Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite books, and I love to read spinoffs or retellings of it. Samantha Ryan did a great job crafting Austen's work into a fresh spin. Almost all the books I read anymore are MM, and I loved this one! It's hard to believe this was Ryan's debut because this was a flawless romance with realistic characters that you were rooting for. I am looking forward to more books by this author.

This book is a romantic story between Ben, a bookstore owner, and Avery, a divorced professor. Ben is a very normal guy who still struggles with being confident in himself. His mother is always remarking on him being gay like that somehow changed him. Avery is a much more mysterious, smart, and wealthy. They have very different vibes but somehow work together and build a strong friendship before their relationship starts.

Not going to lie this book did not really seem like a Pride & Prejudice retelling. The only character that is sort of like their Pride and Prejudice counterpart is Stanford who is based on Mr. Wickham. Stanford starts pursuing Ben at a New Year's party with Avery in attendance and Standford kisses Ben at midnight which causes tension between Ben and Avery.

I did really like this book, however, I would not market it as a Pride & Prejudice retelling.

1.5 -rated up because at least it was pretty short, even if it took me ages to get through. SPOILERS AHEAD (It's designated with spoilers on Goodreads).

I wanted to like this. I really did. Pride and Prejudice meets You've Got Mail...sign me up (and I did, for an ARC, thanks NetGalley and the publisher ... all opinions are my own).

It started off cute enough, but quickly became grating. I personally didn't love the writing style and the dialogue didn't really hit for me, but the low rating is actually due to a few specific points.

- One of the things I was excited for was main characters that were close to my age (late 30s, early 40s, etc.). While these main characters were allegedly in that age range, nothing about them could convince me they were actually in that age range. They acted and spoke and responded like teenagers or very young adults. Which brings me to my next point...

- The drinking culture in this book was off the rails. Like every interaction involved alcohol, no matter the time of day. I was a pretty big partier in my 20s and early 30s, but now, the hangover and side effects are just not worth it. Also all the drinking and driving is a specific trigger for me that was a real turn-off.

- A lot of the situations and dialogue don't actually make sense. People are reacting to things that haven't happened. Ben is especially guilty of this. He supposes a lot about Avery that just has never been shown on the page.

- Which brings me to my final point...is Ben biphobic? This book has sooooo much bi erasure by the constant insistence of the main character that the love interest is straight, despite all indication he is queer and despite everyone else being able to clock his interest in the main character. Like, it was uncomfortable to read.

Look, there were a lot of other little things I didn't love, but these were my four biggest issues, and unfortunately, they were ALL throughout the book. I wanted to love it. I just didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

Author Samantha Ryan crafts a compelling world with two very likable characters, Ben and Avery. I especially appreciated the inclusion of nonbinary characters and the way the story addressed LGBTQ+ hate crimes, all while giving us a refreshing romance between two characters in their 40s.

While I enjoyed the book overall, there was one moment that gave me pause regarding consent. Both characters were inebriated, but one was clearly more impaired than the other. The main character internally acknowledges not wanting to engage in physical activities while intoxicated—even explicitly saying "no"—yet they end up doing so anyway. This felt unsettling, especially considering it was their first time together.

Despite this, I truly enjoyed the book and absolutely loved Samantha Ryan's writing style. I can't wait to read more from them in the future!

This book follows Ben, the owner of a cozy bookstore, who finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Avery—his sister Mal’s boyfriend’s best friend. The story unfolds entirely from Ben’s point of view, filled with humor, self-doubt, and a slow realization that Avery might not be as straight as he assumes. The will-they-won’t-they dynamic is both frustrating and delightful, and the slow-burn romance genuinely gave me butterflies at times.

While this was marketed as a Pride & Prejudice retelling, the connections are tenuous at best—beyond some character archetypes, it really stands on its own. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but for readers expecting a stronger tie-in, it might be disappointing. The plot itself felt somewhat scattered, with certain threads barely touched on, leaving loose ends by the conclusion.

One of the strongest aspects of the book was its portrayal of older characters in romance. It’s refreshing to see protagonists in their 40s navigating love, showing that self-discovery and connection aren’t limited to your 20s. Avery is a particularly compelling character, playing his cards close to his chest, yet his feelings for Ben are clear to the reader—if not always to Ben himself. However, Ben sometimes reads younger than his age, and his judgment occasionally feels off, making some of his reactions hard to take seriously.

A few issues held this back from being a great read for me. The conflict felt abrupt, with little build-up, and the almost third-act breakup resolved itself so quickly that it barely seemed necessary. Additionally, there’s a sense of bi-erasure in the way Ben perceives Avery—first insisting he’s straight, then immediately assuming he must be gay once attraction is confirmed. A more nuanced discussion of sexuality would have strengthened the story.

Overall, this is a cute, slow-burn romance with likable characters and some wonderful moments, but it falls short in execution. If you’re looking for a Pride & Prejudice-inspired queer romance with a cozy feel, you may enjoy it—just don’t expect a perfectly polished experience.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved how Avery and Ben's random first meeting created a friendship that developed as they learnt more about each other and spent time together.

It held no real surprises, and whilst it's billed as a Pride and Prejudice retelling, I just enjoyed it for what it was; a sweet romantic story that made me laugh and made me happy.

It was absolutely stunning. My favorite book so far this year. Very cute, and it came together nicely as far as a retelling goes.

3.75*
This is told from the 1st person M!Elizabeth Bennet(t) POV. Ironically noted in an email he receives with Bennet spelled correctly for canon (as Bennet), but incorrectly for this story (where it is spelled Bennett). I think that I did myself a disservice by knowing that this was a P&P re-imagining (because I read a lot of JAFF - I mean a LOT - an embarrassingly large amount - thanks lockdown!) so I kept looking for parallels and differences in characters and plot which threw me out of the story. If I hadn't know, some it would have dawned on me later but with far less distraction and I would have enjoyed the story for the story's sake.
Ben was a sweet character (honestly I didn't get the original semi (short lived) antagonism towards Avery at the start of the novel who was decidedly not canon Darcy like for the most part (there is irony there, but I won't spoil it). Oh well, it was short lived. ODC's journey was a little bittersweet until they finally got to their HEA.
The Wickham character is reliably Wickham as in most universes, the Jane character is a mash-up as are most of the rest. The canon Mrs Bennet & Elizabeth relationship also seems universal which was both horrifying and funny at the same time (from a reader's POV).

I received a free copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Rattling Good Yarns Press for the ARC.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While the story itself was enough to keep my interest to the end, the writing was pretty wobbly, and either my memories of "Pride and Prejudice" are seriously confused or the comparison is...mostly nonexistent besides a few character names and the Darcy stand in being a bit of a dick. The romance didn't really grab me until most of the way through, and I think that was really down to the poor character development. I didn't really feel like I actually knew any of the characters at all. This is one book I genuinely feel would have truly benefited from a split POV, as Avery's motivations were completely mysterious (though the big twist was telegraphed, waved in semaphore, and flown from the back of a small plane from about the first third).

The funny thing is that all that aside, I did genuinely really enjoy this and for someone who DNFs with reckless abandon I wasn't even tempted to put it down. It's certainly rough, but it has a sort of unpolished charm that I found quite appealing. I feel like this is the kind of thing your friend sends you a chapter at a time over Discord while you're virtually screaming in delight, and it isn't until you reread it as a whole that you go "oh dang there are some serious issues here." I'll certainly look forward to Ryan's future work and will be buying this when it releases with the hope that this was a rough draft and some of the edges will be ironed out for publication.

In this queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Pride: A Novel by Samantha Ryan is a beautiful romance. Even though you really do expect the happily ever after at the end of the novel, getting there is most of the fun. From the witty banter between Ben and Avery to the reveals into Avery, this story was a loving and lovely read.
I loved the interactions between Ben and Avery, the witty banter but also the more intimate moments. And even though there is really nothing overtly sexual on the page, the story is incredibly intimate and romantic. It is very much a story of being gay, of being open with who you are but also being open to love. While Ben is open, he has to learn to be open to love and Avery has to learn to be open to others. I love the beats that dovetail with Pride and Prejudice, that are twisted to create a queer story.
If you like queer romances where the two leads must learn to be open with each other, this is the novel for you. The romance is well written, the intimacy between Ben and Avery is compelling and this is a beautiful romance that is just a pleasure to read.

Here's my little disclaimer off the bat: I will never, ever turn my nose up at a gay Pride & Prejudice retelling. I've read so many bad ones and been burned so many times but I will never give up on the pursuit. Someday I will read one that does everything right and pushes all the right buttons and then all of my torment will have been worth it.

And as far as that list goes, Pride actually ranks pretty near the top for me. I don't really know why... the book itself has a lot of issues. It's too short-- just because it's a retelling, doesn't mean you can skimp on the details. It skips over a lot of important developments and makes a lot of really bold characterization claims with no evidence, like Ben calling himself self-loathing even though he exhibits no signs of it and actually seems very able to stand up for himself and ask for what he wants, and claiming that Avery is socially awkward when he literally charms every person he meets and is on great terms with everyone.

Avery as a whole I have so many questions about, because he's so un-Darcy it's almost comical, and if you're going to write a P&P retelling then why eliminate the best parts of P&P? That being said, Avery was probably my favorite character, and his dogged and obvious pursuit of Ben despite Ben's insistence that he's straight and could never love him TRULY captured me. I will always love a story where our POV character is like "AUGH our fingers brushed... I must step away before he realizes how much I love him... he can never know.... he'd be disgusted......" and the other character is like "KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME".

I also don't know that I understood the necessity of the author plot. It wasn't set up enough to have a exciting conclusion and it didn't really add anything to the romance. I'm not trying to say this story can't veer away from the P&P plot but why exclude the parts of that story that work (and then you can afford to be lazier) and instead add in random things that need more explanation to actually have an impact?

This book has the classic problem of wanting to be a movie and skipping over all writing parts you need for something to be a book. And I'm with you! I also want this movie! It would be so good! I was glued to this book the entire time I was reading it because the parts that were good were so good. It just took so many shortcuts. I'm so torn on my rating because unfortunately the writing itself is really not very good, but I was still very swept up in it. Very complicated feelings.

Okay, I have to admit—every little thing Avery did for Ben had me swooning. The way he’d always make Ben’s coffee just the way he liked it or buy him presents just because he thought Ben deserved them was adorable. And the fact that he was the one person who truly made Ben feel heard had me smiling the whole time. Ben's internal monologues were definitely another highlight! They were so funny, and getting a glimpse of what he thought versus what he actually said was so much fun.
I wasn’t expecting the plot to have so much drama, but it definitely kept things interesting. That said, there was a part where I found myself wondering why neither character just openly communicated about what was bothering them (because they were old enough to do that). Some of the dialogue also felt a little unnatural at times, but overall, it was still a good story.

The only thing that remotely connected this to Pride and Prejudice was the fact that one of the characters had the last name Bennett. In every sense possible, this is a very, very loose retelling.

The writing was clunky, the dialogue and dialogue tags were extremely repetitive and the characters were not distinct enough for me to consider them significant to the story.

I enjoyed reading about Bennett. He was a great character example for the repressed gay that bloomed in college and now wants to live freely. His fears, insecurities and his panic attacks were so palpable and I loved that. Avery however struck no chords in my heart nor in my memory. I struggled to understand his motivations or his affections for Ben...

Another thing that came out of left field was the third act conflict. It had zero build up and only seemed to be placed there so that there would be something connecting Avery to Ben's biggest interest and livelihood. I was not rocking with it. Surprisingly enough I liked the resolution, it gave Avery a few points in my book.

<i>*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review</i>

Thank you NetGalley and Rattling Good Yarns Press for the eARC!

I was really looking forward to reading Pride and had high hopes, but I soon realised my expectations might have been too high.

While the main character is 39, I had to remind myself of that repeatedly, as the dialogue and writing often felt immature and lacking in depth. It didn’t feel like I was reading from the perspective of a 39-year-old man confronting the fear of ‘expiration’ (a prevalent theme in the queer community that could have been a strong focal point for this book). Instead, it felt more like the musings of someone in their twenties guessing what a 40-year-old gay man might be like—unfortunately, missing the mark. The book could definitely benefit from more ‘show’ and less ‘tell,’ as the dialogue was often overbearing and, at times, unnecessary.

That said, I can see why some readers might enjoy it. It’s fast-paced, easy to read, and doesn’t demand much active engagement from the reader.

I finished this book with starry eyes and a heart full of warmth. It’s a sweet story of self-assurance and self-discovery that will make you wish for a love like theirs.

This book is marketed as a queer twist on Pride and Prejudice, but I appreciated that the references to Austen’s classic were subtle. We follow Benjamin Bennet, a bookstore owner—gayer than purple eyeshadow (in a quiet but proud way)—as he gets to know Avery, a dark and handsome millionaire who can be rude but is also caring and thoughtful.

Their friendship is everything good in the world, layered with the gay panic of falling for someone who might be straight. The story captures the struggle of knowing your life would be better with that person by your side while respecting their right to hide. The way he experiences life’s little moments with Avery—and slowly realizes that this could be their life—was incredibly touching.
I loved how Ben was confident and proud of who he was, yet always left space for others to be themselves around him. He captures the struggle of existing unapologetically in a world that often demands labels. As he puts it:
"If I had stayed quiet, I would have felt I wasn’t standing up for myself or my friends. If I spoke up, then I became Gay Ben—spokesperson for all queer folk, which was exhausting."
This balance of self-assurance and exhaustion felt so real and made me respect his character.

Since the story is told entirely from Ben’s POV, it adds the right amount of uncertainty to the plot, but I wish we could have peeked into Avery’s mind a bit more. The final reveal helps clarify his motives, but I still wanted more insight.
I also wasn’t expecting the spice to be fade-to-black, which was a little disappointing, though it didn’t take away from the romance. My only other complaint? I wish had a different book cover that better represented Ben!

It's about Ben Bennett, a 40-year-old man who is not looking for love, but that changes when he meets Avery Fitzgerald.

Both characters are wonderful and I thought it was just nice to experience their story together with them. Often I had to curse quietly or roll my eyes.

The book is not too spicy, but there were some places that were already very charming! I rarely have it, that with a book I am afraid that it will soon be over. With each page I wanted to stick to the story because it is so wonderful and unique. The author has created a beautiful world with so many facets that the reader can only be amazed. In the story, character development plays a major role, many prejudices and black and white thinking are also taken up and treated very emotionally. 🫶🏻

I would like to recommend this book to everyone! I will definitely read it again, as I felt so incredibly comfortable while reading it. 🩷🩵

I will always read a Pride and Prejudice retelling and I will especially read it if it’s queer. This was such a sweet version of the original! It’s always fun to see the story updated for the current time period and I loved that Ben was a bookseller! Once the MMCs got together it was lovely to see but there was a lot of back and forth between them for 90% of the book so there was no real opportunity to see them actually BE together. The pacing and movement of time felt a little stilted as well so the story didn’t really flow. But it was queer, it was cute, and I’d love to see more from this author!

It's about Ben Bennett, a 40-year-old man who is not looking for love, but that changes when he meets Avery Fitzgerald.

Both characters are wonderful and I thought it was just nice to experience their story together with them. Often I had to curse quietly or roll my eyes.

The book is not too spicy, but there were some places that were already very charming! I rarely have it, that with a book I am afraid that it will soon be over. With each page I wanted to stick to the story because it is so wonderful and unique. The author has created a beautiful world with so many facets that the reader can only be amazed. In the story, character development plays a major role, many prejudices and black and white thinking are also taken up and treated very emotionally. 🫶🏻

I would like to recommend this book to everyone! I will definitely read it again, as I felt so incredibly comfortable while reading it. 🩷🩵

I enjoyed some of this book but overall, I cannot recommend it. The premise was great and I was ready to be engaged. But the sulkiness of one character and the ridiculousness of the choices he made combined with some not great writing left me disinterested. I finished it, but that was because I hate not finishing books.

Pride by Samantha Ryan
Length: 237 pages
Source: NetGalley eARC
Publication date: Feb. 4, 2025

“You’re not becoming someone else. You’re just not working so hard to be someone else. This is who you’ve always been.” —Benjamin Bennett

Benjamin Bennett is comfortable. He owns his own bookstore, finds the occasional hookup, and regularly hangs out with his older sister. Avery Fitzgerald, on the other hand, seems sophisticated, is a frequent traveler, and charms the pants off people on a regular basis. They’re opposites, and yet they’re weirdly drawn to each other after a not-so-meet-cute with Ben’s sister, Mal, and Avery’s best friend, Beck.

Soon, Ben and Avery are hanging out on their own. Ben is both attracted to and curious about Avery’s ability to fit in socially and fascinate people everywhere he goes. Avery, for his part, seems attracted to Ben’s ability to fully, unapologetically be himself wherever he goes. Nothing about this friendship feels casual to Ben, but Avery is straight … isn’t he? Then why does it feel like they’d be so good together AND so good for each other?

First things first, there’s positive messaging and a cute story here that made Pride a quick, easy read. The overarching themes of being yourself, accepting love, and going after what you want are ideas that I will always get behind. I liked Avery’s witty banter, Ben’s affection for his sister, and the frequent references to the MCs being “little weird puzzle pieces” that somehow fit together. This is a sweet, snarky, slow-burn romance with two likable guys in their late 30s/early 40s. There are some loose ends, but not everyone will find them important.

That being said, there are also some things about Ryan’s book that feel problematic and keep me from rating it higher. There are a lot of gay stereotypes here, things like: rainbow everything; constantly referring to one of the characters as ‘petty’; one MC’s constant ‘rescuing’ of the other as if he’s helpless; and the rigid idea of “straight or gay” rather than a sexuality spectrum. The instances of homophobia in the book feel formulaic and forced, and they don’t necessarily feel like they advance the story, although I see what the author was trying to do with them. These things didn’t keep me from enjoying the book, but that is based only on my lived experience. I have to mention that such stereotypes may keep someone with different experiences from wanting to read this.

Still curious?
✍️ Opposites attract
📖 Friends to lovers
✍️ Single POV
📖 Secrets!
✍️ Coming out
📖 Only one bed

Takeaway: While this IS a Pride and Prejudice retelling, the vibe is much more the Bridget Jones version than the Elizabeth Bennet one. I’m good with that, but if you’re a Janeite, just be prepared.

3 ⭐️
1 🌶️ (implicit, closed door)

— A

Thanks to Rattling Good Yarns Press, Samantha Ryan, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine.