Once Persuaded, Twice Shy

A Modern Reimagining of Persuasion

By: Melodie Edwards

Narrated by: Rachel Perry

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

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 career: 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.

©2024 Melodie Edwards (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Jane Austen's Persuasion is beloved for its capable, introspective heroine and the quiet romantic who's been carrying a torch for her all these years . . . and Melodie Edwards delivers the same in her pitch-perfect modern retelling. Once Persuaded, Twice Shy will have you rooting for Anne to learn to live her own life, reading everything into the tiniest interaction with the one-who-got-away Ben Wentworth, and cackling at the antics of a certain theater-loving goose. I loved it!"—Alicia Thompson, bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers

“Smart, swoony and hilarious, Once Persuaded, Twice Shy was the Persuasion retelling I didn’t know I needed. I fell in love with the brilliant Anne on page one and never looked back. Utterly charming!”—Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Wager

"Reading Melodie Edwards is the closest you can come to reading a modern-day Jane Austen. Fans of Austen will find Once Persuaded, Twice Shy a gorgeously romantic homage to one of history’s best second-chance romances and most relatable protagonists. Edwards’ narrative voice is exquisite, her Anne Elliot(t) perfectly rendered, her Wentworth swoonworthy, and her small-town setting (Kellynch Hall exchanged for Kellynch Winery) a place you’ll ache to visit. This gem of a story is the Persuasion update we deserve."—Ashley Winstead, author of The Boyfriend Candidate

The narration was okay but a bit distracting

Read if you like: women’s fiction, Jane Austen retellings, second chance, small town romance, Taylor Swift references, closed door

When town councilor and local theatre director Anne Elliot comes face to face with her long lost ex-love Ben Wentworth, her world is thrown on its axis. As the two begin work on a number of joint projects for the town, they are forced to confront their painful history.

Melodie Edwards is two for two in her Jane Austen retellings. After a phenomenal debut, I was excited to see if her sophomore novel would shine just as bright. Turns out, she is no one-hit-wonder. While I have not (yet) read Austen’s Persuasion, I imagine I will love it if it is anything close to the world Edwards creates in Once Persuaded, Twice Shy.

If you love small town settings with quirky little communities, if you love the angst of a second chance romance, or if you are someone who loves the complexities of emotion that women’s fiction books often brings, this book is for you. I cannot wait to see what Edwards has up her sleeve next.

🎧 I went back and forth between reading with my eyes and reading with my ears (via the audiobook) and although I don’t think the narrator did a horrible job, I did find myself distracted by her narration at numerous times. The shifts in volume and tone combined with moments that seemed overly emotional in pitch, broke my concentration more often than not.

As an audiobook lover and a PRH audio fan, it pains me to say - I’d say go with the physical or ebook over the audio.

Charming light romance

This is more of a cozy romance but I liked the plot, which moved along interestingly enough to keep me listening. I was in the mood for something light, funny and relatable and the is hit the mark.

And interesting version of Jane Austen’s persuasion.

The main characters of Anne Elliot and Ben Winthrop our now set in modern times. This time around the female character is nowhere near its true original version. She is strong, intelligent, and fierce.Ben been is still intro. Character too. It’s me version. In the end they come together like an original version. Not what I expected in this modern version.