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.

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!

I loved this one. The vibes, the accuracy to the original story but with the added lgbtq twist felt so authentic. I enjoyed reading this one from beginning to end. I 100% recommend!

4.5 stars

Have I read Pride and Prejudice? No. Do I think this is better? Possibly. I know, bold statement, but the retelling with a transgender boy and a gay love interest was so great and exactly what I wanted.

Oliver's struggles with being true to himself while living in a time where there were almost no out transgender people hit me hard. Every time Oliver is misgendered and forced to dress and act as a woman, I wanted to cry for him. To slightly balance this, Oliver does have some friends and family that he can be himself around and I loved these people.

The pace is fast moving and the ending made me so happy. This is a hit for sure!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the copy.

As many of you know, I love a good retelling, and boy, did I absolutely love this one! This book is part of a series called Remixed Classics, in which authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. (Two years ago, Self-Made Boys, a retelling of The Great Gatsby, was in my top 5 favorite books.)

Oliver Bennet longs for a life different than the one he is stuck in, a life away from gowns, corsets, and the pressures of society. Because Oliver is known to the majority of his family and friends as Elizabeth, and he is expected to dance at balls, flirt coquettishly, and act like a lady, in order to attract a suitable husband. Oliver has no desire to live his life as someone he is not; he cannot imagine life married to someone who wants to suppress his true identity and his spirit.

While his mother is desperate to marry off all of her daughters, Oliver resists every attempt. Sometimes he is able to sneak out of his house dressed in the way he feels most comfortable, as a young gentleman. And on one of his outings, he runs into Darcy, the handsome young man who is a close friend of Bingley, of whom Oliver's sister Jane is enamored. Oliver is shocked that Darcy is sensitive, intelligent, and enjoyable company, especially since he was rude to "Elizabeth" at a ball.

The more time Oliver spends with Darcy, the more he starts to believe he might be able to have the life—and love—he truly wants. But as some suitors become more persistent, and even threaten to reveal Oliver's true identity to his family, he has to decide whether to follow his heart and risk disgracing his family, or living the life that society expects "Elizabeth" to.

I am a huge fan of Pride & Prejudice and this "remix" hit all of the right notes. Gabe Cole Novoa did such an incredible job with this book. My heart swelled, I got teared up, and immediately needed to watch the film version of the original book, in which Colin Firth looked immensely delicious. Many thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an advance copy of the book!

I have loved Pride and Prejudice since reading it in high school and I love all the retellings coming out lately, so of course of had to jump on this one!

I’ll make this review short and simple:

What I loved:
—The queer rep! Take any classic and make it queer—I’ll read it.
—Oliver’s journey. It’s not just about his struggle in a society that still views him as a ‘woman’, but also showcases the wonderful support he has!
—I appreciated the nod to historical accuracy of the time (and book). Even with the liberties taken the author tried to remain true to them.
—Oliver’s character is sometimes unlikeable and irritating, but I also felt the same about Elizabeth on the original at times. I feel like this was purposefully done.

What I struggled with:
—The romance between Oliver & Darcy did not hit as hard as I thought it would. While it was sweet and adorable, I found it also to be very quick and lacking the tension Darcy & Elizabeth had
—The female characters. Yes, they were there, but I felt their overall presence was lacking. They seemed to be there to either further the plot, or reflect the life and struggles Oliver didn’t want to participate in. I was hoping since Oliver had the opportunity to see ‘both lives’, that he would also reflect on the inherent misogyny too. Not much of that happened.

Overall, this was a cute YA queer retelling that I would recommend for those who like regency style books, and queer lover stories. My rating would be 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Gabe Cole Novoa’s re telling of Pride & Prejudice has become one of my favorite stories of all times.

I was absolutely delighted from the very first pages. Please allow me 7-10 business days to process my feelings.

5 stars ⭐️ 😭⭐️😭⭐️😭⭐️😭⭐️

Thank you netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Most Ardently is a much anticipated release of 2024 that went above and beyond its delivery as a remixed classic. Pride & Prejudice is a novel and story that has seen many adaptions across many different media, to present a new and refreshing approach to the story is a huge feat, and Gabe Cole Novoa accomplished this in a tremendous way. The writing, plot, and character development was at once comforting in its familiarity but intriguing and inviting in the ways that it diverged from the source material. Queer fans of Jane Austen and Regency Romances have been searching for a retelling of this particular story for many years and Most Ardently has provided exactly what has been missing from previous adaptions.

The love story between Oliver and Darcy provides fans with a romance that is tender, heartfelt, and relatable in so many ways. Novoa builds a world for queer audiences that is both comforting and realistic in it's approach to queerness in the historical regency period. From the descriptions of clothing to the deep and meaningful familial and romantic relationships throughout the book, Most Ardently delivers a story that may just become a classic all its own.

This is exactly what I needed. It's so wholesome and so queer. It's a wonderful retelling (remix), the changes to the original story all make sense and still hold true.

Most Ardently is a remarkable achievement in rewriting Jane Austen with a queer and (mostly) historically accurate twist. Novoa skillfully navigates the challenges of maintaining historical authenticity while crafting a Regency-inspired queer story that in the end, remains hopeful. For the die-hard P&P fans (me) out there, there are minimal changes to the original story, and they all make sense, seamlessly progressing the plot without taking away from the original story. The portrayal of Darcy as a gay man disinterested in women and Elizabeth Bennet (now Oliver) as a trans man living a double life is nothing short of brilliant. There was so much tension and pining that it had me kicking my feet and giggling! The novel's quick pace, consistent writing, and engaging interactions kept me hooked making this an easy read.

My only gripe is the representation of Charlotte. I found most of her interactions with Oliver cruel and it felt inconsistent with her original character. I think there is a strong difference between being a realistic presence in someone's life and constantly berating someone about their choices, and unfortunately, Charolette was the latter. Some of our side characters unfortunately lacked depth, but given the book's brevity, this is understandable.

Most Ardently is a cute and tender story that successfully explores themes of self-expression and authenticity through the lens of a beloved classic. I wouldn't hesitate to hand this to my library teens.

CW: Transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, dysphoria, homophobia

This was such a sweet Pride & Prejudice retelling with all of the queer joy! I loved all of the representation to be found here - a trans Bennet son, a gay Mr. Darcy, and queer side characters. And how all of them found happy endings and got to experience love.

I loved Oliver and was so happy to see him living his authentic life. My heart hurt for him in the beginning of the novel before he was able to come out to his whole family. It was hard to see him suffer so much with being constantly thrust into a role in society that was not meant for him. The author did a wonderful job of creating tension between Oliver and Darcy. So much pining! I also enjoyed how this book gave Mr. Bennet more of a role than you usually see in retellings, and it was wonderful to see him be so loving and supportive of his son.

Collins and Wickham remain the worst.

Thank you to Macmillan, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I was nervous going into this book, since I love Pride and Prejudice retellings and this one had a challenging premise. I was not at all disappointed! It is, by necessity, very different from the source material, but still managed to hit every mark of what made me love the original story. I loved the sweet sibling relationship between Jane and Oliver, his verbal sparring with Darcy, and even the societal commentary, which all get this beautiful new dimension to them because of Oliver's transness. I mean, the dramatic irony! Come on! Because the timeline was condensed from the original, there were bits of plot that felt a little rushed, but that could also have been because I read the entire thing in a single sitting on a plane. I didn't want to put it down!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book was way better than I thought it was going to be. I haven't read historical fiction in awhile, so this was a nice change of settings. I really liked Oliver and seeing him struggle pretending being someone who he isn't. His character development was really good, especially later on while he is becoming more accepting of himself.

Jane, Charlotte, and Lu, they are the best support friends/sister. They helped Oliver so much, and I am glad they always had his back. And Mr. Bennet, we love to see amazing dads.

And there are 2 other characters, who I will not name, but when you read the book, they are really bad people. And I am so glad that they are out of the whole families lives.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.