Thank you Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I am loving these reimagined classics! Oliver has spent his life pretending to be someone he is not. Each day it becomes harder to do so especially as there are so few people who know the truth. And his mother is obsessed with finding him the fight gentleman suitor. It’s at a party that he, pretending to be a girl named Elizabeth, meets Darcy. Darcy doesn’t seem to like him very much. A few days later at a festival he runs into Darcy as himself and the two get along superbly. But as Oliver’s feelings begin to grow could Darcy be feeling the same way? And how will he tell his mother that she has a son and 4 daughters, not five daughters? I think if these classics had been written with diversity in them I would have devoured them! I loved reading about Oliver, his experiences were real and I think so many people could relate! It’s heartwarming, sweet, and charming! It put me in my feels! Can’t wait to read it again.

I really, really wanted to like this book more than I did. I've had lot of luck with the Remixed Classics series, and I was looking forward to this one, as I am not the hugest fan of the original. - I enjoyed it, sure, but not as much as I feel a lot of other people did. I'm of the opinion that most stories would be better if they were queer.

My main complaint was that everything happened so easily. Listen, I NEVER want trans characters to suffer. I never want queer characters to suffer. I love happy endings, especially in historical books where in actuality queers didn't necessarily get the ending they wished for, due to laws, society, and just everything in general. Yes, there was conflict in this book. Wickham and Collins and Lady Catherine are terrible (just like in the original). Secrets are told and blackmail happens and inner turmoil happens, because of course it does. But everything was resolved so ... quickly? I felt like there could've been more to the story - more about the Molly houses, more about Oliver's sapphic friend and her partner, more about Oliver & Darcy's story, even! There was conflict, there was happiness, and then it was over. It just felt too formulaic and quick. Perhaps because it was YA?

BUT, I do want to say, I'm glad this story exists. It wasn't exactly the book for me - perhaps the fact that I don't love P&P had something to do with it - but it's so important for queer people to see themselves in history, in the present, and in the future. I know this book will find its audience.

A wonderful and sweet story of self acceptance and love. This book stays true to the bones of the original story while also updating it in very clever and beautiful ways. I am very thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for getting to read this book early. The story does not stray away from the hardships Oliver faces, both from within and outside, but still finds a path to hope and happiness by the end. Also endlessly sweet and heartfelt throughout. This book can definitely be enjoyed by lovers of the original story and those new to it.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads in a while and it absolutely did not disappoint. This was my second classics remix book and I do think that part of why I liked this more is that I like the source material more. As someone who has read a number of published and unpublished pride and prejudice fanfictions or "remixes" I feel qualified to say that this is a very good one. I think that Gabe Cole Novoa didn't just make the bare minimum changes to the story to do his remix but made a number of thoughtful changes to the setting and circumstances of the Bennet family that keep the core of the story and lets this versions of the characters really shine.

I think one of the greatest strengths of this books is the way which Gabe Cole Novoa makes a huge change in making Elizabeth into Oliver but manages to make all of the characters truly recognizable as them selves from the source material. While this book having shifted down to a YA audience is a shorter more streamlined, idealistic, and modern version of the classic its very good and I would absolutely recommend it.

First, thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC.

As a lover of all things Jane Austen, I was drawn in by the cover and title. This is my first experience with the Remix series featuring other classic novels. Our main character is Oliver Bennet, the second child in the Bennet family and our narrator. Novoa did a wonderful job fleshing out Oliver's struggles as a trans person struggling to come out to their loved ones. This new layer in the classic story was a fascinating premise to explore. My one complaint about the book is that the story moved too quickly; we were racing from scene to scene but not focusing on the characters' relationships, which is a main component of the original. Overall, this was a decent retelling, but moved too quickly, and as a result, the characters' development suffered.

A worthy addition to the Remixed series. Perfect for queer lovers of Mr. Darcy and the infamous hand flex scene.

This book is cute but I expected something more. It’s a good retelling, yes, and the chemistry between Darcy and Oliver is so good, but I quite don’t understand why Darcy was such a ass*ole with “Elizabeth” but his manners change completely with Oliver. Really he sounds a little misogynist because there is really no explanation for his behavior.
I don’t quite sing with the other characters who seems a little off, like they have to be in this book because they are in the original book, but they don’t want to be here.
However, the story is soft and Darcy and Oliver are really cute together and the rep is really great, so this book is worth reading.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for the e-arc!
This is exactly what I wanted from a queer pride and prejudice retelling. It has all the emotion and turmoil of the original story but with amazing characters and representation. Gabe Cole Novoa did a stellar job bringing new energy to such a beloved classic.
Oliver is such a strong and intelligent character and seeing their interactions and chemistry with Mr. Dracy was so touchy. The story has always been the most perfect slow but deep romance with so much passion and understanding between the two. I honestly cannot stress how much I enjoyed reading this story. It had me giggling and beaming at all the cute parts.
Lastly, the acceptance and happiness that Oliver finds are unmatched. I love queer books that feature such a full view of gender issues. While we see his gender dysphoria and his pain at being forced to present as the wrong gender, this book also focused on his joy at finally presenting as himself to the world. The joy and pain really hit home and make this such a unbelievable read.

This book was SO GOOD. If you want a queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice this is it. I loved the main character Oliver who is a trans man struggling to survive in a society that sees him as a girl. For almost the entire book I was giggling and kicking my feet. Books like this make me understand the love around historical fiction.

(If you liked A Lady for a Duke by Alex Hall you'll adore this book).

I loved this book so much. It had such wonderful representation and it was such a beautiful spin on a classic. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books and it was such a refreshing remix of a classic tale. I loved Oliver and his story, I thought that the character was flushed out very well and showed excellent representation of the trans community.

4.5 stars

It’s London 1812 and Oliver feels trapped. Not just by the strict rules of society, but by the fact that everyone knows him as a girl named Elizabeth. Thus, he’s forced into dresses, to attend balls, and to look for a future husband. But pretending is getting more and more difficult.

Oliver finds solace in the moments he’s able to be out and about as himself. It’s there that he finds a connection with Darcy, and a glimpse into the life that he could have. However, his mother is getting more and more insistent about Oliver finding a suitor, so he will have to choose: a life of safety or a life of freedom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an advanced copy of Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa to review! I will admit, I have never read Pride & Prejudice, but I know the general gist of the story, so I didn’t feel too lost. From what I know of Jane Austen, I felt like Novoa captured the tone and the essence pretty well! The characters especially are where the writing shines.

What I love about these remixed classics is that it takes a literary canon that is pretty straight and white washed and makes the stories more diverse. So, teens who are reading these things in school might pick up one of these and see themselves in the story. I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read so far, and I’m sure I will continue to enjoy them!

My only complaint about this book is that the ending felt a bit rushed. There were a few characters that did a complete 180 at the end with not a lot of build up to it (like Oliver’s mother), and I would have liked a little more development in those areas. But for the most part, the characters were well developed, even if there were a lot of them to keep track of.

I’d say if you love Pride & Prejudice, definitely check out this retelling when it comes out early next year!

3.5/5
 
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a review!
 
Most Ardently was a fun and lighthearted book. It did tackle some themes like homophobia and deadnaming, but there were no graphic scenes or gratuitous content.
 
This book was simply a cute retelling. The plot changed slightly, which is expected of a retelling, and became more simple than the source material.
 
Most Ardently was a lovely and quick read. Fans of Alexis Hall and Jane Austen could expect to enjoy this book.

I've been absolutely loving the Remixed Classics series, so I was very excited to see P&P on the list, and for the most part, Novoa pulls off this remix so well, reimagining this as a gay/trans love story that gives some context on trying to live in society while queer.

As a Pride and Prejudice remix, Most Ardently sticks fairly closely to the main plot beats while keeping the themes of expectations - both familial and societal - and assumptions from all sides close at hand (though we do drop almost all of the social climbing or monetary aspects). Oliver, as a trans boy, knows better than most the pressures and pains of not adhering to expectations and the desperation of wanting something different than what everyone assumes he wants. Each time someone assumes he is female or wants to be more feminine, or deadnames him, we feel his anguish that he will never be able to live as he chooses, though at every turn there is also a light between the clouds, those moments where he is recognized and accepted as a boy, the affirmations that he is not alone. I also really appreciate that Oliver never gets recognized as "Elizabeth" or vice versa and while there are some plot pressures for him to come out, it is always his choice to tell his truth when he does.

There are parts of this that feel extremely YA - the characters are aged down, for one, which makes some of the marriage pressure a little odd, but the characters also /feel/ quite a bit younger, in both their actions and their speech, which is also at times jarringly modern. While I appreciated the inclusion of Charlotte and Lu's storyline as a way to illustrate that queer existence was often an in-between of finding ways to outwardly meet societal expectations while living a private life that was true to themselves, when pitted against Oliver's need to live as himself, it comes across as something that can't ever be truly joyous, which feels very black-and-white. The Wickham storyline gets changed in some truly baffling ways that gets rushed through the end of the story and somewhat undermines some of the previous conversations in what is probably the largest departure from the original. I'm also not sure why this is set in London, but okay. At the end of the day, this is a sweet remix of a classic that emphasizes the importance of seeing people for who they are.

4 stars

The 9th in Feiwel and Friends' Remixed Classics series, Most Ardently reimagines Pride and Prejudice as a queer Regency love story between Oliver, a trans boy forced by society's expectation to live as a woman, and a book-loving, socially awkward Darcy. Being a young adult retelling, the characters are aged down slightly, but the familiar beats of the original story - with all of its miscommunications, misunderstandings, and societal pressures - are still intact and even amplified in Novoa's tale as our couple struggles to find common ground when forced to play their roles whilst falling in love when allowed to live as their true selves.

I was greatly moved by this book multiple times as Oliver overcomes personal fear, the prejudices of others, and society's boundaries to live and love as his truest self. Even the last line of the author's note left a tear in my eye! While I did find myself at times wishing that we could get a broader scope of the world and characters beyond Oliver and Darcy, I completely recognize that this story needed to be far more focused than Austen's in order to truly capture the important story being told here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book early!

Charming and fast-paced, this was a great romantic book for fans of queer retellings. I love the surge in books retelling classic, and much beloved, stories but centering queer perspectives and experiences. Following the plot of the original almost to a tee, I still had a great time with these characters.

For a comforting and heartwarming read, I highly recommend!

This was a great addition to the Remixed Classics series! I loved the trans rep in it, being in Oliver's head was such an honest and heartbreaking experience, but everything ended on a very lovely and positive note which I was so thankful for. I did get a little lost in the middle of the book with all of the politics and drama, and I definitely wanted a lot more emphasis on the romance between Oliver and Darcy. But other than that I thought this was excellent!

🌈 Queer rep: trans man, gay man, MM gay main relationship, bi/pan side characters in a FF relationship

This was such an incredible retelling. I loved the change up with the main character as a trans boy & the way that component changed the story. It had all of the things I loved about Pride and Prejudice but with a fresh take on the characters. I especially loved the relationship between Mr, Bennett and his son Oliver. All of the scenes with the two of them had me tearing up. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

This is such an important and heart-warming book, and a really interesting spin on a classic story. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me this ARC!

I really enjoyed this - I know just enough about pride and prejudice to have appreciated this as a retelling without being bored by knowing every beat in advance (and it is a retelling, so while many of the beats are familiar, it functions quite well as its own story). Mostly this was extremely compelling as a coming of age/coming out story with a very articulate and sympathetic narrator.

I absolutely LOVE the Remix Series of classic novels. Where authors paint their novels with bold and bright characters and give a fresh inclusive version for a new generation of readers. Making a space for young readers who want to see themselves reflected in the fictional characters they can call their own.

Most Ardently is a remix of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, where a trans boy, Oliver, works through his identity, trying to find a way to be himself, be accepted by his family, and enjoy all the thrills and twists of falling in love.

Nova’s novel focuses largely on the internal struggle Oliver has between his true self and the person society (and some of his family members) deems him to be. Readers will feel the sting whenever Oliver’s deadname is mentioned, and the sickening way he is forced to wear clothes that make him feel uncomfortable. Or how hard it is when his mother adamantly constricts Oliver to a version of himself that is not his own.

While Novoa provides a fresh new take in his reimagined version of Pride & Prejudice, I would have loved more pages dedicated to Oliver exploring his world and interactions as himself. I fully enjoyed the chapters where he was able to interact with the other main characters like Bingley and Darcy (especially Darcy). I wish there had been more page time dedicated to these experiences. Flushing out insecurities (both for Oliver and Darcy) and fully developing that budding relationship between Oliver and Darcy.

Where readers experience that thrill of clashing rivals-to-lovers, both strong willed and stubborn, but also discovering new characteristics of these two boys that make them both beloved characters.

Happy Reading ~ Cece