“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

**ARC Review**

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a sweet second-chance romance, and a wonderful debut for Betty Cayouette.

I really loved the brief glimpses of Emerson & Theo’s friendship and romance in flashbacks, and how they coincided with the present-day chapters of Emerson and Theo.

The trauma that is revealed in the last portion of the book did feel a bit sudden, and could have been drawn out throughout the story in my opinion. It felt like it was rushed and very out of left field.

Overall, 4/5⭐️

This book was a 3.75 for me. Over all I loved the characters and the little moments into their friendship. All the stories from their past, not only the flashback chapters but the present moments where memories were recalled were beautiful. The sexual tension was top notch from the beginning of the book. The amount of miscommunication was over the top, for two people who knew each other so well, so many small moments of misunderstanding got to be annoying. The end felt very rushed, but I loooooved the proposal. We also never find out what happens to the awful manager, we need a revenge moment there.

Great debut novel, glad I’m getting the special edition from Afterlight and can’t wait to see this author grow.

One Last Shot
Betty Cayouette
Griffin & Macmillan Audio
Pub : May 7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I’m grateful to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for allowing me access an e arc and an advanced listening copy of One Last Shot! I love when I can use two modes to read❤️

One Last Shot was a fun, sweet, second chance romance. I loved the character’s chemistry and Italy has to be one of the best possible settings for any love story.

10 years ago as high school besties our two main characters made a marriage pact that if they were single at the ripe old age of 28 🤣 they would marry each other. Fast forward 10 years and those reminders are now going off!

This story has:
Friends to lovers
Second chance
The slowest of slow burn
Dual POV
Dual timelines
Celebrity model FMC
Photographer MMC
Workplace romance

I love this couple in both timelines. It was a great read and very much a feel good story. I do appreciate the author’s note that gave content warnings as there is some trauma involved the fmc’s backstory. It was helpful for me to be prepared ahead of time, though nothing is depicted in the page. Overall it’s a story about healing and second chances and going after what you want.


I’ll admit, this one caught my eye because of the cover. I’m so happy the story itself is quite a jewel. It’s also the featured romance in a May romance booksub and I’ll definitely be getting it this month. I’ll leave spoilers in the comments if you don’t know which one and would like to.



#onelastshot #romcombooks #brittanypressley #audiobooks #secondchanceromance

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

This was such a fun beach read! Stakes were low and it was cozy.

Emerson and Theo were best friends in high school and didn’t really get their chance at love due to some unfortunate events. I enjoyed watching Emerson take what she wanted and insert herself back in Theo’s life. The marriage pact was an added cute addition.

Theo was a photographer who was enjoying life. Emerson was his first love and the one that got away. It was cute seeing the flashbacks of how he fell in love with Emerson. He definitely fell first and it was cute watching him try not to fall all over her again.

Overall I enjoyed this read. My only complaint was that Theo deleted the marriage pact reminder and they never discussed this. The third act breakup was more lack of communication and Theo being thrust in her world.

A very good, friends to lovers & 2nd chance romance. I love dual timeline books and I really enjoyed the look inside the supermodel/photography scene. Overall, a solid, 4-star romance that deals with lots of issues. There is one fairly explicit sex scene so beware if that's not your thing. I really enjoyed watching the characters overcome their issues & reconnect as adults.

Second shot at romance, yes! Add in Italy as the backdrop - sign me up!
Betty Cayouette’s debut novel of second chance romance is perfect in every way. We meet Emerson and Theo on his birthday and one week before a pact they made a decade ago (Marry each other at 28 if neither is married) is set to expire. Just a few problems. Emerson is a supermodel and Theo is a photographer and they haven’t spoken in all these years.
What follows is a few chaotic days of Emerson finding a way on to Theo’s shoot in picturesque Italy, and once they’re - rebuilding their friendship if at all possible.

I loved that Betty wrote her main characters with a bit of depth - Emerson has a past which she needed to work through and which she needed to be able to trust Theo with, in order to move forward. I think readers will find One Last Shot to be a quick summer read, and rooting for Theo and Em in the end!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and Betty Cayouette for this ARC - all opinions are my own.

Loved this book!! Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. The character development is perfect. Love Theo and Emerson. The setting is great, the peek into the modeling industry was fun, and the high school flashbacks were well done. And the cover?! Stunning! The pacing felt off at times— lagging in areas and rushed in others. There were some side stories that I felt were left unresolved. Overall, the story was so great! It’s the perfect summer binge read that I would love to see as a movie adaptation. I will be reading everything this author puts out. One Last Shot has earned a loyal reader for life. Can’t wait to see her success and follow her career. Well done!!

Actual Rating: 3.5

One Last Shot follows Emerson and Theo as they reconnect on a photoshoot after 10 years and a brief high school romance.

Things that worked for me:
-Theo. Theo was mostly a sweetheart and I honestly wish him the best! I was rooting for him a lot and wanted to see him doing photography that inspired him!
-the POV switches! I loved being in both Theo and Em’s POVs in the present AND back when they were in high school. These past and present time hops worked well with portraying their complete relationship even though the present was only over the course of a week or so

Things that didn’t work for me:
-Emerson. I did not like Emerson. She was always doing something that just made me super annoyed with her and her choices
-the MISCOMMUNICATION! don’t get me wrong, I can totally be for some miscommunication in a romance, but the amount of miscommunication in this story was completely ridiculous. I can sorta understand the initial miscommunication when they were kids but the constant struggles as adults were too much

I thoroughly enjoyed One Last Shot!! I was a bit hesitant when the flashbacks to high school began. I have read several books that have done the same and it doesn’t always work for me. Fortunately, the flashbacks in this one provided so much rich character development. I loved Emerson and how much we learn about her past and present. Her relationship with Theo was powerful from the start and what tore them apart was painful. It was beautiful to watch them reconnect and talk through their past. The gorgeous setting of the photoshoot and the glitz and glam of Emerson’s life added lots of fun to the story too. I definitely recommend this one!

One Last Shot is out May 7th! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for my e-arc!

I really enjoyed this book! The dual narration was on point and the dual POV for our main characters was so good. A second chance romance based on a marriage pact made in high school. We have amazing locations for photo shoots not to mention Emerson is a model and Theo is a photographer! This book does touch on the tough topic of SA but know that it is not the main focus of the novel nor does it happen on the page. This one does have miscommunication but not a third act breakup exactly. I will say the ending was beautiful and I definitely recommend to anyone looking for a second chance romance between high school sweethearts!

I can’t handle the miscommunication trope. Unfortunately, that took me out of this story. I think others will enjoy this story. The cover is also beautifully unique!

I CONSUMED this book in a day. It definitely didn't feel like a debut, and this story brought unique characteristics to the childhood-friends-to-lovers-to-strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, marriage pact, second-chance romance plot, but there was also so much more to this story than that.

This book is perfect if you love:
- Alternating timelines/flashbacks
- Dual POV (in both chapters and narration)
- Celebrity storylines (she's a super famous model, he's a photographer)
- Heavier topics
- Target-esque photoshoots
- Donuts
- Former best friends turned awkward coworkers
- Marriage pacts
- Daily questions to get to know each other again
- Men who aren't afraid to own their emotions (men crying in books is a weakness of mine)

Content warnings: Death of a parent, absence of a parent, hoarding, sexual assault, misogyny

This story was refreshing and easy to get lost in. I adored the main characters, Emerson and Theo, and getting to know them between present day and flashbacks. Their high school selves were so tender and sweet. They both cared so deeply for one another from the very moment. Theo had everything going on for him and an amazing family to boot, while Emerson was alone on an island until she found Theo. He was SO SWEET to her.

In the present, we see Theo in just a tender of a place when it comes to Em as he was when they were teenagers. Where Em has just realized it's time for their marriage pact because she moved on with her life, Theo hasn't. He's tried. And he wears that heartbreak like a second skin.

When Em's agent meddles and manipulates the situation, these two don't have the reunion Em was hoping for. In fact, she meets a very reserved and standoffish Theo in the present, leaving her more confused and hopeless. Neither wanting heartbreak at the end, the story is slow to build from the strangers they are to friends, and then finally (FINALLY!) to lovers, only for the trauma of their past to come back and threaten their future.

As for the writing of this book, it's hard to believe this is a debut novel! Betty balances heavy topics with realistic feelings and challenges. I enjoyed this immensely.

The audiobook was SUPER easy to listen to. Both narrators did a great job, helping me to connect with the main characters and feel their emotions throughout the story!

4.5stars rounded up here to 5 stars!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the ALC/ARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed the setting of this novel and found the fashion world side of the story really interesting. I did however have a hard time with the flashbacks, while they were organized in a way that made sense it was clear to me from the first moment why these two hadn’t talked in years and I wish it was a little less insta love in the dialogue when they got back together. Overall the specifics of the stetting and plot were strong enough that I was willing to overlook the predictable dialogue and enjoy it!