#aggtvav

[freddos616]

me when the mc of the annoying gay book i'm reading is actually gay and annoying

[gaywriting]

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue book review

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (2017)

⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️✖️

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to go courting trouble, is all.” “We’re not courting trouble,” I say. “Flirting with it, at most.”

this book was given to me by a friend for a birthday gift years ago. i didn't get around to finishing it until July this year. i didn't think i had a lot to say about it, but this is the longest review ive made so far :P

the story follows Henry "Monty" Montague, who were born as his father's heir to the family lordship in 1700s England. Monty struggles with himself and his relationship to his abusive father, who expects him to be the perfect son, and so Monty often seeks escape in life’s easy pleasures. The only person he holds dear is his childhood friend Percy, who he is completely in love with. One summer Monty manages to convince his father to sponsor a Grand Tour around Europe. Monty is excited to spend time with Percy, while Percy is happy to be distracted from the troubles in his life. Oh, and Monty’s sister Felicity is there as well.

this book was lovely! i feel like if i had read this book when i was younger i would have completely lost my mind about it, but alas i am now an old judgemental grandma and so there were some things that didn't impress me too much, which ill speak a little about, but all in all it was a fun book, with the my fav kind of main character (V Chaotic Bisexual) and some fun adventures and interesting plotpoints. i might have gone into it thinking it was a different kind of story (mostly historical and a little vague pinning towards Percy - that's not what we got) but that's on me and tbh you'll never hear me complaining that stuff's too focused on the romance. though i feel like they tried at one point to justify everything with some sort of explainy science, which just made things a little silly in my opinion. the relationship between Monty and Percy was Very cute and there were moments that were super satisfying and lovely to read. however some things that were being said and done that just didn't sit right with me. it's hard to explain properly, since i see where Percy comes from and if this was real life i wouldn't fault him for flipping his shit over Monty's stupid antics, but this is a romance book. And i couldn't help but feel like maybe Percy were being a bit unfairly cruel and mistrusting of Monty in some parts of his points during their arguments. Monty deserved to be called out for his actions but he's also a person who are in an abused living situation and his bad way of behaving were his own way of surviving. it needs to be addressed, and i'm glad it was, but i think it needed to be done with more thought, than just Percy saying cruel untrue things to him. these idiot boys and their horrible communication skills.....

" "Why didn't you tell me?" "Because you're a wreck! Complete shambles. I've spent years chasing you around, making certain you didn't drink yourself to death or pass out in a gutter (...) you've not been yourself. Not for a while. And I couldn't have you making this worse. I'm sorry, I just couldn't." "But you didn't even give me a chance," "(p. 161) wish i could quote this whole argument, i feel like it shows my point really well

"I can't quite wrap my head around this strange reversal between us, because it is always Percy who is the sensible one and me with the feverish notions. But here he is, proposing we run away together with nothing but each other like some sort of star-crossed pair in a broadside ballet, and while my heart is ready to burst for loving him, love is not a thing you can survive on." (p. 429)

idk i do love them both and them growing to figuring out how to open up about their feelings to each other and trust each other were lovely to experience, but i also were kinda more on Monty's side on most of the arguments and i really don't think he deserved That Much shit, like he fucked up a lot but he did it sexily and handsomely so i for one forgive and forget easily. at the end when Percy apologise and Monty tells him he doesn't have anything to be sorry for i sat there like :/ he does tho... honestly i shipped Monty more with the pirate captain Scipio they befriend than with Percy. Scipio, despite his weird name and occupation, were so nice to Monty and so encouraging for him to be a better person AS WELL AS being true to himself. I read The Gentlemans Guide to Getting Lucky (won't be making a whole review on that...) and in that Mackenzi Lee specified that Monty apparently thought of Scipio as a father figure. that shouldn't be a surprise reveal i think, like that should be made obvious through dialog in the actual book.

also "abso-bloody-lutely" is used several times amd doesn't make any sense and brought me completely out of it i hate it

i didn’t dislike this book, i found the romance-y bits absolutely adorable, and Monty is my all time fav kind of character. Mackenzi Lee manages to bring the reader along a crazy adventure around the beautiful places of Europe with amazing characters and with a brilliant sense of humor. and that is why i have bought the second book, that’s Felicity’s story (helps that it's wlw), and ill get around to reading that at some point. i know there’s a third book following the Goblin as well, but we’ll see how i feel about the second book.

[loubetcha]

omfg how many mackenzi lee books are there that are like “a _’s guide to _ and _”

[inlovewithsaturn]

Oh my god the parallel "I've been shot and my blood is all over you so I ask if you're hurt" scenes between 911 and A Gentleman's guide to Vice and Virtue, one of which is a love story I mean come on

[fullmetalneverland]

"We are not broken things, neither of us. We are cracked pottery mended with lacquer and flakes of gold, whole as we are, complete unto each other. Complete and worthy and so very loved."

-Mackenzi Lee, A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

[the-song-of-fangirling]

That heartwarming and soft feeling you get when a character calls his beloved one 'Darling' and 'sweetheart' and 'baby'.

For instance, Alex calling Henry Sweetheart in Red White & Royal Blue.

And Henry calling Percy Darling like x1000 times in The Gentleman's guide to vice & virtue.

And Rhysand calling Feyre Feyre Darling in ACOTAR series.

[yaoiwizards]

Honestly Henry 'monty' montague is one of the best depictions of BPD (especially BPD in men) I have ever read even if the author didn't intend that. The impulsiveness with alcohol and sex, the intense fear of abandonment, the childhood trauma.

The plot was silly and monty wasn't always likeable but Lee's writing is really good and I see myself in Monty especially BC he wasn't always likeable and perfect.

[randomobservations4all]

AGGtVaV and ADSoM parallels

A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue:

[Percy:] “I swear, you would play the coquette with a well-upholstered sofa.”

 [Monty:] “First, I would not. And second, how handsome is this sofa?”

A Darker Shade of Magic:

“Rhy?” Kell ran a hand through his hair. “He’s … charming and spoiled, generous and fickle and hedonistic. He would flirt with a nicely upholstered chair, and he never takes anything seriously.”

------------------------------------------------------

Rhy Maresh 🤝 Henry "Monty" Montague

Would flirt with nice upholstered furniture

[piplore]

(Percy gets the braincells on alternate Thursdays)

[nicorn-pasta-alfredo]

them.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a production owned by Mackenzi Lee, and HarperCollins Publishers. This work has not been created for profit or financial compensation, and is a transformative fair use work under Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act.

[annabelle--cane]

monty: I hate richard peele

percy, grabbing his hand: no. WE hate richard peele.

[prophettedd]

the second installment to my “edd reimagines book covers” series is a gentleman’s guide to vice & virtue by mackenzi lee, one of my favorite reads for 2019. i wanted to replicate that embossed, leather-bound, classic novel aesthetic but still retain the elements on the original book cover (top hat, ship, music note, and the f-holes to represent the viola). i also added the ship’s wheel and the heart; a little nod to the panacea heavily referenced in the book.   

[gaywriting]

Bloom comic book review

Bloom by Kevin Panetta & Savanna Ganucheau (2019)

⭐️⭐️⭐️✖️✖️

i got this book as a birthday gift by a friend and finished it in one day on oct 12, 2022

the story follows young Arisotle, a boy who lives in a small seaside town and spends every free moment working in his fathers greek bakery shop. he hates it though and is very desperate to get out of the town and start his band with his friends in the big city. when his sister married off and his father getting older the pressure to take over is getting heavier on Ari's shoulders and he decides to look for a someone to take his place in the bakery. he meets Hector, a culinary student in university, who just moved in his grandma's old house, who's very into baking, and also happens to be very cute. now Ari has to figure out what his heart tells him is the right path for him. it is a cute story!! it wasn't anything out of the box, but a sweet story none the less. there were a few issues i had with the boys and the relationship though, which is why i can't say im crazy obsessed with it (it reminded me of how i ended up feeling about AGGTVAV)

in my opinion, Ari's whole character arc could have been done a lot better and left room for improvement. i love when characters have flaws and are assholes sometimes, for no reason even, as long as it gets resolved in a good way, when they've done bad. equally i don't really like some points of Hectors character either. i get that he's supposed to be the kind, patient, gentle giant but there were moments where i felt like he were acting a bit two faced and almost just as manipulatively as Ari did. when he were saying he didn't like Ari's friends i was like "is this gonna end with him forcing Ari to dump his friends???". i really didn't like that. maybe because i've had lovely friendships where there's friendly bullying. basically i wasn't feeling these two boys during the dramatic moments of their relationship. i would also have liked to have seen more of them dating, but i feel like the book ended so abruptly

basically i feel like they needed to give the boys some more time to show their love and so they can avoid coming across as slightly toxic. other than that, the baking looked delicious and there were some cute moments, though only near the end and nowhere near enough of them.. this is a story that might do good to have a little sequel or a couple more pages to really flourish other than that its a cute story with lovely art and some delicious baking (with recipes in the end!) so if that sounds like something for you then give it a go! 🇬🇷🥖💕

[jsteneil]

Monty for like all of the gentleman's guide

[crystalizedunrest]

“What are you smiling at?” “Nothing,” I say, though said smile breaks into a sudden laugh. “Only, I think it’s quite amusing that our respectable parents raised two contrary children.” Felicity grins at me in return, and then she laughs as well-a loud and distinctly unladylike sound, and I love it all the more for that.

Mackenzi Lee, A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

[fullmetalneverland]

"And I wish in that moment that I were brave. I wish to God I were. But I’m shaking and I'm terrified."

-Mackenzi Lee, A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue