5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Gay trans main character, gay love interest, bi side characters, mentioned queer, trans, and non-binary background characters

Content Warnings: Misgendering, dysphoria, deadnaming, internalized homophobia and transphobia, misogyny, forced outing, blackmail, friendship troubles, cisheteropatriarchy, emotionally immature (bordering on abusive) parent

Love the dedication, love the nod to the original opening of the book, love all the reworked quotes. It's clear that Novoa knows his Austen! So many scenes were unexpectedly emotional, which was a delight. Despite the heavy topics handled, "Most Ardently" is also full of queer and trans joy. So far this is my favorite "remixed classic" and I very much hope that this leads to even more trans and gay Regency-era books.
I think it's important to note that while this is based on "Pride and Prejudice," it's not a direct retelling, nor does it claim to be. A few early reviewers noted their disappointment that Novoa left out and/or changed a few scenes. And that's valid if that's what you went in expecting! This is more along the lines of "Bridget Jones's Diary" or "Death Comes to Pemberley" -- it's heavily inspired by Austen's work, but isn't a direct parallel. In fact, I might even dare to say I like it better than the original.

**HUGE thank you to Feiwel & Friends for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

The Remixed Classics series is such a delightful idea and I was very excited to get started on these promising retellings. As a classic Pride and Prejudice fan, I am 100% here for any variants on the theme!

This book had a lot of positives. As a YA novel with a queer spin, this book shines. It hews close enough to the original for fans to enjoy, but does liven it up for a younger/new audience. The queer longing is Grade A. While some liberties are clearly taken to make the premise work in terms of historical accuracy, this will scratch the historical romance itch. As a teen/tween book with the goal of take P&P but make it gay, this is a five-star read.

I, granted as an adult reader of material not aimed at me, have a few quibbles that kept this from being a full on perfect read. The issue that stands out is the pacing. Some plot felt rushed to get the HEA and the rate at which scenes changed sometimes felt abrupt to the point of being hard to follow. A secondary note is that for a retelling of a book written by a woman about women, the femme-identifying characters are nearly non-existent/underdeveloped. While I get that the point is to center the story on Oliver's experience, the framing of the misogyny being a problem only because it misgenders him (and not because the patriarchy hurts everyone who is not cis/het/male/white) makes the core tenet of the original dim a bit. That said, it is OK if there is material that centers trans boys without catering to cis women, but fans of classic P&P may find this loses a little in translation.

Altogether though, I adored this book and can't wait to purchase copies for all the YA readers in my life.

I will start this review by being open and honest that I inexplicably LOVE Pride and Prejudice reboots and that I am aware that this is sometimes perceived as Basic and that I absolutely do not care. I've consumed many, in a variety of mediums. This one particular, a queer retelling ft a closeted trans man as the protagonist Oliver (dead name Elizabeth Bennet). Full of queer pining, which I am also a a sucker for. I thought this was really cute and diverting and I binged it quickly. A fun read if you're into it, would recommend

I was so thrilled by the potential of this concept: a P&P adaptation in which the second Bennet child is not a woman named Elizabeth but a trans-man named Oliver. My actual experience was... multivalent. I've found it very hard to quantify my response, and if I had not read an ARC (thank you, Netgalley), I would abstain from a star rating. But having read an ARC, I feel obligated to try to quantify my response. Let's break some things down, though.

First, let's talk about the Remixed Classics project and what Most Ardently is doing as a novel, because I think that's important to bear in mind in evaluating it. The goal of Remixed Classics is to reimagine the classic canon in a less cis-het-white-male way. (Obviously, not all of the texts involved were already all of those things; P&P is written by a great female novelist about important issues facing women--but there is room to play around and see how that text can be explored to include other perspectives and other concerns.) Remixed Classics are also specifically targeted to a YA audience, meaning some classics are aged up (e.g., The Secret Garden) and some are aged down (e.g., P&P).

As a YA about a trans teen (Oliver is 17 vs. Elizabeth's 20 in the original text) in vague 19th C. London who has a romance with a shy-to-the-point-of-seeming-rude teen boy (Darcy's age isn't specified; he seems to be 18 or 19), this book is delightful, and I couldn't put it down. There were gripping descriptions of both gender dysphoria and euphoria, moments of acceptance, and the romance itself is very sweet (very low heat, a couple of kisses without graphic detail).

As a Regency, it is... frustrating. Largely due to the YA audience, many historical/cultural/legal details are either inaccurate or hazy. This is likely helpful to the target audience (unless they are already avid Regency readers), so I will not count it as a strike against the book in my rating, but to any adults who have familiarity with the Regency through literature, history, etc., it is very distracting (you may find yourself asking questions like, wait, what do you mean Darcy reached legal majority at 18? but where in London do they live? why are all these young cis-men not off at university, and why do marriage-minded mamas think they are husband material for their daughters? wait, is Longbourn an estate or a townhouse, those are not interchangeable words? you keep saying Mr. Bennet is up late working--what work does he do? but won't Oliver have to take that hat off?).

As a P&P adaptation, it reads like an AU fanfiction, and a rather odd one--one that is, at times, extremely satisfying. Any scene featuring Darcy had my full approval. Some characters were so altered to fit the plot that they were almost entirely unrecognizable (Wickham). At first, I was enjoying seeing the different direction that Wickham's plot was going in, but the less and less he seemed to act like the same character, the less interested I became. One of the changes made to accommodate the plot (as far as I can tell, the main reason is to bring in molly houses, which--hooray for bringing in that important bit of queer history) is that the Bennets live in London, and the Gardiners live in the country, instead. This in and of itself was fine, except that it led to a great many of the cultural-historical simplifications/elisions that were frustrating (Longbourn being alternately referred to as an estate and a townhouse, Mr. Bennet ambiguously described as working but never identified as having a specific profession).

Ultimately, this novel does not have the complexity of Austen's. It is not digging as deeply into the multi-faceted commentary on gender and class that Austen's novel is. It's also not trying to. There are some nods to the financial dependence and limited options of most women in Charlotte's plot, but Novoa's novel is primarily concerned with Oliver's experience of transness, and that is done well, although with some casualties to Austen's characters and plot (even characters and plot points that remain do occasionally fall flat because they aren't given enough attention--apart from her role as Oliver's biggest affirmer, Jane is not well-fleshed out, e.g.). But again, Oliver's dysphoria and euphoria, his fear of his family's rejection, his moments of vulnerability, his growing feelings for Darcy, are all lovely, and it was because of those moments that I couldn't resist picking the book up any time I had a moment to read.

seeing a queer remix of pride & prejudice was so exciting to see, especially as a HUGE. pride & prejudice fan. the cover is gorgeous and obviously this being a queer story had me excited and anxious to get my hands on it, but once I finally read this one I realized it fell a bit flat. the set up of the story was (as expected) close to the original, but the pacing felt to be even faster and seemed as if we were being rushed through the story to get the happy ending. at one point, I'd be in the middle of a fantastic scene but then the next I'd be thrown into something else entirely without enough time to fully digest what I had just read, it just moved too fast for me. BUT as a whole, this story was still such a delight to read and I loved the characters all throughout this book. seeing such a classic and important story to so many people turned into a queer story, especially knowing so many queer people who love P&P, it was an amazing read to experience. despite it falling a bit short in some aspects, I can't wait to tell everyone about this closer to its release date!

Most Ardently is a decent attempt at reimagining Jane Austen's classic, with a great premise and medium execution. The handling of sexism was flawed, female characters lacked depth, and the rushed ending felt forced. Despite these flaws, the book is an enjoyable and quick read with a fun twist on Darcy's character and romance. Overall, a good retelling with some room for improvement. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I loved this book. I thought that it did a wonderful job of paying homage to the original story, while breathing diversity and acceptance into the new one. It was adorable. I loved Mr. Bennet's reaction to his son. It was tender, and it I thought it fit well into the plot that this book had. While some may argue that it was not 'historically accurate' I would suggest that all fiction requires an air of disbelief, and also, I am sure that there were closeted individuals at that time. I thought it did a wonderful job of providing a story to those that don't see themselves in fiction as much and creating a story that will make you smile and sit with a cup of tea. It was well thought out and delivered in the most wonderful way.

I really love the idea of these remixed classics. Seeing a classic story expanded to include other underrepresented groups of people is great. However, I feel like this fell a bit flat for me. I absolutely loved seeing Oliver come into his own identity. Also, blanket acceptance from most of the people around him is something that I appreciated. My biggest problem, however, is that the pacing felt largely off. The story was far too condensed and seemed to rely on reader knowledge of the classic in question to do the heavy lifting in regards to characterization. The relationship between Oliver and Darcy, too, felt largely rushed and didn't seem to carry that tinge of yearning that so encapsulates Pride & Prejudice as a whole. I would've liked to see the story stretched out just a bit longer to better focus Oliver's journey and his relationship with the people around him.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgally for this ARC in return for an honest review.
This is a 3.5 star read for me. For context I'm a 2005 Pride and Prejudice diehard movie girlie so I had all those visuals in my head while trying to read this.

I understand that the author had to narrow the focus to tell their story but I missed certain elements from the original book and felt other elements where unnecessarily thrown in just to say they were in there. I did like the story of Oliver and I love the retold Darcy, I think I fell in love with Darcy again in this book. I'm a Darcy girl no matter the iteration it appears. Same goes for Mr Bennett, I will never not love that man.

I felt the pacing was pretty good for most of the book, but the last 20% it sped up significantly and we got a lot thrown at us to try and quickly resolve the story. I felt like certain scenes could have been lengthened to make the tension feel more real, I didn't really feel anything for the climax of the story.

This was a quick, easy, and fun read over all. I did enjoy the story of Oliver Bennett but wished somethings had been better fleshed out.

I enjoyed this one! I think rewriting Pride & Prejudice is an impressive undertaking and Novoa handled it well. I thought Oliver and Darcy's relationship was cute, and I especially enjoyed Oliver's bonds with Jane and Mr. Bennet. It was nice to see them accept Oliver so completely and unwaveringly.

There were a few elements of this book that fell a little flat for me, though they didn't stop me from enjoying it. The first is that Oliver and Darcy hit it off pretty much instantaneously, there is none of the slowburn build-up that I would expect of any iteration of Pride and Prejudice. While this makes their relationship cute and unique, I would have liked to see more of that slowburn, "will they-won't they" that gave the original P&P its appeal. I think part of the problem here was that the book was pretty short, so the story felt a little compressed, which of course is not Novoa's fault; I just would have liked it if the book was a little longer so these storylines and relationships could be more fully fleshed out.

I also agree with some of the other reviewers that Mrs. Bennet's reaction to Oliver's identity felt a little anticlimactic. Mrs. Bennet is callous and uncaring of Oliver's feelings throughout the novel, so her sudden 180 at the end felt a little forced. I liked that she was so accepting, but I might have liked it more if Mrs. Bennet had some more gradual growth throughout the novel, so that her reaction at the end felt more natural.

I LOVED it!
The story itself moves swiftly but the character development and Oliver’s thoughts and emotions are clear and so well explored throughout the events.
I’ve read a few of the remix classics and loved them all but I think this goes right to the top of the list. Oliver is just as cantankerous as the original Elizabeth Bennet which made for such an enjoyable protagonist.
The conclusion of this novel is filled with so much hope, euphoria and trans joy in a way I never imagined I’d see in a piece of historical fiction!

*****5 Stars!


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

First I would like to thank Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this amazing book! I am honored to be given the chance to read it and give it an honest review.

Most Ardently follows a young man named Oliver Bennet who feels trapped, not by the endless corsets, petticoats and skirts he’s forced to wear daily, but also by society’s expectations. The world and the vast majority of his family and friends think him to be a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing pretty dresses, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone’s wife. Oliver cannot bear the thought of such a fate.

He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. It is during one of these excursions Oliver becomes acquainted with the aloof and sulky Mr. Darcy, a young man who had been rude to “Elizabeth” at a recent social function. Oliver soon comes to find that Darcy is actually a rather sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart.

As Oliver is able to spend more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares to hope that his dream of love and life as a man could be possible. As suitors grow bolder--and even threatening--and his mother growing desperate to see him settled, Oliver will have to make a choice: Settle for safety, security and a life of misery pretending to be something he’s not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love and a life that can be truly, honestly his own.

I was so excited when I first heard about this book. I'm a huge Jane Austen nerd and I love anything having to do with Pride and Prejudice. So, when I saw this book I knew I just had to read it! I cannot express enough how much I adored this book; it was such unique and diverse retelling that warmed the heart and was just an overall delight to read! The moment I started this book I couldn’t seem to put it down and couldn’t help but devour it.

I adored Oliver, he was such an honest and relatable character. I really enjoyed reading from his POV and being able to experience this story through his eyes. It broke my heart to see how he was forced to live as someone he was not and dealing with the anxiety and crippling dysphoria that came along with it. I really admired his strength and how he was able to stand up for himself and not settle for anything less than happiness. His relationship with Darcy was absolutely perfect! I adored the instant connection they formed with each other and how they could be so open and not afraid to be themselves around each other. Their relationship was so genuine and so heartwarming! I was very glad that both of them were able to find happiness!

Mr. Bennet and Jane were other characters that I absolutely adored; they were both so supportive and loving characters and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship with Oliver. I was glad that he had such a solid support system while navigating through society and trying to find his way out of the box society tried to force him into.

This is a book I worldly highly recommend if you’re a fan of Pride and Prejudice and are looking for a unique, emotional and completely heartwarming retelling! I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

I’m a sucker for an inclusive remake of a classic.

This was such an enjoyable read and I’m sure it will become many of the new generation’s introduction into classic stories. I believe that this retelling is going to become very special to a lot of the people that it will inevitably touch.

I would have loved more development of the relationship, but I also understand that remixing a Jane Austen novel is not an easy feat and there’s only so much that one can fit.

Overall this was a great retelling.

This was such a fun twist on Pride & Prejudice. Super cute, funny, and heartfelt. I loved the queer take and I think I love this version more than the original. Such a great read.

Thank you to Macmillan for the ARC! This was fantastic - delightful to see the familiar story of Pride and Prejudice reimagined with such a fresh take. I loved Oliver and while reading about his struggle to live as himself was heartwrenching, it made the happily-ever-after so much more sweet in the end.

This is technically YA but was very well done. Kisses only, though.

My first of the Remixed Classics series, and it certainly didn't disappoint!

I'm a big fan of the original Pride and Prejudice, and I feel like this remix lived up to that storyline. Oliver and Darcy's blossoming relationship was adorable to read about. Wickham is still the worst, of course, and I'm glad the Bennet family stood by Oliver's side through the whole debacle. I loved seeing the whole gender dysphoria aspect addition to such a classic story, an insight into the struggles some people might've suffered during such an olden time period.

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for the e-arc!

I was over the moon to get the email about this ARC request. I saw the cover drop in May and fell in love. Most Ardently is part of the Remixed Classics series, like Self Made Boys (which I have seen amazing things about), and this one is a YA retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The list of remixed classics that would make me happier than a queer P&P is practically nonexistent, as I have watched the 2005 movie approximately one million times.

The representation in this with the second oldest Bennet as a trans boy and Darcy as gay was wonderfully done from my perspective. It managed to be emotionally searing when it needed to be but overall it was a light, sweet read.

The reason this one was a four star read instead of a five star read is honestly hard for me to describe because I did like this one so much. I felt like the last chunk was just… rushed? It was a satisfying conclusion, but I just wanted more of it. I also felt like it was just missing more critique of the idea that Oliver didn’t deserve societal expectations of womanhood just because he wasn’t a woman. Women didn’t deserve those expectations either.

I am so thankful to @netgalley and @macmillanusa for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have been following the Remixed Classics series in anticipation of Pride & Prejudice being taken on and I was not disappointed! I adore Jane Austen retellings, I think the plots and characters are easy to morph while staying true to the underlying themes and Gabe Cole Novoa executed this well.

This retelling of Pride & Prejudice puts its entire focus on Elizabeth, who in this story, isn’t actually “Elizabeth” at all and is instead Oliver - a trans gay teen living a double life in attempts to please both his family and society while carving out a small place for himself when he can with the aid of a small circle of confidants. When Bingley and Darcey arrive in town Oliver’s life as “Elizabeth” is thrown into the spotlight and playing the part of a woman becomes more difficult when proposals and threats to expose him begin to pile up.

I absolutely adored Oliver and getting to experience his joy and euphoria from just existing as himself. His relationship with Darcy was everything I wanted it to be and every scene between them was filled to the brim with mutual longing and warmth - it was wonderful and I loved every second of it!

My only complaint of this novel falls on the pacing. I feel as if so much was rushed through so that the plot still hit all the classic “check points” of Austen’s original but in reality, retellings are meant to deviate. Since this story was much more about Oliver and his identity, I wouldn’t have been losing anything if some of the classic Austen scenes had been skipped rather than compressing them into a quick unnecessary scene irrelevant to Oliver and his current situation. I also felt the relationship between Oliver and his family post revealing his true identity didn’t flow as well as it could have had the scene between Mrs. Bennett and Oliver been given the time and care it deserved.

This is a wonderful addition to Pride & Prejudice retellings that I know I will be thinking about for a long time and was absolutely worth the read. I am so excited that we are seeing more queer voices in books and I look forward to getting it physically on my shelf - just look at that gorgeous cover art!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and or the author for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books and I loved this version of it.

One of the best Pride and Prejudice that I have ever read, especially since it's a retelling and the main characters are trans and gay.

The Remixed Classics series is really doing a wonderful job of offering reinterpretations of classic novels through the lens of writers from marginalized communities. In this instance, Pride and Prejudice is retold with a trans male character: Oliver Bennet, trapped by society's expectations because most of his family and local community think he's a girl (Elizabeth). This book follows many of the same plot lines and scenes as the original, but it gives Oliver the space to explore his gender identity in relatively safe ways, through visits with an understanding friend (Charlotte) and her female lover and through exploring London while dressed as a young gentleman (instead of being trapped in the dresses Mrs Bennet insists he wears at home). These explorations also give Oliver the chance to become further acquainted with Darcy, the young gentleman who insulted "Elizabeth" at a local dance, and to learn something about Darcy that he, too, must keep hidden.

Most Ardently finds its most solid basis in exploring Oliver's identity and his relationship with Darcy, but there are occasional passages in which modern sensibilities overtake Regency ones at whiplash speed (especially when Mrs Bennet is faced with Oliver's true identity after all her other scenes are spent harassing him into women's clothing and behavior). Other passages that offer parallels to the original text skim very quickly over characters and scenes, such as Bingley's sisters and how Caroline tries to use "Elizabeth" to catch Darcy's attention at Netherfield. There are other changes to the original, including lowering the ages of Oliver, Darcy, Bingley, and Oliver's sisters in order to make this remix fit the YA category. On the other hand, Wickham's role as villain has a different basis here, and I'm pleased both that Oliver spots his villainy sooner and that Wickham's comeuppance is so fitting.

I always enjoy a good Pride and Prejudice retelling, and while this book feels lightly sketched in comparison, I did like seeing Oliver become more confident in himself as well as his connection to Darcy become deeper. 4 stars.

CW: transphobia, misgendering, misogyny, blackmail