Thank you to @bettysbooklist and @stmartinspress for the #gifted e-book.

I’ve had this book on my backlist for what feels like forever, and I finally decided to dive in, and I was captivated.

Emerson and Theo’s love story had me hooked from the start. They fell in love as teenagers, only to be torn apart by circumstances beyond their control. Fast forward ten years, and a calendar reminder of their marriage pact brings Emerson, now a glamorous supermodel, back into the orbit of Theo, a talented photographer. As they collaborate, they rediscover a profound connection that never truly faded.

Their decade apart didn’t erase the memories they held of each other. The setting in Italy added to the romance, making this a stunning second-chance narrative. The story unfolds through a dual timeline, giving us glimpses into their high school days while simultaneously exploring their reunion. We also learn about the past trauma that Emerson has kept hidden from Theo, adding depth to their journey back to each other.

Both characters are beautifully flawed, and that’s what makes them so relatable. Their growth throughout the story is inspiring. Although miscommunication often complicates their relationship, I found myself deeply invested in their quest for a happy ending.

This second-chance romance left me delighted, and I couldn’t help but smile at the outcome. It’s a story that resonates long after you've turned the last page! This book is available now.

I am all in on books right now that take me away to another place and One Last Shot had me at “Cinque Terre.”

Emerson, a supermodel, and Theo, a photographer, haven’t spoken in ten years when they were inseparable as teenagers, first as friends, then as more, before their relationship crashed and burned. After a decade of dating disasters, Emerson is reminded of a marriage pact they once made and wondering if Theo was her one shot at happiness. She gets herself booked on a campaign that he’s shooting but a decade of misunderstandings mean that he may feel different then she does. They slowly rekindle their relationships but are plagued by misunderstandings and issues leading her to wonder if they can ever actually be together.

The cover makes you grab the book and then you get sucked in just from the scenery alone — it reads like a movie and I want to book a ticket to Italy, eat all the pasta and gelato, and hope for an Emerson and Theo sighting.

Fantastic second chance romance! I enjoyed the storyline of them coming back together.

Both Emerson and Theo are successfully at their careers— then have this one last shot. A swoony book. A little bit much of miscommunication, but still a great read!

the cover was beautiful and really sold me on this book however i just don’t connect with celeb romances and i really wanted to like it solely based on the cover. overall it felt like it dragged and just didn’t keep me engaged

This was such a cute read!

I'm such a sucker for a high school marriage pact.

I loved Theo and Emerson together. There was angst and longing all throughout the book; You could feel their connection as they reconnect and navigate their time in Cinque Terre,

This story was pretty predictable, but still enjoyable--and honestly, isn't that what it's all about?

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @stmartinspress for an early copy of One Last Shot by Betty Cayoutte. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: May 7th, 2024

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

One Last Shot is a childhood friends-to-lovers, second chance romance that was emotional and heartfelt. It tells the story of childhood best friends Emerson and Theo who suddenly grew apart and is brought together again by the marriage pact they made years ago. Set in Italy, Emerson, now a very sought after model, tries to reconnect with Theo, now a photographer. While I wasn’t a fan of how slow-burn their romance is, nor how badly they communicate, I enjoyed the dual timelines as the story showed both their past moments. It made me fully immersed into their story, especially with having both their POVs as well.

One Last Shot is a promising debut. It highlights pain, growth and rediscovered love. If you enjoy slow-burn childhood friends-to-lovers, second-chance celebrity romances, you’ll enjoy this one too.

I was immediately sold on this book considering that it is a second chance, friends-to-lovers, dual POV romance. In addition, I really enjoyed Betty Cayouette's second novel, Tell Me How You Really Feel, so I was excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, it ended up being average for me. There were a few parts at the beginning where I actually considered DNFing, but I stuck with it because I kept getting pulled back in by the dual timeline and wanting to know what happened to them in the past. However, I was really annoyed by the miscommunications that kept occurring. I can overlook miscommunications to some degree, because they can actually be pretty realistic, but for two people who are supposed to be meant to be, I was so frustrated that they didn't just talk to each other more and say what they were honestly feeling. While I enjoyed the set-up and also the summery Italian setting, I feel like this could have been edited to have more complex conflict introduction and resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I really loved the cover of this and the synopsis sounded I triguing as well. It took me awhile to get into this one, but once I did, i thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Thank you for approving me for this title. After some thought, I’ve realized it’s not quite the right fit for me personally, so I won’t be able to provide a full review. I appreciate the opportunity to access it and wish the book great success.

This was a fun romance book with an a Italian backdrop. This would be a great book to read in the summer. The relationship was messy and was written in an a fun way. I would recommend and look forward to other books from this author as this was her debut.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I loved the description and cover of this book and found it to be a good read. Didn't love the characters but all in all a good book.

There are so many romance books out there, so many romance books that talk about love and loss. This book is very different from any romance book I have ever read. I absolutely loved this book. Right person, wrong time, wrong circumstances, but a perfect ending. Betty does an amazing job of bringing up the subject of not treating a partner respectfully. There is a note before the book starts and its highly recommended to read if the subject bothers you.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy.

This was such a fun book! I love an Italian romance and this setting and second chance trope was perfect!

One Last Shot is a second chance, friends-to-lovers romance set it Italy. While the premise and setting are quite whimsical and summer-y, I never really fell in love with the story. I believe that this is the author's debut novel, so I'm sure she'll come into her own in the future, but as for this book, I just didn't love the writing style. Sometimes I felt myself losing interest in the story and had to force myself to pick it back up. So while there are some really strong elements to this book, they weren't quite enough for me.

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

Oh, how I love this book! It’s not getting a lot of attention in the book world, yet it has stuck with me and I’ve thought about it a lot over the last year since I read it. I love Italy and I love friends to lovers. A marriage pact trope pushed it right over the top for me, and I enjoyed it so much. I’m a very character-driven reader. I have to connect with the main characters in order to love a story, so I will admit that the idea of having a famous, successful supermodel and an up-and-coming photographer as the main characters had me a little worried. They both ended up being so sweet and down-to-earth. Nothing like the models we meet in The Devil Wears Prada. lol. Emerson’s and Theo’s rekindling was so heartwarming and special, all set against the stunning backdrop of Cinque Terre. I felt like I was right there with them, enjoying the sun and the beautiful scenery.

Emerson and Theo were joined at the hip as teenagers, spending their childhoods swimming and eating lots of donuts together. They get torn apart, as is always the case, and spend years dealing with the fallout of some major miscommunication (I hate the miscommunication trope, but it worked for me here). They lived their lives separately, her as a supermodel and him as a photographer. When Emerson’s calendar notification goes off, reminding her of her marriage pact with Theo, she realizes how unhappy in love she’s been. So she strong-arms her agent into booking her a modeling job where Theo is working. Their reunion is icy cold at best, and then they start to warm up and fall into their old friendship. The feelings they had for each other all those years ago are still alive and kicking, and I loved watching them figure out how to be around each other as adults.

Theo made this book for me. He is everything. As soon as his calendar notification goes off, he is flooded with feelings of his time with Emerson and it made me so sad for him. He’s so sweet and caring and understanding and has carried his love for her for ten years. And he’s also so insecure and self-conscious, which made me want to hung him very tightly. He would do anything for Emerson. I kind of hated Emerson in the beginning because how could she just leave a guy like Theo without a second glance? I know as teens we’re at the mercy of life and are not always in control of where we go, but she didn’t even say goodbye to him. But I grew to really love her, just as Theo grew to be able to trust her again. There’s so much angst and mutual pining and the burn is soooooo slooooow, which was surprising considering their history. But I gobbled it up. I loved the push and pull, will they or won’t they, WHEN WILL THEY. I couldn’t stop reading. Their romance is so swoony and perfect, even though the road is bumpy and winding sometimes. This is a true movie romance. Oh my gosh, someone needs to make. movie out of this. It would be amazing, especially in Italy!

Audio notes: Loved it. I’ve struggled with Brittany Presley in the past, but she did a great job with this one. This was my first time listening to Sean Patrick Hopkins, and his voice was perfect for Theo. Both narrators read with emotion, which made me feel for the characters so much more deeply than if I had read it on my own.

All in all, you need to read this. It’s a tender, sweet, beautiful romance set in my favorite country in the entire world. I can’t wait to see what Betty Cayouette writes next!

The Second Chance trope is really hit and miss for me. I went into this book with relatively low expectations. It sounded cute, but I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. And I truly did. I absolutely ADORED this book. It was the perfect storm of emotions, and I loved every single second of it. Told in dual timelines, this book is bound to capture the hearts of romance readers.

Emerson and Theo teenage lives revolved around each other. Theo, with a talent for photography, helps Emerson jump start her modeling career that eventually launches her to international stardom. A combination of events leads to a divide between them, but the heart never forgets. Having made a pact when they were teens, Emerson decides to try one last shot (see what the author did there) of reconnecting with Theo and repairing their relationship. Can time heal old wounds?

Emerson and Theo both had depth and were so easy to connect with and want to root for. Add in a romantic Italian setting and years of longing, and you have the recipe for the perfect swoon-worthy romance.

It's a travesty this book isn't rated higher. But I'll just love it enough for everyone. LOL. I am seriously looking forward to Cayouette's next book, Tell Me How You Really Feel.

The lost in translation trope isn’t my favorite idea, so I was left a bit frustrated at times. I had a hard time getting into this book, but loved the setting.

Just can't get into this one right now unfortunately. I may try again at a later time.

Book received for review.

Thank you for letting me read this! I loved the ideas that made up the plot of this story, but overall I feel that it was missing an important part of the book. There was so much that I was still wanting from this book that I didn't get.

4.5 stars

I read this last year, and even though some of the details have faded, I still remember how much I loved it. I’m always a sucker for a good second chance romance, and this one delivered in all the best ways.

First of all, the settings in this book? Stunning. Betty Cayouette transported me to the most beautiful places, and I loved how the different locations reflected the emotional journey of the characters. There was something so cinematic about it, like I was right there with them, feeling every bittersweet moment.

Even though I don’t remember every little detail, what does stick with me is how this book made me feel. The longing, the heartache, the push and pull of two people finding their way back to each other—it all hit so perfectly. If you love second chance romances with gorgeous backdrops and all the emotional depth that comes with rediscovering lost love, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.