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Montague Siblings #3
The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks
Return to the enchanting world of the Montague siblings in the finale to the New York Times best-selling and Stonewall Honor-winning series, featuring a teenage Adrian Montague as he desperately seeks the now adult Monty and Felicity - the older siblings he never knew he had.
Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren’t battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother’s unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.
When a newly found keepsake of hers - a piece of a broken spyglass - comes into Adrian’s possession, he’s thrust into the past and finds himself face-to-face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry “Monty” Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.
In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.
©2020 Mackenzi Lee (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged to an activist who challenges and inspires him. But most young Lords aren’t battling the debilitating anxiety Adrian secretly lives with, or the growing fear that it might consume him and all he hopes to accomplish. In the wake of his mother’s unexpected death, Adrian is also concerned people will find out that he has the mental illness she struggled with for years.
When a newly found keepsake of hers - a piece of a broken spyglass - comes into Adrian’s possession, he’s thrust into the past and finds himself face-to-face with an older brother he never knew he had. Henry “Monty” Montague has been living quietly in London for years, and his sudden appearance sends Adrian on a quest to unravel family secrets that only the spyglass can answer.
In pursuit of answers about the relic, the brothers chart a course to locate their sister Felicity. But as they travel between the pirate courts of Rabat, Portuguese islands, the canals of Amsterdam, and into unknown Artic waters, the Montague siblings are thrown into one final adventure as they face a ghostly legend that threatens their whole family.
©2020 Mackenzi Lee (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
15 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 16, 2021
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Mackenzi Lee
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February 28, 2022
THE GOBLINS GETTING A BOOK WHAT
July 5, 2026
I’m on BookTube now! =)
”And now, here I am, with a brother who didn’t want to be found and a truth I can’t unknow. No matter what happens, from this moment, nothing will ever be the same.”
Adrian really had no idea how much his life would change after meeting the chaotic mess that’s his brother Monty! *lol* Then again nothing can prepare you for two siblings like Monty and Felicity! They are quite something and poor Adrian never even knew they existed. I honestly can’t believe his parents never told him about them. I mean, how do you even keep your children a secret for almost 20 years? That’s brutal and I’m not surprised Monty and Felicity never felt a need to return. With parents like that you don’t need enemies. But I’m getting ahead of myself here so let’s start slowly and write a proper review!
As I already said this book plays about 20 years after Felicity and Monty left, so there passed a lot of time and everything we knew to be true seems to have changed! Interestingly enough Monty is actually the sibling who isn’t in trouble and leading a more or less normal life! Felicity? Well, the same can’t be said about her but I’ll talk about this in my spoiler section. ;-P Anyway, the little “Goblin” got older, grew up and is supposed to inherit his father’s estate. The only problem is that he’s been secretly fighting anxiety for years and now that his mother died it seems to be getting worse and worse. In the wake of her unexpected death Adrian finds a mysterious broken spyglass that leads him straight to a brother he never knew existed and, on a quest, to find their lost sister! Talk about a chain reaction of unexpected events!
Well, and the rest is the plot of “The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwreck”! I really enjoyed this story because Adrian as a main character was very refreshing and it was so nice to see Monty and Felicity again. Also the anxiety and grief rep, found family trope (actual found family I might add!) and all the other cameos we got, made this such an adventure and I was so here for it! I’m sad this is the last book of the series but it’s also nice to know how it all ends! =) Anyway! Let’s move to my character section because I need to talk about a couple of things! ;-)
The characters:
Welcome aboard my ship named “Character section” on which I’ll talk about everything character related! There will be spoilers ahead so please make sure to leave my ship and to get to safe shores before I spoil you for this book! Thank you!
Adrian Montague:
”I’m always cold. I’m cold in the middle of summer. I’m cold even though I’ve sweated through my shirt. Since I was young, my father has told me I’m too thin, my appetite overly affected by my moods.”
Adrian was really going through it in this story! I felt so sorry for him and it made me very sad to know that he was so brilliant and amazing but just couldn’t seem to be able to see it himself. His anxiety and OCD (I think he had it even though it was never discussed directly) made it so hard for him to be a part of society and the pressure of his father certainly didn’t help. At the beginning of the book, he’s basically a grieving ball of anxiety and I felt so sorry for him. Apparently, his mum acted as a buffer between him and his father for years and when she was suddenly gone, he was forced to work through the fallout himself while grieving her loss. I’m so glad he always had Louisa at his side and that he found Monty and Felicity as well. I think knowing that his siblings didn’t always get it right too, did a lot to help him understand and accept himself. Adrian was such a clever and precious bean! I want him to have a happy life and I’m glad that he stood up for himself whenever it mattered. <333
”It doesn’t matter what this stranger thinks of me. It does. It doesn’t. I wish it didn’t. Why does it? It doesn’t. It shouldn’t. It does.”
"No one told me!" I say. "No one has ever said a word about you! Just because you're an ass who never gave a fig about me, doesn't mean I am too."
”I want to belong to myself. I want to stop feeling worthless and pointless and hopeless and less, less, less than everyone else around me. I want to live, not just survive, and fill myself up with all the people who have loved me into this moment and this man. I want to believe I am good and kind and clever and worthy with as much conviction as I have believed the opposites.”
Monty:
”You can’t see people treated that way and then sit by and do nothing,” I finish. “And yet so many men do,” Monty replies. “That’s a bold stand to take against your father’s work. What does he think of you burning his legacy of charity to the ground?” “The workhouse system doesn’t give a fig about charity,” I reply hotly, then add, “He doesn’t know.”
Monty was so great in this book! I mean, yes, I admit it, at the beginning he made me angry because he treated Adrian so badly, but he came around in the end and when it mattered, he was there for his siblings! Monty really came such a long way from the first book and it’s so nice to see how he developed and grew. It must have been tough to realize that your own parents never told your baby brother about you and your sister. So, I’m not surprised it took him a little while to wrap his mind around this news. As always Percy was the voice of reason and helped Monty to understand his brother which kind of paved the way for their relationship. Since Monty suffered from anxiety, PTSD and depression as well, I think he could relate to Adrian once he got to know him better and their honest conversations really seemed to help Adrian find his way. It was so nice to see Percy in the role of a big brother and he grew into it with time! <3 It was a side we didn’t get to see with Felicity all too often and that made it even more precious in this book.
”It’s never gone away. Some days it’s so hard to believe anyone wants to be around me, I can’t get out of bed. It’s so goddamn frustrating to feel as though no matter what you do or how charmed your life is, you’ll never be able to shake the shadow. Sometimes the only way I feel I can define myself is by the darkness. I understand what it feels like to feel you’ll never see the sun again. But you can learn to see in the dark. Or, if not, you trust that night doesn’t last forever.”
“I’m a lost cause.”
“You’re not, though,” Monty says. “You’re doing so much better than you think you are. Believe me, as an expert on lost causes, you’re not. You might be in the thick of it now, but that doesn’t mean it will always be like this.” He reaches out and takes my hand in his, unwrapping my fingers from their strangling fist and pushing his thumb gently into my palm until the crescents from my nails fade. “You’re going to come out the other side. Maybe not today. But you will.”
Montague senior:
"Take a breath."
"I can't."
"Goddammit, stop that!" He slams his hand against the desk, so hard that the inkwell jumps in its stand.
I just wrote “Montague senior” because I have no idea how he is called, but considering how badly he treated his children I also – to say it with Adrian’s words – don’t give a fig about finding out. We’ll just go with Montague senior and leave it at that. Seriously, you’d think he got a chance to make it better with his third child, but he still didn’t use it and hurt Adrian instead. Ugh! Incorrigible, ruthless and abusive ass! All the trauma he caused his children. T_T It’s no surprise none of them wants to talk to him and he’s going to die a lonely and quiet death. I honestly can’t bring myself to feel any compassion for him and neither should his kids. As harsh as it sounds, it’s better they never ever talk to him again. He did enough harm and shouldn’t be given a chance to cause even more. Period.
”Adrian,” Monty finally prompts, and when I still don’t say anything or move, he adds, “Are you going to look at me?”
I laugh without thinking. “You sound like Father.”
Monty pivots sharply from me, shoulders rising. I swallow.
The relationships & ships:
Adrian & Louisa Davies:
"I will write," I say, raising our cupped hands to my mouth to kiss the words onto her knuckles, "a declaration in support of the silk weavers' riots, and that stricter tariffs on foreign-made cloth are necessary to combat the growing overseas competition and maintain workers' rights amid industrialization."
"God, you have no idea how attracted I am to you right now."
Louisa might have been only a short part of the book but I personally loved that she existed! She’s not only Adrian’s fiancée but also very supportive of him and his work and I loved her for that alone! Their relationship was amazing and the way they trusted each other was just beautiful. Get yourself a woman like Louisa that allows you to go on a quest to find your lost siblings and fight through your grief while trusting you to always do the right thing! Them being faithful to each other and having such a solid relationship was extremely refreshing and I loved that for them!
Adrian & Monty:
He jumps in surprise. I saw him coming, but still flinch for no other reason than that my body is so overwrought that a stray dust mote would have caused me to piss myself. My hands fly up involuntarily, like I’m ready to defend myself from him.
It’s far more exaggerated than such a small start has the right to be, but Monty pulls back at once. He raises his own hands, like he’s approaching a wild animal, and oh God, I feel wild.
To say their first meeting didn’t go all that well would be an understatement! Those two really got off on the wrong foot and it took them a little while to open up to each other and to allow their relationship some room to grow. But once they did it was really beautiful to see them interact. I think from the moment Monty realized that Adrian was abused by their father too, he just couldn’t hate him anymore. It basically made it impossible to be angry at him and they inadvertently bonded over their shared grief. I can’t believe we came from Monty being angry at Adrian to the last quote of him telling him how brilliant and good he is! T_T Their relationship was so precious and I loved Monty for telling Adrian exactly what he needed to hear. Monty became more of a big brother/father figure to Adrian than their true father ever was and this made their bond so meaningful and pure. With their age difference Monty actually could have been his father I suppose. XD Some of their scenes caused me to wipe my eyes and totally fine with that. <3
”God. Liberal political pamphlets." He looks me up and down with that same sly smile as before, but this time it feels like I'm in on the joke. "I didn't think you'de be a hellion." He leans backward against the hatch, letting his hat fall over his face once more. "Careful," he says from beneath it, "or I might start liking you after all."
Monty grabs me and lowers me down until we are both kneeling on the deck. "It's all right," I hear him say, one hand under my elbow, the other still cupped around my neck. My face is against his shoulder and I can't stop shaking. "It's all right, you're all right."
”I don’t know what your mind tells you, and I know that no matter what I say you likely won’t believe it – can’t believe it – but I still want you to hear it.” He reaches out and takes my hands, my palms together and his on either side of them. His forehead is nearly touching mine. “You are so young, and you are so brilliant, and you are so good, Adrian. You’re so much more of everything than you think you are.”
Adrian & Felicity:
"Oh. Yes." I brush my face self-consciously, but she smiles and I realize she has the same, but on the opposite cheek. My sister and I, our faces a closed set of parentheses.
Then, suddenly, she’s hugging me.
I knew Felicity would welcome her younger brother with open arms but to find out she was in more trouble than Monty truly came as a surprise! *lol* I never thought I’d see the day on which Felicity Montague was living on an island but apparently, she ended up in some sort of exile after things with Sim went sideways and Felicity was blamed. (If I remember this correctly, it’s been a while.) Still, despite living her life mostly alone Felicity paved a way for herself and seemed to be content. Her relationship with Adrian was off to a better start than with Monty but it still started a little bit rocky. *lol* I really liked those two together and Felicity was certainly more approachable than Monty and helped Adrian understand his thoughts and himself. XD
"Felicity Primrose Montague!" I exclaim.
Monty throws back his head and laughs. Felicity rolls her eyes. "Oh good, now there are two of you."
"You're incredible," I say to her.
She looks down at her hands, color rising in her cheeks. "That's very kind, thank you.”
The grief & anxiety rep:
”You can imagine the funeral, or arrangements or how someone might go, but beyond that, I don’t think there’s any way to really imagine a life without someone you love until it happens to you. Until it happens, it’s hard to believe that things really die.”
In my opinion both representations were handled very well and with a lot of care. No matter if it was the grief rep that knocked the wind out of Adrian’s lungs whenever he thought about his mum or the anxiety rep when he was so paralyzed by his own thoughts that he couldn’t even move, both of those reps were done so well. To read about how Adrian spiralled and how desperate he was not to allow it to happen hit hard and I felt so much for him. His entire life he thought there was something wrong with him and that he had to fight it in order to be a functioning part of society, but then he finds Felicity and Monty and they put everything into perspective. They show him a way to cope with his anxiety rather than to supress it and they give him hope. With their help Adrian realizes that he needs to acknowledge his anxiety in order to be able to deal with it and he finds healthy ways to handle his attacks. The book didn’t end with him being magically healed, but it ended with him knowing what he’s suffering from and which tools to use in order to make it better, which is amazing in and by itself. I adored the way Mackenzi Lee addressed this important topic and the anxiety rep felt visceral and real.
”Though I’ve devoted many sleepless nights since youth to anxiously concocting scenarios in which the people I love died and I was left alone, it’s only now she’s gone that I realize I was afraid of the wrong thing. It’s not the moment the world splits in two, it’s all the days after, trying to live a cleaved life and pretend you never knew it whole and don’t feel the space of that missing piece that can never be repaired or replaced. Even the best facsimiles fall short.”
”I stop several times along the mountain path, trying in vain to make myself vomit. I’m starting to feel sicker – actually sick, not just worried. I’m too hot, and my sweat is starting to feel clammy. The air feels like soup, thick and impossible to breathe. Why did I drink the water and why can’t I get it out of me? I want to turn myself inside out. I want to drain my body dry and start again.”
Conclusion:
I think of all the books in the “Montague Siblings” series this was one of my favourites, because it didn’t just give me all the nostalgic feelings with the cameos of Felicity, Monty, Percy and their friends, but it also was very adventurous! “The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks” wasn’t about a set path or a straight plot line, it was more about the detours of life and where they lead you and I appreciated this immensely. Some might say it was all over the place, I say it was true to life and all it’s crazy turns. ;-) Add to that a healthy dose of precious sibling relationships, a great grief and anxiety rep, queer characters and a mysterious broken spyglass and you have one hell of a fun ride! I loved it!
”It’s a serial; you never have to finish.” I butt my head against his. A gently insistent ram. “Well done, Monty.”
“Seconded,” Felicity adds, and I feel her squeeze my shoulder. “Well done.”
Monty smiles for a moment, then plants his face in my shoulder. “Stop it, I’m going to cry again. Let’s dance.” It’s not much of a dance, as there are three of us, and none are very good at it. Instead, we just put our arms around each other and sway to the music.
________________________________
I almost forgot how much I loved the Montague siblings. XD
Adrian is such a great addition to the family and his anxiety rep felt so tangible and real. Poor boy, though. At first Monty didn’t make it easy for him, but I kinda lived and breathed for the developing family bonds. <33
Full RTC soon! Might take a little while since the Easter holidays are coming up. ;-)
_________________________________
Well, I already said it all in 2019 when I found out this book exists.
So I've nothing to add except of: I'll be reading this now and I'm so ready!
Let's see if it will live up to my expectations! *lol*
_________________________
THERE IS A THIRD SIBLING NAMED ADRIAN?!!!??
Oh, wait! Is this the little baby brother that was mentioned in the first book (the Gremlin?)?!
- Revived sibling relationships
- Monty & Felicity (not to mention Percy)
- The Caribbean (Barbados & New Orleans)
- grief and mental breakdown rep
Take.
All.
My.
Money!!!
You can bet your panties that I'm going to read this one! XD
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”And now, here I am, with a brother who didn’t want to be found and a truth I can’t unknow. No matter what happens, from this moment, nothing will ever be the same.”
Adrian really had no idea how much his life would change after meeting the chaotic mess that’s his brother Monty! *lol* Then again nothing can prepare you for two siblings like Monty and Felicity! They are quite something and poor Adrian never even knew they existed. I honestly can’t believe his parents never told him about them. I mean, how do you even keep your children a secret for almost 20 years? That’s brutal and I’m not surprised Monty and Felicity never felt a need to return. With parents like that you don’t need enemies. But I’m getting ahead of myself here so let’s start slowly and write a proper review!
As I already said this book plays about 20 years after Felicity and Monty left, so there passed a lot of time and everything we knew to be true seems to have changed! Interestingly enough Monty is actually the sibling who isn’t in trouble and leading a more or less normal life! Felicity? Well, the same can’t be said about her but I’ll talk about this in my spoiler section. ;-P Anyway, the little “Goblin” got older, grew up and is supposed to inherit his father’s estate. The only problem is that he’s been secretly fighting anxiety for years and now that his mother died it seems to be getting worse and worse. In the wake of her unexpected death Adrian finds a mysterious broken spyglass that leads him straight to a brother he never knew existed and, on a quest, to find their lost sister! Talk about a chain reaction of unexpected events!
Well, and the rest is the plot of “The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwreck”! I really enjoyed this story because Adrian as a main character was very refreshing and it was so nice to see Monty and Felicity again. Also the anxiety and grief rep, found family trope (actual found family I might add!) and all the other cameos we got, made this such an adventure and I was so here for it! I’m sad this is the last book of the series but it’s also nice to know how it all ends! =) Anyway! Let’s move to my character section because I need to talk about a couple of things! ;-)
The characters:
Welcome aboard my ship named “Character section” on which I’ll talk about everything character related! There will be spoilers ahead so please make sure to leave my ship and to get to safe shores before I spoil you for this book! Thank you!
Adrian Montague:
”I’m always cold. I’m cold in the middle of summer. I’m cold even though I’ve sweated through my shirt. Since I was young, my father has told me I’m too thin, my appetite overly affected by my moods.”
Adrian was really going through it in this story! I felt so sorry for him and it made me very sad to know that he was so brilliant and amazing but just couldn’t seem to be able to see it himself. His anxiety and OCD (I think he had it even though it was never discussed directly) made it so hard for him to be a part of society and the pressure of his father certainly didn’t help. At the beginning of the book, he’s basically a grieving ball of anxiety and I felt so sorry for him. Apparently, his mum acted as a buffer between him and his father for years and when she was suddenly gone, he was forced to work through the fallout himself while grieving her loss. I’m so glad he always had Louisa at his side and that he found Monty and Felicity as well. I think knowing that his siblings didn’t always get it right too, did a lot to help him understand and accept himself. Adrian was such a clever and precious bean! I want him to have a happy life and I’m glad that he stood up for himself whenever it mattered. <333
”It doesn’t matter what this stranger thinks of me. It does. It doesn’t. I wish it didn’t. Why does it? It doesn’t. It shouldn’t. It does.”
"No one told me!" I say. "No one has ever said a word about you! Just because you're an ass who never gave a fig about me, doesn't mean I am too."
”I want to belong to myself. I want to stop feeling worthless and pointless and hopeless and less, less, less than everyone else around me. I want to live, not just survive, and fill myself up with all the people who have loved me into this moment and this man. I want to believe I am good and kind and clever and worthy with as much conviction as I have believed the opposites.”
Monty:
”You can’t see people treated that way and then sit by and do nothing,” I finish. “And yet so many men do,” Monty replies. “That’s a bold stand to take against your father’s work. What does he think of you burning his legacy of charity to the ground?” “The workhouse system doesn’t give a fig about charity,” I reply hotly, then add, “He doesn’t know.”
Monty was so great in this book! I mean, yes, I admit it, at the beginning he made me angry because he treated Adrian so badly, but he came around in the end and when it mattered, he was there for his siblings! Monty really came such a long way from the first book and it’s so nice to see how he developed and grew. It must have been tough to realize that your own parents never told your baby brother about you and your sister. So, I’m not surprised it took him a little while to wrap his mind around this news. As always Percy was the voice of reason and helped Monty to understand his brother which kind of paved the way for their relationship. Since Monty suffered from anxiety, PTSD and depression as well, I think he could relate to Adrian once he got to know him better and their honest conversations really seemed to help Adrian find his way. It was so nice to see Percy in the role of a big brother and he grew into it with time! <3 It was a side we didn’t get to see with Felicity all too often and that made it even more precious in this book.
”It’s never gone away. Some days it’s so hard to believe anyone wants to be around me, I can’t get out of bed. It’s so goddamn frustrating to feel as though no matter what you do or how charmed your life is, you’ll never be able to shake the shadow. Sometimes the only way I feel I can define myself is by the darkness. I understand what it feels like to feel you’ll never see the sun again. But you can learn to see in the dark. Or, if not, you trust that night doesn’t last forever.”
“I’m a lost cause.”
“You’re not, though,” Monty says. “You’re doing so much better than you think you are. Believe me, as an expert on lost causes, you’re not. You might be in the thick of it now, but that doesn’t mean it will always be like this.” He reaches out and takes my hand in his, unwrapping my fingers from their strangling fist and pushing his thumb gently into my palm until the crescents from my nails fade. “You’re going to come out the other side. Maybe not today. But you will.”
Montague senior:
"Take a breath."
"I can't."
"Goddammit, stop that!" He slams his hand against the desk, so hard that the inkwell jumps in its stand.
I just wrote “Montague senior” because I have no idea how he is called, but considering how badly he treated his children I also – to say it with Adrian’s words – don’t give a fig about finding out. We’ll just go with Montague senior and leave it at that. Seriously, you’d think he got a chance to make it better with his third child, but he still didn’t use it and hurt Adrian instead. Ugh! Incorrigible, ruthless and abusive ass! All the trauma he caused his children. T_T It’s no surprise none of them wants to talk to him and he’s going to die a lonely and quiet death. I honestly can’t bring myself to feel any compassion for him and neither should his kids. As harsh as it sounds, it’s better they never ever talk to him again. He did enough harm and shouldn’t be given a chance to cause even more. Period.
”Adrian,” Monty finally prompts, and when I still don’t say anything or move, he adds, “Are you going to look at me?”
I laugh without thinking. “You sound like Father.”
Monty pivots sharply from me, shoulders rising. I swallow.
The relationships & ships:
Adrian & Louisa Davies:
"I will write," I say, raising our cupped hands to my mouth to kiss the words onto her knuckles, "a declaration in support of the silk weavers' riots, and that stricter tariffs on foreign-made cloth are necessary to combat the growing overseas competition and maintain workers' rights amid industrialization."
"God, you have no idea how attracted I am to you right now."
Louisa might have been only a short part of the book but I personally loved that she existed! She’s not only Adrian’s fiancée but also very supportive of him and his work and I loved her for that alone! Their relationship was amazing and the way they trusted each other was just beautiful. Get yourself a woman like Louisa that allows you to go on a quest to find your lost siblings and fight through your grief while trusting you to always do the right thing! Them being faithful to each other and having such a solid relationship was extremely refreshing and I loved that for them!
Adrian & Monty:
He jumps in surprise. I saw him coming, but still flinch for no other reason than that my body is so overwrought that a stray dust mote would have caused me to piss myself. My hands fly up involuntarily, like I’m ready to defend myself from him.
It’s far more exaggerated than such a small start has the right to be, but Monty pulls back at once. He raises his own hands, like he’s approaching a wild animal, and oh God, I feel wild.
To say their first meeting didn’t go all that well would be an understatement! Those two really got off on the wrong foot and it took them a little while to open up to each other and to allow their relationship some room to grow. But once they did it was really beautiful to see them interact. I think from the moment Monty realized that Adrian was abused by their father too, he just couldn’t hate him anymore. It basically made it impossible to be angry at him and they inadvertently bonded over their shared grief. I can’t believe we came from Monty being angry at Adrian to the last quote of him telling him how brilliant and good he is! T_T Their relationship was so precious and I loved Monty for telling Adrian exactly what he needed to hear. Monty became more of a big brother/father figure to Adrian than their true father ever was and this made their bond so meaningful and pure. With their age difference Monty actually could have been his father I suppose. XD Some of their scenes caused me to wipe my eyes and totally fine with that. <3
”God. Liberal political pamphlets." He looks me up and down with that same sly smile as before, but this time it feels like I'm in on the joke. "I didn't think you'de be a hellion." He leans backward against the hatch, letting his hat fall over his face once more. "Careful," he says from beneath it, "or I might start liking you after all."
Monty grabs me and lowers me down until we are both kneeling on the deck. "It's all right," I hear him say, one hand under my elbow, the other still cupped around my neck. My face is against his shoulder and I can't stop shaking. "It's all right, you're all right."
”I don’t know what your mind tells you, and I know that no matter what I say you likely won’t believe it – can’t believe it – but I still want you to hear it.” He reaches out and takes my hands, my palms together and his on either side of them. His forehead is nearly touching mine. “You are so young, and you are so brilliant, and you are so good, Adrian. You’re so much more of everything than you think you are.”
Adrian & Felicity:
"Oh. Yes." I brush my face self-consciously, but she smiles and I realize she has the same, but on the opposite cheek. My sister and I, our faces a closed set of parentheses.
Then, suddenly, she’s hugging me.
I knew Felicity would welcome her younger brother with open arms but to find out she was in more trouble than Monty truly came as a surprise! *lol* I never thought I’d see the day on which Felicity Montague was living on an island but apparently, she ended up in some sort of exile after things with Sim went sideways and Felicity was blamed. (If I remember this correctly, it’s been a while.) Still, despite living her life mostly alone Felicity paved a way for herself and seemed to be content. Her relationship with Adrian was off to a better start than with Monty but it still started a little bit rocky. *lol* I really liked those two together and Felicity was certainly more approachable than Monty and helped Adrian understand his thoughts and himself. XD
"Felicity Primrose Montague!" I exclaim.
Monty throws back his head and laughs. Felicity rolls her eyes. "Oh good, now there are two of you."
"You're incredible," I say to her.
She looks down at her hands, color rising in her cheeks. "That's very kind, thank you.”
The grief & anxiety rep:
”You can imagine the funeral, or arrangements or how someone might go, but beyond that, I don’t think there’s any way to really imagine a life without someone you love until it happens to you. Until it happens, it’s hard to believe that things really die.”
In my opinion both representations were handled very well and with a lot of care. No matter if it was the grief rep that knocked the wind out of Adrian’s lungs whenever he thought about his mum or the anxiety rep when he was so paralyzed by his own thoughts that he couldn’t even move, both of those reps were done so well. To read about how Adrian spiralled and how desperate he was not to allow it to happen hit hard and I felt so much for him. His entire life he thought there was something wrong with him and that he had to fight it in order to be a functioning part of society, but then he finds Felicity and Monty and they put everything into perspective. They show him a way to cope with his anxiety rather than to supress it and they give him hope. With their help Adrian realizes that he needs to acknowledge his anxiety in order to be able to deal with it and he finds healthy ways to handle his attacks. The book didn’t end with him being magically healed, but it ended with him knowing what he’s suffering from and which tools to use in order to make it better, which is amazing in and by itself. I adored the way Mackenzi Lee addressed this important topic and the anxiety rep felt visceral and real.
”Though I’ve devoted many sleepless nights since youth to anxiously concocting scenarios in which the people I love died and I was left alone, it’s only now she’s gone that I realize I was afraid of the wrong thing. It’s not the moment the world splits in two, it’s all the days after, trying to live a cleaved life and pretend you never knew it whole and don’t feel the space of that missing piece that can never be repaired or replaced. Even the best facsimiles fall short.”
”I stop several times along the mountain path, trying in vain to make myself vomit. I’m starting to feel sicker – actually sick, not just worried. I’m too hot, and my sweat is starting to feel clammy. The air feels like soup, thick and impossible to breathe. Why did I drink the water and why can’t I get it out of me? I want to turn myself inside out. I want to drain my body dry and start again.”
Conclusion:
I think of all the books in the “Montague Siblings” series this was one of my favourites, because it didn’t just give me all the nostalgic feelings with the cameos of Felicity, Monty, Percy and their friends, but it also was very adventurous! “The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks” wasn’t about a set path or a straight plot line, it was more about the detours of life and where they lead you and I appreciated this immensely. Some might say it was all over the place, I say it was true to life and all it’s crazy turns. ;-) Add to that a healthy dose of precious sibling relationships, a great grief and anxiety rep, queer characters and a mysterious broken spyglass and you have one hell of a fun ride! I loved it!
”It’s a serial; you never have to finish.” I butt my head against his. A gently insistent ram. “Well done, Monty.”
“Seconded,” Felicity adds, and I feel her squeeze my shoulder. “Well done.”
Monty smiles for a moment, then plants his face in my shoulder. “Stop it, I’m going to cry again. Let’s dance.” It’s not much of a dance, as there are three of us, and none are very good at it. Instead, we just put our arms around each other and sway to the music.
________________________________
I almost forgot how much I loved the Montague siblings. XD
Adrian is such a great addition to the family and his anxiety rep felt so tangible and real. Poor boy, though. At first Monty didn’t make it easy for him, but I kinda lived and breathed for the developing family bonds. <33
Full RTC soon! Might take a little while since the Easter holidays are coming up. ;-)
_________________________________
Well, I already said it all in 2019 when I found out this book exists.
So I've nothing to add except of: I'll be reading this now and I'm so ready!
Let's see if it will live up to my expectations! *lol*
_________________________
THERE IS A THIRD SIBLING NAMED ADRIAN?!!!??
Oh, wait! Is this the little baby brother that was mentioned in the first book (the Gremlin?)?!
- Revived sibling relationships
- Monty & Felicity (not to mention Percy)
- The Caribbean (Barbados & New Orleans)
- grief and mental breakdown rep
Take.
All.
My.
Money!!!
You can bet your panties that I'm going to read this one! XD
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November 20, 2021
a nice addition to the series and it was fun to be back in the world of the montague siblings, but this is probably the weakest book in the series.
i like how each of the books focus on the growth/development of the characters - ive always found their personal journeys of self-acceptance to be just as rewarding as the high-seas pirate adventures they go on, and this one is no exception. i think adrian is a great character and one i know many readers will be able to relate to when it comes to mental illness.
the thing is this installment takes place nearly 20 years after the first two books, and yet monty and felicity do not act like they are near 40 years old. honestly, all three siblings act like teenagers/similar ages and it was near impossible to imagine monty and felicity as adults. i just thought it was very odd characterisation that didnt match up with the correct ages/timeline. the narrative is also really drawn out and slow, with not much happening, which i found to be surprising for a 400+ page book. this honestly has major novella vibes, where the purpose is just to check-in with the characters, rather than plot-based story progression.
but if you love these characters, i dont think you will mind these things. i think i just had such high expectations from the first two books that this disappointed me a little bit. but again, it was fun to be back in this series and to see the little goblin all grown up. :')
↠ 3.5 stars
i like how each of the books focus on the growth/development of the characters - ive always found their personal journeys of self-acceptance to be just as rewarding as the high-seas pirate adventures they go on, and this one is no exception. i think adrian is a great character and one i know many readers will be able to relate to when it comes to mental illness.
the thing is this installment takes place nearly 20 years after the first two books, and yet monty and felicity do not act like they are near 40 years old. honestly, all three siblings act like teenagers/similar ages and it was near impossible to imagine monty and felicity as adults. i just thought it was very odd characterisation that didnt match up with the correct ages/timeline. the narrative is also really drawn out and slow, with not much happening, which i found to be surprising for a 400+ page book. this honestly has major novella vibes, where the purpose is just to check-in with the characters, rather than plot-based story progression.
but if you love these characters, i dont think you will mind these things. i think i just had such high expectations from the first two books that this disappointed me a little bit. but again, it was fun to be back in this series and to see the little goblin all grown up. :')
↠ 3.5 stars
November 24, 2019
It's official. None of Henri's children want anything to do with him.
June 23, 2022
The Montague siblings and their perilous conquests can always be counted upon as my unfaltering source of entertainment. The banter in this trilogy is top tier, and the addition of a finally grown-up Adrian ensured that this finale was no exception, featuring a near-perfect balance of humour and heart.
Despite my enduring love for Monty and Felicity, The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks sent Adrian crashing into my heart …to the extent that he can very nearly be called my favourite Montague. The mental health representation expressed through his narrative was some of the best executed I’ve ever read in a YA novel. Mackenzi Lee’s portrayal of Adrian’s anxiety felt painfully real; his racing thoughts and crippling fears were articulated in a way that made me feel like I was drowning alongside him. My heart warmed at Monty and Felicity helping Adrian realize his mental illness isn’t something to be ‘fixed’ about him, but rather accepted and coped with. Sibling love for the win!! (the amount of hugs doled out was everything <3)
“... the feeling that you’re not so much living your life as just trying to push through it won’t last forever. Someday you’ll be able to breathe.”
While I thoroughly enjoyed most of this book, the plot didn’t interest me nearly as much as the characters and their relationships did. The myth of the Flying Dutchman is cool enough on its own, though having it retold surrounding Adrian’s mother was largely uninteresting to me (since she was hardly mentioned in the previous books, so I didn’t necessarily care about her fate). Still, Adrian discovering that he was not in fact an only child along the way was super fun. I was so glad to see more of the original cast back for additional shenanigans. Plus, the ending was perfect!!! I think I manifested it: This was a really satisfying end to the adventures of the Montague siblings (and our beloved Percy)!
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
Before reading 16/12/19
Now that the little gremlin has become a big boy™ we know a few years have passed since book two.
That being said, I expect Monty and Percy were secretly married by Felicity and remain happily together.
Despite my enduring love for Monty and Felicity, The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks sent Adrian crashing into my heart …to the extent that he can very nearly be called my favourite Montague. The mental health representation expressed through his narrative was some of the best executed I’ve ever read in a YA novel. Mackenzi Lee’s portrayal of Adrian’s anxiety felt painfully real; his racing thoughts and crippling fears were articulated in a way that made me feel like I was drowning alongside him. My heart warmed at Monty and Felicity helping Adrian realize his mental illness isn’t something to be ‘fixed’ about him, but rather accepted and coped with. Sibling love for the win!! (the amount of hugs doled out was everything <3)
“... the feeling that you’re not so much living your life as just trying to push through it won’t last forever. Someday you’ll be able to breathe.”
While I thoroughly enjoyed most of this book, the plot didn’t interest me nearly as much as the characters and their relationships did. The myth of the Flying Dutchman is cool enough on its own, though having it retold surrounding Adrian’s mother was largely uninteresting to me (since she was hardly mentioned in the previous books, so I didn’t necessarily care about her fate). Still, Adrian discovering that he was not in fact an only child along the way was super fun. I was so glad to see more of the original cast back for additional shenanigans. Plus, the ending was perfect!!! I think I manifested it: This was a really satisfying end to the adventures of the Montague siblings (and our beloved Percy)!
────── {⋆★⋆} ──────
Before reading 16/12/19
Now that the little gremlin has become a big boy™ we know a few years have passed since book two.
That being said, I expect Monty and Percy were secretly married by Felicity and remain happily together.
July 28, 2022
”... the feeling that you’re not so much living your life as just trying to push through it won’t last forever. Someday you’ll be able to breathe”.
Si me conocen, saben que batallé muchísimo con el segundo libro de los hermanos Montague porque Felicity me cayó fatal y eso hizo que retrasara muchísimo la lectura de The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks. ¡Y me arrepiento de haberlo pospuesto tanto! Vaya, esta historia de Adrian, el pequeño de los Montague, me encantó a niveles que no lo esperaba.
En este libro nos centramos en Adrian, quien ha crecido, tiene una prometida, ha superado poco a poco la muerte de su padre y, en sus momentos libres, escribe panfletos que luchan contra el canon bajo un pseudónimo. A punto de heredar la propiedad de su padre, Adrian camina en la cuerda floja por su “doble vida” y, sobre todo, porque sufre de un tipo de ansiedad social bastante incapacitante. Sin embargo, cuando su padre le entrega un artefacto que su madre le envió justo antes de morir en un naufragio, la vida de Adrian cambia y él decide que tiene que investigar sobre ese accidente, pues algo no le cuadra mucho. La cosa es que no se esperaba que, en medio de su búsqueda, se toparía con Monty y Felicity, personas que él ni siquiera sabía que eran sus hermanos, pues después de todo lo que sucedió en sus libros, su padre los borró de la herencia y pretendió que no existían.
La verdad es que, además de que amé con todo mi ser volver a encontrarme con Percy y Monty, verlos hacer el tondo juntos y quererse muchísimo, este libro de Adrian me sorprendió infinitamente porque nunca me había encontrado con un personaje que retratara de una forma tan fiel lo que es vivir con ansiedad, las espirales de pensamientos en las que se cae, los escenarios catastróficos que te imaginas ante la menor dificultad, etc. Leer todo el libro desde la cabeza de Adrian fue, a pesar de la diferencia de épocas, como estar leyendo cómo funciona mi cerebro el 80% del tiempo y… joder. A veces me daban muchas ganas de llorar porque, por idiota que suene, sentí que no estaba sola. En fin, que el trabajo que hizo Mackenzi Lee retratando lo que es un desorden de ansiedad generalizado fue impresionante. Creo que, por eso, podría decir que Adrian es uno de los personajes que más me ha gustado leer en toda mi vida lectora.
Pero, bueno, dejando eso de lado, en esta tercera entrega de la saga volvimos a las aventuras emocionantes, a los viajes a diferentes países, al descifrar pistas y misterios del pasado, a hacer tratos con personas de dudosa reputación y a poner a los pobres personajes en mucho peligro. ¡Y me encantó! Una vez que Adrian conoce a Monty y este último baja las defensas, los dos hacen un equipo divertidísimo de leer.
No puedo decirles mucho más sin spoilers, pero el final de este libro vale todo lo aburrida que es la historia de Felicity (sorry not sorry). Este final me dejó tan feliz y son una sonrisa tan idiota en la cara que podría releerlo mil veces. ¿Fue fan service? Definitivamente. Pero ¿es hermoso? Es hermoso y nos da todo lo que los que amamos a Percy y a Monty queríamos leer desde el primer libro.
Si me conocen, saben que batallé muchísimo con el segundo libro de los hermanos Montague porque Felicity me cayó fatal y eso hizo que retrasara muchísimo la lectura de The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks. ¡Y me arrepiento de haberlo pospuesto tanto! Vaya, esta historia de Adrian, el pequeño de los Montague, me encantó a niveles que no lo esperaba.
En este libro nos centramos en Adrian, quien ha crecido, tiene una prometida, ha superado poco a poco la muerte de su padre y, en sus momentos libres, escribe panfletos que luchan contra el canon bajo un pseudónimo. A punto de heredar la propiedad de su padre, Adrian camina en la cuerda floja por su “doble vida” y, sobre todo, porque sufre de un tipo de ansiedad social bastante incapacitante. Sin embargo, cuando su padre le entrega un artefacto que su madre le envió justo antes de morir en un naufragio, la vida de Adrian cambia y él decide que tiene que investigar sobre ese accidente, pues algo no le cuadra mucho. La cosa es que no se esperaba que, en medio de su búsqueda, se toparía con Monty y Felicity, personas que él ni siquiera sabía que eran sus hermanos, pues después de todo lo que sucedió en sus libros, su padre los borró de la herencia y pretendió que no existían.
La verdad es que, además de que amé con todo mi ser volver a encontrarme con Percy y Monty, verlos hacer el tondo juntos y quererse muchísimo, este libro de Adrian me sorprendió infinitamente porque nunca me había encontrado con un personaje que retratara de una forma tan fiel lo que es vivir con ansiedad, las espirales de pensamientos en las que se cae, los escenarios catastróficos que te imaginas ante la menor dificultad, etc. Leer todo el libro desde la cabeza de Adrian fue, a pesar de la diferencia de épocas, como estar leyendo cómo funciona mi cerebro el 80% del tiempo y… joder. A veces me daban muchas ganas de llorar porque, por idiota que suene, sentí que no estaba sola. En fin, que el trabajo que hizo Mackenzi Lee retratando lo que es un desorden de ansiedad generalizado fue impresionante. Creo que, por eso, podría decir que Adrian es uno de los personajes que más me ha gustado leer en toda mi vida lectora.
Pero, bueno, dejando eso de lado, en esta tercera entrega de la saga volvimos a las aventuras emocionantes, a los viajes a diferentes países, al descifrar pistas y misterios del pasado, a hacer tratos con personas de dudosa reputación y a poner a los pobres personajes en mucho peligro. ¡Y me encantó! Una vez que Adrian conoce a Monty y este último baja las defensas, los dos hacen un equipo divertidísimo de leer.
No puedo decirles mucho más sin spoilers, pero el final de este libro vale todo lo aburrida que es la historia de Felicity (sorry not sorry). Este final me dejó tan feliz y son una sonrisa tan idiota en la cara que podría releerlo mil veces. ¿Fue fan service? Definitivamente. Pero ¿es hermoso? Es hermoso y nos da todo lo que los que amamos a Percy y a Monty queríamos leer desde el primer libro.
Want to Read
October 28, 2019I suddenly have the urge to protect Adrian with my life and I don't know why.
May 21, 2022
"I know that no feeling is final, and that fear only wins when I stop fighting."
°•*⁀➷
This was such a journey with mental health, it was sort of difficult for me to get through. Every time Adrian had an anxiety attack, I felt like I did, too. It was heavy and hard to read and because of that, not as fun and entertaining as the last few books were.
That said, I still sat down and made sure to get through it this morning.
And that said, Percy and Monty are my favorites. I'm so glad they got a happier end to their story than I ever really hoped for. What a good siblings trilogy. I'm a huge Monty fan. I always always will be.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
This was such a journey with mental health, it was sort of difficult for me to get through. Every time Adrian had an anxiety attack, I felt like I did, too. It was heavy and hard to read and because of that, not as fun and entertaining as the last few books were.
That said, I still sat down and made sure to get through it this morning.
And that said, Percy and Monty are my favorites. I'm so glad they got a happier end to their story than I ever really hoped for. What a good siblings trilogy. I'm a huge Monty fan. I always always will be.
- Paige
December 15, 2024
I feel extremely blessed to have read a digital advanced readers copy. I received it around 10 in the evening and did not go to bed until 3.
This book was raw and real and hurt more than its predecessors. Maybe because it’s the final one?
It did not really have the lighthearted adventure novel feeling of the previous two. The way it written put so much more emphasis on the emotional aspect than the trip. (This book has a map with several cities in several countries) Part of it had to do with Adrian’s voice. Each novel has a unique narrator and ms Lee has given all of them their own way of thinking and speaking. Monty is the satirical comedian who cares too much and not at all at the same time, Felicity is the soured realist learning to see the bright side of things, Adrian is the poet.
His thoughts and way of narrating are wordy and full of metaphors sometimes, but undoubtably the most beautiful to read. Both Monty and Felicity built walls around their minds that we as reader have to get through, but Adrian’s mind is a waterfall. All his anxieties and struggles are there for us to see and to experience. He is the most lovable out of the three, in my opinion.
Adrian’s anxiety was everywhere, in how he over described things and how he interacted with the cast we know. In book 1, the side plot about how Percy’s epilepsy does not need to be cured in order for him to live a happy life was told to Monty (and the reader). Here, we follow Adrian every painful step of the way before he comes to the same conclusion.
Because of this, the book was an Experience. The way Adrian’s anxiety was everywhere because he was narrating the story made it haunting and intimate, as if the reader is there with him to feel all his worries.
The gentleman’s guide to getting lucky showed that there are struggles and fights after the love confession and fresh start. Problems stay, especially the kind induced by a father like Henri Senior. This book was very heavy on it. We get to see how Monty and Felicity are doing a decade later and they are still insufferable, mean and selfish in the best way. They make mistakes, big ones, on and off page. It was amazing to see how this book deconstructed the idea that there is a happily ever after. Anxiety does not need to be cured to be happy. Personal struggles do not disappear with the love of your life or a pirate tattoo. You have to keep doing your best and you will make mistakes. (this is what I meant with raw and real and more painful)
5 starts for this part.
Reading about my beloved characters again was a treat. It was truly delightful to find out what happened to them during the long timeskip, and the book did not disappoint. We get some lovely appearances from ‘guest stars’, some references that made me gasp and little bits that made me cheer as loudly as possible at 1 AM without waking anyone up.
This was definitely a Montague siblings book. Monty and Felicity were very caught up in their own adventure. Adrian’s adventure IS them. Both siblings, but especially Monty, felt like the most important characters after Adrian. They slowly started to get to know each other in what felt like a very natural way.
The similarities and differences between them were very interesting. Monty copes with escapism and recklessness, numbing himself from everything that hurts and trying his best not to care. Felicity copes with anger and shutting herself off emotionally, se sees painful feelings as an inconvenience she should ignore and push through. Adrian copes by limiting his life, running and avoiding things that might hurt.
This was also my main disappointment. We already know them, but Adrian accidentally falls into all of it and seeing it through his eyes, he (and because these books are so closely tied to the narrator, we as reader) is mostly a spectator. He watches the events unfurl and the characters reveal their stories. The plot was slower as well. Adrian was mostly reacting to things instead of inciting them. (Monty incited every troublesome event in his book and it got somewhat annoying). I did not mind this because it suited him and seeing him become more pro-active was a great way to show his character development. However, it felt as if Adrian’s personal growth, the emotional turmoil in his head, and the reconstruction of what the other characters did in the past 10 years were out of sync.
Over all, this was a rewarding conclusion to the series. I do feel like some loose ends have not been wrapped up and I could find the traces and empty patches of the previous versions between the lines. The story was not as exciting as the current goodreads summary made me think, but Adrian's emotional ard made up for it. I loved this book and it was definitely worth the wait. Adrian Montague has wormed his way into my heart and soon onto my bookshelf.
“I didn’t fix anything. I didn’t fix myself.”
“Who says you needed fixing?”
“I don’t want it to be the same,” I say. “But I don’t know how it won’t be.”
“It won’t be the same because you’re not the same,” he says. “That’s the most important thing. You know yourself better now—accepting that person comes later. But you’ve come so goddamn far. Believe me.
(This does not mean I would not kill to read the previous versions and all that got cut)
This book was raw and real and hurt more than its predecessors. Maybe because it’s the final one?
It did not really have the lighthearted adventure novel feeling of the previous two. The way it written put so much more emphasis on the emotional aspect than the trip. (This book has a map with several cities in several countries) Part of it had to do with Adrian’s voice. Each novel has a unique narrator and ms Lee has given all of them their own way of thinking and speaking. Monty is the satirical comedian who cares too much and not at all at the same time, Felicity is the soured realist learning to see the bright side of things, Adrian is the poet.
His thoughts and way of narrating are wordy and full of metaphors sometimes, but undoubtably the most beautiful to read. Both Monty and Felicity built walls around their minds that we as reader have to get through, but Adrian’s mind is a waterfall. All his anxieties and struggles are there for us to see and to experience. He is the most lovable out of the three, in my opinion.
Adrian’s anxiety was everywhere, in how he over described things and how he interacted with the cast we know. In book 1, the side plot about how Percy’s epilepsy does not need to be cured in order for him to live a happy life was told to Monty (and the reader). Here, we follow Adrian every painful step of the way before he comes to the same conclusion.
Because of this, the book was an Experience. The way Adrian’s anxiety was everywhere because he was narrating the story made it haunting and intimate, as if the reader is there with him to feel all his worries.
The gentleman’s guide to getting lucky showed that there are struggles and fights after the love confession and fresh start. Problems stay, especially the kind induced by a father like Henri Senior. This book was very heavy on it. We get to see how Monty and Felicity are doing a decade later and they are still insufferable, mean and selfish in the best way. They make mistakes, big ones, on and off page. It was amazing to see how this book deconstructed the idea that there is a happily ever after. Anxiety does not need to be cured to be happy. Personal struggles do not disappear with the love of your life or a pirate tattoo. You have to keep doing your best and you will make mistakes. (this is what I meant with raw and real and more painful)
5 starts for this part.
Reading about my beloved characters again was a treat. It was truly delightful to find out what happened to them during the long timeskip, and the book did not disappoint. We get some lovely appearances from ‘guest stars’, some references that made me gasp and little bits that made me cheer as loudly as possible at 1 AM without waking anyone up.
This was definitely a Montague siblings book. Monty and Felicity were very caught up in their own adventure. Adrian’s adventure IS them. Both siblings, but especially Monty, felt like the most important characters after Adrian. They slowly started to get to know each other in what felt like a very natural way.
The similarities and differences between them were very interesting. Monty copes with escapism and recklessness, numbing himself from everything that hurts and trying his best not to care. Felicity copes with anger and shutting herself off emotionally, se sees painful feelings as an inconvenience she should ignore and push through. Adrian copes by limiting his life, running and avoiding things that might hurt.
This was also my main disappointment. We already know them, but Adrian accidentally falls into all of it and seeing it through his eyes, he (and because these books are so closely tied to the narrator, we as reader) is mostly a spectator. He watches the events unfurl and the characters reveal their stories. The plot was slower as well. Adrian was mostly reacting to things instead of inciting them. (Monty incited every troublesome event in his book and it got somewhat annoying). I did not mind this because it suited him and seeing him become more pro-active was a great way to show his character development. However, it felt as if Adrian’s personal growth, the emotional turmoil in his head, and the reconstruction of what the other characters did in the past 10 years were out of sync.
Over all, this was a rewarding conclusion to the series. I do feel like some loose ends have not been wrapped up and I could find the traces and empty patches of the previous versions between the lines. The story was not as exciting as the current goodreads summary made me think, but Adrian's emotional ard made up for it. I loved this book and it was definitely worth the wait. Adrian Montague has wormed his way into my heart and soon onto my bookshelf.
“I didn’t fix anything. I didn’t fix myself.”
“Who says you needed fixing?”
“I don’t want it to be the same,” I say. “But I don’t know how it won’t be.”
“It won’t be the same because you’re not the same,” he says. “That’s the most important thing. You know yourself better now—accepting that person comes later. But you’ve come so goddamn far. Believe me.
(This does not mean I would not kill to read the previous versions and all that got cut)
November 17, 2021
Star Rating: —> 5 Stars
BAHHH— THIS WAS SO FANTASTIC!
The LGBTQIA+ rep! The mental health rep (TRULY EXCEPTIONAL—it was so absolutely close, if not exactly what I experience with GAD, panic disorder, & OCD; I am SO grateful for it!), & OH GODDD the family dynamics!
Can't stop crying rn. MAYBE RTC
_________________
W.T.F.
How did i not know about this?!?!?!?
I am FLIPPING MY SHIT!
YESYESYESYESYESYESYESSSSS
BAHHH— THIS WAS SO FANTASTIC!
The LGBTQIA+ rep! The mental health rep (TRULY EXCEPTIONAL—it was so absolutely close, if not exactly what I experience with GAD, panic disorder, & OCD; I am SO grateful for it!), & OH GODDD the family dynamics!
Can't stop crying rn. MAYBE RTC
_________________
W.T.F.
How did i not know about this?!?!?!?
I am FLIPPING MY SHIT!
YESYESYESYESYESYESYESSSSS
Want to Read
October 28, 2019IM SCREAMING I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS HAPPENING IM SO EXCITED
January 2, 2022
i am an open wound. RTC
i foresee this one living on my bedside table for quite a while.
that being said, this book warranted a full content warning page and i highly recommend looking it up for yourself
x
WAIT, THAT'S THE GOBLIN ON THE COVER OMG
(I hadn't read the synopsis just in case there was a spoiler lol)
i foresee this one living on my bedside table for quite a while.
that being said, this book warranted a full content warning page and i highly recommend looking it up for yourself
x
WAIT, THAT'S THE GOBLIN ON THE COVER OMG
(I hadn't read the synopsis just in case there was a spoiler lol)
April 7, 2022
Things that are getting me through this semester:
1) coffee
2) more coffee
3) the thought of this book
4) occasional flirting with sleep
1) coffee
2) more coffee
3) the thought of this book
4) occasional flirting with sleep
November 9, 2022
This 3rd and final book in the Montague Siblings series just wasn't fun. It lacks the joy and carefree feeling of the previous two books. Character development feels forced, and the adventure makes little to no sense. I finished the book, but just barely.
October 9, 2022
third book third book third book THIRD BOOK OMG SOMEONE HELP
Want to Read
October 29, 2019This series got a sequel! But the synopsis almost told half of the story huh?!
November 24, 2021
I JUST LOVE THIS SIBLINGS SO MUCH. PLUS PERCY.
~4.5 stars~
The final book in the Montague siblings series maintains the same high level of whip-smart humor and sensitive social commentary as the earlier titles
I loved The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, where we follow teenager nobility Monty (Henry Montague) in his 17th century Grand Tour of Europe. Monty loves gambling, drinking and sleeping around, and can't stand his abusive father. He is accompanied by his sister Felicity, his best friend (and crush) Percy Newton. The trip is derailed when they stumble upon a supernatural alchemical artifact, and turns to a frantic rush across Europe.
In The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, Felicity Montague is struggling to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor, in a world in which this is unthinkable for women. Her dream drives her from Scotland to Switzerland and from Germany and to the infamous Berbery coast. She finds out there are more than one paths to the top, and that people aren't always what they seem to be.
In this 3rd installment, the focus is on Adrian Montague, the youngest sibling. It takes place ~16 years (I think) after the second book. Adrian doesn't know he has siblings. Until his mother dies under mysterious circumstances, and leaves a trail of clues that lead Adrian to his brother, living in London all these years with his boyfriend Percy.
━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━
If I have to describe it with one word, this word is Bittersweet. and these are the list i loved form this book:
▪ Seeing Monty, Percy and Felicity through the lense of someone else. Adrian didn't know them in his childhood, he didn't know they existed. I was craving for more content of them.
▪ George has grown up, is a pirate captain and still adorable!
▪ the whole Percy's existence even though short made me so happy.
▪ All the cameos from the characters we knew from the first two books.
▪ don't get me start on the sibling relationships because aaahHhhhhh
▪ Sweet and emotional epilogue interactions!
with this series , even though there is plot obviously ,The plot does not matter for me.
I don’t need a lot of crazy events to enjoy a story—I just need good characters. This book is much more concerned with the three siblings and their relationship, along with Adrian growing to accept his mental state. They do travel from location to location, searching for clues about the spyglass, and several thrilling run-ins with pirates that add excitement. So there are certainly lots of colorful characters and changes in scenery to add interest. However, if you are a reader who likes fast-paced adventures full of chases and swordfights, this book isn’t for you. But if you love these characters, you will love this ride.
Mackenzi Lee has established a reputation for adventures both swashbuckling and socially sharp. And very funny. She demonstrates her extensive historical research in surprising details about the vibrant LGBTQ+ community (though they didn't have such a fine acronym back then), as well as the taverns, chamber pots, piracy and politics that made up life in 18th-century cities and ports around the globe.
━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━
overall , I'm in love with these siblings and Percy(yeah never for get about him my baby boy) and even though i love to get content about them , I'm happy they found their ending.
~4.5 stars~
The final book in the Montague siblings series maintains the same high level of whip-smart humor and sensitive social commentary as the earlier titles
I loved The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, where we follow teenager nobility Monty (Henry Montague) in his 17th century Grand Tour of Europe. Monty loves gambling, drinking and sleeping around, and can't stand his abusive father. He is accompanied by his sister Felicity, his best friend (and crush) Percy Newton. The trip is derailed when they stumble upon a supernatural alchemical artifact, and turns to a frantic rush across Europe.
In The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, Felicity Montague is struggling to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor, in a world in which this is unthinkable for women. Her dream drives her from Scotland to Switzerland and from Germany and to the infamous Berbery coast. She finds out there are more than one paths to the top, and that people aren't always what they seem to be.
In this 3rd installment, the focus is on Adrian Montague, the youngest sibling. It takes place ~16 years (I think) after the second book. Adrian doesn't know he has siblings. Until his mother dies under mysterious circumstances, and leaves a trail of clues that lead Adrian to his brother, living in London all these years with his boyfriend Percy.
━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━
If I have to describe it with one word, this word is Bittersweet. and these are the list i loved form this book:
▪ Seeing Monty, Percy and Felicity through the lense of someone else. Adrian didn't know them in his childhood, he didn't know they existed. I was craving for more content of them.
▪ George has grown up, is a pirate captain and still adorable!
▪ the whole Percy's existence even though short made me so happy.
▪ All the cameos from the characters we knew from the first two books.
▪ don't get me start on the sibling relationships because aaahHhhhhh
▪ Sweet and emotional epilogue interactions!
with this series , even though there is plot obviously ,The plot does not matter for me.
I don’t need a lot of crazy events to enjoy a story—I just need good characters. This book is much more concerned with the three siblings and their relationship, along with Adrian growing to accept his mental state. They do travel from location to location, searching for clues about the spyglass, and several thrilling run-ins with pirates that add excitement. So there are certainly lots of colorful characters and changes in scenery to add interest. However, if you are a reader who likes fast-paced adventures full of chases and swordfights, this book isn’t for you. But if you love these characters, you will love this ride.
Mackenzi Lee has established a reputation for adventures both swashbuckling and socially sharp. And very funny. She demonstrates her extensive historical research in surprising details about the vibrant LGBTQ+ community (though they didn't have such a fine acronym back then), as well as the taverns, chamber pots, piracy and politics that made up life in 18th-century cities and ports around the globe.
━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦━━━━
overall , I'm in love with these siblings and Percy(yeah never for get about him my baby boy) and even though i love to get content about them , I'm happy they found their ending.
December 8, 2021
“Walking into hell is always the easiest part. It’s coming back that takes work.”
We read books to escape. We read to go on adventures and to find new realities and to witness truths that seem more real when they are captured within pages. We read to live a thousand lives and experience a thousand wonders. We read to be seen and understood. We read to see and understand ourselves in new ways. That is why it is crucial to see realistic depictions of mental health in fiction: reading these depictions allows us to face ourselves.
"There is life after you survive."
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee is a prime example of a story that handles mental health in a way that reflects the truth of chronic anxiety and compulsive disorders. Each passage that dealt with anxiety was written respectfully and truthfully, and though these descriptions were often so close to reality to be triggering, they were balanced with enough light not to make the overall story feel overly dark.
“I want to stop picking at life like it's a meal I don't want to eat, because I want to. I want to taste it all. I want life to be a feast, even if I have to eat it raw and bloody and burned some days. I will pick bones from my teeth. I will let the juice drip down my chin.”
Following Adrian Montague, a lordling who discovers he has two older siblings after the tragic death of his mother, The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks features poignant mental health discoveries, family relationships, pirates, politics, and enough humor to fill a stand-up comedy routine. The novel centers around a hunt for a mysterious spyglass owned by Adrian's dead mother, which eventually leads him to his long-lost brother Monty. Though this is technically the third and final novel in the Montague Siblings Trilogy, the books can be read out of order, though it is easier to start with A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.
“The feeling that you’re not so much living your life as just trying to push through it won’t last forever. Someday you’ll be able to breathe.”
In the suto-historical 18th century, the political climate of London was paired well with slices of the rest of the world, from Amsterdam to Rabat. Though this novel is technically not historical fiction (it deviates strongly from actual historical occurrences), the setting and the story still read like an early adventure book. The witty dialogue and easy writing allowed The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks to sail by, with hundreds of pages disappearing in a matter of hours.
“It is so much easier to give into them than to try and fight them off. It’s a relief, like letting go the lead of a dog that’s been wrenching your shoulder with the force of its pulling. But now I have a dog to chase, and I’m running in circles after every catastrophic scenario, struggling to breathe.”
Beyond the excellent writing, the portrayal of family relationships and anxiety really set this book apart. Adrian suffers from a severe form of chronic anxiety paired with obsessive compulsive disorder, though the modern terms for these challenges are not used until the author’s note at the end of the book. The author did a fantastic job of creating a character with traits other than mental health disorders while building relationships around Adrian that supported him. While other books unsuccessfully deal with this issue by ignoring it, there was never a moment where Adrian mysteriously overcame his anxiety, nor did it ever stop being important because the plot dictated that it was trivial.
“But she found a way. We always do, don’t we?”
The sibling relationships between Monty, Felicity, and Adrian were a delight to read about. Each sibling had more than their fair share of issues, but they found ways to understand and support one another despite it. Monty and Adrian had an exceptional bond that jumped off the page, and though they had almost two decades between them, their relationship was vibrant and alive. All the characters in The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks had defined personalities, each with complex backstories and relationships. Overall, I could not have asked for a better end to this trilogy or a better book to deal with chronic anxiety. The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks is not a novel that is easy to forget, nor one that dissolves into blurred letters once the final chapter is done.
6/29/21
AHHHH! THE RELEASE DATE KEEPS GETTING PUSHED BACK!
We read books to escape. We read to go on adventures and to find new realities and to witness truths that seem more real when they are captured within pages. We read to live a thousand lives and experience a thousand wonders. We read to be seen and understood. We read to see and understand ourselves in new ways. That is why it is crucial to see realistic depictions of mental health in fiction: reading these depictions allows us to face ourselves.
"There is life after you survive."
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee is a prime example of a story that handles mental health in a way that reflects the truth of chronic anxiety and compulsive disorders. Each passage that dealt with anxiety was written respectfully and truthfully, and though these descriptions were often so close to reality to be triggering, they were balanced with enough light not to make the overall story feel overly dark.
“I want to stop picking at life like it's a meal I don't want to eat, because I want to. I want to taste it all. I want life to be a feast, even if I have to eat it raw and bloody and burned some days. I will pick bones from my teeth. I will let the juice drip down my chin.”
Following Adrian Montague, a lordling who discovers he has two older siblings after the tragic death of his mother, The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks features poignant mental health discoveries, family relationships, pirates, politics, and enough humor to fill a stand-up comedy routine. The novel centers around a hunt for a mysterious spyglass owned by Adrian's dead mother, which eventually leads him to his long-lost brother Monty. Though this is technically the third and final novel in the Montague Siblings Trilogy, the books can be read out of order, though it is easier to start with A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.
“The feeling that you’re not so much living your life as just trying to push through it won’t last forever. Someday you’ll be able to breathe.”
In the suto-historical 18th century, the political climate of London was paired well with slices of the rest of the world, from Amsterdam to Rabat. Though this novel is technically not historical fiction (it deviates strongly from actual historical occurrences), the setting and the story still read like an early adventure book. The witty dialogue and easy writing allowed The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks to sail by, with hundreds of pages disappearing in a matter of hours.
“It is so much easier to give into them than to try and fight them off. It’s a relief, like letting go the lead of a dog that’s been wrenching your shoulder with the force of its pulling. But now I have a dog to chase, and I’m running in circles after every catastrophic scenario, struggling to breathe.”
Beyond the excellent writing, the portrayal of family relationships and anxiety really set this book apart. Adrian suffers from a severe form of chronic anxiety paired with obsessive compulsive disorder, though the modern terms for these challenges are not used until the author’s note at the end of the book. The author did a fantastic job of creating a character with traits other than mental health disorders while building relationships around Adrian that supported him. While other books unsuccessfully deal with this issue by ignoring it, there was never a moment where Adrian mysteriously overcame his anxiety, nor did it ever stop being important because the plot dictated that it was trivial.
“But she found a way. We always do, don’t we?”
The sibling relationships between Monty, Felicity, and Adrian were a delight to read about. Each sibling had more than their fair share of issues, but they found ways to understand and support one another despite it. Monty and Adrian had an exceptional bond that jumped off the page, and though they had almost two decades between them, their relationship was vibrant and alive. All the characters in The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks had defined personalities, each with complex backstories and relationships. Overall, I could not have asked for a better end to this trilogy or a better book to deal with chronic anxiety. The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks is not a novel that is easy to forget, nor one that dissolves into blurred letters once the final chapter is done.
6/29/21
AHHHH! THE RELEASE DATE KEEPS GETTING PUSHED BACK!
Want to Read
May 15, 2020
Rating a book before its publication... Goodreads shouldn't allow it.
A few words for those who do it: I can understand it when you give 5 stars to a book that's not released yet, you want to show some support to your beloved author and I can only agree with you (even though I won't do such a thing myself), but to slam a book that's not out yet, just so you know, doesn't do any harm to the book or to the author who writes it, it does only show what a mean dork you are, and what kind of a sorry life you lead!
* I am only starting TGGTVV today, I have never read this author before and have no idea about her style, and if I'll like her books or not... the words above are selfless and objective, and they are meant for all, not only for those who rated this book.
A few words for those who do it: I can understand it when you give 5 stars to a book that's not released yet, you want to show some support to your beloved author and I can only agree with you (even though I won't do such a thing myself), but to slam a book that's not out yet, just so you know, doesn't do any harm to the book or to the author who writes it, it does only show what a mean dork you are, and what kind of a sorry life you lead!
* I am only starting TGGTVV today, I have never read this author before and have no idea about her style, and if I'll like her books or not... the words above are selfless and objective, and they are meant for all, not only for those who rated this book.
February 22, 2022
Ok. I’m certain that as the books went on, they got less and less interesting - or wait, that’s not true.
They got more and more flat.
I think they were amazing, don’t get me wrong. I loved this one, it just didn’t have the awesomeness of the first one and I was a little disappointed.
But no matter. This was still a great conclusion. For the record, the titles are so awesome and I can’t get over them. I also loved how we got to see Adrian’s perspective of both his siblings after he quite literally met them for the first time in QUITE some time.
The continuation of Monty and Felicity as siblings and best friends were perfect and I love love loved how they were traveling all over. Was simply delightful to read.
They got more and more flat.
I think they were amazing, don’t get me wrong. I loved this one, it just didn’t have the awesomeness of the first one and I was a little disappointed.
But no matter. This was still a great conclusion. For the record, the titles are so awesome and I can’t get over them. I also loved how we got to see Adrian’s perspective of both his siblings after he quite literally met them for the first time in QUITE some time.
The continuation of Monty and Felicity as siblings and best friends were perfect and I love love loved how they were traveling all over. Was simply delightful to read.
Want to Read
October 29, 2019The PAIN of how much I NEED this RIGHT NOW is EXCRUCIATING 😖😖😖
IT’S THE BABY BROTHER FROM BOOK ONE
THE GOBLIN
HE GETS HIS VERY OWN BOOK
AND A NAME 😭😭😭
It’s hard to describe but all I feel is this overwhelming sense of PRIDE. This baby needs to be PROTECTED 😤
IT’S THE BABY BROTHER FROM BOOK ONE
THE GOBLIN
HE GETS HIS VERY OWN BOOK
AND A NAME 😭😭😭
It’s hard to describe but all I feel is this overwhelming sense of PRIDE. This baby needs to be PROTECTED 😤
Want to Read
October 28, 2019The Goblin!
April 4, 2024
➳ 4.5 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
╰┈➤ ”i want to stop picking at life like it's a meal i don't want to eat, because i want to. i want to taste it all”
this was so good!! i loved adrian so much and found myself relating to him more than i have related to any other protagonist of a book before. his character is just so important and i love him so much 🥹
also loved hanging out with all the og characters again and the monty + percy crumbs we got were so 🤭 like the wedding scene!!!
overall i loved this and i’m so sad this series is over it is seriously one of my favorite trilogies out there. i love all of these characters with all my heart!! 🫶
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
╰┈➤ ”i want to stop picking at life like it's a meal i don't want to eat, because i want to. i want to taste it all”
this was so good!! i loved adrian so much and found myself relating to him more than i have related to any other protagonist of a book before. his character is just so important and i love him so much 🥹
also loved hanging out with all the og characters again and the monty + percy crumbs we got were so 🤭 like the wedding scene!!!
overall i loved this and i’m so sad this series is over it is seriously one of my favorite trilogies out there. i love all of these characters with all my heart!! 🫶
୧ ‧₊˚ 🍓 ⋅ ☆
January 19, 2026
This third installment was a genre chosen for me by someone else (thank you to the reader I most admire 💖) to fulfill a book challenge prompt. I loved the first two books in this series, and this was a great finish, although I’m sad it’s over! It was fun to see so many of the characters from all the books make an appearance in this one. Some I wanted to see more though! Monty is my favorite for sure because he is hilarious. Felicity is one to admire for her strong personality. Adrian is definitely relatable. All the side characters are equally interesting and fun.
I will read the physical books at some point, especially since I may have missed something by listening rather than reading. I did love the narrator though!
I will read the physical books at some point, especially since I may have missed something by listening rather than reading. I did love the narrator though!
January 29, 2023
Overall Rating : B+
"Just keep breathing."
Just as funny, heartbreaking, heartfelt, and inspirational as the first two books. But I do so love family bonding! (If only Monty could stop being such a drama queen!😆)
"Just keep breathing."
Just as funny, heartbreaking, heartfelt, and inspirational as the first two books. But I do so love family bonding! (If only Monty could stop being such a drama queen!😆)
December 20, 2021
"Someone told me once," Monty continues, "there is life after you survive." "What does that mean?" I ask. "It means the feeling that you're not so much living your life as just trying to push through it won't last forever. Someday you'll be able to breathe."
As far as the book as a sequel goes, I would give this maybe 3 stars? The adventure itself was pretty short. And while enjoyed seeing Monty and Percy again (I mean, who wouldn't), they're supposed to be in their 40s by now, and Monty and Felicity pretty much acted like they always have. Which got old after a while for me.
thementally unfit hysterical melancholic. God, I hate every word there is for it. Can we not simply be people, each of us with cogs in our brains that turn slightly differently, and some that need oiling and alignment and upkeep more than others?
But as Adrian's story of coming to terms with his anxiety, learning to live with it, and fighting his way through it? ALL THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE!
I know it will not always be like this. There will be days it is loud, and others it is heavy. For every summer solstice, there is darkness on the other side of the world. There will be days were staying alive will be an all-consuming challenge, and accepting love an act of tremendous courage. Asking for help even more so. Days of loneliness and doubt will compound and maybe there will be whole months when I cannot see the sky ... But I will do my best to keep walking out of the darkness.
As far as the book as a sequel goes, I would give this maybe 3 stars? The adventure itself was pretty short. And while enjoyed seeing Monty and Percy again (I mean, who wouldn't), they're supposed to be in their 40s by now, and Monty and Felicity pretty much acted like they always have. Which got old after a while for me.
the
But as Adrian's story of coming to terms with his anxiety, learning to live with it, and fighting his way through it? ALL THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE!
I know it will not always be like this. There will be days it is loud, and others it is heavy. For every summer solstice, there is darkness on the other side of the world. There will be days were staying alive will be an all-consuming challenge, and accepting love an act of tremendous courage. Asking for help even more so. Days of loneliness and doubt will compound and maybe there will be whole months when I cannot see the sky ... But I will do my best to keep walking out of the darkness.
January 2, 2022
4.5 stars
Ms. Lee has only gotten better over the course of this series, and while there are still the occasional historical inaccuracy that squeaks in now and then, she's definitely gotten better with balancing the historical and fantastical aspects of this world. The Montagues come together here to hunt down the answers to a mystery close to their family.
Adrian is a relatable MC in some painful ways. His anxiety disorder felt very familiar at several points, and I liked how it was handled. I especially like that . Adrian's not the only one struggling with his self-image though. It's an ongoing theme throughout the book with many of the characters, and they all have their own reasons. I especially liked how
This is probably the most grounded and less fantastical of the series, and family takes a big part of it. That does mean that we don't get much of Adrian's fiance, Louisa, but from what we do get is nice. There are appearances from favorite characters from the previous two books, without feeling overstuffed. All in all, this was a great way to end out 2021, which was lackluster reading wise and everything else wise.
Ms. Lee has only gotten better over the course of this series, and while there are still the occasional historical inaccuracy that squeaks in now and then, she's definitely gotten better with balancing the historical and fantastical aspects of this world. The Montagues come together here to hunt down the answers to a mystery close to their family.
Adrian is a relatable MC in some painful ways. His anxiety disorder felt very familiar at several points, and I liked how it was handled. I especially like that . Adrian's not the only one struggling with his self-image though. It's an ongoing theme throughout the book with many of the characters, and they all have their own reasons. I especially liked how
This is probably the most grounded and less fantastical of the series, and family takes a big part of it. That does mean that we don't get much of Adrian's fiance, Louisa, but from what we do get is nice. There are appearances from favorite characters from the previous two books, without feeling overstuffed. All in all, this was a great way to end out 2021, which was lackluster reading wise and everything else wise.
Want to Read
October 28, 2021Goblin's book !!! Coming out soon. I can't say how excited I am for this. We are also getting anxiety rep. What more can I wish for??
I am yet to read the second book tho. No offense Felicity but can I skip your book?
I am yet to read the second book tho. No offense Felicity but can I skip your book?
January 5, 2022
TW: generalized anxiety/OCD symptoms/thought patterns, mentions of alcoholism, suicide, mental illness, survivor's guilt.
I'm way too upset by the fact that this series is over. Lady's Guide was by far my favorite installment, but I really enjoyed this one simply for all the clarity it brings with it.
I found the majority of this story to be a bit boring. I'm still relatively confused about what all went and was all going down the entire time, and we really all must go on extravagant adventures in every book, but this one time we couldn't just stay in bloody England, goddamn. There were so many characters we missed out on! And now it's over and we don't get them again! I know most everybody was a fan of Louisa, and I am joining many of you as well in missing the hell out of Percy in this one.
The start of the story placed a lot of emphasis on Adrian's up and coming life in England, and then they just up and left for a few months. I mean, as is with the theme, but I truly do wish that we could've had a bit of a cozier/homier storyline, and I'm sure loads of you will disagree with me about this, which is the great thing about interpretation. I really wanted to see him face his problems a bit more head-on, rather we got a journey of self-discovery and things are still difficult upon returning home, but just a bit more in perspective. In some ways the latter is a better story-teller, however I found this convoluted plotline about his inner demons and the ghost ship a bit... weird. It was interesting to see a character care so much for another character that the first two siblings barely gave much thought to. All of Adrian's perspective was so familiar yet so new all at once. Very reminiscent of his siblings.
BUT LOUISAAAA. The best badass independent lady this series has offered us, honestly I love her more than Felicity, so I'm so sad we didn't get very much of her at all. I don't know, I guess it's just something about the last installment that I feel like we needed that parting time with our favorite characters, and we only got that with the characters from Felicity's story. I think that if I had not read this via audiobook, I would have found it very difficult to get through, just because of all the things constantly happening, while the reason behind the spyglass remains a mystery all the way through. Roadblock after roadblock, in true Montague fashion.
(WARNING; the next portion of this review contains spoilers. Please click away or read with caution).
Monty and Percy FINALLY getting married after so many years is pretty much the only saving grace of the ending. I really loved how much the siblings interacted with each other, how their relationships grew throughout the story, how close they were by the end despite them being strangers.
Adrian being in denial of his mothers' death is really what seems to be holding him back emotionally, having to accept she committed suicide was earth-shattering but also opened up some perspective for him. Adrian, a glorified mama's boy.
I'm way too upset by the fact that this series is over. Lady's Guide was by far my favorite installment, but I really enjoyed this one simply for all the clarity it brings with it.
I found the majority of this story to be a bit boring. I'm still relatively confused about what all went and was all going down the entire time, and we really all must go on extravagant adventures in every book, but this one time we couldn't just stay in bloody England, goddamn. There were so many characters we missed out on! And now it's over and we don't get them again! I know most everybody was a fan of Louisa, and I am joining many of you as well in missing the hell out of Percy in this one.
The start of the story placed a lot of emphasis on Adrian's up and coming life in England, and then they just up and left for a few months. I mean, as is with the theme, but I truly do wish that we could've had a bit of a cozier/homier storyline, and I'm sure loads of you will disagree with me about this, which is the great thing about interpretation. I really wanted to see him face his problems a bit more head-on, rather we got a journey of self-discovery and things are still difficult upon returning home, but just a bit more in perspective. In some ways the latter is a better story-teller, however I found this convoluted plotline about his inner demons and the ghost ship a bit... weird. It was interesting to see a character care so much for another character that the first two siblings barely gave much thought to. All of Adrian's perspective was so familiar yet so new all at once. Very reminiscent of his siblings.
BUT LOUISAAAA. The best badass independent lady this series has offered us, honestly I love her more than Felicity, so I'm so sad we didn't get very much of her at all. I don't know, I guess it's just something about the last installment that I feel like we needed that parting time with our favorite characters, and we only got that with the characters from Felicity's story. I think that if I had not read this via audiobook, I would have found it very difficult to get through, just because of all the things constantly happening, while the reason behind the spyglass remains a mystery all the way through. Roadblock after roadblock, in true Montague fashion.
(WARNING; the next portion of this review contains spoilers. Please click away or read with caution).
Monty and Percy FINALLY getting married after so many years is pretty much the only saving grace of the ending. I really loved how much the siblings interacted with each other, how their relationships grew throughout the story, how close they were by the end despite them being strangers.
Adrian being in denial of his mothers' death is really what seems to be holding him back emotionally, having to accept she committed suicide was earth-shattering but also opened up some perspective for him. Adrian, a glorified mama's boy.
January 2, 2022
~ 3.5 stars
a bit slow-paced but the cutesy sibling relationships make up for it
---------------------------------------
can felicity be in this book too
a bit slow-paced but the cutesy sibling relationships make up for it
---------------------------------------
can felicity be in this book too
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