Gatsby is a glittering, razor sharp retelling that understands the original assignment: excess is intoxicating, longing is corrosive, and the rich remain spectacularly bad at being decent humans, no matter the century or the gender.

This time, our guide through the champagne fog is Nic Carraway, an outsider with a front row seat to obscene wealth and even obscener behavior. Enter Jay Gatsby, beautiful, untouchable, and burning with the kind of ambition that smells like desperation under expensive perfume. Her parties are dazzling, curated chaos: A-lists, whispered secrets, and the distinct sense that something is about to shatter.

At the center of it all is Danny Buchanan, charming, married, and just careless enough to be dangerous. The gender reversal isn’t a gimmick, it sharpens everything. Desire feels more exposed. Power dynamics feel more brittle. And Gatsby’s longing? It’s aching, obsessive, and tragic in a way that feels both modern and timeless.

Crowther excels at showing how privilege insulates and corrodes. Everyone wants something. Everyone is lying, especially to themselves. And Nic, watching it all unfold, becomes entangled in a slow burn moral crisis that simmers beneath the silk dresses and waterfront mansions.

This isn’t a nostalgic rehash, it’s a stylish, suspense laced reckoning. A reminder that reinvention has a price, obsession always collects interest, and no one wrecks lives quite like the wealthy when they’re bored.

Gatsby is seductive, smart, and quietly vicious, a modern tragedy wrapped in glitter, betrayal, and that familiar sinking feeling that comes when the music stops and the truth refuses to stay buried.

Pop the champagne.
But don’t expect a happy ending.

I was instantly pulled into the world of Gatsby — both the nod to the classic and the modernized West Egg — thanks to the layered characters, beautiful descriptions, and engaging narration. While at times it felt like the story was a bit overwritten and I'd have to reread paragraphs (multiple times) to understand what was being said, I felt completely immersed in this world. I agree with another reviewer who noted how closely the plot mirrored the original. I would have loved to see Jane Crowther work in a few twists to further make the story her own.

I love the story about Gatsby, and this updated take on the original was well done. It felt like parts were literally just replaced with modern-day bits, and nothing else was changed at times. I wasn’t bothered much by that, though. I was entertained and drawn into the drama and setting that Crowther detailed. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I have loved The Great Gatsby for a very long time which was why I was inspired to request this. I did not have high expectations; I fully expected it to be cheesy. But I fell in love with this!

It is a gender swap retelling set in the modern age. I loved Gatsby so much. I wanted to hug her. The writing was beautiful, that is all I have to say.

Enjoyable on several levels.
Is it a true retelling of Gatsby? You can decide.
Interesting though.
It's got good flow.

A pleaser for fans looking for the atmosphere of the original classic. A well written & displayed version of the original. I enjoyed the modern twist on the characters, while still presenting the nostalgic feel of an era that has since long ended.

I enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were well developed and interesting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I loved this gender-bent Gatsby retelling. I remember reading The Great Gatsby in high school and really enjoying it. This was such a good read!

The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite novels. I’ve been obsessed with it since high school, so when I saw a gender-flipped modern retelling of the book - I knew I needed to read it.
It did mess with my mind a little bit that the characters were gender flipped. It would take me a second to remember while reading. But the writing was absolutely fantastic. I was instantly pulled in and captivated. Crowther is a beautiful writer. The language and flow of this writing was very similar to Fitzgerald.
I really liked the story of Gatsby in a modern setting. I liked that she was a mysterious influencer that nobody knew a lot about. Having Nic being able to peek into Gatsby’s curated lifestyle was a really interesting element.
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was it felt like Crowther wanted to give meaning to the original metaphors from Fitzgerald - like the green light. I would have liked it to be kept more ambiguous instead of kind of explained to me at the end of the novel.
Overall, this was a really good retelling for anyone who loves The Great Gatsby. I was absolutely hooked.