I absolutely loved this. I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen, and I was a bit worried that this book wouldn't do her justice, but it definitely did. In fact, I think that Jane Austen herself would be really proud of how Gabe Cole Novoa re-interpreted her characters in "Most Ardently". If you love Pride & Prejudice and/or historical fiction, please check out this book!

This novel is so tender and touching--absolutely perfect for fans of the original book and movie! So many lines are exact, but the weight of everything is so different and moving due to Oliver's transness. It brings a whole new depths and clarity to the story, and makes Oliver's struggle to live in this time and society so heartwrenching. Yet even in all the heart ache and the seeming impossibility of living authentically, this book carries hope and joy along with it. We see so many moments of pure joy and euphoria as Oliver gets to express himself and live as himself. Joy accompanies the pain and discomfort of his life, making his fight for himself be held in an understandable light. We know why he's doing what he's doing, and we want to fight right alongside him.

Mild spoiler (related to coming out and something I, a queer person, would like to know going in)--no one that Oliver chooses to come out to has a huge negative reaction. He's not yelled at and kicked out of his home or anything like that. While the society is transphobic, and several characters are and his transness is discovered and he is forced to come out to his family, those whom he comes out to are ultimately supportive. I had a lot of trouble getting through the book because I was afraid there was going to be some big back lash about Oliver's transness, and would have enjoyed it more thoroughly if I had known the author wasn't going to do that. Having read Wicked Bargain by the same author, though, I should have trusted that I was in good hands.

All in all, this was a fantastic retelling that stayed mostly true to the plot of the original but with its own unique twists that really served to highlight the themes of the story and Oliver's journey as a trans person in the early 1800s.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, Gabe Cole Novoa, and Harrison Knights (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix in exchange for an honest review.

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix is a retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice. Having specialized in Austen studies for part of my degree, I can say with a heavy personal opinion that Pride and Prejudice is her most interesting work. To have a chance to read a Remixed Classics version is an absolute treat. This novel takes the core essence of the original and twists it into something exciting and passionate, maintaining the 1812 setting while making for a delightful novel for a contemporary young adult audience. This retelling is everything it should be an more, going above and beyond expectation.

This intoxicating retelling of the literary classic follows the story of Oliver Bennet, a transgender man who must hide his true identity from his family and formal society, dealing with being addressed by his dead name and the wrong gender constantly. He is expected to go to balls dressed as a woman, and his mother wants nothing more than for him to find a man to marry. Oliver has other ideas. He goes out as a man in secret, enjoying the few moments he can explore being himself.

When the Bennet's meet Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, the eldest Bennet child, Jane, is lovestruck from the first moment. There is something to be said about Bingley's not-so-charming friend, Darcy. When Darcy and Oliver have a chance meeting at the ball, Darcy all but claims Oliver not handsome enough for his tastes. This, of course, is when Oliver must parade as a woman. When he goes to a festival as a man, with a chance meeting with Darcy and Bingley, Darcy's reception of Oliver is quite different, charming even. But Darcy doesn't know it's the same person from the ball! 

Getting to explore what the world of men is like, Oliver indulges in Darcy's company, as well as mingling with other men of the community. He learns about disconcerting rumors, as well as clubs that are for those interested in others of the same sex. While it seems scandalous, Oliver soon learns these are safe places for him to truly be himself, and finds that his feelings for Darcy are everything from only his wildest dreams. Now Oliver just has to find the courage to tell his whole family (some already know) so that he can truly live as himself in the world.

The audio narrator, Harrison Knights, is an absolute joy to listen to. He really add to the character of Oliver and makes for a thrilling audio listening experience. A brilliant novel, something easily devoured in one sitting. All of the Remixed Classics have been exceptionally well-written stories, though I believe Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix is easily the best one so far (and that's saying something, considering they are all amazing works). I highly recommend this novel to LGBTQ+ readers, educators, fans of retellings, lovers of classics, and anyone who seeks a truly exciting story.

Content warning: dead naming, homophobia, sexism, talks of body dysmorphia

Adapting/updating/retelling Austen is always a difficult task and while I really enjoy a lot of what was done with MOST ARDENTLY, I do feel like it's missing some of magic of the original. I also think an important note was missed when making the misogyny be more about Oliver being misgendered than about how misogyny (and being misgendered) are both bad and relevant even in this adaptation. Oliver's friendship with Charlotte seemed to be forgotten towards the end which was unfortunate and wish that dynamic had been explored in more detail. I loved how supportive Mr. Bennett is and thought that was a great touch.

The historical note at the end provides readers with further context and I think will educate teen readers a little more about queer history.

The cover art is gorgeous and I continue to enjoy what MacMillan is doing with this Remixed Classics series.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5. Releases 1/16/2024.

Vibes: Pride and Prejudice but make it queer (obviously), light humor around big issues, family warmth, that ol' Darcy Darcy-ness in a younger package

Oliver Bennet has a problem: aside from his sister Jane, his family doesn't know that he's not a girl. Trapped by societal norms and the persona he's forced to wear, he sneaks out as his true self and runs into the stiff, cool Darcy (who was actually a major dick to Oliver when he was dressed as a girl). The thing is--when Darcy is actually able to be himself, he's actually quite kind. Also? Very appealing. But no matter how much they connect, a future for Darcy and Oliver, as their true selves, seems impossible. Unless....

I don't usually read YA, but I was kind of fascinated by the concept of this series of remixed, diverse takes on old classics. And a retelling of P&P starring a trans boy was too good to resist. Also, this is my favorite cover I've seen in a LONG while.

Luckily, it lived up to my expectations beyond the cover. It's sweet and unique, while honoring the original story. And right now, I think that seeing a trans kid living out the happily ever after of one of the most enduring love stories of all time is something we need to see.

Quick Takes:

--To be clear, this is a true YA romance. The characters that need to be aged down are. I think it was totally necessary to appeal to the target audience, and it works. I mean, being a youth~ in 1812 isn't exactly like being a youth~ in today's world anyway. It's just like P&P in that it's chaste, but unlike P&P in that there is kissing. (Yay!)

--Like I said, the book stays true to the original story, but obviously it's not married to it. Oliver has a lot in common with Elizabeth, but he's not Elizabeth, and his relationship with Darcy is not Elizabeth's relationship with Darcy. It's more based on friendship and understanding--in a lot of ways, it's a friends to lovers story. Which I think adds a sense of queer found family to the romance, and I think that's necessary here.

--It would be very easy for Oliver's mindset to be quite dark. Understandably so, as most of his family is ignorantly (and it's true ignorance, they don't know) deadnaming him on the regular. He's forced to wear dysphoria-inducing clothing, to act as a girl. But I think Novoa understood that there did need to be a somewhat lighter touch here. The point is not to paint a tale of like... a historically accurate trans experience. It's to tell a love story.

And in that sense, I found that the way Novoa approached the Bennets reacting to Oliver's transness really refreshing and lovely. Like, the point here is not to make you feel down about Oliver's future, but to celebrate who he is (and maybe feel seen--as a cis woman, I can't speak to how effective that is).

I suspect that this lighter touch won't work for everyone; and that's valid. If I'm being honest, I don't super care about whether or not it works for cis people.

--There's a molly house scene! Darcy is in a molly house! I loved this. I found something about placing a romantic hero we often so associate with heterosexuality and the ideal for women in a super queer space... And making it this place where he feels comfortable and true... Really compelling. It was one of my favorite scenes in the book.

Also, it allowed for some real romantic connection between Oliver and Darcy. Their relationship is super sweet, and I found the twist on how that relationship would have developed if we did have an Oliver and a Darcy rather than an Elizabeth and a Darcy super smart. It would've been super easy for Novoa to just duplicate the original dynamic and go "but here's a boy". That would've done a disservice to both this work and the original, in my opinion. I appreciate him doing the work to make something super distinct that is AWARE of the differences here, as I do think some queer retellings of het stories occasionally do just execute a quick genderflip and call it a day.

And I get why they do. But at the end of the day, it does remind me of the sensibility that queer love stories need to be palatable and safe for straight audiences, to appeal them and to make them seem "just like them". However, a queer romance isn't 1 to 1 with a straight romance. There often are different dynamics at play. I so liked that we got that here.

TW: transphobia (from characters, not the narrative), general queerphobia, deadnaming, dysphoria

I was super happy with this book, and I think it will definitely appeal to a ton of teens out there. Definitely going to recommend this to my teen sibling. However, it's well-written and mature enough to hold a crossover appeal towards adults. A smart and sweet take on a classic book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now I've never read any of these "Remixed Classics" before so I was really curious to see what was in store when I got accepted for this ARC. This book captured my heart right off the bat. I took this with me to read while visiting family for the holidays and ended up reading this all in one day. Pride and Prejudice is already a much beloved classic so you'd assume it'd be hard to top such a thing. Here, I feel all of the queer elements brought to the table, especially with Oliver's transness at the forefront of the story, really enhanced the story that we already know and love. Really gave much more layers to each of the already fantastic cast of characters. Makes it feel like it's own original story almost! I know this might sound like an exaggeration but I do think I prefer this version to the original. Or maybe I'm just biased as a trans man myself. I am so thankful that this version of the story exists for young queer kids to grow up with and read and get to see themselves in Oliver and Darcy's shoes! Makes me want to pick up all of the others in the Remixed Classics series and see what they have to offer!

I love any Pride and Prejudice retelling, and this one was a really wonderful, queer remix! Adored the voice, characters, and romance. Can't wait for more in this series!

Oh my gosh - I cannot explain to you how much I adored this book. I love Pride and Prejudice. It is one of my favorite classics and one that I've returned to many times over the years. I adore the book, but I also love the film adaptations. I think a lot of women my age consider Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy to be the definitive Darcy. I won't pretend that he wasn't the image I had in my mind when I conjured up Novoa's version of Mr. Darcy. It's the ultimate romantic comedy.

So when I saw that a new remix was coming out and it was based on Pride and Prejudice, I knew I had to read it. I expected to enjoy it, but I had no idea that I would end up loving it.

In this remix, the character of Elizabeth Bennet is a trans boy named Oliver. This whole story is now about his experiences dealing with the expectations his mother has for him, that society expects, but wanting desperately to live his truth. I worried that it could potentially derail the story, but not at all. If anything, the new context made it somehow better. I loved this version of the Bennet family, Mr. Bennet especially.

The characters were all done well, Wickham is particularly heinous, and the relationship between Oliver and Darcy is fantastic. The way the author was able to not just retell Pride and Prejudice, but enhance it, and create a whole new story while still hitting all the main beats...I loved it, most ardently.

If you haven't picked up anything in the remix series yet, please do!

I. Loved. This. Book.

I am a long time Pride and Prejudice fan and when I found out about this book I knew I needed to get my hands on it /immediately/. I loved reading Oliver’s story and seeing the similarities between this story and the original Jane Austen book. As soon as I started it I knew I would not be able to put it down.

If you are a fan of queer historical books, this is a must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends publishing for the ARC.

Most Ardently is an absolute gem of a retelling. Novoa took an already beloved story (Pride & Prejudice) and injected it with a beautiful new queerness. Oliver is wonderful and his strong sense of self in a time and world that would shun him is something great to watch. He knows who he is, refuses to settle and dreams of being freely himself. Darcy is a swoon in this book just as he is in every other rendition and I absolutely loved him. I think this book will be greatly enjoyed by many and can even help those still grasping and struggling with themselves to find a new determination and strength through Oliver and his tale.

Most Ardently was just a wonderful read for me. I love Pride and Prejudice so I knew I would most likely enjoy this. I really love seeing all of these queer retellings of classic stories. Makes my heart happy! Definitely would recommend.

*Received as a free ARC*
Tough topics, easy read! Oliver and Darcy were delightful. I've been aware of this series, but never read any and it's delightful! I continue to love queer historical books and this was excellently and thoughtfully done. The trigger warning at the beginning is important for readers, but I'd recommend it to anyone who is dealing with dysphoria and identity issues.

I enjoyed the writing style and I like many of the choices that the author made in this retelling, but it's overall a 3.5 rounded down for me. I just think that the pacing could've used some work. It was still fun to see Darcy and Oliver in this context, but I do think that some moments could've been better handled.

I also feel like the juxtaposition of Charlotte and Oliver was giing to be tough to deal with in general, but with Lu being introduced as a character as well as Mr. Collins's role in this book in particular, the commentary made by Charlotte seemed really ill-fitting. Wickham also felt a tad too hamfisted. Mrs. Bennett served her purpose well, but got too overbearing at times.

Loved Jane, Bingley, Caroline and Mr. Bennett though, as always. 😂

Myth: 5/5

I love Pride and Prejudice. This remix was so unique — capturing the spirit of the characters while using many of them differently than the original. My absolute favorite part of this remix was the relationship between Oliver and Mr. Bennet. It was so true to the spirit of the original I found myself nodding my head along, saying, “Yes, that would have happened that way.”

Magic: NA

Not our usual genre. This is historical fiction, retelling a classic. No magic here, but it’s definitely a great read.

Overall: 5/5

It is a very different story, showing a new perspective. This remix was so enjoyable. While it had challenging scenes, it was overall heartwarming.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s/Feiwel & Friends for allowing me to read this early!

I have been dying to read this book since I first heard about it. Not only is the cover stunning but the whole concept and of this remix is. This is the first remix I have read within this collection, though I have been reading classics retellings for a while. This will be added to my list of favorite retellings. While I am not trans and cannot speak to the experience I truly think this book does a great job at retelling this classic story for a new generation of individuals who need it. Retelling Pride and Prejudice was the perfect choice for a trans story to be told as there are so many overlapping lessons, and feelings. Gabe Cole Novoa has done an amazing job and has solidified Oliver Bennet as a character that is forever cemented to the Pride and Prejudice story, world.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this Pride and Prejudice remix, I went into it thinking that it would be a line by line retelling but that was not the case at all. I really enjoyed all the added scenes and the dual identity aspect that was added to the story. Watching Oliver and Darcy connect together on their own outside of social obligations was so heartwarming and I loved seeing how easy it was for Darcy to open up to Oliver. I'm not trans, but I really felt for him every single time he was misgendered or felt trapped by societal expectations. I loved that he and Darcy got the happy ending they deserved and that Oliver was able to inherit Longbourn. And nothing for you Wickham and Collins!!!!!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
At long last, Remixed Classics takes on Jane Austen, with Gabe Cole Novoa’s compassionate trans-inclusive remix, Most Ardently. While the series can be hit-or-miss when it comes to authors who don’t have a background in writing historicals, Novoa was actually a great choice here, with a clear understanding of the nuances of the Regency era, and especially its queer culture, and combining that with a subversive reimagining of arguably one of the most retold works of fiction.
Elizabeth Bennet being reimagined as Oliver is beautiful, and I loved the care with which this was rendered. From the start, with the note that some people in the story will misgender and deadname him, but he’s consistently referred to by his prefered name and pronouns by the text itself was a solid compromise, highlighting the transphobia of the era, while showing that trans people have always existed, and affirmation for them back then wouldn’t have looked too different from what it looks like today. And while I’m pretty well-read on the nuances of the era, even I didn’t know that birth certificates did not exist in the Regency (although that does check out, given how poorly records were kept of births of common people in times past), thus presenting the possibility that, with the support of a compassionate physician to vouch for them and family supporting them, trans people could indeed “pass,” perhaps many more than we’re even aware of.
Oliver’s identity also adds some interesting nuances to his relationship with Darcy. While Darcy is still very socially awkward in his initial encounters with Oliver when he’s presenting as “Elizabeth” in public, I love the addition of scenes between them in a Molly house, highlighting how both of them act with their guards down. And while I feel like it was a missed opportunity to not have Darcy have some sort of inkling as to Oliver’s secret, given he does still ask “Elizabeth” to marry him, there’s still a plausible reasoning given, albeit one tinged with irony.
The supporting cast is also beautifully reimagined as well. Jane being a supportive ally is only to be expected, given the two eldest Bennet siblings are thick as thieves in just about every incarnation, although I did feel her relationship with Bingley got sidelined for the sake of time, with Bingley not even really appearing after his untimely disappearance…which sucks, since early scenes really built up the possibility of a friendship between him and Oliver, while exploring the tension between Oliver and Darcy. On a similar note, the younger Bennet sisters are basically nonexistent in this book…Mary and Kitty were already pretty irrelevant, but with the ending changed, Lydia is also similarly boring. But thank God no one marries that awful Wickham…it’s just a shame Charlotte’s still tied to Collins.
However, I did like how Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were written. Mr. Bennet, being disposed to favor his second-eldest child to begin with, has a lovely relationship with Oliver, and I really appreciated his compassion when Oliver came out to him, especially in wanting to take his time to tell his mother. While Oliver’s transness is kept secret from Mrs. Bennet for most of the book, and I feared the worst due to her marriage-minded nature, she surprised me by proving to be incredibly open-minded and accepting, with her affirmation being particularly heartrending.
This is a beautiful reimagining, balancing a largely beat-for-beat rendering of Pride and Prejudice with the story of a trans boy’s coming-out and coming into his own in the face of immense societal prejudice and obstacles. If you’re a fan of the original, but are interested in a version that is more explicitly queer, I’d recommend checking this out!

Every time I read a Jane Austen retelling I can never decide if I'm grateful that I haven't read the originals or if I am missing out because this book was fine. I really love the transjoy of it all but I didn't love it as a whole. I think maybe I'm missing some context but this one was an enjoyable read but not a favorite.

I am obsessed with all things Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice, so I was so excited to read this book! I have read queer retellings of Pride and Prejudice before, but they are normally changed to a modern setting, so this book was so unique and fun! I loved Oliver's character and how he refused to be anyone else, even as the world saw him as the second daughter of the Bennet family. It also made his relationship with Darcy so interesting! Darcy did NOT want to court Elizabeth (not HANDSOME enough to tempt me has a whole new meaning in this book) but was falling quickly for Oliver, putting Oliver in an uncomfortable position. This book was so sweet and emotional, and I really enjoyed how the characters stayed true to themselves, even with all of the changes. Wickham was still the worst, Mr. Bennet was still the best, and Charlotte Lucas was still queer (let's be honest, she always was). This was a great retelling and a very emotional but enjoyable read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Most Ardently does a great job of reimagining Pride and Prejudice in a way that still feels true to the original writing. I really liked how the author included actual queer history that is in line with the times and showed us how a trans man might find ways to exist as himself in that time period.

I liked how Wickham's actions changed, but he's still as despicable as ever. I felt like all the characters still felt like the originals and their reactions seemed in character (except for Mrs. Bennett at the end-- you'll know it when you read it). I did think that the ending was rushed, and I would've loved a little more there. Overall, I really enjoyed this read!

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!