Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards is an emotional, heartwarming, re-imagining of Persuasion; with witty banter, romantic angst, and compelling characters as it captures the heart of the classic Jane Austen novel. This time Anne is the executive director of the local theater and Wentworth is the nephew of the new owners of Kellynch Winery. Wentworth returns to the small town of Niagara-on-the-Lake after finding success in the finance world and plans to help his aunt and uncle. Anne is unprepared to see her old flame only to discover she never truly got over him.


A second chance story combined with a charming and romantic retelling of Persuasion, Jane Austen’s last novel is a wonderful delight. Set in the small town of Niagara on the Lake, Ontario with a cast full of eccentric characters, a crazy attacking goose and lots of charm.



I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
# MelodieEdwards, #NetGalley #Berkley

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is an adaption of Persuasion. It tells the story of Anne, a woman running a theater company and basically the entire town near Niagara Falls when she gets reunited with an ex-boyfriend. It was a second chance romance that had a built in Taylor Swift break up playlist smattered throughout. Yes please. More of this in my books. So while humming along with my tears ricochet, I became immersed in Anne’s fight for her town, her mixed emotions towards her ex and her finding herself at a place in her life where she finally let go of the past and the strains of her family weighing her down. It was inspirational, heartwarming, funny, sweet and had a rogue goose terrorizing the town. All with that Jane Austen feeling.

Melodie Edwards is the queen of retellings! I LOVED her first book, Jane and Edward, a modern retelling of Jane Eyre and with her second book, she has moved on to my favorite, Jane Austen! Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is a retelling of Persuasion. This is one of Austen's books that I have not read yet but after reading this book, I can't wait to pick it up.

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is a second-chance, small town, semi-enemies to lovers romance that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the chemistry between Anne and Ben and I thought the way their original breakup was handled was perfect for a reconnection. This book could have been the love child of a Hallmark movie and Austen. I enjoyed this and I can't wait to pick up Persuasion now.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

With a cast of delightfully chaotic supporting characters, an agonizingly slow burn second chance romance, and a historic small town setting that delivers all the cozy vibes, this retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion is one that I highly recommend!

Admittedly, it took me longer to get invested in this book and it's romance, simply because of how long it took for Anne and Ben to spend any real time together on the page, but I ended up absolutely adoring their romance. The scenes they do share are filled with so much tension, both from the way Anne ended their relationship in the past and from all the unresolved feelings that are very much apparent. This made for a slow burn that I was absolutely eating up. I was living for all the little moments between Anne and Ben especially after the moment in which his animosity towards her shifts as he comes to understand why she ended things and all that she's been through in the years they have been apart. In short, I ended up absolutely adoring their love story.

Even though I struggled with how long it took for Anne and Ben to reconnect, I can also see how it was absolutely essential to the story. Anne goes on such a wonderful journey throughout this book, particularly in the first half. Even though my heart was breaking for her because of the things she goes through and the way she is treated by those around her, especially during the weekend of the pumpkin festival, I loved being able to see her rediscover her sense of self. Anne is a character that burdens herself with so much responsibility, which is tied back to her taking on her mother's jobs in the town when her mother got sick. To see her come to embrace her individuality while also still maintaining her love of what she does was so satisfying.

And of course I absolutely adored the cast of supporting characters. They brought so much humor, chaos, and entertainment that brought a certain light-heartedness to the heavier, more angsty elements of the love story between Anne and Ben.

It also must be said that I was living for the Taylor Swift playlist that Vidya makes for Anne. I felt like the song choices fit so well to the situation, and they were woven in to the story so seamlessly in a way that not many authors are able to do.

While Persuasion is not a story I am familiar with, so I can't speak on the book's quality as an adaptation, I still wholeheartedly enjoyed it, and highly recommend that this be one you add to your tbr.

I love a good retelling and this book based on Jane Austen's Persuasion is done very well. It's a second chance romance for Ben and Anne and you can feel their chemistry from the moment they see each other again. There are interesting secondary characters and I enjoyed the Niagara-on-the-Lake setting. Another solid romance from this author.

My favorite classic book is Persuasion by Jane Austen so I was very interested in reading a modern retelling. I liked the authors take on the classic novel. I liked the setting and the characters. I wish there had been more longing and tension expressed in the book. Also Ben’s letter felt a bit lack luster compared to the incredible heartbreaking letter by the original Wentworth.

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is an absolute delight. Known for Jane & Edward, Edwards is back with a new reimagining – this time of Persuasion. And it is fantastic!

If you loved Persuasion, or even if you love an excellent contemporary romance novel or Taylor Swift (the book includes a Swift playlist), this one is worth checking out. It stays true to Austen while putting a modern, believable spin on the classic story.

Expect to put the unique setting of Niagara-on-the-Lake on your travel bucket list, too!

Overall, I was impressed with how true the book is to Austen and the Persuasion characters. Plus, the romance is extra swoony. It’s my favorite retelling to date, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Content Note: The book has some swearing and mild implied sensuality.

Overall Rating: 5
Romance Rating: 5

Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

You know when you're reading a book and it just makes your heart happy? Well, my heart was incredibly happy while reading Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards!

This one is a modern re-imagining of Persuasion but no previous Jane Austen knowledge is needed in order to appreciate this book! Pride And Prejudice is the only of Austen's books I've read and I wondered if I would feel lost or lacking knowledge, but that was never the case! The various mentions of Austen were a lovely nod to the original work!

What else did I love?
-the Canadian (small town) Niagara-On-The-Lake setting pleasantly surprised me
-atmospheric writing filled my heart with autumn colours and splendor
-Taylor Swift songs mentioned throughout had me wanting a playlist!
-the various wardrobe and hairstyle notes on Anne really expanded her character and showed how she portrayed herself to those around her
-I was swooning over Anne and Ben's relationship as it had all the enemies to lovers vibes I love!
-this book gave me all the Gilmore Girls feels with a bit of The Princess Diaries thrown in

This story absolutely came into my life at the best time, and I am so happy to have read this light-hearted five-star book when I did!

Thank you NetGalley, Kaye Publicity and Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary copies to read and review.

There’s been quite a few Jane Austen retellings this year and this one is not to be missed!
I feel like Persuasion doesn’t get the attention it deserves so I was so happy to see this reimagining. I really enjoyed the writing style and how the author incorporated elements of the original story but made it her own. The characters were perfect. I really felt for Anne and the hero was so swoon worthy. I thought their romance was paced perfectly. It’ll definitely make your heart melt.
Can’t wait to see what story she reimagines next!

As a romance fan, I know it is odd that I have never read any of Jane Austen's books, and prior to reading Once Persuaded, Twice Shy, I was unfamiliar with the the story of Persuasion. To have a better understanding before starting this book, I watched the film versions — which I did love — and it definitely helped in seeing the similarities between the stories in this modern take on the classic.

I love the second chance romance trope and enjoyed this story of Anne and Ben reconnecting 8 years later when Ben's aunt and uncle purchase a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the town Anne lives and works. The town has the perfect small town charm and is it's own stellar secondary character in the story. The tension and pining between Anne and Ben was great and the perfect way to translate Jane's work into this century.

Anne's father and sister Liz in the book were horrible characters — which is intended — and I liked the way Anne started to find her voice and stand up to them. I would've liked a little more time devoted to Anne and Ben when they did reconnect in the end, but I liked that we got to see a glimpse of their life in the future.

With pretty much a built in Taylor Swift playlist, you can melt this Swifty’s heart. That is just one of the fun little gems in Once Persuaded, Twice Shy, a modern reimagined version of Persuasion, by Melodie Edwards.
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As much as I wanted to hurry through this in order to be ready for a book discussion, I slowed down to immerse myself in the quaint Niagara town and the winery where much takes place.
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It is a #secondchanceromance #classicretold and so easy to sink into the witty banter and obvious chemistry. Not only do the main characters, Anne and Ben fill the pages with their antics and angst, the supporting characters lend so much to making this an enjoyable, bingeable tale, especially the headstrong goose!
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I don’t think you need to have read Jane Austin’s Persuasion in order to admire this adaptation, but I do think that if you go back and read Persuasion after reading this, you will view it with new, appreciative eyes.

I am officially in my Persuasion era. I will admit I barely knew anything about this story and watched the 2007 and 2022 movie versions over the wkend before diving into 𝙊𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙙, 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙮. If you enjoy classic retellings then this one is for you.

Anne Elliot broke up with Ben Wentworth eight years ago and she still regrets it to this day. She’s still living in her hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake acting as the Executive Director of the town’s theater company, a role in which she took over for her mother, once she passed away from cancer. Anne puts everyone above herself, including her father and sister who take severe advantage of her and her kindness. Her family’s home and business Kellynch Winery has been bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle and as fate would have it Anne comes face to face with Ben at a dinner party. Ben seems disinterested in Anne and gives her the cold shoulder. But since it’s a very small town they are constantly brought together during town events. Ben seems to have moved on with a young actress from the theater company and Anne catches the eye of a handsome stranger that comes to town with plans wanting to develop the area. As Anne works on a new project that would add an outdoor stage to Kellynch’s fields she slowly realizes the mistakes she made eight years ago and finds her voice and drive to carve out a life that she wants for herself and not one that she feels obligated to lead due to her family’s expectations. Anne and Ben are constantly tiptoeing around each other until the truths are revealed regarding Anne’s new suitor/the stranger in town, Anthony Harbringer.

If you like second chance romances, main characters pining for each other, a town goose on the loose, Wentworth's letter to Anne 🥹, and a TSwift heartbreak/perspective playlist then pick this one is for you.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the advacned e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a warm and cozy novel (surprised it did not release in the fall). It gave off a lot of Gilmore Girl small town vibes! The romance was a slow burn (the characters did not interact much the first part of the book). I think those that enjoy cozy romances and retellings will like this.

Anne Elliott is the executive director for the Elysian Theatre Festival and councilor in her small town of Niagra-on-the-Lake. The Elliott name is well-known in the town, being a huge part of the community since Anne could remember. And when her mother passed away, Anne naturally took over as the family matriarch, taking care of her sister and father, in addition to making her career and town her top priority. When a retired couple moves in and purchases the nearby Kellynch Winery, she welcomes them to the community as usual. But when they reveal that their capital investor nephew is coming to help them get started, the name rings the wrong bells. Ben Wentworth is none other than Anne’s ex-boyfriend, whose heart she broke eight years ago. When a joint project between the winery and the festival forces them to work together, it’s clear that all wounds have not healed. Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards is a modern reimagining of Persuasion in which Anne and Ben must confront their complicated history and learn to work together for the benefit of everything and everyone they care about.

Edwards showcases her talent for putting a modern spin on the old classics. I’ve never read Persuasion, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy Once Persuaded, Twice Shy. I loved the “cozy home town” feel that she creates, and I enjoyed all of the characters. The notorious rogue goose that seems to target Anne’s events added humor and chaos that readers will enjoy. And who doesn’t love a young woman who realizes what she deserves and finally takes charge of her life? Whether it’s slow-burn romance, character development, or a cozy read, there’s something in this story for everyone.

This retelling by Melodie Edwards takes place in the gorgeous town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where Anne is one of the town’s councilors and the executive director of the local theatre company. The town and the theatre is full of quirky characters that you can’t help but love and assist in steering the story along, while also providing a sense of lightness to a serious love story. Ben is Anne’s ex who is the nephew of the couple that purchased a nearby winery, which forces Anne and Ben to be in each other’s presence after several years of never seeing each other after their break up. What entails are the little ways Ben shows Anne that he forgives her and both of their realizations about how they feel for one another.

One way to describe Edwards’ writing is smart. I cannot do her writing much justice in this review except to say, do not miss out on experiencing this beautiful book for yourself. How she was able to pull scenarios that would have been impossible but knit them seamlessly together into a believable plot was wonderfully crafted. I truly appreciated the gentleness of the love story; which provided a nice change of pace from many other stories I’ve been reading lately.

Also, I can’t wrap up my thoughts without acknowledging how superb Ben was as a book boyfriend. He was a man of action and his supportive nature was nothing but swoon worthy.

I love Jane Austen retellings as well as second chance and this one didn't disappoint. Anne Elliot broke up with Ben Wentworth 8 years ago after listening to her mother's worries.

This was a small town, second chance romance with plenty of tension and angst. While Anne was smart and capable in her professional life, I enjoyed seeing her character grow in her personal life and start having some boundaries with her uncaring father and sister. Ben and Anne were great together but they both needed to make some changes before finding their HEA. Several fun secondary characters rounded out the story.

Give this one a try if you like: Jane Austen retellings
second chance
small town romance
Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

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.

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.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for access to this arc.

After reading the blurb – specifically that it “is full of witty banter, romantic angst, and compelling characters as it captures the heart of the classic,” I decided to take a chance – as sometimes Jane Austen retellings work and sometimes they don’t. I’m happy to say that this definitely worked for me. I want to live in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The town is charming in the best way. It’s managed to maintain its small town feel and quaintness partly due to the (sometimes bickering) town council; the meeting Anne runs is hilarious.

I like that most but not all of the original “Persuasion” characters are here though some have larger or smaller roles. Anne’s got a backbone and competence and is a very modern woman yet has still allowed herself to be tied down and burdened with seeing to her vain and selfish relatives, and however much she loves it, the whims and demands of the theater and town council. Anne is the problem solver and everyone takes advantage. Ben’s true feelings for Anne after all these years are, of course, mostly hidden. Brava that Anne understands and accepts that Ben is going to be at least a little pissed at her. There are glimpses that allow Anne to daydream that maybe he has forgiven her but their misunderstandings and the little snags that just keep them from clearing things up are handled well.

There is one great scene that does double duty. Everything that can go wrong for Anne does and guess who is there to see it? But it also serves to explain the breakup in a way he never understood before and it hits harder than any lame “We don’t think he’s good enough for you.” But this experience also jump-started Anne’s decision to kick over the traces of family responsibility and lay down some of the burdens she had taken from her mother.

Picking out the equivalents of the original characters or scenes is part of the fun of reading a reimagination of a classic and I think they’re all done well here. When we meet up with them, Anne and Ben have had eight years to mature, eight years to regret what they lost, and eight years to become the people they are now. Would they have made it then? Maybe. Will they make it now? I’m thoroughly convinced.

If you love Jane Austen retellings, you should give this one a try! This contemporary story is set in Niagara-on-the-Lake with quirky characters and romantic angst.

Thanks to Berkeley and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy.

Don't worry if you haven't read Persuasion- this is a delight that echos that classic but as a reimagining, it stands its own. And Austen fans should know that it's respectful and as engaging as the original. This is the original second chance romance updated and moved to the scenic town of Niagara on the Lake with a winery and a theater in the mix. Anne and Ben have a complicated history but this is all about their future. Liked them, liked the atmospherics, liked the townspeople (and the goose). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.