What could be better? I loved the stunning art in this graphic novel. Tensions are high regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and class in this historical setting but covered in a way that feels timeless and timely. Oh, and speaking of tension— the tension between two of the main characters was through the roof! This is very fun while still taking on serious issues that have been present in our society for centuries and are still, unfortunately, pressing matters impacting communities everywhere. Love and grief, joy and fear, growth and apprehension, comfort and agony— it all goes hand-in-hand in this graphic novel and in life. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

For some reason I didn’t vibe with this book.

I almost dnf-ed this a few times. I’m not always a big historical fan. I was motivated cause I was excited to read the trans rep. Which honestly was definitely good and I liked George’s story. I was just bored a lot of the time

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and Harper Alley for the chance to review this book, all thoughts are my own.

This lovely YA graphic novel was the perfect combination of charming and engaging and the art was just beautiful!

I Shall Never Fall in Love is described as Jane Austen inspired but I definitely saw Emma as being the main inspiration right away. Emma is my favorite JA novel and I will literally read any and all adaptations. I will say that my favorite retellings are the ones that acknowledge the original (through character names, plot points, etc) but still have their own spin - and this graphic novel fit that perfectly! You saw a lot of the Emma plot points played out and characters that line up with the original but all of George’s storyline felt entirely unique and I loved how seamlessly it fit into the Emma side of the story. (I am not super familiar with the plot points of ALL Jane Austen novels so it’s possible George’s part was inspired by another book).

The art was beautiful, the story was interesting, I loved the different characters, and that it was inclusive but showed the repercussions of not being white/straight/cis in Regency England and addressed real life social issues. I appreciated Ellie being called out for her privilege (while still staying true to that Emma inspired personality). And of course George’s journey to figure out who they are and how to be themselves in an incredibly binary society.

Highly recommend to Jane Austen fans, historical fiction fans, and of course, fans of queer stories!

4.5*

George is enjoying life as much as they can with their two close friends, Eleanor and Charlotte. Things are good as long as they ignore the fact that they have to wear men’s clothing in secret and dodge their aunt’s attempts at finding them a husband. Meanwhile, Eleanor and Charlotte are excited at facing their marriage prospects, only Eleanor can’t picture falling in love with a man and most of Charlotte’s potential suitors see her as beneath them. As they all reach adulthood, they’re facing their friendships falling apart and learning that what’s considered proper isn’t always right.

I absolutely loved this and the Jane Austen and Little Women vibes it gave. We follow George, Eleanor, and Charlotte through their rotating perspectives, but we mainly follow George and Eleanor. It starts out as following a great friendship between the trio before the cracks start to appear as adulthood and the realities of the pressures of society begin to take their toll. I don’t want to say too much and accidentally spoil the story, but it was an excellent read. The storytelling is wonderful and I especially loved seeing how the characters grew as the story progressed.

The artwork is stunning and I loved seeing some of the concept art at the end of the book. It also includes a crash course in history at the end with some resources for readers to check out! I can’t wait to check out more of Hari Conner's other work because this was amazing.

I feel like saying this is "inspired by Jane Austen" is burying the lede a bit: it's basically an Emma retelling. But the twist is that a couple of the characters were inspired by real life historical figures, including Anne Lister/Gentleman Jack and Dido Elizabeth Belle. I Shall Never Fall in Love is a funny, sweet, and surprisingly emotionally complex story with beautiful artwork. The societal issues of the time period are not ignored, but a hopeful and positive tone is maintained through to the ending. The friends-to-lovers romance was very cute, and the conflicts between Eleanor and George were realistic and well-written. In my mind Eleanor is a-spec, maybe demi, and her "Oh my gosh, I love Josh!" moment was great. The historical research notes included in the back were also appreciated! 4.5 stars

This was wonderful! I picked this up because I saw that is a queer trans YA regency graphic novel and it gave me exactly that and I’m happy for it.

I know it was described as a mashup of Jane Austen novels, but it’s almost entirely based on Emma, which I am NOT complaining about, as that’s my favorite Jane Austen story. The reimagination of Emma and Knightley’s relationship was great; I loooved the friends to lovers storyline with George and Eleanor. The pining between them was so good and I love that Eleanor is the taller one. For some reason the scene of Eleanor teaching George to dance made me TEAR UP. And her realization scene?? Oh my god 🥹

I liked that it addresses Eleanor’s privilege and made that part of what she needed to work through, and although the author didn’t need any justification to include non-white and non-cishet characters, the history corner at the end was a great touch, fact checking what happened in the book and including references!

I loved the funny, slightly meme-y at times tone and the art was very cute and funny; the part where Eleanor tells George about Philip’s proposal made me literally laugh out loud. The chapter intro pages were also especially gorgeous and I’m seriously considering buying a copy of this to own once it comes out!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story, the art style, the drama, this was such a great read. I loved seeing the characters grow and learn more about themselves and what they believe in throughout the story.

Not bad but I think I’m not the target audience. Also I wanted the author to focus a little more on how race and class would effect the characters.

This book is going to be a MUST READ for any fan of Austen and queer YA graphic novels. The characters were wonderfully messy and the ending was perfection. I definitely need this on my physical shelf so I’m headed to go preorder….if it’s a possibility!! The art style also, was perfect for this story. I really can’t wait to hold this in my hand!

LOVED this graphic novel. The art style is gorgeous, and I loved the characters so so much.

I love how it was able to depict queer joy in an accurate way. It doesn’t shy away from the issues of the times, but gives these characters happy lives and happy endings that suite the setting.

Just from reading, It was clear how much research and care went into crafting this book. and then after following the author online I got a look into just how much work was put into making this a realistic, historical story of queer joy

This book is headed straight to my wish list, I need a copy for my personal library

An incredible YA graphic novel romance and coming-of-age story. I loved everything about! The friends are messy and in each other’s business, finding themselves and first love. It was funny, touching, joyful and had three happily-ever-afters (if I counted right!) while acknowledging the realities these characters would have faced in the Regency, including fortunes built on slavery, racism, poverty, homophobia, and women’s rights throughout the story. Highly recommend!!!

This book was cute! I enjoyed the characters and thought the art style was fun. I loved that the author had some sources and a mini history lesson at the end because it perfectly answered any questions I might have had. The characters felt quite real, with flaws and everything. And, I loved the time period, it felt very Austen.

I would recommend this book if you want Austen vibes with queer characters, and a storyline that has you screaming "Just kiss already!!"

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Firstly, a HUGE thank you so NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I loved loved loved this graphic novel!! The art style is super adorable and the writing is so good! The characters are so believable and truly felt real. George is probably one of my favorite characters now, and it took awhile, but Eleanor really came through for us in the end!

I also just loved how Austenian this whole story felt, and loved the lines that took inspiration from Jane Austen’s works directly! The history corner at the end was very appreciated, as well!! I even learned a few things about the time that I had never heard of until now.

All in all, an amazing story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a queer regency romcom!

This was so sweet! It was so easy to fall in love with these characters and this spin on Emma made it feel fresh and at points, very funny. I think this definitely going to be talked about when it comes out.

This was one of my most anticipated released of the year and it absolutely did not disappoint!! Queer regency graphic novel by the creator of one of my favorite webcomics?? Of course it was going to be great! I love that this really did have the feel of an Austen work (including all the direct references!) while holding space for stories of marginalized people in a time you often don't get to see them living full lives. The art was lovely, of course, and I especially loved all of Eleanor's reactions to everything around her, honestly so funny! And all that with some lovely back matter on historical context and resources to learn more!! Oh I just loved every second of this!!

I really really loved this graphic novel. As a historical romance reader, I absolutely loved how the creator captured the feel of the era. I also loved all the queer representation in the story. The characters were fleshed out and engaging, and I was rooting for the two main characters the whole time. The artwork is absolutely beautiful as well. I also really appreciated the extra historical information and context added at the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAlley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh this book was so lovely. Essentially, mix up a bunch of Jane Austen stories and turn them into a sweet, queer graphic novel. The art was perfect and I enjoyed being able to pick out which books plot lines came from and seeing what new story elements the author added. I also really appreciated the q&a at the end explaining the queer and POC history for when the story took place. Highly recommend.

5 stars

Heartstoppers + Jane Austen = I Shall Never Fall in Love. This book is the queer friends-to-lovers romance in Regency England you never knew you needed. Part social critique, part slow-burn romance, this book is a wonderful (and much needed) addition to the queer historical fiction genre. I especially enjoyed the graphics and information in the "author's research" section at the end of the book (which I have never seen before in a fictional graphic novel).

This book was such an important read - stories about LGBTIA people throughout history are necessary. I loved the artwork as well. I do think the story was a little bit repetitive and took a long time to get where it needed to go; if possible I would cut a little. Overall a great book, that I would absolutely purchase and will recommend at my library.

How cute is this retelling if Jane Austens Emma. This was such a delight from start to end, the unique relling was such a fun version. It's right up there with Clueless in.my opinion. The art is fantastic as well. I finished this so fast, I really look forward to the authors future takes on classics. This will be a definite addition to my physical bookshelf.

This book was given to me by NetGalley but all opinions and reviews are my own.