First off, I think nobody should ever set someone up on a blind date with a pastor. 😂😂😂I feel like that's the sort of first date where you'd rather have this detail prior.

And so chatty, too!
'I hoped he would find a nice man who was either an incredibly good listener—or potentially hard of hearing.'💀💀💀

This is a really sweet romance featuring two 40-ish MCs. Ben, who's known he was gay since he was 12, and Avery, who's seemingly very straight.

And them two rub each other- the wrong way, almost from the instant they meet. Until things begin to shift.

We only get Ben's POV, so we have a lot about him spiraling over falling for YET another straight guy, and agonizing whether it's worth ruining the friendship to confess his doomed feelings.

Ben legitimately believing that if he told Avery about his feelings and got rejected, he'd die is very relatable to me.😂

Because what do you mean I've told someone about my feelings and they now continue to exist but also, other people know about them now?

The angst revolves around that but through it all is a man so in love that he's willing to walk away if it means keeping a friendship that's become so important to him, and another that's so in love he's willing to face his lifelong fears if it means getting a chance at happiness.

And when Avery was having imposter syndrome about feeling like he belongs at Pride....
"Just remember, we’ve slept together. It doesn’t get gayer than that."
💀

Well....

Overall a sweet, mild enemies to lovers (much in the same way as Elizabeth and Darcy in that nobody can figure out what on earth they have against each other —including them) with low angst.

And I loved how the title could be interpreted in many contexts, given the story.

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up

"Pride" was a conflicting read for me. It's a fairly low-stakes MLM romance that loosely is based off of Pride & Prejudice and I mean LOOSELY. For how this book was marketed I expected a modern retelling. The most it pulls from P&P is names and a little bit of the relationships within.

The good parts:
The plot was fairly easy to follow and it was a quick read, maybe 6 hours at most. The characters were easy to root for and the inclusion of a non-binary character was nice. It will give you some nice warm and fuzzy feelings.

The meh parts:
The ending was very abrupt and didn't leave me feeling super satisfied about Avery's inner growth. This book also most definitely reads like an "mlm book written by a cishet woman" and while I'm not aware of Ryan's sexuality, nor do I claim to define it, it gives off VERY minor gay fetishization. This may be a personal thing.

I think that this book has it's merits and while it was a fairly cozy read it still wasn't a something overly outstanding.

Loved this book. Its so great to see that everyone's coming out story is different and unique and you dont have to figure everything out by the age of 40. You have doubts and insecurities and come out when its right for you.

I’m not sure this is really a retelling of P&P (I read of lot of retelling of P&P, some of them are modern retelling, but this one doesn’t sit right with me, it’s seem just inspired by than a real retelling) but I quite love the story. Ben is my son, I adopted him, just for you to know. And I’m in love with Avert, oh my God, such a complex characters.
I just wanted a little more deepness for some of the themes this novel is about, but the love story is really well written.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

A cozy, quick read and while I can see where it started with its pride and prejudice roots it fell short.

I’ve read a few retellings of Pride and Prejudice this year and this one was just okay. I wasn’t attached to either character, I thought their points of contention were silly, and the romance was eh.

This was a very low-angst, slow burn romance. I enjoyed the cozy, lazy river feel of it. I didn't have to worry too much about where the story was going to take me. There were certainly P&P parellels however it was lacking in the pride and prejudice. Obviously retellings don't have to be 1:1 but I would have enjoyed this story more if the comparison to P&P wasn't lurking in the shadows. It would have better as it's own seperate entity. Overall enjoyable and I recomend this read to anyone looking for something warm and easy.

I loved this book. There were times that I wanted to sit the MMC’s down and give them a stern talking to about how silly they were being but that is to be expected when the characters are so relatable. I didn’t like that they were referred to as boys when they are grown men (both over 40) but it was lovely reading a romance book with more mature characters. I’d love to know more about them but I think that would drag the story down too much. Perhaps we could get more information as novellas or bonus chapters.

This is a must read., as a gay man. it is a must read. The way this book had me in a choke hold with the characters and story line. It did a solid good job on portraying feelings and reactions. As a reader I want to be taken into a word, escape and this book did exactly just that.

This was cute!

The formatting threw me off quite a bit, which I think is just an ARC thing, but with so much texting I wish there’d been a clear difference between that and the rest of the writing. Sometimes this made it hard to follow who was speaking or writing, which was a shame.

All in all, this was a fun, quick read. It wasn’t particularly heavy on the Pride & Prejudice elements, though I didn’t go in wishing for that particularly. The writing was a little clunky at times - not bad, necessarily, it just seemed a little inexperienced (not sure if that’s actually the case, though).

This story relies quite a lot on miscommunication and just-not-communicating, which I both most ardently dislike. Particularly with regard to the (internalized) homophobia, I think it’s a shame we never got any kind of confrontation (or discussion at least) due to Ben’s conflict avoidance/lack of assertiveness. I think this also halted the relationship development, since Ben spent a lot of time assuming Avery’s thoughts and feelings, rather than asking him and starting a conversation. Oh well…

I do love a P&P retelling! This has some great aspects - loved the characters of Ben & Avery; The "Mr Collins" bowling date was hilarious - particularly like the intro of the only 2 reasons an adult would ask another adult to go bowling. The first half follows P&P's plot closely enough to be enjoyable / anticipating how various plot landmarks will be interpreted, but not SO closely that it is annoying - it's just right. I love Avery standing up for Ben to his horrid mother - that is definitely one of the highlights.

The second half falls a little bit apart, I think it loses some of the P&P framework; I never felt like I really KNEW Ben, and more-so Avery's character very well (though some of this was intentional) but still felt a bit lightly sketched sometimes; the ski-vacation is very vague, as are some other things like Avery getting Ben a book he really wanted as a gift, but WHAT book is never said.

The big reveal at the end is pretty good.... but also an almost unbelievable twist for what we know of Avery -- still, I do like his coming to realize who he really is.

Overall a fun read -- think the 1/2 half could have been a bit stronger/more P&P-linked, and some of the settings and characters could be more detailed -- but definitely enjoyable for P&P fans!! Ben & Avery were lovely!

Very cute queer Pride & Prejudice retelling in a cozy bookstore setting. I'm a big fan of tropes likes friends to lovers and slow burn, so I really enjoyed this.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.**

I was blown away by this debut novel! I could hardly believe it was a first-time effort after finishing—it was so well-crafted!

Now, onto my review:

Imagine *Pride and Prejudice* meets *Notting Hill* meets *Bridget Jones's Diary*, but set in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Yes, please!✨

So yeah, I totally fell for this one. As a lover of all those kitschy ’90s romance movies, this book felt like the literary equivalent! The romance between Avery and Ben was beautifully slow-burn—an entire year of getting to know each other without even a peck on the cheek. Talk about tension! The build-up between them as they transitioned from friends to something more was so intense that I found myself grinning like a fool. (And Ziggy, Ben’s cat, made the waiting game much more bearable 🐱.)

Ben’s dry humor was *so* relatable—I couldn’t help but adore him. Avery, on the other hand, is harder to pin down, but he and Ben were a perfect match. And then there’s this hilarious moment:

"Hair is new? Did I really just say his hair was new, like it was a cheap wig he had purchased as an Amazon impulse buy while drunk one night? I kicked myself mentally."

That being said, there were two aspects that I didn’t enjoy:

1. Ben’s reaction to Avery’s "coming out"- I thought it was incredibly romantic for Avery to surprise him by dedicating a book to the love of his life, bringing all the attention to Ben’s bookstore. While I understand Ben felt blindsided by Avery’s secret identity, his reaction was a bit over the top. Sulking and storming off as if Avery had betrayed him felt childish, especially when Avery had valid reasons for keeping his other persona under wraps.

2. Ben’s mother—What a narcissistic, homophobic, miserable hag. I wish her the worst in the world 🥰

3. I would’ve enjoyed to see more of Tulsa on paper. They did mention the city some time but it would’ve been nice too see WHY and some connection beside stating that Ben loves it there.

Lastly, the slow burn. It REALLY tested my patience! By the time I got to the end, I was so desperate for them to finally kiss that I ended up devouring the entire book in one night. Waiting any longer wasn’t an option—I’m not a seasoned smut reader for nothing!

(And can we talk about this gem of a line?)

"Was he taking pain pills before our session? I tried, with as much effort as I could manage, to not internalize the idea that my therapist needed extra pain relief before I showed up."

The humor was on point throughout the story, which made the slow burn worth the wait.🤭

This was an amazing book, and I’ll definitely be grabbing a physical copy just so I can highlight all of Ben’s witty remarks and puns. 😩

4.5 ⭐️

This was a cute, heartwarming rom-com between two middle-aged men who couldn't be more different, but can't help falling in love. It didn't feel much like a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but more like its own story, but it was still very enjoyable, and I enjoyed reading it.

I loved this. It was such a fun book to read and a great queer romance. It was a great read and I found myself smiling often when I was reading their blooming relationship.

3.5 stars- I picked this up because I really enjoy Pride & Prejudice retellings. I liked the writing, it felt very personal and I liked how it touched on queer identity and romance- the difficulties and vulnerability of being out, of being with partners who don't necessarily feel the same. I think an essential part of any P&P retelling is the banter between the two protagonists, and I thought Ben and Avery's banter was great- I liked that it was clear that Avery had feelings for Ben throughout. If anything, I wish we got more of Ben processing these feelings and reacting to them- instead, he'd often just move on, but one of the best parts of romances is the thrilling feeling that someone may like you back. I also liked the ending and the "final twist"- it was sweet and a good finish to the book. I do wish the pacing was a bit faster, but overall I enjoyed this and am excited to see what Samantha Ryan writes next!

What a great queer representation of pride and prejudice

It’s a cosy MM friends to lovers romance

Very likeable character I loved the dynamic between Ben and Avery

Pride is a modern m/m retelling of Pride & Prejudice. Ben Bennett is the owner of a small bookstore that is barely hanging in there. Avery Fitzgerald is a wealthy developer who travels often for work. They meet when Ben’s sister Mallory and Avery’s best friend Beck invite them respectively to a work mixer.

Overall I found Pride to be a warm and cozy romance. There is a slow slow burn as Ben and Avery work their way from a maybe friendship to something more. There is enough fun banter and palpable tension in their interactions to make the relationship interesting and natural. I loved Ben Bennet as the indie bookshop owner with a cat, and a more reserved Avery who seems to always pop up around Ben. I loved the sibling relationship between Ben and Mallory. I think this book is rather loosely tied to Pride & Prejudice which is perfect for me because I enjoy more plot creativity and less of a strict retelling structure. The social hierarchy aspect is still apparent but not as big of a factor as in the original novel. Instead, we have a very enjoyable and sweet rom/com about miscommunication and self discovery.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

* M/M
* Close proximity
* One bed
* Friends to lovers
* Opposites attract
* Secrets
* Slow burn

I am 100% down for a gay Pride & Prejudice retelling. I need more of these on my life. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t hit the right notes for me.

Ben is the owner of a cozy bookstore. When his sister Mal starts dating a rich professor, Beck, Ben finds himself developing a friendship with Beck’s best friend, Avery. As far as Pride & Prejudice retellings go, this is very loosely based on the original story. The only real similarities are the names and the very bare bones outline of the character (i.e. sister’s boyfriend’s rich best friend). From there, really nothing is related to the original story. This is fine, but I expected a closer relationship to the novel given the title and the way this book was marketed. The story itself felt a little all over the place. We’re left at the end with several loose threads and things that should have been more central to the plot are barely touched on.

Overall I thought this was a cute story with pretty likable main characters, but it just missed the mark for me.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

When I saw the name of the book, I just knew I had to read it. Pride drew me in immediately and I finished it in two days wishing it was longer.

Ben was such a down-to-Earth character. It felt like he made peace with his surroundings, at least from the outside. Like the fact that his mom will always find a way to remark about him being gay (like it's something he can change / decide on) or that eveyone around him simply must comment on his bookstore. Avery, on the other hand, had this smart, mysterious, rich vibe and felt like the opposite of Ben. Two men, two different worlds, but somehow their friendship bloomed.

The dialogues were amazing. It's been a while since I read such funny conversations in a book and the couple's banter felt natural, overall showed their relationship and its growth. I would say it's a very slow burn. Even though the men spent a lot of time together, only time from time there were small hints of their friendship slowly growing into romantic relationship territory. And with Avery being an extremely closed person, it was hard to say, how he saw Ben.

I did have an issue with the amount of drinking in this book. It was like Ben and Avery's meetings always had to include a drink, which, I get it, maybe made both men a bit braver, but started to bother me as soon as I realised how many times the drinks were mentioned. And I was a little disappointed when fade-to-black happened: the build-up was great & then no reward.

Overall, the story was very interesting, I didn't see any of the big reveals coming, I was simply enjoying a gread read. My absolute favourite part was the end: oh how beautifully the meaning of the novel's name got revealed!