by Jennieke Cohen
My rating: 3 hearts
Publication date: December 3, 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Romance
Synopsis:
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Jane Austen in this witty, winking historical romance with a dash of mystery!
Lady Victoria Aston has everything she could want: an older sister happily wed, the future of her family estate secure, and ample opportunity to while her time away in the fields around her home.
But now Vicky must marry—or find herself and her family destitute. Armed only with the wisdom she has gained from her beloved novels by Jane Austen, she enters society’s treacherous season.
Sadly, Miss Austen has little to say about Vicky’s exact circumstances: whether the roguish Mr. Carmichael is indeed a scoundrel, if her former best friend, Tom Sherborne, is out for her dowry or for her heart, or even how to fend off the attentions of the foppish Mr. Silby, he of the unfortunate fashion sensibility.
Most unfortunately of all, Vicky’s books are silent on the topic of the mysterious accidents cropping up around her…ones that could prevent her from surviving until her wedding day.
I was pretty disappointed by this one, to be honest. After reading the synopsis, I expected a mysterious, romantic read. What I got was romance that could be described as luke-warm at best, and the mystery was barely there.
I liked the main character well enough. Vicky was a bit naive, but considering the life she lived, that's not something to hold against her. I liked that she never hesitated to stand up for what she believed in, not to mention she wasn't one to sit idly by while everyone else tried to find out what was going on. Not to mention the character development she went through.
I did not like Tom. He's a bit of a jerk to Vicky, and even following his thoughts bothered me, because he was really judgmental. And then the romance between them came pretty much out of nowhere. There was no tension whatsoever, and I didn't like either of the guys. Honestly, I wanted Vicky to end up with neither guy, because both of them were kind of disrespectful to her on several occasions.
The plot was really boring. The only reason it got three hearts is because the last half of it picked up and got more interesting, but it was really slow and boring through a lot of the book. And the ending was really predictable.
I did love all the Austen references, though. That was a big reason why I picked it up, and that part didn't disappoint. For fans of Jane Austen, I think you could enjoy this, as long as you don't go in expecting a big mystery. I think if I were expecting a plain romance, I would've liked it better.
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