Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children for giving me an ARC of Most Ardently.

Most Ardently is a remixed version of the classic by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. Here we see Oliver trapped by the dresses and expectations of the society to be the woman they think he is, Elizabeth. Oliver doesn't want to marry someone that does not see him as he truly he is. The few times he gets to be himself is when he sneaks away from his family with the help a select few who keep his secrets. On one of his outings he runs into Darcy, a man who met him as Elizabeth and was down right to him. But meeting him as Oliver, Darcy is sweet and shows he has warm heart. With Darcy, Oliver begins to believe that he can have love and the freedom to honestly be who he is.

I came into this book with high hopes and Novoa delivered. If I didn't have work I would have finished this much sooner, I could not put it down. Though this was a time that being queer was not accepted, it was nice to see people accepting Oliver for who he was. The support that he gets from friends and family was such an uplifting part of the book for me. The moments when Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet accepted Oliver for who he is brought tears to my eyes. And though the ending is not historically accurate, sometimes we just need a happy ending for our queer characters regardless of the time period.

I never thought I could hate Wickham more but Novoa shows that yes I can. The sheer misogyny of the man to think a woman just needs a strong man to guide her just infuriates me. The many times that Oliver puts him in his place is truly wonderful.

I cannot recommend this book enough. For fans of the classic or fans of retellings this book is so good. Novoa tells a story with such care to queer characters and an appreciation of the original source material. This is a 5 out of 5 stars for me.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that I love Pride and Prejudice and any of its iterations. Most Ardently is no exception. This was such a beautiful book and I found it so hard to put the book down at any given moment. This was such a fresh take on the story and it genuinely felt so sincere. I can’t wait to recommend to other P&P lovers!

Thanks to Macmillian and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This read like fanfiction (positive) in a lot of ways. It was a deeply charming queer twist on Pride and Prejudice, but it was also a book that depended on the reader's knowledge of the book. If someone who hadn't read the original book read this, they might have felt more lackluster on the pacing and the development of the central relationship. It was a book that served as a sort of comfort read in a lot of ways— something soft and accommodating, that had me covering my face with a pillow because of how overcome it made me. It's a perfect beach read, or something to read when you want to lull yourself into a gentle and soft stupor, and for that I appreciate it.

I'm not a Jane Austen fan, but when I saw a queer, trans remix of her most famous book I was immediately intrigued. The author did a great job updating the story to the modern era, and it was nice reading the same story without the gross patriarchal elements.


***Thank you to Netgalley and McMillan Children Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for a remote. ***

This book was a fascinating retelling. Definitely not something I have read before.
Oliver is a trans man in a family of sisters. His mom is determined to marry them all off and that is not feasible for Oliver.

Thank you to the publishers for early access to this book,

This is the book I wanted when I heard there was a queer rewrite of Pride and Prejudice. I am nervous about the trend in the past decade to revamp or retell well-known properties, a well-known trend in Hollywood. A retelling will most always be overshadowed by the original work. Most Ardently, however, is wonderful.

Gabe Cole Novoa writes profoundly sympathetic trans characters with nuance and goals and flaws. Seeing Elizabeth Bennet - an already lovable character - retold as a young trans man named Oliver (still in the Regency!) is fascinating and heartbreaking, and ultimately euphoric. The characters stay relatively close to Austen's writing, with the exception of a rather amiable Darcy at times. I was pleasantly surprised by Novoa's characterization of Charlotte, which I would love for any young reader to see.

I will recommend this to any of my students who have difficulties interpreting historical English text but still have an interest in the time period, or students who just need more LGBT representation in their books. I personally enjoyed this title quite a bit.

Elizabeth Bennet hates himself and mainly because most of the world only knows him as Elizabeth instead of his true name--Oliver. Oliver fills his days waiting for the few moments he can slip away, put on his own clothes, and stroll down the street as a man. Obviously, his mother has other plans for him (you know, marriage, dresses, babies, and hopefully soon.)

So, when Oliver meets William Darcy who is rude to 'Elizabeth' but friendly with him...the world doesn't seem quite so mundane. Suddenly, he feels as if someone sees him for him. But with his mother's urging and his odious cousin coming to call, Oliver's choices aren't being considered. Can he find his true love and be the person he's always been?

A brilliant re-mix of Pride and Prejudice, Gabe Cole Novoa hit it out of the park! The same story we're all familiar with but it's so much more. Queer stories need representation and this one will live with throughout my days because I honestly didn't think I could hate Collins any more than I already did but this took the cake.

Plus, this cover is to die for! All the cover art love.

My thanks to NetGalley, and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sweet, incredibly soft trans and gay retelling of the famed classic. Darcy and Oliver's love will sweep you off your feet. I absolutely adored Oliver's moments of gender euphoria and tender moments growing to know Darcy as himself. A must read for lovers of pining, scathing banter, and the rain scene.

trans main character | gay love | slow burn | classic retelling | regency romance

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book! This was my first exposure to the remixed classics series, and I adore the concept / execution. Giving communities historically excluded or reduced to background characters (POC or members of the LGBTQ+ community) the limelight gives us a voice in a realm that has historically excluded us. I will put the disclaimer here that it has been a minute since I’ve read Pride and Prejudice, but if you’re going into this expecting the same scene by scene recapture, then you have the wrong expectations. Our story follows Oliver Bennett, born Elizabeth Bennett, as he attempts to navigate a world that would shun his mere existence, a society that does its best to shove the role of wife on him, and just the simple human longing for love. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this book is exceptional or groundbreaking, but honestly, just having a book that focuses on trans joy and queer love through what is considered to be one of the greatest romance novels is enough to give me the warm and fuzzies. It’s something I wish younger me had had the opportunity to read, and I’m glad that others will now have that option.

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.