Writing a modern take on a beloved classic is a tall order, and this book falls quite short. There are so many possibilities and opportunities for fun modernization and takes on this story and these characters, but it seemed like the author was afraid to really go for it. The charm that made these characters loveable is missing. A disappointment.

I'm definitely a fan of reworking classic novels in new ways. And on the surface this romance was pretty enjoyable. But I was slightly freaked out to read this version of Anne & Gilbert Blythe's romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Anne of Greene Gables is an all-time top favorite of mine, and I am left still debating whether I need to compare this fan-fiction to the classic. It is a well-written re-telling but somewhere in the middle/end it fell short. While some of the back and forth from past to present did a decent job of building the characters and plot, I found myself wanting to skip over a few of the “past” chapters. I also felt Anne and Gil lacked the chemistry I was craving. They quickly went from enemies to lovers after re-connecting 6 years after graduating and I would have loved more of the thoughts and conversation that builds up to that connection. I am giving this book 3 stars (would give 3.5 if NG allowed a half star).

Anne of Green Gables was one of my favorite stories as a child and I was so excited to find out that there was a modern-day adaptation of the story coming out. This adaptation has Anne, Gilbert, Diana and Fred as twentysomethings living and working in New York. Their hometown, Avonlea is a small town in upstate NY that is reminiscent of the town of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I enjoyed the updated characters and the changes that Brina made to each of the characters. I thought hipster Fred was hilarious! You don’t have to have read or know much about the original source material to enjoy this book, but it does make it so much better if you have familiarity with the story and characters. Brina Starler’s first book was a great introduction to her and her writing. I look forward to reading what she publishes next.

Such a fun read that captures the spirit of Anne of Green Gables. The scenes with young Anne were especially charming. It was specially a treat to get Gilbert's perspective. Overall, a satisfying and charming enemies to lovers/boy next door romance.

A really fun and creative story. It works whether you are familiar with the Anne of Green Gables stories or not -- but it is particularly enjoyable if you are! Appealing characters and a well paced plot.

I am a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and I adored this book. It was a beautifully reimagined modern AoGG. The characters were spot on for the originals! I will admit, I had not seem the Rachel and Marilla twist, tho. Two thumbs up!

This year (the year of our Lord 2020 aka the greatest dumpster fire ever known to man) has been all about comfort reads and no book is cozier to me than my childhood favorite, Anne of Green Gables, so I was thrilled to see this retelling which gives us a 21st century Anne Shirley. First, let's address the obvious: like a lot of the Jane Austen retellings/updates that have been popular lately, people are going to have *opinions* on some of the changes to the beloved characters of Green Gables. I think if you can open yourself up to a slightly different Anne and a Green Gables that isn't Prince Edward Island, you'll enjoy this book.

I found this updated Anne to be a little less of a dreamer than Montgomery's Anne but her stubborn and fiery streak is still there. The character development relies heavily on having already read the original book. Though the timeline does do a bit of the whole then/now format, I do feel like you won't care about the characters are much if you haven't some familiarity with the original story. I did feel like at times there were too many contemporary updates to characters (I'm looking at you hipster tattoo artist Fred) & social issues being crammed into one book--I'm guessing to really make it feel updated? But a little less would have been a bit more realistic in my opinion. Was it a little weird to follow Anne into the bedroom for some NSFW scenes? Eh...a little. This is not your grandmother's Anne Shirley but it was a fun treat to imagine Anne (I think the first feminist I probably encountered in literature) in a modern world.

Many thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

This book drew my attention and the first few pages were a delight...an updated AOGG with some contemporary humor. However, a quick descent into a tedious romance plot derailed it for me. Giving three stars for a mixed (up) experience.

This was, in fact, nice Anne of Green Gables fanfiction, but if I had read it as fanfiction, I would still be vaguely disappointed.

Just not my favorite.

(That said, I will read any and all continued adaptations of Anne of Green Gables, because I love it so so so much.)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A delightful modern take on Anne Shirley. The original is modern enough that a 21st Century Anne is totally plausible and fun. The quick trip to Prince Edward Island a sly surprise.

Disclaimer: I got this ARC from @NetGalley.

I'm a huge fan of Anne and Gilbert. I loved seeing them thrive in NYC and studying at NYU. Anne is my favorite character.

I enjoyed this, but even with it being about two well loved characters in literature, it didn't live up to its promise. Anne and Gil seemed to fall into a relationship too easily. The book seemed overly long. I wish I'd liked it more.

Listen, I love Anne of Green Gables. It's a go-to comfort read for me. And I love romance novels. And, in theory, I love it when my childhood faves get a sexy makeover. But in practice, reading about Anne and Gilbert doing the dirty was a little more than I could handle.

This is a great retelling, though, and I loved Diana. And if I pretended that Anne and Gil were not THAT Anne and Gil, it was fine. Well written and fun.

I am an unabashed lifelong Anne of Green Gables fan; when I was young I read not only the Anne books but everything that Montgomery ever wrote, and I read those books over and over. I've often imagined what might have happened off-book, and I'm pretty sure that Brina Starler did too! Anne of Manhattan is a lovely Anne of Green Gable (maybe more Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island) fanfic and homage to the original books. I don't think she adds anything new, necessarily, other than setting the story in the modern day, but it is nice to have a version of Anne and Gilbert's story that involves more than just tortured longing!

Anne of Green Gables has been updated and I completely enjoyed it. Anne is working on a graduate degree in New York City and hasn't seen Gil since just after high school graduation but there he is, across the bar from her. Why is he here and what is that feeling she is feeling? A thoroughly enjoyable story of friendship and not being afraid to trust and to let others in.

What a great and adorable retelling Anne of Green Gables. I am a big fan of this series and knew I had to read this new twist of this classic, I was not disappointed and like the original I fell in love with Anne and Gilbert all over again.