Once Persuaded, Twice Shy

Edwards (Jane & Edward) puts a 21st-century spin on Jane Austen’s Persuasion in this fast-paced second chance romance. At 32, ultra-capable Anne Elliot has been the executive director of the Elysium Theatre Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., for four years, having taken over the role from her late mother. It’s a big responsibility, and adding to Anne’s burdens are her efforts to pay her father’s ever increasing local bar tabs and manage her prima donna sister. When the new-to-town Fairchild family buys Kellynch Winery, once owned by Anne’s family, Anne hopes to convince them to sell some of the land back to the theater company for its expansion. The Fairchilds appoint their nephew, Ben Wentworth, to broker the deal. There’s just one problem: Ben was Anne’s college boyfriend, and she shattered his heart (along with her own) when she ended their relationship eight years ago. As Ben and Anne slowly resolve their past misunderstandings, Anne sees a glimmer of hope that they might be able to rekindle their relationship. Edwards successfully captures some of the essence of Austen’s Anne, a woman who puts others’ needs ahead of her own, often to her detriment. Readers will have no trouble rooting for her to reunite with the one that got away. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong. (Feb.)