This book is a perfect example of what I mean when I say I love queer historical fiction!!

Despite dealing accurately with the struggles of our community in the time period its set, this book is fundamently a positive and hopeful one - something that meant extra much to me here, as a gay trans man, following a gay trans man protagonist.

I felt all the emotions, fell in love with Oliver right away, and with Darcy with him. There was so much, especially in the trans rep, that made my heart warm (though more often than not I wanted to punch certain side characters) and it made me feel seen on such a deep level, I actually cried.

The Wicked Bargain by the same author was one of my top five reads of last year, so I already had high expectations going in, but I honestly think Most Ardently exceeded these expectation, and I'm happy to say it became one of my favourite books overall, perhaps even THE favourite, that's how much I loved it.

I highly recommend reading this one to anyone - i think other trans people might appreciate it most, but i also want every cis person to read this book because some of the struggles depicted here were so deeply relatable, and things I notice cis people often aren't aware of so!! and other than that, it's also just a very sweet book about identity, love, and family.

I admittedly haven't read Pride and Prejudice, but I don't think I will after this. There's no way it's even nearly as good, and I won't betray my love Oliver like that.

Note: this is the short version of my review. I'll post the full version on my instagram account (@bibliosaurier) once my physical copy of the book arrives (which my bookstore still hasn't sent to me despite me preordering it last july *sigh*)

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC of Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa.

This perfectly followed the original and you could tell that Gabe truly loves and appreciates Jane Austens novel. Oliver was the perfect character. I loved seeing him tackle being trans in a time when it was not safe to be. Seeing Oliver have such a great support system around him was also amazing.

The relationship between Oliver and Darcy was done so well. It was slow burn with the intermixed moments when Oliver had to play as Elizabeth. Darcy supporting and accepting Oliver made the romance so much better.

Highly recommend this however, go in knowing there is a lot of period specific homophobia.

The description of this book was immediately everything to me. A trans retelling of Pride and Prejudice is so supremely my jam that I didn’t envision a world in which this didn’t work for me. Unfortunately, it really didn’t.

Oliver Bennet knows who he is; he just wants everyone else to see him that way too. He doesn’t think that he’ll ever find someone who will love him as himself… until he meets Darcy, whose moods shift wildly depending on the circumstances under which he’s seeing Oliver.

I don’t believe that adaptations or retellings need to follow the original material beat by beat, nor do I think that creative liberties can’t be taken. But with this book? I found myself shaking my head at the actions of the characters. Wickham and Collins were vile, but in a completely different way from P&P, and not exactly in a way that made sense for this story.

For me, there also needed to be more of Oliver and Darcy’s relationship being built up and, well, for Darcy’s actions and choices to make more logical sense than they do. There’s a moment that happens between that seems to come out of nowhere for the characters in this story. It’s there for the original couple, but in this story, it seems forced.

There were moments of this that I genuinely enjoyed, and there’s a story in here that I could love. But as it stands, this wasn’t for me.

This book was released January 16th in the US, so you can pick up a copy for yourself if you want.

I LOVED this book, so much.

I did not realize that this was a P&P adaptation that I needed, but here we are. Honestly I think I enjoy this version better. There’s more interaction between our leading couple, and that allows for more relationship development.

Plus there were some interesting shifts in family dynamics that worked nicely, as well as friendship dynamics. It was interesting to see who knew Oliver’s truth and who discovered it along the way. Along with that, of course, was being able to see how folks reacted to learning about Oliver. Considering how close Elizabeth is to her father in the original, I was happily tearing up in this version when Oliver reveals himself to Mr Bennet.

Yes, the story pretty much follows the plot points we all know from the classic Pride & Prejudice, with only minor adjustments for it to fit with the added character and story changes.

I was obsessed with this, and didn’t want to stop reading. The fact that it read very quickly as well meant that the journey was over too soon, but at least I can always enjoy a reread, because this is a book that will be staying in my library for a while.

Oh, I should say that there is a good amount of deadnaming in this book, so if you are sensitive to that, be aware before you begin. I know every time someone said Elizabeth, I was finding myself as internally frustrated as Oliver was.

Overall, I can absolutely say that Most Ardently is in the running for my top reads of 2024 list, and I definitely hope to read more of these remixed classics going forward.

I loved this! I've always enjoyed the story of Pride and Prejudice - and its film adaptations and reimaginings - so I was very curious to see how the story would be remixed with the main character as a trans man. Personally, as a nonbinary person, this felt like the fluffiest wish fulfillment! Not only does Oliver Bennet have friends and allies who know his truth and support him, but he also easily passes when going out in public as his true self. It's during one of these outings that he's befriended by Darcy and Bingley, and forms an budding friendship with Darcy. Here it gets a bit Shakespearean, as Oliver is forced to hide his truth when later confronting Darcy as "Elizabeth." While the story stays mostly the same, many of the characters are queer - and younger - and it's interesting to see how motivations are shifted to suit the new spin on the story. (Yes, Wickham is still a villain!) All in all, I thought it was heartwarming and sweet! I've read many different takes on this stories - from zombies to murder mysteries - but this is by far my favorite.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. Come ON. Gay Pride and Prejudice retelling, a trans protagonist and an awkward gay Darcy. perfection. I cannot recommend this book enough, because it is everything. I've told all my friends who have (or haven't) read Pride and Prejudice to read this because it is the most perfect retelling (yes, I see you Pride and Prejudice and Zombies but... hear me out). I don't even know what words to use to convince everyone I have ever known to read this book (unless you're transphobic, in which cause check yourself).

I have read plenty of bad Pride and Prejudice adaptations in my time, and I am grateful to say that Most Ardently is not among them. To retell such a beloved classic is a tall order, and Novoa manages to do it well, putting a spin on it for a fun and easy read. It is a delightful twist on a classic story that provides a look at what it might have been like to be transgender in the 1800s.

The world of Most Ardently will look familiar to many: the Bennet family lives in Regency England, not far outside London, where Mrs. Bennet obsessively attempts to marry off her daughters to rich men and Mr. Bennet quietly manages the modest family finances. But while most of the world believes the Bennet family to have five daughters, Oliver Bennet knows they actually have four daughters and a single son. Only a select few know Oliver’s true self: his sister Jane, his best friend Charlotte, and her lover Lu. But when his escapades outside of the house as his true self end with Oliver running into Jane’s suitor Bingley and his rude friend Darcy, Oliver is runs the risk of spending time with people who know “Elizabeth” in search of friendship, and maybe something else.

I like to say that Pride and Prejudice is the reason I love enemies to lovers romance, I am constantly looking for one that is just as good. Which is why I have to clarify right away that Most Ardently does not follow the same romantic beats of P&P. However, I found there to be a lot of fun in the way Novoa shakes it up. Rather than a contentious relationship in which each party has to escape their prejudices, we get to see Oliver and Darcy interacting as friends throughout the story. Therefore, the tension comes from whether (or when) people will realize just how familiar Oliver looks, and Oliver's internal tension about what kind of life he wants to live. I also have to say that I did particularly like the ending to the novel, it was incredibly fitting.

In the end, I do wish the novel had more time. Everything felt rushed, like it was just hitting the most notable plot points, which meant there was less time to dig into the themes of the novel. As a result, I found that many of the themes were watered down or lost all together. There were obviously the added themes of transness and queerness in Regency England, but I still would have liked a stronger throughline of some of the original class commentary. And sometimes Oliver drifted into “this is wrong because I am actually a man” while failing to acknowledge that the gender discrimination was just wrong in the first place.

There are a few changes to the plot I would not have made (like splitting Charlotte into two characters), but which do the overall story no harm. I have to respect that it truly is a re-mix of the book, and works well as a stand-alone novel. The romance is cute, there are some incredibly touching scenes between Oliver and the various members of his family, and it is fun to read. I think it is a great way to get a young reader interested in Pride and Prejudice, and a look at what our historical records could look like if we had more stories of trans people in the past.

To start, I would like to say that Gabe Cole Novoa has been added to a very, very short list of authors who are automatic reads for me, and that is entirely thanks to "Most Ardently".

Many who know me also know that "Pride and Prejudice" is one of my most favorite novels. But in a world where queer people are still consistently underrepresented, and more specifically the trans community, it was so refreshing to read this retelling. I wish that I could properly articulate the pure joy that I felt when I read this, or explain to you how many times I found myself kicking my feet happily as each chapter took me deeper and deeper down into this love story.

I have been no stranger to the remixed books which have been beautiful in their queer retellings of classic literature, but I have to say that so far this has been my absolute favorite of the bunch. I want to push this book at every single person queer or not so that this piece of literature can become every bit as praised as Jane Austen's original.

For anyone that loves Pride and Prejudice, but want it to be way more sapphic, Gabe Cole Novoa has granted your wishes! The entire time I was reading this book I couldn't help but feel that I was reading the ultimate fanfic to the Jane Austen novel. This was truly a remix that stayed true to Jane Austen, but provided a fresher and more diverse take.

Everything that the blurb for this book promises, it delivers. I loved how original the story was and the history included at the end of the book to back it up. That said, I really feel like this book could have been its' own story and didn't need the backdrop of being a remix of the classic. I loved the story, but just had a hard time making that switch in my head. This is a personal preference though.

Most Ardently is the the type of diverse historical fiction that we need! There were so many great things about the research that went into it, as well as the ultimately wholesome story. The plot was enjoyable, but make sure you pay attention to the author's very well-done trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. Overall, I am very happy to have read this book and think that there will be so many people that will enjoy it!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for this arc!

This has to be one of my favorite Pride and Prejudice retellings to date. The author was able to capture the spirit and essence of P&P and make it his own.

As someone who falls under the trans umbrella as both the main character and the author, it was delightful to be represented in a retelling of one of my favorite books.

Most Ardently is a trans and queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Oliver Blake is the true name of the traditionally female character, and is forced to appear as a girl due to societal standards of the time. I thought this was an interesting retelling of the original story and I was excited to read it!

It just didn't end up being my cup of tea. Oliver was sooooooooooo whinyyyyyyy, I appreciate the author showing how difficult gender dysphoria could be, especially in a time when people had to conform to specific gender roles, but there really wasn't much to Oliver outside of his crushing dysphoria. He was also rude to just about everyone he is supposed to be close to. It was hard to sympathize with him when we weren't given many redeeming qualities. I would have liked to see more of the side characters as well. I also don't know why the characters were aged down into teenagers. Removing some of the general teenage emotions and angst would probably have increased my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, I had a hard time getting through this book but recommend it if you're looking for a new take on an old story. 2 stars from me. Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

Thank you to McMillian Publishing and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

Is anyone not redoing Austen these days? It feels like there is a retelling a week. But thank god for Most Ardently! What a treasure of a retelling! Taking this storying, introducing Elizabeth Bennet as Oliver, a transman, quite frankly just makes sense. Gabe Cole Novoa takes such care with Austen's framework while writing a wonderful YA story of manners, love, and a person's search for a space where they can be their authentic selves. This felt fresh without feeling too new and the characters are changed ever so slightly to make the story work. The author clearly understood everyone's motivation in the story and treated it with respect.

I can't wait to read more of these retellings, this was fantastic.

Overall this was very sweet and I think the premise of Darcy being queer but feeling forced to marry a woman is a great explanation for his overall ~deal~. I did catch myself being like "wow Mr. Bennet is remarkably accepting of trans identity for a Regency era man...." but then I remembered an interview I'd read with, I think Alexis Hall? someone who said something like "all we want for queer historical romance is the same suspension of disbelief for straight historical romance, like it's very unlikely that a governess would blissfully wed a duke so why can't we embrace the duke being queer and happy?" and you know what? Yeah!

I think probably for the presumed target audience of younger queer readers they will be more likely to just accept and enjoy the story. which they deserve!!

This was a fun telling of Pride and Prejudice. Oliver is the second oldest Bennet but has knows that he isn’t what he’s suppose to be because he was born as Elizabeth. This does follow the major plot points of the original. With some very well done twists.

The romance between Oliver and Darcy was my favorite part. Wickham is always a snake.

3.5, rounded up. I wish there had been more of a focus on Darcy and Oliver’s relationship (feels pretty insta-lovey; I wanted to see more of a connection between them), but this is SO cute overall! I love how supportive Oliver’s friends and family are and how many allies he has. The parallels between this and the original P&P are fun too.

I have to admit that I haven't read Pride and Prejudice and am merely a huge fan of the 2005 movie. However, I am sure rewriting a beloved classic is difficult, and doing it well even more so. I was initially drawn to the book because of the premise and I love the cover art. I thought the romance was a little fast, with Oliver seemingly attracted to Darcy quickly after meeting him, so that removes a bit of the tension I am used to seeing with Pride and Prejudice, but aside from that I really enjoyed it and will be looking out for more of Novoa's works.

While I am normally a fan of retellings with a twist, unfortunately this remix doesn't fix the fatal flaw of the original: it can't redeem Darcy as a character.

This book is not for the die hard Pride & Prejudice fan. I loved the idea that Elizabeth is a trans man, but this unfortunately deters from the original story too much. Oliver falls for Darcy much too quick. One of the best parts of Pride & Prejudice is the slow burn between these two and this just zips past that. Also they turn Mrs. Bennett into the villain which she never was. I mean no disrespect but it almost feels like the author read an outline of the original Pride & Prejudice & didn’t give the actual book a read.

Now this is not to say the book was bad. It was a very good story about a trans man in the regency period. But it should have been that on its own instead of a Pride & Prejudice retelling.

I'm already a huge fan of these remixed classics but this one was just so FUN and felt faithful to Jane Austen's original while bringing some lovely new content in to the retelling. It's hard to describe these sorts of retellings because you already know (for the most part) the story you are in for but the way they are delivered is so refreshing. So if you love the source material, and are interested in the various levels of diversity added in, then this would be a no brainer to add to your TBR. Oliver Bennett is trans and our Darcy is queer, while Charlotte is also a queer character. This was a breath of fresh air and was perfectly narrated by Harrison Knights. I am so intrigued to try some of Gabe Cole Novoa's other novels now!

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review! This book is available now.

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa is labeled as a "Pride and Prejudice Remix" and I think that's an apt description! I always enjoy reading Jane Austen retellings, and this one was enjoyable. I wasn't in love with it, but the story was incredibly sweet and I really liked all the things that made this book stand alone from the original Pride and Prejudice story. This is a YA book so the characters are all a little younger, and our main character is transmasculine Oliver Bennet who develops a crush on (you guessed it) broody and aloof Darcy.

The ending was adorable and gave me all the warm fuzzies! I grinned like a fool at the interactions between Oliver and Darcy towards the end...they are both so lovable.

If you love Austen retellings, I recommend this one!