Quintessentially a Jeff Zentner novel in that COLTON GENTRY’S THIRD ACT makes you feel *everything.* You’ll cry a lot, of course, sometimes because what you’re reading is hysterically funny and other times heartbreaking but you’ll always cry because what you’re reading is so incomprehensibly beautifully written.

Colton Gentry has been canceled. After losing his friend in a mass shooting, he got drunk and offered his unfiltered opinion on guns to his country music audience. Now he is home and trying to pick up the pieces, unsure where to start.

This is not something I would typically pick up, especially with the country music. However the controversy and dissonance of the gun control remarks within country star pop dom intrigued me and I wanted to read about that. I got drawn into Colton’s recovery and his development. I like a good coming home story. I loved Petey and was especially pleased about the footnote that he won’t die in the book (can we make these spoilers common?!)

“Choose beauty and sorrow over numbness and oblivion. Choose it again and again. Choose it as long as you have any choice.”

Colton Gentry’s Third Act comes out 4/30/24.

"Colton Gentry's Third Act" by Jeff Zentner is a heartfelt and emotionally resonant story of love, healing, and second chances. This novel beautifully captures the complexities of grief, the power of music, and the enduring bonds of friendship and love.

The story follows Colton Gentry, a country musician who is experiencing both career success and personal tragedy. After a traumatic event at a country music festival, Colton's life takes a downward spiral. He loses his career and his marriage, and he's left with few options but to return to his rural Kentucky hometown, where he faces the ghosts of his past. However, a chance encounter at a local restaurant leads to a job opportunity in the kitchen and a reconnection with his high school sweetheart, Luann.

The narrative is skillfully structured, weaving together three timelines: Colton's senior year of high school, his early days as a musician in Nashville, and the present. This multi-layered approach allows readers to fully understand Colton's journey, his past mistakes, and the events that shaped him. It also adds depth to the characters, particularly his friend Duane, whose presence looms large over Colton's life.

Jeff Zentner's writing is poignant and evocative, creating a vivid sense of place and emotion. The exploration of grief and trauma is handled with sensitivity, and readers will empathize with Colton as he grapples with his pain and seeks a path to healing.

The novel's themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the possibility of starting anew are beautifully conveyed. It serves as a reminder that even in the darkest moments, there can be hope for a brighter future. Colton's journey to rebuild his life and rekindle his relationship with Luann is heartwarming and uplifting.

"Colton Gentry's Third Act" is a touching and authentic portrayal of the human experience. It celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of love and music. Jeff Zentner has crafted a moving and memorable story that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page.

I really liked this one when I started out reading, but it just didn’t hook me in as much as I would have liked.

Ah, that familiar sense of peace after sobbing through a Jeff Zentner book. Like all of Jeff’s books, I am left feeling more hopeful about humanity.

I hope booksellers sell the shit out of this and it gets turned into a movie because I want to watch all those sexy cooking scenes on the big screen!

This is my new favorite book. There's a poignancy and tenderness to Jeff Zentner's books that is unmatched by any other author. He finds the beauty in everything, even the painful parts so that to read him is to have your heart wrenched in the most exquisite way. Colton Gentry is a perfect potion of hope and love and sorrow and ache and beauty and humor and swoon that will leave your soul warm and full. I'm so excited to put this in readers' hands! Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central for the ARC.

Jeff Zenter's first foray into adult fiction does not disappoint. After the death of his best friend, Duane, in a mass shooting event, Colton Gentry is not okay. Full of liquor and rage, Gentry speaks out in support of gun control from the stage and burns his career to the ground. After a stint in rehab, a parting gift from his soon to be ex-wife, Gentry finds himself back in his hometown in desperate need of a hand up. Finding a job at a new restaurant, working as a sous chef for his first love, Luann. Understanding the need for a new beginning more than anyone, Luann takes a pretty big chance on hiring Colton and on letting him back into her life. As the story unfolds, the chapters bounce back and forth between Colton's senior year of high school, his humble beginnings in Nashville and the story's present and we get insight into Colton and Luann's story and how it implodes as well as other scenes from his early days in Nashville with Duane, and his struggle to find his footing newly sober and back home in Kentucky.

Zentner's YA books always bring me to tears and his first adult novel, Colton Gentry's Third Act did the same. Zentner has a beautiful way with words and this story of grief, forgiveness, and starting over contains some beautiful turns of phrase. This slow-burn, second chance romance is full of realistic characters with flaws and who are struggling, learning, and growing.

Moments of humor and levity help keep this book from feeling too overwhelmingly grief-laden, and Zentner's footnote about the dog, Petey, was an added bonus to an already lovely story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central for this eARC.

After reading some of Jeff Zentner's other work, I didn't know what to expect from this foray into adult romance. I was worried it would be TOO heartbreaking, but I loved this melancholy and humane second-chance romance. The setting and several of the characters really sing (sometimes literally and figuratively) and the FOOTNOTES about the DOG, PETEY, really prove that Jeff understood the genre shift he was making. Also, not for nothing, if you were a fan of the show Nashville, I think you'll like this (it obviously isn't as soap operatic, but something about the country song plotting fits - the people are kinder in the book, of course). Plus, a nearly flawless woman, sounds like Connie Britton to me.

Jeff Zentner at the top of his game, with his observant eye turned to adults! Exquisite writing, fully human and humane. Charming and honest and damn good read!

Jeff Zentner has written something truly special. There's none of the tooth-aching sweetness that I usually find in small-town celebrity romances. These characters all felt wonderfully real, and, even better, flawed in ways that weren't cutesy or contrived. The shifts in timeline add to character growth, not just character pain, and made me SO excited for Colton to reunite with Luann. This is an unapologetically political, beautifully written, whip-smart dramedy, and I loved every moment of it. Would recommend for readers who grew up on John Green, then fell in love with Emily Henry.

I love Jeff Zentner’s writing and this story swept me off my feet. I love Colton and I love the cooking and the third chance in life.

Wondering what I have been reading and raving about in my stories the last few nights? It's this!

Get ready to be swept away by Jeff Zentner's highly anticipated new adult novel, "Colton Gentry's Third Act," set to release in spring 2024. If you're a fan of his captivating young adult books, this one is a must-preorder!

Zentner's prose is a testament to his incredible talent, weaving an enchanting tapestry of lush language that paints vivid landscapes and emotions. It leaves you spellbound, focused only on the pages you
are turning, forgoing dinner, sleep, and even movie night with your kids.

"Colton Gentry's Third Act" introduces us to a main character so lovingly and intricately composed that you can't help but become emotionally invested in his journey. You'll find yourself cheering for Colton Gentry as he navigates the complexities of life, love, and self-discovery.

And oh, Jeff, your book is nothing short of beautiful. It's not just a story; it's a symphony of emotions, a cascade of feelings that will resonate deep within your heart. With every turn of the page, you'll feel that special connection that only a master storyteller can evoke.

Prepare to be swept off your feet as "Colton Gentry's Third Act" storms its way into your heart, deserving every bit of the anticipation it has garnered. Zentner's narrative control will leave you yearning for a word that captures that unique sensation of being enthralled, safe, and compassionately intertwined with a story. So go ahead and preorder now – this is an experience you won't want to miss.

And yes, I preordered it for a friend who I miss dearly who deserves the escape this book will provide.

A thoughtful and lovely meditation on grief, love, second chances, and food. I would expect nothing less than the best from Jeff Zentner and this does this trick. Warning, it will make you crave hot chicken. My only complaint is having to wait until April for my hard copy.

This book made me smile, laugh, cry, and left me incredibly hungry. Everything about this second chance is heartwarming and tender. Colton making changes and working through them was really incredible to read. I love that he took a chance and found a new passion. That’s a reminder we all need in life.

Luann and Colton’s love story is beyond! The flashbacks to high school were perfect. But the present day slow burn was perfection. Luann teaches us so much about forgiveness and stepping up for your friend and partner.

The writing was top notch! Especially all the food!! As a Kentucky girl I was left salivating at the pages. It reminded me of home and eating with my family.

Lastly, thank you for footnote about Petey. Can’t wait to read future titles by Zentner!

I love everything Jeff Zentner writes and this is no exception!! Colton Gentry is a country music star who is dealing with the death of his best friend due to gun violence and is struggling with addiction. He loses everything when he takes a stand against guns at his concert. Throughout the novel Zentner flashes back to Colton’s high school days as a football star who falls in love with Luann, who is fiercely independent and artistic. Their relationship ends before Luann leaves for college.

After losing everything, Colton returns to his hometown to rebuild his life slowly and discovers Luann has also returned home. One of my favorite things about Zentner is how he develops and writes his characters, showing how they struggle and grow and fall and get back up again and fall again and help each other back up again.

One of my favorite books this summer!