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A review by citrus_seasalt
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
4.5
MY FIRST (completed) REREAD SINCE 2023!!! Oh my goodness!! My rating remains completely unchanged— 4.5 stars, which I rounded up on Goodreads. I unfortunately don’t think there’s a ton of reread value (the few details I could catch this time just made me stressed, lol!), but hey, this was still adorable. (I feel like I definitely made a lot of the same jokes as last time, but I actually remembered to type them into my Goodreads or StoryGraph notes.)
Gabe Cole Novoa’s books have a way of making me feel seen on such a level that it feels sometimes distressing. I wasn’t sure if all their respective audiobooks could be tied into that (I am too disappointed in myself to laugh), but I’m pleased to say that Harrison Knight’s phenomenal narration made me realize that, yes, that is the case! I think the only gripe I had with him is that I felt that the narration of some of the more vulnerable, stressful moments felt a little underwhelming. But his voices were distinctive, and his expressiveness, along with his gentleness, made revisiting this book by means of audiobook totally worth it. I was entranced every time I pressed the play button. (But, I’m curious: why does Lydia have a lisp?)
Critiques I have, though: I do feel like the Molly Houses were a little glamorized for the sake of keeping the tone hopeful, and I understand if some more historically knowledgeable reviewers take issue with that. Also, Mrs. Bennett’s turnaround was just as abrupt on my second read. That was probably the only way to make the ending work, but it still seems a little strange, considering how she’d harp on Oliver’s disinterest in being a “proper lady”. Of those criticisms, only the first one is new.
Hhhhhrrrrrrgrrgrrgrr… while I do wish a couple elements of the original P&P romance could’ve translated over to Oliver and Darcy, I still think the changes in dynamic suit Oliver’s new identity! And again, the main romance is so, so sweet, it feels like staying up too late on a school night to read a really good fanfiction. Also, I’m starting to realize that Gabe Cole Novoa has a thing for making libraries plot-relevant, in one way or another.
Listening to this got me through the week, hooray! Highly recommend if you like people going to each other’s houses, but with the addition of the occasional bookstore, boys kissing, and frequent dysphoria. (Half-joking.)
_________
Original review (2024 / 02 / 22):
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint!!! Gabe Cole Novoa writes his trans main characters in a way that is so comforting to read about😭💕although his stories aren’t without conflict, they include trans joy in addition, and it really shines here in “Most Ardently” 🥹 I understood and felt Oliver’s inner conflict on a deeper, personal level. really just great representation IM GONNA LOSE MY MIND LETS TALK AHOUT SOME OTHER POINTS
But I have not read “Pride And Prejudice”, I only knew from looking up a couple of things in the reading process that “Most Ardently” uses a decent number of (repurposed) plot points from the original, so my understanding of it is limited. And, therefore, so is my ability to give criticism! Small disclaimer.
While I have a small problem with the pacing of Darcy and Oliver’s relationship (also when Oliver’s as “Elizabeth”…they don’t really have that much time together but Darcy still writes in a letter that “she” feels like the only “woman” he could be comfortable with lol), there was still a decent amount of time for both of them to spend together on-page!! Although, this diverges from the original source material, not just by making queerness part of the story but also having Darcy and Oliver not *hate* each other at first. Dislike? Yes, but it’s a much different vibe, with a love story that feels gentler in a way. But I also think that’s understandable, as Oliver presents differently, has to live a double life because of that, and as a result gets to meet with Darcy under different circumstances(and levels of understanding). Petition for more Remixed Classics to be over 300 pages though, omg.
Now, for the million dollar question: Is there pride? I’d say. Prejudice? Arguable when in the context of Darcy and Oliver’s romance, but regardless of the reader they’ll definitely agree it’s not as much. Depending on how you feel about that detail dictates how much you like this book, or if you don’t. Sorry to all the enemies to lovers fans picking this up.
Also, I appreciated the little bit of queer history inclusion with the plot importance of the Molly Houses! I’d only heard about them once before I read this? But re: the historical stuff: There’s definitely been a sizable amount of research done, but it knowingly took a couple of creative liberties for the sake of the story, something that’s explained very clearly in the author’s note.
Anyhow. Overall? Really sweet to read, it was refreshing to read a historical fiction book that doesn’t center bigotry(doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, just means that it’s not a miserable story to read, it’s actually pretty comforting, coming from a trans person??). (Between this and “Brooms”, very happy to read books that do that.)
Gabe Cole Novoa’s books have a way of making me feel seen on such a level that it feels sometimes distressing. I wasn’t sure if all their respective audiobooks could be tied into that (I am too disappointed in myself to laugh), but I’m pleased to say that Harrison Knight’s phenomenal narration made me realize that, yes, that is the case! I think the only gripe I had with him is that I felt that the narration of some of the more vulnerable, stressful moments felt a little underwhelming. But his voices were distinctive, and his expressiveness, along with his gentleness, made revisiting this book by means of audiobook totally worth it. I was entranced every time I pressed the play button. (But, I’m curious: why does Lydia have a lisp?)
Critiques I have, though: I do feel like the Molly Houses were a little glamorized for the sake of keeping the tone hopeful, and I understand if some more historically knowledgeable reviewers take issue with that. Also, Mrs. Bennett’s turnaround was just as abrupt on my second read. That was probably the only way to make the ending work, but it still seems a little strange, considering how she’d harp on Oliver’s disinterest in being a “proper lady”. Of those criticisms, only the first one is new.
Hhhhhrrrrrrgrrgrrgrr… while I do wish a couple elements of the original P&P romance could’ve translated over to Oliver and Darcy, I still think the changes in dynamic suit Oliver’s new identity! And again, the main romance is so, so sweet, it feels like staying up too late on a school night to read a really good fanfiction. Also, I’m starting to realize that Gabe Cole Novoa has a thing for making libraries plot-relevant, in one way or another.
Listening to this got me through the week, hooray! Highly recommend if you like people going to each other’s houses, but with the addition of the occasional bookstore, boys kissing, and frequent dysphoria. (Half-joking.)
_________
Original review (2024 / 02 / 22):
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint!!! Gabe Cole Novoa writes his trans main characters in a way that is so comforting to read about😭💕although his stories aren’t without conflict, they include trans joy in addition, and it really shines here in “Most Ardently” 🥹 I understood and felt Oliver’s inner conflict on a deeper, personal level. really just great representation IM GONNA LOSE MY MIND LETS TALK AHOUT SOME OTHER POINTS
But I have not read “Pride And Prejudice”, I only knew from looking up a couple of things in the reading process that “Most Ardently” uses a decent number of (repurposed) plot points from the original, so my understanding of it is limited. And, therefore, so is my ability to give criticism! Small disclaimer.
While I have a small problem with the pacing of Darcy and Oliver’s relationship (also when Oliver’s as “Elizabeth”…they don’t really have that much time together but Darcy still writes in a letter that “she” feels like the only “woman” he could be comfortable with lol), there was still a decent amount of time for both of them to spend together on-page!! Although, this diverges from the original source material, not just by making queerness part of the story but also having Darcy and Oliver not *hate* each other at first. Dislike? Yes, but it’s a much different vibe, with a love story that feels gentler in a way. But I also think that’s understandable, as Oliver presents differently, has to live a double life because of that, and as a result gets to meet with Darcy under different circumstances(and levels of understanding). Petition for more Remixed Classics to be over 300 pages though, omg.
Now, for the million dollar question: Is there pride? I’d say. Prejudice? Arguable when in the context of Darcy and Oliver’s romance, but regardless of the reader they’ll definitely agree it’s not as much. Depending on how you feel about that detail dictates how much you like this book, or if you don’t. Sorry to all the enemies to lovers fans picking this up.
Also, I appreciated the little bit of queer history inclusion with the plot importance of the Molly Houses! I’d only heard about them once before I read this? But re: the historical stuff: There’s definitely been a sizable amount of research done, but it knowingly took a couple of creative liberties for the sake of the story, something that’s explained very clearly in the author’s note.
Anyhow. Overall? Really sweet to read, it was refreshing to read a historical fiction book that doesn’t center bigotry(doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, just means that it’s not a miserable story to read, it’s actually pretty comforting, coming from a trans person??). (Between this and “Brooms”, very happy to read books that do that.)