“I can’t imagine, that you could ever be unextraordinary.”

Pretty sure I swooned my way through this read.

I love Pride and Prejudice, so reading a trans MLM retelling? Chefs kiss amazing.

I loved Oliver’s joy in this book, it made my heart soar and the romance is so so endearingly sweet. It kept so many things from the Classic I loved while adding new dimensions to Mr Bennett and other characters.

A must read retelling.

A very solid retelling of a well known classic. This book twists the original story of Pride and Prejudice to made it LGBTQ+ while also maintaining the original story of the book. Oliver’s story was a heartwarming tale of becoming the person you were always meant to be and this book is very important for young people facing similar struggles.

A cute reimagining of a classic novel! It definitely convinced me to add the original to my TBR or at least check out one of the many adaptions in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC! I’m a sucker for any Pride and Prejudice themed or retelling books and this did not disappoint. The representation in here were done amazingly, never would I have thought of a classic retelling with a Trans MC, I also loved the additions of Molly Houses (that were definitely a real thing in this time period) along with the mix of new plot lines and old ones. If you love queer books and Pride and Prejudice. Then this is the book for you, incredible read with wholesome moments that balance the true reality of queerness in the 1700s-1800s.

I don’t normally enjoy historical romances very much but I really enjoyed this one. I loved the way the family and friends accepted Oliver so easily. It was so comforting to see and it made me so happy for the character. I also loved Darcy but I love the grumpy characters in books anyway. This was really good except I have a few critiques I don’t want to lay out in my review. I would definitely recommend this book and it made me want to explore more of the remixed books.

I want to begin my review with an important disclaimer: I am an adult cishet college professor, and therefore not at all the target audience for this novel. I’m evaluating this book as a literary scholar who teaches both children’s literature and nineteenth century literature. I’ve taught both Austen and Austen adaptations in the past, and I wanted to read MOST ARDENTLY partly because I might include it on a future syllabus. (I also both read and write historical romance, but I’m trying NOT to talk from that perspective in this particular review.)

When I view MOST ARDENTLY purely as a YA romance, it’s adorable. Oliver is an awesome lead because he is sweet and vulnerable but also determined. He knows what he wants and he’s willing to work to get it—even if his desires seem impossible, given his time period. He makes some mistakes in his evaluation of characters but, like Elizabeth Bennet in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, he is able to correct his assumptions and adjust his opinions. The way he and Darcy bond over books is great, and their cautious kisses and confessions of love are downright swoony. The teen romance aspect of the book is on point, at least for readers who don’t demand spice.

When I view the novel as an Austen adaptation, I can see that it deviates from the original in a lot of ways, especially with regard to characters and character development. Like many of the writers who’ve adapted P&P, Novoa is interested in redeeming characters whom Austen did not bother to redeem. (Let’s face it, Austen is sometimes cruel to the flawed secondary characters in her novels.) While I agree with some reviewers that [Mrs. Bennet's development seems unrealistic}, I also appreciate the importance of Oliver finding the acceptance he needed from his family. Oliver’s father is a much better parent than the original Mr. Bennet, but his character is consistent throughout the novel. His relationship with Oliver builds on the rapport that Elizabeth had with her father in P&P.

It's when I view MOST ARDENTLY as historical fiction that I have objections. One of the reasons people read historical fiction is to “visit” a past time period and try to understand what it might have been like to live then. This is why “historical accuracy” does matter to some extent, maybe particularly in books aimed at readers unfamiliar with the historical time period.

Sometimes MOST ARDENTLY succeeds in revealing the past, as when it introduces readers to Molly Houses and the queer culture that existed in Regency London. I suspect many readers (both adult and teen) have never heard of Molly Houses. I love the way MOST ARDENTLY shows not only that queer people have always existed but that they have formed supportive communities and built affirming spaces even in harsh times.

On the other hand, the book misrepresents some aspects of Regency life. This is particularly true with regard to the ages of the characters. The rules of YA demand that its leads be teens, which means that all the characters are aged down. For some of the characters, this works, but for others, it really doesn’t. For example, Lydia would not have attended balls at all, because balls were only for girls and men who had already entered the adult world. The problem gets worse when it comes to Darcy and Bingley, but please skip down to the final paragraph of the review if you are not interested in a longwinded explanation!

Longwinded explanation: In the Regency period, women joined the adult world and were considered old enough for courtship and marriage at a young age, sometimes as early as 17, more often around 18. Once women got into their mid-20s, they were considered to be old maids. Conduct book writers explicitly said that a woman’s physical prime lasted only from ages 16-21, so women ought to focus on finding husbands then (cringe!). The novel gets that right: Charlotte’s worries about her economic future are perfectly reasonable for this time period, and it’s also understandable that Oliver’s family consider Oliver old enough to marry, given that they mistake him for a girl.

What MOST ARDENTLLY gets wrong, or misrepresents, is the age at which wealthy young men like Darcy and Bingley were considered old enough for courtship and marriage. Men of the gentry class did not typically court women till after attending a university, and often not until their mid-to-late 20s. Some advice writers explicitly said that men should not marry until at least 21, and in practice men often waited longer to marry, especially those men who needed professions. This is the reason for the large age gaps in many nineteenth-century novels and some historical fiction.

If Darcy were really only about 19 (as he seems to be), he would probably still have been up at Oxford or Cambridge, and his family would not have expected him to marry. So, in depicting him as being just a little older than Oliver, the novel gives an inaccurate depiction of what life was life for young men in this time period. If Novoa wanted to make Darcy, Bingley, Collins and Wickham of marrying age, these characters should have all been between 24-30. Once he hit 25, Darcy’s family might have started pressuring him to marry. They wouldn’t have done so at the age he was depicted in MOST ARDENTLY.

Similarly, the real life Watier’s was an exclusive men’s club known for high stakes gambling. I can’t imagine it having a special night for “boys and young men,” because schoolboys were not supposed to be gambling in men’s clubs. That wasy something they might start doing in their early 20s, after leaving their university. Oliver watching performances at a fair is historically accurate, but not his going to Watier's with Darcy.

Of course, a 17-year-old and a 25-year-old having a romantic relationship would be extremely problematic (if not outright criminal) in our 21st century world. I understand why Novoa would not/could not write an age gap like that in a YA book. But as a result, the novel inaccurately depicts the lives of young men of the gentry class in 1813. There are also some stumbles in its depiction of social status, but they seem less significant than the age issue.

TL; DR: Though MOST ARDENTLY is an adorable YA romance, readers should be cautioned that its setting is more historical-ish rather than historically accurate. The novel could certainly be used in a high school or college classroom as an Austen adaptation, but an instructor might want to discuss some of the historical inaccuracies.

It physically pains me to DNF (Chapter 7) this. Especially when others are enjoying it so much.

Gabe Cole Novoa is an excellent writer. He has a strong voice and a compelling perspective that I enjoy. One of my absolute favorite aspects of own voices stories is the way they bring to light the "little" things that people outside the group don't think about but that mean A LOT to those within it. Things such as looking at your reflection or being reminded of parts of yourself you don't like.

I have faith that Novoa wrote a brilliant story about personal growth and self acceptance which is why I've given this 3 stars without completing the book.

However, I cannot bring myself to give it more than 3 stars or keep going. I don't think it was horrible book or that it warranted a lower rating. It was fine. However, this is NOT a Pride and Prejudice retelling. This is its own story which uses familiar names and plot points to try and take the reader on a new journey. The whole point of the original novel is the antagonistic relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy, spurred on by the fact they don't really know each other, and can't be bothered to overcome their own shortcomings to change that. That's not the case in this story. Oliver gets an insight into Darcy's character long before "Elizabeth" is given a good enough reason to dislike him.

My other objections are small alterations to the plot/setting that are likely to bother P&P purists, like the prominence of London (within walking distance), Darcy being labeled as "hating women", and Jane being sent out in the rain not before it. These are not big things, and I know that, but they matter if you're trying to use them in this way.

Ultimately, I feel that Novoa has something interesting to say but this story and the style of writing (attempting to emulate Austen) doesn't suit him as an author. If you're interested in his work I'd recommend The Wicked Bargain. It was phenomenal.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This concept is amazing! This series retells classic stories like Pride and Prejudice but changes the characters from heterosexual Caucasians to people in the LGBTQ community and changes their race.

Oliver is an enjoyable, well-rounded character. Oliver is confident as a man with quick wit and a sense of humor. He quickly makes friends and is living his truth in men's clothing. He can travel all over town without escort and enjoy the privilege that comes with being a man.

Due to keeping his identity a secret from his family it adds a layer of trauma. At home he is forced to wear dresses and answer to his dead name Elizabeth. His freedom is stripped away when he is being misgendered. His intelligence is frequently insulted and reminded his only value is to care for the home and bear children. His mother frequently lashes out about refusing to dance or not wanting to wear dresses. Attached to his mistreatment are the trigger warnings for body dysmorphia and breakdowns about being misgendered.

The author doesn't truly address misogyny. Oliver doesn't take the stance that misogyny is wrong. But that as he is a man then he shouldn't be treated as poorly as women in the time period are.

I have not read the original Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice or seen the movies, so I can't compare the similarities. But I do know the original slow burn involving Darcy is epic. And this story does a fantastic job with the slow burn as well. Darcy is grumpy initially and completely rude.

These remixes breathe new life into classics and may spark an interest in an entirely new generation. After reading the remix I think I will watch Pride and Prejudice tonight! I will be adding the original by Jane Austen to my TBR.

At its heart, Most Ardently is an excellent retelling. It retains a good chunk of the source material, so it really does feel like a gay and trans Pride and Prejudice, while also adapting plot points and introducing new material to really compliment the retelling and make it feel like a new story steeped in familiar roots. Darcy’s queerness and personality work so well together, and both Oliver’s and Darcy’s queerness really elevate the source material and make for such an excellent, interesting story. The impact their queerness has on other storylines (particularly Wickham’s) is SO GOOD and made me scream with joy.

I will 100% be preordering this book because it's one I desperately need to have on my bookshelf & be able to visit again in the future (also, it's *gorgeous*).

Here are some of the specific things I loved about this book:
- GCN does such a good job of balancing dysphoria with joy. The dysphoria feels affirming and real and validating to the reader, without (in my experience, at least) being triggering or overwhelming. Trans joy and affirmation in the MC’s gender outshine the dysphoria, and are so hopeful and happy to read. From the small moments, like Oliver talking about how nice it is to have his reflection be “in harmony” with who he is, to the big moments (like Oliver dressing as himself in public and having his peers read him as a man) are wonderful and validating and hopeful.
- I love that Oliver has supportive people around him. Without giving spoilers, from the beginning of the book Oliver has queer friends and is out to a selection of family members, who are supportive and help Oliver find ways to express himself and his gender. I was pleased with how the family handled Oliver’s coming out as well — prospective readers don’t need to be worried about this plot point.
- Oliver’s relationship with Darcy is *so good*. I loved watching them get to know each other and click so well when Darcy meets Oliver as Oliver. It adds a whole new layer of complexity to their interactions when Oliver meets Darcy when he’s forced to dress as a girl. No spoilers, but I was really happy with how their relationship unfolded, Darcy’s reaction when he found out Oliver’s truth, as well as with where the book left their characters in life.
- Overall, I really love GCN’s writing style. He has a gorgeous way with words, and manages to evoke the tone of Austen’s prose without actually writing in, like, 1800s English.
- The introduction of Molly houses is a perfect fit for this book. I love that GCN worked in some actual queer history to this book, and that Oliver discovered a safe queer-affirming place where he could comfortably be himself.

3.5

I was initially really excited when I first heard about this book. Tragically, I haven't read the original Pride and Prejudice, but I did watch the movie version for the first time this year and really enjoyed the story and execution. So a trans MLM remix sounded cool as hell, lots of interesting themes from the source material to play around with. I was a little disappointed upon finishing, however.

I think it was mostly the fact that the narrative pushes for Oliver to be upset about his treatment as an AFAB person solely because he's not a woman, rather than have him also upset at the way actual women are treated in this time period's society. He didn't seem super upset that sexism existed, he just wanted to escape it himself. I also was surprised at the way things wrapped up in the end. Oliver's mother, Mrs. Bennet, spends the entire book livid about Oliver's masculine tendencies, only to completely change her mind once he officially comes out to her. Apparently a single, masculine daughter is out of the question, but a transgender son is okay? Everything seemed a little too quickly resolved, and many of the side characters feel very irrelevant by the end (especially Charlotte, who, hello, is Oliver's best friend, married to Mr. Collins now, a man now permanently banned from the Bennet household).

Everything else was quite lovely, though. I enjoyed the easy writing style and realistic descriptions of gender dysphoria, as well as the romance between Oliver and Darcy. I do wish there was a little bit more tension between the two, though, but I do have a bias since this was my favorite detail about the pair from the original story. I think ultimately, this book was a cool idea executed by someone who really cared about it. Stories like this are important even when they're not perfect, and I do think a lot of people, especially younger trans people, will really enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to read this as an ARC!

OH MY FUCKING GOD. as a queer die hard pride and prejudice lover reading this feels like coming home and getting wrapped up in a hug all at once. i feel so happy that such a book exists, especially since it was such a picture perfect retelling. the integration of the characters identities throughout the story felt so tangible and made so much sense. i’ve always thought pride & prejudice was for the gays and this just made it so much better. highly, highly recommend this book to everyone who loves pride & prejudice, and to every queer kid who just wants to curl up with a classic love story that holds a little bit of their heart as well.

I love Pride and Prejudice, so it's no surprise I loved this book. Elizabeth as a trans man makes so much sense. I loved Collins and Wickham getting their comeuppance a little harder. I didn't know anything about Molly Houses or much about trans people, so I learned too. A fabulous take on a story I love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

An innovative reimagining of a classic, this retelling of Pride and Prejudice offers a everything we love to see from the original: themes of love, societal expectations, and personal growth. The book goes by quickly, perhaps too quickly in some areas, incorporating gender identity nuances into the narrative while still maintaining the charm of Austen's original. Many of the same main story beats remain, while others are fully cut, sometimes to the story’s benefit and other times not. Similar to other reviewers, I wonder if I would’ve enjoyed it as much or understood it as much without the context of having read the original.

It’s no small feat to tackle a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, let alone incorporate entire new layers to the story. Overall, I wish it had been longer to allow for more exploration of these new themes and layers, but loved it all the same!

A very sweet and easily digestible LGBTQ retelling of Pride and Prejudice that was fun as fluff but frustrated me in certain ways it used the original narrative, so I’m torn. On the whole, a recommend with caveats for a nice little bit of trans period romance written for younger fans of Austen.

First, as a trans-masc person, some of the writing about how Oliver experiences his gender hit right on. Some of his interactions with his family made me teary eyed and I loved especially how Mrs. Bennett’s eventual stance was handled. We need more of this. I read it very quickly and it felt like a comforting, fluffy fanfiction, but I wish it had been a little more.

The writing of Wickham and his relationship with Oliver left something to be desired- Oliver immediately clocks Wickham as scummy which means we lose the beat of his infatuation with him, despite Oliver being taken in by Wickham’s good looks being entirely believable. We miss Oliver truly building anger towards Darcy based on Wickham and thus miss the character growth when he realizes he was wrong. We also miss the beat with Lydia and Wickham and while the story does a good job injecting danger in other ways but misses the impact of Darcy’s intervention.

I liked Darcy and Oliver’s dynamic, I just wish there was more tension between them than “oh Darcy might be a little misogynist” in a social setting where EVERYONE is misogynist (including Oliver sometimes). I think the Wickham subplot being handled better would have been the perfect opportunity.

Understandably, the story assumes familiarity with the original text, but I think a little bit too much is just assumed as already known by the reader (again, the fanfic feeling). Mary, Lydia, Kitty are just sketched in- even Jane, Bingley, and Charlotte are forgotten about.

Also- personal pet peeve- incorrect understanding of period shapewear. The waist reduction wasn’t the point and the emphasis on lifting and separating the breasts could have been the center of Oliver’s dysphoria with the garment. The inaccuracy wasn’t necessary and it is just one of my pet peeves.

I know, this sounds like a lot of complaints, but I promise I did enjoy it. I love Pride and Prejudice, I love asserting queer identity in historical narrative, I loved Darcy reading gay smut and the details the author included about Molly houses. This story has a lot of potential and was still fun, but could have been more and that’s the source of my frustration.

I love Pride and Prejudice, so seeing it in a new and different light with a spin on it was nice to see. I think the story stays true and respectful to the material while also adding a new level of witty and modern humor on top of the new array of topics, such as gender identity, that it brought to the story.

This is my first time reading a book from the remix series, and I plan to explore them more and see what other spins have put on some of my favorite classic novels.

Pride and Prejudice is easily one of my favorite books of all time, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. Keeping that in mind, I had high expectations when I started the story.

Things I liked: the storytelling immediately drew me in. It was familiar in the way that a beloved chair is after moving homes: there's a lot that's the same but also so many new things to discover. Oliver is someone I could easily root for, and I just wanted him to get everything he wanted and deserved.

I really liked how easy Darcy and Oliver's friendship was; however, Bingley seemed more like an afterthought. It would have been interesting to see his friendship with Oliver also explored.

"I won't deny that my desire to make you happy was the strongest of my motivating forces. I thought only of you." This was SO sweet and a beautiful spin on the original line.

A couple issues I had: the story laid out all of this information, and the author seemed a bit in a rush to wrap it all up. I was getting close to the end and there were still things that had yet to happen, and I found myself wondering when they'd happen. Also, I'd have liked to have known what happened to Charlotte (especially with that ending) and also what became of Lu. They both seemed more like convenient plot devices than two of his close friends.

Back to the positives: I thought the ending was fitting and just ambiguous enough that it wasn't left on a cliffhanger. I like to think that everything worked out in Oliver's favor and that he spent the rest of his life in unimaginable happiness.

Overall, it wasn't quite what I expected, but I really enjoyed this book. It was a beautiful spin on a beloved classic.

It's a brave writer that tries to rewrite Jane Austen. For the most part they succeed here. There are some clunky parts that squeeze in original quotes and then suddenly dialogue changes to more modern phrases.

I do really like that Darcy is aged down in this story. Makes for a sweet YA Romance. My biggest complaints are 1.- Mrs Bennet. Her character does a complete turn around. It's not believable. And 2, while the ending was sweet, my practical nature can't help but wonder how Oliver and Darcy make their HEA work.

* Not sure if this is meant to be or a typo. But every time Pemberley is mentioned its spelled Pemberly. Makes me crazy. I yell at book: It's Pemberley!!!"

Friends, I loved this book.

So far, this Remix Classics collection has been all hits, no misses, and the second I heard that Novoa was writing one, I immediately proceeded to lose my mind. I feel like P&P has been done almost to death, but this is a delight. At their best, the installments in this series act as love letters to the original novels, and Novoa uses the familiarity of this story to his advantage.

I feel like I have to think about these books on two levels: as standalone works in their own right, and as homages to the novels they're based on, and this one works on both levels. The ending was very "and it all worked out!" which might have been a bit too chipper if it wasn't a direct descendant of, like, the grandmama of all modern romance novels. I loved Oliver's 3rd person POV, and how the various elements of the original novel got tweaked and repurposed for this edition. One downside: there's one character who we stop hearing from before the finale, and I do feel bad for her, and/or wish we'd gotten a bit of a follow-up. But I'm VERY happy with how the ending came together, because I didn't think it would end the way it did, and I'm so happy that we weren't expected to be happy for Oliver settling for partial happiness. as with The Wicked Bargain, I loved the author's note on the historical aspects.

I can't wait to see what Novoa does next. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book in its ARC format. I'm sure I'll end up buying it in hardback when it's out so that it can sit with all of its Remixed Classics friends on my shelf. While we're at it, LOOK AT THAT COVER.

I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to read Most Ardently! In this queer pride and prejudice retelling, the Elizabeth Bennet character is actually a trans boy named Oliver. He’s bound by all sorts of societal conventions, the son of a forceful, meddling Mrs. Bennet, and must walk through society often presenting as the daughter he is not.

This is the first book I’ve read with a trans character perspective, and I learned so much from it. Oliver is resilient and creative and hopeful, and from page one I wanted him to find his happy ending—a life where he can be himself and his loved ones know and support him. A surprising side-effect of the LGBTQIA+ spin on the classic tale was that many plot points the story is known for played out completely differently. For example, the infamous first encounter between Lizzie and Darcy feels completely different. When Darcy says Oliver (dressed as Lizzie) is “not handsome enough to tempt me,” the cutting remark affects Oliver differently. He’s offended at Darcy’s rudeness, but he is a bit relieved because he doesn’t want to dance with anyone while he is dressed as a girl, and he also agrees on some level—because he doesn’t like his own appearance when he’s dressed as someone he’s not.

These subtle and sometimes more blatant plot changes kept me reading late into the night. I needed to know what would happen next! I still can’t believe an author found a way to surprise me with a Pride and a prejudice retelling, after I have read and watched so many other adaptations. That is a testament to the innovation and skill with which the story is told.

I greatly enjoyed this book. I will definitely look up Novoa’s other books and watch for more in this series!

I did not enjoy this retelling of Pride and Prejudice as much as others have seemed to.

First off, it is no easy feat to take Austen and add to it. I think the book does an admirable job of keeping many of the essential story beats of Pride and Prejudice and balancing the rotating cast of characters. The way in which a trans MC and facets of queer history were added to the story fit pretty well, and I appreciated the ways in which the author updated some narrative details for modern audiences.

However, what really lacked for me was the wit of the narrative itself. The book is far from poorly written, but it just didn't have that same magic as the original. There were several moments in the book where the emotional beats didn't quite resonate with me, like where Oliver came out to Mr. Bennett. His father's quick acceptance of him was sweet, but the scene was over before the characters or the reader had time to explore its implications or revel in that feeling of joy. I think the story could have benefited from expanding on the larger story beats (particularly the ending) and character motivations.

Overall, while I love to see trans and queer joy in stories--especially historical ones--I wish I could like this book a bit more.