This queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice stayed fairly close to the original story which I liked, though I'm not sure many teens would have read the original. I thought the trans representation was really sensitively done, and I love queer Darcy as much as I love the original character. My only concern is that the female characters are still required to live in their restrictive reality, as if it is still the only path for them, and that is fine, as long as Oliver doesn't have to. I don't think that is a message that is constructive to convey to young people.
I would still recommend this to readers who want to fresh queer take on a classic.

This title warmed a spot in my heart, but fell short as I kept reading. The romance between Darcy and Oliver was great, and the conflict felt full. I was on the edge of my seat once I passed the halfway mark, but I was not as invested in the characters. The plot was simple and easy to follow, which can either be a great draw or a pitfall depending on the reader. Certain parts of Oliver's coming out journey pulled me out of the historical aspect as nice as they were. I wish I had liked this book more, but it felt flat.

I absolutely devoured this book because I couldn’t bear to put it down and stop reading. Coming into this remix, I definitely had high hopes and Novoa met them and went beyond. MOST ARDENTLY felt like a love letter to trans and queer love, one that took all the hardships of being queer in some parts of history and put the happiness of the queer characters at the forefront regardless. As a lover of the previous remixed classic SELF-MADE BOYS, I couldn’t be happier. And I would recommend this book with my whole heart.

Something that I always love to find in historical queer books is that sense of community, of finding a place to be queer despite the wealth of barriers around it. This book has that acknowledgement of a vast queerness and transness no matter the time period. It’s hard for me to put into words both the joy and contentment that it brings. On top of that, Oliver Bennet gets such a solid and supportive community within his family and friends that I almost didn’t expect. It might not be what was strictly the most historically accurate (as noted in Novoa historical note at the end) but I don’t think it matters when we can see a bright future for a trans boy despite the time period that he’s in.

As someone who’s never read or seen Pride and Prejudice but loves a good retelling/remix, this truly might be one of my favourites. Queerness is so inherent to the story and to Oliver, and despite the clear note of bigotry within that time period, Novoa writes with such care for queer characters within the narrative. There’s never an invalidation of identity that isn’t directly contradicted by the very writing of the book. Even further, I think that Novoa does a good job of adapting the narrative in a spirit that’s unique to this remix, even if there are some commonalities between it and other retellings.

This book is one of those that is just so special to me. The soft development of Oliver and Darcy’s relationship, the genuine love and inherent queerness that is so evident in every piece of this book. When I say that I couldn’t put this book down, I truly mean it, and I don’t regret that decision one bit. MOST ARDENTLY is compulsively readable and such a joy to read on top of that. I’m so happy to see even more trans remixed classics existing in the world.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my absolute favorite books. I grew up on Jane Austen and I adore adaptations of her works! So naturally I had to request an arc of this one and I flew through it!

The timeline for the most part is the same as the original, with one small change as “Elizabeth” is actually a trans man named Oliver existing in Regency England in a time where being homosexual wasn’t strictly illegal but sodomy laws meant you could be sentenced to hard labor camps (resulting in social and financial ruin and sometimes even death). It was fun to get Oliver’s POV for certain events, especially as his time with Darcy was so different from his time with “Elizabeth.”

I was so thrilled to have some of my favorite quotes included and even highlighted some new ones. Particularly this one: “I do think if I were ever to find some modicum of happiness with any woman, it would have been with you. I hope that one day we can put this behind us and perhaps even be friends.” It was so much fun to see the suave, cool, and flirty side of Mr Darcy when traditionally we see him portrayed as awkward and even a bit shy. I absolutely feel if he hadn’t fallen for Oliver he and Elizabeth would’ve been fast friends.

The best part was the unconditional support that Oliver recieved in his friends (Charlotte and Lu, who not only accepted him as he was but helped him to escape and spend time as a boy), his sister (unsurprisingly since Jane and Elizabeth were always closest to each other), and even his parents. I was happy especially that Mr Bennet played a more active role in his son’s life, and that Mrs Bennet came to his defence as soon as he outed himself to her.

Overall I found this to be a fun and happy twist on a classic that I couldn’t put down!

I think this deserved to be at least a hundred pages longer, 200 ish was not enough to really tell this story. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if certain things and scenes and relationships had been more fleshed out. As it is, a lot characters motivations felt forced, and the resolution and ending were very rushed.

The trans and queer rep was good, but again, a lot of characters were extremely one dimensional.

It was bizarre not particularly enjoying this, as i really really loved the authors debut trilogy, and expected more.

Also, on a totally personal note, Jane Austen retelling with a lot of kissing, especially set in the regency era, is really odd to ME.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley. My thoughts are my own.

I have so many thoughts about this book, and I carefully tried to list them and analyze so I wouldn't miss a thing, but I finally realized that I had to just type.

Gabe Cole Novoa, I believe, wanted to present a world that wasn't as brutal as it could be, but still be aware there are moments of homophobia, transphobia, and body dysphoria. I feel these moments are balanced out by Oliver, or main character, never being without allies and the appearance of at least one safe place.

Intro: Most Ardently is part of the Remixed Classic series, where well-loved books are rewritten by authors from marginalized communities. I love this concept. In addition to Most Ardently, I’m reading Tasha Suri’s take on Wuthering Heights, [book:What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix|58484146], and I’ve read a remix of Little Women called [book:So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix|55780561], by Bethany C. Morrow.

This time around, we’re redoing Pride and Prejudice with the heroine of the original becoming Oliver Blake, a trans man. Trans-ness through Oliver’s eyes is seen as “boys who were mistaken as girls and the other way around.” I kinda love that framing. People who don't see trans people for who they are are mistaken, as opposed to trans people being mistakes.

I found the characters this time around to be engaging if not always deep, with the exception of the leads. Mrs. Bennet’s nerves were still on display. Mr. Bennet is a really good guy this time around, and a debate could be had over if that’s traditionally the case. Other than Jane, none of the other sisters are prominent. I got a real feel for Oliver and Darcy, though, why they'd be drawn together and what they could be to and for each other going forward.

This telling takes us to a few new places, such as a gentleman’s club and a Molly House – the equivalent of queer bar today. The setting, while the estate names are the same, is London. And Oliver and Darcy visit a bookstore that’ll make you drool. THAT'S so romantic.

There are moments when they writing echoes Austen, but I believe the author decided not to be a stickler for the language of the time. On a handful of occasion, I found a word use to be a bit jarring.
The plot adheres somewhat closely to the original. Obviously, we’re going to explore the story through the eyes of a trans man, but some key moments appear. One plot point is absent, but I’m genuinely glad.

Occasionally people acted in ways people in that time would not, like a respectable man telling someone during a dance they had childbearing hips. I must admit it served a couple purposes.

Reviews are always subjective, and that's more than okay, as long as everyone is aware of that. My ideal version of this story would have had a little more of the true regency feel. I'm a fan of [author:Jennifer Becton|4200268]'s Austen retellings. But I suspect a lot of people aren't going to care. Since it's a retelling that places marginalized voices not just in the narrative, but as narrator, it's really valid to not feel overly tied to a version of the story where theses perspectives weren't even hinted at.

Speaking of more modern retellings, I was reminded of [book:Longbourn|17380041], by Jo Baker. But hold on a moment. In Most Ardently, we rarely see staff either on the page or mentioned, only when strictly necessary, and that feels like a choice. I really wonder if it was, and if so I imagine it was out of acknowledgement of a messed up system that the other didn't wish to be derailed by. That's speculation.

But it was jarring to me because of Longbourn, which is of course another P&P retelling, but from the perspective of the staff. The book brings home how Austen wrote about a pretty narrow class of people, but this class relied on people who were practically invisible to them. They're just the people who cook, clean, wash menstrual blood out of linens, and have their own full lives and identities.

It changed the way I look at P&P, much like [book:Wide Sargasso Sea|25622780] changed the way I looked at [book:Jane Eyre|10210]. I still love the originals, but I'm more conscious of what biases persist and what perspectives aren't being told.

So, I'm truly not judging Gabe Cole Novoa for not going there. Not every book can cover every issue, and this author understandably wanted to tell a different story. After all, Longbourn already exists if you want that story, and Most Ardently covers new ground. I'm just sharing the nagging voice in my head based on a different book that influenced me.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and thought about it a lot, even dreamed about it when I went to sleep right after putting it down for the night. I finished maybe 5 or 6 days ago, and have thought about it several times. I truly invested in Darcy and Oliver getting their happily every after as much as I did Darcy and Elizabeth in the original.

I recommend this to fans of P&P/Austen, people who like diversity and expanded representation in general, and people who want to see it in versions of beloved stories in specific. This is a YA endeavor so things are fairly PG, and so if you want this all without a lot of heat, I can also recommend it at that level.

(If you want a steamier regency -- I think it was regency -- novel with trans rep, I recommend [book:A Lady for a Duke|57007967])

Highly recommended, would 100% read more by this author.

Oh my god?? This book was so sweet and wholesome?? I loved it. I finished it all in one day because I couldn’t put it down. We need more queer stories like this!!

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Disclaimers:

1. I did not read the blurb. I knew it was a Pride and Prejudice adaptation with a trans lead and nothing else
2. This is the first book I've read in this "Remix" series

Representation: 5/5
As an Adaptation: 2/5
Pacing: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Romance: 4/5

Actual rating: 3.6

I would have liked this book better if it was either More like Pride & Prejudice, or Less like it. The problem is that some scenes were pulled straight from the source material, but given a new queer perspective, and some were either completely new or drastically changed for plot purposes. This affected the pacing, which felt rushed and disjointed as the author tried to combine the two, and the characters. Some scenes just seemed to happen because they were beats from the original book without actually flowing properly from the characters' decisions and circumstances.

Wickham was a cardboard villain. Novoa removed all subtly from his character and made him instantly unlikable. I can't really say that Collins and Lady Catherine get the same treatment, because they don't have Sinister Reveals in the original text, but they were a little over the top.

Overall, I've decided to avoid any future "Remixes" in this series, because I spent so much time being annoyed by the times the author deviated from the source material too much, I had a hard time focusing on what I DID like.

Which was Oliver. If this was solely a historical novel rather than an adaptation, it would have been an easy 5 stars. I loved Oliver, his exploration of himself and how he had to navigate in society, and I enjoyed his romance with Darcy. The author did a brilliant job with his portrayal.

I'd recommend this book for those who are more interested in the trans joy than a strong P&P adaptation.

Solid 4.5/5

As a lover of Pride and Prejudice, I was super excited to read this and it did not disappoint. All the same story beats are present, but with several deliciously queer twists. Oliver shares many of his character traits with the original Lizzie Bennett, but his transness adds an additional layer of complexity and intrigue to the character as a whole. Charlotte provides a wonderful foil to Oliver's desires, and she maintains the theme from the original story that many women are forces to make choices they may not want in order to survive in society.

My only minor qualm is the characterization of Darcy. On one hand, I enjoyed the more whimsey, open-minded version of Darcy that was presented here. But at the same time, possibly due to understandable cuts to some of the more cumbersome parts of the original story, I feel like Darcy's aloofness would not be as apparent to someone who doesn't know the original story.

Otherwise, this was an absolute delight to read and I finished it in one sitting!

This was a refreshing, unique take on the classic, with Oliver Bennet as our protagonist, who is a young trans man. This perspective and story is definitely one we need more of.

It kept a lot of the broad strokes of the original story with some changes, as well as several of the original characters true to form. Mr. Bennett stole my heart, as always, for being the one to truly see Oliver.

The pacing was a little bit off. The front 3 quarters of the book dealt very heavily with Oliver’s dysmorphia and fear of being open about himself in a society that leans very heavily on propriety and social expectations. So everything was then resolved in the last quarter which felt rushed to me after all the build up. There is a lot of 17 year old boy teenage angst which did a great job of really putting me in Oliver’s shoes. But he is definitely frustrating, and selfish, at times. It's a hard retelling to tackle and a lot of complexity that probably needed more pages to fully tackle the collision of the misogyny of the time and Oliver's struggles in the context of it all.
And also, what of Charlotte after what happened with Mr. Collins!? My god I need to know!?

There are sweet moments between Oliver and Darcy with the preservation of some famous dialogue 😉

Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick and easy Pride and Prejudice queer retelling and very YA appropriate. I think this story is one trans youth have long deserved to have!


Thank you Macmillian publishing and NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved this book! The characters were adorable, and I enjoyed Oliver's relationship with his sister, Jane, as well as his friendship with Charlotte. I haven't read the original (but now feel that I must), but the romance between Oliver and Darcy was beautifully written and Oliver's gradual coming out to his family was touching as well.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

I cannot wait for you g queer kids to grow up with this book. Although you could argue all day about the “historical accuracy” and the “convenience” of most of the plot points in this book, the impact of a truly joyful tale about a trans boy and gay boy falling in love that ends happily and is without violence, trauma, and queer pain- is too strong to ignore. The only criticism I really have about this book is the speediness of the romance and the development of a few side characters. I wanted more examples of kindness and care from the mother so that a -certain event- near the end did not appear as so painfully underdeveloped. I also wish that the romance between Darcy and Oliver was more of a slow burn and we could have seen more actual scenes between the two. In the end, though, I read this in only a few sittings and cannot wait for it to be in the world.

This. Book.

Bursting with the joy from a familiar story but an amazing twist, I could truly not contain my smile while reading this book. It takes a story beloved by many and makes it queer and lovely and so sweet. This book is an AMAZING read!

I’ve read and adored one other novel from the “remix” collection, and Most Ardently has absolutely lived up to the hype I built for it in my mind.

Was the ending perhaps a little too perfect? Did it all go a little too well? Sure, but that’s rather the point. There is so much queer and trans joy in this book that I’m almost sick with it.

Oliver and Darcy are so lucky to have each other and reading about them had me grinning like lunatic at my screen; they are everything to me!!!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC and please, please pick up Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix as soon as physically possible!!!

This was such a great retelling of Pride & Prejudice. I loved all the queer rep throughout the book. This is a must read for everyone..

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa is a very enjoyable take on a classic! I’m a big Pride and Prejudice fan and also a fan of classics retellings. This one kept quite a few of the pivotal scenes and lines from the original with it’s own twist which I definitely appreciated.

We follow Oliver Bennet, a gay trans teenager, who is known to most of the world as ‘Elizabeth’. Only a trusted few know his true self, so he is expected to wear dresses, attend dances and eventually marry and become someone’s wife. He meets Darcy first at a ball where he sees how poorly Darcy treats ‘Elizabeth’, but then later meets Darcy again as himself, and gets to see a different side of Darcy.

I’ve been following along with the classics remixed series, and this one is probably my favorite so far. I enjoy Oliver as the main character and his interactions with not only Darcy, but his family and friends ring true to the character of Elizabeth Bennet from the original series. I thought the story started out a little bit slow but once I reach the halfway point, I couldn’t put it down. My only other issue with the book is that the ending seem to wrap up a little too neatly and quickly. I wish there was a little more time spent on wrapping everything up.

Overall, I definitely recommend checking out Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix if you liked the original or are a fan of queer regency stories. Make sure you check the trigger warnings as there’s a lot of deadnaming, homophobia and transphobia throughout the book. I like that the author also includes a warning in the author’s note before the story starts.

I have a confession to make, I have never read Pride & Prejudice or seen any of the movies based off it.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book. The author did a wonderful job helping the reader understand the difficulties Oliver faced. The comfort Oliver felt when getting to be his true self came through well.

I agree the misogyny in the story did take me out of on occasion and that all the unfairness Oliver felt when pretending to Elizabeth just didn't exist anymore because they were actually male. I realize it was a lot of story to get into a shorter book, but it might have been nice to see Oliver stand up for the women in his life.

I enjoyed the interactions between Darcy and Oliver and their growing relationship. I'm glad Oliver had friends in their corner who could be honest with him and I loved Oliver's relationship with their dad.

This was a fast and enjoyable read, I've already recommended it to multiple people.

Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an ADORABLE gay retelling of Pride and Prejudice that leaves me wanting some more action in the mix. Alot of points it dragged on and I wish there was a bit more chemistry between the two love interests.

When I found out about this book, it was clear to me I had to read it as soon as I could possibly get my hands on it. I've read Pride & Prejudice before and also watched the movie several times, and I have to admit I am a huge fan of the original.

So naturally, I was drawn to this queer remix of the story written more than 200 years ago and had very high expectations, which weren't let down in the slightest.

The story evolves about Oliver - the trans son of the Bennets - who tries to find a way to be himself in a society that doesn't tolerate homosexuality or gender identities not aligning with the one assigned at birth.
He is pressured into wearing dresses every day, accentuating everything he hates about his body, has to introduce himself as "Elizabeth" although the name is wrong, and has to make friendly conversation and dance with "possible suitors" he isn't interested in.
He then meets Mr. Darcy, who is rude to "Elizabeth" but not to Oliver when he meets him while being himself, and they get to know each other.

Generally speaking, the story is closer to the original than I had anticipated after reading the summary, which pleasantly surprised me.
Every character's personality matched the ones I knew them from the original perfectly - Mrs. Bennet's hysterical, noisy way of going about everyhing, Mr. Bennet's firm, but silent way of dealing with his difficult wife and several of his daughters, while being closer to Oliver, Darcy's silent, grumpy and haughty behaviour that also tries to hide his social anxiety, Bingley's golden retriever energy, etc. etc.

Oliver's struggles with his forced pretending to be someone he is not were not only believable, but deeply understandable and made me feel with him at all times, although I myself do not experience such intense dysphoria.
I never had a moment where I felt like his decisions, behaviour or thoughts were foolish or in any way not understandable. He was an amazing character to follow through the story, and he instantly found a way into my heart.

I also loved how we got more insight into what Darcy was thinking and feeling. This is because he was more honest with Oliver than with "Elizabeth". It made sense as well, seeing that he is expected to talk to women only very formally, in formal situations, while he could relax in the company of only men. I could depict him perfectly in every situation, he never felt out of character or unpleasant to read about.

Both the characters had imperfections as every real person would, and much like they had in the original.

Within the book were several turns of events I hadn't foreseen, and a few of the good kind made me cry a few happy tears for Oliver. (I am a very invested reader at times). The pacing was perfect, I was never bored or skipped over pages, and although i didn't feel like the story was cut short, i feel like it could've been a bit longer.

I didn't think it was possible to make this book so healing with the difficult topic of handling dysphoria (which there is a lot of!) and not being able to be oneself openly - but it turned out to be one of the best books I read this year.

I also enjoyed the chosen ending, although it surprised me a little, it felt like one of the best possible options to end the book. It still felt believable for the time frame given.

To sum it up, I can totally recommend the book to everyone enjoying Jane Austen but wishing for more diversity. <3

PS.: the cover is gorgeous and is one of the best non-special edition cover designs I have ever seen!

I often struggle with Jane Austen retellings because, while they may reproduce events from the original classics, they rarely *feel* the way Austen books do, full of family and love and longing and a desperation for happiness in an imperfect world. For all that it is a YA version of Austen's tale, centered on different issues with different historical context, Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa FEELS right. The novel makes readers understand the trans experience from gender dysphoria to gender euphoria while perfectly mapping that onto one of Pride and Prejudice's themes: wanting to find love, no matter how hard that is and how much society might agree with you and your idea of it.

No, this is not a page-to-page Jane Austen retelling, but it never claimed to be. It is a remix of a classic story to work with modern problems that resonate with youth today who want their stories told AND want to know that they are not alone in their struggles. Well done and thank you, Gabe Cole Novoa.