Thank you to Feiwel & Friends/NetGalley for a copy of Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
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. And not to mention incredibly attractive.
As Oliver is able to spend more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares begin to hope that his dream of love and life as a man could 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, honestly, his own.
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The Oliver “Twist”
I’ve never read anything by Gabe Cole Novoa, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from his writing style. He blends modern quite nicely with the Regency world of Pride and Prejudice. I’ve read the Jane Austen original, but that was nearly 20 years ago, and my memory’s a bit dusty. Still, in my rusty opinion, I think Novoa rises to the challenge admirably.
Oliver is equally charming and frustrating as his cis-straight Austen counterpart, Elizabeth. And honestly, Novoa’s explorations of Darcy in this context make a lot of sense. (Dare I say more than Austen’s?) Here, I adored both Oliver and Darcy as characters. Novoa’s book contains fully realized characters who share many traits with their counterparts in Pride and Prejudice. Yet Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix doesn’t feel like a simple rehashing. It’s all really well done.
Another thing: Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix stretched my brain with regard to pronouns in usage. There are passages throughout the book where I caught myself unsure of who a “he/him/his” was referring to. And then I’d realize, “Duh: it’s Oliver.” I don’t think that is a fault in the writing. Nor do I mean I saw Oliver as anything other than a boy, but rather, how sentences are structured challenges you.
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Should You Read It?
If you’re an Austenphile or simply someone who was forced to read her work in high school, you’ll enjoy Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix. If you like queer stories, particularly about gay trans guys, you’ll like it. Are you a fan of both? Well, then, you’ll adore this lovely novel.
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix hits stores on January 16, 2024. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🎩
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/dont-want-you-like-a-best-friend-emma-r-alban-book-review/
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