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whatjackiereads 's review for:
The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy
by Mackenzi Lee
3/5 stars
"I have spent so long building up my fortress and learning to tend it alone, because if I didn't feel I needed anyone, then I wouldn't miss them if they weren't there. I couldn't be neglected if I was everything to myself."
This book is not necessarily a sequel, but more of a companion novel, to [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]. I really enjoyed Gentleman's Guide, and thought it was such a fun read, so I committed to reading this book, too. Here, we primarily follow Felicity (Monty's sister) as she fights for the chance to train as a doctor, runs away from England, and gets swept up into a conspiracy around a map, magical creatures, and a slew of pirates.
I can't quite tell what it is, to be honest, that didn't create the same magic here than I felt was present in Gentleman's Guide. I definitely didn't like Felicity as much as I liked Monty and Percy, but she grew on me later in the book as I got used to her and as she learned and changed some of her habits that annoyed me (like being critical of women who thought differently than her, which was really annoying but ended up being a learning moment for both the character and the reader).
The plot is what detracted the most, I think, from my enjoyment of this book. It was definitely entertaining, but not nearly as fun, surprising, or fast-paced as I'd hoped it would be. It had promise, though, and I liked this book for the most part. I read it in just a couple of sittings, so it wasn't necessarily boring. I think I just set my hopes really high and was disappointed. That being said, I think this just could have used a bit more of what was advertised- the pirates came into the story quite late, we only actually meet two magical creatures, and most of the book takes place in Europe when it could have introduced readers more thoroughly to Northern Africa, where I'd hoped the characters would spend much more time.
I did really appreciate the representation, though! Felicity is at least, possibly, asexual, and seemed to me that she could also be on the spectrum? Either way, I respect Mackenzi Lee's efforts to include characters that don't do what's expected, and are themselves without it affecting the plot. People who aren't straight or are otherwise "different" lead normal lives and do normal things, so I liked that that was reflected here.
Overall, this was a fun read, but fell a little short, mostly because I was comparing it to the first book the entire time. I think it could have been a bit more whimsical, because it had all the ingredients to be. But I appreciate the great writing (I marked so many passages!) and the representation, both of historical women and of the variables that made them just as unique as women are today.
"I am a girl of steady hands, stout heart, and every book I have ever read."
"I do not want to know things. I want to understand things. I want to answer every question ever posed me. I want to leave no room for anyone to doubt me."
---------------
We've really been blessed by some gorgeous covers lately, including this one.
"I have spent so long building up my fortress and learning to tend it alone, because if I didn't feel I needed anyone, then I wouldn't miss them if they weren't there. I couldn't be neglected if I was everything to myself."
This book is not necessarily a sequel, but more of a companion novel, to [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]. I really enjoyed Gentleman's Guide, and thought it was such a fun read, so I committed to reading this book, too. Here, we primarily follow Felicity (Monty's sister) as she fights for the chance to train as a doctor, runs away from England, and gets swept up into a conspiracy around a map, magical creatures, and a slew of pirates.
I can't quite tell what it is, to be honest, that didn't create the same magic here than I felt was present in Gentleman's Guide. I definitely didn't like Felicity as much as I liked Monty and Percy, but she grew on me later in the book as I got used to her and as she learned and changed some of her habits that annoyed me (like being critical of women who thought differently than her, which was really annoying but ended up being a learning moment for both the character and the reader).
The plot is what detracted the most, I think, from my enjoyment of this book. It was definitely entertaining, but not nearly as fun, surprising, or fast-paced as I'd hoped it would be. It had promise, though, and I liked this book for the most part. I read it in just a couple of sittings, so it wasn't necessarily boring. I think I just set my hopes really high and was disappointed. That being said, I think this just could have used a bit more of what was advertised- the pirates came into the story quite late, we only actually meet two magical creatures, and most of the book takes place in Europe when it could have introduced readers more thoroughly to Northern Africa, where I'd hoped the characters would spend much more time.
I did really appreciate the representation, though! Felicity is at least, possibly, asexual, and seemed to me that she could also be on the spectrum? Either way, I respect Mackenzi Lee's efforts to include characters that don't do what's expected, and are themselves without it affecting the plot. People who aren't straight or are otherwise "different" lead normal lives and do normal things, so I liked that that was reflected here.
Overall, this was a fun read, but fell a little short, mostly because I was comparing it to the first book the entire time. I think it could have been a bit more whimsical, because it had all the ingredients to be. But I appreciate the great writing (I marked so many passages!) and the representation, both of historical women and of the variables that made them just as unique as women are today.
"I am a girl of steady hands, stout heart, and every book I have ever read."
"I do not want to know things. I want to understand things. I want to answer every question ever posed me. I want to leave no room for anyone to doubt me."
---------------
We've really been blessed by some gorgeous covers lately, including this one.