Elizabeth Bennet is actually Oliver Bennet. He's trapped in the body of a woman, when he knows in his heart that he's a man. This book was an interesting take on Pride and Prejudice that looks into how we perceive ourselves and who we are. The original story is one of my favorites so I was really looking forward to this remix version. The story kept a lot of the original character's from the story, but mixed up some of the personalities, sexual orientations/preferences, and made the character's a little younger than the original work. I was happy with the results, although I did hope for more character growth. A lot of the story and thoughts from Oliver's POV became very repetitive, where I felt there could have been more expansion on those feelings, rather than a reiteration that we've already read many times before throughout the novel. I would recommend this book to patrons.

A solid 3.5 stars read. This book was a delight. A long-time Pride and Prejudice lover, I enjoy getting my little mitts on any retellings, updates, etc. that I can and I'm so glad this was one of them. Drawn in initially by Marlowe Lune's gorgeous cover, I was swept up in the world Gabe Cole Novoa created. While Pride and Prejudice purists might take issue with certain changes to the original text (ie. Longbourn is moved from the countryside to London; a friendship between Collins and Wickham; Charlotte, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia all but disappear from the book's final act; etc.) everything serves the greater narrative we've all come to know and love: the relationship between the second eldest Bennett, Oliver, and Darcy.

Love this! Was so cute. Caught the characters so well. Really captured who they are immensely. Loved getting to see how much research was done.

I’ve read several books in this Remixed Classics series and enjoyed every one of them. This is hands down my favorite retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

Many readers are familiar with the character of plucky, intelligent Elizabeth Bennett. In this retelling, Elizabeth is really Oliver. Only a handful of people are aware of his real identity, including his sister, Jane, and best friend, Charlotte. Much of the story remains the same – Jane and Bingley’s romance, Mr. Bennett (one of the best fictional dads ever) wanting his children to marry for love, Mrs. Bennett caring more about her children making good matches, the annoying Collins, and insufferable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Bad guy Wickham slinks around every corner, but there’s a different spin on his character.

And then there’s Darcy. He’s still arrogant, aloof, and unapproachable, but Oliver gets to see a side of him that Elizabeth never could. Their path to romance is full of potholes, but it’s no less compelling than in the original novel. The author does an excellent job in telling Oliver’s story, and I nearly needed a tissue at one point. Trust me, it takes a lot for that to happen.

This is a joy to read, and I loved the mixture of the original story with the new take. Highly recommend for fans of retellings.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so excited when this book was announced and even more excited when I was approved for an advanced copy of this book. I adore Pride & Prejudice and the film is one of my favorite comfort movies. I also have enjoyed all the Remix stories I have been reading in this series, and couldn't wait to see what Novoa was going to do with this classic tale. I ended up really enjoying it. I will say it is pretty low stakes and some parts seemed a little too idealistic based off of the time period, but I tend to prefer that in a story. I don't like when stories are too upsetting and I think Most Ardently had a pretty nice balance. I will say there was one part at the end that threw me, and makes me concerned for Charlotte's and Oliver's friendship, and it is not addressed what-so-ever. Other than that, I did enjoy how the story concluded.

Most Ardently was a queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a trans MC and a queer Mr. Darcy. I loved getting to revisit some of these beloved characters in a new light and I really enjoyed the story as a whole. It was also a pretty short read. I managed to finish it in one sitting and it left me feeling happy and satisfied. I look forward to more Remixes (if there are more) and more from Gabe Cole Novoa!

This was a fun remix! I haven’t read the original (which is chaotic) but this was a fun read for me! I’d definitely recommend to those who enjoy remakes!!

Most Ardently A Pride and Prejudice Remix is everything you love about the original but make it queer! Oliver is living a farce. Only a handful people know the truth about who he is and those who don’t seem far too interested in making him someones wife. Most Ardently is Oliver’s beautiful coming of age story with a sweet and swoon romance. We watch Oliver contend with who is he and want he wants for himself and what society is telling him. The people who know the true him made his journey a little easier. The relationship he has with Jane and Charlotte was a beautiful representation of what friendship and family is. The interactions we get between Oliver and Darcy are new and wonderful to see. I loved seeing them both come to terms with who they are and what they felt. I feel like me you hate wake up. I promise you you’ll hit him just a little bit more in this one. I adored the way everything worked out and my heart was full and happy by the end of it and through out. I think Gabe did a wonderful job writing this story with care. Through Oliver he shared what one experience of being trans can be like. I felt for Oliver and was rooting for him from the beginning. If you’ve read pride and prejudice the most memorable moments are taken and explored in such a heartfelt and fresh way. I loved this remix and I urge everyone to read it! 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

This book is pretty much exactly what it says in the description, a remix of Pride & Prejudice where Elizabeth Bennet is actually a trans boy named Oliver. It is a retelling that has massive shoes to fill given how beloved and genre defining Austen's original work is. And for the most part, I think Novoa does an admirable job at mimicking some of the most important elements of P&P while embracing what it means to make this a queer narrative. Overall, it is a very sweet and wholesome story that I can definitely see appealing to queer teens.

As a P&P retelling, it very closely follows most of the story beats from the original novel. The chemistry between Oliver and Darcy is there, both the bickering & tension, and the building romance. The parts of the book where those two are in the same room are the best parts of the novel. It also means that when certain characters enter the narrative, there's no real surprises with how they behave or their motivations. There are enough differences to keep readers familiar with P&P entertained though, particularly the extra scenes with Oliver and Darcy and incorporation of some queer-centric locations like Molly Houses.

Ultimately I think the queerness is handled well in the novel. One of the main challenges of writing a queer novel in a very gendered historical setting like P&P is how closeted people needed to be. This can lead to a lot of works focusing on queer pain and the threat of their identities being revealed. Most Ardently does not do that. While the threat of outing is present in the larger setting, the characters we interact with are for the most part not needlessly cruel and transphobic. This leads to some scenes that at first feel too convenient with how easily a queer character is accepted but I also realized how important it is to have media that is just indulgent and happy rather than always circling back to queer pain. There is also a historical note at the end of the novel to give more context to what queerness and queer gathering places looked like at this point in history. This is an excellent addition to a YA novel to show teens that queer people have always existed and what that looked like.

Ultimately, Most Ardently is a sweet and indulgent retelling of Pride & Prejudice. There is nothing that surprising or revolutionary in the text, but is a solid queer romance for a YA audience to enjoy and feel seen by.

A queer take on Pride and Prejudice where the main character is Oliver, a trans man in regency England who must pretend to be Elizabeth Bennet. This follows the plot of the original pretty well until the end, but I enjoyed the author’s changes! Novoa does a great job of handling Oliver’s feelings and putting a twist on the classic. I will say they spend a lot of time in London, which felt weird. But I do understand that might have been a choice to make places like the Molly House in a bigger city.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating approach! While I wish that this remix spoke more directly to the themes and character growth arcs of the original, the novel is a heartfelt tale with a hopeful end. Readers under the trans umbrella should be aware that dysphoria and fear of being outed predominate, making the central conflict often painful and potentially triggering, but seeing Oliver come into his own was just the dose of optimism and trans joy I needed to kick the new year off right!

A queer take on Pride and Prejudice in which Elizabeth Bennett is actually a trans character and goes by Oliver Bennett, yet he is still navigating a matchmaking mother, a bad first meeting with Darcy, and trying to fend off Mr. Collin and Wickham. Elizabeth Bennett knew that he was born a boy, he prefers to go be Oliver and has yet to fully reveal himself to his family. He's been keeping it a secret and dressing up as his true self and going out as a boy in secret. Yet with the arrival of Mr. Darcy and Bingley, his world is going to turn upside down as he is further pushed to be "Elizabeth" in the social world and forced to endure the suitors his mother keeps trying to push on him. Oliver wants nothing more than to not be someone's wife, he wants someone to love him for him. Then he meets Darcy, his first interaction with Darcy when he was "Elizabeth" went poorly yet when he runs into him again as Oliver, he meets a warm side of Darcy he never expected. Can Oliver reveal his secret to Darcy and his family, or will someone threaten him? This was definitely a different take on the classic story. I love a new take but my only thing with this one was it was kind of missing it's character depth and the changes that were made just didn't really feel organic. Darcy and Oliver barely had any real romantic scenes so you don't really get to see them or feel them fall in love. The changes done to Mr. Collins and Wickham were definitely a choice. Overall, if you are a fan of the classic I would say read this because it's definitely a new take on the original and I think it's fun to experience new takes.

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a quick and easy read. The writing is easy to follow. I don’t envy anyone who has to rework Pride and Prejudice and this was cute enough. It has trans representation as well as other LGBTQ+ characters.
It overall just lacked a depth and tension. One of the reasons I love P&P is all the tension and pining and while some of that was written here I just didn’t feel like it was as deep. I’m sure for some this story will resonate and it could be powerful to see someone like you written in a timeframe you wouldn’t “normally” see. I just wanted to see more chemistry between the characters and complexity.

Honestly, this book is such an incredible disappointment. I wanted to like it. I wanted to love it, even, and I've enjoyed the Remixed Classics series in the past. But this book just isn't it. It doesn't deliver Pride & Prejudice very well, and it doesn't give a great insight into queer life in 1812. And with neither of those fronts being incredibly successful, this book is just a letdown.


PROS
Solidarity: One of the bright spots of this book, for me, was Oliver's friend Charlotte and her lady lover Lu. I kind of thought, heading into this book, that Oliver would be all on his own with his struggles, but that isn't the case. He's got a queer (if necessarily clandestine) community around him, and I love that. He doesn't need to go it alone.

Queer Life: I wanted way, way more of this, it's true, but I do think we get a taste here of what queer life could have been like in 1812. And I can appreciate that taste, even if it didn't fully satisfy. I especially liked the consideration of Oliver's birth certificate we get at the end... that is, the fact that birth certificates weren't quite a thing. That definitely would change some aspects of trans life, even if many other constraints would make such a life in 1812 very, very difficult.

Acceptance: Sometimes it's just nice to read a book where a character can simply be loved and supported. While that's not entirely the case here--there does, after all, need to be some conflict--there is a lot of acceptance in this book. Oliver is really struggling internally and socially with his identity, and so the fact that he gets a lot of support as he works it out is nice.


CONS
Selfish Oliver: I didn't like Oliver. I get that he's struggling. I get that it's a hard time to be trans. It's still a hard time to be trans. But Oliver is so incredibly selfish. He thinks only of himself. Queer people in 1812 necessarily have to make compromises (you know, for the sake of survival), but Oliver doesn't want that for himself--which is fair enough. But it was so, so hard for me to read his utterly selfish judgement of Charlotte for the choices she makes to protect and preserve herself. Where's the solidarity that she shows him? He certainly doesn't return it. I couldn't root for Oliver at all, which is so unfortunate, since Jane Austen's character (though equally independent and forward-thinking in her mindset) is such a great protagonist where Oliver just isn't.

Weird Changes: An adaptation is, by necessity, an adaptation. I get that. Changes can and will be made, especially when you're using a familiar story to examine something rather unfamiliar (such as queerness in 1812). But some of the choices here... just didn't make sense. These changes just pointed to a general misunderstanding of the period the book is set in, the social conventions, the original text, et cetera. The Bennet family lives in the countryside. They don't live a fashionable London life, and so the fact that Novoa places them within walking distance of London (which in itself feels odd) just doesn't make sense since nothing else about their social calendar (or spending) seems to change. You can't just change settings like this. Country life and London life are very different, today and certainly in 1812. And I know these characters have been aged down (though I don't know that they had to be, honestly, but I guess publisher age marketing categories must be appeased). But at 17+ years old, it feels very odd for Oliver to call himself and his acquaintances "boys." Even modern teens of that age probably would be looking to age themselves up from "boy." And the fact that Mrs. Bennet similarly calls Mr. Wickham a boy, even though he is established to be several years older than Oliver... It just isn't period-appropriate. Add to that Oliver's complete unwillingness to consider the risks and limitations of queerness in his time, and I had a really hard time with this book. I get that Oliver wants more, but it just doesn't feel realistic that a trans man in 1812 wouldn't be considering, you know, the very real social constraints upon him. He might want things to be different but needs to make compromises... or be willing to face the consequences of not compromising. And that's not a discussion that we get here, much to the detriment of the story.

Mr. Collins: This poor man gets butchered. He's not meant to be a likeable character in Pride & Prejudice. You're not supposed to want him to marry Lizzie, for obvious reasons. They are, objectively, a bad match. But he's a silly and ridiculous man, not a horrible one. This book makes him out to be so uncompromisingly horrible that it wasn't fun to read. In what Regency situation would it be appropriate for a man to greet a woman by telling her she has great "childbearing hips"? I know this is thrown in to really drive Oliver's dysphoria home, but really? That's just a disgusting comment, no matter what. One of the things that makes Austen's classic a classic is the timelessness of the characters, and I think pretty much any adaptation will fall short. But this one just butchers the characters--or doesn't quite seem to understand what made them memorable in the first place. The flavor of Austen's work is here, but alas, none of the substance.

Rating

⭐⭐
2/10
Fans of Sophie Jordan's Sixteen Scandals might like this unconventional Regency romance. Those who enjoyed Rosalyn Eves's An Improbable Season may enjoy the unlikely pairing that arises in this Regency tale.

I’m a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, so naturally I had to read this. Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Of course what I loved most about this book was the queer and trans representation! I think the author does an incredible job of retelling the story while making the changes feel authentic and natural within the story. The book was delightful and wholesome. I highly recommend for fans of the original or anyone interested in the premise!

I absolutely loved this. I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen, and I was a bit worried that this book wouldn't do her justice, but it definitely did. In fact, I think that Jane Austen herself would be really proud of how Gabe Cole Novoa re-interpreted her characters in "Most Ardently". If you love Pride & Prejudice and/or historical fiction, please check out this book!

This novel is so tender and touching--absolutely perfect for fans of the original book and movie! So many lines are exact, but the weight of everything is so different and moving due to Oliver's transness. It brings a whole new depths and clarity to the story, and makes Oliver's struggle to live in this time and society so heartwrenching. Yet even in all the heart ache and the seeming impossibility of living authentically, this book carries hope and joy along with it. We see so many moments of pure joy and euphoria as Oliver gets to express himself and live as himself. Joy accompanies the pain and discomfort of his life, making his fight for himself be held in an understandable light. We know why he's doing what he's doing, and we want to fight right alongside him.

Mild spoiler (related to coming out and something I, a queer person, would like to know going in)--no one that Oliver chooses to come out to has a huge negative reaction. He's not yelled at and kicked out of his home or anything like that. While the society is transphobic, and several characters are and his transness is discovered and he is forced to come out to his family, those whom he comes out to are ultimately supportive. I had a lot of trouble getting through the book because I was afraid there was going to be some big back lash about Oliver's transness, and would have enjoyed it more thoroughly if I had known the author wasn't going to do that. Having read Wicked Bargain by the same author, though, I should have trusted that I was in good hands.

All in all, this was a fantastic retelling that stayed mostly true to the plot of the original but with its own unique twists that really served to highlight the themes of the story and Oliver's journey as a trans person in the early 1800s.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, Gabe Cole Novoa, and Harrison Knights (audio narrator) for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix in exchange for an honest review.

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix is a retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice. Having specialized in Austen studies for part of my degree, I can say with a heavy personal opinion that Pride and Prejudice is her most interesting work. To have a chance to read a Remixed Classics version is an absolute treat. This novel takes the core essence of the original and twists it into something exciting and passionate, maintaining the 1812 setting while making for a delightful novel for a contemporary young adult audience. This retelling is everything it should be an more, going above and beyond expectation.

This intoxicating retelling of the literary classic follows the story of Oliver Bennet, a transgender man who must hide his true identity from his family and formal society, dealing with being addressed by his dead name and the wrong gender constantly. He is expected to go to balls dressed as a woman, and his mother wants nothing more than for him to find a man to marry. Oliver has other ideas. He goes out as a man in secret, enjoying the few moments he can explore being himself.

When the Bennet's meet Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, the eldest Bennet child, Jane, is lovestruck from the first moment. There is something to be said about Bingley's not-so-charming friend, Darcy. When Darcy and Oliver have a chance meeting at the ball, Darcy all but claims Oliver not handsome enough for his tastes. This, of course, is when Oliver must parade as a woman. When he goes to a festival as a man, with a chance meeting with Darcy and Bingley, Darcy's reception of Oliver is quite different, charming even. But Darcy doesn't know it's the same person from the ball! 

Getting to explore what the world of men is like, Oliver indulges in Darcy's company, as well as mingling with other men of the community. He learns about disconcerting rumors, as well as clubs that are for those interested in others of the same sex. While it seems scandalous, Oliver soon learns these are safe places for him to truly be himself, and finds that his feelings for Darcy are everything from only his wildest dreams. Now Oliver just has to find the courage to tell his whole family (some already know) so that he can truly live as himself in the world.

The audio narrator, Harrison Knights, is an absolute joy to listen to. He really add to the character of Oliver and makes for a thrilling audio listening experience. A brilliant novel, something easily devoured in one sitting. All of the Remixed Classics have been exceptionally well-written stories, though I believe Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix is easily the best one so far (and that's saying something, considering they are all amazing works). I highly recommend this novel to LGBTQ+ readers, educators, fans of retellings, lovers of classics, and anyone who seeks a truly exciting story.

Content warning: dead naming, homophobia, sexism, talks of body dysmorphia

Adapting/updating/retelling Austen is always a difficult task and while I really enjoy a lot of what was done with MOST ARDENTLY, I do feel like it's missing some of magic of the original. I also think an important note was missed when making the misogyny be more about Oliver being misgendered than about how misogyny (and being misgendered) are both bad and relevant even in this adaptation. Oliver's friendship with Charlotte seemed to be forgotten towards the end which was unfortunate and wish that dynamic had been explored in more detail. I loved how supportive Mr. Bennett is and thought that was a great touch.

The historical note at the end provides readers with further context and I think will educate teen readers a little more about queer history.

The cover art is gorgeous and I continue to enjoy what MacMillan is doing with this Remixed Classics series.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5. Releases 1/16/2024.

Vibes: Pride and Prejudice but make it queer (obviously), light humor around big issues, family warmth, that ol' Darcy Darcy-ness in a younger package

Oliver Bennet has a problem: aside from his sister Jane, his family doesn't know that he's not a girl. Trapped by societal norms and the persona he's forced to wear, he sneaks out as his true self and runs into the stiff, cool Darcy (who was actually a major dick to Oliver when he was dressed as a girl). The thing is--when Darcy is actually able to be himself, he's actually quite kind. Also? Very appealing. But no matter how much they connect, a future for Darcy and Oliver, as their true selves, seems impossible. Unless....

I don't usually read YA, but I was kind of fascinated by the concept of this series of remixed, diverse takes on old classics. And a retelling of P&P starring a trans boy was too good to resist. Also, this is my favorite cover I've seen in a LONG while.

Luckily, it lived up to my expectations beyond the cover. It's sweet and unique, while honoring the original story. And right now, I think that seeing a trans kid living out the happily ever after of one of the most enduring love stories of all time is something we need to see.

Quick Takes:

--To be clear, this is a true YA romance. The characters that need to be aged down are. I think it was totally necessary to appeal to the target audience, and it works. I mean, being a youth~ in 1812 isn't exactly like being a youth~ in today's world anyway. It's just like P&P in that it's chaste, but unlike P&P in that there is kissing. (Yay!)

--Like I said, the book stays true to the original story, but obviously it's not married to it. Oliver has a lot in common with Elizabeth, but he's not Elizabeth, and his relationship with Darcy is not Elizabeth's relationship with Darcy. It's more based on friendship and understanding--in a lot of ways, it's a friends to lovers story. Which I think adds a sense of queer found family to the romance, and I think that's necessary here.

--It would be very easy for Oliver's mindset to be quite dark. Understandably so, as most of his family is ignorantly (and it's true ignorance, they don't know) deadnaming him on the regular. He's forced to wear dysphoria-inducing clothing, to act as a girl. But I think Novoa understood that there did need to be a somewhat lighter touch here. The point is not to paint a tale of like... a historically accurate trans experience. It's to tell a love story.

And in that sense, I found that the way Novoa approached the Bennets reacting to Oliver's transness really refreshing and lovely. Like, the point here is not to make you feel down about Oliver's future, but to celebrate who he is (and maybe feel seen--as a cis woman, I can't speak to how effective that is).

I suspect that this lighter touch won't work for everyone; and that's valid. If I'm being honest, I don't super care about whether or not it works for cis people.

--There's a molly house scene! Darcy is in a molly house! I loved this. I found something about placing a romantic hero we often so associate with heterosexuality and the ideal for women in a super queer space... And making it this place where he feels comfortable and true... Really compelling. It was one of my favorite scenes in the book.

Also, it allowed for some real romantic connection between Oliver and Darcy. Their relationship is super sweet, and I found the twist on how that relationship would have developed if we did have an Oliver and a Darcy rather than an Elizabeth and a Darcy super smart. It would've been super easy for Novoa to just duplicate the original dynamic and go "but here's a boy". That would've done a disservice to both this work and the original, in my opinion. I appreciate him doing the work to make something super distinct that is AWARE of the differences here, as I do think some queer retellings of het stories occasionally do just execute a quick genderflip and call it a day.

And I get why they do. But at the end of the day, it does remind me of the sensibility that queer love stories need to be palatable and safe for straight audiences, to appeal them and to make them seem "just like them". However, a queer romance isn't 1 to 1 with a straight romance. There often are different dynamics at play. I so liked that we got that here.

TW: transphobia (from characters, not the narrative), general queerphobia, deadnaming, dysphoria

I was super happy with this book, and I think it will definitely appeal to a ton of teens out there. Definitely going to recommend this to my teen sibling. However, it's well-written and mature enough to hold a crossover appeal towards adults. A smart and sweet take on a classic book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Now I've never read any of these "Remixed Classics" before so I was really curious to see what was in store when I got accepted for this ARC. This book captured my heart right off the bat. I took this with me to read while visiting family for the holidays and ended up reading this all in one day. Pride and Prejudice is already a much beloved classic so you'd assume it'd be hard to top such a thing. Here, I feel all of the queer elements brought to the table, especially with Oliver's transness at the forefront of the story, really enhanced the story that we already know and love. Really gave much more layers to each of the already fantastic cast of characters. Makes it feel like it's own original story almost! I know this might sound like an exaggeration but I do think I prefer this version to the original. Or maybe I'm just biased as a trans man myself. I am so thankful that this version of the story exists for young queer kids to grow up with and read and get to see themselves in Oliver and Darcy's shoes! Makes me want to pick up all of the others in the Remixed Classics series and see what they have to offer!