I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the premise of this Classics Remix series, so when I saw a Pride & Prejudice one I jumped right on it. For those unfamiliar, this book is part of a series in which classics are 'remixed' and explored with a key detail altered to include diverse stories. In the case of Most Ardently, this story asks what if Elizabeth Bennet was actually a transman named Oliver Bennet and if so, how would the original tale be altered by that fact?

It is no small feat to tackle such a beloved classic book and Novoa did such a spectacular job at it with this alteration in mind. I was thrilled to see what details managed to stay the same, what was changed, and incredibly what plot points actually made more sense because of Oliver.

I thought the heed paid to the historical period and the very real implications a transman of the time may have faced were explored well and I am so happy to see that this P&P retelling remained, ultimately, a romance in the fullest sense. And I mean to say, we do indeed get a happy ending here.

Do be mindful that there are many instances of misgendering and deadnaming the protagonist throughout the story, however, I would recommend this fans of the original work as well as those that want to experience classics with a little more diversity in mind.

A heartwarming trans/queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice that should be required reading.

I waited to read this book until I thought I could handle the trauma of what it would be like to be a trans/queer person in Regency-era England, but I should not have waited. This book is a a warm hug. I assumed Oliver would be alone and ostracized but Gabe Cole Novoa has created this beautifully rich story where our main character is surrounded by love and support, while still navigating his identity within society. While Oliver is misgendered by some characters, both the narrator and his support system never do.

Oliver Bennett is the second eldest Bennet sibling who his mother and society at large refers to as Elizabeth. Oliver's older sister knows he is her brother, and he has a lesbian best friend who keeps his male clothes at her house so he can change and be in public as Oliver. When Oliver is at a ball, forced into a gown, he meets Mr. Darcy who is cold and distant. However, when Oliver meets Darcy as himself later in the book, sparks fly.

We see Oliver consistently pushing back against society's expectations, and knowing his own value and worth right from the beginning, which I loved best of all.

At the end of the book there is a short write up about what life was like for queer and trans people during this period in England. I had never heard of Molly houses, or the term Molly. I learned a lot and am disappointed it's taken me this long to know more about it. Don't skip this part of the book!

Let's also take a moment to recognize the amazing voice work done by narrator Harrison Knights. The way he created tension (both hot and cold) between Oliver and Darcy had me holding my breath. I also laughed with joy on how he approached Mr. Bennett (the family patriarch), trust me you'll love him.

This book is best read at your favourite queer-friendly pub, just after slow dancing with your crush.

“I love you, Oliver. Most ardently.”

What a wonderful take on a classic this was. I loved Gabe Cole Novoa’s The Wicked Bargain and this one had the same love put into it.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are classic characters from literature and seeing Novoa’s trans take on them was an illuminating and enjoyable twist. Oliver is a trans man living under the Bennet household and he just wants to be free to be himself—his TRUE self and not the girl that everyone thinks he is. He struggles throughout the story to have friends and family see him for who he is, struggle with the confidence to come out and share who he is. He finds a one Mr. Darcy very likable when he is himself, a boy. he is disgruntled to find that same charming Darcy a complete jerk when Oliver has to pretend to be a girl. Eventually he comes to know Darcy also is attracted to boys and the two share a passionate kiss in a hidden nightclub for people of their ilk.

i really enjoyed Oliver as a character. he was genuine in his feelings, close with his sister and father, and eager to become who he was always meant to be. He isn't ashamed of being a boy at all. He KNOWS who he is. He just has to show the world, which isn’t as easy.

We had villains, a slightly extended plot from the original, and new takes on characters we know and love. It’s hard to read sometimes, hearing Oliver be misgendered and how men just talk about women and marriage in general. Life isn’t easy today for queer people, but we’ve progressed from this age at least.

I really loved seeing Oliver and Darcy’s circling. A classic moody boy, that Darcy. I adored Jane and Bingly. A true revamped classic. I can’t wait to see more from Novoa in the future!

Eternally grateful to NetGalley for letting me listen to this one early!

I was apprehensive about this one because I *adore* Pride and Prejudice and retellings don't always hit the mark for me. This one though, was perfect. I might even like it even more than the original which is saying a LOT. I will definitely be rereading and it's one of my favorite reads this year.

Gabe Cole Novoa managed to create an incredibly faithful retelling that is also very much its own thing, hitting all the familiar beats but changing things just enough to make this version feel perfectly plausible.

Of course Elizabeth is a trans man named Oliver. Of course Darcy is gay. It makes so much sense? The writing was loving and careful and clever. Oliver's dual identity was handled brilliantly as well.

I do have to include a trigger warning for misgendering (unknowing for everyone important to Oliver) and gender dysphoria. It was so vivid to be in Oliver's thoughts and his discomfort and pain at being addressed over and over as a woman (with sexism thrown on top) and being forced into dresses. I really felt for him. It felt real.

I really really identified with Oliver. My own discomfort with femininity made his struggles really ring true. The more he let himself present as a man, the more right it felt and the more painful presenting as a woman became for him.

I absolutely adored the additions of his interactions with Darcy while presenting as a man. That really deepened their connection and made their love story that much more believable.

I am also really, really glad that while most of the conflict in the story is internal as Oliver struggles with whether to come out to his family, they ultimately embrace him. Being nonbinary myself, with the way the world is today -- we need all the happy endings and affirmation we can get.

The audiobook narrator's performance was brilliant and it was so easy to get pulled into the story with all the easily distinguishable voices. I finished it in one sitting and promptly pre-ordered my own copy of the audiobook.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy and early audio copy for review.

Genre: YA queer historical romance, closed door
London, 1812

Oliver Bennet chafes against his role in the large Bennet family, but doesn't know how to tell his family he is the Bennet son and not one of many daughters. All he knows is that he absolutely cannot be anyone's wife. (For those of you familiar with Mrs. Bennet, you'll understand the depth of Oliver's problem...) When he meets Fitzwilliam Darcy while at a ball - unfortunately forced to wear a dress and not as his true self - Oliver sees a boy who is standoffish and proud. When he meets him again, as Oliver, Darcy begins to open up, and Oliver realizes he’s introverted rather than aloof, and someone he desperately wants to spend more time with. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet is still on the quest to marry off her children, and sometimes, a man in possession of good fortune does not, in fact, want a wife.

I'm an absolute sucker for Pride and Prejudice *anything* so when I saw this trans queer regency era Pride and Prejudice, I jumped at the chance to read it. This is decidedly young adult - Oliver is 17 and refers to Darcy as “boy” (I think he may be a couple of years older) - and while I as a reader would have enjoyed it even more as an adult book, I am delighted this is a version of P&P that teenagers can read. There is true joy in Oliver’s ability to connect with and embrace his true self, and watching those around him accept his identity.

Any time I pick up a P&P book, I spend time looking for the similarities and differences between the retelling and the original. Luckily, I reread the Jane Austen original only a few months ago, so it was fairly fresh in my mind. I don’t look to critique, specifically, but look for the choices an author makes as their incorporate or leave out elements from the original. I was pleased with most of the choices, which open up room for queer characters. And maybe a little redemption for Lydia. The setting feels historically appropriate, and I appreciated the author’s note situating legalities and illegalities surrounding a 19th century queer and trans experience.

The audiobook is narrated by Harrison Knights, and I enjoyed listening for the most part. However, I disliked the narrative choice to give Lydia a lisp, which seemed unnecessary. Otherwise, I do recommend the audio, as Harrison Knights brings emotion to the narration from Oliver’s perspective.

I was never a fan of the original Pride and Prejudice, but I really enjoyed this version. Oliver Bennet is not the girl that his family thinks he is. However, since he looks like a girl, he has to go with his sisters to balls and indulge his mother trying to set him up with available bachelors. He meets Darcy at one of those balls. They clash right away. Later on, Oliver meets Darcy again, but this time as his true self. He finds Darcy much more to his liking because as it turns out, Darcy does not like girls.
I liked the interaction between Oliver and Darcy in this book, much more than I did between Elizabeth and Darcy in the original story. It was very sweet and much more enjoyable. The narrator did a great job; he made the story very enjoyable to listen to.

I am just a huge sucker for a Pride & Prejudice retelling and when I found out this one was queer and trans, I needed no further information! I absolutely loved it and really flew through the book, which I read via a mix of the audio and the ebook. It hits all the highlights of the original P&P, but is also unique and has changes that make a lot of sense for this adaptation.

The scenes between Oliver and his family members who know who he is (particularly his dad!) were so sweet and made me feel so many EMOTIONS! What was also surprising to me was the amount of queer/trans joy really exists within these pages! The gender euphoria Oliver experiences when he is able to be truly himself just again, gave me all the emotions.

I gave this a truly enthusiastic 5 stars. Would I have enjoyed it more if it was adult (even closed door)? Yeah, probably but this was still so enjoyable of a reading experience and I'm so so glad it exists.

The audio narration was fantastic - Per the author, the narrator is also trans and I think he brought so much life to the story. I don't always love when narrators do overtly different voices for each character but I actually really liked his vocal choices, particularly for Mr. Bennett. This is also a super quick audio that I was able to finish quite quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Please Please if you are about to listen/read this book listen to or carefully check the TW/CW keep yourself safe friends.

I want to start off that I am incredibly picky when it comes to reimaginings and remakes of P&P so I went in with lowered hopes. I would say that was safe but pretty unjust, this book made me cry quite a bit and I thought quite often where were these soft stories when I grew up (they were probably there just not in a place I could gather them). The story and Oliver were very lovable. I felt like even through the parts that made me feel unwell (deadnaming and just general feelings of being misgender described) I felt comfort. I would be the perfect book for the perfect persons in our lives and yes while some of it did feel a bit much in the sweetness (which is just my opinion the book was lovely) I wouldn’t want it changed for all the money in the world. I needed stories that were this kind of happy and tender growing up and still do. I needed gentleness and acceptance and this book (and others recently being published) are creating more space for more people everytime they are published.

I’ve so been enjoying these remixed classics books and I was really looking forward to this one in particular!

I’m really glad that the author gives good content warnings at the beginning, as for me, a cis person, it was a bit jarring to have Oliver’s POV and having him living so much of his life as Elizabeth. I think Novoa did as good a job as he could have done, writing this particular regency romance (Pride and Prejudice) with a closeted trans boy as our POV character.

Overall, I liked the story, I liked the acceptance that Oliver got from his family, I liked how Mr Darcy was written. I’m still not sure how I feel about the transphobia and homophobia, which is how I always feel when I’m reading historical books about queer folks. Yes, it’s accurate (and in this case, probably not as accurate, as there isn’t that much), but this is also fiction. I always feel a bit off about homophobia or transphobia or anything like that being used as a plot device, as it was here, which is probably why I gave this 4 stars.

Overall, a good read, it fits nicely in with the other books in this series, and a good take at a queer/trans reimagining of Pride and Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice is the book that started my book obsession journey since I was a teenager, so retellings of this book are often hit or miss for me, but in all honesty, I absolutely adored this story.
 
Darcy is queer in this book, and Oliver is a trans boy and the only son of the Bennet family. The appeal of the book is that it is similar to the original but has its own uniqueness, you know what will happen but not actually. I liked the new elements that the author added to this story. Oliver's character is so inspiring because he refuses to settle and throw away his own happiness just because society will frown upon it. Instead, he freely dreams of his own future, which makes him fulfilled. It made me so happy that Oliver was able to be himself around people he trusted so much, with his family and friends. Novoa discusses queerness and how it was to survive at the time in this book. The way the author wrote each character with so much care and attention made my heart ache!
 
Darcy and Oliver's love story was familiar but so unique that it took me by surprise! Their gradual progression of emotions made perfect sense. Their happily ever after was so tender and hopeful! I'm so excited to read more books by this author!

I love Pride and Prejudice so much and any retelling I’m READY FOR.
This was AMAZING!!!
Darcy is gay and the Elizabeth character is a trans boy named Oliver! Oh my god. It was perfect. I loved the queerness brought to the different characters and being able to see what queerness looked like in this era especially with allies and loving family. The villains were perfect and I loved the subtle changes to the original story.
I’m so happy I got an advanced listening copy!
Also the narrator was so fun and the different voice were great!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an alc.

4.5 stars rounded up

I feel like retellings of Pride & Prejudice can be very hit and miss, but I ended up really liking this take on it. Most Ardently features a trans Bennett main character, a queer Darcy, and a queer Charlotte (this last one is often read into the text anyway). It's a clever approach that hits the main plot beats of the original and feels like it gets what Austen was doing, but diverges in ways that make sense and integrate real queer history of the time period. We do know that trans people existed back then too, and there is even a documented case of a trans man inheriting an estate that went through the male line. This offers a really wholesome and lovely version of a classic that reimagines it through a queer lens.

It is worth noting (and this is in an author's note at the start of the book as well) that due to the specifics of the story and the constraints of the time period, much of the book does involve the main character- Oliver Bennett being mis-gendered and mis-named while still living much of the time acting as a woman. But while that is the case and there is some transphobia and homophobia, most of the people that matter are wonderful and supportive. I do recommend this one! And the audio narration is excellent as well. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

What if the main character of Pride and Prejudice was not a girl, but a transgender boy?

That's the intriguing basis for this remix of a classic story. Oliver chafes under the societal expectations that constrict him in girl's clothing and demand that he seek a suitable husband. With the support of only a few people he trusts, he takes every opportunity to experience London dressed as his true self. He makes the acquaintance of Bingley and the infamous Darcy, the latter a handsome boy who immediately draws his attention. But what does the future for Oliver look like? How big does he dare dream?

What this book does fabulously is to center and embrace Oliver. His desires, his difficulties, his worries and joys - both his dysphoria and his euphoria have their time in the spotlight. There are bad moments and people that cross his path, but their potential threat takes a backseat to Oliver's reactions and feelings. The narrative wraps Oliver in a warm, loving shield formed by all the people he cares about. The unanimously positive responses to his truths are perhaps unrealistic, but entirely affirming and cathartic.

The trouble with rewriting a beloved classic is that weaker writing in either the new or the old version is painfully obvious by comparison. Most Ardently rushes to fit too much story into a shorter volume without properly developing the important parts. Who is Oliver outside of being trans? We have no idea, because he never has a chance to be a person outside his gender identity. Oliver and Darcy connect over a love of books and little else, and there's no real tension or depth to their relationship. Even the villains come off a little silly in their highly specific transphobic and homophobic behavior that is speedily and easily dealt with.

While the story takes pride in including erased queer experiences and information from the Regency period, other rules and structures are disregarded if they interrupt the narrative the author has crafted. The Bennets still live at Longbourn, an estate that is somehow either in - or within walking distance of - London. Long distances in general are a mere carriage ride away and time frames on events like weddings are bewilderingly lengthy. Strict etiquette rules around things like introductions, chaperones, or visits are violated or ignored. Oliver's insistence on living openly - and moreso loudly - as a trans gay man highlights the problem with the story: it's a modern worldview only loosely fitted with the trappings of a historical tale. While that's a perfectly valid choice for the author to make, it will be grating for readers who care about authenticity in their historical fiction.

Basically - as the story of a boy struggling with his identity, Most Ardently is meaningful and lovely; as a retelling, it's only mediocre. Your enjoyment depends on what you want from the book!

And speaking of enjoyment, the audiobook version narrated by Harrison Knights is a very pleasant way to read this book. Using only his voice, he sells the historical feel of the material in a way I wouldn't have accepted so easily otherwise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I've been wildly impatient to read this book since I stumbled across it months ago!

I absolutely this remixed classics series. This one didn't disappoint and is well written and I've already pre-ordered the hardcover and kindle editions. I just love the story and direction this author took with it and I applaud Gabe for going this route.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this.

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This bittersweet Pride & Prejudice remix follows a trans boy yearning for the freedom to live openly, centering queerness in a well-known story of longing and subverting society’s patriarchal and cisheteronormative expectations....

As my introduction to the Remixed Classics series, this story did NOT disappoint! The way that Gabe Cole Novoa was able to weave in the trans representation was masterful, keeping the spirit of the original tale while allowing a more diverse audience to see themselves in it. While I knew the steps of the story already, I was eager to see how Novoa would "remix" the characters and plot points, and felt that the intentions of the original story were given even more color with Novoa's adjustments. Oliver was a delightful MMC to root for, laugh with, and feel for, and I was grateful that he was given a happy ending he deserved. This work was a wonderful way to decompress after a long day.

(As noted in the introduction to the story, there are moments of transphobia, homophobia, dysphoria, mysogyny, and dead-naming. Take care as you read.)

Harrison Knights performance was wonderful-- would highly recommend the audio version.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Gabe Cole Novoa for this ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classics, so I just had to read this book and I was not disappointed. This trans retelling was beautiful to read and I thought the author was able to show an accepting family and relationship really well. I also liked seeing how Oliver thought and felt to be truly himself.

This was a great addition to the Remixed Classics series! I loved the trans rep in it, being in Oliver's head was such an honest and heartbreaking experience, but everything ended on a very lovely and positive note which I was so thankful for. I did get a little lost in the middle of the book with all of the politics and drama, and I definitely wanted a lot more emphasis on the romance between Oliver and Darcy. But other than that I thought this was excellent!

🌈 Queer rep: trans man, gay man, MM gay main relationship, bi/pan side characters in a FF relationship

This is the third remixed classic I have had the oppertunity to read and just like the other two I loved it! I really enjoy this concept of taking old stories and reworking them in a wonderfully representative and new way. The struggles explored by the characters in this book felt real and relevent even if it is set in the past. The natation of the audiobook was well done and overall really enjoyed listening to this book.

I am actually having so many emotions about this book. First of all, let me say that the Remixed Classics series is one of my all time favorite ideas. I love taking well known stories and asking: but what if it was queer? what if they weren’t white? what if they weren’t men? This is the third one I’ve read and it’s just as amazing as the others and makes me so excited to read every one in the series.

Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice. The general idea of the story and the way I’ve seen people interact and react to it has always been interesting to me though and I loved another reimagining of the story, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I also love Gabe Cole Novoa’s writing in general, The Wicked Bargain is one of my top favorite reads so when I saw he was writing this and got approved for the ARC I was so pleased.

The thing that got to me the most, I think, was Oliver’s emotions and desires. The way he just wanted so badly to be himself and fought for it, even though it was so scary to do it. His relationship with Jane and his father got me a bit teary eyed more than once.

Each time Oliver came out, while not always intending to do so, I was braced for it to go horribly, but each time I was pleasantly surprised and reassured by the openness and pride that each character reacted with. I think between how society still reacts to trans people today and the way narratives for characters like Oliver usually go, I was expecting blatant and harsh transphobia. And while there was transphobia, for me the blows were softened by the acceptance of his sister, his father, and eventually Darcy and his mother. That being said, please still take care of yourself and know that there is still transphobia, homophobia, dysphoria, and misogyny that Oliver deals with throughout the book. Know what you can handle as a reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!