Pride and Protest

By: Nikki Payne

Narrated by: Kacie Rogers, Ron Nery Jr.

A Phenomenal Book Club pick for November 2022!

A woman goes head-to-head with the CEO of a corporation threatening to destroy her neighborhood in this fresh and modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice by debut author Nikki Payne.

Liza B.—the only DJ who 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 a 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 off Liza Bennett as more interested in performing outrage than acting on it. 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 revolutionary is the most real woman he’s ever met.

Critic reviews

"A spectacular, unputdownable debut that just rocketed its way onto my 'Forever Faves' shelf. 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 this novel to everyone I know, every chance I get!"—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author

"An entertaining and politically charged retelling of Pride and Prejudice that tackles gentrification, prejudice, and the intersections of race, class, and gender...The redevelopment plot puts a fresh twist on familiar beats and the enemies-to-lovers romance sizzles. This is good fun.”—Publishers Weekly

"Payne has managed what I thought was no longer possible: to write a Pride and Prejudice retelling that feels completely fresh and yet absolutely grounded in Jane Austen’s beloved romance...Liza and Dorsey’s romance comes with the sizzling animosity we expect from this classic enemies-to-lovers storyline while deftly tackling heavy themes like generational trauma and classism with humor and heart. This debut is incandescent."—The Washington Post

"This new imagining of Pride and Prejudice is an inventive take on a classic love story."—BuzzFeed Books

Loved it!

Huge P&P fan, and this one had Two Weeks’ Notice vibes added on top. Really fun to see how each original character was portrayed in this modern retelling. Super enjoyable read!

Loved loved it!!

This was a great story. I couldn’t stop listening. The voice actors were amazing!! You should definitely get this now!

Laugh out loud Funny

A faithful Pride and Prejudice retelling for those who are into that. But also a laugh out loud multicultural enemies to lovers romance between an activist DJ proudly repping her 'hood (Chocolate City Rep is strong!) and a developer with a silver spoon stuck firmly up his a$$! Loved it! Great story, great narration. A++

Absorbing

This is a fabulous retelling of Pride and Prejudice!! Full of nuance, suspense and spice. I cannot recommend more highly!!

The retelling of a European classic…with an Urban American Twist

Absolutely loved this retelling! The characters felt so real that I could easily imagine them in real life, and I was genuinely sad when the book ended. I’ve read and listened to this book multiple times—it’s my way of staying connected to Dorsey and Lizzy! Plus, the added intimate scenes brought just the right amount of modern day souce!