Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne is now out in the world! I've been evangelizing about this book since I read an early version of it YEARS ago, and I'm very excited that everyone gets to read it now!
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So Nikki originally released the first part of this story on Kindle back in... 2018? 2019? with the intent of making it a four-part series. And I read part 1 and absolutely fell in love with her voice. Nikki saw my review on GoodReads and got in touch, and we started working together on the rest of the story. (I'm not the editor of this final version of Pride and Protest, just want to make that clear--that distinction belongs to her editor at Berkley, Cindy Hwang.)
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After we worked together, she then entered it in PitchWars (which means she worked with mentors who helped get it ready for agents) and then won (which means she got an agent!). Then publishers fought over the book, and then she worked with her editor at Berkley, and now we have this final version of Pride and Protest, better than ever!
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Watching Nikki hone her craft over the past few years has been so rewarding--she's so innately talented, and then she worked her ass off to keep pushing that talent even further. The book is such a smart take on modern Pride and Prejudice with Dorsey (Darcy) as a developer/philanthropist intent on gentrifying community activist/DJ Liza (Elizabeth)'s DC neighbourhood. I screamed at the way she modernized Mary and Mr. Bennet, and Dorsey and Liza's chemistry is SO. GOOD. (The limo scene. Iykyk.)
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Huge congrats to Nikki on her release! So, so proud of you, Nikki!
Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne