Review – The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (Montague Siblings, Book 3) by Mackenzi Lee (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 592 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: November 16, 2021
ISBN-13 : 978-0062916013
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Montague Siblings series
Source: eGalley from Edelweiss
Rating: 4/5 stars
“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.”
Series Info/Source: This is the third (and final) book in the Montague Siblings series. I got an eGalley of this through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This was a very fun and well done conclusion to this series. I enjoyed reading it a lot. It’s a quick read, that is fairly engaging.
As with the second book in the series, there was very little romance in this book. This is more about Adrian’s adventure to find out what happened to his mother and about him finally getting to meet his siblings. I enjoyed the adventures and the hints at something fantastical going on. There is a good mystery here too, but this is mostly about Adrian getting to know his family and growing as an individual while trying to cope with somewhat crippling anxiety.
While I enjoyed the fact that Adrian’s anxiety is accurately portrayed and discussed throughout the story, at times it overwhelmed the story. There are portions I ended up skimming because I just didn’t need to hear more of Adrian arguing in his head with himself.
The characters are fun, the dialogue is witty, and the plot (aside from the long portions in Adrian’s head) moves at a decent clip. This ties up everything very nicely and leaves you feeling happy and hopeful. It’s a must read for fans of the series. This book could stand on its own okay but reading the first two books in the series will give a lot of background information that really adds to the story.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a great conclusion to this series. It is a fun historical fiction read with a lot of adventure and some magical realism. The characters are well done and easy to love. My only complaint is that sometimes the portrayal of Adrian’s anxiety overwhelmed the rest of the story a bit. However, if you have enjoyed previous books in this series, you will most likely enjoy this one as well.