Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix cover art

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

Remixed Classics, Book 9

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

By: Gabe Cole Novoa
Narrated by: Harrison Knights
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Long-listed, NPR Best Book of the Year, 2024

Nominated, Goodreads Choice Awards, 2024

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

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.

The Remixed Classics Series

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

A Macmillan Audio production from Feiwel & Friends.

©2024 Gabe Cole Novoa (P)2024 Macmillan Audio
Fiction Historical Historical Fiction LGBTQ+ Young Adult Romance Heartfelt Classics
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix cover art
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth cover art
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen cover art
10 Things That Never Happened cover art
Icarus cover art
Top Secret cover art
The Darkness Outside Us cover art
A Strange and Stubborn Endurance cover art
The Charm Offensive cover art
Hell Followed with Us cover art
The Diablo's Curse cover art
Here We Go Again cover art
Hiding Him cover art
The Wicked Bargain cover art
Angels Before Man cover art
The Alpha's Son cover art

Critic reviews

"The minute I finished, I knew this book had already replaced the original Pride and Prejudice in my heart. Gabe Cole Novoa has infused this timeless love story with so much care for its transgender protagonist, so much reverence for its queer love story, that I’d happily hand him my whole stack of classics to remix. A beautifully crafted novel, and a gift to those of us still looking for a home in literature’s most celebrated tomes.”—Tehlor Kay Mejia, bestselling author of We Set the Dark on Fire

"This triumphant queer and trans retelling of Pride and Prejudice holds and cares for its readers, offering a gentle story during an especially difficult period in history for those outside the norm. The relationship between Darcy and Oliver is tender and rooted in mutual compassion. For every reader who fell in love with Pride and Prejudice but wished it was a little more queer."—Booklist

"There is much this book does well, including the historical details of clothing being used to highlight both Oliver’s discomfort when wearing women’s attire and his euphoric freedom when wearing men’s outfits. ... Queer people living full, happy lives have too often been erased from history, and this book is a fine attempt to paint them back into the picture."—The Bulletin

What listeners say about Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    24
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic queer retelling of a classic

I’m always hesitant about dipping my toes into the proverbial waters of retelling of classics. Even more so when it’s a Jane Austen classic, as I have loved her stories since my early teens.

I was tempted into this audiobook on a friend’s recommendation, and it didn’t disappoint. I read a lot of queer fiction, and was wondering how the original P&P narrative would be reworked and, well, WORK. By changing the locations of some places, and with some wonderful storytelling, the author managed to make an endearingly sweet, surprisingly faithful, and resoundingly well fleshed out story.

I was also (unnecessarily, it turns out) worried that switching between true name/pronouns and dead name/pronouns would be confusing to the reader, but it worked so well. Every time Oliver was addressed as Elizabeth, it was jarring…as is the experience of trans people who are deadnamed and misgendered. It provided the true dissonance that Oliver describes feeling through the story, until he is able to present as his authentic self.

A highly enjoyable book, which will absolutely be placed in my re-reading book rotation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

I love everything Pride and Prejudice, also anything with queer flavour. This ticks all of the boxes and it made me smile from start to finish, so beautifully written and I hope to see more from this author!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible

So incredible seeing trans representation being portrayed positively and accurately. The struggles made me feel seen but the difficult topics were approached with care and, at times, humour.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thank you.

I loved this story, the development of Oliver and Darcy's relationship felt just right. Everything felt just right. this wasn't a book I knew I needed but I definitely did.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a spectacular start for the year

an absolute delight for all of us queer historical romance fans. The only criticism I have is that I wish the book was longer. marvelously done! 5/5

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant reading of the book and love the story

Love pride and prejudice, but this story plot is just awesome! Definitely looking for more classic remixes

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stellar story and narration

Absolutely loved this! Very well written and narrated. Bonus points for the happy ending. Definitely gonna recommend this one🥰

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!