3 stars. This was a (mostly) light, easy read. I thought the friendship between the leads was very well-developed, using flashbacks to show the rise and fall of their teenaged friendship turned relationship. The present day parts was where the book lost me a bit. The FMC has an impulsive plan to reconnect with him, but then goes and tries to play it cool, like it was a coincidence they crossed paths again? It didn’t really make sense. TW: Mention of a past, off-page sexual assault.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book! It was both sweet and dark-lots of love and sadness behind it all. I loved the ending. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced read.

Thank you so much to netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. It was so slow! I didn’t like the tropes in here either. The characters were a bit annoying to me as well.

I hope others love this one!

I sought out this title because I love Cinque Terre and couldn't believe there aren't more books set in this beautiful corner of the world so when I caught wind of a RomCom set there, I was quick to request. I am not familiar with Betty on TikTok (I avoid TT because I know I'll get addicted!! Esp. to BookTok) but the premise sounded promising and the trope caught my attention too. Unfortunately, this one didn't met my high expectations. The dual timelines and POV between Emerson and Theo now vs. in high school is a very welcome structure to keep the reader guessing about what happened between them, and is why I read through to the end. The character flaws of self-absorption and miscommunication got a little repetitive. I really wanted to love this one!! Is it a good escapist read? Absolutely, but would have preferred this one to be more polished.

When I learned my daughter was interviewing the author of this book, I quickly moved this up on my TBR. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The story toggles between teenage friends who become more than friends and 10 years later after a long separation. You learn the tale behind their meeting and blooming romance and then why they spend 10 years apart. Emerson is a super model and Theo is a fashion photographer so the opportunity to meet after 10 years happens in scenic Cinque Terre for a photoshoot. There is so much to love about this romance and it is a must have on your spring/summer reading list. I even texted my daughter as I was reading it saying I wished it was warmer and a beach day so I could sit in a beach chair and read the whole thing.

I was so pleasantly suprised by how much I enjoyed this. Miscommunication is my least favorite troupe but this had me reading way past my bedtime. I could not put it down and finished it in 24hours.The ending felt a little too wrapped for me. As much as I enjoyed the resolution, I found myself craving a bit more ambiguity, a touch of realism to balance out the heightened emotions that permeated the story.
Cannot
Wait to read more from this author
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, this book started out slow to me. The first 40% was neither good nor bad, it was just fine. Good enough to continue but I wasn’t desperate to keep reading. But at that 40% mark, when you start to get some deeper memories from Emerson and Theo growing up, it definitely grew on me.

Overall, this book was an easy read, but it did feel like it was missing something. I felt like the main characters were not fully fleshed out, and the story was missing a bit more “oomph”. Emerson and Theo were cute, and I liked the supporting characters a lot. Nothing felt cartoonish or eye-rollingly ridiculous, which I find can really decrease my enjoyment of Adult contemporary romances these days, so I appreciated that. I think this book shows that Betty Cayouette has real potential in the future, as I enjoyed the writing and the premise, but this one fell a bit flat for me.

I also have some thoughts on the main conflict of the story so I’ll hide those under a spoiler warning:
So, I knew the main conflict of the story would revolve around sexual assault, as the author’s note speaks on her own experience. It is obviously a very difficult topic to explore, even in a fictional novel, but especially when the author is pulling from her personal experience. No one can say that that part of the novel was unrealistic, as it very well may be realistic for some people. But I found how it was handled was somewhat strange. When we find out that the FMC was raped, and that’s why she broke up with the MMC and completely cut him out of her life for a decade, I was kind of confused. I understood the “feeling dirty” or “feeling broken” and wanting to run away from everything in her life. I understood not wanting to tell him because she didn’t want him to think any differently of her. I understood breaking up with him because she felt violated and wrong and didn’t want to “make” Theo have to be with her anymore. But I don’t understand moving across the country and not telling your (now ex) boyfriend that you’re doing so. Literally not speaking to the man you love, your best friend in the whole world who has been there for you since the day you met, for a whole decade. Making your mom tell him that you’re gone and that you don’t want to see him ever again. It felt very extreme. I appreciated that its explained that Emerson starts to like the person she becomes, and realizes that there are other people beyond just Theo that think she’s worth something in the world, but I don’t understand cutting him out for good. Wouldn’t you want to include him in the group of people that find value in you, even if you need some time to get to a point where you’re ready to bring him back into your life. I can see her moving across the country and telling Theo that she needs space and finding herself for a few months, or maybe even a few years, reconnecting with THE MAN SHE LOVES AND TRUSTS after she feels like she’s taken enough time for herself. But no, she lets a decade go by and is then like “oh damn we have that marriage pact…and I guess I still love him so I should go get my man now, and if I don’t get him, I’ll be devastated even though I abandoned him a decade ago with no explanation”. It just doesn’t make sense to me (Also, let’s be honest, 28 is VERY YOUNG for a marriage pact). And I’m sure I’m just inserting my own experiences into my feelings about this but I just found it frustrating. I also think that I was very frustrated that the whole situation was just thrown on to us at the very end and only briefly touched on. I’m not saying that a characters trauma, especially a trauma from a decade ago, has to be her every waking thought, but it did feel like a “oh and by the way -insert drama here-“ that popped up just at the end to explain the reason why they haven’t spoken for a decade. The build-up just wasn’t there for the reveal. Once again, I respect that this is a VERY personal and private topic for people and everyone will have a different experience, but it just didn’t impact me the way I would have liked it to, because it is such and important and real thing that happens to people and affects their lives.

A second-chance romance with a dash of Hollywood, a taste of Italy, and a whole lot of love. This was a sweet romance that expertly wove current plot with scenes from the main characters' pasts. 
When high fashion model Emerson's phone goes off with a reminder that a marriage pact she made with her high school best friend has come due, she's inspired to book a trip to the next photoshoot he's working in hopes to rekindle an old friendship and maybe turn it into more.
Theo, a photographer, gets the same alert and is surprised when his former best friend shows up on the site of his shoot. Hurt from her leaving abruptly many years ago, he tries to keep things professional to avoid falling for her again. 

There is a spicy scene to please those looking for it, but this story is great at showing the love in the little moments. Expect moments depicting young love turning to adult love, dealing with the pressures and challenges of life as an adult, and finding ways to remember and honor their past together.
Also featuring a supportive best friend sidekick, a fake celebrity romance, and a meddling agent. This story also touched on some serious topics such as sexual assault, death, and mental health issues related to hoarding. It was done in a sensitive manner. 

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and author Betty Cayouette for this ARC to read and review!!

This is a super sweet, easy to read, feel good romance! I loved Emerson and Theo right from the start and couldn’t help but root for their second chance at love all the way through! I’m also a big fan of multiple pov’s and timeline flashbacks … and I’m glad the author gave us that in this book. I felt those snippets from the past really gave the story more depth and understanding. The swoony Italian setting was dreamy too! Overall, a great debut!

There is a lot to enjoy in One Last Shot. Dual POV, second chance romance, an Italian setting, fashion industry, and more! Told over a dual timeline, Emerson and Theo made a pact in their teenage years to marry each other at 28. Life took them in different directions and Emerson sees a one-last-shot opportunity to meet up with Theo again to give their love another try..in Cinque Terre, Italy of all places. Miscommunications were a bit drawn out but overall I think One Last Shot is a solid 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Betty Cayouette for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

There's a lot to love about Betty Cayouette's debut novel. Theo and Emerson, estranged best friends from high school who have loved each other all along, are perfectly drawn halves of one whole. The mark of an amazing second-chance romance is when it's clear why two characters couldn't make it work the first time around *and* how that time apart made them ready and perfect for each other. A romance about a supermodel and a fashion photographer could have been a luxurious and pulpy read, but One Last Shot has the earnest heart and vulnerability it needs to be grounded, moving, and unforgettable.

As a survivor of sexual violence, I'm also blown away by how well Cayouette writes about Emerson's life ten years after an assault in her teens. Emerson's rape changed her life, and it continues to shape her personality in well-written little details (the way she flinches away from certain touches stood out to me as a relatable, precise example). Cayouette doesn't go into upsetting specifics about the assault or Emerson's rapist, nor does she need to. This is Emerson's story, and Emerson is not defined by her assault. She is a complex, confident, hopeful and hard-working woman. It is a part of her life, but not all of it, not even a majority of it.

I have followed Betty on IG for a while now and enjoy her book reviews. When I found out she wrote a book, it was on my list to read.

Two childhood best friends are faced with a marriage pact reminder from 10 years prior and they find themselves working together on an ad campaign: her the model and him the photographer.

While the book has a beautiful cover, an interesting premise, a stunning location and some cool behind the scenes descriptions of photo shoots written into it - it fell flat for me. It is a second chance romance {that I love} but included the all dreaded miscommunication trope. While one of the characters goes through trauma and needs time to heal, it bummed me out that there was so much unnecessary pining between the two leads and the chemistry was a bit flat for me.

It’s worth a read if miscommunication doesn’t bug you as it is a sweet story.

Thank you to SMP and Netgalley for providing the eARC for my honest review.

This was everything I wanted Love & Other Words to be. Classic “JUST KISS ALREADY” trope, but in two timelines that were equally charming. Emerson and Theo’s chemistry was honestly leaping off the page every time they were together and I was here for it. There was some miscommunication in this book, but I liked the way it was handled and called out. Both Emerson and Theo were written so well and I was rotting for them from the very beginning. Georgia and Harry were also such great friends to them and I loved how much they helped Emerson and Theo professionally and personally. Also, I really loved the author’s note in the beginning about sexual assault. The way it’s handled in the book is with such care and grace. I just enjoyed the heck out of this book. It was sweet, romantic and such a good second chance/friends to lovers story.
CW: mentions of sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

“One Last Shot” by Betty Cayouette
Can Love Survive…
This is a really good story. It caused me to get so tense, stressed, that several times I just had to put the story aside and go for a walk. Yet, I wouldn’t be away for very long before I was right back into the story. I needed to find out what would happen next. Happy Reading ! !
Note: This review expresses my honest opinion.
I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley

Best friends Emerson and Theo were inseparable as teenagers, so much so that they decided if they weren't married by the ripe old age of twenty-eight, they would marry each other. Fast-forward ten years: Emerson is a world-famous supermodel and Theo is a photographer for mid-range brands. When Emerson's marriage-pact reminder goes off, the pair have been estranged for nearly a decade, yet Emerson knows Theo is still her soul mate. She has her agent book her on Theo's next campaign to see if she can't reignite their relationship.

I loved the absolute sweetness of this book. Even when the two protagonists were at odds or experiencing miscommunications, they still treated each other with care. You could really feel the love between them, and I think a lot of that came from the flashbacks to their high school days. Cinque Terre as a setting can't be beat, and the insider look at fashion photo shoots was a fun addition. Fabulous best friend Gloria and romantic foils Harry and Allison rounded out a terrific cast of characters. The chorus of models I found a bit unnecessary, but overall this was a winner from debut author Cayouette.

Many thanks to the publisher for the NetGalley ARC!

3.5 stars for this one! I was excited to read this because I too loved the viral "BettysBookList". "Miscommunication" and "slow burn" romances aren't my favorite tropes, BUT I love a "friends to lovers" story, so I loved that part. She did a great job developing both characters with alternating POVs and the setting was phenomenal. I didn't feel super connected with the careers of the main characters but it was interesting to read about those lifestyles. All in all, entertaining read...just took me a little while to get through!

First of all, what a strong debut!!! As I was reading this, not only did I notice how strongly the characters were developed but there was never a slow moment or time when I didn’t want to put this book down. I honestly found that this was written with as much depth, humor, and romance as Emily Henry. This was so much more than a romance novel to me; it was about 2 worlds colliding and the rejuvenation of a passionate and thoughtful relationship, rediscovering who each other has become after such a long time apart. I loved marriage pact and childhood besties elements to this plot, and the overall supermodel/photographer idea was just beautifully done. As a creative who has been dating another creative since high school, I really saw our relationship play out through Emerson and Theo, which made it even more special to me personally. If you are a fan of friends to lovers and enjoy diving into the depths of characters, you will adore this book hopefully as much as I have!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Griffin for the free arc of this book for an honest review.

This was a story of second chance romance but it included tropes that I absolutely cannot stand: miscommunication & 3rd act break up.

Two childhood friends, Emerson & Theo, created a pact that when they turn 30 and if they are still single, they will get married. That is the basis of this book but could’ve been resolved really quickly if one of them just spoke up about the pact.

Overall, the book fell flat for me.

I am ready for an Italian vacation after reading this second chance romance. Emerson is a famous model and Theo is a photographer who were BFF and each other's first love in high school. They made a pact in high school and Emerson creates an opportunity for them to reconnect for the pact. The story is told with dual POV and timeline. I enjoyed both timeline and how sweet Theo was as a teenager. I appreciate that their friendship took time to develop again. This one was a slow burn and the pay off was so good.

Brittany Pressley and Sean Patrick Hopkins both did a great job with the narration. This was a great debut novel and I look forward to more books from the author.

Thank you @netgalley @smpromance @macmillan.audio for a copy of this book.

One Last Shot

Oh my gosh, the flashbacks, the tension, the longing. Sign me the heck up.

This second chance, friends to lovers set in Italy was so fun. Like seriously, what a perfect setting. The characters were well done and each timeline was as interesting as the last.

The miscommunication is a little over done but over all this was a fantastic debut and easy to binge.

Content: open door