Most Ardently is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice where Elizabeth Bennet is actually Oliver Bennet, though very few people know of his true identity. As he navigates the world as a transman in hiding, he chafes at the role he must play as a woman in society, especially once he’s presented with multiple marriage prospects.

I adore Pride and Prejudice, and don’t always enjoy retellings, but this one was imaginative and delightful. The author did a great job with the historical language and tone, and updated the story to include a number of queer situations. There were historical notes that followed the novel to discuss what the cultural landscape was like for queer folks at the time. Of course, like the original novel, it’s a highly idealized story. There is plenty of glossing over some of the harder realities and everything works out for the best, so we get our happy, feel-good ending.

Performance: The audio was read by Harrison Knights, who did a good job. No complaints.