A worthy addition to the wider Jane Austen universe, Mostly Ardently is a delightful Pride and Prejudice retelling. Oliver Bennett, our gender-swapped protagonist is charming and intelligent, carrying the story forward in unexpected directions. His experience as a young trans man offers a rare queer insight into England’s 17th-century high society. I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience and will pick up whatever next Gabe Cole Novoa writes!

Spoilers ahead! The plot, while following the first half of Pride and Prejudice, takes an easy way out in resolving several storylines within the novel. Without knowing the source material, I imagine it would be hard to understand the motivations of certain characters, including Darcy and Wickham. Because of that, some characters, like the younger Bennett siblings, come across as red herrings rather than full characters.

one of a couple of queer Pride and Prejudice remixes I happened to end up reading around the same time, and I absolutely loved it.

I have been absolutely loving these remixed classics and Most Ardently is a standout. This books asks the question of what would it have been like for Darcy to meet his match in Oliver Bennet, a trans boy who is known to the wider world as "Elizabeth". Oliver wants nothing more than the freedom to be himself and he and Darcy seem to bring out the best in one another. Pride and Prejudice is well known for sequels and retellings from alternate perspectives and this retelling is delightful addition that centers queerness within the beloved classic.

When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I instantly requested it because I thought it sounded interesting, but once I started reading it I had trouble staying focused on the book. I hope to come back and give it a better review once I have been able to finish it, but for now I'll take it two stars. Update to rating hopefully coming soon,

Pride and Prejudice remixes are all over the place and this one was done interestingly I think especially for a queer perspective.

"Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix" by Gabe Cole Novoa is a refreshing and poignant reimagining of Jane Austen's classic, set in 1812 London. The story centers on Oliver Bennet, a trans boy who feels trapped by societal expectations and the gender roles imposed upon him. Unlike the original, this remix focuses on queerness and trans identity, exploring Oliver's struggle to live authentically in a world that sees him as Elizabeth, a girl destined for marriage.

Novoa's adaptation diverges significantly from Austen's work, transforming it from a novel of manners into a queer YA romance. The author takes artistic liberties with history and character dynamics, emphasizing the unique challenges faced by Oliver. The central tension revolves around Oliver's refusal to conform to the role of a dutiful wife, highlighting the impact of identity on one's experiences and interactions.
The romance between Oliver and Darcy is charming and well-developed, with Darcy initially appearing rude but later revealed to be kind and intelligent. The novel addresses themes of transphobia, homophobia, and misogyny, yet balances these with moments of support and understanding from Oliver's close friends and family. The ending, while heavy on wish fulfillment, offers a hopeful respite from the harsh realities faced by the trans community today.

Overall, "Most Ardently" is a delightful and heartwarming read that successfully blends the essence of "Pride and Prejudice" with a modern, inclusive twist. It is a testament to the importance of diverse narratives and the power of love and authenticity in the face of societal constraints.

Nice retelling through a trans lens. I did feel a certain sense of whiplash while reading, as the book bounced back and forth between details/interactions that were very close to the source material one moment and then suddenly in an entirely different universe. I think readers less familiar with Pride and Prejudice will find it a smoother experience. The characters were great, with both Oliver and Darcy feeling like genuine young people finding their place in the world. There is a LOT of dysphoria from Oliver, so if that's a trigger for you, please proceed with caution. But it does capture really, really well the difficulty of the trans experience when coming out is scary or not an option. I think a lot of people, especially teens, can really find things to connect with here. The ending was very sweet and satisfying. I honestly think my favorite bits were all the parts of Oliver and Darcy together when they were both totally free to be themselves. Let's aspire to make a whole world where that's the norm for everyone.

I really liked this! It felt like fanfiction but in the right ways. I liked how it rewrote the story beats of P&P but in the context of this other world where Elizabeth is trans and Darcy is gay. Good read, I'd pick up another one by this author!

I was skeptical about this Remix series, but I enjoyed the twists that this adaptation offered. I definitely saw the connections to the source material.

I'm a hardcore fan of Jane Austen, and it's very hard to find retellings that keep the spirit of the work. This one does, and the few places where it doesn't are choices that I agree are an improvement.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this title. Unfortunately, it wasn't to my taste, but that does not mean that someone else wouldn't find a lot of joy in reading about a trans retelling of this classic story. I still think it's worth a try if you're interested.

I loved this book! Riveting, abundantly queer, heartwarming. The absolute best!
I love pairing it with the regency Era kick that I'm on and I ADORE everything that Gabe Cole writes!

This was such a sweet, warm, note-perfect retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I loved that Novoa chose to give us love and compassion and understanding from so many of the people in Oliver's life, even if certain naysayers want to wring their hands and claim it's "unhistorical". I would rather that YA readers have a whole slew of "unhistorical" queer books to read if that helps them learn themselves and concieve of a better, kinder world that will love them as they deserve to be loved.

Most Ardently was a Pride and Prejudice retelling that stayed very true to its original source material. It's the third book I've read by Gabe Cole Novoa, and it's also my least favorite. The story hit all the beats of Pride and Prejudice but didn't do anything new with the material. Yes, Oliver is trans. Nothing else changed, though. In all the other Remixes, enough has been changed that the story felt fresh. This one didn't feel like that. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't as good as Gabe Cole Novoa's other books or the other Remixes.

Most Ardently is a fun, if a bit unrealistic, trans retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Gabe Cole Novoa captures Darcy perfectly, though we see a different side to the man than Elizabeth Bennett saw. He is a man among his cohorts, and feels like he can be himself. Much like Oliver does, in his presence. Oliver is hesitant to embrace the prospect of hanging out with other men for the first time, but the gender euphoria he experiences as a result is totally worth it. Before Darcy, Oliver only spent time with some of his family and close friends as his genuine self. To be amongst others, who don’t know he’s trans, and to pass, fills him with joy, as well as fear. He fears being found out but the rewards are well worth it. He gets to go to a bookstore for the first time, to a queer club. He gets to pass and be seen in public with little to no punishment for doing so.

It’s missing many of the more florid descriptions and gives a little too much explanation, when the source material didn’t need extra explanations in the first place. Characters are presented as villains when they weren’t in the source material, perhaps as a simpler way of pushing the plot forward. I didn’t fully realize how much younger the characters were, either. Why were they aged down in such a way? They could have been the same ages as they were in the original novel and it still would have been approachable for young adults. Oliver is accepted by his mother, in particular, far too easily. I’m not saying she shouldn’t have accepted him, but the way she did felt anachronistic to the times.

Mrs. Bennett, as well as many of the characters, felt like a way for Oliver to have people to exist with, simply disappearing when he wasn’t with them. I didn’t feel their dimensionality, didn’t see them as characters that existed outside of when Oliver needed them. There was a moment with Charlotte, when she spoke of marrying a man even though she had a dedicated partner, when I felt she was a fully fleshed out character, but that was only when she was in opposition to Oliver.

This book is a great choice for younger readers, as it reads like a less complicated Pride and Prejudice. It’s a quick read and worth the end, as unrealistic as it felt to me.

Like the other books in this series, this is a really interesting twist on a classic, where the protagonist of Pride and Prejudice is a trans boy named Oliver Bennett, who is living in a world where almost no one recognizes that he is a boy. I really liked the exploration of how Pride and Prejudice would change if the protagonist was a trans boy; although, I do wish the book had delved a little deeper into Mr. Collins and the entailment on Longbourn.

While I could see readers who have not read Jane Austen before enjoying this book (and especially those who see themselves reflected in Oliver), as an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, it fell far short of the mark for me. The writing feels extremely simplified, even for this being a YA version of the story, and it loses nearly everything about what makes the original shine in its family dynamics, class commentary, and social entanglements. I don't mind an adaptation taking creative license - in fact, I think some of the stronger choices in this book are when it veers away from the beat-by-beat faithful retelling. But some of it pulls the story down, like the shift away from the enemies-to-lovers dynamic and gradual emotional development of the original Elizabeth and Darcy's romance.

Does it work on its own? I still didn't think it was amazing, but certainly better as a standalone than an adaptation. But given how much this book, and this whole series, is sold on the basis of being remixed versions of these classics of the canon, I can't pretend I don't have that in mind as I'm reading, and unfortunately, as much as I want to like it more, this version falls short of its predecessor over and over. I just kept wishing it could be an original work and thus maybe more expansive, than an adaptation that feels like it chafes against the frame of its source material.

A delightful twist on Pride and Prejudice starring a transmasc character! I only wish this had been around when I was a teenager.

Like I said before, dark academia-inspired fantasy books aren't for me. I just don't vibe with it as much. I pretty much get annoyed with it, which isn't good for anyone. I did enjoy reading this one because it has a bit of pride and prejudice. It was the dark academic vibes that weren't vibrating with me. If you enjoy reading about pride and prejudice retellings with bits of dark academia vibes, then you will enjoy this one.

It took a little while for me to get steam in the book, but by about halfway through I was hooked. Which honestly I think is what happened the first time I read Pride and Prejudice. Anyway, I loved the characters they felt fresh and relatable. I may even like the storyline better than the original, especially the inclusion of Molly Houses.

But what I found most important about this book was the little things. Looking back at all of the quotes I highlighted, there was a common theme among most of them. Correct identity. He even says it at one point. (first favorite quote) It was the way Oliver describes desperately needing to be himself. It helped me better understand, just a little, what my friend from high school may have been experiencing. When a family member mentioned to me that their child had come to them about being trans, I had just finished this book and bought a copy for her. (We're still waiting for them to come to family themself.) While I recognize the importance of this book in the trans community, especially for trans teens, I hope parents and friends will take the time to read it, because it really helped my level of understanding and I think it could help others too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley & Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review