Pride and Protest

by Nikki Payne

Liza B–The Only DJ That Gives a Jam—wants to take her neighborhood back from the soulless property developer dropping unaffordable condos on every street corner in DC. But her planned protest at their corporate event takes a turn after she mistakes the smoldering hot CEO for the waitstaff. When they go toe-to-toe, the sparks fly—but her impossible-to-ignore family thwarts her every move. Liza wants Dorsey Fitzgerald out of her hood, but she’ll settle for getting him out of her head.


At first, Dorsey writes Liza Bennett off as an over-caffeinated woke weekend warrior. As the adopted Filipino son of a wealthy white family, he’s always felt a bit out of place, and knows a fraud when he sees one. But when Liza’s protest results in a viral meme, their lives are turned upside down and Dorsey comes to realize this irresistible revolutionist is the most real woman he’s ever met.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Retellings, Audiobook, Adult

Audiobook

First published November 15, 2022

Reviews

[Ali Hazelwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

TL;DR: The sharpest, sexiest, wittiest, brightest Pride and Prejudice retelling I've ever read, period. Nikki Payne is the writer I aspire to be and I'm going to recommend to this book to everyone I know till the day I die.

INCOHERENT RAMBLINGS:

Okay... so. I really don't know where to start with this one. Like, I truly have no idea how to articulate how incredible this book was. Maybe if I say this it will come across: I read it twice in a row. I originally read it, loved it, and then I was traveling but I kept thinking about how amazing the book was, so I was like... You know what, I'm gonna reread passages of it on my various flights. And ended up just rereading ALL OF IT. It's one of my faves I've ever read, and I'm pretty sure it's my fave P&P adaptation and to be clear, there are a tons of things that work in this book, but I think that my favorite is how Nikki Payne has managed to really capture the spirit of every single Jane Austen character and to adapt them so masterfully, while keeping them true to the specific setting(s) of this book. One example among a million: Maurice (who's Liza Bennet's little brother and the Mary of this story). Like... He's TOTALLY Mary, but also such a complex, well rounded character, and here I am, stanning Maurice. Nikki, what have you done to me? And: can you do it some more?

Okay, so... I suck at coherent reviews, so I'm just gonna love-letter in bullet points:
(MIGHT CONTAIN SLIGHT SPOILERS... actually I feel like going in blind might be the best experience.)

- Liza Alize Bennett, I want to marry you. You are my fave main character ever. YOU SPARKLE AND I LOVE YOU.
- Dorsey, you painfully awkward Ms Venezuela idiot, reading your POV and watching you fumble through your character arc was one of the most rewarding experience of my life. Also I LOVE HOW HORNY YOU ARE FOR HER BECAUSE SAME, pls keep up the good work, you'll always be my disco dick.
- Park, you're the only valid Fitzwilliam
- Granny: When people ask me which P&P character I like best I always say Mr. Bennet, and now I'll say it EVEN HARDER.
- LeDeya the password guesser, a a fully fleshed character and AMAZING
- Bev/Colin/Senator DeBerg: I will never stop laughing.
- Okay is this driving home how much I loved this book? Like I said I can't write reviews but guys THE BANTER, the way L & D constantly call each other out, but also the way Dorsey shares Pinoy culture with Liza and the way he does the work to understand her positions about the gentrification of the place where she lives.
- Janae. My fave Jane ever. LOTS OF FAVES IN THIS BOOK OKAY, LOTS?
- omg the THERE WAS ONLY ONE NAP POD SCENE. OMG.
- EXCELLENT POINTS WERE MADE ABOUT SELF CHECK OUTS.
- okay no spoilers but in the book there is a scene that is similar to P&P 2005 where Darcy walks in the moor BUT it's different and perfectly matches the values of Dorsey and Liza and I WILL NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT IT
- OMG so the "let's walk around the room" scene? IT'S THERE, BUT IT'S YOGA. 💀💀💀💀
- Are you here for an excellent boiled potato scene? YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
- The sex is like... You know, not even just the sex. I mean, the sex is great, 900/10, but the sexual tension. It's like this book has taken the handflex in P&P 2005 and said "let me boil it, then dry it, then sprinkle it all over this book." THEY ARE SO HORNY FOR EACH OTHER.
- the questions. the app. the texting.
- OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T MENTION GIGI SOONER georgiana i love you so much and pls keep on calling out your bro on his plentiful BS
- okay you know what's cool? how in P&P Darcy swoops in and saves the Bennets? Here the Bennets save themselves. Dorsey is there, and he's super supportive, but his grand gesture is actually another one. And i LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS.
- ALSO? it's Liza who saves his ass in the end. Bc she's the best.
- Dorsey's emails. Sharon!!!!!! AND LIZA'S RADIO PROGRAM.

You know what? I feel like I'm just yelling random things into the void but I literally loved everything about this book and I cannot wait for it to be out so I can fangirl over the most minute details of Nikki Payne's writing with every other reader. Pls pick up this book, you'll thank me! (Well, not me. No reason to thank me. You'll thank the author!! ALSO IF THEY DON'T MAKE A MOVIE I WILL LITERALLY CHAIN MYSELF IN FRONT OF NETFLIX.)

disclosure: nikki and i share a publisher, Berkley

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

the downside of a pride & prejudice retelling is that it's hard to put a twist on perfection.

i often note in my reviews that if you don't have anything nice to say, you are supposed (according to boring people) not to say anything at all.

i have a couple of nice things, so let's get them out of the way immediately so i can complain:

i thought this was very funny and readable. i loved the characters and the authors voice. i will definitely try more from this author.

BUT.

here's the moment we've all been waiting for (when i'm allowed to be negative and annoying):
1) liza (lizzy)'s "prejudice" in this is racial and socioeconomic. she assumes darcy / dursey (a Filipino billionaire) is a Latino member of the staff at a party, which doesn't feel true to the original.
2) this relied so heavily on the original that i'm not sure it could stand on its own.
3) dursey is horny as hell. in a very creepy way.

in conclusion - i'd like to try more from this author...but not if it's a retelling. and also hopefully it will include fewer internal monologue musings about nipples.

bottom line: P&P forever. retellings...case by case.

-------------------
tbr review

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE RETELLING!!!!!!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!

(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)

[Kezia Duah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t fall in love with this book as much as I thought I would from first reading the description. The characters weren’t really interesting to me and at times felt pretty awful. Great idea for a book though, just not the best execution.

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I couldn't get through PRIDE AND PREJUDICE in high school. It is now one of my favorite books of all time. For this singular reason, this makes retellings so difficult for me. How can you hope to be better than the original?

GOOD FORTUNE, a Chinese American retelling, was fine. I liked JUST AS YOU ARE, a queer retelling, just a tad more.

But this? This here? This may be my Roman Empire. Nothing will ever surpass the original, but this comes the closest. And I'm extremely picky.

Liza is an educated Black woman from DC that comes from a working class background. Her mother slept around. Her siblings all have different fathers.

Dorsey is the adopted Filipino son of a very white wealthy family. Though he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he very much has privilege. He also very much experiences casual racism.

I won't retell this story. You should know it. But, it's new, and fresh, and everything I wanted at the time. My copy has so many tabs. I laughed so hard.

And because this seems to be a thing, not every BIPOC lead needs a white partner. I found this list, and quickly added this book to it. More BIPOC x BIPOC romance, please.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have got to stop reading books that feel equivalent to the “he wants that cookie so effing bad” meme for the next year… i’m only reading bad romance books from now on because i can’t keep sitting here staying up all night and whispering to myself “will i ever find someone that thinks of me like this? that desired me that badly” GET A GRIP MYO. anyway another excellent romance from nikki payne

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ⭐️

- Enjoyed this book so much more than I initially thought! I love the story of pride and prejudice so I wasn’t sure if I would love a retelling but this one was really cute! I loved the dual pov so we could see what Dorsey was thinking and feeling. I feel like this made me love the retelling so much more.
- The tension in this story was perfect. I do wish it played into the slow burn a little more than being so heavy on the spice because it was really spicy!
- I definitely plan on picking up the second book in this series. I love that the retelling felt so similar to the original but with its own twist

[Hannah B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Darcy saying pussy and yelling partition will be with me forever 🫶 >>>

So I started this at work and realized I was absolutely not paying paying attention. I restarted the audio, pulled out a puzzle, and really immersed myself in the experience. I would’ve done myself and the book such a disservice if I wouldn’t have restarted because god this was so much fun!!

I have such a soft spot for P&P retellings because without fail I’m always so surprised when I recognize a character type. I don’t really have a preference for a loose or strict type of retelling (close to source text or pretty removed), so I enjoyed that Pride and Protest had a flavor of both. I just really really ate up the sexual tension and NAP PODS. My kingdom for a nap pod crowded with my enemy’s hard on.

I also loved getting to see inside Darcy/Dorsey’s head and tbh the things I’d do to bewitch body and soul an ethical billionaire…the limit does not exist. So I can’t complain on that front 💁‍♀️ I just loved all the little things that he did when he was falling in love and being all fluffy.

Liza was hot and very bad ass. I loved the radio DJ element and her relationship with her family. The book was also so fucking funny, with most of the best lines being Liza’s. “It wasn’t too much to ask for a thoughtful, measured, kind man who could also lay pipe” and idk about you but I don’t know why that’s not in the original??? Suspicious.

I loved Granny and Maurice was a fun twist on Mary! LeDaya’s whole thing at the end made sense and I nearly died when I thought she’d joined an MLM bc that is CANON to me now. Janae had a lot more depth here (cw for death of a child) and I loved how she was a fraud analyst??? Bev captured Mrs. Bennet perfectly for good…and bad lmao @ “get pregnant fast.”💀 Collins and Wickham were especially !!! in this one but truly Collins took the boiled potato crown I really thought Chicho wouldn’t go through with it bc oof 😭 I also did get scared that there’d be a breakup bc the word “sacrifice” entered the chat but we’re good!!

Overall, I loved the writing style and cozy feeling that the book gave me. The Jane and Bingley arc took a bit of a backseat, especially towards the end when we didn’t really see their reconciliation on page, but I was cool with it. The audiobook was dual narrated and while I loved Liza’s narrator from the start, Dorsey’s definitely had to grow on me. He sounded a bit young but it worked out. I can’t wait for the next book!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.25*/5

*One and a half scenes I think…idk I’m still reeling from him yelling partition in the car 🥵😮‍💨


Spoiler: I don’t quite understand how Darcy was able to get his job back or the influence of the De Burghe esque senator but that’s okay I can still sleep peacefully knowing that I won’t know.

Spoiler: I will say I dislike epilogues that kill a good character like screw old age 😭


Thanks so much to PRHaudio for a complimentary copy of the audiobook. All opinions are honest and my own.

[Esme · Rating 1 out of 5]

Critical to this book’s flaws is its attempts to make Darcy (renamed Dorsey, with no justification) an ethical billionaire. This is, for obvious reasons, impossible, and in attempting to do so the Darcy character is completely fucked. You end up with none of the good parts of the original character because the author spends so much time trying to find a way for him to be a billionaire but also woke and socially responsible. The author also makes him weirdly sexual–I get it’s a thing in romance to have a constant inner monologue of lust and sexual frustration, and there are definitely times where I’ve appreciated it, but I don’t really think a P&P retelling is the place for that, considering the original source material so prominently highlights their intellectual courtship.

In bumbling Darcy so majorly, Payne also screws up Elizabeth (Liza, a much more self explanatory rename) by relation. Elizabeth is okay in this rendition, besides the fact she apparently runs a millennial radio show, which is framed as a great act of protest but ended up being largely irrelevant. But her whole schtick–politically aware activist–falls flat when she inevitably ends up with a billionaire, as she has to. This Elizabeth would never end up with this Darcy, and the fact she does ruins her entire arc. She also is never really shown to be a competent activist, her political leaning much more the butt of the joke than an opportunity to explore the character. She also has a bunch of degrees but does not seem to be using them, which seemed off brand for the character.

Nothing in the rest of the book makes up for this. There’s a misbegotten attempt to make nap pods sexy. Someone’s snap-front shirt literally flies open. Jane (Janae) has a drinking problem, which, while in itself is not horrible character development, seems a misstep in the creation of a Jane character (a less serious grievance, considering this hinges on my personal literary interpretation of the character). Everything, in general, happens way too fast. There’s a weird reignition of the 2000s era trend of literally incorporating lists into the text, which happens sporadically and also is never explained (no one ever mentions writing a list, so I have no idea where they were coming from). Bingley is completely shoved to the side and the Mary character is given a strange amount of screen time and also a redemption arc, which, as a Mary girl, I didn’t hate, but also felt very out of place. The banter (which Ali Hazelwood exalted, a red flag I really should have picked up on) contained a weird amount of microaggressions on both sides that felt like an immediate killer of any chemistry they had. The writing was poor and struggled to maintain a consistent tone.

I did appreciate, weirdly, the Caroline Bingley arc, probably for the first time ever. I also felt that some of the ramifications of the whole story were adjusted appropriately for modern day.

In hindsight, I was never going to like this book. The name is horrible and the blurb contains so many red flags. Let it be proof of a) my current mental health status and b) my undying devotion to Austenian retellings that I read this in its entirety. If you’re someone who might consider it, skip this and watch Fire Island instead.

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 34% (and spoilers ahead)

I tried so hard to finish this but I’m sorry. Everyone’s insufferable and annoying and weirdly horny at the most insane times. I can’t do it.

I refuse to sit through more arguments between these two that are just allegedly educated and socially conscious people of color micro-aggressing the fuck out of each other and being very loudly ignorant about race.

“You let your first impression be your only one. It’s incredibly shallow and intellectually lazy.”

“Oh so now I’m lazy? Where have I heard this before? Oh yeah that’s right! The cotton field.”

Wtf are these interactions?? Dorsey feels on the verge of calling Liza a bleeding heart liberal at all times and I don’t understand where Liza’s passion for activism is truly even coming from at this point. I also think she has a lot of nerve for attempting to call Dorsey out for his racially insensitive comments when she quite literally racially profiles him to be an impoverished Latino that MUST have been SOOOOO grateful for the pocket change she gave him to feed his family WHEN THEY FIRST MET!!! AND let’s all these weird Asian jokes made about him by her friends and family fly without correction.

I also think it’s just really difficult to attempt an “enemies-to-lovers” style dynamic between a political activist and a billionaire gentrifier so the author set herself up for failure.

I was so hopeful when the characters began to address the fact that there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire. How there’s no ethical way to reach that level of wealth and I was sooooooooo underwhelmed and disappointed with how the conversation actually goes:

“How does one ethically amass this much money?”
Dorsey shrugged.
“How does one ethically consume under a capitalist society?”
She didn’t look convinced. “Is that your answer? We’re all trapped in an inescapable web?”
Dorsey smirked and shook his head. Liza lived in a world of fair trade coffee and museum gift shop scarves sewn by women’s collectives in Sudan. He had been where she was. Ten years ago he fought like Liza. He’d built awareness campaigns and read Karl Marx, but going around the world and witnessing such miserable conditions confirmed one thing: that money and only money was power. It was a Swiss Army knife. The change the world ideas alone wouldn’t do a thing.

And the conversation ends. I’m sure it’ll be revisited but my God the idea of this having a reprise sounds bleak.

CW: racism, references to past child loss, grief, alcoholism

[Chloe Liese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart. Witty. Hottt. Deliciously sharp, clever parallels to Austen’s P&P. Can’t wait for what Nikki gives us next!!

(Thank you Berkley for my advance copy—all opinions are unbiased and my own!)

[MillennialMomReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that modern Pride and Prejudice adaptations are a risky business-the classic is beloved for a reason, and updating it to a 21st century lifestyle can be super tricky. I LOVED this adaptation by Nikki Payne, as much as I love the original. Nikki did not hold back in making Liza Bennett unabashedly headstrong, willful and immediately prejudiced against Dorsey Fitzgerald, a grieving, cold and overly proud CEO forced to take over his family’s property development company after the death of his parents and brother. They are exactly how I think Jane would imagine them to be in this setting-and it was so easy to fall in love with both as they worked through their differences and learned to appreciate each other for the it.

The tension is there from the get-go and their interactions had me kicking my feet and holding my breath. Their back and forth is as believable now as it was in the original, which is what made Austen’s Pride and Prejudice so incredible to me. This book takes on some heavy topics and does not shy away from harsh truths. The full cast of characters from the original are reimagined and it is so entertaining to see how they’ve been adapted and enriched through time. While the main plot of the original is there, it was fascinating to see how Nikki wrote them through this lens. I will absolutely be back for her next adaptation!

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This was great!! A contemporary retelling of Pride & Prejudice that nails the plot beats, the themes, and the romance while updating them for a modern audience (and adding some spice). You can tell the author knows and loves the original and there are ton of fun easter eggs for fellow fans, but anyone could pick this up. One of the original enemies to lovers stories. Loved it!

One note is there's a scene discussing Harry Potter, which I didn't love for the kind of book this is given what JKR has been up to.

[Regina Black]

If you ever wanted P&P to feel more like watching a swoony, steamy episode of Insecure, this is the book for you. Nikki is a comedic genius and I can't wait to read this book the second time around.

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride and Protest is a memorable retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice with great dialogue, dynamic characters, relevant themes, and a fantastic romance! I really enjoyed the book. It’s funny, sexy, and smart, and it modernized the classic novel so that it feels fresh and new yet familiar.

Dorsey and Liza are both well-developed and layered, and I loved their opposites-attract, enemies-to-lovers romance. Their chemistry is sizzling with a perfect blend of sexual tension, angst, and romance. You can never go wrong with a good enemies-to-lovers romance like this one. Oh my gosh, they are so antagonistic and snarky toward each other, but you can tell that it’s mostly a front for their deeper feelings. It just made my heart squeeze as they faced off against each other over a new development, led by Dorsey’s company, and a gentrification project.

I really enjoyed the dual POV. You get to understand the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of both Liza and Dorsey, and it worked well for this story since they are on opposite sides of a development project. Bound by duty while longing to stay true to himself and his beliefs, Dorsey is a loyal sibling, son, and friend. Liza is strong and smart, and she isn’t afraid to fight for what she believes in. Temporarily living with her overbearing family after being evicted, she faces challenges head-on. Like Elizabeth and Darcy, Liza and Dorsey have to overcome their pride and prejudice before they can confront their feelings for each other. I like how they learn from each other and grow and change as they become closer, and their romantic scenes are super swoon-worthy!

The original story included letters and correspondence between the characters, and Pride and Protest uses text messages, emails, radio banter (Liza is a radio DJ), and more. It is such a great modernization to the story, and the fun, funny, and flirty text exchanges offer even more insight into the characters and the growing relationship between Liza and Dorsey. They are a well-matched pair, though it doesn’t seem that way when they first meet.

The secondary characters are fantastic too, especially Dorsey’s sister and Liza’s family. Each is reminiscent of the original characters in Pride and Prejudice but with some unique and modern changes that make them feel fresh and new. The dialogue adds to the character development and highlights the layered and varied relationships in the story, and the strong messages about social class, gentrification, racism, prejudice, family, ethics, and more.

This is such a fun, smart, and sexy Pride and Prejudice retelling that stays true to the original story while still feeling new and unique. Thanks so much to Berkley Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

[Ruxandra Grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this for the most part, but there were some things that bugged me about it. I enjoyed both Liza and Dorsey and it ended up being quite a horny book (not complaining at all!) and funny and liked how a lot of the book moments were updated to contemporary things.

But there were 3 things that bothered me:
1. Not really enough protest. I mean, I might blame my expectations, but it was more 'the lady doth protest too much' and not 'actual political protest action'.
2. It might be completely unfair of me to say this, but the gymnastics necessary to make billionaire Dorsey an ethical dude bugged me. This issue hinges on Liza being able to actually like him and she is a political activist and there are no ethical billionaire CEOs and also the philantropy of billionaires is quite dirty work as well, it is not compassionate, well-meaning work. Maybe I got some cognitive dissonance because I will not object to Darcy in Austen's book being filthy rich, but it feels like the Elizabeth there is way more likely to be into that and not have politics opposing capitalism.
3. It was small, but the talk about Harry Potter! I find it quite difficult to believe that in 2022, a political person (Liza, again) who talks about LGBT issues would disregard Just Kidding's transphobia and talk about being a Slytherin at the dinner table. I don't buy it!

And yeah, I might criticize this, but I quite enjoyed the various characters of Austen's P&P updated for our time, from Senator De Berg to political candidate ass-kisser Colin, to Maurice Bennett (I quite dug him!), to Granny standing in for Mr. Bennett and WIC being a huge financial scammer. They all quite worked for me. The writing was also fun & fresh and enjoyable.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely don’t understand how this book doesn’t have a higher rating. It’s easily the most unique Pride & Prejudice retelling I’ve ever read. AND it’s spicy?! Come on.

Can we get more romcoms that tackle difficult issues with banter and a dash of spice please? Thanks.


Also, I’m a huge Ali Hazelwood fan and she loved this book, so maybe that’s why I loved it too? Idk. All I know is Liza & Dorsey have my heart

[Ashley Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taking a break between reviewing Olivie Blake books (ugh!), a Pride and Prejudice retelling!!

Picking this up, I thought "this will be fun!" and I was prepared for a silly romp. It was silly, OK, fine. If you want to just have fun with your favorite parts of P&P, please have a go. My issue is that this book actually tried to be a bit political and make a few statements but then allowed itself to be constrained by its source material and the idea of a "silly romp."

Where it drew inspiration
Liza takes pride in making her life work even though she has humble origins, lives with her mother, and doesn't really have a clear path in life. She is proud of standing up for what she believes in, and in this story, that means getting rid of the developers that want to turn her neighborhood into new housing that will inevitably displace her people.

Dorsey is perhaps a bit prejudiced against the lower income occupants that are trying to make it difficult for him to build his new development in a less-than-pristine area of DC. He's never faced backlash or opposition in any of his other housing projects, so why should he heed this loud, wild-haired girl who doesn't even understand a good thing when she sees it?

Where it fell flat
I wish - if I were hoping for just a simple silly romp - that Dorsey had been a bit more problematic in order to be put properly in his place by Liza. The problem is, first and foremost, that Dorsey was in fact an adopted Filipino immigrant and actually had incredibly humble beginnings and is trying to save his mother's charitable foundation with these housing projects. This is a backstory that we never got of Mr. Darcy, and a thing that could definitely have made this story stand on its own feet. He had a whole host of microaggressions that Mr. Darcy never had to deal with, so he was never a great Darcy stand-in. Instead, there was ONE instance of Dorsey musing that he was once idealistic like Liza, but money was the only thing that gave one power. At the time, Dorsey does not acknowledge that he can afford to feel any way he wants now because he, in fact, has lots of money. He needs to come to the realization of his privilege, the same way Liza has to come to the realization that she's just as in the wrong for assuming he was a Latino member of the kitchen staff when she first met him. Liza was petty and judgmental - OK, fine, so was Lizzie Bennet - and I didn't like her! There was some weak attempts at Liza trying to hold out because she felt liking Dorsey would be a betrayal of all her people... Deal with those implications! Deal with the implication that Liza only thought she liked WIC because it would validate her blackness! Because in the end, she just said fuck it and got with Dorsey, sooooo... Happy ending???

I'm sorry to say that in certain instances, like with everything having to do with WIC, Payne relied entirely on our knowledge of P&P, when, as it stood, the situations made no sense and WIC's entire character and arc was utterly pointless (as I hinted above, WIC could have been a really important character for a modern Black woman instead of just a troll). In other character news, the Mr. Collins character could have had more depth in modern times, almost in an Obama-esque way, like he could have promised her some sort of Michelle Obama image makeover and she could have turned him down because he was trying to make her tow a certain line, NOT just because he was ridiculous! (please please please don't take that as any sort of dis on the Obamas! They're just the most recognizable Black political personalities I could reference) And I don't even know what the point was of the Caroline Bingley caricature (Caroline Bingley would not approve!). And Bev Bennett was only a step up from being a madam and that was super problematic for me.

I'm not 100% sure what the author was trying to do, because if she wanted to create her own story with her own spin, she followed the P&P plot too closely, but if she was trying to follow P&P to the letter, I did not feel what I should have felt. Some other reviewer said something like 'If P&P didn't exist, this wouldn't hold up on its own' and I agree and disagree. Honestly I wish this wasn't supposed to be a P&P retelling; there are some inklings of a really important story about privilege in there. If it had pursued this, it could have been amazing. However, it tried so so hard to be P&P that I hated it at times.

TL;DR
As a love story, there were bits and pieces of "Liza and Dorsey think they're on opposite sides, but for some reason they're still drawn to each other. When they realize they're on the same side, circumstance won't keep them apart." We should have focused more on why they were drawn to each other. We should have had more conversations between them that led to their understanding of each other. WHAT WE GOT was a bunch of contrived situations so that the plot could follow the P&P 2005 movie, and then we're TOLD that Dorsey and Liza texted a lot. So I can be forgiven for not actually feeling the chemistry between these two. Was I entertained? Yeah, sometimes, but for the most part, this was a confused and confusing mess.

[Stephanie Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this P&P retelling and can't wait to see what's next from this author. Even if you aren't familiar with P&P, this book stands on its own. So clever, so well-crafted, with fascinating, hilarious, undeniable characters. The big publishers usually err on the less spicy side but I'm really, really happy this book had some spice! Whatever Nikki writes next, I'll read.

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you partner PRHAudio for my gifted audiobook💕

Pride and Protest
By Nikki Payne

📖 DJ and activist Liza Bennet is fed up with the gentrification of her neighborhood at the hands of a wealthy property developer named Dorsey, who's seemingly more concerned with profiting off the new luxury condos than he is about the people, the history, and the culture of this section of DC. So when Liza stages a protest, she doesn't expect a face-to-face run-in with Mr. CEO himself. And she certainly doesn't expect to mistake him for waitstaff! 🤭 Sparks fly and things get heated... in more ways than one. 😏

💭 This is a reimagined Pride and Prejudice, but rest assured, you needn't be an Austen fan to fall in love with this book. There's so much to appreciate here, from the INTENSE chemistry between Liza and Dorsey, to the witty banter and laugh-out-oud moments, to the strong cast of supporting characters and their backstories, to the way Payne tackles topics of classism, racism, adoption, and so much more. And let's not forget the incredible steam! Fans of enemies to lovers (to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers) will definitely want to pick this one up.

🎧 I read this one with my ears, and the narration is top notch! 🔥 Kacie Rogers and Ron Nery Jr. make a dynamite pair and made this a fantastic listening experience.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janeites. This is the P&P retelling we deserve. My god the tension. The heart. The longing. Damn Nikki!!!!

[Nicole Bird-Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nikki Payne has given me another "Darcy" to swoon over! I loved this book for so many reasons. While this is a brilliant retelling of Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice, Nikki has created a classic literary space all to herself.

Liza Bennett is the perfect Lizzie with a modern-day spin. The fiery, rebellious nature of Austen's beloved character, has found a happy home in Pride and Protest. Her enemies to lovers journey with Dorsey (swoon) gave me all the trappings of the original, but with the heat and passion Regency Era Austen is unable to provide. (I will never look at a town car the same!)

And while anyone who loves great, funny writing will adore this book, it gave me, a woman of color, an opportunity to exist in a world I've longed to be in from the very first chapter of P&P. Nikki Payne unapologetically wove in cultural nuance that was both comforting and educational. These characters were familiar and I've met women and men like them at church, in community centers, or even in my own home. I loved the nods to the original but Pride and Protest can stand all on its own as a literary force.

I can't wait to hold Pride and Protest in my hands and give it its rightful place on my bookshelf next to Pride and Prejudice. This will be one I'll read again and again. I look forward to more from this author.

[Mia Reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love retellings of pride and prejudice and have probably read at least 10 -15 over the years. However, this one just became my new favorite! I loved how Nikki Payne took the story and made it relevant to current issues and class struggles. I loved Liza and Dorsey’s relationship! They were closer in this version then the original story but I think that is appropriate given the modern setting. I have never read another retelling of this story that so perfectly captured the true spirit of the original story while also making it a completely unique story with interesting characters. I loved that Dorsey listened to Liza and learned from her. Also this story had some great steamy scenes which I never mind. An absolute must read!

I listened to the audiobook version of Pride and Protest and Really enjoyed it! Ron Neri and Kacie Rogers narrated together and both were fantastic!i

[Heather Moll]

You have to read Nikki Payne’s modern Pride and Prejudice retelling with banter and steam! Pride and Protest is an expansion of her self-published novella Netherfield Must Go! and it does not disappoint.

I particularly enjoyed how the Wickham and Lydia dynamic was dealt with in 2022 and Colin’s proposal might be the worst I’ve ever read. There’s even a boiled potatoes reference for the P&P05 fans.

Family dynamics, generational trauma, gender, race, and class are all beautifully woven into a recognizable P&P story. It looks at what’s on the surface versus deeper truths, and social media versus reality. And it is filled with delicious tension between Liza B. and Dorsey. This is a must read!

I received an arc from NetGalley

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say I was blown away by this book is an understatement. From the cover to the characters to the story and the issues that are thoughtfully and wonderfully addressed, it’s just a wow. Smart, sensitive, sexy, and everything else you could want in a romance. Liza and Dorsey, along with their friends and family, take Jane Austen’s classic novel to the next level. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced fun and sexy pride and prejudice retelling? Yeah sign me up. This one was nearly impossible to put down. The tension was palpable and the characters felt so really. I HIGHLY recommend this one!

[Sarah Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best P&P retelling I’ve read!!! I loved it.

[jenny reads a lot]

Rec via Verbalhaven on TikTok

***audio

| TikTok | IG |

[Ella Synclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!!!! I didn't want it to end. If you are a fan of Jane Austen and have always wanted to a little more sizzle, then this is the book for you. The author has transformed Pride & Prejudice into an entirely modern story filled with interesting, completely developed characters. For instance, if you ever wondered why Jane seemed withdrawn from Mr. Bingley, Ms. Payne provides a compelling backstory to Janae that leaves you rooting for her. Likewise, if you ever wondered exactly what went on in Darcy's head, Ms. Payne lovingly draws out his counterpart, Datu, in this novel. Even "Lydia" is revamped and shown as a 360 character with dreams and goals (sorry Jane Austen). Lastly, Liza B is a Black girl's dream- a fully actualized woman who gets her happy ever after (without compromise to her ambition). Not to mention, a thoroughly nuanced presentation of the African-American community (play cousins and all). The romance is top tier. I love, love, LOVED this book and highly recommend it. Did I mention it was also unspeakably hot? Not often one comes across believable, open door sex scenes in a masterfully written novel, but Pride & Protest checks all of the boxes - buy this book TODAY. Highly recommend!!!!!!!

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 4 out of 5]

modern & diverse retelling of Elizabeth and Darcy

I really enjoyed this book. I came to read this book because Nikki Payne came to Steamy Lit Con with such a positive energy. I love how this story had a diverse love match as Dorsey was Filipino adopted by Asian parents with a Kenyan adopted sister. Liza's family had a whole host of issues from the mom to her sister's tragedy. Each character had self-identity issues coupled with the outside world perception of them.

If you have read Jane Austen's book, you understand the family dynamics and the prejudices that both Liza and Dorsey had about the other.
The corporate angle as well as the social commentary modernized this story while keeping the same spirit of enemies to lovers that we have come to love about this story.

The character development here was solid and the chemistry between the Lizzie and Dorsey was sexy. I enjoyed their candor with their various besties. The author really did a good job adding her own twist to this story. What a cute retelling.

My favorite quote: "What does friendship mean to you?
Having someone you can show your scars to without their judgement. Someone who shows up for you when you are emotionally, physically exhausted."

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 *content warning*