A review by rubysshelf
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single boy in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a future wife—unless that boy was Oliver Bennet.”

The first sentence of this book perfectly sums up one of my main issues with it: it feels juvenile. The main characters often refer to themselves as “boys” instead of “men.” I know that might sound nitpicky, but it really made the book feel less serious than it should have been, especially given the themes it was trying to explore.

Taking on a classic like Pride and Prejudice is no small task, and I do want to give the author credit for the ambition. But when a book is marketed as a retelling, or a remix, you expect it to engage with the original in a thoughtful way, either as a love letter, a critique, or ideally, both. Instead, this felt more like fanfiction. Enjoyable at times, yes, but also deeply frustrating as someone who loves the original and paid actual money for a retelling, not fanfiction.

Darcy did not feel like Darcy. Making his initial coldness toward Elizabeth (now Oliver) mostly about his queerness or a generalized “hate for women” really flattened the complexity of his character. It cheapened the tension that made the original so compelling. And the core disagreements and misunderstandings that drove the conflict between Elizabeth and Darcy just weren’t present in this novel. (cough, Pride and Prejudice, cough.)

The writing style also didn’t help. There was a weird mismatch between the Austen-inspired language and the author’s own modern voice. This caused Oliver Bennet’s inner thoughts to feel totally different from how he spoke aloud, especially during scenes referring back to scenes from Austen. The result was jarring and made it harder to connect with Oliver as a consistent character.

I also found the world of the novel oddly unrealistic. While I appreciated the historical note at the end, the romance between Darcy and Oliver—and Oliver’s identity—would likely have faced much harsher consequences in the actual time period. Instead, the setting felt more like Bridgerton: vaguely historical, but ultimately fantasy, where being LGBTQ+ is technically scandalous but mostly brushed aside. This dulled the conflict and made the stakes feel low, when they could have been deeply emotional and powerful.

In short, the novel didn’t live up to the promise it made. It read more like a fanfiction than a true retelling, and while it had its moments, it ultimately left me disappointed.