Thank you Entangled and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Most Ardently
By: Susan Mesler-Evans

*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟
I love Jane Austen, so my expectations may have been too high for this book. Regardless, Most Ardently fell flat. The characters were not likeable or aptly developed. Something just felt odd about the entire cast. Dialogue lacked original thought and was boring. The story was a slow going trip to nowhere, and I didn't enjoy this one.

I loved the direction this one went, I love how inclusive it was with lesbian, bi, trans; and biracial characters. I also really liked the changes in the characters. In some of the early reviews some of the things they nitpicked about were the things I liked. I like the changes to the Colin and Lydia characters there is nothing wrong with making them more likeable especially since I really hated the original characters. I loved the updatedness it worked well. I was worried how the Lydia, or in this case Lucia, was going to play out but she did exactly what I had always hoped would happen to Wickham. He has always been a money hungry pervy creep and it was nice to see actually portrayed as such.

Now the main character Elisa Benitez, Elizabeth Bennet, is a bi-sexual Mexican American and while technically is still a high school student goes to school at the local community college which is where she meets Darcy Fitzgerald. Darcy a biracial cis lesbian who is just visiting but is staying long enough she fills her time with some college classes before she starts at the university. Their first meet as you can guess is argumentative, they get into a literary debate over Lord of the Flies. It doesn't get any better when they just happen to start running into each other in social situations. It plays out pretty much the same as the original except updated for modern American times, except for the slight personality changes in Colin and Lucia. It's a little bit more obvious to the reader that Darcy and Elisa like each other but Elisa is a little oblivious.

Overall, such a good read. I inhaled this book I didn't want to put it down. It's in third person POV but sometimes changes from over Elisa to Julieta, Charlene, Lucia, and Darcy. It is more of a romance than a social commentary but had there been more I can just hear how people would be complaining that it's "Too Preachy"; there is some and it the right amount of feminism and in one particular case it's also the reason Colin isn't a douche at the end of the book. I loved this book it's definitely one that I would own a physical copy of to keep on my bookshelf.

I will legit read anything that references P+P and I loved the synopsis and that it was a f/f story. Sadly, it was so very disappointing.

My main hang up is that I just didn’t care about any of these characters. Elisa doesn’t have the spark Elizabeth does and the rest of the sisters could have been interchangeable. I didn’t see any sort of chemistry between Elisa and Darcy and the tension I was expecting was also missing.

Plot wise, it followed the original plot points, but they were moderately updated. There was a lot of telling and not showing and the addition of trans and non-binary characters felt like an afterthought. By the time we got to the ending, I was happy it was over instead of cheering for them having gotten together.

Overall, it was a great idea for an update, but the execution didn’t work for me.

FYI: talk of statutory rape and physical violence against women

**Huge thanks to Entangled for providing the arc free of charge**

I should preface this review by saying that I have very high standards for Austen retellings (probably overly so, if we’re honest). So I try going in with lowered expectations.

That said, I don’t think my expectations could have been lower here and I was still hugely disappointed.

Most Ardently is almost a direct retelling of Pride and Prejudice (no bad thing in itself), but where Darcy is a woman (and various other diversifying changes are made, true). But it’s a fairly superficial retelling. Yes, it gets all the events (even those that don’t really work in a modern setting), but it misses out in a big way on the rest of it. As this review points out better than I ever could, Austen is full of social commentaries on top of the romance, and this book has clearly overlooked the former in favour of the latter. (Or perhaps not overlooked so much as failed to transplant them into a modern setting. Understandable given that some are uniquely Regency.)

But hey, you say. You’re just being a Jane Austen snob right now.

Which is fair enough. So what about if I took the fact that this is a retelling out of the equation.

Firstly, the writing was just awkward for me. Mainly the dialogue which felt entirely forced at some points, but also that bane of writers everywhere – ‘show don’t tell’. It’s trite, I know, but I felt like I was told a lot of aspects, particularly of characterisation, rather than being shown them. Couple that with the clunkiness of the writing and I was bored and skimming after about one chapter. If that.

Secondly, I didn’t really like either Elisa or Darcy as characters. The argument that sets them up as ‘enemies’ is so contrived (and also non-existent in the book, where Lizzie only overhears Darcy insulting her, but I promised to keep the retelling part out of it, didn’t I). And neither of them really improved throughout the book.

Then there were the interludes with the other characters’ POVs. No, I don’t wish to feel sorry for the Mr Collins character, thank you.

Finally (and I do have to go back to it being a retelling here), some events just don’t work transplanted into a modern setting – namely, everything with the Wickham character (Wick? I genuinely don’t remember any characters’ names but this and ‘Bobby’ and ‘Charlene’ felt so pointless as changes that they stuck). Not only is the timeframe too short for events to be so believable, but because what was unacceptable then doesn’t matter now (unmarried man and woman alone together), it’s clearly just been ramped up to make it worse (22 year-old running off with a 14 year-old, them having sex, and okay let’s throw some domestic violence in there too). I can’t believe I’m even remotely defending George Wickham right now, but he never felt this bad. He’s a cad, not a paedophile/child rapist (by the social norms of the time of course).

Ultimately, then, I was disappointed, but was I surprised about that? Not one bit.

When I saw there was a lesbian retelling of Pride & Prejudice, I couldn’t click request fast enough. I don’t think I can even count how many retellings I have read since I first encountered Eliza Bennett and Mr. Darcy.

My hopes were high. And they were sadly not met. Here’s what didn’t work for me:

-Much of the dialogue is word for word from the original P&P
-No chemistry between Elisa and Darcy
-While I appreciated the inclusivity (transgender, non-binary etc), it felt OTT and forced
-Elisa was kind of a bitch. Eliza Bennett was snarky but never outright mean

Basically I just felt disappointed. And I wished it was better executed.

A modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice following Elisa Benitez and her four sisters as they navigate their mother's wishes for them to marry rich, school, and for Elisa especially: the incredibly rude and irritating classmate: Darcy Fitzgerald. This book is a not so subtle nod to the amazing Austen book and the fantastic 2005 movie, and if you're a fan of either, you will absolutely adore this. You fall in love with Elisa and Julieta and the rest of the Benitez family just like you do in the original novel only this time you get to see how they'd act in 2019. If you've been looking for a cozy romcom and to reread Pride and Prejudice, pick up Most Ardently and thank yourself for the good life decision.

Thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Most Ardently is a modern female/female retelling of Pride and Prejudice that stays fairly close to the source material, other than obvious changes to keep people from dating/marrying cousins.

Let's talk about the good before we go on. The book includes an plus-sized main character who is bisexual and a POC. It also includes a trans character (Kitty is transgendered, going by Camila).

Now, everything else. It is a clear retelling of Pride and Prejudice, which interested me a lot seeing how it's female/female, but there is a bit of a tone problem. Anyone that knows the story knows one of the main conflicts, other than the two characters not liking each other, went fairly dark. It ended up being a man in his 20's going after an under-aged sister. I didn't feel that was absolutely necessary. You could have made said character a jerk without throwing it out that far. Also, the two characters, Elisa and Darcy, didn't have much chemistry other than bickering. There were some of the classic Pride and Prejudice lines of "fine eyes" peppered through, but I couldn't get chemistry from any of their exchanges.

Touching on the pros. We don't really find out Elisa is plus-sized until maybe a third of the way into the book until someone referred to her as the "fat one". Characters were also calling each other ugly and some of the book references seemed more like name dropping than adding to the character's personality. Suddenly it was mentioned that Julieta liked Terry Pratchett then was never mentioned again.

Writing-wise the story did feel fairly rushed. Certain scenes were quick to resolve and others were filled with dialogue without much action, just reactions to the words that were being said. It felt a bit like mediocre fan fiction in that respect, things being written down quickly and not given a second pass to polish so that they fit in to the story instead of move the story along. Maybe that's just my judgement as a writer, it felt a lot like a first or second draft.

I could see why someone would enjoy this, especially if they're really into Jane Austen and wanting to grab up any retellings, but after having read Pride earlier this year, I felt that it could have gone a different way and still kept to the spirit of the story.

Heat Factor: Secondary characters have sex off stage
Character Chemistry: Meh
Plot: Pride and Prejudice, but lesbian
Overall: There are some definite high points, but the Elisa / Darcy relationship leaves something to be desired.

It’s a challenge evaluating Pride and Prejudice retellings on their own merits. I’m constantly comparing the retelling to the original. But I decided that I should lean into this dynamic - because most readers probably are as well. Books are neither created nor consumed in a vacuum.

Let’s start with Elisa Benitez, who is kind of a judgmental bitch, if we’re being honest. She comes across as uptight when she’s pulling her younger sisters out of trouble (or away from the fun). And she does not pull any punches when she rejects her would-be suitors.

This may sound like a criticism, but it absolutely works. The whole point of Lizzie Bennet is that she judges quickly, and once you lose her good opinion, she doesn’t change her mind (until Pemberly, obviously). It’s nice to have a heroine who is prickly, and Mesler-Evans leans into this aspect of Elisa’s personality.

Mesler-Evans is also generous with the characters who are usually dismissed as silly and inconsequential, while staying true to their essential traits.

Here we have Lucia Benitez:

“What kind of cute are we talking here?...Like, ‘reads to homeless orphans on the weekends’ cute or ‘has probably stabbed a guy and we love him for it’ cute?...I call it the Benitez Sliding Scale of Cuteness. Patent pending. Cam helped me perfect it. It’s all totes scientific.”

Yup.

Here we have Colin Burger:

“It’s actually a family affair. The bride, the lovely Miss Hannah Rollins - or, as I suppose I should now be calling her, the lovely Mrs. Hannah Cooper - is actually my second cousin. I was unsure if I should take the time out of my busy schedule to pay my respects to a distant relative who I’ve only met once or twice, but my mother convinced me that it would be a good opportunity to relax and get to know my extended family a bit better. And she was right - well, she usually is. I’m really enjoying it.”

If that’s not Mr. Collins, I will eat my shoes.

And finally, the pièce de résistance, Alejandra Benitez, Elisa’s mother:

“This is the twenty-first century, Elisa. Women can trap men if they want to. It’s feminism.”

NAILED IT!

However, unlike in the original, Lucia, Colin and Alejandra are all given growth opportunities as well as quiet moments where the readers gain insight into their characters. Lucia might be boy-crazy and a little thoughtless, but she genuinely cares about her family, and is hurt by her father’s neglect. Colin doesn’t pick up on Elisa’s many many hints that she is absolutely not interested in him, but when she ultimately rejects him, he takes her criticisms to heart and actively works to be less annoying. And Alejandra might stalk people on social media and finagle awkward invitations so that her daughters can hang out with nice boys, but she also works long hours to support her girls, and clearly wants them to have a level of economic stability that she has been unable to provide.

All of which is to say: it was a nice change of pace to see these characters fleshed out a bit. This is especially true of Lucia and Alejandra. Because these women are more than just silly, the reader can also see why Elisa cares about them, and is offended when Darcy insults them - not just because they’re family, but because she genuinely sees the good in them. The Benitez sisters actually care about each other; even if they annoy each other, they are a loving family.

Unfortunately, this retelling is not all sunshine and roses. In fact, I would argue that the weakest points of the book are the things that were directly lifted from the original.

In terms of plot, having the sisters as young teenagers (ranging from 14 to 21ish) does mean that the Wickham character is significantly threatening, but it also means that there are some things that don’t make logical sense. Example: Julieta shows up at a restaurant that’s mostly a club with all her underage sisters - and the hostess gives her shit about not having a reservation. But does not card any of them. It’s Saturday night! They are at least going to get their hands stamped - that is, if the 14 year old can get in at all.

Some things that Mesler-Evans took from the original don’t really work in a contemporary setting. For example, the extended stay at Netherfield is just nonsense in a contemporary retelling. You do not just stay with people for an extended period if you’re “too sick to go home.” Girl, if you are vomiting for a MONTH, you need to be in the hospital hooked up to an IV, because you are severely dehydrated. To give another example, the emphasis on being with a girl from your own social standing felt pushed in rather than authentic. Yes, the Benitez family is struggling with money, but do people really freak out about “social standing” in this day and age? (Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think that’s how the average Midwestern magnate would put it.)

Darcy suffers the most from the moments that are “true” to the original. A few times, she gives speeches with key words that are lifted verbatim. (“Most ardently” is the prime example here.) Therefore, Darcy comes off as stilted. There is some hand-waving about Darcy being awkward, but it is not well-integrated. Darcy as a whole is underdeveloped, and the central love story really suffers.

End result: I cared more about Colin and Charlene than I did about Elisa and Darcy.




I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report. (10/23/19)

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

A modern day Jane Austen styled novel. Darcy and Elisa start out hating each other but through the tumult of friends and family they fall in love. This story charts the tale of the five Benitez girls and their best friend Charlotte as they find their place in the world. It addresses relationships that are same sex and those that are not. It shows how parents can love their children no matter who they choose to love. It also makes fun of the financial disparity that exists in the two groups and how love can obliterate that divide. It is filled with funny and witty quips that will make you love these characters.

This is a YA F/F retelling of Pride and Prejudice - what else did I really need to know to pick this up? I've read quite a few retellings of P&P, which is one of my favorite books of all times, and this one is among my favorites! It's a light-hearted hate-to-love romcom, with a half-Black lesbian girl (Darcy) and a bisexual Latina (Elisa). This is a lovely read which also touched on sensitive topics like student loan debt, consent, statutory rape. But while these topics were treated seriously and are quite relevant to the story, it didn't make the novel emotionally difficult to read.

Elisa is also a great fat rep, with only one comment on her weight in the whole novel (made by one of the characters you're not supposed to like), and isn't really repeated through the novel - I loved how not a big deal this was at all. I was admittedly confused by Darcy being called Darcy in the retelling, because the name immediately made me think of the actor from the movie, so I had to remind myself this was a teenage girl. The side characters were fantastic, so well-rounded.

I loved this novel, it was so sweet and cute and made me smile a lot. I think it's a great romcom, although it has some plot flaws in my opinion, that work to make the story fit into P&P's plot better, but still could be a little odd if you don't know the original story. So I'm not sure it stands on its own, but it surely works well if you are willing to suspend disbelief and enjoy the love story.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be... difficult."

This is the polite-company word Elisa Benitez uses to describe Darcy Fitzgerald, the super-rich ice queen she has the misfortune of sharing an English class with. Unfortunately, the semester-long torment becomes even worse as Elisa's older sister Julieta becomes involved with Darcy's best friend, Bobby. No matter how much Elisa tries to keep her distance from Darcy, the two girls keep finding themselves thrown together (thanks a lot, universe). But the more Elisa learns about Darcy, she has to wonder: will she ever know the whole truth about her?

The LGBT retelling of Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice" that you didn't know you needed until it existed, "Most Ardently" is a fun wlw glow-up of the original that still hits on tough topics as hard as Austen did, such as poverty, class differences, and abusive predators. Even then, it's still a very fun, almost light-hearted book that brings a smile to your face. The witty dialogue would make Jane smile, all of the characters have been adapted and 'modernized' perfectly, and I most definitely approve of the Benitez' sisters willingness to ride-or-die for each other. An example of both: "Lucia, for the last time, property damage is not feminism." "Anything can be feminism if you play Beyonce in the background while you do it."

In short, you will love this book "Most Ardently".

<i>I received an arc from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

I personally like starting reviews of retellings by going through the significant changes so I'll do that.

Elizabeth: name is Elisa. She's Mexican-American and bisexual.

Darcy: still named Darcy, cis women lesbian as well as biracial (Black and white)

Kitty: her name's Camilla and she's a trans girl

Collin: is Darcy's cousin

Colonel Fitzwilliam: cis girl named Willow

I've read a lot of Pride and Prejudice retellings in my time. This is the second f/f one I've read as well (the first is called The Story of Lizzy and Darcy) and I'm honestly happy to see another one.

This one was really fun. I liked both Elisa and Darcy a lot. This felt like a retelling that can stand on its own while keeping the personalities of both Lizzie and Darcy.

Another element I thought was interesting was that Mr and Mrs Bennett were divorced in this. I thought that was an interesting change to the dynamic of things.

Another element I liked was during the scene of Collin's whole deceleration of love, Elisa rejected him to the level I could tell the author felt a certain way about Collin and had been wanting to get it out for years. It was honestly delightful.

This was a lot of fun and I'd recommend it whether or not you've read the source material.

I read Pride & Prejudice for school years ago, and I did enjoy it, so I decided to request this book! I always love the hate-to-love dynamic as well as the stand-off-ish vibe. Most Ardently is a great retelling of P&P in a modern setting with a f/f relationship, both of whom are women of color.

This book was really, really cute. Pride & Prejudice but make it gay! Elisa is a Mexican-American bisexual smartass; Darcy is a biracial (half-white, half-Black) lesbian. In line with the original story, Elisa hates Darcy for being elitist and prejudicial, whereas Darcy finds her prideful and loud. They gradually grow closer together through...many unfortunate circumstances.

Most Ardently pretty much plays out exactly like the original book. I liked reading about it in a modern setting because it was interesting to see how all these character dynamics translate so easily to our time today. For example, Lydia always annoyed me in P&P but I found her hilarious in this book. Also, one of Elisa's sisters is trans!

I will say, trigger warning for older men preying on young girls (aka the Wickham plot line). I suppose since I understand how it plays out in our society more, that it bothered me a lot more reading about it now.

Most Ardently was a really fun read. I loved reading a classic story with a modern twist; I'm always here for making stories gay! Definitely pick this one up if you like P&P!

I don't know how to rate this book. It wasn't bad, but this was clearly a rip off of Pride and Prejudice, and I felt that the author didn't bring anything new to the story. This was was certainly more diverse, but the diversity felt like it was shoehorned in. The fact that they made the Bennett family Latina as well as poor didn't really sit right with me. I understand that the whole point of the Bennett family was that they were in lower social class than Mr. Binglsey and Mr. Darcy, but to make them people of color? It felt rather stereotypical for me. There was so much that could have been done to discuss class and racial differences, and I felt that it was there, but this book spent so much time "updating" the story that the story didn't feel like it worked in with a modern twist. I also found the characters to be rather 1-dimensional, even Elisa. She had some growth at the end when she realizes she loves Darcy, but other than that, it nothing.

I did like that we saw Darcy and Elisa become friends. I liked how they decided to start over and truly build on what they knew of each other and work on that. I wanted more of that, but we don't get it until we're 50 pages away from the end of the book and then suddenly, they're in love with each other. Darcy has been in love with Elisa since they first met in class, and it's ridiculous when all they ever do is argue. I do like Elisa put Darcy in her place when it came to how Darcy viewed Elisa's family. I also liked how Elisa was honest and said, "No, I didn't like Darcy at the time, but I've gotten to know her and we may be friends now." The growing was there. I just wanted more of it.

I know this was an ARC, but there were parts in the writing that threw me off. Susan wouldn't be specific on who was smiling or laughing or who was talking and it would take a few rereads to figure out who was doing what. If you write that a certain character is laughing, you should follow that up with "Elisa joined in the laughter," not "she joined in the laughter." WHO JOINED? WHY?

I had a lot of high hopes for this book, but it was a dud for me.

Warning, internalized misogyny: Why is it that Darcy's vaguely not neurotypical behavior is dashing when he's a man but slightly off putting when she's a woman? I'm extremely uncomfortable with the answer to that question.

So, for full disclosure, I have only read Pride and Prejudice once yearsssssss ago and I have never seen any of the movie adaptations. But I was unbelievable excited for this book.

Darcy Fitzgerald is such a hate to love character (much like her historical counterpart). She is cold, standoffish, meddling, and far too formal; but she is also sweet and sincere. Her fierce love and protectiveness of her sister was portrayed well and I am always a sucker for sibling bonds. Speaking of sibling bond - Elisa Benitez and her four sisters are pretty fantastic. I think it can be hard when the cast of characters is so large to make sure each person has their own distinct voice and mannerisms, but Mesler-Evans does a great job of really establishing all these characters.

I just really enjoyed all the different types of relationships that were represented here - the romantic ones, the friendships, strong (and sometimes very damaged) family connections. One of my favorite side relationships was Elisa's parents being divorced for years and still figuring their way around that.

And, the representation is this book is pretty fantastic. Elisa is a bi, fat, Mexican-American; Darcy is a lesbian and half black; Cam is trans, Keegan uses they/them pronouns. There was just a lot of queer rep that I was very happy to see.

A bit of a sensitivity warning - there is a fairly large portion of the plot surrounding statutory rape. So, there's that.

My one negative is that the writing and editing.... leaves a little to be desired. There are several typos and many times when it is not clear who the commentary is referring to.

Overall, I did really enjoy this story and it makes me want to read the source material again very soon. If you like classic retellings, need some queer rep in your books, and love complex family dynamics I would suggest picking this one up.

So, uh, I started this expecting it to take a few days minimum cuz it’s 400 pages and uhhhhhh, I finished this in like 6 hours 😬

Most Ardently is a Pride and Prejudice retelling starring Elisa, a Mexican-American fat bisexual, and Darcy, a Black lesbian. I had so much fun reading this because the <I>antagonism</I>!! From the moment Elisa sees Darcy she’s drawn to her beauty but can’t get over how pretentious she seems and immediately hates her. I loved how everyone <I>but</I> Elisa can tell Darcy is smitten, and Darcy is an absolute disaster trying to talk to Elisa and fails so abysmally every time.

I adored the friendship between Darcy and Bobby, and between Elisa and Charlene. There’s also fantastic sibling relationships between Elisa and her four sisters, as well as Darcy with her younger sister and cousin who is practically a sister. This book is causally queer in many ways because Elisa’s bisexuality is labeled outright very early and her second-youngest sister is trans, Darcy is labeled lesbian on page, and there is a character who uses they/them pronouns. There are so many great friendships and familial bonds, and the development of the relationship between Elisa and Darcy made me <I>swoon</I>!!

As much fun I had reading this book, though, there is some heavy content that broke my heart and made me cry reading. There is a grown man who is a sexual predator who targets teen girls with his charm, and he targets two characters - one in the past, and one near the end of the book. It was hard reading those scenes, but it was kinda set up and there were allusions to what kind of “man” he is.

Overall, this book was fantastic! I had so much fun reading it and cannot recommend it enough. I’ve never read Pride & Prejudice but that in no way colored my reading experience, except to make me wanna give it a go. Darcy is a disaster lesbian and the barbs both she and Elisa throw at each other were wonderful to see! There’s definitely some scenes that hurt to read, but the ending made me so swoony~

Most Ardently is a fun, easy on the soul treasure – a femmeslash Pride and Prejudice AU, if you will.

Honors student Elisa Benitez – spirited, outspoken, poor, and independent – meets Darcy Fitzgerald, a mega-rich Kardashian type, in a lit class at Stevenson Community College.  They fight over Lord of the Flies, with Darcy saying it represents our current political climate and Eliza declaring that a dour outlook, which brands Darcy in Elisa’s mind as a snob and Elisa in Darcy’s mind as mildly infuriating.  Then Darcy defends Elisa to their teacher, and the wheels in her head begin to turn.

Elisa’s mother, Alejandra, decides to fix Elisa up with Robert – Bobby -  Charles III, resident of the very ritzy Netherfield Park neighborhood, who is famous for starring in a series of increasingly campy B-movies about slaughter at a summer camp.  Of course, neither Alejandra nor her daughter know Robert, but that’s not going to stop her.  When Bobby falls for Elisa’s older, accomplished sister Julieta and vice-versa, Elisa is relieved to have avoided her mom’s matchmaking – but also ends up moving in with Julieta and Bobby when the couple shacks up together.  That means dealing with Bobby’s annoying sisters, Cora and Louise – and it means coming into closer contact with Darcy, with whom she shares a ride to college every day.

As they banter about the crux where activism and fiction collide, Elisa and Darcy just might be falling in love – but then Darcy’s bitter cousin Wick surfaces with devastating news that might make Elisa hate Darcy and ruin their chance at happiness.

Most Ardently does a great job of both tweaking and paying tribute to Pride and Prejudice’s conventions.  The baseline truth of the story – about two people who disagree falling in love, and about how gossip can color and make romantic and family life difficult – strides onward.  The whole experience of reading the novel is comfortable and thrilling, and while some of the elements in the story aren’t wholly fresh, they’re still fun.

I really enjoyed being in Elisa’s head; her point of view feels realistically teenaged without feeling mannered, while Darcy feels more florid, though she’s horrible at articulating herself (just like original canon! Darcy).  Their romance is awkward and fun as well as intellectually stimulating.

The way Mesler-Evans has changed the story in several ways made it even more fun.  I liked the complication of Alejandra being divorced from her husband in this version of events; I liked the atmosphere of a college town, and the lockstep conformity of Netherfield Park versus the looser world of the Benitez sisters.  There is some nice though not front-and-center trans rep in the novel; Elisa has a trans sister, Camila, who doesn’t appear very often, but she’s fun when she’s on-page. Also fun when he’s on-page: frat boy Colin Burger, the Mr. Collins stand-in here.

The storytelling in general is extremely lively and has a lot of punch and vigor.

Most Ardently is a fabulous little novel that earns very high marks for being so entertaining yet so grounded, so sweet yet so moving. It’s a fabulous book for readers young and old alike.

NOTE: This book includes a minor plotline about statutory rape.

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I am kind of bummed about this one. I love Pride and Prejudice and will read basically any retelling/variant I can find, and I was especially excited for a gay retelling, but as good as the author’s intentions clearly were, this one just did not work for me. I am not a P&P purist and don’t mind if a retelling deviates pretty significantly from the original, but this was kind of a confusing combination of the two. It followed the plot and characters pretty closely, but the tone and some of the outcomes were pretty different in a way that felt like it kind of... missed the point? The biggest example of this was Colin/Mr. Collins. Here, he turns out to be pretty likable and he and Charlotte/Charlene fall in love and are madly happy together. In the original, my take is that Charlotte’s choice to marry Mr. Collins even though he’s horrible is a social and feminist commentary on women’s limited options. I would have loved to see that concept explored in a modern way here rather than having them just become a bland side story with a standard-issue happy ending. Same with Elisa/Elizabeth and Darcy - I felt like they got reduced to just a standard issues enemies to lovers romantic comedy plot device instead of the societal commentary and exploration of, you know, pride and prejudice that they are in the original. I just somehow felt like maybe the author didn’t read up on Austen/dive into P&P lit crit before she wrote this? She clearly knew the plot very well but I didn’t get the sense that she’d given overly much consideration to the themes and messages of the book. She even referred to it as a “classic romantic comedy” in the acknowledgements, which... I mean, yes, that’s one element of it, but the original book is so much more than that (huh, maybe I’m more of a purist than I thought I was...). I just didn’t come away feeling like I understood WHY the author wanted to give a fresh take on the book, or what she was trying to bring to the story beyond making some of the characters queer.

Also, and I do feel bad saying this because the writer seems like a genuinely nice person (I checked her out on Twitter) but the writing in this book is just not very good. It’s not, like, secondhand embarrassing levels of poor, but it’s really not great. First of all, this sounds nitpicky but there was a ton of pronoun confusion in this book, not in the misgendering way but in the “can’t actually tell to whom the verb applies” kind of way because it’s oddly vague and the sentences aren’t tightly written enough to tell. The dialogue is stilted and there is a lot of telling instead of showing. For example, we keep hearing how incredibly boring Colin is when he talks, but we only see a few examples of that and... they aren’t actually boring? I totally thought that best man tidbit was fascinating! Maybe this means I’m as boring as he is, but it just felt like the author wasn’t quite able to render the characters the way she intended. Further, Elisa and Darcy didn’t have any chemistry or really anything building between them, despite the author’s best attempts, so I didn’t feel engaged in having them work things out.

I did appreciate the diversity throughout, including Cam/Kitty being trans, Elisa being fat, and Keegan using them/they pronouns, and even more so that those were just casually mentioned elements of who these people are rather than a focal point of the story. I did get a bit lost with the family being of Mexican heritage, though, because even though it’s mentioned a few times, we don’t actually see any evidence of it other than the terms Abuela and Abuelo. I always think it’s tough to write main characters of a different cultural background from your own, and that was clearly apparent here.

Overall, I really wanted to like this book and I really appreciate what the author was trying to do, but it just did not land well for me. Bummer.