1) Go to the library.

2) Find a book with an incredibly long title and sassy cover art. Check it out and take it home.

3) Read said book.

4) Find out there’s a sequel and squeal with glee. Then read the sequel.

To be honest, I can’t guarantee it’ll work every time, but it worked out well for me with these two.

If you are looking for some rollicking historical fiction fun, look no further. I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to pick these up, but I’m glad I finally did, in any case.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee introduces us to Henry “Monty” Montague—the son of an English earl—who is a disappointment to his father in every conceivable way. As one last hurrah before he’s forced into school, he and his best friend Percy (along with Monty’s pesky sister Felicity) set out for an tour on the continent—but nothing goes according to plan. In fact, things go horribly awry.

A Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy picks up Felicity’s story as she pursues her dream of becoming (gasp!) a lady doctor. Unfortunately the medical establishment isn’t ready for that kind of audacious idea, and she’s forced to go to great lengths to find her place in the world.

I love how modern these historical YA stories feel. The societal expectations are those of history, but the human emotions and experiences the characters live through are universal. Mackenzi Lee tackles challenging topics—sexual identity, physical and emotional abuse, chronic illness, racism, alcoholism, and the role of women throughout history—in a very authentic, relatable way.

These aren’t simply 21st century problems. As long as humans have lived, we have struggled and fought and survived, all the while wondering, “how do I fit into this whole mess of a world? And will someone love me, just as I am?” Monty, Percy, and Felicity all come face to face with these questions in the pages of these books, and I loved watching them figure it out.

Lee cushions the tough issues her characters face with humor and wit, and I found myself rooting for these young people from start to finish. Their wild adventures border on the unlikely, whether they’re seeking alchemical cures, being captured by pirates, or hunting for sea dragon nesting grounds, but the stories are so much fun I didn’t care. 💛

“We are not broken things, neither of us. We are cracked pottery mended with laquer and flakes of gold, whole as we are, complete unto each other. Complete and worthy and so very loved.”