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A review by oknazareth
Pride by Samantha Ryan
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I finished this book with starry eyes and a heart full of warmth. It’s a sweet story of self-assurance and self-discovery that will make you wish for a love like theirs.
This book is marketed as a queer twist on Pride and Prejudice, but I appreciated that the references to Austen’s classic were subtle. We follow Benjamin Bennet, a bookstore owner—gayer than purple eyeshadow (in a quiet but proud way)—as he gets to know Avery, a dark and handsome millionaire who can be rude but is also caring and thoughtful.
Their friendship is everything good in the world, layered with the gay panic of falling for someone who might be straight. The story captures the struggle of knowing your life would be better with that person by your side while respecting their right to hide. The way he experiences life’s little moments with Avery—and slowly realizes that this could be their life—was incredibly touching.
I loved how Ben was confident and proud of who he was, yet always left space for others to be themselves around him. He captures the struggle of existing unapologetically in a world that often demands labels. As he puts it:
This book is marketed as a queer twist on Pride and Prejudice, but I appreciated that the references to Austen’s classic were subtle. We follow Benjamin Bennet, a bookstore owner—gayer than purple eyeshadow (in a quiet but proud way)—as he gets to know Avery, a dark and handsome millionaire who can be rude but is also caring and thoughtful.
Their friendship is everything good in the world, layered with the gay panic of falling for someone who might be straight. The story captures the struggle of knowing your life would be better with that person by your side while respecting their right to hide. The way he experiences life’s little moments with Avery—and slowly realizes that this could be their life—was incredibly touching.
I loved how Ben was confident and proud of who he was, yet always left space for others to be themselves around him. He captures the struggle of existing unapologetically in a world that often demands labels. As he puts it:
"If I had stayed quiet, I would have felt I wasn’t standing up for myself or my friends. If I spoke up, then I became Gay Ben—spokesperson for all queer folk, which was exhausting."
This balance of self-assurance and exhaustion felt so real and made me respect his character.
Since the story is told entirely from Ben’s POV, it adds the right amount of uncertainty to the plot, but I wish we could have peeked into Avery’s mind a bit more. The final reveal helps clarify his motives, but I still wanted more insight.
I also wasn’t expecting the spice to be fade-to-black, which was a little disappointing, though it didn’t take away from the romance. My only other complaint? I wish had a different book cover that better represented Ben!
*Thank you NetGalley and Rattling Good Yarns Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Since the story is told entirely from Ben’s POV, it adds the right amount of uncertainty to the plot, but I wish we could have peeked into Avery’s mind a bit more. The final reveal helps clarify his motives, but I still wanted more insight.
I also wasn’t expecting the spice to be fade-to-black, which was a little disappointing, though it didn’t take away from the romance. My only other complaint? I wish had a different book cover that better represented Ben!
*Thank you NetGalley and Rattling Good Yarns Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.