A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.
But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.
In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.
In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, Felicity Montague must use all her womanly wits and wiles to achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor—even if she has to scheme her way across Europe to do it. A must-have for fans of Mackenzi Lee’s extraordinary and Stonewall Honor-winning novel.
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy is the second book in Mackenzi Lee’s Montague Siblings series. While it can technically be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. Not only does it introduce the trio of characters,Felicity, Monty, and Percy, but it also deepens your emotional investment in their journeys. While the first book focuses on the young men, the sequel switches to Felicity as the main character.
What I loved most is how unapologetically character-driven this story is. Felicity begins the novel somewhat self-centered, though she doesn’t entirely realize it. Watching her come to terms with her own flaws and assumptions, especially as others challenge her, is a satisfying and realistic journey. I have a soft spot for characters who take criticism, not immediately, not perfectly, but who wrestle with it and change. Growth is messy, and Lee captures that beautifully.
The real heart of the story, though, lies in the female friendships that unfold. Felicity finds herself forming an uneasy alliance with two other young women. A former best friend, who might now be an enemy, and a mysterious stranger who looks shady, but who offers what she needs.
Each one of the three is complex, capable, and resisting the narrow roles society has assigned to them. Their dynamic isn’t smooth from the start, which makes the eventual bond they form feel all the more earned.
- A brilliant aspiring doctor who has no interest in marriage or romance.
- The fierce daughter of a pirate, determined to inherit her father’s legacy.
- And the third, a delightfully rare character, is someone who embraces femininity, pretty dresses, and the dream of love, while also being scientific, unafraid of mud or animal slobber. I adored this reminder that you don’t have to choose between intellect and softness, you can be both.
There’s adventure, sass, heartfelt banter, and a sense of independence and defiance that runs through it all. The plot is a bit meandering at times, but it’s the characters that linger after you close the book.
This book delivers a delightful blend of adventure, feminism, and heartfelt character work, while offering thoughtful representation for identities often overlooked in fiction. Felicity’s story is full of wit, courage, and quiet defiance, and her journey, both outward and inward, is one enjoyed all the way through.
If you’re craving a historical seeing with a strong, flawed, growing female lead and beautifully complex friendships (and pirates!), this one’s absolutely worth your time.
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A Note on Asexuality Representation
One of the great aspects of this book for me was the rare and welcome asexual representation. Felicity has no interest in sex, and the narrative doesn’t make a grand spectacle of it, which is exactly what felt right. As someone who is demisexual, I found this quiet, normalized portrayal incredibly validating.
Often romance and sexual attraction are presented as universal or inevitable, and characters are portrayed as incomplete without them. But for many of us, that just isn’t our lived experience. I’ve often heard people insist, “Sex drives humanity,” or question why someone would want to read books that don’t include it (as a main theme). But honestly? That’s not true for everyone. I don’t find sex off-putting, and I’m not repelled by romance, but it’s not something that dominates my thoughts or shapes my day-to-day perspective. So when I read books where characters are immediately lovestruck just from seeing someone attractive, I feel… alienated.
Felicity’s experience felt more like my own. Her disinterest in romance and intimacy isn’t treated as a problem to be solved, it’s simply part of who she is. It’s just a non topic, unless society seems to force it on her. And that felt so comforting in its quietness. I saw some reviews criticizing the asexuality as underdeveloped or too subtle. But to me, that is the point. For many of us, it’s just not a dramatic or central theme of our identity.
I especially appreciated how Felicity’s bond with others is shown through mutual respect, loyalty, and intellectual connection. That, for me, is a more meaningful portrayal of love and partnership than forced romantic subplots. And while I personally connect more with demisexuality, I appreciate the lack of steam. That sometimes you don’t feel attraction at all, or not until something deeply emotional happens. That’s not “weird.” That’s valid.
