I was excited when I was chosen for an ARC but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. I'm normally a fan of MCs being obsessed with each other but it wasn't really executed well in this book. It was a little too much, I think, and the miscommunication became a bit too unbelievable how it went on and on for a while. I also find the writing a bit lacking. It didn't flow smoothly for me so instead of rating it my usual 3 stars for books that are "okay but not memorable", I have to give this 2 stars instead.

A captivating tale of second chance romance set against the backdrop of Cinque Terre, Italy. I loved the chemistry between Theo and Emerson and the flashbacks to their past. The writing is atmospheric and created a powerful debut.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette was just ok for me. This was not my favorite book but I did push myself to finish. I did enjoy the friends to lovers trope and the small amount of spice. I felt the book started out on a high and then fell a little flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

I actually was not aware of this author’s presence on BookTok until the acknowledgments at the end but after reading the book I can certainly understand why. Listen, setting a romance in Italy is already a step in the right direction, but throw in a friends to lovers trope? I’m here for it. I have said this before and I’ll continue to say it, I think a friends to lovers trope is one of my favorite in the romance category because it makes it far more realistic than the ones where they are already in love after a week (not that I haven’t read and enjoyed those books too).

I’m sure I’ve also said something similar in previous reviews I’ve written but Theo is the type of male lead that makes me want to fall in love. I love how chivalrous, respectful and supportive he is and that he’s not afraid to be emotional. I also loved how vulnerable the author was at the start by sharing her difficult past and how she mirrored some of that in Emerson.

There were just two things I found myself bothered by. I find the more I read a miscommunication trope, the more I’m annoyed by it as a way to create friction or move the plot forward. Not to mention, one thing is never resolved for me and that is Emerson never asking Theo to explain why he removed his second phone notification. When Emerson finally makes a comment about how they need to avoid miscommunications and just talk to one another I was cheering in my head…even though I’ll never know why she didn’t use this moment to ask him about the notification. The other thing is the title of the book. I understand One Last Shot is s play on a photo shoot but it seems misleading that this would be either one of their last shot to be together when they’re only 28 years old.

Overall a lovely debut novel and I would certainly read more from this author again!

Emerson and Theo met in high school and were best friends who both wanted more but were afraid to ruin their friendship. They made a pact to marry at 28 if neither of them were married. Now they haven't spoken in many years when both of them get alerts on their phones reminding them of the pact. Emerson, a famous model, finds out where Theo, a photographer, is doing a shoot and makes arrangements to be on the shoot and wants a chance of reconnect with Theo. Told in the present and also through flashbacks from when they met until the event that caused them to part.

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶

What I loved:
📷 Italy. I loved the setting and the descriptions were impeccable. I felt like I was there.
📷 The heavier topics. I love romances that have substance and this one dealt with a few heavy topics and they all felt real and authentic.
📷 Theo. He was such a great character and so sweet. He has my whole heart and deserves everything.

I was apprehensive about reading this because the main trope is miscommunication, which is my most hated trope. I found it wasn't that bad. While miscommunication between the characters led to the 10 year gap in their relationship, it wasn't a really a focus. Instead, the focus was on the characters mending their relationship and rekindling their feelings. I thoroughly enjoyed Theo and Emerson getting to know their adult selves, and truly appreciated the flashbacks to their high school days.

The pace was perfect and the story flowed so well. I forgot I was reading quite often as I was captivated by Theo and Emersons' story.

And the very end? The grand gesture in the airport? Why did it have me in tears? It was so perfect and beautiful and might be my favorite resolution moment ever. It was spectacular and it fit the book and characters magnificently.

I also enjoyed the build-up for the ending. Throughout the book the reader is given hints something happened that caused Emerson to abandon her friendship with Theo. When the reason is finally revealed it's so much more meaningful because of the build-up. The scene was also written so beautifully and with so much care. It hit home for me. I also loved Theo's brother walking Theo through his emotions and how his brother had a role that fateful day. Plus, the talk they had while baking cookies at the end, about relationships and figuring out how to communicate with your partner was so heartfelt. All these scenes were so beautifully constructed and felt so genuine. I loved the inclusion of real relationship issues. I feel many romances end with the characters figuring out their current issues and then they move on to happily ever after. There's rarely focus on how the characters will face adversity in the future. So I really appreciacted the inclusion of these moments.

Though, overall, I liked the resolution, there were moments leading into it that bothered me. There was some miscommunication at the end that irked. Theo left a party without talking to Emerson and she was mad he didn't communicate his departure with her. I smacked my head thinking, "pot, meet kettle." More miscommunication happened after that, because, of course. But I'd say it was only a slight annoyance and didn't hinder me from enjoying the book.

I also found many moments extremely vain, especially when Emerson returns to LA. I'm not familiar with the industry, so I have no experience, but Emerson being so obsessed with her image was cringey. I understood the explanations, but it still bugged.

Overall, I adored this book. The characters were fun and well rounded. I was pleased by how the author approached the heavy topics and wrote the scenes discussing them. This book was well balanced with fun, light romance, and characters with trauma to deal with. I fell into this story and couldn't put it down. And can I say one more time how much I loved that airport scene? I know I won't be forgetting this book anytime soon and will definitely be rereading it. This book was lovely. Beautifully written and a sheer pleasure to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press fir the eARC

3.5 ⭐️ As much as I wanted to love this book, it fell a little flat for me! It was a super cute story, dual POV, and dual timeline, but unfortunately didn’t give me the butterflies I’m craving when I read a romance. One of the tropes in this book is miscommunication which is my least favorite trope to read so it could definitely be a me thing. I loved the setting of this book being in Italy as it added a fun flare! This book also gave a lot of detail into the modeling world which was a fun perspective I haven’t found in any other romance I’ve read. Overall it was a fun, easy read and I think a lot of people will love it!

This was an advanced read copy I received through Netgalley so it’s not going to be officially published until May 7, 2024! But this is my honest review!

One Last Shot by Betty Catouette
4/5 🌟

I really loved this cute romance, a bit of spice, a friends to lovers theme, and the deeply thoughtful characters.

Emerson and Theo met in high school had an instant connection flirted a bit made core memories and stayed close until Emerson modeling career made her a household name and her love life was in the public. Theo is a photographer and a good one but not as celebrity status with his shoots. As Emerson nears her birthday She makes arrangements to be on Theos shoot for the occasion.

Their instant chemistry is obvious but both are too shy to admit it. We get the back and forth of their internal dialogue which adds to the tension. There is some build up but we know it’s coming. I liked the depth of each characters backstory but I think more present day would have been just fine too.

These characters are impossible to not love. Happy summer romance pick!

In this debut romance, supermodel Emerson and photographer Theo are high school sweethearts reunited a decade later. They were in love at eighteen, so much so that they made a marriage pact: if they both weren’t married by 28, they would marry each other. Then Emerson left without explanation. After ten years without any contact, the marriage pact reminder goes off, and Emerson knows this is her chance to see if she can rekindle her romance with the love of her life.

This was a really sweet book. We got flashbacks to the main characters falling in love in high school, which was adorable - especially when they relived some of their core memories as adults. I also love the tropes in this book - second chance romance, childhood friends to lovers, and slow burn.

This book is based around a lot of miscommunication - both in the past and future. I don’t hate miscommunication as a trope, but it was definitely stretched out here, including in a third-act breakup/conflict.

The author’s note was a great personal touch and did a great job of explaining why she wrote this story and how meaningful it was to her.

I gave this book 3/5 stars. I was really surprised by that rating since the book started off great and I like all of the romance tropes it was going for. What really lot stars for me here was the giant amounts of miscommunication!! It was very frustrating and any point of tension that you could have felt was lost by that frustration.

The relationship was cute but felt a little surface level. I would've hands down read a YA version of this from when they were teens (the pining is 10/10)!! It definitely felt like I needed a bigger villain or struggle for the plot to move along faster and to feel that aforementioned tension above. I feel like this book didn't dive deep enough into each characters' individual jobs and lives after high school. Emery's modeling career sky rocketed but I want to know more about the in between (same for Theo's photography career).

I think this book also needs a trigger warning for sexual assault. Even though it isn't mentioned in detail, I was still very caught off guard by that moment in the book and I don't like to read books with that in them.

Overall, it was a decent book but one that I would probably pick up from the library and not buy it myself.

Emerson and Theo were best friends turned an item for one night in high school. Emerson is now a supermodel and Theo a lesser known photographer. To rekindle based off a cell phone reminder, Emerson books herself on one of his shoots. Overall, a cute beachy summer read and made me want to go to Cinque Terra more than I already did. It was quick and predictable, but cute. The reason Emerson left when they were younger was a more serious topic that I think helps shed light (versus being totally fluffy).

One Last Shot was wistfully romantic and had me wanting to jump on a plane for Italy! A reminder for a marriage pact has supermodel Emerson taking her chances on a second chance at love with her childhood best friend Theo, so she gets herself booked on a campaign he’s shooting to have one week for one last shot at love with him. This romance is angsty and witty and wistful. I will say I liked it better when they were trying to get together, with their question games and quiet flirting and softness, than when they actually got together. Once they got together, things got a little rushed and I feel like their communication just didn’t click as well. But I was addicted to this book. It is romantic and nostalgic and I loved the dual timeline of the two of them, plus the dual POVs. Having both Theo and Emerson’s voices made things so well rounded, and I adored the life Emerson made for herself and the friendships she had! Especially for a debut, this was a beautiful read.

Ok voices amazing love the narrator, story wise this was so cute and touchfull and i loved it , listen to it in one day, definitely enjoyed having the digital arc and audio to follow alone and annotate everything I loved. Will be recommending because way too cute .

This book was written so well that I felt every emotion Emerson and Theo were going though. I also loved that it was dual POV in the current time and in the past. It gave a sense heartbreak and healing at the same time. I also really loved the secondary characters in this story since they brought a lot of chaos and excitement. The only thing I wish would have been included was karma and consequences coming down on a certain terrible character. (And a character that wasn’t on the page directly but was felt the entire book.) Betty Cayouette did a fantastic job of taking on very real and traumatic topics but also allowing joy and hope to shine through. I would love to read more by this author in the future.

One Last Shot is Betty Cayouette's debut novel. It follows Emerson, a high fashion supermodel, and Theo, a photographer who normally works with more big box clients. They met at high school freshman orientation and became inseparable right away. While they both liked the other in a romantic way, each was concerned about ruining the friendship or that the other didn't feel the same. As friends, they made a pact to marry each other if they were 28 years old and single. Emerson put reminders in both of their phones for their 28th birthdays, which are a week apart. Then, shortly after they admit to their feelings, Emerson leaves. When the first reminder goes off on her phone, she calls her agent and requests to be on Theo's next shoot. Her manager is dead set against this as career suicide and they make a deal that she will do the fake relationship he wants her to do if nothing comes of her time with Theo.

This book is told from both Emerson's and Theo's POVs and moves between their past and present. I like that we got both sides of the story, but there was a lot of repetition so there were times when I thought the book was a bit slow. There was a lot of miscommunication/lack of communication throughout that would make me want to shake them - in both past and present. With Emerson being a high profile supermodel, I really liked that we got to see her self conscious moments instead of just acting like she oozes confidence all the time in her head. Theo is adorable and seems like a genuinely nice guy. There were a couple of things that I felt could have had conclusions (Emerson's career after the agent backlash is the big one, but also how she and her friends brought his prior actions to light, and did Theo and Emerson learn how to STOP not talking to each other?) and I felt like the very last miscommunication took away from the story, making it seem more like they were never going to get over it. I feel like they could have worked through Emerson's reason for moving to CA without the extra few chapters and it would have been better....although I did really enjoy the last donut scene! All in all, I think this was an excellent debut and will read the next release.

*** I received an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up DNFing this about 15% in. I realized in chapter one this probably wouldn’t be for me, but gave it a little longer to see if things would calm down and shake out, but I just couldn’t. It definitely is a not-for-me kind of book, but one I recognize would definitely be for someone else.
I loved the premise of this story. The combination of a beautiful setting and a second chance, friends to lovers. However, the characters immediately felt a little shallow, and that might be because a lot about themselves was being told to us instead of shown. I don’t know, to me, it’s more engaging and it’s easy to share a bulk about the person and their conflict in dialogue, then weave in a little line or two here and there with internal monologue. Or show us this character isn’t a fan of these shots with an eye roll or being called out on being distracted, then either verbally comment or internally say one line sharing how they’re not a fan of these but they pay well. A balance between weaving the physical (dialogue and actions/reactions) with internal. Little things like that not only engages the readers more, but elevates the story to appear like you’ve been writing for many many years.
Again, this came down to a personal thing. I liked the concept, I liked the authors intentions, but the style of execution is a style I just don’t mesh with and knew it’s best for me to tap out now.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"One Last Shot" by Betty Cayouette is an absolute gem of a novel. From the gripping plot to the beautifully developed characters, this book kept me hooked from beginning to end. Cayouette masterfully crafts each character with depth and complexity, making them feel like old friends by the time you reach the last page. The protagonist's journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring, and the supporting cast adds layers of richness to the story. I couldn't put it down and found myself fully invested in every twist and turn. If you're looking for a captivating read with unforgettable characters, "One Last Shot" is a must-read. Highly recommended!

Thank you so much to Betty Cayouette and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this title. This is such a great well written book. The characters development is excellent. This was such a quick sweet read for me. It is a second chance romance with flashbacks. I'm not usually a big second chance romance genre type of person but this was written so well!

Was I just… convinced… to love a miscommunication trope? ME?! Five stars for that, hands down. Did not think it could happen, but we’re here now.

Anyway, obviously a front runner is that trope but when I tell you it’s done SO WELL. Emerson has grown up being taught that if people don’t love you it’s because you’re not worthy of love, so you have to be enough for yourself at all times.

Emerson’s emotional journey through this story is so relatable. What a read to start out SA awareness month. I think Betty really hit the nail on the head here and portrayed Emerson’s character so well. I loved how utterly good and kind everyone is in this book, and how no one was purposefully catty or mean just because they were women (as often happens in stories).

The relationship dynamics between Emerson, Georgia, and Harry is incredible and I loved that they just absorbed Theo and supported the relationship from square one. There were a few moments in the book where I stopped and thought that’s not something that would actually play out in real life, but it wasn’t enough of a difference for me to get upset about it.

All that to say, I loved this book. I devoured it. I’m so glad I read it. I 1000% judge books by “the author is a TikTok star” because no thanks, but this one is the exception to the rule for me.

Thank you to the author, MacMillan Audio, St. Martins Griffin, and NetGalley for my ARC/ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

“One Last Shot” is an impressive debut by Betty Cayouette. The book has all of the angsty vibes you crave in with a “second chances trope but it’s also a really beautiful love story.

The book is written as duel POVs and timelines. It’s written in chronological order so it’s not overwhelming to read and it was a nice break from all the yearning taking place in the present POVs. Emerson and Theo are very likable characters and their relationship is one you’ll root for until the very end.

There is 1 spicy scene towards the end. It’s not the most graphic but it’s enough so if you don’t like scenes like that I’d skip it. It’s about 1.5 chapters long so you don’t miss much of the plot either.

My biggest gripe about the book was the constant miscommunication. Towards the end I was actually annoyed at how much they got in their own way by not communicating and you just wanted them to be together (i may have throw my Kindle across the room at certain points because they were being idiots instead of talking things out). There were also a few scenes that I thought didn’t need to be in the book and were just “filler” but nothing to take away from the overall plot.

4 stars and I anxiously await her next book!