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A review by theamyleblanc
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
5.0
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh this book! What a beautiful celebration of queer joy! It makes my heart so happy.
I love Pride & Prejudice and so I was incredibly excited to read this queer remix. I liked how iconic moments or lines were used here. They were either used in the same manner but with a different impact or they were repurposed to suit this narrative. It was fun to guess how it would all come together.
I love Oliver. I cried with him, I danced for joy with him, I celebrated his small victories, and I felt his pain. It's so hard to move through a world that cannot or will not see you as you know yourself to be. I'm nonbinary (they/them pronouns) and I was frequently misgendered while I devoured this book. It's incredibly important to tell these stories from the trans person's point of view.
All the supporting characters were brilliant, too. Mr. Bennet in particular made me cry and yearn and feel hopeful. Charlotte and Lu helped bring the queer culture to life. Wickham was his distasteful self and it was perfect. Even Collins was the right level of odious.
The romance between Darcy and Oliver was charming. It felt historically accurate and appropriate for their ages (Oliver is 17 and Darcy a few years old). Knowing the original story, you know it's inevitable but the author still managed to make me feel like it might *not* work out here. It's a skillful balancing act and it made the ending all the more poignant.
Gabe, thank you for writing such a moving, delightful story. It brought such a smile to my face even as I cried. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to read an advance copy. And you're completely right: we deserve romances that will sweep us off our feet.
I've already started recommending this to absolutely everyone!
Oh this book! What a beautiful celebration of queer joy! It makes my heart so happy.
I love Pride & Prejudice and so I was incredibly excited to read this queer remix. I liked how iconic moments or lines were used here. They were either used in the same manner but with a different impact or they were repurposed to suit this narrative. It was fun to guess how it would all come together.
I love Oliver. I cried with him, I danced for joy with him, I celebrated his small victories, and I felt his pain. It's so hard to move through a world that cannot or will not see you as you know yourself to be. I'm nonbinary (they/them pronouns) and I was frequently misgendered while I devoured this book. It's incredibly important to tell these stories from the trans person's point of view.
All the supporting characters were brilliant, too. Mr. Bennet in particular made me cry and yearn and feel hopeful. Charlotte and Lu helped bring the queer culture to life. Wickham was his distasteful self and it was perfect. Even Collins was the right level of odious.
The romance between Darcy and Oliver was charming. It felt historically accurate and appropriate for their ages (Oliver is 17 and Darcy a few years old). Knowing the original story, you know it's inevitable but the author still managed to make me feel like it might *not* work out here. It's a skillful balancing act and it made the ending all the more poignant.
Gabe, thank you for writing such a moving, delightful story. It brought such a smile to my face even as I cried. I'm honored to have had the opportunity to read an advance copy. And you're completely right: we deserve romances that will sweep us off our feet.
I've already started recommending this to absolutely everyone!