Join Lord Henry “Monty” Montague, his bookish sister Felicity and best friend/crush Percy as they embark on a Grand Tour of Europe. The trip is intended to expose Monty to culture, or at least take his embarassing behaviour out of the sight of his father and anyone else important in England. When he returns he is expected to pick up the reins and be the dutiful son and heir.
The sensible well laid plans of minder Lockwood have no chance against Monty’s recklessness. Percy is putty in Monty’s hands. And Felicity is chafing at the constraints of being a lady, increasingly furious as Monty squanders the intellectual and cultural experiences she is denied. So once Monty drives the trip off the rails, they willingly follow.
Off Lockwood’s leash, and pursued by dangerous men, the trio embark on an exciting romp, complete with pirates, alchemists, and scheming aristocrats and not at all lacking in opportunities for betterment.
Underneath all the action, the relationships are the heart of this novel. A brother and sister who are very different, and often drive each other crazy, but share a deep and fierce bond. And two young men who are struggling to understand what they mean to each other and what sort of future they might be able to have together in a world that pushes them to trivialise their attraction as just another meaningless youthful indiscretion.
I am yet to read the sequel, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, and expect to enjoy it even more, as I’m much more a Felicity than a Monty.
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