Book Review: Once Persuaded, Twice Shy | Melodie Edwards

Anne Elliott is one of the great literary characters of all time, though I often think she is underappreciated compared to other more-popular leading ladies from Austen’s work. One Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards is a modern-retelling-of-a-classic at it’s finest, as Jane Austen’s Persuasion is re-imagined in a poignant new romance.

About the Book | Once Persuaded, Twice Shy

This modern reimagining of Persuasion is full of witty banter, romantic angst, and compelling characters as it captures the heart of the classic Jane Austen novel.

When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do . . . but now, eight years later, she’s not so sure.

In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful filling her late mother’s shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose. But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show—and not nearly as good as the ones put on by her theater company. She’s the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.

So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle, Anne’s world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life—and it’s clear he hasn’t forgiven her for breaking his heart. A joint project between the winery and Anne’s theater forces both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can’t help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.

Review | Once Persuaded, Twice Shy

Anne Elliott is truly a great character—resilient, selfless, intelligent, and heartfelt. I thought Edwards did a wonderful job writing Anne in a fresh way that still felt true to the classic character from the source book. Anne is a product of the time she was written in—a woman was often persuaded to follow with her family’s needs over her own. I was curious how this would work in an update story, since women are offered more freedom in the twenty-first century compared to the Victorian era.

Set in the vibrant area of Niagra, Edward’s Anne Elliott is helping to care for her family after her mother passed away. Anne enjoys her solitary, independent life, and her work as an executive director at her theater company. Her father does drink a bit too much and her sister is a bit out of hand sometimes, but Anne is content.

When her family’s winery is bought by a couple who happen to be relatives of her former fiancé Ben Wentworth, Anne is caught off guard. She knows she broke Ben’s heart eight years earlier, but at the time she was getting pressure for her mother to not marry into a relationship that would turn out like the one her mother and father had. Anne and Ben are forced to face their past and all of the broken promises and unanswered questions that were left in the wake of their break up.

While working on aa festival to bring the theater and winery together, Anne and Ben spend time together and realize that they’ve both changed quite a bit over the past eight years. What hasn’t changed is their attraction to one another. The biggest question of all is whether they will be able to put aside what happened in the past and find their way back to a happily ever after together…

Sometimes modern retellings can get so caught in the original source content and an effort to match as many things as they can, that the new story feels disjointed. That wasn’t the case at all with this story. In fact, if it wasn’t marketed as a modern retelling of Persuasion, I’d imagine many readers would enjoy it as a second-chance romance and not realize it was based on a classic. Fans of the original book will find plenty that ties to the original story, though!

The dialogue and banter felt modern but also reminded me of the dialogue from the original book. Anne herself is a wonderful reimagining of the original Anne Elliott, though she is a bit more angsty than her inspiration. I enjoyed the levity and funny moments sprinkled throughout the story, keeping it light. This is definitely a case where communication would help immensely with Anne and ben, but of course they can’t quite yet. And truly, the art of persuasion is one about communication, isn’t it? So that worked in a sense to credit the original book.

Well-paced, engaging, humorous, and often sentimental—this will be a hit with Austen fans and those who aren’t as familiar with her work!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for my copy. Opinions are my own.