One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

Oh, how I love this book! It’s not getting a lot of attention in the book world, yet it has stuck with me and I’ve thought about it a lot over the last year since I read it. I love Italy and I love friends to lovers. A marriage pact trope pushed it right over the top for me, and I enjoyed it so much. I’m a very character-driven reader. I have to connect with the main characters in order to love a story, so I will admit that the idea of having a famous, successful supermodel and an up-and-coming photographer as the main characters had me a little worried. They both ended up being so sweet and down-to-earth. Nothing like the models we meet in The Devil Wears Prada. lol. Emerson’s and Theo’s rekindling was so heartwarming and special, all set against the stunning backdrop of Cinque Terre. I felt like I was right there with them, enjoying the sun and the beautiful scenery.

Emerson and Theo were joined at the hip as teenagers, spending their childhoods swimming and eating lots of donuts together. They get torn apart, as is always the case, and spend years dealing with the fallout of some major miscommunication (I hate the miscommunication trope, but it worked for me here). They lived their lives separately, her as a supermodel and him as a photographer. When Emerson’s calendar notification goes off, reminding her of her marriage pact with Theo, she realizes how unhappy in love she’s been. So she strong-arms her agent into booking her a modeling job where Theo is working. Their reunion is icy cold at best, and then they start to warm up and fall into their old friendship. The feelings they had for each other all those years ago are still alive and kicking, and I loved watching them figure out how to be around each other as adults.

Theo made this book for me. He is everything. As soon as his calendar notification goes off, he is flooded with feelings of his time with Emerson and it made me so sad for him. He’s so sweet and caring and understanding and has carried his love for her for ten years. And he’s also so insecure and self-conscious, which made me want to hung him very tightly. He would do anything for Emerson. I kind of hated Emerson in the beginning because how could she just leave a guy like Theo without a second glance? I know as teens we’re at the mercy of life and are not always in control of where we go, but she didn’t even say goodbye to him. But I grew to really love her, just as Theo grew to be able to trust her again. There’s so much angst and mutual pining and the burn is soooooo slooooow, which was surprising considering their history. But I gobbled it up. I loved the push and pull, will they or won’t they, WHEN WILL THEY. I couldn’t stop reading. Their romance is so swoony and perfect, even though the road is bumpy and winding sometimes. This is a true movie romance. Oh my gosh, someone needs to make. movie out of this. It would be amazing, especially in Italy!

Audio notes: Loved it. I’ve struggled with Brittany Presley in the past, but she did a great job with this one. This was my first time listening to Sean Patrick Hopkins, and his voice was perfect for Theo. Both narrators read with emotion, which made me feel for the characters so much more deeply than if I had read it on my own.

All in all, you need to read this. It’s a tender, sweet, beautiful romance set in my favorite country in the entire world. I can’t wait to see what Betty Cayouette writes next!

4.5 stars

I read this last year, and even though some of the details have faded, I still remember how much I loved it. I’m always a sucker for a good second chance romance, and this one delivered in all the best ways.

First of all, the settings in this book? Stunning. Betty Cayouette transported me to the most beautiful places, and I loved how the different locations reflected the emotional journey of the characters. There was something so cinematic about it, like I was right there with them, feeling every bittersweet moment.

Even though I don’t remember every little detail, what does stick with me is how this book made me feel. The longing, the heartache, the push and pull of two people finding their way back to each other—it all hit so perfectly. If you love second chance romances with gorgeous backdrops and all the emotional depth that comes with rediscovering lost love, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

Loved the audiobook narrator. No crazy man sounding voices. Just a solid telling of the story.

If it is a second chance romance, I must have flashbacks of their initial relationship and this one delivered. I loved that it was a celebrity romance and set in Europe. Great concept and execution!

3.75 out of 5 Stars

Thank you to #Macaudio2024 for a copy of this audiobook. First, I had a difficult time getting in to this book at first because there was miscommunication throughout the beginning of the book. However, it made sense for the storyline for this to be the case. I really enjoyed the narrators for this story, particularly Brittany Pressley who has narrated several of my favorite audiobooks. I appreciated the dual timeline storytelling that shows what went wrong from 10 years prior and how their interactions are today with Emmerson and Theo. Seeing how the pair navigate their interactions after having a falling out 10 years prior was intriguing and I really enjoyed the story.

Closed Door Modifications: Chapter 32,33

This was a satisfying book. Emerson and Theo met in high school and made a plan if they were not married in 10 years they would marry each other. Well, they set a timer on each other's phone and now it is 10 years later. Emerson is a supermodel and has not found anyone she wants to be with and her 28th birthday and quickly coming. Theo is a fashion photographer, the type you would see in catalogs. Emerson convinces her agent to book her for Theo's latest shoot even though it is not of her caliber. Will he be happy to see her? After the shoot they spend time together to see if they still have feelings for each other.

This was a like, not a love for me.

Two childhood best friends promise to marry each other if they haven’t found anyone by a date certain — where the main characters happen to be 28 (what!! So young — come on!).

Fast forward — she’s a model, he’s a photographer and she somehow gets herself on his much lower-brow shoot in Italy. Will sparks fly?

This one is predictable but cute. A perfect palate cleanser.

3.5 rounded to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Wasn't my favorite. Although it was pleasant with likeable characters.
A debut romance about a supermodel and a photographer with a past marriage pact who meet again ten years later on a photoshoot in Cinque Terre, Italy.

From the moment Emerson and Theo met as teenagers, they were inseparable. But just when they finally expressed their feelings to one another, they were torn apart.

Now, supermodel Emerson is nearing her twenty-eighth birthday, and she’s tired of looking for love in all the wrong places. When the calendar reminder for the marriage pact she and Theo made as teens goes off on her phone, she realizes this is it―her chance to rekindle the only romance that ever really made sense. Emerson convinces her grumpy agent to book her as the face of the fashion campaign that Theo, now a fashion photographer, is shooting. The good the campaign is being shot in ridiculously romantic Cinque Terre, Italy. The bad news? Theo might not be as happy to see her as she'd hoped.

The two embark on a four-day campaign that tests not only their feelings, but their ability to keep their hands off one another. But as roadblock after roadblock keeps them apart, Emerson starts to will this photoshoot be the key to getting one last shot at love, or will it be a final goodbye?

Had to DNF this book. I kept trying to get into it, but it just wasn't happening. I've tried listening to this multiple times but the narrator's voice was not helping me get into the story either.

Unfortunately, it seems this audiobook is just not for me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started ONE LAST SHOT, but enjoyed this debut romance between Emerson and Theo, that featured friends to lovers, second chance, and celebrity fiction.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-friends to lovers
-dual timelines
-second chance

*many thanks to SMP, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

3.5 stars rounded up! This was a pretty cute light and fluffy romcom and an enjoyable enough read. I loved the parts with Emerson and Georgia and would absolutely love to get more stuff with Georgia. My one major issue with the book is that it is a touch on the forgettable side, and certain parts I think could have been shorter while other parts, like the two leads being together could have been longer.

Both narrators did a fantastic job and the audio was excellent and made for a very smooth listening experience.

DNF'd arond 40%. I just could not get passed the BIGGEST misscommunication trope ever; the plot was so flat without them coming clean. How far was the author going to stretch it out? I wasn't going to wait around and find out.

This friends-to-lovers romance takes place in Italy on an unlikely photoshoot. Emerson is a supermodel who never models for commercial brands, but when her former best friend, Theo, is scheduled to shoot a four-day campaign for a retail giant, she knows that she needs to be one of the models. This story is full of so much tension and some truly delightful dialogue. All of the characters come to life to make the whole setting feel very real. I personally love a romance with a celebrity and Betty Cayouette does it really well.

Is a great choice for fans of Nora Goes Off Script.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for an Advanced Listener's Copy in exchange for my honest review.

*one last shot* by betty cayouette was not that great. the plot felt recycled and lacked originality, leaving me struggling to stay engaged. the characters were one-dimensional and didn't grow or evolve in any meaningful way, making it hard to care about their journeys. there was too much will they, won’t they. i don’t understand why they waited days to even discuss past events? nonsense.

I looooved this love story! I haven’t read a book by this Author before but I definitely will be keeping an eye of for their work in the future!

Emerson and Theo have all my heart, I’m not usually this much of a sucker when it comes to Romance but I thought that this was very well done.

I enjoyed all of the characters even the side ones, I also really loved the Authors note in the beginning about some of the more series parts of this story, I think it was done so tastefully!

Thank you so much Betty Cayouette for writing this incredible story and sharing it with me!

Big Thank you as well to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my no cost copy of “One Last Shot”.

I received this advance review copy at no personal cost and all opinions are voluntary.

I loved this audiobook. Wonderfully set in Italy, this book tells the story of a humble supermodel who realizes that her long lost love is childhood best friend. She makes it her mission to travel to Italy where he is set to photograph for a company, akin to a Walmart and below her status, just to get close to him again. All the while she is going through internal trauma she suffered during the years she was away from him. I thought it was great how the author prefaced the book with an SA warning. All in all a great enjoyable read, not too heavy.

This was a fun romance that definitely hit those summer vibes! I loved the setting and the romance was sweet, if a bit simple. A nice summer read!

[arc review]
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an alc 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 rounded up

One Last Shot is a debut romance about a supermodel and a photographer who get a second chance at romance. They were inseparable in high school and then lost touch with each other. They meet up in a photoshoot in Cinque Terre, Italy ten years later where supermodel Emerson is modeling and Theo is the photographer.

There is a dual timeline in this book to set up Emerson and Theo’s high school years and then splitting off periodically to present day, ten years later. I like the way the story slowly unfolded to reveal what happened to them in the past.

The book relies heavily on a miscommunication trope that I don’t particularly enjoy. However, I really enjoyed the last quarter of the book.

This is a solid debut and I look forward to more books by this author.

"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.

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette is a (former) friends to lovers/ marriage pact story that heavily relies on the miscommunication trope that I do not love as much. Theo and Emerson's story used the Italian Riviera as a beautiful backdrop and the model and photographer story was cute but in my view it lagged because the failures to communicate were overused to the point of being slightly annoying. As a debut novel this was still a decent read and listen with a lovely backdrop and the greatest snack food.
The audio was well done and the emotions came through !