Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner was a perfect read. Wow, this is my first Jeff Zentner read and I cannot wait to read everything else he has written. This was a heartbreaking, beautiful read and I consider myself very lucky to have read an ARC. I could not live a cast of characters more than I loved these. They get very real and definitely made me feel a lot of things. God, I will be thinking about this book for quite a while. The writing was top notch. It was so good. I will be adding this to my list of books I will be forever recommending.

I also appreciated the footnotes about Pety. Five stars for that alone!

Smart move by Zentner to use flashbacks to get his tried and true YA sea legs under him as a natural entry into his first adult novel. Didn’t want this story to end!

Another terrific novel by Jeff Zentner. Being a fan of his YA titles, I was hugely excited for this book and I was not disappointed. As usual, Zentner creates unforgettable characters and somehow manages to turn what should be monotonous conversation into deep and beautiful passages. His descriptive scene-setting shines as always, his love for the south shines through so strongly and it adds an intangible quality to the overall setting. I am thrilled to read his next work. Purchased for our library.

I rarely rate 5 stars and seldom write reviews but this book is so beautiful! Yes, beautiful; Colton’s growth is painful AND beautiful. knowing you are worthy of love and forgiveness is priceless. I was so invested in his journey; everyone can believe in you but it’s not until you believe in yourself that the magic happens

What a beautifully written story about second and even third chances.

Colton was in the early days of sobriety making amends and trying to piece together a future. Sometimes the only way forward is reaching back and trying again.

Jeff Zenter writes with such emotional intelligence that as a reader I felt in safe hands. He covers some heavy topics but not in an exploitative way. There was one part about protesters that I felt took away from the flow of the story but it was a minor part quickly over.

Humor sprinkled throughout like a fourth wall breaking footnote that I very much appreciated and the line about The Shining had me howling.

Loved Jeff's foray into adult fiction! The throwback teen storyline was still where the author's talents shone smoothest and most assured, but that's to be expected given that he's been a successful YA writer so far. There was, however, plenty to enjoy in the rawer and less assured adult storyline - his trademark gift of creating characters we root for even when they're being stubborn and annoying, his ability to write about difficult topics without seeming preachy, the poet in him writing vivid descriptions that make the American South come alive with all of its flaws but also its beauty and wonder, the rhythms of the dialogue. The final third seemed a little rushed and I wasn't convinced that the near alternating flashback to present moment was the strongest narrative choice (as much as I enjoyed the throwbacks, I felt like I wanted more time in the now, and there were other ways to handle the past storylines; though I definitely wanted way more of Duane in the past). I'm excited to see Jeff venture more into adult fiction territory - there's a lot to look forward to, if this first offering is any indication!

PS. You're going to be perpetually hungry while reading this!

Longer review to come closer to pub day.

Jeff Zentner's first adult novel is a gem! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley for the digital arc…it made my heart sing!

After losing his best friend to gun violence, singer/songwriter Colton Gentry goes on an anti-gun rant to a country music audience and ends up imploding his career and his marriage. After a stint in rehab, he heads home to small town Kentucky, broke and struggling with his sobriety. He reconnects with old friends, adopts a dog, and with no other jobs on the horizon, Colton takes his high school girlfriend up on her offer to come work in her restaurant. Reminiscent of Larry McMurtry’s deft balance at weaving laugh-out-loud humor with deep sorrow, Zentner returns to familiar themes of loss and grief and an obviously well-loved setting in the rural South. He expands on his repertoire with mouth-watering food descriptions and a restaurant kitchen setting that fans of The Bear will recognize - absent all the yelling.

Romantic, hopeful, and distinctly human, this novel is unmistakably Jeff Zentner. I’m thrilled that one of my YA faves is adding his voice to adult fiction.

Hello, welcome to another review where I eat my words.
I am vocal about my distaste for third person narration in romance novels. This narrative often makes me feel removed from the character(s). I should have known that this wasn’t going to be an issue with Colton’s story, as it is a Jeff Zentner novel after all.

Jeff Zentner’s writing balances humor and heartfelt, creating such vivid characters and settings that you can smell, taste, hear, and see the words on the page. This story examines politics, cancel culture, second chances, and mental health in a beautiful, respectful way that I cannot imagine anybody finding fault.

THIS NOVEL, Y’ALL. I don’t think I can describe what this story did me. While reading this I could just imagine what a massive hit this novel could and should be. This is the 2024 release you do not want to miss! Colton’s story was made for the big screen, or better yet, a limited series.

I really enjoyed this story. I found it compelling, and didn't want to put it down. I hadn't read anything else by the author, so didn't know what to expect. His use of language was beautiful.

I enjoyed the characters, except for Colton's lapses into self-pity (one of my pet peeves). I enjoyed the way the author made a story that created meaningful links between the various "acts" of the MMC's life.

I found the ending somewhat disappointing, it wrapped up very quickly & then went to an epilogue that was a flashback instead of a flashforward.

I received this as a free advanced reader's copy from Net Galley, but these are my authentic opinions about the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an eARC of this book!

This book is fantastic! It is full of classic Jeff Zentner charm and passion, making it an excellent adult debut. I think fans of The Seven Year Slip would LOVE this book! It has many similar themes, like deep topics, romance, switching time pov's, and cooking.

I will preface the rest of this review with the fact that I am not a country-music fan, but because I loved the author already and really wanted an ARC, I immediately went to request it from Netgalley. If you're looking at the cover and seeing how country this is, don't let that deter you from reading it! I didn't feel as if I was outside of any references.

The strength of this story is how deeply Jeff Zentner imbues important themes into his writing. He did this in The Serpent King, and he did it again here. This author doesn't shy away from the hard-hitting topics, and that is extremely admirable. Not only is it important in YA, it also is important in the adult genre!

Jeff Zentner is a top-tier author, and not only will I be interested in everything he writes, I can trust that it is richly filled with passion, perspective, and verve to talk about topics that might scare some people because of their controversy. And that is exactly the purpose behind literature!

This book showed how someone can breakdown after losing someone close to them and then going through changes to improve their life. I enjoyed this book.

This was something different from what I usually read, but I enjoyed this quite a bit! Jeff Zentner's writing voice is strong and descriptive, the plot of the three different acts felt pretty unique and interesting, and I wasn't cringed out by the way he wrote any of his female characters so that's a major plus. I hope he'll write more contemporary romance adjacent books, I'd be excited to see what he comes up with next!

I absolutely loved this book, but that wasn"t a surprise because I am a fan of Jeff Zentner, and how he writes. This is a story about second chances, and third chances, and reinventing one's life. To try again. It's the story of a boy and a girl who once loved each other, and maybe never stopped. After some bumps and bruises and missteps they're trying to figure out who they are to each other, and what they want from the lives they have lived, and sometimes chosen, but sometimes ended up with by default. The writing is rich and evocative; the story moves along at a steady pace until you are compelled to read until the end.

A crossover from his usual YA novels into a more "Adult" title, although there remains a good part of the book rooted in a high school romance. Colton Gentry has been a football star and lost his chance at college ball to an injury, an up-and-coming country music star who loses his contracts after a pro-gun control rant onstage, and now...what? He's lost his best friend in a mass shooting, his superstar wife to a hockey player, and he's a recovering alcoholic. He moves home to his mom's house and looks for a job despite his lack of marketable skills. Colton's "third act" comes in the form of food-a trendy new farm-to-table restaurant located in the unlikely spot of Venice, Kentucky. Turns out, he and the chef have personal history, and perhaps a future? A feel-good redemption romance, for fans of Nicholas Sparks or Hallmark movies, this book will bring the tears and the swooning! Also, bring your appetite for the most amazing Southern-inspired menus you've EVER read!

While I love Jeff Zentner’s YA novels, Colton Gentry’s Third Act didn’t pack the emotional punch that I’ve come to expect. This wasn’t a book that I feel compelled to read multiple times as I have with Zentner’s other works. It filled a Saturday afternoon, and I’m glad that I read it; however, I’ve come to expect more from Zentner.

First and foremost, I appreciate the publisher and Netgalley allowing the opportunity to read and review this book. I've enjoyed Jeff Zentner's writing in the past, and I was very curious to see where and how this new novel would go.

In a one-sentence synopsis: Colton Gentry loses his career to alcohol and tragedy only to find himself back home where he probably belonged in the first place.

There's trauma. There's drama. There's romance. There's redemption. There is also enough talk of fine dining and delicious foods, I might have gained a pound or two just reading about it.

The beauty of Jeff's writing is in the way he finds the most poignant, poetic way to describe to most mundane things. Which, in turn, makes you look up from the page and just reflect for a moment on all the things in life we take for granted. It's not a claustrophobic book. It isn't the heaviest subject matter. It's a dude just trying to fix what got broke.

I think any fan of Nicholas Sparks and/or romantic dramadies would find a place in their hearts and book shelves for Jeff's work.

Jeff Zentner is a familiar and well-loved name in the YA world, and it is good to see that he is growing up along with his readers, as well as attracting brand new ones, with his first book written for the adult market. We follow Colton Gentry, a musician, through three phases of his life -- his school years, his early years in the country music world, and the present. As the story begins, a mega-successful Colton is basically "cancelled" after an unfortunate incident at one of his concerts. He starts anew on the ground floor to rebuild his life. I think readers will get so wrapped up with this wonderful, real, relatable character and will not be able to put this book down.

When I first read the synopsis for Colton Gentry’s Third Act, I had to read it. This seemed like a romance with some real life substance to it.

Colton Gentry should be enjoying life. His music is on the radio, he’s married to a music star, and he’s currently on tour opening for a major country music artist. However, just a few weeks ago, his best friend was killed in a mass shooting at a country music festival. Drowning his grief in alcohol, he steps on stage and voices his opinions on guns. This leads to him being dropped by essentially everyone in his personal and professional career. Now, divorced, unemployed, and fresh out of rehab, Colton finds himself back in his hometown. When his old high school sweetheart gives him a job at her restaurant, Colton wonders if he can begin putting back the pieces of his life.

I think I had too high of hopes for this book. Based on the synopsis I expected the topic of gun violence and gun control to be more prevalent. Instead it’s just a hurdle that Colton encounters and eventually is no longer addressed. I probably wouldn’t have expected more had it not been in the synopsis and just discovered as I read. I enjoyed the occasional Nashville setting, living in the area now it was fun to see the little mentions of the town. Colton’s battle with alcoholism and sobriety was treated gently and with great support. The dialog could be clunky at times. I fully admit that I’m still getting used to the southern way of speaking. It could be totally authentic, but I struggled staying immersed, especially when Colton spoke. Luann was a very enjoyable character and I feel like I would’ve loved to hang out with her in high school. 2.5 stars rounded up.

Review will be posted to Goodreads 4/1/2024

“Sometimes, on the grand cosmic scale, the certainty of joy must outweigh the mere possibility of catastrophe.”

What a beautiful book. It was long enough that all of the characters were beautifully developed. The kind of book about fate and love where you find yourself pondering your own love story—how you ended up where you are right now, and where you might be twenty years in the future.

My first five star rating in months.