theaceofpages's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-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

3.75

I'll admit that I don't read a massive amount of historical fiction. But I've heard about this one a few times so I thought I'd give it a try. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would! Monty is sent for a tour across Europe (under the watch of a chauffer of course!) after he is expelled from Eaton. While he is delighted to be joined by his long time friend (and more recent love interest) Percy (a black son of a duke who is heading off to Holland afterwards), he is less happy that his sister Felicity is being sent along before she goes to finishing school (although she would really rather be a doctor). They manage to lose their chauffer after being attacked by highwaymen and go on their own adventure, chasing the secrets hidden by an artifact Monty stole in France.  The plot felt a bit convoluted at times but overall I enjoyed the journey 

Diverse historical fiction is rare. At least in mainstream spaces. It was delightful to see some broader representation than is common. This one tackles race, sexuality, sexism and the way disorders like epilepsy were treated. I absolutely loved Felicity and her spirit. While there are definitely similarities between her and Monty, she has a compassion he lacks. Monty however... Yeah. He was a bit of a self centred jerk. I do appreciate that he started to mature towards the end and look beyond his own feelings and desires. 



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sxndaze's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.0

a fun action-packed romance! the growth monty experiences is lovely and the relationships he develops are satisfying to read.

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thegezzell's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny tense 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

4.5

For fans of 1700's fare, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue has everything a puffy pirate shirt wearing son of a lord might desire. Big cities, treasure, pirates, kidnappings, escapes, and yes, even true love. This is a kissing book. 

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valerian_honeybee's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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


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rileyswan's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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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puravs's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

I'd say it good for teens who want to get into reading. It was a bit cringe and predictable for me but overall not bad 

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katie0528's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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

5.0

A fun adventure following Monty, the rakeish bisexual son of a lord, his younger sister Felicity, who wishes to become a physician, and Percy, Monty's Black best friend who he is desperately in love with. The trio set out on a Grand Tour of Europe but it doesn't take Monty to make an enemy of one of the most powerful men in France who chases them across the continent. There are touches of magic in this novel which I didn't expect at first.

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anntharai's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

So much more than a romp accross Europe with forbidden love the goal. I loved this book start ro finish. It's ridiculous and awkward and it ends perfectly. 

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sunflower7skull's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

this book was so well written. usually i don't like historical dramas bit this ripped my heart out (burned it) and put it back in again. simply beautiful

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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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