Publishing Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 528 | Duration: 10 hrs and 47 mins
Narrator for Audiobook Version: Christian Coulson
Young Adult Historical
The Premise from the Publisher: "A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are 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. So Monty 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, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores" (HC).
My overall thoughts and review: When I first heard about the premise of this book, I was immediately drawn in. I love historical fiction with elements of LGBTQ+. I will say I was put off by the sheer size of the book, but after learning that good looking Tom Riddle (Christian Coulson from the second Harry Potter film) narrated the book, I clicked that download and play button so fast. Coulson does an amazing job bringing Henry and Percy to life. I just loved listening to his narration of the story so much and it really felt as if I was right there along with the characters as I was reading it. The story follows Henry as he embarks on his final grand tour of Europe with his bestfriend, Percy. This tour is to symbolize Henry's last hurrah before he has to take on a more leadership role within his father's company, and we learn that individuals like Percy have some secrets to hide. The story also introduces Henry's sister, Felicity, who tags along as a type of chaperone. I just loved her character so much and how she is able to hold her own. She is sassy and I loved seeing how she spoke with Henry in some instances and really brought things back into perspective. In terms of Henry and Percy, I loved learning about their friendship, but it is also quite obvious that they are both really in love with one another. It tackles the fine line of friendship and romance, and I loved how it just felt so pure. The text also does a good job at handling bisexual representations, and explains clearly that just because Henry loves Percy, it does not change his sexual orientation. The text also does a decent job at disability representation. I won't say more than that since it is huge spoilery, but there's a lot of representation in the book! Well done, Lee! There are some moments where you do have to suspend your disbelief though since there are some magical and alchemist moments. I really don't want to say too much without spoiling the plot, but the characters do move around quite a lot from Paris to Spain to Rome, and so much crazy drama unfolds which really tests each character in a unique way. Overall, this is such a lovely book. It had everything I could want in historical fiction and more. There's hilarious moments that had me chuckling, swoony moments, and some tear jerking moments. There's an emphasis on family, friendship, love, and tackles questions of how far you will go to help the one you love and learning to become comfortable with yourself. If you haven't read this yet, I totally am pushing for the audible version of the book because it is just so wonderful. There's talk about a companion book that follows Felicity and I'm so down for that. I totally want to see Felicity and swash buckling pirates, and I hope there will be some mention of Henry and Percy as well. Where do I sign up? ;)
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars)
Available for purchase at:
Audible, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo Books, Amazon, Kindle and Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)
No comments:
Post a Comment