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Remixed Classics #9
Most Ardently
A trans boy searches for a future―and a romance―in which he can live and love openly as himself in this heartrending young-adult reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, part of the Remixed Classics series.
London, 1812 . Oliver Bennet feels trapped—not just by the endless corsets, petticoats, and skirts he's forced to wear on a daily basis, but also by society's expectations. The world, and the vast majority of his family and friends, think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing a pretty dress, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone's wife.
But Oliver can't bear the thought of such a fate. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family's home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. It's during one such excursion when Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man who had been rude to "Elizabeth" at a recent social function. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver comes to find that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart, not to mention attractive.
As Oliver spends more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares to hope that his dream of love and life as a man can be possible. But suitors are growing bolder―and even threatening―and his mother is growing more desperate to see him settled into an engagement. Oliver will have to choose: settle for safety, security, and a life of pretending to be something he's not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love, and a life that can be truly his own.
London, 1812 . Oliver Bennet feels trapped—not just by the endless corsets, petticoats, and skirts he's forced to wear on a daily basis, but also by society's expectations. The world, and the vast majority of his family and friends, think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing a pretty dress, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone's wife.
But Oliver can't bear the thought of such a fate. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family's home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. It's during one such excursion when Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man who had been rude to "Elizabeth" at a recent social function. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver comes to find that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart, not to mention attractive.
As Oliver spends more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares to hope that his dream of love and life as a man can be possible. But suitors are growing bolder―and even threatening―and his mother is growing more desperate to see him settled into an engagement. Oliver will have to choose: settle for safety, security, and a life of pretending to be something he's not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love, and a life that can be truly his own.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,394 reviews
July 4, 2023
I don’t envy anyone who is given the task of rewriting Jane Austen. That said, Most Ardently does a very decent job of it. I have been a fan of the other books in this series, so I was very quick to request an ARC of this one as soon as I saw it.
The premise is great and it was well executed for the most part. The main thing that didn’t translate well, and that kept bringing me out of the story, was the way sexism was handled. Several times during the book, misogyny was treated as a bad thing because it was happening to Oliver, and therefore he was being misgendered, but the misogyny itself wasn’t treated as bad in its own right. Some of this was because it came from the original story (Charlotte marrying Collins, even though he is awful, and in this story she is in love with someone else), but Oliver’s criticism and insistence that he would never lower himself to make the same decisions feels very different than Elizabeth’s in the original, because he is a man. Others just made Oliver seem kind of unlikable at times, because it often felt like he thought he shouldn’t be subjected to it because he isn’t a woman rather than that he shouldn’t be subjected to it because no one should. This was made worse because very few female characters have any actual presence. They were two demential and didn’t seem to exist beyond what Oliver needed them for, even though Oliver has 4 sisters, a mother, and a female best friend. And the ending made me very concerned for his future friendship with Charlotte, though the book didn’t seem to even remember her existence by that point.
That aside though, the book was great. A quick and easy read, a wonderful version of Darcy, a fun twist to the classic. I loved how Oliver’s double life influenced the story, and especially his romance with Darcy.
The premise is great and it was well executed for the most part. The main thing that didn’t translate well, and that kept bringing me out of the story, was the way sexism was handled. Several times during the book, misogyny was treated as a bad thing because it was happening to Oliver, and therefore he was being misgendered, but the misogyny itself wasn’t treated as bad in its own right. Some of this was because it came from the original story (Charlotte marrying Collins, even though he is awful, and in this story she is in love with someone else), but Oliver’s criticism and insistence that he would never lower himself to make the same decisions feels very different than Elizabeth’s in the original, because he is a man. Others just made Oliver seem kind of unlikable at times, because it often felt like he thought he shouldn’t be subjected to it because he isn’t a woman rather than that he shouldn’t be subjected to it because no one should. This was made worse because very few female characters have any actual presence. They were two demential and didn’t seem to exist beyond what Oliver needed them for, even though Oliver has 4 sisters, a mother, and a female best friend. And the ending made me very concerned for his future friendship with Charlotte, though the book didn’t seem to even remember her existence by that point.
That aside though, the book was great. A quick and easy read, a wonderful version of Darcy, a fun twist to the classic. I loved how Oliver’s double life influenced the story, and especially his romance with Darcy.
February 10, 2024
It's my first time reading Gabe Cole Novoa and I can't wait to check out more of their works. This was a Pride and Prejudice retelling done right! CW: misogyny, misgendering, use of dead name, transphobia. 4.5 Stars
Most Ardently is the newest release in the classic remixed series and the one that I was most excited for because it's a Pride and Prejudice retelling. It follows a similar narrative as the original text but focuses on a trans main character by the name of Oliver.
What Worked: SO MUCH! I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and I haven't found a retelling yet that captures the essence of the original text while also having some feeling of originality. I appreciated that Novoa was able to capture the original personalities of each of the characters while addressing social issues that were relevant to Oliver as a character. I was worried that Oliver wouldn't receive the same support that Elizabeth experiences with her father and sister, but it's no different for him. Publishing has an issue with pushing narratives that focus heavily on struggle and trauma, but Novoa created the perfect balance of addressing the transphobia and homophobia while giving Oliver a strong support system. I also appreciated the historical aspects that were woven into the text. While Novoa does take some liberties with the text, we cannot deny that there was a queer community that existed during this time. Reading the authors note at the end will provide better context. The writing was beautiful, and the pacing was superb creating such a cute and endearing romance between Oliver and Darcy. I just wanted a little bit more of their relationship.
Overall, a great read and I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more by Novoa.
Most Ardently is the newest release in the classic remixed series and the one that I was most excited for because it's a Pride and Prejudice retelling. It follows a similar narrative as the original text but focuses on a trans main character by the name of Oliver.
What Worked: SO MUCH! I'm a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and I haven't found a retelling yet that captures the essence of the original text while also having some feeling of originality. I appreciated that Novoa was able to capture the original personalities of each of the characters while addressing social issues that were relevant to Oliver as a character. I was worried that Oliver wouldn't receive the same support that Elizabeth experiences with her father and sister, but it's no different for him. Publishing has an issue with pushing narratives that focus heavily on struggle and trauma, but Novoa created the perfect balance of addressing the transphobia and homophobia while giving Oliver a strong support system. I also appreciated the historical aspects that were woven into the text. While Novoa does take some liberties with the text, we cannot deny that there was a queer community that existed during this time. Reading the authors note at the end will provide better context. The writing was beautiful, and the pacing was superb creating such a cute and endearing romance between Oliver and Darcy. I just wanted a little bit more of their relationship.
Overall, a great read and I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more by Novoa.
Read
January 15, 2024I came for the gorgeous cover by Marlowe Lune and stayed for the deeply charming tale of Oliver Bennet.
Making Darcy a gay man who doesn't hate women but just isn't interested in pretending to like them and making Elizabeth Bennet a trans man living a double life was SUCH a brilliant way to interpret this timeless and beloved story. I found myself giggling and gasping and screeching with excitement and tension in all the right moments as I rooted for these characters and their happiness amidst the social obstacle course that is higher society of 19th century England.
The pacing was quick and consistent and the writing was so engaging that had I not been so busy these past few days, I have no doubt I would've finished this in one sitting. My only wish is that the end had maybe one more chapter somewhere amidst the last few scenes, as it felt like it needed just a little more meat to finish fleshing itself out. (Perhaps a moment with Jane? I just found myself craving a bit more, though I find that a testament to the strength of the rest of the story.)
Overall, an adorable and tender romance about how there isn't really such thing as a right time to be yourself, but there is such a thing as a right way to be yourself.
CW: misgendering, deadnaming, dysphoria, homophobia, transphobia
Making Darcy a gay man who doesn't hate women but just isn't interested in pretending to like them and making Elizabeth Bennet a trans man living a double life was SUCH a brilliant way to interpret this timeless and beloved story. I found myself giggling and gasping and screeching with excitement and tension in all the right moments as I rooted for these characters and their happiness amidst the social obstacle course that is higher society of 19th century England.
The pacing was quick and consistent and the writing was so engaging that had I not been so busy these past few days, I have no doubt I would've finished this in one sitting. My only wish is that the end had maybe one more chapter somewhere amidst the last few scenes, as it felt like it needed just a little more meat to finish fleshing itself out. (Perhaps a moment with Jane? I just found myself craving a bit more, though I find that a testament to the strength of the rest of the story.)
Overall, an adorable and tender romance about how there isn't really such thing as a right time to be yourself, but there is such a thing as a right way to be yourself.
CW: misgendering, deadnaming, dysphoria, homophobia, transphobia
March 29, 2024
ETA: If you liked the premise of this but found it disappointing, please do read A Lady for a Duke instead. Similar premise and setting, but all original work and fantastically written.
I'm a massive Pride & Prejudice fan, and I've read a fair few retellings. I thought the concept for this book sounded fun, and honestly kind of campy with the Clark Kent-style mistaken identity drama. Unfortunately, I pretty rapidly had to begin maintaining an ongoing list in my phone of things that annoyed me about this book, and maintained it through to the end. I'm not sure if I could've read the book without the ability to write down complaints and get them out of my head. In terms of what's good, the writing in this was ok; there's a sort of awkward writing style for historical fiction where they're trying to make it sound historical without being difficult to read/ a lot of work for the author, and that's even more difficult when it's based on an actual period book. I think Novoa did an ok job at hitting that middle ground in a way that wasn't super obtrusive. Unfortunately I think that's about the only good thing I have to say about this book, other than the fact I liked the cover. I am a bit confused by the whole series of "Remixed Classics" in general, as there seems to be a number of them written by different authors which mostly appear to change the identities of a few characters at a time. I suppose this concept would work if there was consideration put into how a character being different would affect the plot of the book, but this didn't really happen here - instead, it was just Pride & Prejudice completely spliced together with a modern YA book. Alright, I'm going to go through the list of complaints I had now (for clarity's sake, Elizabeth is Oliver within this book):
1. Why were the characters aged down?: I initally thought this was maybe a mistake on the part of the author, but it definitely seemed to be deliberate as I continued to read the book. Elizabeth/Oliver has been aged down to be 17, and Darcy to match has been aged down to 18. Other characters are aged down to be in line, like Charlotte, Jane, and Bingley, though other characters like Lydia and Kitty seem to have been left the same age. This was an overall odd decision that seemed to have been made exclusively to allow this to be marketed as YA (which is pointless anyway, because it could've been YA with the main character being like 20, cmon). It makes the writing of the book really awkward (Darcy is repeatedly called a "boy" in a way that just comes off as weird), and kind of ruins some of the main plot of the book; namely that Jane and Elizabeth are of marriagable age, and that Elizabeth is expected to marry by her mother. By aging them down, it makes less sense that there is this constant pressure around marriage, and there is less of a contrast between the younger sisters who are comparatively very young, flirtatious, and out in society.
2. Why is this set in London?: Similarly, I thought that this was maybe a mistake initially, before it became clear that it was a deliberate change. I do not understand the decision to move the main plot of the book to London (and then have scenes that are supposed to be in London be in the countryside...), as it didn't really seem to affect what happened in any meaningful way. It didn't explore, "How would this be different if it was set somewhere else" at all, so it was just odd. My only guess is that it was decided it was more realistic that there would be Molly Houses etc. in London, plus Oliver would be less likely to be found out in a bigger city? I'm not really sure. However, I do think it, again, ruins some of the original themes and plot of the book, which is reliant on the setting for, say, the social scene to be the way it is, for soldiers visiting to be that exciting, etc.
3. I hate instant attraction in books: I am concerned that Novoa has never read Pride & Prejudice. I feel you can't have read the book and still think it would make sense for an adaptation to have Elizabeth/Oliver see Darcy for the first time and immediately be like, "He has such kissable lips", or whatever. The WHOLE POINT is that neither of them likes each other for the majority of the book, it's about them getting over their PRIDE and also PREJUDICE that prevent them from seeing each other properly and being nice to each other etc. It ruins the MOST classic enemies-to-lovers style book by having them not even be enemies at the start. For Christ's sake they flirt like the third time they meet on MAYBE page 60 at a stretch. It ruins all the deserved excitement at the end when they finally like each other. URGH!!
4. I think Novoa thinks his audience is stupid: There are a number of places in the book where the normal plot of Pride & Prejudice happens, but extra writing or dialogue is inserted in, I suppose, an assumption to clarify things for the reader in the most blatant version of tell-not-show I've ever read. I think it's especially egregious because I have a 1-to-1 comparison for how some of these scenes were written in the original. Like, when Collins comes to visit, you don't need to explicitly say "He's probably coming to try and marry one of the daughters" because it's clear from the way he interacts with them that that's the case. You don't have to say "He's the type of person who speaks to hear himself speak" because that's clear in the way he talks over others in conversation". It's infuriating and disappointing. Actually, funniest of all, despite making it explicitly clear that Collins wishes to marry one of the Bennets, Oliver is still completely blindsided by Collins wanting to marry him. Did he not listen to his own internal monologue???
5. General lack of historical accuracy: I've bundled together a number of times that I wrote things down regarding this. I think if you're going to set a book in a historic time period, you should have done research. And, evidently, some research has been done - but it all goes out the window when there's an opportunity to emphasise that Oliver is trans and make him feel bad. It is stupid to write a book exploring "What if there was a trans character in this historic book" and then not follow history when it suits you. Examples include Oliver having to be his mother to keep his hair up for a ball (It would be fairly scandalous for someone of his age to have their hair down, especially in public for evening wear), and Oliver hating dresses that emphasise his waist (Just look at a Regency dress and tell me that thing could emphasis your waist). There are SO MANY ways that the Regency era was intensely gendered, that it just doesn't make sense to invent NEW things for him to stress out about.
6. Darcy is sexist arc??: For some reason, one of the things Novoa feels the need to change is the reason that Wickham and Darcy dislike each other, and the lies that Wickham tells about him. Rather than Darcy being a self-interested selfish man who took the money and land Wickham was rightly owed (feeds into Elizabeth's prejudice of how she'd already perceived him), Wickham is basically like, "Darcy is known to not like women". Ok?? It's such a weird decision, and honestly I don't see why someone of that era would be completely horrified and shocked by this fact. This is all a ploy for Wickham to then later reveal the true horror of why Darcy doesn't like women... he's gay. This causes NO shock to Oliver, who has flirted with him already, and it's honestly funny to me that rather than real interesting interpersonal drama, Wickham is just homophobic lmao.
7. Speaking of Wickham: So you know how he's supposed to be Darcy's foil, and they reflect each other in different ways, and in realising Wickham is bad Elizabeth realises Darcy is good? What if that just didn't happen. What if the moment that she met Wickham she was like, "Oh this guy has bad vibes", and was never taken in by his charm. Wouldn't that be better? Well the answer is no. Obviously. Oliver immediately seeing through Wickham ruins any interesting drama or character development there, and diminishes Wickham's role in the book to random homophobic villain for no reason.
8. Why are there villains?: Generally, Pride & Prejudice doesn't really have villains. It's a study of society and characters, and many of them are not good people, but they mostly don't have evil motivations. Wickham is probably the closest approximation to this in the original novel as he causes the majority of the misunderstandings (and then marries a 15 year old girl), but it's more about him being selfish and wanting to exploit people, than a vendetta against any person in particular. In this book, it's really easy to tell who's supposed to be a villain, because they randomly give intensely feminine compliments to Oliver in a way that seems deliberate to give him dysphoria. I'm sorry, can you imagine a Regency gentleman OUT LOUD, IN PUBLIC, saying to someone, "You have such feminine child-bearing hips"??? Apropos of nothing?? It's insane. Wickham does it, Collins does it, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh does it, because they're the villains and they need basically no other motivation.
9. COLLINS' PLOT??: Ok, let's now talk about the craziest part of the plot. Collins and Wickham are randomly in cahoots, for reasons that are unclear and never clarified. Wickham works out that Oliver is trans, tells Collins (why? because he's randomly evil, don't think about it), and then Collins gets worried that it means Oliver will steal Longbourne by inheriting over Collins (I'm guessing this is why they made Collins not clergy, because this would've been even more crazy had he been. Don't know why his mind would immediately go to this though), and therefore is going to pay Wickham to marry Oliver to?? prevent this?? and un-trans him somehow. Very stupid plot, and was shockingly funny to read. In a book with so much complex interesting motivations and drama, it's just crazy to me that the whole central plot would just be watered down to one character being trans, and every somewhat-villainous character becoming transphobic in a way that is extremely 2020s-coded. It's just the funniest thing ever, and then Wickham is like "I'll expose you to your family!", Oliver's like ok. I need to come out to them first. Which, ok. I still think it's odd that you think in such a modern way of like "I can't be living this lie and I need to come out to my family" it is 1812 !!!! And then he goes to his mother and says, "I'm Oliver. I'm your son". And. Somehow. She immediately understands what this means. And it takes her like 2 minutes to come to terms with it and be supportive. I know that it's probably because the main aim is for this to be relatable to like 16 year old present-day trans teens, but I still think it's stupid. If you need to do that at the expense of the plot making sense, just write a different book.
10. The romance sucks: The romance sucks. That's about it. Had no investment and was kind of pissed off at them both by the end.
Overall, if you couldn't tell, I did not like this book. Luckily, it only took me 3 days or so to read so I just powered through so my hating could be accurate. There's a complete lack of care or respect for the original book, and I'm honestly not convinced that Novoa even likes the original, or for that matter has even read it. There's massive missed opportunities for meaningful exploration of what it would be like to be trans in the Regency era because of how 2020s-coded it is, and it makes the plot fall completely flat. Plus, I've not even mentioned the lack of development for ANY character that isn't Oliver or Darcy, the weird sexism suffused through the book, or the fact that Charlotte Lucas is gay for reasons that only impact Oliver by her being supportive but give her no additional character traits. Large sections of the plot are lopped off, and the sections that stayed in there felt like Novoa was slogging through it. Honestly, it would take me too long to fully list everything I didn't like. Would not recommend.
I'm a massive Pride & Prejudice fan, and I've read a fair few retellings. I thought the concept for this book sounded fun, and honestly kind of campy with the Clark Kent-style mistaken identity drama. Unfortunately, I pretty rapidly had to begin maintaining an ongoing list in my phone of things that annoyed me about this book, and maintained it through to the end. I'm not sure if I could've read the book without the ability to write down complaints and get them out of my head. In terms of what's good, the writing in this was ok; there's a sort of awkward writing style for historical fiction where they're trying to make it sound historical without being difficult to read/ a lot of work for the author, and that's even more difficult when it's based on an actual period book. I think Novoa did an ok job at hitting that middle ground in a way that wasn't super obtrusive. Unfortunately I think that's about the only good thing I have to say about this book, other than the fact I liked the cover. I am a bit confused by the whole series of "Remixed Classics" in general, as there seems to be a number of them written by different authors which mostly appear to change the identities of a few characters at a time. I suppose this concept would work if there was consideration put into how a character being different would affect the plot of the book, but this didn't really happen here - instead, it was just Pride & Prejudice completely spliced together with a modern YA book. Alright, I'm going to go through the list of complaints I had now (for clarity's sake, Elizabeth is Oliver within this book):
1. Why were the characters aged down?: I initally thought this was maybe a mistake on the part of the author, but it definitely seemed to be deliberate as I continued to read the book. Elizabeth/Oliver has been aged down to be 17, and Darcy to match has been aged down to 18. Other characters are aged down to be in line, like Charlotte, Jane, and Bingley, though other characters like Lydia and Kitty seem to have been left the same age. This was an overall odd decision that seemed to have been made exclusively to allow this to be marketed as YA (which is pointless anyway, because it could've been YA with the main character being like 20, cmon). It makes the writing of the book really awkward (Darcy is repeatedly called a "boy" in a way that just comes off as weird), and kind of ruins some of the main plot of the book; namely that Jane and Elizabeth are of marriagable age, and that Elizabeth is expected to marry by her mother. By aging them down, it makes less sense that there is this constant pressure around marriage, and there is less of a contrast between the younger sisters who are comparatively very young, flirtatious, and out in society.
2. Why is this set in London?: Similarly, I thought that this was maybe a mistake initially, before it became clear that it was a deliberate change. I do not understand the decision to move the main plot of the book to London (and then have scenes that are supposed to be in London be in the countryside...), as it didn't really seem to affect what happened in any meaningful way. It didn't explore, "How would this be different if it was set somewhere else" at all, so it was just odd. My only guess is that it was decided it was more realistic that there would be Molly Houses etc. in London, plus Oliver would be less likely to be found out in a bigger city? I'm not really sure. However, I do think it, again, ruins some of the original themes and plot of the book, which is reliant on the setting for, say, the social scene to be the way it is, for soldiers visiting to be that exciting, etc.
3. I hate instant attraction in books: I am concerned that Novoa has never read Pride & Prejudice. I feel you can't have read the book and still think it would make sense for an adaptation to have Elizabeth/Oliver see Darcy for the first time and immediately be like, "He has such kissable lips", or whatever. The WHOLE POINT is that neither of them likes each other for the majority of the book, it's about them getting over their PRIDE and also PREJUDICE that prevent them from seeing each other properly and being nice to each other etc. It ruins the MOST classic enemies-to-lovers style book by having them not even be enemies at the start. For Christ's sake they flirt like the third time they meet on MAYBE page 60 at a stretch. It ruins all the deserved excitement at the end when they finally like each other. URGH!!
4. I think Novoa thinks his audience is stupid: There are a number of places in the book where the normal plot of Pride & Prejudice happens, but extra writing or dialogue is inserted in, I suppose, an assumption to clarify things for the reader in the most blatant version of tell-not-show I've ever read. I think it's especially egregious because I have a 1-to-1 comparison for how some of these scenes were written in the original. Like, when Collins comes to visit, you don't need to explicitly say "He's probably coming to try and marry one of the daughters" because it's clear from the way he interacts with them that that's the case. You don't have to say "He's the type of person who speaks to hear himself speak" because that's clear in the way he talks over others in conversation". It's infuriating and disappointing. Actually, funniest of all, despite making it explicitly clear that Collins wishes to marry one of the Bennets, Oliver is still completely blindsided by Collins wanting to marry him. Did he not listen to his own internal monologue???
5. General lack of historical accuracy: I've bundled together a number of times that I wrote things down regarding this. I think if you're going to set a book in a historic time period, you should have done research. And, evidently, some research has been done - but it all goes out the window when there's an opportunity to emphasise that Oliver is trans and make him feel bad. It is stupid to write a book exploring "What if there was a trans character in this historic book" and then not follow history when it suits you. Examples include Oliver having to be his mother to keep his hair up for a ball (It would be fairly scandalous for someone of his age to have their hair down, especially in public for evening wear), and Oliver hating dresses that emphasise his waist (Just look at a Regency dress and tell me that thing could emphasis your waist). There are SO MANY ways that the Regency era was intensely gendered, that it just doesn't make sense to invent NEW things for him to stress out about.
6. Darcy is sexist arc??: For some reason, one of the things Novoa feels the need to change is the reason that Wickham and Darcy dislike each other, and the lies that Wickham tells about him. Rather than Darcy being a self-interested selfish man who took the money and land Wickham was rightly owed (feeds into Elizabeth's prejudice of how she'd already perceived him), Wickham is basically like, "Darcy is known to not like women". Ok?? It's such a weird decision, and honestly I don't see why someone of that era would be completely horrified and shocked by this fact. This is all a ploy for Wickham to then later reveal the true horror of why Darcy doesn't like women... he's gay. This causes NO shock to Oliver, who has flirted with him already, and it's honestly funny to me that rather than real interesting interpersonal drama, Wickham is just homophobic lmao.
7. Speaking of Wickham: So you know how he's supposed to be Darcy's foil, and they reflect each other in different ways, and in realising Wickham is bad Elizabeth realises Darcy is good? What if that just didn't happen. What if the moment that she met Wickham she was like, "Oh this guy has bad vibes", and was never taken in by his charm. Wouldn't that be better? Well the answer is no. Obviously. Oliver immediately seeing through Wickham ruins any interesting drama or character development there, and diminishes Wickham's role in the book to random homophobic villain for no reason.
8. Why are there villains?: Generally, Pride & Prejudice doesn't really have villains. It's a study of society and characters, and many of them are not good people, but they mostly don't have evil motivations. Wickham is probably the closest approximation to this in the original novel as he causes the majority of the misunderstandings (and then marries a 15 year old girl), but it's more about him being selfish and wanting to exploit people, than a vendetta against any person in particular. In this book, it's really easy to tell who's supposed to be a villain, because they randomly give intensely feminine compliments to Oliver in a way that seems deliberate to give him dysphoria. I'm sorry, can you imagine a Regency gentleman OUT LOUD, IN PUBLIC, saying to someone, "You have such feminine child-bearing hips"??? Apropos of nothing?? It's insane. Wickham does it, Collins does it, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh does it, because they're the villains and they need basically no other motivation.
9. COLLINS' PLOT??: Ok, let's now talk about the craziest part of the plot. Collins and Wickham are randomly in cahoots, for reasons that are unclear and never clarified. Wickham works out that Oliver is trans, tells Collins (why? because he's randomly evil, don't think about it), and then Collins gets worried that it means Oliver will steal Longbourne by inheriting over Collins (I'm guessing this is why they made Collins not clergy, because this would've been even more crazy had he been. Don't know why his mind would immediately go to this though), and therefore is going to pay Wickham to marry Oliver to?? prevent this?? and un-trans him somehow. Very stupid plot, and was shockingly funny to read. In a book with so much complex interesting motivations and drama, it's just crazy to me that the whole central plot would just be watered down to one character being trans, and every somewhat-villainous character becoming transphobic in a way that is extremely 2020s-coded. It's just the funniest thing ever, and then Wickham is like "I'll expose you to your family!", Oliver's like ok. I need to come out to them first. Which, ok. I still think it's odd that you think in such a modern way of like "I can't be living this lie and I need to come out to my family" it is 1812 !!!! And then he goes to his mother and says, "I'm Oliver. I'm your son". And. Somehow. She immediately understands what this means. And it takes her like 2 minutes to come to terms with it and be supportive. I know that it's probably because the main aim is for this to be relatable to like 16 year old present-day trans teens, but I still think it's stupid. If you need to do that at the expense of the plot making sense, just write a different book.
10. The romance sucks: The romance sucks. That's about it. Had no investment and was kind of pissed off at them both by the end.
Overall, if you couldn't tell, I did not like this book. Luckily, it only took me 3 days or so to read so I just powered through so my hating could be accurate. There's a complete lack of care or respect for the original book, and I'm honestly not convinced that Novoa even likes the original, or for that matter has even read it. There's massive missed opportunities for meaningful exploration of what it would be like to be trans in the Regency era because of how 2020s-coded it is, and it makes the plot fall completely flat. Plus, I've not even mentioned the lack of development for ANY character that isn't Oliver or Darcy, the weird sexism suffused through the book, or the fact that Charlotte Lucas is gay for reasons that only impact Oliver by her being supportive but give her no additional character traits. Large sections of the plot are lopped off, and the sections that stayed in there felt like Novoa was slogging through it. Honestly, it would take me too long to fully list everything I didn't like. Would not recommend.
September 7, 2023
I received this ARC from NetGalley and am very glad to have read this book.
It's a truly immaculate premise for a fellow trans boy-ish gay person to read. Oliver Bennett moves through a rough approximation of Pride and Prejudice, but with fun asides and story changes along the way. I deeply enjoyed watching Oliver navigate his life, watch him navigate his relationships both as himself and as a pretend girl, and seek out new experiences. It was great to see the fair, to see Molly Houses, and other queer folks in the Regency. Reading about a bunch of queer people finding each other always makes me feel like I've stumbled upon a treasure box.
With all of these things in mind, I'm giving this two stars for a few reasons:
There was no need for the characters to be aged down to teenagers. It was very clear that they were aged down to market the book as YA, but in the original book, Elizabeth is about 20. This is not wildly out of the YA market range. Making him 17 in this book was distracting, and frankly pointless. It makes Mrs. Bennett's urge to get him married more alarming, since 17 was still considered young to be married in the Regency.
Secondly, and most importantly, there was very little nuance with the emotional notes and characterizations. Oliver is debilitated by dysphoria in an almost stereotyping way, and he doesn't have a realistic method of navigating his world. He behaves as though secrecy and safety are lies he is telling people, rather than necessities that he can learn to navigate. I do not love a transphobic world. But in the transphobic framework of the world that is established in this book, Oliver is deeply out of step with how I think he would be. It is impractical and dangerous to assume the happy ending here would be living publically, out loud, rather than in privacy and security.
Along this vein, the villains are villainous in a comically overdramatic way, with everything they say apparently specially designed to give a trans person dysphoria. There are no microaggressions here, there are hammers here like "You have beautiful child bearing hips." It's unbearably black and white, and ludicrous to read. Likewise, the heroes of this story never falter, never have anything less than perfect acceptance and understanding.
I would be fine with the unwavering support but unfortunately it is also boring. One can be a supportive father of a trans son and still be surprised, can still be funny, can still have emotionally deep and interesting conversations about it. But even the supportive comments are copy-and-pasted "I love and support you and I'm proud of you." There is nothing of substance there, nothing complex and human, nothing with teeth.
I was very set up to love this book, but it just missed the complexity and the heart.
It's a truly immaculate premise for a fellow trans boy-ish gay person to read. Oliver Bennett moves through a rough approximation of Pride and Prejudice, but with fun asides and story changes along the way. I deeply enjoyed watching Oliver navigate his life, watch him navigate his relationships both as himself and as a pretend girl, and seek out new experiences. It was great to see the fair, to see Molly Houses, and other queer folks in the Regency. Reading about a bunch of queer people finding each other always makes me feel like I've stumbled upon a treasure box.
With all of these things in mind, I'm giving this two stars for a few reasons:
There was no need for the characters to be aged down to teenagers. It was very clear that they were aged down to market the book as YA, but in the original book, Elizabeth is about 20. This is not wildly out of the YA market range. Making him 17 in this book was distracting, and frankly pointless. It makes Mrs. Bennett's urge to get him married more alarming, since 17 was still considered young to be married in the Regency.
Secondly, and most importantly, there was very little nuance with the emotional notes and characterizations. Oliver is debilitated by dysphoria in an almost stereotyping way, and he doesn't have a realistic method of navigating his world. He behaves as though secrecy and safety are lies he is telling people, rather than necessities that he can learn to navigate. I do not love a transphobic world. But in the transphobic framework of the world that is established in this book, Oliver is deeply out of step with how I think he would be. It is impractical and dangerous to assume the happy ending here would be living publically, out loud, rather than in privacy and security.
Along this vein, the villains are villainous in a comically overdramatic way, with everything they say apparently specially designed to give a trans person dysphoria. There are no microaggressions here, there are hammers here like "You have beautiful child bearing hips." It's unbearably black and white, and ludicrous to read. Likewise, the heroes of this story never falter, never have anything less than perfect acceptance and understanding.
I would be fine with the unwavering support but unfortunately it is also boring. One can be a supportive father of a trans son and still be surprised, can still be funny, can still have emotionally deep and interesting conversations about it. But even the supportive comments are copy-and-pasted "I love and support you and I'm proud of you." There is nothing of substance there, nothing complex and human, nothing with teeth.
I was very set up to love this book, but it just missed the complexity and the heart.
January 29, 2024
3,5 * – Don’t let my rating deter you from reading this book. I did find this story enjoyable! Ultimately, though, it just wasn’t enough to fully captivate me. 😕
I think my main problem was the romance. Oliver started catching feelings for Darcy almost immediately after they met. The 1st time they met, Oliver was dressed as “Elizabeth”, and Darcy was rude to him. The 2nd time they met (the 1st time Oliver was dressed as a boy), Darcy, Bingley and Oliver hung out. The 3rd time they met (2nd time as Oliver) Oliver was already very much attracted to Darcy, and I genuinely couldn’t understand why… At that point they were acquaintances at best, yet Oliver was completely into Darcy (who, mind you, had been awful to “Elizabeth” unprompted, so, for all Oliver knew, Darcy was a mean, sexist ass), and they were already lowkey flirting with each other, at some points! It felt too sudden, and I ended up never really buying their attraction to each other. I didn’t feel *anything* AT ALL about the romance in this book. It wasn’t offensive or anything, and it was very sweet at times! But, overall, the romance just left me completely indifferent. 😶
I did enjoy the characters, for the most part. Oliver’s body dysmorphia was obviously very well portrayed, given that this is #ownvoices, and I really appreciated seeing the struggles of a trans boy at a time where being trans was unthinkable in society. I liked that he found so much support in his friends and family, and the queer joy in this book was definitely a delight (though, do keep in mind that, for the entirety of the book, Oliver is being misgendered and forced to live as a woman, which can definitely be triggering for some!). I also enjoyed Darcy as a LI, and I thought that using his gayness as an explanation for his sour moods at balls and his displeasure at the prospect of marrying a woman was a clever way of adapting the original story, all while making Darcy more likeable.
Which brings me to this: this book kind of felt like a watered-down version of the original “Pride and Prejudice”. The conflicts and social critique didn’t feel as deep in this book, which, to me, wasn’t a huge deal – I didn’t mind keeping the original themes to the original P&P, and have this retelling explore mainly Oliver’s journey with his gender – but I can see how this retelling might not be for everyone because of that.
But I will say that, even though I didn’t mind that this story focused more on the queer rep and I personally didn’t need a deep social commentary like in P&P, I still think the other aspects of this story were lacking a bit. Particularly, a lot of the SCs were either irrelevant or extremely superficial. Oliver’s sisters (other than Jane) were barely in the book, Charlotte and her gf Lu kind of disappeared after Charlotte married Collins, and Wickham was cartoonishly evil in the end. I wish we’d seen more of the SCs, and that they had some more depth.
But, either way, I still think this is an enjoyable book with great rep (and I REALLY loved the historical note at the end!!!!!!!!!!), so I’d still recommend it!
(review written on 29/01/2024)
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(19/03/2023)
"a Pride & Prejudice retelling in which Darcy is gay and the 2nd eldest Bennet is a trans boy" --- i'm listening 👀
I think my main problem was the romance. Oliver started catching feelings for Darcy almost immediately after they met. The 1st time they met, Oliver was dressed as “Elizabeth”, and Darcy was rude to him. The 2nd time they met (the 1st time Oliver was dressed as a boy), Darcy, Bingley and Oliver hung out. The 3rd time they met (2nd time as Oliver) Oliver was already very much attracted to Darcy, and I genuinely couldn’t understand why… At that point they were acquaintances at best, yet Oliver was completely into Darcy (who, mind you, had been awful to “Elizabeth” unprompted, so, for all Oliver knew, Darcy was a mean, sexist ass), and they were already lowkey flirting with each other, at some points! It felt too sudden, and I ended up never really buying their attraction to each other. I didn’t feel *anything* AT ALL about the romance in this book. It wasn’t offensive or anything, and it was very sweet at times! But, overall, the romance just left me completely indifferent. 😶
I did enjoy the characters, for the most part. Oliver’s body dysmorphia was obviously very well portrayed, given that this is #ownvoices, and I really appreciated seeing the struggles of a trans boy at a time where being trans was unthinkable in society. I liked that he found so much support in his friends and family, and the queer joy in this book was definitely a delight (though, do keep in mind that, for the entirety of the book, Oliver is being misgendered and forced to live as a woman, which can definitely be triggering for some!). I also enjoyed Darcy as a LI, and I thought that using his gayness as an explanation for his sour moods at balls and his displeasure at the prospect of marrying a woman was a clever way of adapting the original story, all while making Darcy more likeable.
Which brings me to this: this book kind of felt like a watered-down version of the original “Pride and Prejudice”. The conflicts and social critique didn’t feel as deep in this book, which, to me, wasn’t a huge deal – I didn’t mind keeping the original themes to the original P&P, and have this retelling explore mainly Oliver’s journey with his gender – but I can see how this retelling might not be for everyone because of that.
But I will say that, even though I didn’t mind that this story focused more on the queer rep and I personally didn’t need a deep social commentary like in P&P, I still think the other aspects of this story were lacking a bit. Particularly, a lot of the SCs were either irrelevant or extremely superficial. Oliver’s sisters (other than Jane) were barely in the book, Charlotte and her gf Lu kind of disappeared after Charlotte married Collins, and Wickham was cartoonishly evil in the end. I wish we’d seen more of the SCs, and that they had some more depth.
But, either way, I still think this is an enjoyable book with great rep (and I REALLY loved the historical note at the end!!!!!!!!!!), so I’d still recommend it!
(review written on 29/01/2024)
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(19/03/2023)
"a Pride & Prejudice retelling in which Darcy is gay and the 2nd eldest Bennet is a trans boy" --- i'm listening 👀
January 5, 2024
Well that was adorable. This was a very charming twist on Pride and Prejudice. Though I wish it had strayed from the source material more so that the relationship between Oliver and Darcy could’ve been built up a bit more
July 11, 2024
Huge disappointment. It goes to show that the art of rewriting history for romance readers isn't as easy as Bridgerton makes it seem.
The biggest problem is that there are no rules for reality in this retelling. As an author, it is your job to decide from the start how historically accurate you want to be. You can introduce a trans character in Pride and Prejudice and simply not explain that reality, as long as the reader understands it, and create a story that doesn't have anything to do with what it meant to be trans/gay in our Victorian era. But that is not the case here. Oliver talks like he is a current teenager, while another character talks like he is from two centuries ago. In one scene, he is worried about societal expectations; a few scenes later, society acts like it is present-day England.
In the second half, people do things that wouldn't work even in fantasy without proper world-building.I haven't read many retellings. I understand that there must be some differences, but the changes here were really bad. Who needs villains in Pride and Prejudice, and again, how can you be so uninspired as to create them in a story with gay and trans characters in that era? I think it is sad that an author doesn't understand that LGBT people couldn't afford to have enemies in that reality. Easy, magical solutions don't work for such serious problems.
To conclude, as a casual romance reader, the romantic elements didn't exist for the most part. That's because the story doesn't seem to care about anyone else but Oliver. I can forgive the disinterest in other secondary characters, but at least the love interest can't be treated as a second thought, especially since Mr. Darcy is one of the most beloved romantic leads in literature.
Avoid this book if you actually like Pride and Prejudice and want to read romance and not fantasy without magic.
The biggest problem is that there are no rules for reality in this retelling. As an author, it is your job to decide from the start how historically accurate you want to be. You can introduce a trans character in Pride and Prejudice and simply not explain that reality, as long as the reader understands it, and create a story that doesn't have anything to do with what it meant to be trans/gay in our Victorian era. But that is not the case here. Oliver talks like he is a current teenager, while another character talks like he is from two centuries ago. In one scene, he is worried about societal expectations; a few scenes later, society acts like it is present-day England.
In the second half, people do things that wouldn't work even in fantasy without proper world-building.I haven't read many retellings. I understand that there must be some differences, but the changes here were really bad. Who needs villains in Pride and Prejudice, and again, how can you be so uninspired as to create them in a story with gay and trans characters in that era? I think it is sad that an author doesn't understand that LGBT people couldn't afford to have enemies in that reality. Easy, magical solutions don't work for such serious problems.
To conclude, as a casual romance reader, the romantic elements didn't exist for the most part. That's because the story doesn't seem to care about anyone else but Oliver. I can forgive the disinterest in other secondary characters, but at least the love interest can't be treated as a second thought, especially since Mr. Darcy is one of the most beloved romantic leads in literature.
Avoid this book if you actually like Pride and Prejudice and want to read romance and not fantasy without magic.
July 3, 2024
3.5 rounded up for the representation. I did actually enjoy this LGBTQ+ retelling of my favorite novel of all time, Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". I can also see how books like this and others in this series are important to Trans youth and their need to live authentically and "be seen" for who they really are, so no judgement on changing the iconic characters sexuality or gender identity. My only issue was that there were sections of the original that were altered too much for this reader - such as Wickham's despicable actions with the Bennet daughters, or the omission of characters such as Anne De Bourgh, entirely. I did appreciate the author's note at the end which discussed how sexual identity was changing during the Regency leading to the Victorians, and that there had been more tolerance in eras prior.
May 19, 2024
Trans Rights Readathon
I don't generally like retellings. I notoriously don't like P&P retellings. I adored this.
I go back and forth with this rendition of Darcy, but Oliver is so baby boy. Tiny little cinnamon roll that deserves all the love in the world. Collins, Wickham, and Lydia can GTFO. Mr. Bennet always stays. Surprisingly, Mrs. Bennet grew on me.
Read this for trans joy. Read this for acceptance. Read this because it's cute.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners
I don't generally like retellings. I notoriously don't like P&P retellings. I adored this.
I go back and forth with this rendition of Darcy, but Oliver is so baby boy. Tiny little cinnamon roll that deserves all the love in the world. Collins, Wickham, and Lydia can GTFO. Mr. Bennet always stays. Surprisingly, Mrs. Bennet grew on me.
Read this for trans joy. Read this for acceptance. Read this because it's cute.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Young Listeners
December 14, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up
I feel like retellings of Pride & Prejudice can be very hit and miss, but I ended up really liking this take on it. Most Ardently features a trans Bennett main character, a queer Darcy, and a queer Charlotte (this last one is often read into the text anyway). It's a clever approach that hits the main plot beats of the original and feels like it gets what Austen was doing, but diverges in ways that make sense and integrate real queer history of the time period. We do know that trans people existed back then too, and there is even a documented case of a trans man inheriting an estate that went through the male line. This offers a really wholesome and lovely version of a classic that reimagines it through a queer lens.
It is worth noting (and this is in an author's note at the start of the book as well) that due to the specifics of the story and the constraints of the time period, much of the book does involve the main character- Oliver Bennett being mis-gendered and mis-named while still living much of the time acting as a woman. But while that is the case and there is some transphobia and homophobia, most of the people that matter are wonderful and supportive. I do recommend this one! And the audio narration is excellent as well. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I feel like retellings of Pride & Prejudice can be very hit and miss, but I ended up really liking this take on it. Most Ardently features a trans Bennett main character, a queer Darcy, and a queer Charlotte (this last one is often read into the text anyway). It's a clever approach that hits the main plot beats of the original and feels like it gets what Austen was doing, but diverges in ways that make sense and integrate real queer history of the time period. We do know that trans people existed back then too, and there is even a documented case of a trans man inheriting an estate that went through the male line. This offers a really wholesome and lovely version of a classic that reimagines it through a queer lens.
It is worth noting (and this is in an author's note at the start of the book as well) that due to the specifics of the story and the constraints of the time period, much of the book does involve the main character- Oliver Bennett being mis-gendered and mis-named while still living much of the time acting as a woman. But while that is the case and there is some transphobia and homophobia, most of the people that matter are wonderful and supportive. I do recommend this one! And the audio narration is excellent as well. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
January 25, 2024
THE TRANS JOY OF IT ALL!!!
so grateful I finally get to hold and hug and cherish this precious gift of a (NYT bestseller!!!!!) book
so grateful I finally get to hold and hug and cherish this precious gift of a (NYT bestseller!!!!!) book
June 27, 2024
Something didn't connect with me here.
Fuck, I hope I'm not slumping.
The writing was beautiful, and it's a great reimagining, but why they made Darcy a complete twat didn't work for me and I don't get it.
He was rude/mean to women, and he was even awful to Oliver (who's dead name is Elizabeth) for seemingly NO REASON at their first encounter, other than... Secretly gay, so must be mean to women like it's their fault I have to hide who I am?? or something?
Oliver was instantly attracted to Darcy, then he was mean to Oliver when he was presenting as Elizabeth, and then he was still interested in him at his next encounter when he was presenting as Oliver??? How??? Why??? WHAT WAS THE REASON???
The whole... "oh but it's okay, because he is nice around other men" WTF IS THAT SEXIST FUCK ATTITUDE????
Fuck women I guess, let's disrespect them and show them how low and uninterested in them I am... but I'm nice and different around men so it's okay 💅 GTFOOOOOOOOOOOOO!😠😠😠
Darcy's redemption act was WEAK AND LIMP NOODLE AF.
He wrote a letter, explained himself and apologised at like 86%... um no? not enough?
And then he just shows up and Oliver and him are boyfriends 2 seconds later. I can't.
I felt for Oliver, as being born into the wrong skin/body and not being able to be his true self especially during that time period would have been an awful experience.
I CAN ONLY SYMPATHISE WITH the fact that the rib crushing corsets to push your tits up to your chin would have been HORRENDOUS for the body dysmorphia.
The only way I could describe this is:
Definitely a great book in it's own way.
People will and do love this book for a reason.
I recommend to give it a try, it just wasn't for me.
Fuck, I hope I'm not slumping.
The writing was beautiful, and it's a great reimagining, but why they made Darcy a complete twat didn't work for me and I don't get it.
He was rude/mean to women, and he was even awful to Oliver (who's dead name is Elizabeth) for seemingly NO REASON at their first encounter, other than... Secretly gay, so must be mean to women like it's their fault I have to hide who I am?? or something?
Oliver was instantly attracted to Darcy, then he was mean to Oliver when he was presenting as Elizabeth, and then he was still interested in him at his next encounter when he was presenting as Oliver??? How??? Why??? WHAT WAS THE REASON???
The whole... "oh but it's okay, because he is nice around other men" WTF IS THAT SEXIST FUCK ATTITUDE????
Fuck women I guess, let's disrespect them and show them how low and uninterested in them I am... but I'm nice and different around men so it's okay 💅 GTFOOOOOOOOOOOOO!😠😠😠
Darcy's redemption act was WEAK AND LIMP NOODLE AF.
He wrote a letter, explained himself and apologised at like 86%... um no? not enough?
And then he just shows up and Oliver and him are boyfriends 2 seconds later. I can't.
I felt for Oliver, as being born into the wrong skin/body and not being able to be his true self especially during that time period would have been an awful experience.
I CAN ONLY SYMPATHISE WITH the fact that the rib crushing corsets to push your tits up to your chin would have been HORRENDOUS for the body dysmorphia.
The only way I could describe this is:
Definitely a great book in it's own way.
People will and do love this book for a reason.
I recommend to give it a try, it just wasn't for me.
March 30, 2024
Earnest, saccharine sweet, and very precious to me.
While I take issue with the depiction of Mr. Collins and the practically nonexistent nature of Kitty, Lydia, and Mary, this book really does have my heart. The chemistry between Oliver and Darcy felt so tangible and nothing made me more emotional than the relationship between Oliver and Jane or Oliver and his father.
Is it unrealistic? Sure. Cheesy at times? Yeah. But I can’t really bring myself to fault it for those things, though, because I think it’s really important that queer teens get perfect happily ever afters like this.
Oliver is surrounded by unconditional love and I don’t have it in me to be upset by his lack of further suffering or struggle.
CW: gender dysphoria, frequent deadnaming, brief moments of homophobia & transphobia, forced outing, sexism & misogyny
While I take issue with the depiction of Mr. Collins and the practically nonexistent nature of Kitty, Lydia, and Mary, this book really does have my heart. The chemistry between Oliver and Darcy felt so tangible and nothing made me more emotional than the relationship between Oliver and Jane or Oliver and his father.
Is it unrealistic? Sure. Cheesy at times? Yeah. But I can’t really bring myself to fault it for those things, though, because I think it’s really important that queer teens get perfect happily ever afters like this.
Oliver is surrounded by unconditional love and I don’t have it in me to be upset by his lack of further suffering or struggle.
CW: gender dysphoria, frequent deadnaming, brief moments of homophobia & transphobia, forced outing, sexism & misogyny
March 2, 2024
I was SO EXCITED for this book. A queer trans retelling of Pride & Prejudice, one of my absolute favorite novels ever? Thrilling! I learned about it from Marlowe Lune's Insta several months ago, when he posted the beautiful cover illustration that he drew for it. If you haven't checked out Marlowe's Insta and his beautiful work, go do so now - it's the only redeeming part of this strange and disappointing book.
To begin with, I'm not convinced that Gabe Novoa actually likes or understands Pride & Prejudice. Yes, he's clearly read the book (or at least, the SparkNotes) once. He manages to hit some of the main beats of the original, albeit loosely and sloppily. But let's be totally clear: there's no respect for the original. Novoa makes sweeping, unnecessary changes to characters and events, and what's more, he rejects what I would argue is the heart of Austen's work as a novelist: women have rich and vibrant inner lives and relationships, and they are every bit as smart and competent (if not much more so) than the men who are socially positioned as their "betters" or "superiors."
The original Elizabeth Bennet (who I'll refer to henceforth as Eliza for the sake of clarity between versions) loves and cherishes the women in her life, even when she doesn't agree with their choices or opinions. Novoa's Oliver Bennet thinks women are stupid, petty, boring, and repulsive. He doesn't just have gender dysphoria - he's a misogynist. He doesn't want anything to do with women, except his sister Jane (who's stripped of most of what makes her lovable and compelling in the original) and his friends Charlotte (who is not only stripped of her original character but also becomes just another stupid woman making terrible choices instead of being "true to herself" in an era when that would see her destitute and/or a social pariah) and Lu (who is not a character in the original and was evidently crafted to be a sort of gender trouble guidance counselor for Oliver). Oliver finds his mother totally insufferable and views her as a sort of monster; Eliza loves her mother and understands her motivations despite being desperately annoyed by her actions. Oliver barely notices his three younger sisters except to be aggravated by their frivolity; Eliza keeps careful track of them whenever she can, and she tries to influence them positively whenever possible. I could go on endlessly, but I won't for the sake of brevity.
Novoa also changes the male characters of Pride & Prejudice beyond recognition. Mr. Bennet takes an active role in supporting Oliver by page 76. Mr. Collins is somehow made more insufferable, but in a less interesting way. Wickham is utterly and completely butchered, and his motivation for despising Darcy is altered from the original denial of money and status to - inexplicably - the refusal to break off an engagement with his cousin (whose name changes from Genevieve to Liliana because women are just that unimportant to the book?). The entirety of Wickham's elopement with Lydia is erased in favor of a confusing and convoluted attempt at And Darcy - oh, Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy simply does not hate women in the original. He hates insincerity and flattery and manipulation, and he is too proud for his own good. Novoa's Darcy hates women because he's gay, and gay men... hate... women...? And despite spending a good amount of time making googly eyes at Oliver when he's dressed as a man, this Darcy is totally incapable of recognizing Oliver when he's dressed as Elizabeth. Unbelievable.
I could write a LOT on the questionable historical possibility of Novoa's retelling, too. I won't, but suffice to say that the ending of this book is both a fantasy and a disappointment.
I feel like I should point out that I don't mean any of this to say that Novoa is a bad writer. I genuinely can't separate my dislike of this book for its treatment of Pride & Prejudice from the quality of the writing. If you haven't read Pride & Prejudice (or maybe if you have, but it's not a book you've reread like a dozen times, and you don't have an English major's hang-ups about it being perfect in its original form), then maybe you'll really enjoy this book! I don't know. I'm going to force my husband to read it and ask his opinion, since he's never read the original. I'm also going to go read some of Novoa's other work so I can get a clearer view of his writing.
To begin with, I'm not convinced that Gabe Novoa actually likes or understands Pride & Prejudice. Yes, he's clearly read the book (or at least, the SparkNotes) once. He manages to hit some of the main beats of the original, albeit loosely and sloppily. But let's be totally clear: there's no respect for the original. Novoa makes sweeping, unnecessary changes to characters and events, and what's more, he rejects what I would argue is the heart of Austen's work as a novelist: women have rich and vibrant inner lives and relationships, and they are every bit as smart and competent (if not much more so) than the men who are socially positioned as their "betters" or "superiors."
The original Elizabeth Bennet (who I'll refer to henceforth as Eliza for the sake of clarity between versions) loves and cherishes the women in her life, even when she doesn't agree with their choices or opinions. Novoa's Oliver Bennet thinks women are stupid, petty, boring, and repulsive. He doesn't just have gender dysphoria - he's a misogynist. He doesn't want anything to do with women, except his sister Jane (who's stripped of most of what makes her lovable and compelling in the original) and his friends Charlotte (who is not only stripped of her original character but also becomes just another stupid woman making terrible choices instead of being "true to herself" in an era when that would see her destitute and/or a social pariah) and Lu (who is not a character in the original and was evidently crafted to be a sort of gender trouble guidance counselor for Oliver). Oliver finds his mother totally insufferable and views her as a sort of monster; Eliza loves her mother and understands her motivations despite being desperately annoyed by her actions. Oliver barely notices his three younger sisters except to be aggravated by their frivolity; Eliza keeps careful track of them whenever she can, and she tries to influence them positively whenever possible. I could go on endlessly, but I won't for the sake of brevity.
Novoa also changes the male characters of Pride & Prejudice beyond recognition. Mr. Bennet takes an active role in supporting Oliver by page 76. Mr. Collins is somehow made more insufferable, but in a less interesting way. Wickham is utterly and completely butchered, and his motivation for despising Darcy is altered from the original denial of money and status to - inexplicably - the refusal to break off an engagement with his cousin (whose name changes from Genevieve to Liliana because women are just that unimportant to the book?). The entirety of Wickham's elopement with Lydia is erased in favor of a confusing and convoluted attempt at And Darcy - oh, Darcy. Fitzwilliam Darcy simply does not hate women in the original. He hates insincerity and flattery and manipulation, and he is too proud for his own good. Novoa's Darcy hates women because he's gay, and gay men... hate... women...? And despite spending a good amount of time making googly eyes at Oliver when he's dressed as a man, this Darcy is totally incapable of recognizing Oliver when he's dressed as Elizabeth. Unbelievable.
I could write a LOT on the questionable historical possibility of Novoa's retelling, too. I won't, but suffice to say that the ending of this book is both a fantasy and a disappointment.
I feel like I should point out that I don't mean any of this to say that Novoa is a bad writer. I genuinely can't separate my dislike of this book for its treatment of Pride & Prejudice from the quality of the writing. If you haven't read Pride & Prejudice (or maybe if you have, but it's not a book you've reread like a dozen times, and you don't have an English major's hang-ups about it being perfect in its original form), then maybe you'll really enjoy this book! I don't know. I'm going to force my husband to read it and ask his opinion, since he's never read the original. I'm also going to go read some of Novoa's other work so I can get a clearer view of his writing.
May 1, 2024
“I love you, Oliver,” Darcy said, “Most ardently.”
t’s London, 1812, and Oliver Bennet feels trapped. The world, and the vast majority of his family and friends, think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family’s home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. During one such excursion, Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man who had been rude to “Elizabeth” at a recent social function. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver finds that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart, not to mention attractive. As Oliver spends more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares to hope that his dream of love and life as a man can be possible.
As any other queer English student/nerd, I LOVE Jane Austen. I have always been obsessed since I watched the Keira Knightley adaptation when I was 12!! So not only do I get very excited whenever a new P&P retelling gets announced, but I also get very hesitant!
I get hesitant about retellings in general, especially with classics that I love, because many of the ones I read change the setting and characteristics of the characters but keep the story and the specific story beats precisely the same, and I get kind of bored!
But Most Ardently managed to surpass my expectations, I loved it sm. Making Darcy a queer man who doesn’t hate women but just isn’t interested in pretending to like them and making Elizabeth Bennet a trans man living a double life is a BRILLIANT way to reimagine the story. A stroke of genius truly.
It stays close to the original in the first half or so, but then it turns into something new and interesting while still maintaining much of the soul and themes of the original novel. And just how lovely it is to see the queer and trans joy of it all. The exploration of the queer history of that period!!
I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time, and I listened to this in like two days?? You need to read it if you haven’t yet!
t’s London, 1812, and Oliver Bennet feels trapped. The world, and the vast majority of his family and friends, think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family’s home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. During one such excursion, Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man who had been rude to “Elizabeth” at a recent social function. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver finds that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart, not to mention attractive. As Oliver spends more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares to hope that his dream of love and life as a man can be possible.
As any other queer English student/nerd, I LOVE Jane Austen. I have always been obsessed since I watched the Keira Knightley adaptation when I was 12!! So not only do I get very excited whenever a new P&P retelling gets announced, but I also get very hesitant!
I get hesitant about retellings in general, especially with classics that I love, because many of the ones I read change the setting and characteristics of the characters but keep the story and the specific story beats precisely the same, and I get kind of bored!
But Most Ardently managed to surpass my expectations, I loved it sm. Making Darcy a queer man who doesn’t hate women but just isn’t interested in pretending to like them and making Elizabeth Bennet a trans man living a double life is a BRILLIANT way to reimagine the story. A stroke of genius truly.
It stays close to the original in the first half or so, but then it turns into something new and interesting while still maintaining much of the soul and themes of the original novel. And just how lovely it is to see the queer and trans joy of it all. The exploration of the queer history of that period!!
I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time, and I listened to this in like two days?? You need to read it if you haven’t yet!
December 22, 2023
1.5 Stars
The good thing I can say about this book is that it is, at least, recognizably Pride and Prejudice. Which is more than I can say about some of the "retellings" of late. But it just wasn't very good.
I was so, so excited for this book because I wanted to explore queer possibilities in the Regency. And we do get that, but... not a lot. Not as much as I would have liked. And not in ways that felt very real. Oh, there was certainly real queer history mixed in, but I'm not sure that anything that plays out in this book would have been strictly possible. The gender dysphoria is also disablingly strong in this book. It feels excessive. I get that Oliver is trapped. He can't be himself. And that's very hard. But it was pretty much the only thing he thought about, to the detriment of his character and also his interactions with other characters.
And while I say this book is indeed a retelling, it does miss a lot of the flavor of P&P. And that comes down to some strange narrative changes that were made... changes that just don't make sense for the time period (changes that aren't related to the queer aspect of this book)... Changes that were confusing and made the book feel a little under-researched, to be honest.
I wanted to like this one so much, and I just didn't. And that makes me really sad. Anyway, my full comments will be available January 19, 2024 at Gateway Reviews. Check it out if you get the chance.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
The good thing I can say about this book is that it is, at least, recognizably Pride and Prejudice. Which is more than I can say about some of the "retellings" of late. But it just wasn't very good.
I was so, so excited for this book because I wanted to explore queer possibilities in the Regency. And we do get that, but... not a lot. Not as much as I would have liked. And not in ways that felt very real. Oh, there was certainly real queer history mixed in, but I'm not sure that anything that plays out in this book would have been strictly possible. The gender dysphoria is also disablingly strong in this book. It feels excessive. I get that Oliver is trapped. He can't be himself. And that's very hard. But it was pretty much the only thing he thought about, to the detriment of his character and also his interactions with other characters.
And while I say this book is indeed a retelling, it does miss a lot of the flavor of P&P. And that comes down to some strange narrative changes that were made... changes that just don't make sense for the time period (changes that aren't related to the queer aspect of this book)... Changes that were confusing and made the book feel a little under-researched, to be honest.
I wanted to like this one so much, and I just didn't. And that makes me really sad. Anyway, my full comments will be available January 19, 2024 at Gateway Reviews. Check it out if you get the chance.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
February 6, 2024
I am, if nothing else in my bookish tastes, a queer regency romance enthusiast. I had such high hopes for this book - I love the premise, I wanted to fall head over heels for the book itself (not to mention the gorgeous cover by an artist whose work I adore).
[Spoilers ahead...]
While I do recognize that this is a YA book it felt far too simplistic in its characterizations. The only character who truly felt like they had any kind of internal life was our MC himself, with maybe a splash given to Darcy by association. The true joy of reading a Jane Austen book is, at least for me, in the details of the characters and the relationships between them (and the humour!). Obviously I am not here to question the value of trans characters being naturalized into the context of a beloved classic, but it didn't feel like a book born from a love of Pride and Prejudice or regency set romances in general.
This retelling stripped much of the humour and tenderness of swoony romance away and felt like rather than being an exploration from a foundation of the plot of the original P&P, it was limited by the scaffold of the original plot. The conversations had, even in private, felt stilted - where was the romance? ...the yearning? Who Darcy was, other than his being a gay man, relied too much on the legacy of knowing who he was already. The love affair was far too logistical for me to be invested in them as a couple rather than solely in Oliver's struggle with his identity in relation to his family and society. Have shared hobbies or interests outside of queerness! Have conversations about life and aspirations outside of navigating society! I think it's important to show queer kids that they deserve love that is holistic and they deserve to be entire people beyond survival.
The treatment of female characters were also disappointing to me. This felt like a book that rehashed stereotypes of neurotic women and made them beholden to unexplainable whims rather than having complexity as people navigating a society not built for their success and autonomy. Mrs. Bennet being overbearing about dresses for a "wayward daughter" and then completely cool with a trans son felt unrealistic (I don't want characters to have to endure trauma for traumas sake but come on...). If she was going to end as a sympathetic character, build more obvious worry for her children's future into the way she treats them, rather than comical battles for control. Why would it never have occurred to Mr. Bennet to have probing conversations with his wife prior to the events of this story if he was in fact such an ally and so progressive as to accept transness? Why did he still treat his wife as silly or unworthy of intellectual discussions?
Charlotte and Lu had so many depths that could have been explored with relation to Oliver rather than only existing as he needed them to - there was no depth to the friendship other than again, queer proximity, convenience and logistics. I expect queer narratives to contain the feminism to give female characters just as much weight of humanity as the male characters even if the plot doesn't allow for as much time spent with them. In the final wrap up we are left without closure on how Charlotte, a queer woman married to (and notably financially dependent on) a now explicitly queerphobic man in relative isolation will fare...
Overall, I think in its existence, this novel is a step forward for representation for trans kids and gives them a way to place themselves within history just a little easier, I just wanted more from it and expected less of the rigidity in gendered stereotypes outside of the central premise and the internal monologue of Oliver himself.
(Also a little too much reliance on the Clark Kent phenomenon - there's no way Darcy could kiss Oliver and then have no inkling that he was the same person in a dress days later...not even a double take...)
[Spoilers ahead...]
While I do recognize that this is a YA book it felt far too simplistic in its characterizations. The only character who truly felt like they had any kind of internal life was our MC himself, with maybe a splash given to Darcy by association. The true joy of reading a Jane Austen book is, at least for me, in the details of the characters and the relationships between them (and the humour!). Obviously I am not here to question the value of trans characters being naturalized into the context of a beloved classic, but it didn't feel like a book born from a love of Pride and Prejudice or regency set romances in general.
This retelling stripped much of the humour and tenderness of swoony romance away and felt like rather than being an exploration from a foundation of the plot of the original P&P, it was limited by the scaffold of the original plot. The conversations had, even in private, felt stilted - where was the romance? ...the yearning? Who Darcy was, other than his being a gay man, relied too much on the legacy of knowing who he was already. The love affair was far too logistical for me to be invested in them as a couple rather than solely in Oliver's struggle with his identity in relation to his family and society. Have shared hobbies or interests outside of queerness! Have conversations about life and aspirations outside of navigating society! I think it's important to show queer kids that they deserve love that is holistic and they deserve to be entire people beyond survival.
The treatment of female characters were also disappointing to me. This felt like a book that rehashed stereotypes of neurotic women and made them beholden to unexplainable whims rather than having complexity as people navigating a society not built for their success and autonomy. Mrs. Bennet being overbearing about dresses for a "wayward daughter" and then completely cool with a trans son felt unrealistic (I don't want characters to have to endure trauma for traumas sake but come on...). If she was going to end as a sympathetic character, build more obvious worry for her children's future into the way she treats them, rather than comical battles for control. Why would it never have occurred to Mr. Bennet to have probing conversations with his wife prior to the events of this story if he was in fact such an ally and so progressive as to accept transness? Why did he still treat his wife as silly or unworthy of intellectual discussions?
Charlotte and Lu had so many depths that could have been explored with relation to Oliver rather than only existing as he needed them to - there was no depth to the friendship other than again, queer proximity, convenience and logistics. I expect queer narratives to contain the feminism to give female characters just as much weight of humanity as the male characters even if the plot doesn't allow for as much time spent with them. In the final wrap up we are left without closure on how Charlotte, a queer woman married to (and notably financially dependent on) a now explicitly queerphobic man in relative isolation will fare...
Overall, I think in its existence, this novel is a step forward for representation for trans kids and gives them a way to place themselves within history just a little easier, I just wanted more from it and expected less of the rigidity in gendered stereotypes outside of the central premise and the internal monologue of Oliver himself.
(Also a little too much reliance on the Clark Kent phenomenon - there's no way Darcy could kiss Oliver and then have no inkling that he was the same person in a dress days later...not even a double take...)
April 1, 2024
What is the purpose of a retelling? At its core, we hope to see the beats of a familiar story re-imagined as something new. We hope to have a new feeling, to see a beloved (or hated) character in a new way, to discover a new fork off of a well-tread path. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really succeed on that level, because I don't think Gabe Cole Novoa gives a single shit about Pride & Prejudice.
I appreciate the Remixed Classics series because on the whole, I do think they add something new to the books they're interpreting. Self-Made Boys, for example, developed an entirely new dimension to The Great Gatsby that enhanced the story and made it feel fresh and immediate for a new audience. It's a more fruitful source text, sure, but Anna-Marie McLemore also did a great job with it. This book, though it explores similar ideas around gender and desire and social mores, feels incredibly flat compared to that one.
Part of the problem is that every antagonistic character is a one-note villain with the transphobia dial turned up to 11. Every single thing that comes out of Wickham or Lady Catherine's mouths is about Oliver's femininity, framed in the grossest way possible. It's repetitive and silly; there are plenty of ways for them to be evil, but this is the only way with any value in the story. Even though, in the original, Elizabeth's relationship to Wickham is much more developed and nuanced, the author here decided to eschew that entirely in order to make him a boring, tactless Bad Guy with no other connection to the narrative or to Oliver's arc. Similarly, every "good" character has a very modern conception of gender and achieves 100% perfect ally status within seconds of learning that Oliver is trans. I get that this is more of a wish-fulfillment exercise than a realistic portrayal of gender and identity in 1800s London, but when a character just smacks their forehead and is like, "well THAT'S why you hate dresses! You're a boy!" it feels sort of goofy.
Oliver is also a tricky protagonist; he seems to entirely lack empathy for his sisters and friends, particularly Charlotte, who decides to marry a man despite being a lesbian. Oliver has this really questionable thought process where he's like, "well, she's only gay, so marrying man isn't that bad, but I would NEVER debase myself so!" and it feels gross and also pretty anachronistic. Other reviews have explored this more thoroughly, so I won't get too into it, but it does feel at times like Oliver doesn't care about how women are treated as long as he himself isn't being treated like a woman. Darcy is also stripped of a lot of his intrigue and prickliness after the very first scene, and he becomes a sort of generic Regency romance hero. I think the issue is partially that the brooding, prickly guy shtick feels silly now that he's aged down to a teenager; Oliver keeps identifying him in the narration as "the boy," which reads really strangely and makes him seem like a child wearing an adult man's coat.
Ultimately, this is another Pride and Prejudice retelling to throw in the massive pile of other Pride and Prejudice retellings. It's pretty forgettable and doesn't seem to have any curiosity about the original.
I appreciate the Remixed Classics series because on the whole, I do think they add something new to the books they're interpreting. Self-Made Boys, for example, developed an entirely new dimension to The Great Gatsby that enhanced the story and made it feel fresh and immediate for a new audience. It's a more fruitful source text, sure, but Anna-Marie McLemore also did a great job with it. This book, though it explores similar ideas around gender and desire and social mores, feels incredibly flat compared to that one.
Part of the problem is that every antagonistic character is a one-note villain with the transphobia dial turned up to 11. Every single thing that comes out of Wickham or Lady Catherine's mouths is about Oliver's femininity, framed in the grossest way possible. It's repetitive and silly; there are plenty of ways for them to be evil, but this is the only way with any value in the story. Even though, in the original, Elizabeth's relationship to Wickham is much more developed and nuanced, the author here decided to eschew that entirely in order to make him a boring, tactless Bad Guy with no other connection to the narrative or to Oliver's arc. Similarly, every "good" character has a very modern conception of gender and achieves 100% perfect ally status within seconds of learning that Oliver is trans. I get that this is more of a wish-fulfillment exercise than a realistic portrayal of gender and identity in 1800s London, but when a character just smacks their forehead and is like, "well THAT'S why you hate dresses! You're a boy!" it feels sort of goofy.
Oliver is also a tricky protagonist; he seems to entirely lack empathy for his sisters and friends, particularly Charlotte, who decides to marry a man despite being a lesbian. Oliver has this really questionable thought process where he's like, "well, she's only gay, so marrying man isn't that bad, but I would NEVER debase myself so!" and it feels gross and also pretty anachronistic. Other reviews have explored this more thoroughly, so I won't get too into it, but it does feel at times like Oliver doesn't care about how women are treated as long as he himself isn't being treated like a woman. Darcy is also stripped of a lot of his intrigue and prickliness after the very first scene, and he becomes a sort of generic Regency romance hero. I think the issue is partially that the brooding, prickly guy shtick feels silly now that he's aged down to a teenager; Oliver keeps identifying him in the narration as "the boy," which reads really strangely and makes him seem like a child wearing an adult man's coat.
Ultimately, this is another Pride and Prejudice retelling to throw in the massive pile of other Pride and Prejudice retellings. It's pretty forgettable and doesn't seem to have any curiosity about the original.
April 22, 2024
I love that I live in a world where a trans pride & prejudice retelling exists and that it was GOOD
June 21, 2024
This had too many fumbles to get five stars but I had a lot of fun with it and also I cried twice.
[4.5 stars, rounded down for historical inaccuracy, a Janeite should know better]
Read Harder Challenge 2024: Read a YA book by a trans author.
[4.5 stars, rounded down for historical inaccuracy, a Janeite should know better]
Read Harder Challenge 2024: Read a YA book by a trans author.
January 25, 2024
Started this for the cover art and stayed for the charming relationship. I enjoyed what the author did with this remix, and if you’re looking for a quick read, I recommend!
January 7, 2024
It’s just a bunch of going to people’s houses—
No, this was delightful. My memory of actual pride and prejudice is a bit spotty so this was a fun refresher and I really enjoyed it. Also supportive parents? In a historical novel at that? That’s rare and left me with the biggest smile on my face.
No, this was delightful. My memory of actual pride and prejudice is a bit spotty so this was a fun refresher and I really enjoyed it. Also supportive parents? In a historical novel at that? That’s rare and left me with the biggest smile on my face.
March 27, 2024
Will I continue to enjoy retellings without reading the original? Well yes!
Most Ardently is (apparently) a Pride & Prejudice retelling. While I can't speak on its uniqueness or faithfulness to the original, I know I loved its characters so much that it makes me interested in the original story when I never before was. Here, Novoa portrays Elizabeth as Oliver, a transgender man secretly hoping to dress the way he feels inside. It is through one of his nightly escapades—sneaking away from the Bennetts and shedding his dresses for a suit and trousers—that he begins to feel a connection with Darcy, who doesn't realize Oliver is the same 'lady' he seemed to hate at the ball.
This was a delightfully binge-worthy and heartfelt book. Most Ardently brought me back to my love of reading after a month of reading nothing (i blame university). I shed a few tears, felt pain and joy alongside Oliver, and kind of fell for Darcy alongside him. There was an underlying sweetness to each of their interactions, yearning and all, which I adored. I fear I need to know what the original Mr. Darcy is like...
I loved Jane and Mr. Bennett serving as a continuous support system for Oliver. Even though things weren't sunshine and roses for him all the time, things never got too heavy because of their reassurances. My only complaint about this book is the slightly rushed ending; I wanted more of Oliver and Darcy and their relationship before everything was wrapped up! Ah, what a sweet book.
Most Ardently is (apparently) a Pride & Prejudice retelling. While I can't speak on its uniqueness or faithfulness to the original, I know I loved its characters so much that it makes me interested in the original story when I never before was. Here, Novoa portrays Elizabeth as Oliver, a transgender man secretly hoping to dress the way he feels inside. It is through one of his nightly escapades—sneaking away from the Bennetts and shedding his dresses for a suit and trousers—that he begins to feel a connection with Darcy, who doesn't realize Oliver is the same 'lady' he seemed to hate at the ball.
This was a delightfully binge-worthy and heartfelt book. Most Ardently brought me back to my love of reading after a month of reading nothing (i blame university). I shed a few tears, felt pain and joy alongside Oliver, and kind of fell for Darcy alongside him. There was an underlying sweetness to each of their interactions, yearning and all, which I adored. I fear I need to know what the original Mr. Darcy is like...
I loved Jane and Mr. Bennett serving as a continuous support system for Oliver. Even though things weren't sunshine and roses for him all the time, things never got too heavy because of their reassurances. My only complaint about this book is the slightly rushed ending; I wanted more of Oliver and Darcy and their relationship before everything was wrapped up! Ah, what a sweet book.
December 4, 2023
✰3 stars✰
This was cute, really. Just maybe not as detailed and deep as it had the potential to be, or as I wanted it to be.
Oliver was born in the wrong body, he was never meant to be Elizabeth Bennet and living his life as a young lady is stifling and dreadful and leaves him feeling trapped.
His mother, Mrs. Bennet, is determined to have him married off to make the perfect wife, and Oliver wants none of it.
Early on, Oliver meets Mr. Darcy while dressed as Elizabeth. At this point, Darcy is rather cold and rude, and it’s assumed that he just isn’t vey kind with women.
However, not long after, Oliver meets Darcy again while dressed as himself and they form a genuine friendship and Darcy is different than Oliver imagined he would be.
This remixed classic is clever and a heartwarming trans love story, but does fall a little flat with the actual believability of the romance. While it’s certainly YA, you don’t feel as invested in the romance between Darcy and Oliver in the way you’d expect from a remix of a Jane Austen novel. There is a line between maintaining YA romance and just leaving out appropriate details that make the love believable, and this very much toes the line of not being quite enough to be invested as a reader.
I loved Oliver being able to come into himself, and I did appreciate the brief longing moments between Darcy and Oliver. At times the pacing felt off in what seemed like an effort to keep some of Jane Austen's classic scenes (but in the remixed way), and I almost wouldn't have minded if the author had deviated a little more just to give Olive and Darcy more depth and new moments outside of sticking closer to the classic.
Even still, it’s a nice and quick read that does leave you feeling good. So while I was left wanting more, it was still a comforting read with a promising plot.
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was cute, really. Just maybe not as detailed and deep as it had the potential to be, or as I wanted it to be.
Oliver was born in the wrong body, he was never meant to be Elizabeth Bennet and living his life as a young lady is stifling and dreadful and leaves him feeling trapped.
His mother, Mrs. Bennet, is determined to have him married off to make the perfect wife, and Oliver wants none of it.
Early on, Oliver meets Mr. Darcy while dressed as Elizabeth. At this point, Darcy is rather cold and rude, and it’s assumed that he just isn’t vey kind with women.
However, not long after, Oliver meets Darcy again while dressed as himself and they form a genuine friendship and Darcy is different than Oliver imagined he would be.
This remixed classic is clever and a heartwarming trans love story, but does fall a little flat with the actual believability of the romance. While it’s certainly YA, you don’t feel as invested in the romance between Darcy and Oliver in the way you’d expect from a remix of a Jane Austen novel. There is a line between maintaining YA romance and just leaving out appropriate details that make the love believable, and this very much toes the line of not being quite enough to be invested as a reader.
I loved Oliver being able to come into himself, and I did appreciate the brief longing moments between Darcy and Oliver. At times the pacing felt off in what seemed like an effort to keep some of Jane Austen's classic scenes (but in the remixed way), and I almost wouldn't have minded if the author had deviated a little more just to give Olive and Darcy more depth and new moments outside of sticking closer to the classic.
Even still, it’s a nice and quick read that does leave you feeling good. So while I was left wanting more, it was still a comforting read with a promising plot.
I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 19, 2024
I am a hoe for P&P retellings 💅🏻
Despite this having the potential to be a dark and heavy book given the reality of what being trans in Regency England would be, Gabe managed to make this book feel so safe and comforting. Now there are TW’s, and I am not trans, so proceed with care obviously. Oliver is surrounded by love, and the scenes with his father and Darcy in particular brought me to literal tears.
I also LOVED the note at the end of the book sharing the realities of being queer and trans during this time. Additionally, it details what Molly houses were and what the term “Molly” means. I had never heard of either before and it was eye opening and shocking to say the least. Do not skip this part of the book!
P. S. The audiobook is spectacular
Despite this having the potential to be a dark and heavy book given the reality of what being trans in Regency England would be, Gabe managed to make this book feel so safe and comforting. Now there are TW’s, and I am not trans, so proceed with care obviously. Oliver is surrounded by love, and the scenes with his father and Darcy in particular brought me to literal tears.
I also LOVED the note at the end of the book sharing the realities of being queer and trans during this time. Additionally, it details what Molly houses were and what the term “Molly” means. I had never heard of either before and it was eye opening and shocking to say the least. Do not skip this part of the book!
P. S. The audiobook is spectacular
February 23, 2024
I wanted to love this. I did. When I saw the premise, I was very excited to read it.
Listen, the story is fine. Darcy’s kinda boring and so is the romance, but it’s not terrible. Ultimately, Most Ardently would’ve been more enjoyable if the author had committed to either a historically accurate or modern approach instead of a middle-ground. Sometimes the dialogue is modern, sometimes not. Sometimes the characters care about social etiquette, sometimes not. Instead, I wish the author had reimagined and modernized Regency England to include queer and trans characters as the norm. With this middle ground the author tries to hit, where characters understand and respect Oliver’s identity but in which Oliver will have to live the rest of his life either as Elizabeth, married to Darcy and Oliver only in secret, or as Oliver, with Darcy as a “companion,” it’s disappointing. In trying to conform to the standards and historical context of Regency England, it takes away all the great aspects of the original Pride and Prejudice and the story as a whole. I mean, this is a fictional reimagining of pride and prejudice intended to give trans individuals “romances that will sweep them off [their] feet” but there’s barely a happy ending?
Overall, I’m disappointed.
Listen, the story is fine. Darcy’s kinda boring and so is the romance, but it’s not terrible. Ultimately, Most Ardently would’ve been more enjoyable if the author had committed to either a historically accurate or modern approach instead of a middle-ground. Sometimes the dialogue is modern, sometimes not. Sometimes the characters care about social etiquette, sometimes not. Instead, I wish the author had reimagined and modernized Regency England to include queer and trans characters as the norm. With this middle ground the author tries to hit, where characters understand and respect Oliver’s identity but in which Oliver will have to live the rest of his life either as Elizabeth, married to Darcy and Oliver only in secret, or as Oliver, with Darcy as a “companion,” it’s disappointing. In trying to conform to the standards and historical context of Regency England, it takes away all the great aspects of the original Pride and Prejudice and the story as a whole. I mean, this is a fictional reimagining of pride and prejudice intended to give trans individuals “romances that will sweep them off [their] feet” but there’s barely a happy ending?
Overall, I’m disappointed.
March 30, 2024
I've become a huge fan of Pride & Prejuice since reading it for the first time last year, so when I was in the mood for a romance and saw this book was available at the library, I immediately ignored the rest of my TRR TBR to read it.
So much of this book was simply adorable. Your heart is absolutely with Oliver as he struggles to have the world see him for who he really is, and seeing the support he got from the people in his life who knew his true identity was so wholesome. I thought the whole approach to reimagining elements of the original characters and storyline to incorporate explorations of queerness and transness was incredibly creative, and worked well with the original book.
I think my only complaint, mainly just in terms of this being a P&P retelling, was the progression of Oliver's relationship with Darcy. One of the things that I think has made P&P such a timeless romance is the journey through which Darcy has to change himself and prove his worth before Elizabeth can fall in love with him. In this reimagining, Oliver remarks on Darcy treating him poorly when he meets him as "Elizabeth", but as soon as they meet when Oliver is himself, Darcy is immediately presented as the best version of himself. The way that Oliver almost immediately developed feelings for Darcy took away from the "prejudice" aspect I would expect with the story, and ultimately felt a bit too insta-lovey. Obviously the focus of this book was primarily on Oliver's struggles to be seen as the man he's always been, and the romance was almost a side-note in comparison, but I think the book could have explored both elements and captured that feeling that made Darcy and Elizabeth's love story such a blueprint.
Overall though this was such a quick and enjoyable read, and I'm definitely going to have to check out more of Novoa's work.
So much of this book was simply adorable. Your heart is absolutely with Oliver as he struggles to have the world see him for who he really is, and seeing the support he got from the people in his life who knew his true identity was so wholesome. I thought the whole approach to reimagining elements of the original characters and storyline to incorporate explorations of queerness and transness was incredibly creative, and worked well with the original book.
I think my only complaint, mainly just in terms of this being a P&P retelling, was the progression of Oliver's relationship with Darcy. One of the things that I think has made P&P such a timeless romance is the journey through which Darcy has to change himself and prove his worth before Elizabeth can fall in love with him. In this reimagining, Oliver remarks on Darcy treating him poorly when he meets him as "Elizabeth", but as soon as they meet when Oliver is himself, Darcy is immediately presented as the best version of himself. The way that Oliver almost immediately developed feelings for Darcy took away from the "prejudice" aspect I would expect with the story, and ultimately felt a bit too insta-lovey. Obviously the focus of this book was primarily on Oliver's struggles to be seen as the man he's always been, and the romance was almost a side-note in comparison, but I think the book could have explored both elements and captured that feeling that made Darcy and Elizabeth's love story such a blueprint.
Overall though this was such a quick and enjoyable read, and I'm definitely going to have to check out more of Novoa's work.
January 20, 2024
thank you to macmillan children’s publishing group, feiwel & friends, and netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
gabe cole novoa does it again! the remixed classics does it again! my heart is so full and my words are lacking, as always. this is now the third book i’ve read in the “classics but make very explicitly queer” series. and with each one, i fall more deeply in love with these retellings.
in attempting to write this (truly insufficient) review i went back to what i said for the first two books. and i think i’ve already said it best: with each iteration of these remixed classic, my inner queer teen soul heals a bit more. i spoke about how i wish i had this representation back i was in high school, about ten years ago now, when i was forced to read the originals. when i didn’t know so many things i know now. and it still holds perfectly true after this story too.
maybe even more so with most ardently. reading novoa’s previous release, i already knew i loved his writing. loved the way he tells stories. but this was the first retelling where i hadn’t actually read the source material yet. hadn’t seen any of the adaptions all the girlies (gender neutral) fawn over. i have the book. have the ability to learn what the story entails first. but i went in blind. i don’t know how much of the story was carried over and how much was changed (besides the obvious, of course). and yet, i still came out absolutely adoring it.
adoring oliver and this rendition of darcy (which mygod his name was fitzwilliam the whole time??? that’s the man’s name who we’ve all been in love with?? an abomination). oliver’s sheer determination. in his wills. in not allowing this society to beat him down or force him to fully comply. it gives a whole new layer to what i know of with the original austin’s “elizabeth bennet”. these stories are always so full of tender moments and for that i am always extremely grateful. grateful to see them being published. gaining a readership. hopefully introducing young teens to happily ever afters no matter who you are and how you walk in this world.
gabe cole novoa does it again! the remixed classics does it again! my heart is so full and my words are lacking, as always. this is now the third book i’ve read in the “classics but make very explicitly queer” series. and with each one, i fall more deeply in love with these retellings.
in attempting to write this (truly insufficient) review i went back to what i said for the first two books. and i think i’ve already said it best: with each iteration of these remixed classic, my inner queer teen soul heals a bit more. i spoke about how i wish i had this representation back i was in high school, about ten years ago now, when i was forced to read the originals. when i didn’t know so many things i know now. and it still holds perfectly true after this story too.
maybe even more so with most ardently. reading novoa’s previous release, i already knew i loved his writing. loved the way he tells stories. but this was the first retelling where i hadn’t actually read the source material yet. hadn’t seen any of the adaptions all the girlies (gender neutral) fawn over. i have the book. have the ability to learn what the story entails first. but i went in blind. i don’t know how much of the story was carried over and how much was changed (besides the obvious, of course). and yet, i still came out absolutely adoring it.
adoring oliver and this rendition of darcy (which mygod his name was fitzwilliam the whole time??? that’s the man’s name who we’ve all been in love with?? an abomination). oliver’s sheer determination. in his wills. in not allowing this society to beat him down or force him to fully comply. it gives a whole new layer to what i know of with the original austin’s “elizabeth bennet”. these stories are always so full of tender moments and for that i am always extremely grateful. grateful to see them being published. gaining a readership. hopefully introducing young teens to happily ever afters no matter who you are and how you walk in this world.
July 7, 2023
I enjoy this premise immensely and am thrilled that Gabe Cole Novoa brought it to life. I want to note first that this was no small undertaking and Novoa does a lovely job in many ways. I think having novels where classic beloved romances are rewritten with trans characters getting happy endings and having everything work out is crucial and I am grateful that Novoa has created this important work. I was really appreciative of Oliver’s story and the masterful way that Novoa got inside the mind of this character.
That being said, there were some aspects that I struggled to fully get on board with.
The dialogue felt a bit awkward at times, as if the word choices were random and only made in order to make the dialogue sound more purple and 19th-century. At times it felt really anachronistic or odd in a way that took me out of the story. A lot of the original lines were reworked slightly in order to make them not a direct lift from Pride and Prejudice but the re-workings were awkward and didn’t quite fit. I think this was an attempt to blend the original dialogue with the author’s own style and make it more accessible, but the result is unfortunately clunky.
My biggest critique is that I don’t believe Novoa had enough space to fully do this story justice. The development of the plot as a whole and especially the relationship between Oliver and Darcy feels somewhat compressed and I would've liked to see the storyline and relationships fleshed out more. I understand the length of the novel is not something Novoa has much control over and Pride & Prejudice is a massive project to condense into a few hundred pages. Many of the more extraneous details of the original story are- wisely, I believe- omitted from this re-telling. The drama between Wickham and Lydia specifically was not necessary to the plot of Most Ardently and I was grateful not to have to slog through it. But I did wonder at several points, when various different characters were brought in and out of the story, if it would be confusing for someone who has never read Pride and Prejudice to follow. I didn’t necessarily mind the lack of exposition because I know the story so well but I would be interested in the perspective of someone not familiar with the original. Maybe this book is not meant to be picked up by people who are not P&P fans, in which case, maybe it doesn’t matter. But it did feel like there were gaps in the story in these moments.
I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second, which is where it all started to feel really rushed. [**SPOILER**] The novel wrapped up too hastily/easily, and the ending, especially the scene where Oliver shares who he is and Darcy and Oliver confess their feelings for each other, felt anticlimactic. Although the confession, and indeed, pretty much all of the scenes where Darcy and Elizabeth interact in Austen's version, are included in Most Ardently , it didn't work here in the same way. I needed more from Darcy and Oliver, in terms of their relationship development, and even Darcy's response to Oliver telling him his identity. I appreciate what Novoa is doing by allowing Darcy's reaction to finding out that Oliver is trans to be so tender and wholly accepting. I wouldn't change that whatsoever, but I wanted to see them discuss everything more. The scene just didn't quite do justice to all of the build-up and I felt disappointed. I also had a hard time with the scene where Oliver comes out to Mrs. Bennet. I want to reiterate how much I respect what Novoa is doing in giving Oliver this beautiful ending of perfect acceptance from everyone. I am also not a member of the trans community, and I would note that those folks' opinions of these scenes are much more important than mine. I am queer though, and I do have experience with strained familial relationships due to that. I don't want to call Mrs. Bennet's reaction "unrealistic" because I don't know that I can claim that. I do feel like Most Ardently requires a willing suspension of disbelief from the reader at points and there's nothing wrong with that necessarily. But the issue I had with Mrs. Bennet's almost instantaneous acceptance/embracing of Oliver's true identity was more that the character seems to do a complete 180 in a matter of moments and it is not consistent to the way Novoa portrays her throughout the rest of the novel (which is very true to the way Austen writes her). Throughout the book, Mrs. Bennet callously and ignorantly pushes Oliver out of his comfort zone constantly, shames him for wearing men’s clothes at home, and seems wholly callous and uncaring about his feelings and desires. I do think even Austen’s Mrs. Bennet could have eventually accepted a trans son, but there would need to be some major character growth. Novoa either needed to make Mrs. Bennets’ character softer from the beginning, or build in more moments where the reader witnesses her grow to make this scene work. Even fleshing out the conversation between her and Oliver when Oliver comes out would have helped. [**END SPOILER**]
Overall, I applaud this effort and I think there are a lot of people for whom this story will be incredibly powerful and meaningful but it did not quite live up to my hopes.
That being said, there were some aspects that I struggled to fully get on board with.
The dialogue felt a bit awkward at times, as if the word choices were random and only made in order to make the dialogue sound more purple and 19th-century. At times it felt really anachronistic or odd in a way that took me out of the story. A lot of the original lines were reworked slightly in order to make them not a direct lift from Pride and Prejudice but the re-workings were awkward and didn’t quite fit. I think this was an attempt to blend the original dialogue with the author’s own style and make it more accessible, but the result is unfortunately clunky.
My biggest critique is that I don’t believe Novoa had enough space to fully do this story justice. The development of the plot as a whole and especially the relationship between Oliver and Darcy feels somewhat compressed and I would've liked to see the storyline and relationships fleshed out more. I understand the length of the novel is not something Novoa has much control over and Pride & Prejudice is a massive project to condense into a few hundred pages. Many of the more extraneous details of the original story are- wisely, I believe- omitted from this re-telling. The drama between Wickham and Lydia specifically was not necessary to the plot of Most Ardently and I was grateful not to have to slog through it. But I did wonder at several points, when various different characters were brought in and out of the story, if it would be confusing for someone who has never read Pride and Prejudice to follow. I didn’t necessarily mind the lack of exposition because I know the story so well but I would be interested in the perspective of someone not familiar with the original. Maybe this book is not meant to be picked up by people who are not P&P fans, in which case, maybe it doesn’t matter. But it did feel like there were gaps in the story in these moments.
I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the second, which is where it all started to feel really rushed. [**SPOILER**] The novel wrapped up too hastily/easily, and the ending, especially the scene where Oliver shares who he is and Darcy and Oliver confess their feelings for each other, felt anticlimactic. Although the confession, and indeed, pretty much all of the scenes where Darcy and Elizabeth interact in Austen's version, are included in Most Ardently , it didn't work here in the same way. I needed more from Darcy and Oliver, in terms of their relationship development, and even Darcy's response to Oliver telling him his identity. I appreciate what Novoa is doing by allowing Darcy's reaction to finding out that Oliver is trans to be so tender and wholly accepting. I wouldn't change that whatsoever, but I wanted to see them discuss everything more. The scene just didn't quite do justice to all of the build-up and I felt disappointed. I also had a hard time with the scene where Oliver comes out to Mrs. Bennet. I want to reiterate how much I respect what Novoa is doing in giving Oliver this beautiful ending of perfect acceptance from everyone. I am also not a member of the trans community, and I would note that those folks' opinions of these scenes are much more important than mine. I am queer though, and I do have experience with strained familial relationships due to that. I don't want to call Mrs. Bennet's reaction "unrealistic" because I don't know that I can claim that. I do feel like Most Ardently requires a willing suspension of disbelief from the reader at points and there's nothing wrong with that necessarily. But the issue I had with Mrs. Bennet's almost instantaneous acceptance/embracing of Oliver's true identity was more that the character seems to do a complete 180 in a matter of moments and it is not consistent to the way Novoa portrays her throughout the rest of the novel (which is very true to the way Austen writes her). Throughout the book, Mrs. Bennet callously and ignorantly pushes Oliver out of his comfort zone constantly, shames him for wearing men’s clothes at home, and seems wholly callous and uncaring about his feelings and desires. I do think even Austen’s Mrs. Bennet could have eventually accepted a trans son, but there would need to be some major character growth. Novoa either needed to make Mrs. Bennets’ character softer from the beginning, or build in more moments where the reader witnesses her grow to make this scene work. Even fleshing out the conversation between her and Oliver when Oliver comes out would have helped. [**END SPOILER**]
Overall, I applaud this effort and I think there are a lot of people for whom this story will be incredibly powerful and meaningful but it did not quite live up to my hopes.
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