Booksology In a great article written by Book Riot senior editor Kelly Jensen for School Library Journal, the authors she interviewed highlighted how their retellings draw inspiration from and build on Austen’s work. YA author Gabe Cole Novoa noted the relevance of Austen’s story today, in which women and femme people face “eerily similar expectations.” LC Rosen’s book “Emmett” emmaa good summary of it is:
Queer people existed, fell in love, had romances, read Austen and related to her characters. Retelling her stories as queer is a way of claiming that these stories are for us more than anyone else. ”
Author Sayantani Dasgupta, who has written several YA novels inspired by Jane Austen, calls multicultural retellings a kind of “healing story for those of us who have been ignored, erased, and maligned for far too long.”
Things aren’t always easy and progress isn’t linear. We go forward, backward, and forward again. But these new Jane Austen retellings, like so many other great novels, remind us that anyone’s story is just as valuable and important as the next.
All access members follow below for the activation of Austen’s retelling.
“Miss Darcy’s Unruly Mind” by Erin Edwards
release: April 7, 2026
More than just a retelling of Pride and Prejudice pride and prejudice sequel, Miss Darcy’s unruly heart Georgiana Darcy and she live happily ever after. Her brother has already found the love of his life, but Georgiana knows from experience that it will not be so easy for her. Her only kiss with another girl led to blackmail that almost ruined her reputation. There she meets Kitty Bennett. For the first time in years, love and happiness seem to be on the horizon. But there’s still one man close to the Bennett family who could ruin everything, and in trying to protect herself and her loved ones, she may end up ruining her chance at a happy ending.
The Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lynds MacLeod
release: May 5, 2026
McLeod’s second book luxurious The series follows Caroline Bingley and continues the trend of featuring secondary (and often maligned) characters. pride and prejudice characters in her story. After Caroline Bingley’s harrowing and embarrassing experience, pride and prejudiceshe hatches a plan: Ask Georgiana Darcy to teach her how to become as perfect as she is and reform her tarnished image. However, Georgiana lacks self-confidence and has her own problems beneath her perfect surface. Will she be able to rehabilitate the infamous Caroline Bingley? Or will they each realize that they may have been looking for the wrong thing all along?
I really enjoyed The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet, which tells the post-bereavement love story of Charlotte Lucas Collins and Mary Bennet. If you can’t wait to get your hands on this book, I highly recommend reading this book until then.
“Behind the Five Willows” by June Herr
release: May 26, 2026
I tend to be pretty vocal about my love for June Herr and her YA historical novels, but I’ve never been this excited about a book of hers. pride and prejudice– An inspired story about an upper-class gentleman who is an illegal book transcriber and secretly writes novels banned by the government under a pen name. pride and prejudice While retellings rarely address or show any interest in the original’s class commentary, director Hoa taps into it by exploring class and women’s rights in 18th-century Korea. The story itself isn’t necessarily too faithful to the original, but in that regard, this is probably the most accurate retelling I’ve ever read.
rational creature Written by Gabe Cole Novoa
release: September 1, 2026
There isn’t much information available about director Gabe Cole Novoa’s upcoming retelling of Persuasion, other than the fact that it will reunite a transgender man with a man who broke off their engagement years ago. What I do know is that I’m incredibly excited about this piece because Novoa wrote one of my favorite pieces. pride and prejudice Retalks is a YA historical romance in the Remixed Classics series titled Most Ardently. I absolutely trust you persuasion With his skilled hands.
Emiko by Chieri Uegaki
release: 2025
Most of the new Austen retellings are pride and prejudice or persuasionBut this work from last year focuses on another of Austen’s works that is frequently revisited: Emma. Emiko Kimori’s hobbies are cooking and finding love. Never mind that her childhood best friend, Kenzo Sanada, thinks she should focus more on herself than everyone else’s love life. Emiko knows she has a talent and is determined to share it with everyone around her, including the girl who transferred to her school. However, Emiko finds herself in love with someone she never expected before, and must finally understand what it means to fall in love herself.
The Cuffing Game by Lila Lee
release: 2025
A college girl trying to get over her crush on an annoying (and handsome) classmate casts him on a campus dating show she produces, only to discover that he may not be as annoying as she thought. This is a very (very) loosely inspired contemporary YA romance. pride and prejudicewhich has both Korean and bisexual reps.
“Give Me a Reason” by Jaycee Lee
release: 2025
Ang Lee left the love of his life to pursue an acting career in South Korea and save his father from financial ruin. For years, she told herself it was the right thing to do. After all, leaving him behind was the only way to keep him from following her and giving up on all his dreams. After years of missing and hating Anne, Frederick Nam finally decided to move on with his life. He became the firefighter he always wanted to be. But now they get together again for their friend’s wedding, and all the love they felt for each other is still there, no matter how much they try to deny it in this lovely modern day. persuasion Retelling.
Here are more Jane Austen retellings for you to read and enjoy.
Queering Jane Austen: 12 LGBTQ Jane Austen Retellings
Queering Jane Austen in YA Literature
12 Emma Retellings to Buy Now
Six diverse Jane Austen retellings
