Jane Austen Retellings
As a fellow Janeite, a sure-fire way to get me to buy a book is to bill it as a retelling of Jane Austen’s works….so I’ve read quite a few, and I’ve listed my favorites below.
Despite the fact that Jane Austen died at just forty-one years old, she wrote six books that have had an impact on literature two hundred and fifty years later. Pride and Prejudice retellings are the most popular, but retellings of Austen’s other works should not be overlooked.
I was actually surprised by how many Emma Retellings both Jackie and I had read. Did you know that the movie Clueless is an Emma retelling? This is just further proof that Austen’s novels are written with themes that are still relevant!
The Best Jane Austen Retellings
Each colorful block below represents the best book in a subgenre. Click on the arrow to reveal my “best” pick in any category. You’ll also be able to use a page jump to see more books in that section.
The Best Jane Austen Retelling
The Best Emma Retelling
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Jane Austen Retellings
Plot
As soon as I realized this was a classic Jane Austen retelling of Sense and Sensibility, I knew I had to read it!
This version is set in D.C. and the key characters are involved in politics. It feels very appropriate post-election. I loved seeing the connections back to Jane Austen’s original work.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is probably one of my favorite retellings sense and sensibility and it’s a fun political fiction story.
Find this book in: Fiction Books About Women in Politics / Jane Austen Retellings / Classic Book Retellings / Ultimate Beach Reads 2021
Anne of Avenue A
Author: Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Year: 2025
Genre: Holiday Fiction
More info: For The Love of Austen #3
Spice Rating:💋💋💋💋
Age Range:18+
Plot
Persuasion lovers rejoice! This modern retelling of Austen’s classic takes readers to Manhattan at Christmas when Anne Elliot and Freddie Wentworth are reunited after she broke his heart years ago. Imagine her shock when she finds out he’s living in her childhood home.
Why Kirsten likes it
While this is billed as a holiday romance, it’s really a romance with a hint of holiday. There is a brief scene on Thanksgiving and then a moment when a Christmas tree is going up, but it really has limited holiday content. I mention that because some Austen fans would turn away from the holiday billing, while others will want more than it has.
As retellings go, this one comes from writers well-versed in writing modern-day Austen. While I enjoyed seeing scenes from Persuasion adapted to a modern setting, there is something about the plot of the book as a whole that doesn’t lend itself as well to adaptation as, say, Emma. Still, it was clever and fun!
Find this book in: Jane Austen Retellings
Incense and Sensibility
Author: Sonali Dev
Year: 2001
Genre: Romance Retelling
More info: The Rajes book 3 of 4
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Yash Raje has always known what he wants and that hard work will get him there. But, when Yash is shot while on the campaign trail, his life comes crashing in on itself.
Now, having panic attacks, Yash and his family need to turn to someone they can trust to help without leaking his personal fears to the media. India is his sister’s best friend and the perfect person to turn to. Can Yash forget the perfect night they had ten years ago and learn to trust himself?
Why Jackie loves it
This romance has some depth! This is not surprising, considering it is a Sense and Sensibility retelling. This is a classic story with a modern twist.
Find this book in: Jane Austen retellings
Emma Retellings
Emma of 83rd Street
Author: Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Year: 2023
Genre: Classic retelling
More info: Debut Novel
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:
Plot
Usually, I find Emma to be the most annoying of Austen’s characters, and my least favorite to read about. But this modern Emma retelling had me changing my mind.
For once, Emma is depicted as naive, sheltered, and young – trying to do better but not knowing the best way to grow into her adulthood. It was a refreshing take on the story, which was so fun to see adapted to modern-day Upper East Side Manhattan.
Why Kirsten loves it
Nadine, George, Emma, and the rest of the crew came to life in a way that felt fresh – a true accomplishment given how well-known the story is.
Find this book in: Jane Austen retellings
The Emma Project
Author: Sonali Dev
Year: 2022
Genre: Romance, Classic Retelling
More info: The Rajes Series book 4 of 4
Spice Rating:💋💋💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
I love that Emma gets a different twist with this adaptation. Vansh Raje takes on the role of Emma in this fresh new perspective.
Trigger Warnings
Why Jackie loves it
If you have read Dev’s other books, these characters will be familiar to you by now. I liked this book, and I love the way Dev changes the story while staying true to the heart of it. I do not love Naina, and this story involves her a lot.
While we get to see things from her perspective, which makes her more likable, Dev did too good of a job making me dislike her in the last book.
Find this book in: Jane Austen retellings
Emma: A Modern Retelling
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Year: 2015
Genre: Classic Retelling
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
In this modern retelling of Emma, our flighty heroine is preparing to launch her interior design firm. All the characters we know and love are delightfully brought into the 21st century.
Why Kirsten loves it
If you love Emma, you must pick up this version!
Find this book in: Jane Austen retellings
Kamila Knows Best
Author: Farah Heron
Year: 2022
Genre: Classic retelling
More info:
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range:
Plot
This Bollywood Jane Austen retelling of Emma is a sweet, easy-to-read book that brings the novel to life in a whole new way.
Kamila Hussain lives with her dad and is trying to keep him healthy after a few health scares. She works with him at an accounting firm and spends her free time volunteering with animals and matchmaking.
When her secret nemesis comes back to town, her world is turned upside down.
Why Jackie loves it
I surprise myself with how many Emma retellings I have read, and yet, I enjoy them all. This is such a fun retelling of this book.
Find this book in: Jane Austen retellings
Jane Austen Merchandise
Expert Tip
Who was Jane Austen?
- Jane Austen was an English novelist who was born in 1775 and died in 1817 at the age of just forty-one years old
- She is renowned for her six novels that are brilliant commentaries on love and life at the time.
- 250 years after her birth, her books are still being adapted to films. Pride and Prejudice was chosen as the December 2025 Read with Jenna pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Jane Austen retellings?
This is a list of the best Jane Austen retellings, not including Pride and Prejudice retellings. There are so many of those, I put them on a different list. This list of Jane Austen retellings includes: Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion.
Related Content
Epilogue
What are your favorite Jane Austen retellings?
