DNF at 35%.

In this modern adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, a foster child grows up and leaves the loving home she finally landed in to go off to college in New York City. In grad school, she finds herself pushed into a thesis project with her middle school nemesis, who is now a hunky 20-something.

I gave this book far more pages than I normally do for a book that is just not grabbing me because it kept promising to get better. Ultimately, it never delivered on that promise. I found the protagonist to be self-absorbed, juvenile, and unlikable and her love interest to be shallow and not well developed.

Overall, the prose was pretty, but it just wasn't going anywhere and I could not connect with the characters.

I am a big fan of modern takes on classics, and Anne of Green Gables was a favorite when I was younger. The author does a good job of updating the characters in a way that makes sense in the modern world, but the story itself isn't that compelling. It follows the plot of the original, with key updates, but it doesn't have a lot of energy or originality. Overall, it feels pretty generic.

I just wasn't wild about it. I really enjoy anything Anne of Green Gables, but this just didn't do it for me. I disliked the pacing and the characters were not likable in their modern form. Maybe it was the multiple points of view or the flashbacks. Either way I can't see myself recommending this book to anyone who knows the source material. If you are unfamiliar with the original story it is decent writing.

I was drawn to this title because I am a huge fan of Anne of Green Gables and all its sequels. As such, I was prepared to be disappointed in this reboot: Anne is American, not Canadian, she lives in Manhattan, not Prince Edward Island, and the story is set in modern times, not the late nineteenth century. What I found, however, is a fresh and enjoyable take on Anne's story and character, cast with Gilbert Blythe as leads in a romance. Their contentious early relationship is ever present as they get reacquainted in graduate school and must collaborate on their thesis project. Naturally, sparks fly and romance ensues. (Just to be clear--this is aimed at adults, so it's not something to hand to your twelve year old Anne fan!) The narrative has flashbacks to Gil and Anne's younger years, which set the stage nicely for the main attraction of their grownup lives. Many of the minor characters from the original novels are here as well (her best friends Diana and Phil--appearing together--as Anne's roommates, Matthew--not killed off here--and Marilla, Jane, and Rachel), and the change of Green Gables from struggling farm to prosperous winery works well. I appreciated the author's work to weave plot elements from Montgomery's original stories into this retelling (even a visit to PEI!). This well-told tale is definitely not a disappointment.
Recommended

First of all, anyone who takes on a modern epilogue of Anne of Green Gables has some incredibly big shoes to fill. I loved the Anne books growing up and she's a cherished character from my childhood. So to see her thrust into modern times with cell phones and sex scenes was discombobulating to say the least. I honestly had to break that link mentally to even give this "new" character a fair shot.

But even then, this book was mediocre at best. It was a quick, easy read... but not really a good or fulfilling read. I enjoyed imagining the progression of Anne and Gil's relationship over time, and Anne's emotional progression as she navigates her childhood wounds into adulthood. And the author did capture some of Anne's sassiness. But overall, this book just never took off for me. I kept waiting for liftoff, but instead just taxied on the runway.

I loved Anne of Green Gables as a kid so was drawn to this modern update. I had a bit of trouble sorting out the timeline of the flashback chapters ("now" and "then"), but it grew on me after a bit. I tend to prefer the storyline that happens earlier in the stories' timeline and wish there had been more flashbacks, but all in all it was a sweet and mostly enjoyable romance that hit on some favorite Anne/Gilbert highlights. I appreciated that despite the modern feel the author didn't take a dark and gritty angle that so many modern updates seem to take nowadays and stuck to the light and hopeful tone, which is what I love about Anne of Green Gables in the first place.

I am a HS librarian, but many of my former students still reach out regularly about what's been/being published that they would enjoy. I will 110% be recommending Anne of Manhattan to so many of them! I love the way the author has created a modern retelling of Anne's story, particularly placing Anne & Co in graduate school - the exact age of so many of my former students. In the ARC, I did note a few places where "Then" should have been "Now" (I remember this being in the middle somewhere), but I know that will be fixed in time for publication.

I've loved Anne of Green Gables, and didn't think a modern day version could live up to my memories of the original. But I quickly realized I just needed to enjoy Anne of Manhattan for what it was ... the characters from Green Gables, now all grown up and in a modern day romance novel.

The back and forth between Anne's backstory, that reminded us of her character and her history, and the current grown-up Anne, as a grad student in NYC, was a good balance. The story revolved around Anne, with everything going according to her master plan, until Gilbert, her old archenemy, shows up! It was a fun story, and a great reminder that we are not the same people we were in high school!

Thank you to The Book Club Girls & NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy!

I've known about this book before it was publicly announced (I know Brina) and was so happy to finally get my hands on the galley. Can't wait to read the final product--this was the uncorrected galley so there were lot of repetitive words and a few things that didn't quite make sense, but I have faith in the editors. I loved seeing Anne and Gil in a modern setting, although it's been decades since I've read any of the Anne books. I may have to go back...

I think the witty dialog worked well, so did the cameos from people like Rachel Lynde! I was slightly disappointed that there was NO mention of raspberry cordial 😆 but the bar where Gil works has a hilarious name.

I originally wrote this at 2:30 am right after the time change so forgive me if I'm not very eloquent.

I received an advance copy of this book by way of the The Book Club Girls & NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Anne of Green Gables is all grown up & taking NYC on. Anne is a grad student living & working in the Big Apple who has her life all planned out until her old nemesis walks back through the door, threatening to knock down her very carefully built walls.

I did not grow up with these books, to be completely honest I didn't read any of them until my early 30's & while I enjoyed them I know that my connection to the characters is very different than others who may have spent their adolescence dreaming of visiting Green Gables. I think, in this case, that might have been helpful to my reading experience. I knew just enough about the characters to enjoy the story but I wasn't so attached that the modern changes were off putting. It is indeed a modern retelling, be prepared for some cosmetic changes to characters. While the main facets of their personalities remain very much intact some of the changes may challenge your own perceptions of who these characters are.

Overall I enjoyed this book. My only complaint comes from the physical interactions between Anne & Gil. This book bopped along for me as a very easy read that really ticked all the boxes until they had their first physical encounter. I'm not huge on romance to begin with but the romance in this book was the whole point, I just felt that the language in these sections was such a departure from the rest of the book that it made me uncomfortable. I'm not a prude, I've read plenty of "bodice ripping" romance novels, this was different & it really pulled me out of the world. I also wonder how Anne fans & purists would view these sections of the book. I can however see the value in establishing Anne as a mature modern woman & maybe this was a tool to help the author achieve that goal.

The writing style was great & the author very skillfully navigated between "Then" & "Now" laying out just enough of Anne's backstory & history to ground her as a character & to give fans of the original book a taste of this new version of Anne as a child. I loved that Anne retained her strength & her spirit in the face of new challenges & matured into a woman who is aware of her faults & has grown up enough to say "I'm sorry". We aren't the people we were in high school & we are all capable of great change & growth. Anne proves that better than anyone.

Just nope. Anne of Manhattan feels like the author got let loose to write fan fiction about a romance between Anne and Gilbert and restaged it in modern day Manhattan. L.M. Montgomery's series is so charming and well-done that there really isn't any room for improvement in my opinion. So this story just feels kind of icky when it gets into a down and dirty romance between Anne and Gilbert, because I can't help but think about how their relationship unfolds in the original series. This story also has the unfortunate habit of going back in time to reflect on Anne coming to Green Gables, which is completely unnecessary for anyone whose read even the first book of Montgomery's series, and with very little exception has little to do with the story Starler is trying to tell about Anne and Gilbert as grad students. I don't really take any offense to some reimaging on the author's part the supporting characters of the original, and modernizing them for today's times. But the saccharine sweet relationship that gets written about in explicit detail feels uncomfortable, and the subplots of Anne and Gilbert's thesis project and their lecherous advisor seem underexplored and mainly there to bring the two characters together - which, duh, was going to happen anyway.

Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler is an interesting modern retelling of the classic series Anne of Green Gables. Clearly intended for adult fans of the book, it read much like a contemporary romance novel with familiar characters from the original inspiration. Green Gables is now located on Long Island, and is a winery. The Cuthberts adopted Anne and gave her the security to follow her dreams. Anne is now in graduate school, in the hopes of becoming a college professor. Diana Barry is still her best friend, and yes, Gilbert Blythe is never far away. Told in a “Then/Now” format, the author is able to cover much of the timeline of the original series. There were several recognizable scenes that were updated to fit in the new narrative. The author did a good job staying true to the spirit of Green Gables and the characters were much like their earlier counterparts. In fact, as a devout fan, I found myself relishing the scenes from “Then,” describing Anne’s earlier years. Even so, Ms. Starler did craft a novel that would be accessible by anyone who had not read the original series by Montgomery. Overall the book is a satisfying reimagining of the beloved series, as well as an enjoyable stand-alone read.

Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler is a great contemporary romance that takes place in modern-day NYC and kept me interested from beginning to end.

This book is a slight twist and modern adaptation of Anne of Green Gables in as much as it takes the main characters of Anne and Gilbert and places them in a modern location, mindset, and society.

I enjoyed this book for what it was: an entertaining modern romance. I did not take it as much as a comparison to Anne of Green Gables, and in removing that constant comparison, I found myself really enjoying the fiesty, fiery, and outgoing Anne. The romance between Anne and Gilbert was new, updated, and realistic. One does not have to have read or watched the iconic series to appreciate and follow this story.

The narrative was laid out in snippets/chapters of present day and the past (childhood), which added complexity to the story.

I enjoyed this book and think that it could be continued with additional characters.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and William Morrow for this arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

I was an avid fan of the Anne of Green Gables series. I was intrigued by this new book and where the story would take us with Anne and her friends and (adoptive) family. I enjoyed learning about the characters in a modern day light and seeing a possible alternative take on it. There was some will they won't they with Gil and Anne that was I think pretty accurate for present day. While I can imagine it was tough to take well established characters from the late 1800's small town Canada to present day Long Island/Manhattan, there were some downfalls of the book and the writing style. I got the sense that the use of swear words was to make it sound more modern but it took away from the original Anne of Green Gables more wholesome attitude. I also found it hard to believe how Anne and Gil approached sex. Overall, I think this missed the mark a bit from where it could have been.

Wowwwwwwww

I loved this book so much.

It's been a while since I've wanted to crawl into a cocoon with a book and not come out. I wanted that so much I tried to pace myself so I could enjoy the story a little longer. Didn't work.

I love Anne of Green Gables. It was one of my favorite series as a kid. Another fun fact, I usually don't enjoy retellings. They always disappoint or offend in some way. This did neither. It captured the spirit and feeling of Anne and her world and I enjoyed the ways her story was brought into modern day.

I cried a lot reliving Anne's first Christmas at Green Gables. I also can't express how much it means to me that Matthew and Mr. Blythe were alive and well at the end.

Wonderful story. Bravo.

This is a modern & definitely more adult retelling of the classic Anne of Green Gables. It is set in current day New York with Green Gables being a winery on Long Island. Anne is a 24 year old grad student who runs into Gilbert Blythe after not seeing him since high school. While many of the characters from the original series are included, the themes and the people are definitely adult. Overall I enjoyed the book. The characters are likeable and realistic. The grad school, New York setting works well for the story.. The ending was good, but left a few things unresolved. I would have liked to see a satisfying resolution to the situation with Anne's professor. The way Anne handled the situation didn't really fit with her fighting spirit and desire for justice, nor with her outspoken ways. I felt it would have been more realistic if she were more publicly vocal and more relentless about getting a just resolution. Also, Anne & Gil are both very smart people, so they way they so easily let misunderstandings and slights get to them & derail their relationship was a bit contrived. Overall, it was a good, fun read, but certainly not for the same age group as the beloved series by L. M. Montgomery.

Read if you: Want a modern retelling of Anne of Green Gables that's fun and sexy.

I usually don't pick up modern retellings--they're just usually not my thing. However, this has received a bunch of attention in the #ewgc Twitter chats and in HarperCollins's webinars. So--I decided to try it.

If Anne enjoying sex with Gilbert and Green Gables characters swearing makes you clutch your pearls, this might not be for you. On the other hand, if you want an entertaining summer read with some of your favorite Green Gables characters modernized, try it. (I've read the series several times and am fond of the original miniseries.)

Librarians/booksellers: This will likely have interest--but be ready for Anne fans to either love it or hate it!

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a HUGE Anne of Green Gables fan, so I really wanted to love this. And it really is a cute story. Anne of Green Gables set in modern times, in Manhattan. What could go wrong? I think in the end, I might be a purist when it comes to this story. Because there isn’t a real reason I shouldn’t like it. It was well written, and had all the characters and plot points ( in flashback, sometimes). But I just couldn’t get into it. I thought the voices for Anne and Gil were good, and the other characters were good too! This was sort of a miss for me, but if you are a more general Anne fan, I think you would like this!

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I really enjoyed this book. It was a small but good look into the foster care system and what a good family can do for anyone. The banter between the main characters made me laugh out loud multiple times and I really enjoyed a strong woman as the main character

I enjoyed reading this book. Although I found it to be a bit predictable. Several chapter did have a sense of drama that where exciting. I would recommend as a light read - could be titled as summer lite.