My God, I love these books so much. They just make me so happy. They're fun and heartfelt and I just love the Montague siblings, flaws and all. Nobleman's Guide is probably my favorite of the series, mainly because I related to Adrian and his anxiety so much that it hurt. His thought process was my exact thought process for years before prozac was able to lower the volume of the racing, intrusive thoughts. It was exactly as Adrian describes it, thoughts that snowball until you can think of nothing else, not being able to eat because literally everything makes your stomach hurt...So, yeah, I may have related to this book extra hard. It is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of what it is like to live with anxiety that I've ever read. Adrian's journey - his path to coping with his anxiety and depression - is the heart of the story, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever experienced it. But! This book isn't all about anxiety. It's also an action/adventure/mystery/romance, spanning from Morocco to the Netherlands to Iceland and everywhere in between. It's also laugh-out-loud hilarious. The whole series just brings me so much joy. Definitely one of my favorite books of 2021.

There was no shortage of excitement when I found out I was approved for the arc of this book. The Henry "Monty" Montague and Felicity Montague are probably my favorite fictional siblings because their humor and dry wit speak to my soul. I'm so glad Lee takes us back to introduce us to the youngest Montague, Adrian whom the siblings left behind when they left to seek adventure and carve their own paths.

The instant we meet Adrian we learn he's unlike his older siblings. He suffers from anxiety and OCD and has a difficult time with things that most of us would assume are mundane. His spitfire of a fiance, Louisa not only loves Adrian to pieces but also knows how to help him through his challenging moments. He's an aspiring social justice warrior, writing articles anonymously to draw attention to the plight of workers, much to his father's chagrin. After his father gives him a box of his deceased mother's belongings, Adrian becomes curious about one item in particular - a broken spyglass. For some reason, he feels that this spyglass is the key to finding out why she was "sad" and why she died. His curiosity leads him to finding Monty. He didn't even know he had an older sibling, much less two. Explaining his thought process and suspicions about their mother to Monty, Monty agrees to accompany him to Portugal to learn more about the shipwreck that his mother had been involved in. Obviously, this means a detour to find Felicity is in order. Adrian, who's never ventured far and who isn't exactly made of X Games material is thrust into a whole new world of pirates, espionage and family secrets.

I enjoyed this high flying adventure! Monty is always a blast and I was so happy to experience his special brand of Monty-ness again! He is all melodrama and jokes whereas Felicity is quietly effective and biting. Poor Adrian, his entire world thrown upside down and these two non-conforming people to lead him through it. Aside from the thrill and danger of their epic travels, Adrian's story is about his own self-discovery. His concerns that he might suffer from the same ailment that plagued his mother is constantly weighing on him. Monty and Felicity recognize that Adrian is different and do tend to tread lightly around him when the moment calls for it. I so appreciated that they never sought to tell him to get over it. They simply tried to gently lead him to clarity or ride through the wave with him.

Lee says in her notes that NGSS centers heavily around mental health issues and that she pulled from her own her own experiences to tell Adrian's story, and that while they might resonate with some, they do not speak for all. She goes on to explain from a historical context how anxiety and depression were labelled, diagnosed and treated within the constraints of the medical knowledge of the time. As always, the historical details are what bring me to Lee's novels and this time the Montague siblings are embroiled in the myth of The Flying Dutchman - the legendary ghost ship. I had heard of The Flying Dutchman but was not familiar with much else about it. Adrian's desperation to find it spurs the adventure into dangerous waters and life-threatening situations, all so he can understand the mystery that is his mother and what changed her years ago. In understanding what happened to her, he hopes it will help explain why he is the way he is, and possibly avoid the same fate as her.

I love this series for its adventuresome fun, intrigue and let's face it, whenever Monty is involved, shenanigans. Never a dull moment is had when he's around, though with this family reunion, Monty does revisit his unhappy childhood and tries to come to peace with where he's at in his life. He's happy with his love, Percy but still feels unworthy thanks to many years of toxic treatment at his father's hand. So while the overall tone of The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks is that of breathtaking exploits, there is some gravitas to it, as well. I think Lee handles it very well and I'm sad that the series is now over, but I am oh so grateful for the ride along!

~ Bel



Content Warning/Trigger Warning:

- anxiety, OCD, (on page; Adrian throughout the story), depression (memory; the siblings' mother), suicide (inferred; the siblings' mother), physical abuse (memory; Monty's memory of what his father did to him)

When Adrian receives his mother's effects after her death, he realizes something isn't quite right. To solve the mystery of the broken spyglass she acquired after a shipwreck, he sails to the Mediterranean, is nearly killed by pirates, and travels across the Continent following clues. Discovering family he never knew he had, and struggling with obsessive anxiety, he learns painful truths about his mother—and himself.

This fun adventure is, at its heart, about how family can either tear us apart or make us whole. The author's voice is delightful, the story imaginative and compelling. Best of all are the characters, who are so well developed that they feel real. It's a joy to read this final book in the series.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

The long anticipated, newest addition to the Montague Siblings series, The Nobleman’s Guide to Shipwreck and Scandal by Mackenzi Lee did not disappoint. Like the previous two in the series, this story is full of pirates and wild adventures, but because of our new main character, this is tempered with an exploration of internal vs. external pain.

A thoroughly anxious protagonist

Each book in the series follows a different Montague sibling. This third installment is Adrian’s story, which is interesting, because he was an infant and didn’t really play a role in the first two books. We’re meeting him for the very first time.

This poor little cinnamon roll is riddled with anxiety. The author did a fantastic job capturing his voice on the page. Intrusive thoughts constantly distract him, and every description he gives is shaped by his anxiety and insecurity. The reader feels his every worry. I felt genuinely immersed inside his head, and as someone who also struggles with anxiety, I felt for him. He is a sweet, lovable cinnamon roll, and I want nothing but the best for him.

A mysterious spyglass

The death of Adrian’s mother is what sets the story in motion. She went on holiday in Scotland and died slipping off a cliff. What haunts Adrian, though, is that she leaves her broken half of a spyglass behind. Since she was in a shipwreck ten years ago, she has never parted with it. Adrian is positive it means something, and sets out to find the other half. But this journey brings him somewhere unexpected, to a sibling he never knew existed…

He meets Monty, and Monty is not thrilled about it. In fact, he tries to run away. Literally. But, encouraged by Percy, he agrees to have dinner with Adrian and eventually agrees to help him find the rest of the spyglass, starting in Rabat, Morocco.

Their relationship was without a doubt my favorite part of this book. Sibling relationships are a soft spot for me, and I loved how Monty slowly, slowly softened to Adrian. It was good character growth for him. He’s never really had to be a big brother before (Felicity always took care of herself), and caring for Adrian forced him to mature, even if he remained vain and a little silly.

The plot does not matter

So, I am not a plot person. I don’t need a lot of crazy events to enjoy a story—I just need good characters. This book is much more concerned with the three siblings (Felicity shows up too!) and their relationship, along with Adrian growing to accept his mental state. They do travel from location to location, searching for clues about the spyglass, and several thrilling run-ins with pirates that add excitement. So there are certainly lots of colorful characters and changes in scenery to add interest. However, if you are a reader who likes fast-paced adventures full of chases and swordfights, this book isn’t for you. But if you love these characters, you will love this ride.

Going in, I worried about the ending, because there are no easy fixes for mental illness. How would the story be successfully resolved while still ringing true? The ending did feel slightly anticlimactic, but it rang true, and I was happy with it.

Even if you’re new to the series, I think you can still dive into this series. Adrian is the most precious main character you’ll ever meet, and the book is extraordinarily well written. Any lover of good characters and historical fiction should give it a try!

I've read the other two books in this series and had two major problems with this one. Aiden was not as vibrant and likeable as Henry and Felicity. Secondly, after the supernatural events of the first two books why was this supernatural event so hard to believe.

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

Frightened by the world, aspiring political writer and activist Adrian Montague finds himself in a unique position to enter Parliament when his father Henri resigns his seat. Even as Adrian prepares himself to take on this role, he still grapples with the grief of his mother’s unexpected death nearly a year earlier. When artifacts from her final trip are discovered, Adrian finds himself in possession of a broken spyglass that his mother carried with her at all times. As Adrian undertakes a journey to discover the truth behind the spyglass, he finds himself face-to-face with a brother and sister he never knew.

After going on voyages with Monty and Felicity, it’s Adrian’s turn. And Adrian’s journey doesn’t disappoint. Mackenzi Lee uniquely captures a third Montague voice that is much more raw than Monty and Felicity. Even without the author’s note, it’s clear that Adrian suffers from anxiety with OCD compulsions, and given that the novel is written from his perspective, it makes certain scenes painful as a reader, mostly due to the ability to empathize with his spiraling thoughts. Even though the novel is centered on Adrian, the reader still receives an infusion of the voices we know and love, Monty’s devil-may-care sarcasm and Felicity’s stoic realism.

Most of the novel revolves around the theme of found family. Though Monty and Felicity discovered families beyond their own blood, Adrian has the unique opportunity to not only learn of his siblings' existence but connect with them throughout the novel. And though Monty and Felicity may initially be shy to acknowledge Adrian and the bonds they share, Lee convincingly offers readers an intimate portrait of the complex relationship of siblings. Given that a great deal of the novel is spent around this relationship, the supernatural quest to discover the mystery behind their mother’s spyglass takes a backseat; however, given that one of the common themes of the Montague Siblings series has been finding oneself and connecting to others, this does not harm Adrian’s journey.

With so many characters introduced in the first two novels, it would be difficult to dedicate significant page time to all of them. Though I recognized that this was Adrian’s story, I was a little disappointed that Johanna and Percy received little space, though patient readers are rewarded with a full endgame chapter dedicated to Monty and Percy. Sadly, Scipio was absent due to circumstances that are briefly described in the novel. Sim receives the greatest amount of space given that the secondary plot revolves around the Crown and Cleaver. A few new characters are introduced to the drama, specifically Louisa and Saad, and have their own contributions to add to Adrian’s story.

Overall, I loved Adrian as a character, even in his raw and painful moments, and I felt that his entry into the Montague siblings series was an excellent final entry that wrapped up the quest of all three siblings to find peace and love within themselves and among their blood and found family.

I think , this is the case where the expression " it's me not you " applies ; as thousands of readers love this book.

It could be , that I didn't realize this is book 3 of a series . I should have read other books beforehand.
Live and learn , right?

Well, I might just do that ,as the writing is solid and the word building is awesome. So , going to read other two books and come back and revisit this one .

I just reviewed The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks by Mackenzi Lee. #TheNoblemansGuidetoScandalandShipwrecks #NetGalley

Sadly, this book does not live up to the two previous books in the series. It lacks the joy and carefree feeling of the earlier books, and the character development and the overall adventure are both disappointing. I recommend the earlier books, but not this one.

I absolutely loved this book! While I'm sad to see the series about the Montague siblings end, this was a wonderful coda to their tales. Adrian is lovely character -- he's kind, observant, and passionate about advocating for the rights of those abused and exploited by the upper class. He also has nearly debilitating anxiety and OCD, and his mind is often overrun by intrusive thoughts that cause him to doubt that anyone truly wants him around or thinks well of him. Grieving his late mother, Adrian sets out on a quest to uncover the truth of her death after being given the broken spyglass she kept with her at all times, except for the day she died. His search has him stumbling upon the family he never knew he had -- Monty, Felicity, and Percy. I can't describe how delighted I was to meet the grown up versions of the original crew! My favorite parts of the novel were watching the siblings meet, get to know each other, and figure out how to be a family. I also loved seeing Percy again and how every single character who ever meets him adores him! There's plenty of sailing, adventuring, pirates, ghost ships, research, fights, and exciting locations around the world. There's angst and heart-warming moments, loss and love. Like the other books in the series, problems are not magically fixed despite the existence of magical talisman -- it takes continual effort to make things work, whether that's a relationship, a career, or struggling with mental illness. I loved the character growth, the story, and the ending, and I can't wait to reread the entire series!

Before I dive in, I have to say that I think Mackenzi Lee is an excellent author that excels at taking risks in her writing with great success. I absolutely loved The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (the first book in the series), and I keep hoping to recreate that feeling when I read each successive book. Unfortunately, I just haven't been able to capture that feeling again. There was nothing wrong with this book, but I did find myself skimming the last 20 percent of it.

What I loved about this one:
** Lee excels at character development, and this book was no exception (I think we got to know Adrian in a short amount of time)
** I love traveling to different countries through books
** I love the diversity Lee always includes (mental health, LGBTQIA+, and more)

A beautiful and inspiring book. I loved seeing the characters grow throughout, especially Adrian. My heart went out to him, and I just wanted to wrap him in a hug.

I hadn't read the previous two books in this trilogy, but I didn't feel too lost. And while for many people this is the "end" of the Montague siblings' adventures, it's not for me - because I get to go back and read Monty's and Felicity's stories 🤩

Thank you, Netgalley, for my arc!

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.

This book had high expectations to live up to - the highest in a while. The Montague Siblings trilogy has become one of my favorite series, so of course, I was excited when I got an eARC of this. I was also a bit nervous since I feel like I've been disappointed a few times recently. Thankfully, this blew me out of the water! It may even be my favorite in the series?

This was a slower-paced book, and I think the thing that made it really and truly worthwhile was our narrator, Adrien Montague (yes, the Goblin!). My heart ached for him, and for the majority of the book, I just wanted to give him a big hug and tell him everything was going to be okay. He was such a relatable character, and I feel that his anxiety was portrayed well. His inner monologue was a lot different from that of the previous books, and the writing was honestly gorgeous.

We also got to see some old favorites, specifically Monty and Felicity! It was lovely to see how their lives had panned out in the twenty-ish years since the first two books, and I liked that they still had their character growth and it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There were a few times Felicity made me chuckle out loud, and I wished I could reach into the book and smack Monty once or twice, but, in my opinion, that's part of what makes them such well-thought-out and believable characters. We also got to see Sim, Johanna, and Percy again, and I swear every scene they're in makes me love them more and more.

If you can't tell, the big takeaway for me was the characters, but the plot was great, too! We once again had a little map in the front to follow the journey the characters take. It was also the first book in a while to make me almost tear up, which for a heartless reader like myself is no small feat.

On the cons side of things...I don't think I have any! If I wanted to get nitpicky, I guess I could say I wish we saw a bit more of Percy, but we did get some sweet scenes with him!

Overall, this was heartwrenching, and poetic, and the most beautifully-written book in the series!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins, all opinions are my own!

Overall, I thought it was a great final note to finish out the trilogy! Adrian's personality was well fleshed out and felt like an original character, while still tying him into the previous novels. I really appreciated how thorough Lee went in-depth with portraying his mental illness relevant to the time period; I think younger adults having representation in various times throughout history will help our overall mental health overview as a society. Monty is the same sassy noble as always, don't worry!

What were the chances that Mackenzie Lee could write a character as loveable as Monty? Last we saw Adrian, he was a screaming baby that his siblings wanted nothing to do with. And yet, despite the circumstances of his birth, he grew into an interesting and sweet gentleman. How two terrible parents could create such wonderful humans is beyond me, but reading this last Montague sibling novel was the cherry atop this trail blazing Sunday.

Most relateably Adrian is crippled with anxiety, "I want to get back into bed and put my head under the covers, where no one is looking at me, or talking to be, or asking anything of me. I want to be swallowed up until I no longer take up space. I want this panic to go away." Some of us live in this same space, so it was empowering to see Adrian work through his anxiety to search for his long lost siblings. Naturally all manner of snark and the adventure ensues. This is an instant classic that should be required reading.

Like the other books in the series, Lee made the story and characters heartfelt and relatable. I was laughing and crying, and while this wasn't my favorite of the series, I did feel like I related to it more. It's depiction of mental health and the struggles that come with it was heart wrenching and important in that it is helpful to discuss and consider.

From the first pages of this novel we are thrust into the action and Adrian's anxieties. Where we might expect a tough, stalwart hero rising up against the bad guys, we instead find a young man who is unsure of how to speak to a large group of people at a party, much less fight for a voice - but with the help of his badass fiancée, Lou (Louisa), he finds a way through.

This book has the lovely snark and general disdain for societal expectations that readers have come to expect from this series. Much like the other books, this one is filled with adventure, with wit and charm, and with all the heart a Montague sibling is capable of showing - which, for the record, is much more than they even expect of themselves.

This book had me laughing out loud. I was also concerned, frustrated, and saddened by some events in this book, but Lee always has a way of making it all okay in the end. I can't recall another historical fiction novel that seemed quite as relatable as this one or that made me care about such a wide variety of characters, each as real and fully imagined as the next.

Those who experience different mental health struggles, different sexual identities, and more are firmly represented in this series. Mackenzi Lee never fails to make me feel seen. Read this book. You won't regret it.

Mackenzi Lee, aside from filling the void left by the knowledge you've finished everything Sarah Rees Brennan has to offer, always manages to sneak something rather more serious than you'd intended to sit down and read right by you.

Adrian's anxieties—which are many, varied, and hauntingly familiar—shape the course of this...coming of age? return home? extended grieving process? pick one, it's probably correct. Lee's consistency in depicting the constant upheaval of that particular sort of mental illness is refreshing, and the message about them—that the sufferers are not in any way broken, and that there's no absolutely certain method of managing the same—is equally notable.

I do wish we'd gotten to see more of Lou; for such an important part of Adrian's life, she is rather sidelined in this. Even just an "outside" commentary on the difference between the Adrian who left and the Adrian who came home and her feelings regarding that.

TL;DR: Lee is very good at making you laugh and cry at the same time, and her characters smash their way through a dizzying array of far-flung obstacles in order to come to what are, ultimately, very personal conclusions.

A great end to the adventures of the Montague siblings. It was really fun to see Monty and Felicity as grown ups who had figured some stuff out while still being themselves flaws and all. Adriene was a great character to root for.

A lovely return to the world of the Montague siblings. Youngest sibling Adrian is reeling from the death of his mother and trying to make sense of it when he discovers that his family is much bigger than he knew. Adrian struggles with mental health and his anxious and obsessive thoughts feel appropriately unreliable and claustrophobic. Plot is thin but secondary anyway as we meet back up with Monty, Felicity, and other characters from the first two books. Fans of the series will be happy to find Monty and Felicity slightly more grown up and recognizably themselves and with their own challenges to face - all three have a tendency to run away from their problems. It deals with serious mental health issues and questions (including suicide), but although it's not as lighthearted as I had expected, it is a nice addition to the series and a very satisfying stopping point.