In the same Hornblower story that inspired this question, Hornblower tricks the French captain by acting as if to tack, but stopping and swinging back. When the French try to do the same they are unable to do so.
'He's coming about, sir!' reported Prowse. 'He's casting off the braces!'
He must make quite sure.
'Mainsail haul!'
This was the danger point.
'He's past the wind's eye, sir. His foretops'ls coming round.'
'Ava-a-ast!'
...
'She's in irons, sir. She's all a-back.'
That was the very thing Hornblower had hoped for. He had believed it likely that he would be able to effect his escape to leeward, perhaps after an exchange of broadsides; this present situation had appeared possible but too good to materialise. The Loire was hanging helpless in the wind. Her captain had noted Hotspur's manoeuvre just too late. Instead of going round on the other tack, getting his ship under command, and then tacking once more in pursuit, he had tried to follow Hotspur's example and revert to his previous course. But with an unskilled crew and without a carefully prepared plan the improvisation had failed disastrously. While Hornblower watched he saw Loire yaw off the wind and then swing back again, refusing obstinately, like a frightened horse, to do the sensible thing.
Source Emphasis mine.
This brings up my question, is there a point when tacking after which you can't turn change back right away to your original course but need to fully swing onto the new tack for a while before tacking back?