Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

By Gabe Cole Novoa

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A STONEWALL HONOR BOOK

A trans boy searches for a future--and a romance--in which he can live and love openly as himself in this heartwrenching YA reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Gwen and Art Are Not in Love.

London, 1812. Oliver Bennet feels trapped. Not just by the endless corsets, petticoats and skirts he's forced to wear on a daily basis, but also by society's expectations. The world--and the vast majority of his family and friends--think Oliver is a girl named Elizabeth. He is therefore expected to mingle at balls wearing a pretty dress, entertain suitors regardless of his interest in them, and ultimately become someone's wife.

But Oliver can't bear the thought of such a fate. He finds solace in the few times he can sneak out of his family's home and explore the city rightfully dressed as a young gentleman. It's during one such excursion when Oliver becomes acquainted with Darcy, a sulky young man who had been rude to "Elizabeth" at a recent social function. But in the comfort of being out of the public eye, Oliver comes to find that Darcy is actually a sweet, intelligent boy with a warm heart. And not to mention incredibly attractive.

As Oliver is able to spend more time as his true self, often with Darcy, part of him dares begin to hope that his dream of love and life as a man could be possible. But suitors are growing bolder--and even threatening--and his mother is growing more desperate to see him settled into an engagement. Oliver will have to choose: Settle for safety, security, and a life of pretending to be something he's not, or risk it all for a slim chance at freedom, love, and a life that can be truly, honestly his own.

This bittersweet Pride & Prejudice remix follows a trans boy yearning for the freedom to live openly, centering queerness in a well-known story of longing and subverting society's patriarchal and cisheteronormative expectations.

The Remixed Classics Series

In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelmingly cishet, white, and male canon.

A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C.B. Lee
So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow
Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi
What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix by Tasha Suri
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron
Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix by Caleb Roehrig
Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline
Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa
This Wretched Beauty: A Dorian Gray Remix by Elle Grenier

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250869803
• ISBN13: 9781250869807
• Release Date: January 2024
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.6" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Amazing

This book was so incredibly amazing and I loved every second of it! The story’s center is about being trans and also the implications that come with it of having that identity during this specific time period. It’s about how that can affect your family and the social expectations placed on you. But added to that, it’s about finding romance while in your chosen identity. The main character identifies that he feels like no one will ever love him because he’s too different, too much, not enough, that his identity makes him unlovable (but spoiler alert) it’s not true. The acceptance and love he finds within those around him is heartwarming despite being scary at the start. It was truly a remarkable book and a retelling that does the original justice while still being its own. Please read!