In this updated and modern twist on the romance of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe of the Anne of Green Gables series fame, Anne and Gilbert had a moment in high school that went nowhere, followed by a simmering awareness, and are now forced into proximity, assigned to work together at Redmond College on a project to complete their theses and degrees. The two find they do work well together, but as in the original novels, misunderstandings and assumptions thwart their friendship until, as in Anne of the Island, Gilbert falls ill and Anne is forced to face her feelings in the wake of pending loss.

Familiar characters appear; the old farm is now a winery; the characterizations feel spot on from my recollections. A subplot of inappropriate advances from their shared professor adds to the drama. Strong appeal for fans of the original series.

I received an advance reader's review copy of #AnneOfManhattan via #NetGalley

What happened to Anne and her friends after high school? A fun and modern twist on a beloved childhood classic.

Thank you to William Morrow, Custom House and Netgalley for the digital ARC! #AnneofManhattan #Netgalley

I never read Anne of Green Gables so I was not sure what to expect. I enjoyed this book and look hope the story continues.

I absolutely loved this book! I was so engrossed by the characters right off the bat. Brina Starler's writing is out of this world, if you've been in a reading slump this is a great place to start, it absolutely blew me away!

Phenomenal retelling of Anne of Green Gables and set in NYC!! I loved the modern update with Gilbert and Anne as rivals and lovers. The romance was amazing!!! The author truly knows the originals and the stories and wove together a new contemporary romance in a wonderful way. I loved their personalities as she described them working in NYC and their family and friends. Fabulous amalgam of old and new with steamy romance!! I loved the ending and I think it is for a true fan of the Anne series. I loved the way Anne's past and present is written and the changing back and forth in time worked for me.

If you've ever thought you DIDN'T need a story about modern Anne of Green Gables... think again, because you are wrong.

This book was an absolute treat. Starler completely captured Anne's voice and attitude - I think she was spot-on with her assessment of Anne's values and opinions in 2020. I couldn't be happier - it's the perfect romance mixed with a beloved character. I could wax on poetically about this, if I could think of a more dramatic analogy, I would share it in true Anne fashion.

Anne is a young woman in NYC. She's about to enter her final year of her graduate program at Redmond College when lo-and-behold her archenemy, Gilbert Blythe, shows up in her city, in her school, IN HER PROGRAM. This after 6 years of radio silence. Anne knows she needs to keep her guard up and keep Gil at arm's length because she's still the only one not fooled by his dimpled grin.

Except, it turns out she may have been wrong about him. Gil isn't as irritating and infuriating as Anne remembers. In fact, he's kind of funny, and begrudgingly, she's always known he's smart. Their paths are intertwined when her senior thesis advisor insists that they complete the senior project together as he just doesn't have time to add on another separate graduate student.

The romantic chemistry between these two is just heart-pounding. It's silly-grin-while-reading-your-book good and I am still tickled over it.

If you loved Anne of Green Gables (and don't mind a little open-door romance), this book is for you.

I did not finish this. I tried to read it, and I also tried to listen to it. Either way, it was just not for me.

For readers who have never read the beloved children's books, Anne of Green Gables, this novel might feel fresh and fun. Readers loyal to L.M. Montgomery should recognize this as a separate work from her original books. There are hints of the beloved characters but not quite the same magic. However, for anyone who crushed on Gilbert Blythe as a teenager, the steamy love scenes in this retelling might just make your year.

I have always loved the Anne of Green Gables books and movies and was so excited for this modern retelling. It was ok and enjoyable, but it didn’t have the same depth I’ve come to expect from Anne. I liked the concept that Anne was in foster care before ending up in Avonlea. Later she and the gang all end up in New York City with her and Gil in the same graduate program. As typical for the two of them sparks and drama fly. The story was predictable but it is a retelling so that isn’t a huge surprise. I did like seeing the characters in the modern world and would like to see more of them.

Why are you the way you are?”
Let’s get this out of the way… I…have never read Anne of Green Gables… let my shame be my own as I go forth knowing how truly uncultured I am. Now then.. on to the real reason we are here.. to discuss the truly adorable book “Anne of Manhattan” by Brina Starler. In my attempt to educate myself prior to reading this novel I traveled back to my college procrastinator roots and did a quick study.. in doing so I was able to recognize that many of the characters were original to the story which allows for a modern reintroduction to old friends for those who call Anne of Green Gables a childhood favorite.

This modern adaption follows as Anne (with an E), who, like in the original, becomes an orphan at a young age and after being passed between home after home moves in with a brother and sister who take her in and give her the family she longed for. At school she meets Gilbert… and that is is where our real story begins! They begin a relationship that is made up of years of rivalry and teasing that is always just this-side of flirtation. As they get older they both start to question their feelings towards each other and due to a series of unfortunately timed miscommunications they are not able to pursue the relationship they both secretly yearn for.

What I found refreshing was that it was Gilbert who was most self-aware of his feelings. Unlike a lot of books with similar adorableness it was Anne who struggled with her ability to accept that not only does someone care about her, but he is willing to accept her as she is, stubbornness and all. With her difficult childhood it is easy to understand why she guards her heart so completely, and Gilbert’s attentiveness to her feelings solidifies his place among the great book boyfriends.

Brina Starler’s way with words was masterful as she was able to to make the most seemingly innocent touch feel like fireworks! As Anne and Gilbert danced around each other she was able to build a sweet heat that culminated in a love that felt all-encompassing and genuine. While this is on the lighter side of the romance genre and you may not get over-the-top spicy scenes there is more than enough smooches to leave a seasoned romance reader satisfied. I would hazard a guess that this re-telling has taken a few liberties from the original, but if fans approach with an open mind I am confident they will appreciate seeing their favorite characters in a new light. Brina Starler’s debut novel has made me a believer and I can’t wait to see what she releases next! Do yourself a favor and pick up this truly sweet adaption.

Brina Starler was a featured author on FreshFiction.com's blog, with a 20 Questions author feature. You can see that interview here: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=11324

I loved Anne of Green Gables when I was a kid, so I was interested in checking this book out! It gives Anne a modern twist of a story, with much of the romance we remember from Anne & Gilbert's relationship from the classics. I do have to say that I didn't find the story much different than other modern romances, and felt it could have brought in more of the Anne & Gilbert we know & love to really flesh out the story and make it a treasure.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is a modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables and I am probably the only person in the world who hasn't read that classic. Having said that, I still enjoyed this story about grad students falling in love in Manhattan and I don't think it's necessary to read the original to be able to enjoy this.

This is a modern day retelling of the classic Anne of Green Gables. Anne and her best friend head to Manhattan for grad school in this version where they then run into Gilbert. Hard to improve upon the original story and characters, but not a bad try.

This book is modern romantic retelling of the classic, Anne of Green Gables, where Anne and Gilbert are now older grad school students in the city of Manhattan. I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the original, though I don't think that is necessary to enjoy this modern little love story. I enjoyed the characters and their blooming relationship, but I wasn't blown away by anything plot-wise.

Okay, so you know when you have a book in front of you that seems perfectly nice, but for whatever reason you’re dragging your feet when it comes to reading it?

Because yeah same.

And when it comes to this book, I REALLY wished I hadn’t dragged my feet for so long.

Why? Because it was really f***ing lovely, that’s why. Beyond one BRIEF moment towards the end when I really questioned all of author Brina Starler’s decisions, I loved every second of this book. I love that this is a modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables with a 24 year-old Anne. I loved not only the POV switches between Anne and Gilbert in the present, but also past Anne and Gilbert. I loved all of the little sweet nods to the original story. I loved the support systems for Gilbert and Anne. I loved Anne and Gil TOGETHER. I could honestly go on and on but damn, this one is good. Also, we get some steaminess (open-door) which I’m fairly certain wasn’t in the original series. 😉

I also really liked how Starler wrote Gil's character. 100% book boyfriend material. I love how open he is (at least to himself, at first) about his feelings for Anne. There is none of this denial that is so present in many enemies-to-lovers romances (looking at you, Viscount Anthony Bridgerton). Truly, while I feel like many aspects of this makes it an enemies-to-lovers situation...Gilbert Blythe makes it very clear that Anne is not his enemy. I could probably go on gushing, but I found this to be such a sweet, heartwarming (truly), charming novel. I wanted more, even an epilogue, just to keep the story going a little longer. I definitely want to reread Anne of Green Gables now. It has been a hot minute.

TW: sexual harassment

It’s almost unfair for me to even review this because there was no chance of me not giving anything to do with my children, Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe, a solid five stars. I’m completely biased, but I’m still going to say you should absolutely read this even if you aren't a diehard Anne of Green Gables fan.
Brina Starler does justice to the characters in her modern retelling of Anne and Gilbert’s story, their academic feuding, their obvious (to everyone but Anne) affection for each other, the way they always find each other in the end. It's a sweet (with a touch of spice ;^)) story that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.
I loved this modern spin on a classic favorite and it's always nice to take a visit to Green Gables.
Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House and Netgalley for the digital ARC!

If you are a fan of Anne and Gilbert - and don't mind a retelling with some sexy steamy scenes annnd a NY setting andddd just a whole lotta modern twists - then you will enjoy Starler's novel. I wasn't really sure what to expect with this retelling but Starler did Anne's quirky character justice and certainly captured the tension of her and Gilbert, along with exploring Anne's childhood background and overall hesitantly to get too attached to anyone (abandonment). I loved the setting in NY and the snippets of Marilla and life back on the farm. I honestly didn't think I'd enjoy this re-telling that much b/c I couldn't get into the newer tv adaptation (Anne with an E - nothing compares to the original!) but I was pleasantly surprised ! :)

I loved this book so much! I am a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and love the books and all the movies and shows. This book had so much of the characters placed in a modern day setting and it was so enjoyable! I thought Brina Starler did such a good job keeping the characters true to themselves and yet placing them in current day events. It caught me off guard at first, with Anne talking about sex and having a cell phone but I quickly warmed up to it and it just made me so happy while reading. I loved the parts with Marilla and Matthew and Diana was such a great character as well. It was a very nice read for fans of Anne.

Confession: I have never read Anne of Green Gables and know next to nothing about the story. That being said, I absolutely loved Anne of Manhattan. I loved Anne and Gilbert’s relationship. And Brina Starler knows how to write a love scene! I’ll definitely picking up the original Anne. I’d like to revisit these characters again!

Thank you to #netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the advanced e-copy of #anneofmanhattan .