Texting Ms. Austen: A Contemporary Jane Austen Retellings Collection

by Gabbi Grey, Trinity Wood, Lisabel Chretien

Jane Austen’s beloved stories find new life in the digital age in Texting Ms Austen, a sparkling collection of contemporary romance retellings.

Swipe right on modern-day twists of Austen’s timeless tales, where classic misunderstandings, witty banter, and unforgettable love stories are retold through the lens of today’s fast-paced world. With texts, DMs, and viral posts, these stories bring Austen’s iconic characters into the 21st century, proving that true love never goes out of style.

From New York’s bustling coffee shops to London’s trendiest co-working spaces, Texting Ms Austen brings you laughter, longing, and romance fit for the digital age.

Perfect for fans of Jane Austen, modern romance, and happy endings wrapped in hashtags, this anthology celebrates the magic of love in all its forms—delivered one notification at a time.



Lisabel Chretien

L Mad Hildebrandt

Juliet Martini

Michelle Moncrieff

Sharon Michalove

Deaia Sanders

Cecelia Conway

Gabbi Grey

Kate Dashwood

Jeanine Lauren

Trinity Wood
E. Hazard

600 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2025

About the author

Gabbi lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black.

Reviews

[Read.Review.Repeat Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Jane Austen meets modern romance in this witty, charming, and highly relatable collection of stories told through texts, DMs, and emojis.I
n Texting Ms Austen, Jane Austen’s most beloved stories are reimagined for the 21st century—think Pride and Prejudice with Instagram drama, Persuasion with ghosted texts, or Emma playing matchmaker in a Slack channel.
Set everywhere from bustling New York cafés to stylish London co-working spaces, this anthology brings together a fresh, diverse cast of modern-day Darcys, Elizabeths, Emmas, and Wentworths navigating love in a world of swipes, likes, and viral mistakes.
Each short story cleverly updates the original Austen plotlines while staying true to their emotional heart—and yes, the banter is just as sharp in a text thread as it is in a drawing room.exting Ms Austen is a delightful blend of old-school romantic tension and new-age digital courtship. Whether you're a die-hard Austen fan or just someone who loves clever romance with modern flair, this collection will leave you smiling.
It's ideal for anyone who’s ever swooned over Mr. Darcy and also obsessed over a left-on-read message. Lighthearted yet heartfelt, it proves that whether it’s handwritten letters or group chats, love always finds a way." ~Stephanie


Texting Ms. Austen is a wonderful collection of stories based on the characters created by Jane Austen. I loved reading the different and modern takes on familiar classic characters. Some authors are familiar and others are new to me, and I look forward to reading more of their books in the future. ~Dawn

[Stephanie Crews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Austen meets modern romance in this witty, charming, and highly relatable collection of stories told through texts, DMs, and emojis.I
n Texting Ms Austen, Jane Austen’s most beloved stories are reimagined for the 21st century—think Pride and Prejudice with Instagram drama, Persuasion with ghosted texts, or Emma playing matchmaker in a Slack channel.
Set everywhere from bustling New York cafés to stylish London co-working spaces, this anthology brings together a fresh, diverse cast of modern-day Darcys, Elizabeths, Emmas, and Wentworths navigating love in a world of swipes, likes, and viral mistakes.
Each short story cleverly updates the original Austen plotlines while staying true to their emotional heart—and yes, the banter is just as sharp in a text thread as it is in a drawing room.exting Ms Austen is a delightful blend of old-school romantic tension and new-age digital courtship. Whether you're a die-hard Austen fan or just someone who loves clever romance with modern flair, this collection will leave you smiling.
It's ideal for anyone who’s ever swooned over Mr. Darcy and also obsessed over a left-on-read message. Lighthearted yet heartfelt, it proves that whether it’s handwritten letters or group chats, love always finds a way.

[RoseyLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when Jane Austen meets the digital age? You get Texting Ms. Austen, a witty, charming anthology that reimagines classic romances with texts, DMs, and modern-day mischief. From dating apps to viral posts, each story puts a fresh spin on Austen’s timeless tales, proving love, and awkward misunderstandings, never go out of style. Each story cleverly updates Austen’s iconic love stories, where misunderstandings unfold in comment sections and happily-ever-afters might just begin with a “hey” in the DMs. Perfect for Austen fans, rom-com lovers, and anyone who’s ever sent a risky text at 2 a.m.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modern versions of Jane Austen classics

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
This is a selection of nine short stories based on the popular books of Jane Austen. Most are based on Pride and Prejudice though there are two on Persuasion and two on Northanger Abbey.
They are stories of varying quality. I found that one storys connection to Pride and Prejudice was having a sister named Lydia and the title (second impressions, the first version of Pride and Prejudice was named first impressions).
I have read a lot of Pride and Prejudice variations and none of these authors were known to me, so it was an oppotunity to widen my horizon

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book ,well written . Of the writing style ,I was truly smitten as a kitten . Charming is not alarming ,even in the digital age .These retellings are inspired and I loved every page ! Laughter romance and the will they won’t they dance . Well aged with humour and love fired from Cupid’s dart .This collection as well as the characters herein are in want of being desired and with lots of heart. .

[Vivien Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of Jane Austen stories. So when I saw this contemporary retellings collection, I said Sign Me Up! This book has a wonderful list of authors who contributed stories, including:

Lisabel Chretien
L Mad Hildebrandt
Juliet Martini
Michelle Moncrieff
Sharon Michalove
Deaia Sanders
Cecelia Conway
Gabbi Grey
Kate Dashwood
Jeanine Lauren
Trinity Wood
E. Hazard

If you enjoy reading retellings of classic romances, then I recommend picking this one up.

[Jen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid collection - some stories appealed to me more than others.
I was surprised at how much the first one pulled me in given that it was written in a 1st person POV, but it really worked. It was my favourite, a modern gender reversed P&P with a strong Persuasion infusion. I wanted more.

I received a free copy of this book via Sofia's Cowboy Romance Lovers and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Bing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and lighthearted set of stories that take the heart of Jane Austen and modernizes those plot lines. I love how they really used all the digital things to make these tales fresh and relatable but also kept the banter, wit and charm you expect. With DMs, texts and even emojis, I was entertained by each story. Good fun!

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern day verison of Austen tales using the digital world as a communication source. A collection of romance tales by different authors. Short stories may include misunderstandings, situations, banter, wit, romance, drama, interactions, and miscommunications. Lighthearted and heartfelt.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of stories based on Jane Austin stories but modernized. While some were better then others, each were a fun read. Some made me laugh and some shake my head at times. But enjoyed their takes on the classic story.

[Dawn Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Texting Ms. Austen is a wonderful collection of stories based on the characters created by Jane Austen. I loved reading the different and modern takes on familiar classic characters. Some authors are familiar and others are new to me, and I look forward to reading more of their books in the future.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A loving collection of short stories reflecting Jane Austen's beloved books and characters, but brought into today's environments and modes of communication. No carefully written letters written at a bureau, but texts and emojis. They are fun and work in capturing some of Ms Austen's humour while also paying tribute to the evergreen nature of her books. I have enjoyed dipping my toes into these short stories and gave welcomed the opportunity to read some new to me authors. 💖💖💖💖