An elegant little cheat is just fine, in my humble opinion. What you want to do is LISTEN to your transition, and see if it sounds nice and smooth - even as you are strategizing to get to the next chord within the parameters of the rhythm pattern.

We guitarists do it all the time - it's a matter of honing your technique so that, to the listener, the transition is perceived as smooth, clear, and seamless.

Hope this helps! - Lisa