Hari Conner

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Edelweiss.)

Surrey, England, 1818. Eleanor Woodford lives in Appleshaw House with her widowed father and cousin Charlotte. Since Charlotte's father was disinherited, Eleanor's parents agreed to take Charlotte in as a child and give her a "proper" upbringing. The young women are like sisters, though Eleanor doesn't always understand how difficult life can be for Charlotte, a biracial girl existing in white, upper-class Victorian show more society. Sometimes Eleanor is too busy trying to live up to her late mother's ideal that she's ignorant to the injustices around her.

Rounding out the trio of besties is Georgiana "George" Kingsley, who lives in nearby Chilworth Hall with their widowed father and n'ere do well brother, John. Though George was proclaimed a girl at birth, they prefer to wear men's clothing, and took an "unfeminine" interest in the estate's business affairs from a young age. Luckily, George's father is more aware (and accepting) of their differences than they realize, and leaves the estate in George's care upon his passing.

BUT.

Now that the friends are approaching marriageable age, they're facing increasing pressure to find husbands - preferably rich ones, to guarantee their futures. Problem is, no one's really interested in what they're "supposed" to want. George is not-so-secretly in love with Eleanor. Eleanor wills herself to love Henry, but he's 1) a scoundrel; 2) promised to another; and 3) not George. Much to Eleanor's chagrin, Charlotte finds herself falling for Robert Miller, a humble farmer on George's estate, whose station is seemingly "beneath" her. And then there's Phillip the vicar (ugh). Cue a romantic comedy filled with missed connections, misunderstandings, and poor communication.

I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan (I hear this is a LGBTQ reimagining of EMMA?), but that's okay: I came for the queer historical fiction, and was not disappointed. Reminiscent of THE PRINCESS AND THE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH (which I also LOVED), I SHALL NEVER FALL IN LOVE is a new favorite. It's witty and charming, with gorgeous artwork and characters you want to root for (even if Eleanor can be a bit insufferable at times). It's got great representation in terms of sexuality, gender identity, race, and class, and I especially appreciated the ways in which Conner dealt with the issue of slavery (George's refusal to invest in unethical industries like coal mines and plantations was a lovely detail).

I can't recommend this book enough - it's definitely in my top ten of the year. show less

Not usually a fan of graphic novels - especially on Kindle - but this is a teen adaptation of Emma and I couldn't resist (especially at 99p!)

The author does a good job of retelling the story while shuffling the characters, and the visual representations reminded me of the 2009 BBC miniseries, which is the right choice. There is a major change in the 'George' character, who is heavily based on Anne Lister of Gentleman Jack fame (and now a local icon).

I did feel the dialogue was a bit show more preachy, like a history lesson in disguise, but then I'm not the target demographic. Wish I could have seen the images in colour too, but that was my choice. Not the worst take on Emma, and I loved some of her frustrated expressions! show less

This was so cute. I really loved this graphic novel. All of the characters were pretty well-rounded and interesting. There was a good amount of drama and romance. I appreciated the attention to historical accuracy but also the hope and happy ending. Vey
sweet.

An LGBTQIA+ spin on a Regency era romance has a story that is a little flat, slow, and obvious, but I do so enjoy the characters and where they end up.