I was drawn to this book based on the cover and the setting of the premise—both were unique. Those two things did not disappoint. However, outside of the unique careers and setting...the writing/the story felt a little...bland? Unmemorable. The story just didn't pull me in as I'd hoped. Their romance felt too easy. They clearly both loved each other and wanted to be together, they simply chose their careers over love. It was hard for me to swallow the predictability of this story.

DNF at 30%. Although the premise was intriguing, the pacing was way too slow, the FMC immature and the miscommunication trope drove me crazy.

📸 This was a cute, debut romance read set in Italy. Thanks to @stmartinspress for access to this- it’s out now!

📸 Ok, what I loved:
- the setting — take me to Italy please!
- parts of the plot were original and cute: I liked that it was about a model and a photographer
- the writing style was pretty great, especially for a debut

📸 What I didn’t love:
- the execution of the setting — take me to Italy please! I was disappointed I wasn’t more swept up in the atmosphere
- part of the plot stretched my limits on suspending disbelief (this couple spent way more time pining for each other than they ever spent dating)
- I thought the author’s note in the beginning about she didn’t want the book to be was in stark contrast to what the book ended up being (I don’t want to spoil anything but DM me if you want to discuss)

📸 Overall, I thought this was ok. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. I think it’s really cool the author is a well-known BookToker and she’s been given the chance to write her own novels! I’d definitely check out her next one to see her growth!

This was pretty good! I think it was overall a little bit long for what actually happens in the story (not much lol, but that's fine!) and it dragged a little, but overall I still enjoyed it. The writing made for a smooth read, and the setting was described so perfectly in each scene! The last 10% of the book really packs a punch and I probably enjoyed it best. Thanks to the publisher and author for the chance to read an eARC of this book!

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette is her debut romance. Emerson, a supermodel, never forgot her first love, Theo. They both remember the marriage pact they made as teens. Theo is a now a photographer and Emerson schemes to be a part of his next campaign shoot.

It was fascinating to walk with Emerson in her world of being a high fashion model and a celebrity. The story is told from both Emerson and Theo point of view in the present and during their high school years. I felt like I knew both of them well by the end of the novel and enjoyed watching them grow. The setting was so lovely and I wanted to visit Cinque Terre, Italy after reading this second chance romance.

The beautiful cover drew me in and I enjoyed reading One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette. I appreciated how the characters worked through hard things and become better people. The ending was very satisfying and I left happy. I recommend.

TW shared in first chapter.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for the gifted ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I love a good marriage pact story, and this did not disappoint. Definitely a beach read, and an enjoyable one. There was a great will they/won't they that kept the story moving along at a nice pace. Great read!

Emerson and Theo were best friends in high school and made a pack to marry each other if they aren’t married at 28.

It is told by dual perspectives and different timelines

This is a great summer romance book and all about the one that got away

This would make a great beach read.

Supermodel Emerson gets an old notification to her phone, it’s time to set her marriage pact in order with her old best friend Theo, so she gets herself schedules as the talent at his shoot to rekindle their romance. They are both the exact same character, which spoke to the lack of experience of writing for Cayouette, both totally in love, unable to talk about anything important, and both insecure in life. Between getting reacquainted now and watching their high school lives play out we learns about their past and how they got to where they are today. Will they be able to rekindle their love and ever truly open up to one another?

The book was long and repetitive. The relationships has one problem, but it happens numerous times and is never resolved so it continues to happen. It was almost too much of that. The setting was great and the background characters were more likeable than the mains in my opinion. It read more of a YA than a women’s fiction/romance.

A romance about a model and a photographer with a marriage pact who meet again ten years later in Cinqueterra, Italy. Okay I LOVE the setting. Anything set in Italy will be a go-to read for me. I really think readers will enjoy this as a summer beach romance. If you like second chance romance and beautiful European settings check out this fabulous debut!

Thank you to Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Love the trope of friends to lovers. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The setting was spectacular, I could envision myself there. I did struggle with the pacing of the book and would have appreciated a little more development.

ONE LAST SHOT by Betty Cayouette was a fun, quick weekend read, but ultimately not anything groundbreaking or memorable.

A forgotten marriage pact brings two friends-to-lovers-to-strangers-to-friends-to-lovers back to each other in this parallel timeline romance. Photographer Theo and high fashion model Emerson find each other ten years after a mysterious teenage falling out and are immediately drawn back into their mutual friendship and attraction. Set in the lush landscape of Cinque Terre, they rediscover each other over the course of a several-day photoshoot.

I love a friends to lovers romance that flashes back and forth between timelines and keeps us guessing as to what led to the separation, a la EVERY SUMMER AFTER, but this one didn't really have the magic spark of tension and longing that keeps me captivated. Overall, it feels kind of bland and underdeveloped. I wanted more detail, more richness, more background, and much more pining.

And while I enjoyed the author's writing style just fine, I find it frustrating when it appears that book deals go to who goes viral on TikTok. If virality is the indicator for what book deals happen, I'm a little discouraged at the future of book publishing.

A solidly mid read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. ONE LAST SHOT is out now.

I went in to this book with such high hopes and it really lived up to my expectations. This is not just a cute fluffy romance, there was some actual depth that I enjoyed. This would be a great summer read, bonus points if it's on the beach in Italy.

Unique story from a debut author! One I think many of my patrons will enjoy for the summer. It did have a good amount of spice but a great addition to the summer titles I’m looking to add to the library!

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this!
I would give this a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
This is a great second chance romance story about Emerson, a successful fashion model and Theo, a successful photographer. Its dual POV (one of my favorite setups) and goes back and forth as you learn about their highschool romance 10 years prior and their current estrangement. There's just a touch of spice towards the end as they rekindle their relationship and try to find a way to love their current versions of each other and not their past selves.
I loved Theo's point of view in particular. For me, the career sections really shined: I love when career is really used as a plot driver, and it was clear the author really understood the modeling world. I also LOVED that the women in this story really propelled/rooted for each other.
I do wish the thing that drove them apart wasn't glossed over so much: I wanted something a bit more impactful. I also thought their slight 3rd act breakup moment was kind of silly and unnecessary. I would have preferred them powering through any issues than either running away. It resolved quick enough.
But overall: I really enjoyed this.

When Emerson’s phone reminds her that if she isn’t married by her 38th birthday she is to marry her best friend from high school. Emerson will stop at nothing to rekindle their friendship and maybe even more, but is it possible after not seeing each other for decades? Cute story that had me smiling. A great book to tuck into your beach bag for a summer read.

I found Betty on TikTok so when I saw her debut novel on NetGalley I knew I needed it. Such a cute romance novel and can’t wait to hear more from Betty.

"One Last Shot" by Betty Cayouette is a sweet romance set in the picturesque backdrop of Cinque Terre, Italy. Emerson and Theo, with their past marriage pact, reunite after ten years during a photoshoot, reigniting old feelings.

The characters are likable but their relationship feels somewhat predictable. However, the setting adds a delightful touch of romance to the story.

Overall, "One Last Shot" is a pleasant read for fans of second-chance romances, offering a simple and enjoyable escape into the world of love and rekindled connections.

I found this book incredibly offensive and upsetting, which is rare. It felt extremely insulting to victims of SA with the way this was depicted and processed in the book. I won’t be reading again, nor am I comfortable recommending.

I love second chance romances and this one was very cute even if part of the storytelling didn’t work for me. The plot dealt with some heavy topics, but I appreciated the fact that the characters had anxiety and insecurities about themselves and their relationship. Everything wasn’t “perfect” as soon as they were back together and they still had to communicate to understand each other. Both were prone to falling back on bad habits to protect themselves and they had to learn to overcome that. I wasn’t a fan of the high school flashbacks and feel some of those scenes could have been shorter. I wanted to stay more in the present and experience Theo and Emerson now instead of bouncing back in time when the main story line became tense.

This is a sweet story of two people who were friends and lovers in high school, but haven’t spoken in a decade. They want to rekindle their relationship, but each is scared of the pain the other inflicted previously. One is a model, the other is a photographer so they work together on a shoot.