The coziest, queerest P&P retelling of them all? 

Most Ardently follows Oliver, a closeted trans man, through his family dynamics and relationship with Mr. Darcy in this queer Pride and Prejudice remix. Most Ardently is not a historically-accurate retelling— the dialogue and attitudes towards queerness take a more modern approach, similar to books like Gwen & Art are Not in Love or even Bridgerton. These modern attitudes succeed in maintaining the lightness and coziness that many of us love about the original novel, while also allowing a more diverse readership to see themselves in a familiar story. Novoa sometimes struggles to balance modernity and history, and there are times when dialogue or characterization reads as too out of place— many characters are extremely accepting of queerness, while the general public is portrayed as period-accurate anti-queer. In some ways, the story might be more successful as its own cozy regency-era romance set in an alternative queernormative world rather than trying to follow in the very large footsteps of Pride and Prejudice. 

That being said, reading this book is the literary equivalent of wrapping your middle school self up in a big queer blanket, and if that sounds up your alley, Most Ardently is absolutely a worthwhile and comforting read. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s for the opportunity to read and review Most Ardently! 

rep: ftm trans & gay mc, cis gay li, lesbian relationship sc

tw: transphobia, closeted identity, deadnaming, suicidal ideation, misgendering, dysphoria, period-typical homophobia