The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks
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- Create Date：2021-09-23 09:51:22
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mackenzi Lee
- ISBN：0062916017
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Summary
Return to the enchanting world of the Montague siblings in the finale to the New York Times bestselling 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。
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。
Reviews
Erikka
，
What a lovely conclusion to the series。 I fully expected it would only be a duology， so this was a nice surprise。 I was taking a little out by the length of time spent on the Dutchman story， but overall I can see its point as an allegory。 It was a little weird though。 I really liked the character of Adrian and I feel like she handled his mental illness very delicately while not ignoring the lack of knowledge and science of the time。 People with mental illness （like yours truly） still do not rece What a lovely conclusion to the series。 I fully expected it would only be a duology， so this was a nice surprise。 I was taking a little out by the length of time spent on the Dutchman story， but overall I can see its point as an allegory。 It was a little weird though。 I really liked the character of Adrian and I feel like she handled his mental illness very delicately while not ignoring the lack of knowledge and science of the time。 People with mental illness （like yours truly） still do not receive the respect of the medical world that they deserve， but at that time they would’ve been pushed to the side as lunatics or hysterics。 Watching his family support him at a time when that was not common mirrors how she deals with the rights of the LGBTQIA community in this Regency time period: with an anachronistic “what if？” that I find very pleasing to imagine。 I also was happy to see the other two Montague siblings again， and to finally have a conclusion to their stories as well。 The best part of the book is the epilogue， hands-down。 I laughed out loud several times and found Adrian’s letter to be very touching。 It spoke to me and my own struggles with mental illness。 It will never be easy， but keep breathing。 Just。 Keep。 Breathing。 。。。more
T M
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 5/5。 For context， I had previously read only the first of the series， “The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue，” and had thoroughly enjoyed it， rating it a 4。5/5。In reading “Nobleman’s Guide，” the first thing I noticed was the distinct difference in narrative voice between Adrian and Monty。 While I did enjoy reading “Gentleman’s Guide” from Monty’s perspective， I actually preferred Adrian as a narrator because I found his inner monologue to be more relatable。 As a character with severe anxiety， 5/5。 For context， I had previously read only the first of the series， “The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue，” and had thoroughly enjoyed it， rating it a 4。5/5。In reading “Nobleman’s Guide，” the first thing I noticed was the distinct difference in narrative voice between Adrian and Monty。 While I did enjoy reading “Gentleman’s Guide” from Monty’s perspective， I actually preferred Adrian as a narrator because I found his inner monologue to be more relatable。 As a character with severe anxiety， he learns to cope with his mental health struggles and grows in confidence throughout the course of the novel， which I very much appreciated。 The characterization in this book is very well-written and each of the characters’ personalities really shine through in their actions and dialogue， which I also appreciated as someone who grew to love the characters in the first book and wanted to see more of them。Though the pacing is slow— potentially even more so than in the first book— the plot of the story is also quite engaging。 It follows the reunion of the Montague siblings （along with some other characters from the previous books in the series） as they travel in search of the Flying Dutchman， fueled by Adrian’s desire to find out what happened to his recently-deceased mother to cause her mental health to decline so rapidly。 Like in the previous books， it takes place on a journey across the Atlantic， and has a very sweet and satisfying resolution。The only critique I have is of the typos， though I am sure those will be fixed before the book’s release。Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read the ARC！ 。。。more
Crystal Palmisano-dillard
，
There's been a bit of a timeskip since the second in the series and Adrian Montague is all grown up。Like his older brother and sister （who he initially knows nothing about） he's not quite what his father hoped he be。 He suffers from we'd now called anxiety to a severe degree。The discovery of a personal effect his mother left behind before her death leads him to discover first Monty and later Felicity。 Together the three adventure together to discover the truth about their mother's supposed curse There's been a bit of a timeskip since the second in the series and Adrian Montague is all grown up。Like his older brother and sister （who he initially knows nothing about） he's not quite what his father hoped he be。 He suffers from we'd now called anxiety to a severe degree。The discovery of a personal effect his mother left behind before her death leads him to discover first Monty and later Felicity。 Together the three adventure together to discover the truth about their mother's supposed curse。Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy for review。 。。。more
Charis
，
When I first saw this book added to the Montague Siblings series， I was beyond excited。 I’d completely forgotten about the third child， only a baby when the last two books had taken place。 And as I watched the synopsis get tweaked every few months， I could hardly wait for its release。 Thankfully， I didn’t have to wait too long， and I must thank Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks begins with Adrian， an up-and-coming political When I first saw this book added to the Montague Siblings series， I was beyond excited。 I’d completely forgotten about the third child， only a baby when the last two books had taken place。 And as I watched the synopsis get tweaked every few months， I could hardly wait for its release。 Thankfully， I didn’t have to wait too long， and I must thank Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review。The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks begins with Adrian， an up-and-coming political writer with a promising future ahead of him。 So much younger than his older siblings， without even a clue of their existence， Adrian is brought up as his father’s only son， the heir to the estate。 Adrian， however， has extreme anxiety that colors every part of his life。 When his mother unexpectedly dies， that mental illness he’s had all his life threatens to reveal itself to everyone he knows。When a mysterious relic of hers falls into Adrian’s hands， in pursuit of answers， he comes face to face with Monty， the older brother he never knew he had。 They journey to locate their sister， Felicity， and the Montagues embark on one final adventure in pursuit of answers to a haunted legend that threatens their family。While this third installment keeps the humor that the first two books so dearly captured， this one also deals with hard topics。 While some things discussed in the first two regarded epilepsy， aromanticism， and other things， this book deals heavily on the reality of general anxiety disorder and the crippling effect it has on so many lives。 Mackenzie Lee herself expresses her desire in the author’s note that she wants to show that although anxiety as a mental illness wasn’t defined until 1980， it is something that people have had to struggle with throughout all of history。 She has also written this disorder from a place of commonality with Adrian， as she has lived with GAD as well。Adrain’s thoughts are packed full of metaphors， and always a lot to get your mind around， but they are beautiful， and so， so interesting to read。 He is also such an endearing character that lets the reader into every corner of his crowded mind， someone readers can relate to and care about。 His thoughts overflow with no barrier， and yet， that level of having his guard down even among his own mind and the reader makes him the most lovable out of the three siblings， in my opinion。I really enjoyed getting to see the siblings interact with each other， and eventually seeing them expose their hearts to one another。 In the end， sibling love is a truly deep thing， and Monty， Felicity， and Adrian envelop that desire to love one another beautifully， going so far as to outright express it in words and actions with each other。 While the previous two novels held a light-hearted adventure-type storyline， this one was heavier， but did not disappoint。 The characters each go through major development to become the people we’ve always loved and become more and more proud of。I was afraid about having to go through such a big time skip between the second and third books， but it was so well done， and the characters we know and love， like Monty， Felicity， and Percy， are the same， only older， and with more life experiences under their belts。 I so enjoyed the banter that continued between Monty and Felicity， and I also really enjoyed seeing Adrian able to make his way into being a part of that。In all， I was very pleased with this conclusion， and I will be sad to see the end of this series behind me。 These characters are so raw and real， flawed but loveable， historical and witty， relatable in real-life issues， and just downright charming to read about。 It truly has been a pleasure to read Lee’s intricate， fun， and real writing， and the Montague siblings won’t be easily forgettable for anyone。 。。。more
Renata
，
I just loved this！ Adrian is a really endearing narrator。 His anxiety just oozes off the page， as well as his good intentions and difficulty in achieving them。 And I really loved seeing the elder Montagues in action。 Really satisfying character and plot work！ I couldn't put it down。 I just loved this！ Adrian is a really endearing narrator。 His anxiety just oozes off the page， as well as his good intentions and difficulty in achieving them。 And I really loved seeing the elder Montagues in action。 Really satisfying character and plot work！ I couldn't put it down。 。。。more
Hillary
，
I'll freely admit to finding Adrian the least charming of the Montagues。 But， this is a good opportunity to come across some old friends （I'm looking at you Johanna， Percy， and Johanna's puppies） and definitely felt like an organic addition to a series I'm pretty sad to see end。 I'll freely admit to finding Adrian the least charming of the Montagues。 But， this is a good opportunity to come across some old friends （I'm looking at you Johanna， Percy， and Johanna's puppies） and definitely felt like an organic addition to a series I'm pretty sad to see end。 。。。more
Gabriel
，
ARC given by NetGalley for Honest ReviewI am so happy with this book！ The Nobleman's Guide focuses on the youngest Montague sibling， Adrian， who must deal with the aftermath of his mother's mysterious death while also battling his anxiety/OCD。The book （like it's predecessors） is adventurous， funny， and emotional， bringing the reader on another adventure overseas。 Adrian meeting his older siblings was raw， silly， and heartwarming and I loved that Monty had become wise and kinder， while also reali ARC given by NetGalley for Honest ReviewI am so happy with this book！ The Nobleman's Guide focuses on the youngest Montague sibling， Adrian， who must deal with the aftermath of his mother's mysterious death while also battling his anxiety/OCD。The book （like it's predecessors） is adventurous， funny， and emotional， bringing the reader on another adventure overseas。 Adrian meeting his older siblings was raw， silly， and heartwarming and I loved that Monty had become wise and kinder， while also realizing he still had flaws and vices he was working through。 ALSO PERCY。 So happy to see him！I'm in awe of how well the mental illness portion of this book was accurately represented。 As someone with anxiety and OCD I was able to connect and understand Adrian's struggles and it's written so that neurotypical readers can empathize as well。 If you enjoyed any of the other books in the series you NEED to read this。 It's a perfect ending to the siblings stories。 My favorite quote: "I would not say I’m well， but I would say I’m better， which feels more important。" 。。。more
Wendy Moulton
，
I received and ARC from Edelweiss of this title。 This book spoke to me as someone who suffers from anxiety。 I really identified with Adrian and his struggles and inner dialogue。 I love the history and myth woven into the story as well。 Would recommend！
Sooz
，
This was a fantastic fun ride with all the charm and adventure of an old timey high seas pirate story but with a modern storytelling style。 It had endearing characters and touching relationships。 It managed to strike an effective balance between all the action sequences and the quieter introspective moments we get from narrator Adrian。 I enjoyed this a lot and thought it was well-written。 The mystery that drives the story was compelling and satisfying; revelations are made along the way， then im This was a fantastic fun ride with all the charm and adventure of an old timey high seas pirate story but with a modern storytelling style。 It had endearing characters and touching relationships。 It managed to strike an effective balance between all the action sequences and the quieter introspective moments we get from narrator Adrian。 I enjoyed this a lot and thought it was well-written。 The mystery that drives the story was compelling and satisfying; revelations are made along the way， then immediately followed by new questions， and it never felt too predictable。Right from the outset， the characters got me hooked。 Adrian’s fiancée Louisa is a wonderful secondary character。 She understands him in a way no one else does。 They make a good team。 His burgeoning relationship with his brother Monty is so fun to watch develop and very touching。 Adrian wants nothing more than to get to know Monty and it’s impossible not to root for them to become close as the story progresses - then the same thing when his sister comes into it。 The scenes with all three of the siblings are some of my favorites。 （I definitely plan on going back and reading the first two books in the series now。） I really loved reading the book in Adrian’s perspective。 He is a very kind， lovable， and intelligent guy who experiences debilitating anxiety。 The first person POV allows you to be privy to his every overwrought thought。 It’s an incredibly intimate （and impressively accurate） look at the inner workings of someone experiencing anxious/intrusive thoughts and self-doubt。 Kudos to the author for doing justice to the mental health aspect of the book。Adrian is also struggling with grief over having recently lost his beloved mother under circumstances he doesn’t fully understand， while his relationship with his father， who has no patience for his emotional or psychological needs， is more strained than ever。 Adrian writes treatises （under an alias） promoting progressive reform， in direct opposition to his own father’s conservative political agenda in the House of Lords。 It created an agonizing tension that I think is actually super relatable especially considering our current political climate。This is a plot-driven book with loads of drama， amazing characters， and a compelling mystery at its heart that kept me turning the page。 For all intents and purposes I read this as a stand-alone and it works really well as such， though I bet it’s even better for those who have read the first two in the series。 Whether you’ve read the others or not， this is an excellent read。 （And the final chapter was **chef’s kiss**。）4。5 stars out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨Much thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the DRC。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher。RTC。
Jessie
，
God， I love these books。 <3
Nic
，
Adrian Montague is adrift。 He has both feet firmly planted on the ground， but since his mother’s sudden death， his tentative and slippery grip on life is beginning to go。 His anxiety is eating him alive， his father’s endless disappointment is making him want to turn inside out and disappear， and his ghost writing of “radical” pamphlets for workers’ rights is not helping his already struggling mental health。 So just imagine what finding out he has a secret older brother does to his already unstea Adrian Montague is adrift。 He has both feet firmly planted on the ground， but since his mother’s sudden death， his tentative and slippery grip on life is beginning to go。 His anxiety is eating him alive， his father’s endless disappointment is making him want to turn inside out and disappear， and his ghost writing of “radical” pamphlets for workers’ rights is not helping his already struggling mental health。 So just imagine what finding out he has a secret older brother does to his already unsteady outlook。When a box of his mother’s personal affects is delivered with half of a spyglass inside it， Adrian will embark on a journey that includes surprise siblings， pirates， and a ship that ferries the dead from this world to the next…or would if Adrian’s mother hadn’t stolen The Flying Dutchman’s spyglass and sent the sea and its sailors into absolute chaos。 Adrian might be able to resolve things if he can just hold onto his sanity a little while longer。I can’t believe I am about to type this， and， believe me， I am shocked by this， but…I actually liked Monty in this book。 I guess eight and ten years have made him， if not a fully functioning adult， then at least a somewhat mature older brother。 He’s actually a rather good brother （considering of whom we are speaking here） and is much less self-involved。 Perhaps it is the sobriety。 Whatever the cause， he is a much improved character in this finale to Mackenzi Lee’s Montague Siblings trilogy。I spent most of the book wanting to hand Adrian a Xanax。 My God， that poor boy and his crippling anxiety was almost too much to comprehend。 How horrible it must have been to have such a disorder in a time when no one understood it。 And to have such an affliction with a father like that。 It is a wonder Adrian survived in the aftermath of his mother’s death， being left alone with the awful Henry Montague （senior – not to be confused with Monty）。That being said， I did grow tired of the repeated anxiety spells and descriptions。 Not because I lack empathy， but because I thought they slowed the plot to a glacial pace。 Every time I thought it might pick up a bit， I got another long explanation of Adrian’s self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness and pending failure。 In a book of 464 pages， these scenes could have been cut back without affecting the portrayal or severity of Adrian’s mental health issues。 To be honest， I did start skimming some of these just to get to some actual plot advancement。I was glad that the supporting cast of characters from the first two books had roles in this one as well， and I was happily surprised that I ended up liking Saad and that he wasn’t a one-dimensional villain。 However， there was not enough Percy for me， and I still think he should get his own book。I do hope some editing can take place before this goes to publication as there are many mistakes， missing words， or extraneous words that all detract from the overall reading experience。 Otherwise， it was an enjoyable， if overly long， end to the series， and I look forward to what Mackenzi Lee will write next。 。。。more
Becky Brett
，
A truly excellent finish to the Montague Siblings saga。 Ugh。
Carrie
，
A perfect ending to a delightful series！
Kristen McDermott
，
My review of this book will appear in Historical Novels Review 98 （November 2021）。
Jennybeast
，
A satisfying end to the series， although a little divorced from the previous books in time。 That is， of course， totally appropriate to the plot line。 Adrian's overwhelming anxiety is remarkably endearing， and his newfound relationships with his siblings is believably challenging。 There is so much ship travel in this book！ Pirates and renegade researchers and tart relationships！ It's a good time。 Advanced Readers copy provided by Edelweiss。 A satisfying end to the series， although a little divorced from the previous books in time。 That is， of course， totally appropriate to the plot line。 Adrian's overwhelming anxiety is remarkably endearing， and his newfound relationships with his siblings is believably challenging。 There is so much ship travel in this book！ Pirates and renegade researchers and tart relationships！ It's a good time。 Advanced Readers copy provided by Edelweiss。 。。。more
Kat
，
Excellent read！ A fun send off to a wickedly good series。
Grace W
，
Review to come
Laura Dimmett
，
Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for this advanced readers copy。 I am especially grateful to have gotten this book before November， so that I had the time to fully experience it before the school year began。 This review is somewhat spoilerish- but nothing that will ruin the fundamental plot points。 At its core， each book， like each Montague sibling who narrates it， presents a fairly common dilemma faced by YA/New Adult readers- when you are square peg in a round hole， what's the best Many thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for this advanced readers copy。 I am especially grateful to have gotten this book before November， so that I had the time to fully experience it before the school year began。 This review is somewhat spoilerish- but nothing that will ruin the fundamental plot points。 At its core， each book， like each Montague sibling who narrates it， presents a fairly common dilemma faced by YA/New Adult readers- when you are square peg in a round hole， what's the best way to survive？ In Gent's Guide， Monty is both bisexual and （seriously undiagnosed） ADHD。， which results in behavior unacceptable to his peerage family， particularly his father。 This book is the more popular than the second in the series because Monty's pain at his father's lack of acceptance and his own resulting self-hatred and acting out is so very intense and for many readers， so very relatable。 Felicity， the heroine of the second book， takes basically the same journey because she must also decide whether the pain and loss of life as a social outcast is worse than the consequences of a life of minimizing your selfhood。 However， Felicity's arc seems less dramatic because she is of a more scientific temperament; however， that doesn't mean her choice to follow a career and forge a solo path follows that she gives up less than her brother to be herself。 Now we have Adrian。 Toward the end of Nobleman's Guide， Monty tells Adrian， "You may be the best of us。" He's right about Adrian's book too。 Monty expects Adrian is the son his father always wanted， but Monty could never be， and Adrian does try。 He tries so hard。 From the outside， it probably looks like he has succeeded。 He is tall， handsome， rich， intelligent， noble。 He's even engaged to a remarkable woman who actually loves him。 However， Adrian suffers from anxiety which has lead to depression which in turn has led to OCD as a coping mechanism， and he is facing an emotional exhaustion that does view suicide or death as a potential escape。 Adrian is not really at all equipped when grief over the loss of a beloved mother and the trauma of discovering the existence of two older siblings is added to his issues。 But here's the thing I love about Adrian。 He just keeps trying， which is an example that the target audience for this book needs to see- especially as mental illness diagnoses continue to rise。 Lee does not pull punches in describing what Adrian's experiences in fighting his internal battles。 I'm not sure what it will be like for readers who do not suffer from anxiety and OCD to read this book， but those who can relate like me will find a disturbingly realistic portrayal of an anxious mind that gets stuck on the daily gerbil wheel of wondering what you did wrong， who is mad at you， why weren't you better， what if someone criticizes you。 Adrian discovers he's actually good in near-death。 crisis situations because he's able to hyperfixate on a specific urgency， but his mind unravels and paralyzes him with any little uncertainty of everyday life like whether the water he drank was unsafe。 I'm anticipating Lee getting some criticism for this not being realistic， but it's actually the nature of the illness。 In fact， I had to put the book down and walk away a few times because Adrian started taking me down the spiral with him。 If it was that hard to read， I can't imagine the strength it took to write Adrian's experiences。 It's not a fun headspace to live in。 Like his brother and sister before him， Adrian has to look in the mirror and accept that he's just。 。。。 always going to be different。 His fiancé and his siblings accept this about him even before he himself does。 Once he does accept this， he has a decision to make。 Will he accept a difficult life on life's terms， keep trying to get the joy as well as the agony？ Or will he chose death which while it might be easier or even more peaceful， is ultimately bleak？ Monty and Felicity are in this book as well。 In their thirties and with greying hair， they both still make mistakes and have setbacks。 Adults do that sometimes。 They're not perfect。 They let people down too， even after they've had their epiphanies of spiritual growth。 But like their brother， they have kept trying。 They set that example for him。 It may not get easier。 There are days where you won't do better。 But they show Adrian how to get back up， no matter how low you've fallen backward， and keep trying so that you can find the people who have compassion for you and care about you and help you to the joy。 In nit-picking news， some spelling errors need to be corrected before the book officially goes to press。 Also， Lord Montague's reaction to Adrian's absence and what Adrian tells him about his siblings gets glossed over more than I'd like， especially as he has a strong presence at the start of the narrative。 （And there's never enough Percy in all three books）。 But the important messages of this book- what it's like， you're not alone， it's worth it- are very well done。 。。。more
Jen
，
4。5/5 for me。 I have never， ever， read a book that so accurately portrays mental illness， specifically anxiety and OCD。 This author captured it so vividly， and I especially appreciate that she didn’t save her magic author wand and magically make it go away at the end， and instead focused on how to make it manageable。 This book follows Adrian Montague， the youngest Montague， who feels both hopeless and helpless against his own mind。 He is determined to solve the mystery of how his mother really d 4。5/5 for me。 I have never， ever， read a book that so accurately portrays mental illness， specifically anxiety and OCD。 This author captured it so vividly， and I especially appreciate that she didn’t save her magic author wand and magically make it go away at the end， and instead focused on how to make it manageable。 This book follows Adrian Montague， the youngest Montague， who feels both hopeless and helpless against his own mind。 He is determined to solve the mystery of how his mother really died， and in so doing， believes he has found evidence that his mother - and this himself - was cursed by none other than the Flying Dutchman。 He sets off on an adventure that has him crossing oceans and continents in search of a lost shipwreck， racing against time and pirates to figure out what really happened。 I thoroughly enjoyed this， even though I had to put it aside at times because I felt as exhausted as Adrian described himself as feeling at times。 。。。more
Jess
，
As always with the Montague Siblings series， this was a quick， adventure-filled read with a sweet core。 Though this installment was perhaps a bit slower to get going， I was soon dragged along by the twists and turns of the plot。I was really glad to see lots of old characters reappear throughout the book - it felt like a fitting conclusion to the series as a whole。One thing which was perhaps unexpected， however， was that it really hit me quite hard emotionally。 I found descriptions of Adrian's me As always with the Montague Siblings series， this was a quick， adventure-filled read with a sweet core。 Though this installment was perhaps a bit slower to get going， I was soon dragged along by the twists and turns of the plot。I was really glad to see lots of old characters reappear throughout the book - it felt like a fitting conclusion to the series as a whole。One thing which was perhaps unexpected， however， was that it really hit me quite hard emotionally。 I found descriptions of Adrian's mental health to be both accurate and absolutely gut-churning。 I felt panicky and tense along with him a lot of the time。 Perhaps because of this， and the subject matter hitting slightly closer to home， I found that this book made me think a bit more than the others in the series。As ever， I enjoyed the history snippets at the end - it was great to see the real-world inspiration for this story tinged with magic。Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for the ARC。4。5 rounded up to 5 。。。more
Samantha
，
It’s not often that one comes across a series that is well researched and written， thoughtful， and sweet， but also just completely and totally BONKERS。 But here we are at the conclusion of Mackenzi Lee’s Montague Siblings trilogy， which ends every bit as well as it started， and maybe even better。There’s a big time gap between the second and third books in this series， enough to allow Adrian to grow up sufficiently to narrate the third novel in the trilogy。 The baby brother who Felicity and Monty It’s not often that one comes across a series that is well researched and written， thoughtful， and sweet， but also just completely and totally BONKERS。 But here we are at the conclusion of Mackenzi Lee’s Montague Siblings trilogy， which ends every bit as well as it started， and maybe even better。There’s a big time gap between the second and third books in this series， enough to allow Adrian to grow up sufficiently to narrate the third novel in the trilogy。 The baby brother who Felicity and Monty said goodbye to when they went to make their own way in the world is now an adult， engaged to be married， slated for a seat in Parliament， and filled with crippling anxiety。Let’s pause a moment here to discuss how well Lee handled the topic of Generalized Anxiety and the way it affected the protagonist and those around him。 I really admire this honest and at times brutal portrait of anxiety that pulls back the curtain in a knowledgable and empathetic way about an oft misunderstood mental illness without ever getting too precious about it。 Adrian’s struggles are beautifully woven into the type of madcap adventure story that we’ve come to know and love in this series。And what an adventure it is。 The pirate republic of Salé makes an appearance （yay and double yay！） as do Dutch Golden Age vanitas paintings， and—gasp—the legend of The Flying Dutchman。 I felt like this book was written to satisfy my own very specific dorky historical and fantastical enthusiasms， and I’m betting I’m not the only one who will feel that way。That， right there， might be what Mackenzi Lee does best。 These books feel like home when you read them， no matter who you are or what you seek， because they so beautifully illustrate the importance of acceptance of others （warts and all） and that we all deserve love and loyalty， even during the times when we don’t love ourselves all that much。Extra points for historical accuracy any place where it was possible in this one， and just for creating the best dang fictional family out there in the Montagues。Felicity is still my favorite Montague and the first book was my favorite plot-wise， but I think the third and final installment in the series may be the best one overall。 All three were an incredible joy to read， and I will miss them dearly。*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Susan
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I'm probably not the best person to be posting an early review of this book， because I'm a casual fan of the series at best （I read The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and gave it 3。5 stars， didn't read Felicity's book）。 But for better or for worse， Net Galley gifted me with an ARC， so here we are。The Nobleman's Guide is narrated by Adrian， who was just an infant when Monty and Felicity left home; in fact， he doesn't know they exist。 His mother has recently died under mysterious circumstanc I'm probably not the best person to be posting an early review of this book， because I'm a casual fan of the series at best （I read The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and gave it 3。5 stars， didn't read Felicity's book）。 But for better or for worse， Net Galley gifted me with an ARC， so here we are。The Nobleman's Guide is narrated by Adrian， who was just an infant when Monty and Felicity left home; in fact， he doesn't know they exist。 His mother has recently died under mysterious circumstances， and the lifelong anxieties and compulsive thoughts that have plagued him have worsened。 When his cruel， autocratic father gives him a box of his mother's belongings， including a spyglass that she always kept with her， Adrian decides to track down its origin， hoping it will give him a clue to how and why she died。 That leads him to the shocking discovery that he has an older brother， who is not at all happy to see him， and starts him on a journey of adventure and discovery。 Adrian is a sympathetic character but at times being in his head is almost too much。 He is wracked with anxiety and self-hatred， catastrophizing everything possible and apologizing profusely for his very existence。 In 18th century England， there is no name for his illness and no sympathy for his odd behavior。 Yet he is also a brilliant writer of radical political treatises， and somewhere along the line he managed to become engaged to a smart， understanding woman。 The gradual development of his relationship with the still outrageous Monty （and to a lesser extent Felicity） is at the heart of the book， as is his realization that he is worthy of love， anxieties and all。 The adventure plot is fun， as the siblings travel to Morocco， Portugal， Amsterdam and Iceland， facing natural and human dangers。 I assume that many of the people they encounter were first seen in Monty and Felicity's books， but although I don't remember many details about #1 and skipped #2， I didn't feel lost。 I don't think this book entirely stands alone， though; if I hadn't read Gentleman's Guide I would have been horrified at Monty's behavior （I still find him less charming than Lee thinks he is） and the epilogue would not have had the same emotional impact。 There is a touch of paranormal flavor， although it's never fully clear if it's real or part of Adrian's mental illness （perhaps that's the point）。 Lee's writing style is energetic and humorous， but serious enough to inspire the reader's investment in the characters。 The book did suffer from a few nagging weaknesses。 First， we never learn how Adrian met his fiancé Louisa， or how he overcame his self-doubts enough to get close to her。 Secondly， Monty's beloved Percy is absent for 95% of the book。 While that allows the focus to be on the siblings， I missed his presence and his singular ability to keep Monty from being The Absolute Worst。 Finally there is a missed opportunity for the siblings to bond that inexplicably doesn't happen （view spoiler）[（Adrian actually punches Richard Peele，but Monty never learns that he and his little brother are charter members of the We Hate Richard Peele club） （hide spoiler）]。 But overall Nobleman's Guide was truly enjoyable; a rollicking adventure helmed by a hero whose mental illness doesn't prevent him from achieving his goals and finding a flawed but definitely loving family。 ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review。 。。。more
Kristi Holaway
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Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an ARC。 I was all over the place emotionally with this book。 Adrian’s constant negative thought spirals were so hard to read。 I suffer from a different mental illness myself， so I’m not trying to be unsympathetic， but I had a hard time connecting with him。 I was also disappointed with Monty’s behavior。 After 150 pages or so， I resigned myself to a disappointing conclusion to the trilogy。 Then there was an extremely moving scene between the siblin Thank you to the publishers for providing me with an ARC。 I was all over the place emotionally with this book。 Adrian’s constant negative thought spirals were so hard to read。 I suffer from a different mental illness myself， so I’m not trying to be unsympathetic， but I had a hard time connecting with him。 I was also disappointed with Monty’s behavior。 After 150 pages or so， I resigned myself to a disappointing conclusion to the trilogy。 Then there was an extremely moving scene between the siblings， and I had tears streaming down my face for the duration of the chapter and beyond。 From that point， I was completely invested and could barely put it down。 I was thrilled with the appearances of so many characters from the previous books。 The author did an extraordinary job finishing this series。 Not a perfect ending， but an authentic one， which in this case at least is infinitely better。 。。。more
Mew
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Wafflepirates
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*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*I'll admit， I was nervous about such a large time skip in-between books （of about 18-19 years）， but I really shouldn't've been。 Mackenzi Lee pulled out all the stops for this final entry in the Montague siblings series， and she delivers。 The same style， humor， and pacing carried over into this installment， with the added bonus of a main character we've seen before， but haven't truly met。 Adrian *Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*I'll admit， I was nervous about such a large time skip in-between books （of about 18-19 years）， but I really shouldn't've been。 Mackenzi Lee pulled out all the stops for this final entry in the Montague siblings series， and she delivers。 The same style， humor， and pacing carried over into this installment， with the added bonus of a main character we've seen before， but haven't truly met。 Adrian is slightly older than Monty or Felicity were in their POV entries， and in a much different place in his life， as he's soon going to be married and take over his father's seat in the house of lords。 A year prior， their mother committed suicide， but a chance encounter with her recovered belongings， namely a spyglass she carried everywhere with her， sends Adrian on a mad dash to uncover the truth of her death。 Along the way， he runs into Monty and Percy， who are running a struggling shipping company， learns he has not one， but two siblings， helps save Felicity from being marooned， and leads his siblings on a wild adventure that only he seems to fully believe in。 We also get some very good representation in Adrian， who's mental illness is likened to general anxiety and OCD in Lee's author notes。 As someone who deals with both in varying capacities， having a character like Adrian who's so fantastically written is a wonderful thing。 While i'm sad the series is over， this book is a fitting end， full of adventure， sibling shenanigans， and a satisfying end to all three Montagues' stories。 。。。more
Emma Presnell
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Am full out sobbing at the end but 5/5 will write a full review later！
Nicole
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A lovely conclusion。 Good to see so many characters again （though I wish I had reread the first two first to refresh my memory a little）
Nicole
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I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Spoilers to come！3。5 stars rounded up because math works like that （unless you're Monty） I would then write and rewrite and edit and rewrite and edit more and scrutinize the language until it no longer sounded like English and I had convinced myself I was illiterate and no one had ever had the heart to tell me。I have never related more to a character that I did with Adrian Montague。 That line， which happens towards the begi I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。Spoilers to come！3。5 stars rounded up because math works like that （unless you're Monty） I would then write and rewrite and edit and rewrite and edit more and scrutinize the language until it no longer sounded like English and I had convinced myself I was illiterate and no one had ever had the heart to tell me。I have never related more to a character that I did with Adrian Montague。 That line， which happens towards the beginning of the book， sold me on his character， his anxiety， and pretty much most of the book。 Unfortunately， the ending wasn't as strong as the beginning， but we'll get into that。I just want to start by saying that the wait for this book is worth it。 As the author noted， this book was heavily revised。 In fact， I truly hope that the summary for this book is updated on Goodreads because the summary that's there as of today （17 July 2021） does not match the final product at all。 Like， I sincerely wonder if Lee wrote two different books and then just picked one to be the final product。 Pretty much the only thing that remains the same is that Adrian has a mental illness and that he grew up not knowing his siblings。 He ends up going on an adventure， and it's in the course of that adventure that he meets his siblings and realizes his destiny。As noted above， the book starts off really strong。 I love Adrian， I adore him。 I suffer from anxiety， so I felt the spirals he goes on on a soul deep level。 Lee's writing is witty and fabulous。 The characters are well-developed and multi-faceted。 Unfortunately， after meeting Monty， the story just kind of goes on this weird ass tangent/saga where Lee tried to merge the original story she had written with the new one that had emerged （at least， that's my best guess）。 It。。。。 sort of works？ But it mostly doesn't。 I was ready for a swashbuckling tale and pirates。。。 the actual story kind of took a turn into the paranormal that just didn't quite fit the rest of the story。 Additionally， it's like 200 hundred pages of Adrian being angsty at sea。 As much as I love Adrian （and Lee's writing style）， I was beginning to have PTSD flashbacks to the camping chapters in the seventh Harry Potter book。 For those of you who were wondering， yes， Percy is in the story and he is still up for sainthood。 Honestly， while I know this story is supposed to focus on the Montagues， I wish we could have had about 400 more chapters with Percy in it。 He's delightfully wonderful。If you liked the other Montague sibling stories， then definitely pick this one up when it comes out later this year。 It's a solid end to the series。 。。。more
Alicia
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