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

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

At first, this looks like it's going to be a love story between a young, privileged 18th century earl who enjoys booze, gambling, and sleeping with pretty people (regardless of gender) and his slightly more sober half-Black best friend. It turns out that's only part of a tale that also includes running naked through the gardens of Versaille, highwaymen, pirates who aren't pirates, alchemy, and mysterious legends. And a love story. I grew to like the characters more and more as the book went on, though some of the secondary characters (pirates!) were great from the get-go. I was surprised by how much of a wild adventure story this was! Having read the second book right after, I do like the second one better. The eighteenth century queer dandy/pirates/alchemical mysteries genre is not one I ever expected to find, but I'm ready for more.
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