Anne grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a quaint town in Ontario, Canada located across the river from New York. Although an idyllic tourist destination, Anne really never expected to return post college. But after Anne’s mother unexpectedly passes away she is offered to take over her mother’s responsibilities as executive director of the local theater company. Super organized and intelligent, Anne is also on the town council and basically finds a diplomatic solution to all their local issues, eccentric or otherwise. Her indolent father and spoiled beautiful sister continue to take advantage of her generosity and let Anne care for the entire family as her mother once had. In college Anne dated Ben Wentworth. Handsome, kind and happy go lucky type of guy, he was her first true love. When she broke up with him for his lack of ambition, she never dreamed their paths would cross again. Still single, albeit much older and wiser Anne’s world is turned upside down when Ben reappears in her life. Now a successful businessman, the long haired, free spirit she once knew is long gone. Her heart can barely contain itself after being greeted by the handsome man in her midst. As he manages his Aunt and Uncle’s new winery business, this new Ben can barely make eye contact. Anne is haunted by her their past decisions and must learn to take bold steps if she is to create a future that would have made her mother proud. Always a fan of second chances, this charming and romantic classic retelling of the beloved Persuasion, Jane Austen’s last novel is an absolute delight.

Wowwwww was this good. I do love a Jane Austen retelling and Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards is among the best I've read.

✔️ Retelling
✔️ Second Chance
✔️ Small Town
✔️ Forced Proximity

You can't help but root for the put-upon Jane from the start of the book. I'm a Capricorn so of course I love a woman with a routine, with a plan, and of course I know exactly that feeling when you realize that being capable isn't the same as being happy - punch in the gut when Jane has this epiphany.

I love the angst in a second chance read but a pet peeve is usually when one character has moved on (especially with romantic partners) will the other one is in stasis. Here, it was clear that both Jane and Ben hadn't fully recovered from
their long-ago breakup. It kind of tripled the angst and gave me an emotional stomachache - which happens every time I read an amazing romance. Hitting that low point made the soar of the swoon that much stronger and sweeter.

Talk about an earned HEA! I read and reread the last 10% of the book maybe 10 times, it was so lovely.

5⭐️. It's closed door but the physical chemistry between the characters was excellent and I didn't mind the lack of spice here.

Steam 🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

This is a modern reimagining of "Persuasion" and is set in a small town in Canada near Niagara Falls. It's been eight years since Anne's mother persuaded her to break up with Ben.

She's 32 but acts like she's 55+ and tries to be perfectly efficient, dependable, unflappable, and compassionate ALL the time. But what does she really want to be?

A very sweet and lovely story about expectations, discovering what makes you truly happy, and being open and able to changing your mind.

And the scene-stealer was definitely Double-Oh-Goose!

What an absolute delight. This book felt like a warm hug and I savored every page. The chemistry! The setting! All of the side characters! A perfect first book of the year.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an enjoyable adaptation. The modern versions of Anne and Wentworth were good parallels to the original characters. The setting and small town was charming. The side characters were colorful and there was humor throughout. It was fun to see how the author would sprinkle in the source material as the plot went along. Jane Austen lovers and romance lovers in general should enjoy this book.

I love a Jane Austen retelling and Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is a perfect homage to Austen's ability to generate a sense of yearning (yearning for another person, yearning for something more/new/different from life...). Melodia Edwards takes Persuasion and updates it with modern day small town romance themes and weaves in second chance romance nicely. As a fan of second chance romance this really worked for me! What also works here is the setting/context, for me Austen always uses settings effectively and in memorable ways (Pemberley for example) and Edwards understood how to make use of setting, and relationships/characters, to help tell and drive the story.

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Now, as a big Jane Austen fan, I knew I had to get my hands on this story.

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy follows the story of Anne and Ben. Anne broke up with Ben eight years ago but now finds herself second-guessing her decision. And when Ben's family buys a nearby winery, Anne's entire world is turned upside down. Anne quickly discovers that Ben hasn't forgiven her for breaking his heart. And when fate throws these former lovers together, they're forced to confront their past.

Overall, I thought this book was an enjoyable read. I'm a sucker for second-chance, forced proximity romances. I loved the tension between Anne and Ben and couldn't wait to see how their story would play out.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc!! I’m so happy to have won this in a giveaway 💗 I am a notoriously slow reader, but I flew threw this one! I am a sucker for Jane Austen and “Persuasion,” mainly because of the LONGING. “Once Persuaded, Twice Shy” definitely delivered on this front. Anne and Ben’s scenes are fraught with such tension and unspoken words. The small town setting and side characters were charming, and the humor sprinkled throughout had me laughing out loud, which is rare for me while reading. If you want a cute, small town, second chance romance I would definitely recommend picking this up!

I am a SUCKER for a retelling, and Persuasian is my favorite Austen, so I loved this. I enjoyed the Canadian tourist town setting, and the way Anne's mother played a key role (in the past) in this book; unlike in the Austen version. And the funny small characters at the Shakespearean theater that Anne manages were great. 4.5 overall, but rounding up bc of my Austen love!

Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is like Jane Austen joined in a meeting with The Gilmore Girls writers and they created this sweet and cozy romcom!
Not going to lie, Persuasion and Mansfield Park may be tied for my least favorite of Jane Austen's works, but gosh, Melanie Edwards made the all of the miscommunication, the pining(...oh the pining!), second-chance romance so enjoyable! The town itself, and a persnickity and hilarious goose named Double-Oh-Goose, was a beloved character. They supporting cast was more endearing than the menagerie of Stars Hollow. I truly enjoyed the modernization of Anne and Ben Wentworth's love. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of retellings or someone looking for a romcom with a lot of heart!

Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel... I guess it's no surprise that I had to read this modernization given the chance. Honestly, I read a lot of Austen modernizations, and not all are great. This one, however, was worth the read. I love how Melodie Edwards envisioned Anne for the modern world - strong, sucessful, take charge, and appreciated by everyone for those skills (except of course by her vain sister and self-centered father). To all my Austenphile friends - this is a book you'll want to read.

What to expect in this adaptation: well an epic 2nd chance romance (of course), hiking, theater, a "post-breakup" haircut, actual dating of other people (because they no longer follow regency area rules), and the required pining and soulful glances. Also, Anne has an awesome costume designer friend and a kick-ass and overzealous assistant. <spoiler> Wentworth did NOT join the military! And doesn't know how to sail a boat. </spoiler>

My only qualm with the book: Edwards changed Fredrick Wentworth's name to Benjamin Wentworth and while I agree that an author can name their characters whatever they want I wish she hadn't chosen a name so similar to the prominent side character of Captain Benwick in the original. It threw me for a loop every time he's mentioned as Benjamin or Ben.

Stars: 4.5/5 (Rounded to 5/5)
Spice: 1/5

I absolutely adored the Parks and Rec/Gilmore Girls vibes. There’s a rogue goose, wayward assistants and lots of small town antics.

Plus it’s perfect for autumn - there’s even a pumpkin festival!!

This is definitely an Angsty Romance™️ which isn’t my favorite dynamic BUT I loved what the author did with the Persuasion retelling, making it wholly her own.

I hope there’s more retellings to come!!

I really enjoyed this Persuasion retelling. A well-done modern take on a classic story with a lovely setting (Niagara-on-the-Lake), great side characters, and a satisfying second chance romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Randomhouse Publishing for this digital ARC. This story is wrapped around Ann & Ben and to be a modernized reimagining of Persuasion. This story involves: second chance romance trope, closed-door romance, slow burn, and forced proximity. I never read/watched the story Persuasion, so I was taking it in completely blind. I really enjoyed Ann being in a powerful position in her career and was the head of her community. I really did like the concept, but some things didn’t do it for me. I was hoping for more to happen, but felt like nothing really did happen until roughly 75% in. I was hoping maybe for a little more drama or romantic tension, but maybe this story was really aligned to Persuasion and I just haven’t looked into the older / original version.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
I want to preface: I LOVE Persuasion. I also LOVE retellings of favorite books, specifically Jane Austen. So this was a win for me before I even opened it.
I thought this was so well done. I loved Niagara on the Lake as a setting, the town really became a focal point (almost as a character onto itself). I loved Anne's career and her interactions with Emmie and the festival. I thought all of the B storylines were built really well.
I also thought the tension between Ben and Anne was played up rather beautifully: mostly in looks and interiority and gestures, far less in words until the very end. That was a really nice balance. I didn't really want to hear them hash it out...I wanted to see it all from their perspectives.
All in all, a really nice modern retelling

Jane and Edward was such a strong debut from Melodie Edwards but this one did not hit the mark for me in the same way. I think it has more to do with the source material than Edwards' writing. I have never read Persuasion but from what I've gathered from this book I probably wouldn't enjoy it much. I would love to see Edwards write an original romance one day because I have a feeling it would be great!

As a fan of Jane Austen, I was interested in reading this and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was intrigued by its setting at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada (a place I visited and love) and found it the perfect place to locate the story.

I think Edwards’ writing style doesn’t grip me personally. It feels similar to her first book, so fans should be pleased and will likely rate it similarly. I stopped after chapter 1 (5%).

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this book was literal perfection. The worst part about it was the fact that now it’s over. I used to be such a classics snob and Edwards feeding me modern retellings of my favorite books just speaks to my soul.

I had the pleasure of stumbling across Jane & Edward earlier this year when looking for something available now on Libby and didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I finished it in one sitting, immediately bought the book and highlighted all my favorite passages (there’s A LOT), and listened to the audio a couple months later. Once Persuaded, Twice Shy is just as masterful of a modern retelling for Austen’s Persuasion as that one was for Brönte’s Jane Eyre. I can’t even pick a favorite because they’re both just that good.

While I love classics, that is not required to enjoy this contemporary story. If you enjoy idyllic small town settings, a cast of hilarious side characters, strong and independent heroines, second chance romance, lots of pining and romantic tension, and perfect HEAs then add this book to your TBR immediately.

Thank you Melodie Edwards for writing two of my favorite books this year and to Berkley for giving me early access in exchange for an honest opinion.

As a Jane Austen fan, I have read many books that use her characters or plots. Once Persuaded, Twice Shy nails the homage on the head! The characters have just enough in common with Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth to resonate and make you root for them. Edwards has successfully found the key points Austen was making in her novel, and then brought them into the present. She also filled the book with the humorous characters, the supportive ones, and the nefarious plotters. The book is a romance — just as Austen’s Persuasion is — but does not throw in gratuitous sex that would spoil the retelling. This book will be an easy “sell” in any library.