This was a super fun and cute chic lit book. The characters were actually believable, not over the top Hollywood types. I loved that it switched back and forth from the past to current, so we got the backstory. It's a super easy, fast read....great for the beach, or poolside.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this fun read!

If this book did one thing it made me want to plan a trip to Italy to see CInque Terre as soon as possible.

I do love a second chance friends to lovers, but this was just okay. TW for SA.

This was a cute well written book amidst the beautiful backdrop of CInque Terre. I loved the back and forth between Theo/Emerson's youth and present day, it was interesting to see both stories unfold simultaneously.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

This book was a pretty average romance read with some regular troupes like second chance romance, childhood friends and miscommunication. These are my three least favorite troupes, and coupled with being a slow burn - I found this book hard to read at times. Theo was way too good for Emerson, and I was really upset that he still wanted to pursue something even though she ghosted him. A miscommunication that lasts for a decade is not a way to enter a lasting relationship.

This book was cute. I enjoyed that it was mostly present time, but that we git some flashbacks to really get to know the characters. I could understand their emotions and the challenges they went through together and apart. I cried at the ending. It was a quick easy read and i would recommend it to all.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
One Last Shot releases May 7, 2024

Days before her 28th birthday, Emerson gets a calendar reminder on her phone about the marriage pact she made with her best friend in high school.
Having not spoken with each other in a decade, she has her modelling agency book her a fashion shoot in Italy, with Theo as her photographer.

It sucks when the concept of a book has so much potential but ends up being outweighed by superficial characters and a plot that is forced and inauthentic.
Where was the passion or yearning? The lack of communication coupled with the om/ow drama was beyond frustrating.

Emerson is given a history of SA and a mother with hoarding problems as a way to give her a semblance of personality, but it doesn’t work, sticking out like a sore thumb instead.

How is it possible that for the past 10 years, every time Emerson got into an elevator she thought of the time her and Theo were stuck in an elevator, but she forgot about their marriage pact??

Theo and Emerson equally did not have the wherewithal to have a lasting relationship with a solid foundation. Nothing about this was believable from romantic standpoint.

3.5 stars on this one!

This was a really sweet debut novel about two high school sweethearts reconnecting. I felt like Emerson's life was really shaped by this big thing that happened to her when she was just finishing high school, but I'm glad it wasn't the main focus on her story.

The biggest thing that knocked this book down for me was that a large majority of the plot rested entirely on miscommunication. I'm not one of those people who hate the miscommunication trope, but it felt a little exaggerated at times and it was very frustrating that neither of the main characters would just communicate their feelings, and danced around them, but also had the feeling that their love was reciprocated?

I really enjoyed reading this story and watching the love story play out in both present and flashbacks, but would have loved for it to rest less on miscommunication and more on the tension between them.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

EXCUSE ME BETTY!!!!

Did you know that you'd have the entirety of your readers literally screaming with delight while we read this book???

Did you?!?!?!

I am OBSESSED with this book. Emerson and Theo are wonderful. This story of second chance love and their relationship touched my soul. They are so dang sweet. The touch of spice was great, and honestly, it was pretty accurate, if that makes sense. Nothing crazy and unrealistic.

I absolutely loved this book. I can't tell you how much. So. Good!

Emerson is now a supermodel so famous that she doesn't need a last name. As she's nearing 28 and looking at her empty life, she can't help but remember Theo, the boy she made a marriage pact with 10 years ago, and how perfect they were for each other. But can she reach across the 10 years they've spent apart to get Theo to once again be the one who sees past the outside into the person Emerson truly is on the inside? She's willing to risk it all by booking a photo shoot that makes no sense for her career and follow the now photographer to Cinque Terre, Italy to find out. But will Theo still remember their perfect, easy friendship and love?

I loved every detail of this story. Seeing Emerson and Theo as awkward teens and then trying to rekindle that friendship as adults even as they work to figure out if they're ready to be friends again is great. It's emotional and sweet in the best possible way, with their teenage awkwardness resurfacing in them as adults just from how much they both want to be with the other but refuse to be the one to make the first step. The chapters that give a glimpse into the teenage years together and how that deep bond formed are the perfect balance to the glamorous, tension-filled adults.

I seriously have zero notes about this. It's a faultless contemporary romance that balances sweetness and fun with dark topics to find a perfect balance of emotions.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the wonderful read!

This is a moving second-chance romance. Emerson and Theo were high school sweethearts, but when something traumatic happened to Emerson, she shut him out of her life. They both erroneously believe the other has moved on, but when the pact they made to marry by 28 when they were 18 comes up on their phones, they are both pushed towards trying again. Theo and Emerson accept that they are meant to be, and Emerson decides to be open with Theo about what originally moved them apart.

DNF at 30%...One Last Shot is a debut novel with a great sounding premise, but unfortunately the writing is just not all that great. It's repetitive and flat in places and the characters are boring and immature. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"One Last Shot" rejoins childhood sweethearts Emerson and Theo who were suddenly torn apart ten years earlier by an all-too-common event in Emerson's life.

In the present-day, they are each reminded of a marriage pact they'd made back then: namely, that if neither of them were married by the time they turned 28, they'd marry each other. Little did they know when they made that pact that they wouldn't even be a part of one another's lives in ten years. But Emerson sees it as an opportunity to finally go after what she really wants, the only man she's ever loved.

Unfortunately, her meddling agent makes things difficult for true love to run its course, and it takes Emerson and Theo a while to figure out where all the mixed signals are coming from.

As they try to navigate coming to terms with the past and sharing their hopes for the future, they have plenty of obstacles to overcome; most notably, Emerson's fame.

If you enjoy romantic stories that include likable characters, childlike fun, and deep and serious issues, you won't want to miss "One Last Shot."

Thank you to Betty Cayouette, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This is an adorable tale of two friends, photographer Theo and super model Emerson. These two have been the best of friends since high school. But life got busy and these two lost touch. But Emerson’s phone alerts her one day of their marriage pact. All of Emerson’s feelings come rushing back. But has Theo married? Will he feel the same way?

Of course these two do not make it easy! There are a lot of misunderstandings and some hurt feelings. But as you can guess, (yes it is a romance novel, so no surprises!) the chemistry just can’t help but pull them together with great force!

I enjoyed these two, especially Emerson. For her to be a super model, she is really down to earth. Add in the setting of Italy and this is a romance you will definitely enjoy!

Need a cute friends to lovers romance…This is it! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for an honest opinion.

First time author shares her debut with us of long time friends meeting up at a photo shot. What are the odds of seeing each other again? Both want to do their own job but the attraction is strong. Act normal they tell each other but can they continue that way?

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity. Unfortunately tried to get into this book a couple times but just did not love the tone of the writing and therefore DNF. I felt the description and author’s note alluded to a more layered, deep plot, but this didn’t jive with the writing style for me. From the opening pages, Emerson felt a little too shallow and immature. I saw other reviewers commented on writing style, as well. This lighter romcom story will probably be a hit with many, just was not my personal preference.

I loved the premise of the book, teenage best friends who fell in love with each other but insecurities and anxiety take over and when they’re just about to really be a duo something happens to split them apart. 10 years later their pact set up on their phones remind them. I loved the relationship and the back and forth of when they were in high school to today, and the dual POV. I felt like my emotional heartstrings were being pulled and hoped it would end up a happy ending. The entire journey felt like their hike where they climbed to finally reach the top and then the ending was a quick run to safety and a beautiful view.

One Last Shot is Betty Cayoutte's debut novel and it tells the story of Emerson, a successful model and her ex-boyfriend Theo, a photographer. They dated back in the day and back then agreed to a marriage pact if neither was married by age 28.

Well Emerson reaches her 28th birthday and after pining over Theo for years she decides to set up a chance meeting by agreeing to a modeling gig where Theo happens to be the photographer. Through the gig/shoot Emerson and Theo explore their feelings for one another and so much more!

This story is a duel POV and explores the characters experiences and feelings from their perspectives. While I typically love this style it felt like we were sometimes shorted part of the story. It's a cute story and has fun characters.

DNF

This book sounds interesting and like something I'd be into, but the writing style wasn't my favorite and I felt a weird disconnect with the main character.

This had a few of my favorite tropes in it, but it fell a bit flat for me. The celebrity aspect was fun and I enjoyed the flashback chapters and dual POV. I didn't get hooked in to the story though and felt that it dragged some. Things were slow when I was hoping for more to happen while other moments passed too quickly. Looking forward to see what the author writes next as this was a debut!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book. I liked the different timelines and how we learned about each of them and their relationship. I eventually figured out where it was leading to but I liked the way it was presented. However, I really think most of this could have been avoided if they just actually communicated. Especially as adults, 10 years later. But it was still a fun story and I enjoyed reading it!