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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
While Pride and Protest did not fully change my mind about political romances, it opened my eyes to what makes Pride and Prejudice such a cherished story. I once heard someone say that Mr. Darcy was not truly arrogant, but rather used his aloofness to mask social awkwardness. I never fully believed that. To me, Darcy came across as standoffish, arrogant, rude, and generally unlikable. He seemed to belittle others while thinking grand gestures could make up for it, and then suddenly he would profess his love out of nowhere. I just did not get it—until I met CEO Dorsey.
Through Nikki Payne’s contemporary retelling, I finally understood the complexity of Darcy’s character. Dorsey is a man trying to connect, but he struggles to do so in a way that others understand. He is guarded, but not without heart. His actions, while clumsy or misguided at times, stem from a genuine desire to be seen and accepted.
The beauty of the story lies in showing that both main characters are driven by the same emotions, just shaped by different experiences. As a result, when Dorsey professes his love, it feels tragic rather than abrupt. And when they finally overcome their misunderstandings and find common ground, it is not just romantic—it is deeply rewarding.
I truly enjoyed this novel. It offered a fresh and thoughtful perspective on a classic dynamic, and gave me new appreciation for a character I once wrote off.
Through Nikki Payne’s contemporary retelling, I finally understood the complexity of Darcy’s character. Dorsey is a man trying to connect, but he struggles to do so in a way that others understand. He is guarded, but not without heart. His actions, while clumsy or misguided at times, stem from a genuine desire to be seen and accepted.
The beauty of the story lies in showing that both main characters are driven by the same emotions, just shaped by different experiences. As a result, when Dorsey professes his love, it feels tragic rather than abrupt. And when they finally overcome their misunderstandings and find common ground, it is not just romantic—it is deeply rewarding.
I truly enjoyed this novel. It offered a fresh and thoughtful perspective on a classic dynamic, and gave me new appreciation for a character I once wrote off.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I love a Pride and Prejudice retelling, and this one absolutely respected the bones of the original story. I liked the middle of this book more than the beginning and end. The beginning went too slowly with the story, but too fast with character arcs... and the end felt like it had mostly resolved too soon. But the middle was fun and appropriately paced (and hot 🔥). I think a lot of the takes on the Bennets were refreshing. i hated how much Darcy's 🍆 was mentioned.
Pride and Protest is a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Nikki Payne did an incredible job with the character and scene adaption and adding layers to the story. Obviously also much more spicy than the orginal, and definitely more realistic than the zombie version (lol).
Really good retelling! And how Payne characterized the Bennett Family was done so well AND I love what she did with Dorsey's character.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 3.25-3.5⭐️
This really was a fun, modern twist to Pride & Prejudice and it definitely got creative in how it wove current issues into the story while keeping to its original text. It did fall a little short for me in terms of the characters connecting. I can’t put my finger on it but something was missing that I wanted. Overall it was an enjoyable read and Nikki Payne has such a great tone when tackling these retellings.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
This was a fun retelling! Very creative and the tension was really well done. I really enjoyed the characters and their journeys. Sometimes, it felt like the plot was moving a bit slowly, but generally, the romantic/sexual tension made up for it.
I knew I was going to love this book from Page 1. This Darcy (Dorsey) is a real estate developer who secretly wants to be a philanthropist instead. He crosses paths with Lizzie (Liza, née Alizé) who is a popular DJ and community organizer. Dorsey has all of the burning, quiet intensity of the OG Darcy and Liza was just as spunky and spectacular. (Her indignant response to Dorsey’s comment about her hair: “It’s called a twist-out and it’s FABULOUS.”) The best part of the story for me, though, was just how cringe the Bennetts were. Nikki Payne does an amazing job of capturing their working class mannerisms and contrasting it to Dorsey’s polished elegance — the family whipping out Ziploc baggies to fill up at the buffet, Mrs. Bennet’s loud, gross comments about poking holes in the condom for Janae (Jane) to catch Bingley, etc. They were just as embarrassing and loud and chaotic and troublesome to this 2020s reader as the OG Bennets would have been to an 1820s reader, and it was an absolute delight to see that.