Heartstoppers + Jane Austen = I Shall Never Fall in Love. This book is the queer friends-to-lovers romance in Regency England you never knew you needed. Part social critique, part slow-burn romance, this book is a wonderful (and much needed) addition to the queer historical fiction genre. I especially enjoyed the graphics and information in the "author's research" section at the end of the book (which I have never seen before in a fictional graphic novel).

This book was such an important read - stories about LGBTIA people throughout history are necessary. I loved the artwork as well. I do think the story was a little bit repetitive and took a long time to get where it needed to go; if possible I would cut a little. Overall a great book, that I would absolutely purchase and will recommend at my library.

How cute is this retelling if Jane Austens Emma. This was such a delight from start to end, the unique relling was such a fun version. It's right up there with Clueless in.my opinion. The art is fantastic as well. I finished this so fast, I really look forward to the authors future takes on classics. This will be a definite addition to my physical bookshelf.

This book was given to me by NetGalley but all opinions and reviews are my own.

This was absolutely wonderful I am not that big of a graphic novel lover, but this adaptation was adorable.

This was such a cute graphic novel, I wish I would have had this when I was a teen! I loved all the Jane Austen references (it made my heart so happy). I do wish each of the main characters' stories were more fleshed out (especially Charlotte's), as I think have the multiple POVs did make each of their stories suffer a bit. I also loved the author's note at the end -- I didn't need it, but it would be a great bit of context for anyone who did.

I really wanted to love this but it dragged a bit through the story. The pacing was slow and meandered a bit with some of the plot seeming unnecessary.

I absolutely loved this book! I really enjoyed the art, especially the various facial features Conner drew to express the different emotions of the characters. The character development was phenomenal, probably the best I've seen in a while. I adored getting to explore 3 vastly different perspectives on life in the same town. I also really enjoyed the diversity of the characters throughout this graphic novel. Their backstories were great and the history about how each character would have been treated was an amazing addition. I can definitely see why Alice Oseman is obsessed with this book.

This was a fantastic graphic novel! Despite not having read any Jane Austen novel, I understood what was going on and it was still entertaining to read! I loved the illustrations and the fact that the author brought in concepts or ideas that might be ignored in other historical novels. I give this 4.5/5 stars

I often take issue with Jane Austen adaptations for losing the special knack she had for creating characters and/or the sense of humor that's present in all of her writing, but I think this one, despite being a relatively loose adaptation plot-wise, did a pretty great job capturing the spirit of what makes jane austen's books so special. It's also coming out at a perfect time to appeal to the Bridgerton fan base, so I think it'll be a hit with a lot of teens. Appreciated the historical notes at the end - I have a lot of kids who take issue with queer historical fiction because they think it's unrealistic, so i think it's important to show that a happy queer romance like this one may not have been so far out of the realm of possibilities as they have been raised to believe.

Thank you NetGalley, Hari Conner, & Harper Alley for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🥰🫶
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This book definitely gives like queer, young Bridegerton vibes if that's your thing, it's not really mine but I still really enjoyed reading this one! ☺️ The story mainly follows Eleanor, Charlotte, and George and a few of their friends they pick up along the way. This story is longer so it really helped to show character progression as at times Eleanor can be mean with her words, but learns from her mistakes and apologies. Eleanor struggles with her two best friends going off without her and meeting other people. Charlotte struggles with being black in a society that puts down black people and has to choose between marrying for money or for love. And George struggles with their gender identity and being madly in love with Eleanor. This book felt like a show as it was split into parts and a lot was explored with the cast of characters! 😊 I really loved it though and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a queer historical read.

I freaking loved this. It's like if Jane Austen had written a sapphic/transgender romantic comedy. Definitely for fans of The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and the Deep and the Dark Blue.

I Shall Never Fall in Love is a fun story with great underlying themes. I really enjoyed the storyline, how the characters weren’t perfect and grew throughout the story. The art style is amazing and the plot is engaging. Definitely recommend for a quick, queer, inclusive historical romance.

A sweet, queer Jane Austen inspired graphic novel. I loved that George was never misgendered by the narrative—though they were in speech—and I enjoyed seeing Ellie’s character development, as she was not someone I particularly liked in the beginning. The book is fraught with love and pining and all the social status and gossip one comes to expect from an Austen-esque novel, but with more queerness and people of color. What could be better?

This book was so sweet and so wonderful, and perfect for my Bridgerton withdrawals. The illustrations are so delightful, and you absolutely fall in love with George. There is real growth in the characters, both in the way George grows to know themselves and live as close to authentically as realistic for the time, but also for Eleanore. Seeing her truly grow up and realize that a lot of her beliefs are problematic and rooted in nothing more than “what her mother would have… said/thought/done” made her more loveable to me because it’s so real. Unlearning biases is a messy task at the best of times, and watching her go through that made the story feel more authentic. I thought the pacing was really well done, though I wish the ending hadn’t felt so abrupt. I wanted to see more of the story. I absolutely hope there is a sequel. I also really loved the history section at the end where the characters break the 4th wall and have a question and answer history lesson about the topics mentioned in the books.

This graphic novel is beautiful! The soft color palette and engaging style are exactly what my tween and teen patrons are looking for, and the diverse cast of engaging characters will keep them reading till the end. I appreciate the themes of accountability and growth showcased in the story, and the historical notes at the end are perfect for planning classroom activities or book club discussions. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc, I can't wait to add this to our collection... I know it'll be a hit!

I received this from netgalley for free for an honest review.

A very sweet and good story great for teens. I love the comic book.

<i>I Shall Never Fall in Love</i> is the second Emma retelling in Graphic Novel format centering LGBTQIA+ characters I’ve read this month. And I have to say, while I was quite enamored with the first, this one has quite simply blown <i>Mismatched</i>—and, in truth, a great many other Emma adaptations—completely out of the water.

I’ve always been rather attached to Austen renditions, so much so that it’s rather difficult to dislike them, but I am particularly impressed with Hari Conner’s addition to the genre. I have no qualms whatsoever about admitting that <i>I Shall Never Fall in Love</i> is unquestionably within my top five—and perhaps top three—favorites of Emma adaptations.

Though the characters do not share names with their Austen counterparts, you can very quickly recognize them in the exemplary portrayals through the course of the work. Emma is Miss Eleanor Woodford, Harriet her cousin Charlotte, and (most excitingly) we see the dashing and kind Mr. Knightly in our exceptional trans character, Mr. George Kingsley.

The novel primarily centers Eleanor and George, transitioning a bit from Emma in that George is as much the main character—if not more so—as Eleanor. I do have to say, I think I infinitely prefer it this way. Anyone with any understanding of the inspiration will find the plot easy to recognize, though they will love the additions and changes that this adaption holds. In fact, as far as narrative and character development go, I would say this book is an absolute masterpiece.

I am so excited for this book’s official publication as many readers deserve to love and cherish this book and its characters. I cannot wait for those who will see themselves so much in George or Eleanor to find it.

I SHALL NEVER FALL IN LOVE is a queer YA graphic novel, set in the regency era and inspired by jane austen novels, about two childhood friends who fall for each other while discovering who they are and where they fit in the world. george has little interest in feminine pursuits—they'd much rather take care of their family's estate, wear men's clothing, and spend time with their best friend, eleanor. meanwhile, eleanor has always longed to fall in love, but she's never met a boy she was interested. i love graphic novels, i love historical romances, and i love both of these things even more when they're queer, so i absolutely loved I SHALL NEVER FALL IN LOVE. i really appreciated seeing george and ellie's individual journeys play out and i loved seeing them end up happy! i also really loved charlotte and sophie's stories, especially the emphasis on their races and how it affected their place in society. and i really enjoyed the historical context and research the conner included at the end.

read if you like:
- queer historical romances
- best friends to lovers
- jane austen's books

thanks to netgalley and harperalley for the advanced copy! I SHALL NEVER FALL IN LOVE comes out october 8th.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an early read of this book. I loved it. The art style was so beautiful and I love that the main characters weren’t perfect people and we got to watch them grow and mature.
I recommend this to anyone who loves a good friends to lovers story line.

I loved this! Highly recommended for fans of queer historicals and Austen-inspired tales. I was so caught up in the art and story that I didn't even clock the obvious Emma references until two-thirds of the way through the book, but I think that's a good thing! This has a real spark and freshness that makes it stand out from the dime-a-dozen Austen-retellings crowd. Though it's intended for a YA audience, I would happily give it to either my ten-year-old daughter or my adult romance book club. I very much hope that Hari Conner has more historical romance up their sleeve!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!