I first saw this book on an ad in instagram and immediately RAN to netgalley to see if they had it! The day I was approved was one of the best days of my life. Reading the first line was amazing as I believe any sort of pride and prejudice adaptation should have the iconic “it is a truth universally acknowledged…” As for the book it was absolutely wonderful. I was captivated the whole time and I love reading stories of trans joy especially now. I can’t wait until it comes out so I can buy it day of!

Overall, this was a great adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which is not easy to do. I liked the writing style and especially how closely it stuck with most of the original plot. I enjoyed how the character of Darcy felt like it stayed very true to the original and the slight changes fit in seamlessly. I enjoyed that we spent more time with Darcy at the beginning than we do in the original. However, the book's primary focus was on Oliver's gender dysmorphia. It was understandable that it would be forefront to his thoughts, especially at that time period. But for this retelling specifically, not enough time was spent on the romance at the end. It was nice that Oliver's family accepted him, which might not have been realistic but it helped with the necessary happy ending. I thought it was well done but I was also hoping for more.

Pride and Prejudice but queer?? Babies, I'm already at the finish line I ran so fast!

We have our cast of characters from the OG P&P minus one. The MC is Oliver Bennet. A trans boy who does not want to live a life as anyone other than himself. And being someone's wife is not it. But it is 1812 London and only a select few of his loved ones know (and accept) who he really is. Then he meets Darcy as his true self and sees a side of him not many get to.

I found it to be a quick read. I basically read it one weekend. I will say that maybe the second half could've have been a teeny bit more fleshed out. But also I am a huge P&P fan so I have something to compare it to in my mind. As it is a popular story that would be hard not to. My initial reasoning for picking the book was the remixing of the Austen original. TBH it read more like the movie than the book (and I don't mean that in a bad way as I watch the movie 987 times a year.) All in all, I loved this book and I'm super happy to have gotten an E-arc of it.

I was apprehensive about this one because I *adore* Pride and Prejudice and retellings don't always hit the mark for me. This one though, was perfect. I might even like it even more than the original which is saying a LOT. I will definitely be rereading and it's one of my favorite reads this year.

Gabe Cole Novoa managed to create an incredibly faithful retelling that is also very much its own thing, hitting all the familiar beats but changing things just enough to make this version feel perfectly plausible.

Of course Elizabeth is a trans man named Oliver. Of course Darcy is gay. It makes so much sense? The writing was loving and careful and clever. Oliver's dual identity was handled brilliantly as well.

I do have to include a trigger warning for misgendering (unknowing for everyone important to Oliver) and gender dysphoria. It was so vivid to be in Oliver's thoughts and his discomfort and pain at being addressed over and over as a woman (with sexism thrown on top) and being forced into dresses. I really felt for him. It felt real.

I really really identified with Oliver. My own discomfort with femininity made his struggles really ring true. The more he let himself present as a man, the more right it felt and the more painful presenting as a woman became for him.

I absolutely adored the additions of his interactions with Darcy while presenting as a man. That really deepened their connection and made their love story that much more believable.

I am also really, really glad that while most of the conflict in the story is internal as Oliver struggles with whether to come out to his family, they ultimately embrace him. Being nonbinary myself, with the way the world is today -- we need all the happy endings and affirmation we can get.

The audiobook narrator's performance was brilliant and it was so easy to get pulled into the story with all the easily distinguishable voices. I finished it in one sitting and promptly pre-ordered my own copy of the audiobook.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

The newest installment in the Remixed Classics line is Most Ardently brought forth by Gabe Cole Novoa. An evident Pride and Prejudice retelling, the "Elizabeth" of the story is Oliver, a young trans man who is struggling to navigate staying true to who he is along with societal expectations of the Regency era. Coupled with a Darcy whose brusque qualities are, in part, due to his utter disinterest in female companionship, this remixed retelling shines.

Because Oliver is closeted to most people in his life, he is frequently referred to by the incorrect name and misgendered. The author addresses this in an author's note prior to the start of the narrative, but any readers who struggle with dysphoria may find this story hits close to home. Novoa, as a trans author, is able to put into words the feelings of not fitting into one's own skin and the pain of not being seen. It is, to me, beautiful representation from inside the the trans community, though some folks may find it all the more difficult for its accuracy.

The queerness of Oliver and Darcy truly is the change-up for this piece as it otherwise remains pretty true to the original work it retells. I was grateful for Novoa including a support system for Oliver, both of family and friends who knew him as himself and the development of new people coming to know him as himself and reacting well.

Overall, this was a fun retelling which was exactly as advertised and I already have a copy pre-ordered for my own library.

I loved the concept of Most Ardently and have enjoyed most of the classics remixed in this series, and while overall I really enjoyed this the pacing was glacial

Genre: YA queer historical romance, closed door
London, 1812

Oliver Bennet chafes against his role in the large Bennet family, but doesn't know how to tell his family he is the Bennet son and not one of many daughters. All he knows is that he absolutely cannot be anyone's wife. (For those of you familiar with Mrs. Bennet, you'll understand the depth of Oliver's problem...) When he meets Fitzwilliam Darcy while at a ball - unfortunately forced to wear a dress and not as his true self - Oliver sees a boy who is standoffish and proud. When he meets him again, as Oliver, Darcy begins to open up, and Oliver realizes he’s introverted rather than aloof, and someone he desperately wants to spend more time with. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet is still on the quest to marry off her children, and sometimes, a man in possession of good fortune does not, in fact, want a wife.

I'm an absolute sucker for Pride and Prejudice *anything* so when I saw this trans queer regency era Pride and Prejudice, I jumped at the chance to read it. This is decidedly young adult - Oliver is 17 and refers to Darcy as “boy” (I think he may be a couple of years older) - and while I as a reader would have enjoyed it even more as an adult book, I am delighted this is a version of P&P that teenagers can read. There is true joy in Oliver’s ability to connect with and embrace his true self, and watching those around him accept his identity.

Any time I pick up a P&P book, I spend time looking for the similarities and differences between the retelling and the original. Luckily, I reread the Jane Austen original only a few months ago, so it was fairly fresh in my mind. I don’t look to critique, specifically, but look for the choices an author makes as their incorporate or leave out elements from the original. I was pleased with most of the choices, which open up room for queer characters. And maybe a little redemption for Lydia. The setting feels historically appropriate, and I appreciated the author’s note situating legalities and illegalities surrounding a 19th century queer and trans experience.

✰3 stars✰

This was cute, really. Just maybe not as detailed and deep as it had the potential to be, or as I wanted it to be.

Oliver was born in the wrong body, he was never meant to be Elizabeth Bennet and living his life as a young lady is stifling and dreadful and leaves him feeling trapped.

His mother, Mrs. Bennet, is determined to have him married off to make the perfect wife, and Oliver wants none of it.
Early on, Oliver meets Mr. Darcy while dressed as Elizabeth. At this point, Darcy is rather cold and rude, and it’s assumed that he just isn’t vey kind with women.
However, not long after, Oliver meets Darcy again while dressed as himself and they form a genuine friendship and Darcy is different than Oliver imagined he would be.

This remixed classic is clever and a heartwarming trans love story, but does fall a little flat with the actual believability of the romance. While it’s certainly YA, you don’t feel as invested in the romance between Darcy and Oliver in the way you’d expect from a remix of a Jane Austen novel. There is a line between maintaining YA romance and just leaving out appropriate details that make the love believable, and this very much toes the line of not being quite enough to be invested as a reader.

I loved Oliver being able to come into himself, and I did appreciate the brief longing moments between Darcy and Oliver. At times the pacing felt off in what seemed like an effort to keep some of Jane Austen's classic scenes (but in the remixed way), and I almost wouldn't have minded if the author had deviated a little more just to give Olive and Darcy more depth and new moments outside of sticking closer to the classic.

Even still, it’s a nice and quick read that does leave you feeling good. So while I was left wanting more, it was still a comforting read with a promising plot.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am just a huge sucker for a Pride & Prejudice retelling and when I found out this one was queer and trans, I needed no further information! I absolutely loved it and really flew through the book, which I read via a mix of the audio and the ebook. It hits all the highlights of the original P&P, but is also unique and has changes that make a lot of sense for this adaptation.

The scenes between Oliver and his family members who know who he is (particularly his dad!) were so sweet and made me feel so many EMOTIONS! What was also surprising to me was the amount of queer/trans joy really exists within these pages! The gender euphoria Oliver experiences when he is able to be truly himself just again, gave me all the emotions.

I gave this a truly enthusiastic 5 stars. Would I have enjoyed it more if it was adult (even closed door)? Yeah, probably but this was still so enjoyable of a reading experience and I'm so so glad it exists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars rounded up

I feel like retellings of Pride & Prejudice can be very hit and miss, but I ended up really liking this take on it. Most Ardently features a trans Bennett main character, a queer Darcy, and a queer Charlotte (this last one is often read into the text anyway). It's a clever approach that hits the main plot beats of the original and feels like it gets what Austen was doing, but diverges in ways that make sense and integrate real queer history of the time period. We do know that trans people existed back then too, and there is even a documented case of a trans man inheriting an estate that went through the male line. This offers a really wholesome and lovely version of a classic that reimagines it through a queer lens.

It is worth noting (and this is in an author's note at the start of the book as well) that due to the specifics of the story and the constraints of the time period, much of the book does involve the main character- Oliver Bennett being mis-gendered and mis-named while still living much of the time acting as a woman. But while that is the case and there is some transphobia and homophobia, most of the people that matter are wonderful and supportive. I do recommend this one! And the audio narration is excellent as well. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the eARC!

I first read "Pride and Prejudice" when I was 12 and I hated it. I wanted nothing to do with it. As I got older I grew to appreciate the story and it's context. This is a long way of saying I actually enjoyed this more than I ever enjoyed P+P.

I feel I understand Olivers struggles to be seen for who he truly is than the period drama of it all.

This was such a fun, quick read. I really enjoyed myself!

Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for Jan 5th
Blog Post will go live January 5th
Will be cover on Youtube midmonth/month wrapup for December

Most Ardently is a remix of Pride in Prejudice in which Elizabeth is instead, Oliver a trans boy trapped, pretending to be Elizabeth. Naturally, do the time of P&P Oliver must hide who he is and though this is incredibly similar in the structure and some of the story beats to the original, it does take into consideration things from that period that would have been important/affected someone like Oliver.

The story is short, and truly sweet. We see Oliver struggle with when or how to tell his family who he truly is. The only people who know are Jane and Charlotte (though slowly more find out through the course of the book) and ultimately he does find that place and time. The writing in this was readable and pacy and the moments of Oliver changing into the clothes that truly fit him and presenting as he wanted to be seen made my heart happy.

I genuinely loved a lot about this, and in the end it was nothing but joy for Oliver and Darcy. I do wish we’d had a bit more, perhaps just more to the story? I feel it possibly was edited down to fit the series length requirements or something similar as the later half to this felt very rushed. If you’re interested, I really recommend this. The cover is stunning and the inside is just as rich and lovely.

4 out of 5 classic love letters

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this prepub in exchange for an honest review.

I love pride and prejudice. So when I saw a remix version where one of the main characters is trans, I got excited to read it. I love reimagined tales, but I feel they need to stay true to the times. I don’t see this type of ending as possible back then. I liked that the author made the story their own while staying as true to the original tale as they could, but when we got to the ending I became disappointed. Oliver probably wouldn’t have been as accepted, he would probably more likely have been sent to a sanatorium back then having revealed himself.

But even though it didn’t stick with historical accuracy I did enjoy the story.

A fun retelling of Pride & Prejudice! I found myself quickly wrapped up and finished the story in one sitting which is very high praise these days! (It's been a chore to read some novels lately.) The characterizations felt authentic to the source material yet refreshed in the queer remixed style.

I feel that this book is great for young adults and older, especially those who wish to see some queer happiness in their stories.

Full disclosure, I have not read Pride and Prejudice. So I won't be making a comparison in this review.

I was a little worried going into this book that I wouldn't like it, because I usually read historical fiction with a little more magic in them. However this book has no problem spinning its spell around you and keeping you hooked.

I found myself unable to put the book down, waiting for the next time Oliver and Darcy would interact with each other because their banter was so good. I really enjoyed Oliver's character and his sharp remarks against the society he lives in.

I also enjoyed seeing the bit of growth that Oliver goes through as he fights to build a life that he wants to see. I loved all of the side characters and some of the interactions with Oliver and his parents felt like a warm hug.

I think this was a wonderful retelling of a classic story that all readers can enjoy. I'm glad to see classic stories like this told from a queer lens.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this story!

This was such an adorable and wholesome queer retelling of P&P. If you like the original story, you will love this. I thought it stayed quite true to the original Pride & Prejudice story, like a retelling should. I am obsessed with the Darcy we see when he spends time with Oliver, and was giggling everytime he was mean to “Elizabeth”
Mr. Bennet was the perfect father and I absolutely loved the author note at the end

Highly recommend!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

First of all, I love Pride and Prejudice. I have also enjoyed quite a few other books in this series, including my favorite at this point, Self-Made Boys. Secondly, this is a very short book, only 200 or so pages. With that being said, my major hang-up was with the pacing. This book needed to be an extra 50-100 pages longer. I felt like we were constantly flip-flopping between keeping to the original P&P storyline and the plotline where Darcy and Oliver meet when Oliver can go out as himself. I would rather have had more time to develop the relationship between Darcy and Oliver then rush those scenes to keep a storyline that follows the og P&P. But if the book was a bit longer, we could probably have had both (though I still say Darcy and Oliver scenes beat out any scene with Wickham or Collins). I would recommend this book if you want more trans rep in your historical fiction or if you want an easy-to-read queer story with a familiar plot because its short, sweet, and has a happy ending. But the main romance will end up feeling a bit underdeveloped.

It's the early 1800's and Oliver Bennet feels trapped, by his mother's expectations, by societies standards, but mostly due to the fact that when everyone looks at him they see a girl. Oliver is trans and is only out to a few friends and family members, hiding his secret and sneaking out at night to try and find time to live the way he craves. I'm not familiar with the source material, i've never read the og Pride and Prejudice, so i'm not sure how faithful the plot is. Oliver does however, find hinself once he becomes friends with Darcy, a boy he met at Elizabeth and did not have a good impression of at first. As oliver realizes the depths of his feelings for Darcy, he'll have to decide what he wants his future to look like. This was a good adaption, the inclusion of trans and lgbtq characters felt natural and well done, they fit into society in a way that was realistic while still giving them plenty of room to be themselves. I particularly liked <spoiler> that it was Oliver's father who found out first of his parents, and kept the secret until Oliver told him, and stood by him to the point of changing his will to make him his heir. </spoiler> The character interactions were realistic and fun to read, with the characters all having unique identities that made them interesting to follow, even if some of them turn out to not be great people. The plot wrapped up a bit too quickly for me, but i'm not even mad because Oliver's character arc was done well.

I am not a fan of Pride and Prejudice. I requested this because it was a queer take on the novel. But to be honest the only thing that i liked was the queer vibes. Other than that I really did not like this. If you are a fan of Pride and Prejudice I would suggest this.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Pride & Prejudice is one of my all time favorite stories, and so it was with anticipation and trepidation that I began reading Most Ardently. Some P&P retellings are great, and some leave me incredibly dissatisfied. In the case of Most Ardently, while I couldn't help the occasional internal squawks about the (really unimportant) original details ("Charlotte Lucas had siblings!" "The Bennets lived near Meryton, not London!"), I knew this book shone where it really mattered: as a queer coming-of-age romance set in the Regency era. The author took pains to introduce historical accuracy in terms of how trans and queer people existed in those times in England, and managed frequently to apply the original text when fitting into this remix. It doesn't hit the same notes as P&P with me, but that's not the point at all, and I think it's lovely that this book exists. Sensitive readers can take note of the warnings in the front of the book regarding misgendering, dysphoria, as well as historical transphobia, homophobia, and misogyny.