When I first saw this book added to the Montague Siblings series, I was beyond excited. I’d completely forgotten about the third child, only a baby when the last two books had taken place. And as I watched the synopsis get tweaked every few months, I could hardly wait for its release. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait too long, and I must thank Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks begins with Adrian, an up-and-coming political writer with a promising future ahead of him. So much younger than his older siblings, without even a clue of their existence, Adrian is brought up as his father’s only son, the heir to the estate. Adrian, however, has extreme anxiety that colors every part of his life. When his mother unexpectedly dies, that mental illness he’s had all his life threatens to reveal itself to everyone he knows.

When a mysterious relic of hers falls into Adrian’s hands, in pursuit of answers, he comes face to face with Monty, the older brother he never knew he had. They journey to locate their sister, Felicity, and the Montagues embark on one final adventure in pursuit of answers to a haunted legend that threatens their family.

While this third installment keeps the humor that the first two books so dearly captured, this one also deals with hard topics. While some things discussed in the first two regarded epilepsy, aromanticism, and other things, this book deals heavily on the reality of general anxiety disorder and the crippling effect it has on so many lives. Mackenzie Lee herself expresses her desire in the author’s note that she wants to show that although anxiety as a mental illness wasn’t defined until 1980, it is something that people have had to struggle with throughout all of history. She has also written this disorder from a place of commonality with Adrian, as she has lived with GAD as well.

Adrain’s thoughts are packed full of metaphors, and always a lot to get your mind around, but they are beautiful, and so, so interesting to read. He is also such an endearing character that lets the reader into every corner of his crowded mind, someone readers can relate to and care about. His thoughts overflow with no barrier, and yet, that level of having his guard down even among his own mind and the reader makes him the most lovable out of the three siblings, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed getting to see the siblings interact with each other, and eventually seeing them expose their hearts to one another. In the end, sibling love is a truly deep thing, and Monty, Felicity, and Adrian envelop that desire to love one another beautifully, going so far as to outright express it in words and actions with each other.

While the previous two novels held a light-hearted adventure-type storyline, this one was heavier, but did not disappoint. The characters each go through major development to become the people we’ve always loved and become more and more proud of.

I was afraid about having to go through such a big time skip between the second and third books, but it was so well done, and the characters we know and love, like Monty, Felicity, and Percy, are the same, only older, and with more life experiences under their belts. I so enjoyed the banter that continued between Monty and Felicity, and I also really enjoyed seeing Adrian able to make his way into being a part of that.

In all, I was very pleased with this conclusion, and I will be sad to see the end of this series behind me. These characters are so raw and real, flawed but loveable, historical and witty, relatable in real-life issues, and just downright charming to read about. It truly has been a pleasure to read Lee’s intricate, fun, and real writing, and the Montague siblings won’t be easily forgettable for anyone.

The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks - Likewise Book Reviews

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