Most Ardently (Remixed Classics #9) by Gale Cole Novoa

 

3.5*

I give much credit to Novoa for thoughtfully reimagining Pride and Prejudice as a queer romance with Oliver Bennett (deadname: Elizabeth), a trans male, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a gay cisgender male. However, I struggled with the fact that the dialogue was, for the most part, very modern. When Oliver used the word “infantilized,” it actually pulled me out of the story to check on its etymology. (It was first used in the 1930s.) It was also hard for me to ignore my knowledge of the history of sodomy laws in the UK. (The Buggery Act of 1533 under Henry VIII, which made sodomy punishable by death, wasn’t lifted until 1861, and homosexuality wasn’t fully legal until 1967.)

Having said this, I found the book enjoyable and imagine that its target audience, young adults, will probably not have these same issues since most haven’t read Jane Austen’s original story and don’t know the history. Many have, however, seen at least one movie adaptation, so they’d be able to appreciate Oliver and Darcy’s relationship without distraction. Regardless of my concerns, I really enjoyed how Novoa made Wickman even a bigger villain than he was in Austen’s story, highlighted the loving relationship between Oliver and his father, and showed a much softer side of Darcy. I also love the cover art.