Anne of Manhattan A novel

Adaptations of beloved children's books are difficult to pull off, but Starler's debut--a romantic, modern-day riff on Anne of Green Gables--brings impressive heart and sensuality to a classic. Stubborn, fiercely moral Anne Shirley is finishing the last year of her master's in education at fictional Redmond College in Manhattan when her old nemesis, Gilbert Blythe, has the gall to roll back into town. Gil has transferred from Berkeley to help out after his father's diagnosed with cancer. He ends up in the same program as Anne and must work with her to lead an after-school writing workshop. As Anne confronts her old prejudices against the charming, handsome Gil, Gil realizes that his teenage love for Anne still lingers. But between old fears, a competitive grad program, and a creepy thesis adviser, can these enemies-turned-lovers make it? Starler manages to capture the original's wholesomeness while adding a contemporary sexy edge. Unfortunately, the focus on the slow-burning relationship comes at the expense of other important characters--including menacing Dr. Lintford and Anne's best friend, Diana Barry, whose plotlines are glossed over. Still, this is a sweet update to a classic story with an Anne Shirley fans will recognize and a Gilbert Blythe as dreamy as ever. Agent: Jennifer Udden, New Leaf Literary. (June)

In this modern-day retelling of Anne of Green Gables, Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe meet again, for the first time since high school, as they both begin their final year of grad school at Redmond College in Manhattan. Anne has been attending school in the city since her undergrad years; Gil has transferred from California to be closer to his father, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Fans of L. M. Montgomery's 1908 novel will be pleasantly surprised to see familiar characters, locations, and phrases show up here, in new ways. Diana is Black and bisexual, Marilla and Rachel are in a relationship, Matthew is alive and runs a vineyard with Marilla, and Fred is an edgy tattoo artist. Anne and Gil move quickly from adversarial banter to a romantic relationship with a little heat. The inevitable snag that derails them doesn't last long, and readers are rewarded with a satisfying HEA. Carly Robins gives just the right tone to Anne's snippiness and exasperation at Gil's shenanigans, and to the rest of their dialogue and the supporting characters. VERDICT Fans of Anne of Green Gables will enjoy this retelling, though listeners don't have to be familiar with the original novel to love this charmingly funny, slightly sizzling contemporary romance.--Courtney Pentland, Omaha, NE