway men, pirates, a sinking island, and evil noblemen. The delicate exploration of Monty’s trauma surrounding his father and how it has led to his avoidance and various addictions was weaved throughout the plot seamlessly, and added so much depth to this story. No matter how hard you try to run from yourself, your problems will always be right behind you, which Monty learns the hard way.

It really says something about the overall quality of the writing that I’m talking about the romance this far down in the review, but to nobody’s surprise, Monty and Percy’s connection was also phenomenal. Their chemistry was so sweet and so tangible, and never forced or rushed. 

I loved how the “conflict” (I use this word extremely loosely) within the romance wasn’t jealousy or miscommunication, but instead the importance of bodily autonomy and letting disabled people make their own decisions about how they would like to live their lives.

Exciting, endearing, and emotional, this book effortlessly delivers a story that has something for everyone. I will carry these characters in my heart forever, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Homophobia

Minor: Vomit

lunamoon62's review

adventurous emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Cursing, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Child abuse

Minor: Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Addiction, Confinement, Violence, Sexism, Blood, Classism, Drug use, Vomit, and Self harm

not_another_ana's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I've always been of the mind that subtlety is a waste of time. Fortune favors the flirtatious.

Henry “Monty” Montague is a rake and a disappointment to his family. He drinks, he gambles, he shirks his responsabilities, and is promiscuos with partners of all sexes. His father gives him an ultimatum right before he goes on his Grand Tour of Europe: conform to the norms or be disinherited from the family fortune. Knowing this is the last time he'll be able to let loose, Monty heads off to Europe with his younger sister and Percy, his best friend and hopeless crush. But the Tour doesn't turn out quite the way he hoped after a reckless decision turns everything upside down.

This is the kind of book that either charms you and drags you into it's own quirky internal logic or completely loses you, sadly I happen to be in the second camp. The plot isn't heavy in the historical accuracy, it's more of a fantasy or a Bridgertonesque alternate universe and I could have looked past that if the characters had grabbed my attention or if the plot was good. Monty is the narrator of this book and I just never liked him. He never got over himself or showed any signs of positive growth nor was he, at least, interesting. Coupled with that is the mess that was the plot. I like to think about this as everything AND the kitchen sink. This book had everything (derogatory). It had aristocrats, robbery, multiple countries, a conspiracy, alchemy, PIRATES, you name it you have it. There was never any space to breathe, to connect with the characters and their actions.

The author should have focused more on the romance. I never cared for Monty and Percy together, in fact I don't think they're good for each other. Too much of their story happened before the book, and what I saw in the plot wasn't romantic. It also rested heavily on the miscommunication trope which is one of my most hated tropes.

For me the moment that made me go yeah no was when Monty basically told biracial Percy to go act like the slaves at Versailles and how that was never really adressed. Like YIKES, that's the love interest??? In general the way race and racism was handled, or not handled tbh, in this book was questionable.

Felicity was fine as a character, even if she came across as a 21st century feminist and not an actual girl in that time period, however I have zero interest in continuing with this series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Chronic illness, Sexism, Classism, Racism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

atomicmelody's review

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Homophobia

Moderate: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse

elspethmigliore's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Chronic illness, Medical content, Gore, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Blood, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child abuse and Slavery

Minor: Abandonment and Panic attacks/disorders

hollowhallow13's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Physical abuse, Addiction, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Racism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Suicidal thoughts

komiification's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Racism

Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping

Minor: Drug use and Homophobia

littlesnowcloud's review

adventurous emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

Significantly heavier in topic than the summary blurb suggests, with a bit more magic involved than expected. A good read with good characters. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Death, Alcoholism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Racism, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Alcohol, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Infidelity

joyfulfoodie's review

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-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

5.0

I really enjoyed these characters and the historical depiction of both race issues and lgbtqia issues. It was less jarring to hear some of the arguments against being gay out of historical mouths than when you see them in modern social media posts. You can forgive their ignorance here, at a time when sexuality wasn’t really a thing and it was perceived as a sinful Choice instead of a piece of who you are. 

The characters are lovable and evolve nicely through the book.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Biphobia, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

kes_'s review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, and Chronic illness

Minor: Biphobia, Medical content, Self harm, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Suicidal thoughts