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emleemay's review against another edition
4.0
“I don’t know what you’re referencing, madam,” the chairman says, his voice raised over mine.
“I’m talking about menstruation, sir!” I shout in return.
It’s like I set the hall on fire, manifested a venomous snake from thin air, also set that snake on fire, and then threw it at the board. The men all erupt into protestations and a fair number of horrified gasps. I swear one of them actually swoons at the mention of womanly bleeding.
Lee has done it again! I must confess that I wasn't looking forward to this book as much as [b:The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue|29283884|The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Siblings, #1)|Mackenzi Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492601464s/29283884.jpg|49527118] for the simple reason that a historical romantic comedy with boys getting drunk and falling for each other seems a hard premise to top. But this hilarious feminist book about the power of friendship may actually have done just that.
Felicity Montague wants to be allowed to study medicine and become a physician, but this seems an impossible feat for an 18th-century woman. A unique opportunity arises in the form of Dr Alexander Platt, a pioneer of preventative medicine. She goes to Stuttgart where Platt is all set to marry Johanna-- an old childhood friend of Felicity's before their relationship turned sour.
What happens next is unexpected. Felicity finds herself on a journey - not with the esteemed doctor - but with Johanna and Sim, who is Algerian, Muslim, and quite possibly a swashbuckling pirate.
“Too many white men,” she replies. Ebrahim laughs. Sim doesn’t. Across the table, she meets my eyes, and some invisible string seems to tighten between us.
Lee explores important themes like racism, internalized misogyny, and colonization, but she wraps it all up in a delightful historical comedy. Felicity is somewhere between a smart badass and a socially awkward klutz, which makes her an ideal heroine to root for and relate to. Along with the two other women, she refuses to play by the rules of the man's world she lives in.
Arguably the most interesting part of the novel, which constantly lurks behind all the fun and frivolity, is the challenge to the idea of there being a "right" way to be a woman. Of course, Felicity overtly challenges this by wanting to be a doctor, but Felicity's own prejudice against "feminine" women who like dresses and make-up is also challenged. A woman can be a doctor, a woman can be a wife, a woman can like dresses, a woman can be straight, queer or asexual (as it seems Felicity is) and a woman can be a pirate... and all those are valid expressions of womanhood.
You are not a fool, you’re a fighter, and you deserve to be here. You deserve to take up space in this world.
There are many laugh-out-loud moments, usually at the expense of old white stuffy men. And there are also many heartwarming "hell yeah" moments between Felicity, Johanna and Sim-- moments that emphasize the power of women who stick together. It's easy to spend so much time laughing and enjoying the story that you don't immediately notice they've been brutally smashing the patriarchy along the way.
More, please.
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stephaniwithani's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.25
czubie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
erinkatherin's review against another edition
5.0
Haylie recommended (and given). Even better than the first!
elizareadsbooks1's review against another edition
Too many fantasy books one right after another. This is a soft dnf for now. I may try reading it physically instead of listening to it on audio.
catherine_mack's review against another edition
4.0
Another romp of an adventure from MacKenzi Lee. This one focussed on Monty’s younger sister, Felicity and the plight of women who aspired to - well, anything other than marriage. Felicity is such a great character, and the supporting cast of one old best friend and a girl pirate was also fun and inspiring. My only quibble with this book was the introduction of dragons as the treasure being chased. I was even prepared to go with it if it turned out to be something thought to be dragons but in fact an unknown yet real species like Komodo dragons. This completely fantastical element in an otherwise historical series just seemed rather out of the blue and unnecessary. It was a small but definite disappointment.
gracealicia's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.0
Similar to the first book, this is a fun romp through old timey England. Featuring bakers, pirates and a few good punches. I liked Felicity much more than her brother, yet was similarly happy to see her grow through the book. Her supporting characters were equally fun and I hope to see more of them in the third book.
angel_with_a_shotgun's review against another edition
5.0
How do i give more than 5 Stars? Loved it!
fitzzula's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
annalise_e's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5