Return to the enchanting world of the Montague siblings in the finale to the New York Times bestselling and Stonewall Honor-winning series, featuring a teenage Adrian Montague as he desperately seeks the now adult Monty and Felicity—the older siblings he never knew he had.Adrian Montague has a bright future. The sole heir to his father’s estate, he is an up and coming political writer and engaged … 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.
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Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
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.