Rewriting Jane Austen for the 2020s with Nikki Payne

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Ever wondered what Jane Austen would write if she lived online? Nikki Payne reimagines romance for our era—where identity, love, and culture collide.

In this episode, Laura chats with romance author Nikki Payne, a cultural anthropologist and writer of Pride and Protest, Sex, Lies and Sensibility, and The Princess and the PI. They dive into why Nikki reimagines Austen’s classics through a modern, intersectional lens, how online personas shape our identities, and what makes “weird fic” and “out-of-pocket women” so irresistible. Plus, Nikki shares her must-read recommendations across romance, mystery, and literary fiction.

📚 Books Mentioned

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

The Princess and the PI by Nikki Payne — Buy on Amazon | Mystery Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

August Lane by Regina Black — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby — Buy on Amazon | Crime Thriller | Audio ✅

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy | Audio ✅

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston — Buy on Amazon | Classic Fiction

💌Where to Find Nikki:

• Instagram: @nikkipaynebooks
• TikTok: @nikkipayneromance
• Substack: The Painful Truth

🕒 Time Stamps

[00:00] Meet Nikki Payne: Cultural Anthropologist & Romance Author

[00:03] Reimagining Jane Austen with Black & Asian Leads

[00:06] The Princess and the PI: Reddit Sleuths & Modern Mysteries

[00:10] Online Personas vs Real Life Identity

[00:11] Exploring Body, Control, and Patriarchy in Fiction

[00:13] Neuroplasticity, Healing, and Finding Love

[00:14] What Nikki’s Reading: Weird Fic & Out-of-Pocket Women

[00:15] Book Recommendations for After The Princess and the PI

[00:16] Where to Find Nikki Online