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A review by bootrat
Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I was trying to get hold of this book for MONTHS (it was out of stock from the publishers), and I finally got a copy today.
Did I read the entire book in 4 hours? Yes.
Did I nearly cry in the middle of a bookshop/cafe?
Yes.
Am I fundamentally changed forever by this adorable queer reimagining of my favourite book?
Yes.
There were a few changes from the source material in this book (aside from the obvious), some of which made sense to the story and some of which didn't.
- Longbourn is in London in this, with Netherfield just on the outskirts. This change made sense for Oliver to be able to visit places as himself, and to escape his life as Elizabeth easily. This change takes some getting used to, as the original Elizabeth Bennet is very much a country girl, but I'm not mad about it. (Conversely, the Gardiners live at "Gracechurch", which is a house/estate in the countryside, and near to Pemberley, rather than in London.)
- Oliver, and therefore all the other characters (except Georgina?), are younger than in the original novel. Oliver is only 17, where Elizabeth was 20, and other characters are varying numbers of years younger too. I don't know why this change was made, or why it was needed, so I wasn't a fan of it.
- Wickham's backstory, and the way in which he was a villain, and his history with Darcy, were all changed. Some of these changes made sense to the story that was being told, and were needed, but some didn't. I didn't like it.
- Collins isn't a parson, and isn't under the patronage of Lady Catherine, he's just ?? A Guy? Seems to be a gentleman, with his own house/estate, but there's no clear reason for this change. He's still known to Lady C, and is invited to Rosings occasionally, but the relationship is different. This is another change I didn't understand the need for, so I didn't like it. Also Anne DeBourgh just fully doesn't exist.
- Lastly there's one continuity error?? Wickham refers to a character (we never meet) as Genevieve, but she's later referred to Liliana?? It's not addressed at all, and we don't find out whether Wickham was just lying about her name or if this was just a case of the author fully forgetting what they'd already named the character and unintentionally renaming her.
Despite that (long 😅) list of changes, I absolutely adored this book. 100% recommend to anybody looking for a queer romance story with a happy ending, whether you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice or not.
Did I read the entire book in 4 hours? Yes.
Did I nearly cry in the middle of a bookshop/cafe?
Yes.
Am I fundamentally changed forever by this adorable queer reimagining of my favourite book?
Yes.
There were a few changes from the source material in this book (aside from the obvious), some of which made sense to the story and some of which didn't.
- Longbourn is in London in this, with Netherfield just on the outskirts. This change made sense for Oliver to be able to visit places as himself, and to escape his life as Elizabeth easily. This change takes some getting used to, as the original Elizabeth Bennet is very much a country girl, but I'm not mad about it. (Conversely, the Gardiners live at "Gracechurch", which is a house/estate in the countryside, and near to Pemberley, rather than in London.)
- Oliver, and therefore all the other characters (except Georgina?), are younger than in the original novel. Oliver is only 17, where Elizabeth was 20, and other characters are varying numbers of years younger too. I don't know why this change was made, or why it was needed, so I wasn't a fan of it.
- Wickham's backstory, and the way in which he was a villain, and his history with Darcy, were all changed. Some of these changes made sense to the story that was being told, and were needed, but some didn't. I didn't like it.
- Collins isn't a parson, and isn't under the patronage of Lady Catherine, he's just ?? A Guy? Seems to be a gentleman, with his own house/estate, but there's no clear reason for this change. He's still known to Lady C, and is invited to Rosings occasionally, but the relationship is different. This is another change I didn't understand the need for, so I didn't like it. Also Anne DeBourgh just fully doesn't exist.
- Lastly there's one continuity error?? Wickham refers to a character (we never meet) as Genevieve, but she's later referred to Liliana?? It's not addressed at all, and we don't find out whether Wickham was just lying about her name or if this was just a case of the author fully forgetting what they'd already named the character and unintentionally renaming her.
Despite that (long 😅) list of changes, I absolutely adored this book. 100% recommend to anybody looking for a queer romance story with a happy ending, whether you're a fan of Pride and Prejudice or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Dysphoria
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
The suicidal thoughts aren't explicit, or particularly mentioned much in the story, Oliver just says at a couple of different points that he would rather die than live a certain way. While that is often hyperbole, or a throwaway comment, it's clear that this character means it literally.