The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
READER RECOMMENDED: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee is $2.99! I’ve lost count of the number of people who have enjoyed this book. We even ran a great guest review of it, where it earned an A- grade:
This book is touching, sexy, witty, and a fun adventure story. It would be an awesome beachside or poolside read. It takes its history seriously, but also lightly.
An unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.
But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.
Witty, romantic, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a sumptuous romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.
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Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis is $1.99! Elyse reviewed this one and gave it a B-. She warns that with a Shalvis book, she thought she was getting a romance. Unfortunately, she described this more as women’s fiction with a small romantic subplot.
It made me laugh and it made me tear-up, but it wasn’t what I was expected when I picked it up.
From New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis comes her first women’s fiction novel—an unforgettable story of friendship, love, family, and sisterhood—perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Susan Mallery, and Kristan Higgins.
They say life can change in an instant…
After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.’s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she’s looking for a missing piece she can’t find?
The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.
On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn’t quite fit in right away, she can’t help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.
As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there’s another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn’t a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she’s searched so long for.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Piece of Work
Piece of Work by Staci Hart is $2.99! This is a standalone contemporary romance that came out last week. It’s also described as a romantic comedy. The hero is a museum curator and the heroine’s boss, and that workplace romance/power imbalance may be a turn off for some. I, however, will be buying this one.
Marble isn’t the only thing that’s hard at this museum.
His body is as chiseled as Adonis. His lips are as sculpted as David. And his ego is the size of the Guggenheim.
You know the type—wolfish smile and the gravity of a black hole. The kind of man who sucks all the air from the room the second he enters it. My cocky boss thinks this internship was wasted on me, and he doesn’t hesitate to let me know.
But he’s wrong, and I’m going to prove it to him. If I can stay away from his devil lips, that is. Lips that cut me down and kiss me in the same breath, leaving me certain he’s on a mission to ruin my life.
And maybe my heart, too.
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!69 Million Things I Hate About You
69 Million Things I Hate About You by Kira Archer is $2.99! This is a contemporary workplace romance with an enemies to lovers trope. The heroine is determined to make her boss’ life miserable after winning the lottery. Some readers feel the romance wasn’t as strong as it could have been, while others loved the banter.
After personal assistant Kiersten Abbott wins sixty-nine million dollars in the lotto, she suddenly has more than enough money to quit her impossibly demanding job. But where’s the fun in that? She decides to stay and exact a little revenge on her insufferable ass of a boss.
Billionaire Cole Harrington quickly figures out something’s afoot with his usually agreeable personal assistant. When he finds out about the office pool betting on how long it’ll take him to fire her, he decides to spice things up and see how far he can push her until she quits.
The game is on, with everyone waiting to see who will crack first. But the bet sparks a new dynamic between them, and soon they realize they just might have crossed that fine line between hate and love.
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The sparring in 69 Million Things was great fun (very I hate you, I hate you, I can’t stop thinking about your hair), but they’re “a couple” only for a short period of time (as in, could reasonably be measured in hours) near the end, and then romantic drama that would ordinarily span a whole book gets crammed into very few pages. I’d say it’s paced more like a movie romcom designed for laughs than a romance novel designed to get you in your feels.
Am so looking forward to reading The Gentleman’s Guide!
FYI: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is $1.99 today @ amazon.
Glad to see the Lee book is on sale – that’s been on my wishlist. Now it’s MINE ALL MINE.
69 Million Things: I had the same thoughts as Ren Benton. Plus, workplace romance … always a bit squicky when there’s a serious power differential, even when (as in this case) the party lower on the work totem pole has the ability to leave the workplace without suffering career or financial damage.
I really appreciate that y’all mention it when particular books don’t meet the criteria for genre Romance. I’m primarily a Romance reader and I don’t like being surprised by not-romance.
I’m not crazy about this new rom com label. Romantic comedy covers a lot of ground. After all, comedy is the noun in that phrase. Sort of like romantic fiction is fiction with feels.
Piece of Work almost looks like it could be a cover snark, except I get a very playful, upbeat feeling from it.
Touch the Sky, Chase the Sun, and Paint the Stars by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn are $0.99 each at Amazon. MM contemporary that could qualify as NA? I’ve read the first, and TW for suicidal thoughts/actions (I can’t recall how far it goes), but if I remember correctly his mental health is well addressed and not magically fixed by the end.
ALIF THE UNSEEN by Willow Wilson is on sale at Amazon US for $1.99. Wilson is the writer behind the MS. MARVEL graphic novels about Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American girl who finds herself with super powers.
The Guardian characterized ALIF better than I can: “… draws on Islamic theology, the hacking underworld, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, spy thrillers and the events of the Arab spring to weave an ‘urban fantasy’ in which the everyday and the supernatural collide.” So much catnip and a little romance.
Wilson also wrote CAIRO, a Middle East thriller wrapped in a graphic novel. More supernatural elements and an unexpected romance. This one is angry, sad and hopeful, and I loved every black and white panel.
My work here is done. /fangirl
I second the recommendation for Alif The Unseen!
SOMETHING TRUE by Karelia Stetz-Waters, a f/f contemporary romance (with a delightfully marketable cover even!) is on sale for $1.99. I bought it!
I loved 69 million reasons. It’s a good slow burn, for those who love a slow burn romance like I do. And, hilarious!
And, The Gentleman’s Guide, I adored it! So much fun! Diverse, inclusive, swashbuckling adventure.
I used an Audible credit on The Gentleman’s Guide awhile ago because YA ebooks are all so expensive. My favourite audiobook ever, with a wonderfully nuanced performance by Christian Coulson. The book is more angsty than you’d think from the blurbs and reviews, with Monty being much more than simply a spoiled and thoughtless aristocrat.
I haven’t read the museum one, but I’ve worked in museums and I’ve been an intern many times and you’re lucky to get paid as an intern. I wouldn’t want to be in a situation where the success of my career depended on someone with a romantic interest in me. With the average pay and availability of jobs, the best way to have a stable income in museums is to marry someone who can support you. Also, men are the minority of museum workers and it’s still seen as pretty pink-collar in some places, but guess what? Men are disproportionately directors and directors tend to get paid disproportionately well.
Also I read part of the sample and she’s one of those girls who doesn’t know how beautiful she is, which pisses me off right now.
I read and only Kinda liked the Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue”. The main character, Henry is handsome, likable and selfish. His immature actions drag down the rest of his party into some pretty dangerous situations. While his smart mouth was mostly amusing and revealed some heartbreak, you still wanted to punch him for his immaturity.
I really liked 69 Million Things. The banter between them was quite witty and I thought it avoided being too mean spirited as you realized each was getting off on their little contest. I thought it great fun.
I also enjoyed 69 Million Things. I liked the banter, but the real kicker for me was the power balance. Archer does humor without humiliation. It was a nice twist on the workplace romance. I dig workplace romances, but it’s always problematical, hence a guilty pleasure. This one was guilt-free for me.
Gentlemen’s Guide is a good book but not the romp that its promoted as. It takes on some fairly heavy issues mixed in with pirates and high adventure issues. All the characters are well written though I agree with Judy W., the main character could be obnoxious and it would have worked better with multiple viewpoints. Its very much a YA book but a good one.
So I bought Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis after reading this review…I LOVED it! It does have romance, but it much more about the deep relationships about women. Those do take center stage, and in a very beautiful way. I started to type more about the characters, but realized I might be typing spoilers. I will say this explores more mature love, and in a sweet way- young love. I think Shalvis very much captures how intense first love is-when there is that guy or girl, when you are 15 or 16-it is such a pure, yet lustful feeling, you know?
I can’t wait for the next book in this series!