thank you netgallery for the advanced copy of this book!

I have really liked this story. it is a little cliche, a little fun, and all the more romantic. I could find the tropes I have liked in books before—and I have loved them all the more in a sweet romance such as this one.

I would however just point out that the PDF format of the arc did make it a little hard for me to read it on a mobile phone!

I wish I had started reading this book the way I ended reading it. I started reading it linked to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and looking for all the obvious links between the two books. And it kind of ruined it for me because I wasn't sinking into this wonderful book the way I would have normally.
Once I gave that up and threw myself into the story, I could really embrace and appreciate the work on its own merits. And there are a lot of them.
Without giving anything away, I just loved reading about Ben and Avery and watching how they evolved.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This sweet romance between Ben, a gay man, and Avery. It was fun to read their mild enemies-to-lovers dynamic shifting into heartfelt love. Told from Ben’s POV, it’s filled with a lot of angst, tender moments, and witty humor. I absolutely adored this book for it's sweet, slow-burn romance, with its perfect mix of tension, humor, and tenderness.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*

Pride & Prejudice set in the US and gay bookstore owner Ben Bennett & closeted successful businessman Avery Fitzgerald (maybe I am misremembering the names) create all the drama. They meet because Ben's recently divorced sister Mal meets Avery's bestie Beck (Avery was also married to Beck's sister Leah, oops) at work (English department, really? And Beck is the rich prof? Geez) & they court. So far, so stereotypical. None of the stakes are really high: yeah, Avery has a secret identity, yeah the bookshop isn't doing so well, but whatever? Let's go skiing together. Rich people problems, I guess. Dialogue was fun in parts but overall the characters lacked nuance and depth. I know this is unfair but I dislike how the setting was changed to the US. Cute romance but overall I was...bored? Too much romcom, too little actual Pride & Prejudice+ character development. No depth! Naaajaaaa. 3 stars max

Great read,
Nice to see how they bonded slowly and then hit it off.
I also enjoyed the fact that there 2 romances in the book

Did I finish this book? Yes.
Do I want that time back? Also yes.

This is not a <i>Pride & Prejudice</i> retelling or adaptation or whatever word you want to use. The characters are very loosely modeled after their original counterparts and that's where the connection ends. Sure, the plot tries to mimic some of the story beats we all know so well but I think that actually hurt this story more than helped it. Everything felt contrived because they were forced to fit into a structure that didn't work for these characters.

I experienced one shining moment of excitement at the beginning: this is a story about people in their late-thirties and early-forties. I love that! We could've had a really beautiful story about starting over, learning to be true to yourself, and finding love later in life. Instead, we have Ben and Avery and Mal who all act and sound like college kids. The dialogue and actions did not mesh with their supposed ages AT ALL. It was so disappointing.

There's way too much telling. I wasn't able to connect with the characters. Avery is so hot and cold -- and having finished the book, I know why that happened -- and it's a disaster to read. None of the jokes land; it isn't funny or witty.

This one needs to go back to the drawing board.

<i>Many thanks to NetGalley, Rattling Good Yarns Press, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This is a fantastic read. I haven't been this invested in characters since Red, White & Royal Blue. The book gets off to a slow, rocky start in the first few chapters, but the author soon hits her stride. The action is nonstop, and I couldn't put the book down.

What I loved most was the way her characters had so many dimensions. Ben and Avery each was his own person with distinctive voices and backgrounds. The author wrote them so well that I wanted to know them in real life. The interaction between Ben and Avery is so touching, although each does overreact at times. Ben's angst comes through clearly, as does Avery's wants and desires.

The ending is quite predictable, though, and the "twist" wasn't a twist at all because the author gives heavy-handed hints along the way. Still, I found the book quite enjoyable.

*SPOILERS*
The story isn't without it's problems, but they aren't significant enough to warrant a reduction in rating. First, it's not explained where Ben got all his money. His bookstore is struggling, yet he has the money to fly to a ski holiday in Colorado without wondering for a second if he can afford it. Second, the author introduces us to characters who are never explained, such as Ben's ex named Jack. He's apparently an important part of Ben's history who is causing him to shy away from relationships, yet we get no context in which Jack left. Third, Ben's mom is a caricature of a stereotypical religious parent who refuses to accept her son is gay. The author missed an opportunity for Ben and his mom to have a serious, emotional discussion. Instead, his relationship devolves into an acrimonious on. Yet, he spends time with her, despite her judgmental comments.

Regardless of any deficiencies I mentioned, I highly recommend this book. It's a fun read.

Pride is billed as a "modern, queer twist on Pride and Prejudice" but it's not really. It's a sweet, fluffy romance with a bit of bite to it. Amidst all the cuteness and will-they, won't they tension, it's thought provoking and challenges perceptions about the "right" way to be gay.

I'll be honest, I don't see much resemblance to Pride and Prejudice, and that's why I'm taking a star off. I think the book could have been just as good, possibly even better, without the attempt to tie it in to a classic it has little in common with.

Pride tells the story of Ben Bennett, an almost-40-year-old bookshop owner who somewhat improbably befriends Avery Fitzgerald, a wealthy, snobby-and-aloof-until-you-get-to-know-him, and promptly develops the mother of all crushes on his new bestie. Avery gives off mixed signals and shenanigans and misunderstandings ensue. Even as I thought that sometimes the will-they-or-won't-they went on maybe too long, I didn't ultimately care because it was so fun and I didn't want the book to end. The characters are so well developed and endearing that I just want to keep on reading about their day-to-day lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rattling Good Yarns Press for this ARC!

Rating: 3.5 Stars rounded up.

"Pride" tells the story of 39-year-old Ben Bennet, a bookstore owner in Tulsa. While setting up his sister with another professor at the university she teaches at he meets said professor's best friend, Avery Fitzgerald, someone he is attracted to but doesn't necessarily like at first. However, this changes as they somehow keep meeting again and again, and they get closer and closer...

Overall this was a fun read. I must admit I still haven't read Pride & Prejudice (I know, shame on me!) so I really can't say much in favour of how well this book fares to a fan of the original. However I really don't think not knowing anything about Pride & Prejudice takes away from the reading experience, so if you are like me in that regard there is no need to feel discouraged from reading this.

I thought the romance in this was quite sweet and the MC and love interest had good chemistry. As someone who doesn't enjoy reading smut (or "spice", as the kids today call it) I liked that everything that happened was fade-to-black, however if you read romance books for the "spice" this probably won't be for you.

My only real issue with this is the conflict of this book. Mentioning this is why I am putting a spoiler warning on my review. I think this book would've been perfectly fine, honestly even better, if they had just let the issue be that the love interest was scared of being on the receiving end of homophobia, especially as someone coming from an old-money family. The real conflict just felt a little unnecessary to me, and honestly came out of left field. I enjoyed the way the aspect of homophobia (and the fear of it) was handled in this book, something I feel is often ignored too much in romance-focused LGBT+ books.

Nonetheless, if you are like me and mostly turn your brain off when reading romance you will certainly have a fantastic time with this. As realistic as you'd likely want a book like this to be (which means realistic enough in its real-world aspects but with the right amount of swoonworthiness of the characters), lovely & sweet romance, the right amount of angst – a very enjoyable, easy read.

An adorable, very loose queer retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. What I loved most was the sweet, slow-burn romance between the two leads. Their friends-to-lovers journey felt so genuine, with plenty of adorable moments and little emotional victories along the way. I also appreciated the low-angst vibe—it was comforting to read something that focused on the joy of connection. That said, the story didn’t feel much like Pride and Prejudice. Which was fine, There were a few nods to Austen, but the social critique and angst of the original were mostly absent. Overall, it was a cute and cozy read. If you’re looking for a fluffy queer romance, it’s worth picking up.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. In retrospect, I suppose the fact that the love interest's (Fitz's, can’t remember his first name) feelings and motivations were completely opaque throughout may make sense, since misunderstandings are the whole point of the original story. In combination with the POV character (Ben?) being so scattered and confused, though, it just left me confused and uninterested. I never felt that the two truly got to know each other/drew closer—I was just told that they did. The various supporting characters didn’t make much sense, either. Overall, this simply didn’t work for me.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Ben Bennett's quiet, bookish life is turned upside down when the enigmatic Avery Fitzgerald enters his world. In this delightful reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, author Samantha Ryan offers a heartwarming and hilarious exploration of love, friendship, and self-discovery.

The author masterfully captures the essence of Jane Austen's classic novel, infusing it with contemporary humor and LGBTQ+ representation. Ben and Avery's initial animosity quickly evolves into a complex, endearing relationship filled with witty banter and heartfelt moments.

The supporting characters, including Ben's quirky sister Mal and Avery's charming friends, add depth and humor to the story. The author's vivid descriptions of the bookstore setting and the small-town atmosphere create a cozy and inviting world.

While the plot may be predictable at times, the characters' genuine chemistry and the author's witty dialogue keep the story engaging. The novel's exploration of themes such as self-acceptance, the power of friendship, and the importance of embracing one's true self resonates with readers of all ages.

Overall, Pride is a delightful and heartwarming read that celebrates love, acceptance, and the power of second chances. It's a perfect choice for fans of romantic comedies and historical fiction.

This was such a good book. I absolutely enjoyed it and look forward to reading other books by this author in the future. Great writing and wonderful storyline.

**Thank you, NetGalley, for sending an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What to expect:
📍Friends to lovers
📍Slow burn
📍Bookstore owner
📍Clean romance
📍Cute pet

This review will be shorter than usual. I actually struggled with what to say about this book. The conclusion was that it wasn't for me, because there was nothing wrong with it and no really big problems that bothered me, and yet I didn't enjoy it as much as it deserved. I found it a bit boring for my tastes, and maybe it has something to do with the pacing of the story.

Another detail was that I was expecting a more mature romance because of the synopsis and the age of the characters. However, the book was very YA (nothing wrong with that, just not my favorite genre). The attitudes of these 40-something adults didn't seem appropriate for their age. Some characters behaved in ways that were so foreign to my context, and cared about things that seemed naive to me. Maybe I'm projecting too much of my personal situation as I read. I'm not sure, but something was missing.

Don't be misled by my impressions if you're interested in the book, though. I think lovers of classic romance will like it, it has a style that reminds a bit of Jane Austen. And if you're looking for a clean romance with a YA vibe, this is the book for you!

Not the P&P retelling I was wanting, but a queer romance with a charming and wholesome story about being comfortable with who you are and finding someone who accepts all of you. It was sweet and cute. As a P&P retelling, I was not really into it. Honestly, at the beginning of this read, I was constantly trying to find the thread, trying to find the beloved characters and interactions you expect from P&P. Once I realized I was not going to find what I was looking for and that it was hurting my experience of the book, I let it go. I took that aspect out of the narrative and enjoyed it so much more. So, don't go into this expecting a P&P retelling. Go in looking for an utterly charming queer romance about two men finding themselves and each other.

This is the queer rom com version of Pride and Prejudice. For people who know the source material well, there are many nuggets to squeal at. One of the challenges of bringing this story into the modern world is maintaining the urgency of the situation as it compares to marriage and proposals. Samantha steps away from that urgency. No one is trying to get married. The marriage proposal that Lizzie turns down doesn't happen in this story. Samantha also separates from the original story by moving through the “dislike” phase of Ben and Avery’s relationship very quickly. They become unlikely best friends. With that, we got a lot of Ben and Avery interaction. It lacks the tension of the original tale, but it replaced with pining on Ben's side. Ben is saddled with the undesirable position of having a crush on a friend he believes is straight. Because Avery is grappling with his own understanding of his sexuality and his choice to live his life out, I understand how Ben could believe being offered a place in Avery’s hotel bed on a trip might not ring as Avery having a crush on him. But come on! I was screaming. I also screamed when we got fade to black scenes. WHY? Why must it fade?

When the book description starts off by mentioning one of the characters owns a bookstore, I know I’ll be reading it. Plus, to top it off, this book is set in Tulsa, OK, just a couple hours down the road from me. I love it when I find a book set in my part of the country.

Ben and Avery were great characters; it was so much fun to read their journey towards one another. Add to that that Avery seems to be hiding something and you’ve got a recipe for a great book that will hold your attention (at least it did mine!).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for this copy of the book.

I gave it 3.5 stars.
I thought that the plot was really interesting. The concept of the author who is secretly the love interest is definitely interesting. However, I felt like the author did not set things up well enough. If there were more hints as to the plot points at the end, then. I think this book could get 4 or 4.5 stars. However, instead there was not a lot of setup for a lot of the plot points.
Additionally, I felt like the way that the characters were set up more by telling me what their personality was then showing that that is their personality traits. This is a bit of a minor knitpick buck it still brought down the book a little bit. This also led to the characters sometimes behaving in ways that seemed inconsistent with themselves, which again, could have been prevented with more showing less telling.
Finally, I feel like the moral lessons could have been better hidden. The parts of the book where the main character has a sort of internal semi-fourth wall breaking conversation about acceptance are good, and clearly the message of the book, but the longer the book went on the more it happened and I felt like building them better into the narrative would improve the book.
Overall, though, the narrative was good, and the plot was good. The book was still fun to read, it just needed a little bit better setup for the plot and characters.

📚📝 Pride by Samantha Ryan is a sparkling, modern-day queer take on Pride and Prejudice that was pure joy from start to finish!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5/5 stars
Ben Bennett, a lovable 39-year-old bookstore owner in Tulsa, is comfortable in his life and values his family (even the overbearing Mrs. Bennet), his beloved cat Ziggy, his Sunday rom-com nights with his sister Mallory, and his love of gay romance novels. Enter Avery Fitzgerald, the alluring, enigmatic son of a Big Oil dynasty, who keeps surprising Ben in both tender and thoughtful ways. Despite being wealthy and charismatic, Avery has his own vulnerabilities, and the chemistry between these two is undeniable as their friendship deepens amidst hints of something more.
From classic tropes like "one bed" and "friends to lovers" to Avery's hidden identity and the heartwarming homage to Pride and Prejudice, every detail is beautifully woven. The plot twist, along with nods to the original story's iconic scenes, added depth and excitement, especially during their final heart-to-heart that mirrors Elizabeth and Darcy’s legendary conversation. This is a fresh and heartfelt love story perfect for fans of queer romance, slow-burn pining, and literary classics!

#pride #samantharyan #queerromance #gayromance #comingoutlaterinlife #mrdarcy #onebed #skitrip #knowshiscoffeeorder #masquerade

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.