Elisheva Cohen has come back to NYC after a decade away and 4 years of sobriety. She never intended to come return, but a prestigious art fellowship with the infamously reclusive Wyatt Cole was too good to pass up. In a Grey’s Anatomy-like twist, the rando dude she hooked up with at the bar the night before turns out to be none other than Professor Cole himself. Although he takes steps to create professional boundaries, he finds himself drawn to Ely. He has worked hard for his sobriety and notoriety, and he knows that he could lose it all. Is Ely worth the risk? For Ely, she’s just starting to build her reputation in the art world, and the last thing she needs is for her career to be over before it begins. On top of it all, she has to confront the reasons she left New York in the first place: the Orthodox community and her substance abuse.
This book had so many layers. It just kept getting better and better. The queer representation was excellent. Wyatt is transgender, and Lee did not shy away from discussing sex or identity. There were parts of the story that were frustrating to read. While it wasn’t exactly a “miscommunication trope,” it was lack of communication, which is just as frustrating. Just be adults and talk about it! This was a 4 star read for me. As for spice, I recall this being a bit more descriptive in a couple of scenes, so 3 peppers.

Victoria Lee who are you!?!? You have created such a wonderful book! It is everything! It’s deep, its real, it has everything I expected from a damn good and accurate insight on addiction/recovery/relapse! From having a fabulous transgender character and a Jewish character, to the on point grammar and terms used. I found myself using my kindle dictionary a few more times than usual and I LOVE THAT! Challenge me baby! Make me learn! Ely and Wyatt’s characters were 100% relatable for me having a history of substance abuse and I absolutely felt it in my bones when Ely called Wyatt from the bar. I’ve lived it! They had cute banter that made me giggle. Even the references to art in this seemed so perfect! This book was a home run and I couldn’t be more thrilled to run and scream it’s praises from the rooftop! You can bet I’m ordering it for ALL of my friends too!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

I received a copy from NetGalley for review.

So don't let the pretty colors on the cover fool you, this book requires a lot of emotional support to read and process. It follows Ely and Wyatt in a story about love, familial loss, and sobriety. There are tons of times throughout that you can feel the struggle that both have with their sobriety, especially Ely. I really appreciate the tension throughout the book of will they won't they that you get between our two leads. I also really liked that the main focus was Ely's journey with re-finding her path to Hashem and becoming a practicing Jew again. I can't comment on how accurate the Jewish representation is in the story, but it's definitely something I'm interested in googling later as there's so much I didn't know.

I don't really have much to comment about what I thought could be improved upon other then maybe some more interactions with Ely's roommates. Outside of that I think everything that needed to be wrapped up absolutely was.

This book was super cute! I've read a couple of Lee's other books and this one did not disappoint. The story was really good and I love how Lee blended the romance and plot together. A really good book.

This book is delightful. There's no other word for such a love letter to forging your own path and finding your way. It's funny and sexy and has a lot of heart all along the whole story. The authenticity of the story is so beautiful and I'll be thinking about it for a long long time.

A tender and thoughtful romance between two photographers, A Shot in the Dark explores identity, addiction, and the risks love is worth taking. Ely and Wyatt come to each other bearing heavy pasts that Lee handles with care through the entire story. I particularly loved Ely's journey as she finds a way to move forward after years of addiction and the resulting loss and pain that brought her, and I loved that way her Judaism was woven into this as she reconnects with a life she thought she left far behind. I thought this was a really beautiful story, and I really loved the push and pull of the romance between Ely and Wyatt and the love and care that grew between them both as the story went on. I highly recommend for those looking for a romance that grapples with some serious topics but also provides a well-earned HEA.

*Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Shot In The Dark by Victoria Lee is a very unique romance following a queer Jewish woman and a trans man in New York City. Ely has the chance of a lifetime when she is accepted into an art program for her photography. She will get to study under Wyatt Cole, a well known if a little elusive photographer. On her first night in New York, she goes to a club with her new roommates. She bumps into a man at the bar and they instantly have a connection while discussing sparkling water and sobriety. After a night she will never forget, Ely walks into class the next day only to find out the man she hooked up with is her idol, Wyatt.

I have read a few student/teacher romances and I have to say, the way this one proceeds is very unique and not something I have read before. I really appreciated it. This was such a strong book in my opinion. Both characters felt real and the struggles they had in their currently lives as a result of years of addiction was so well done. Ely’s struggles with her faith and trying to find herself were poignant and heartbreaking. Both characters have emotional baggage that makes it hard to open up to other people in their lives but they can confide in each other.

This book is told from both perspectives so you get to really know what these characters are thinking. Staying sober is a huge part of this book so if that’s at all triggering for you, it’s best to avoid this book. There are also discussions about death and abuse that are more hard hitting than a lot of typical romance books.

There is a third act conflict I wasn’t a fan of. It really felt shoehorned in and after two-thirds of the book being about the characters being open with each other, it just took me out of the story. Other than that, this was fantastic. This is something I would recommend to anyone looking for a romance book with a little more depth. Some romance books are just cute and have you kicking your feet and some romance books hit you in the feels. This one is the latter.

this was incredibleeeeee omg i beg you all to pick it up!! such a touching story of healing and finding community, with a lovely lovely romance at its centre. the connection and tension between ely and wyatt from the very beginning was just *chef's kiss* and only intensified as the novel went on. they are both so human and flawed and just truly brilliant three-dimensional characters, and absolutely perfect for one another in every way.

the writing is sharp, switching from humour that had me grinning like a fool to cutting deep with ease. the tone, despite not being as upbeat as typical for the genre, worked amazingly with the story. in fact, victoria lee has struck what is in my opinion the perfect balance between relationship development and everything else in a romance novel. it is heavy at times as both wyatt and eli navigate their recovery and eli grapples with her place within judaism without ever tipping into the realm of too much. at the same time, it gives plenty of space for their relationship to develop without squandering or trivialising the other threads of their lives. there are several side characters who a friend of mine compared quite accurately to those of casey mcquiston: they exist outside of the protagonists with their own lives, emotions and personalities, and are very easy to grow attached to. if you loved one last stop, then this is definitely a book for you, from the characters to the vibrant new york setting to the tender portrayal of queer identity.

a shot in the dark is easily one of my favourites of this year!

I don't think I have enough words to describe how much I loved this book (so please ignore the word vomit). The Jewish representation would be great on its own, but add in a Trans MMC/love interest and photography as the back drop and I am so sold. Ely and Wyatt are such an interesting and complex pairing. They go from barely knowing each other, to forming a professional relationship, and ultimately falling in love. They also both are in recovery for alcohol and substance abuse and these topics were handled so gracefully. I was pulled into the story immediately and not only were the addiction topics handled well, their relationship was also handled with care and how they each have personal struggles to work through. The found family was nicely done too and I was definitely getting teary and emotional throughout various parts of the book. I didn't really know what to expect going into this one, and I'm just completely blown away. The NYC setting was also great and I enjoyed a lot of the references in there. This was a fantastic book in every way and I can't believe it was my first Victoria Lee endeavor. Thank you to Penguin Random House/Ballantine Books for sending me an e-ARC to read and review!

2.5. eARC from netgalley
I wanted a lot more from this. It tried to do a lot with discussions of power in relationships, estranged family relationships, addiction, and religion. But the writing often felt like a first draft.

The characters were very underdeveloped. We learned so much about train lines in NY but so little about our characters. We kept being told that Ely loved her new roommates and friends even though we were never shown anything about them. Despite Wyatt narrating many chapters, we knew barely anything about his inner emotions. His motivations around their relationship were often really unclear.
Mentions of sexuality and gender were limited to the first few chapters, as if checking a box, and then never really touched again (except in explaining why Wyatt’s dad kicked him out), which felt untrue to real life.
While there were long discussions about substance abuse and Judaism throughout the book, they somehow still felt surface level. I kept wanting to be let in to their deeper thoughts, but I just don’t think the author had done the work to determine what those thoughts would be.

I really really enjoyed this book! I thought the story was so unique and it was nice to have a book that featured a trans man as a romantic interest. I don't know anything about photography but I enjoyed reading about it and the other art that the book spoke about. I kind of wish more of the Jewish terms were explained, because I felt like some were explained but then I had to look up a bunch of them, which isn't a huge deal. I enjoyed reading it so much, I was sad when it ended. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC.

I found the writing to be a little immature. I also couldn't tell if this was trying to be litfic/romance/or something else.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy. Lee's books have been hit or miss for me, so I went into this one with no expectations. I ended up really enjoying this. I think the characters were well developed and I definitely could empathize with them and the things they were going through. I also fell in love right along with them both. I liked the variety of queer characters. I don't love New York, but it's clear that Lee does because of the way it comes through as the setting of A Shot in the Dark. I definitely recommend this one.

premise:
contemporary fictional romance / dramedy
told in dual first-person POV (but MOSTLY from our main character)
26-year-old pansexual Elishiva "Ely" Cohen returns to New York City from LA after being kicked out of her family home eight years ago, to study at the Parker art academy/institute(I'm probably fucking this title up, I'm sorry but just know it's super important and prestigious and a BIG DEAL)
After meeting her cool new queer roommates, Ophelia and Diego, and attending a gay club, Revel, Ely has a one-night stand with a hot trans man who is originally from North Carolina
When Ely sits down for class the next day, she realizes her steamy one night stand is her new young professor, 32-year-old, world-renowned mixed-media artist Wyatt Cole
Both Wyatt & Ely are in recovery; 10 years and 4 years respectively
Ely's New York past -that includes her younger sister Dvora and her childhood friend Chaya especially- haunts her and she grapples with the guilt she feels of being back there
However, Ely makes a new frum (Jewish, religious, observant) friend, Michal, and unpacks her own biases of the Jewish community (Ely is ex-Orthodox) as she gets to know Michal's community via weekly Shabbos
Ely & Wyatt fight their feelings for each other but the summer sun is not the only thing that heats up!
cw: addiction, alcohol, death(s), (underage) drug use, toxic friendship, family disowning because of transphobia, child abuse (referred to), antisemitic thoughts recognized and challenged by narrator
steam: 2/5 --- there's a *lot* of angst, longing and tension that I felt sooooo strongly and that's what is adding to this score

thoughts:
oh my goshhhhhhh. wow. This is the first book I have read by Victoria Lee (they/she/he) and I am just in awe. I think Victoria Lee is now a new auto-buy author for me -- they are funny (meaning there's some millennial and pop culture humor, like a Love Is Blind reference hahah), thoughtful, evocative and take such great care in crafting realistic and wholly fleshed-out dialogue and characters.

First of all, I adored Ely's voice and humor, even the self-deprecating parts of it. Ely is one of my favorite characters of the year. This sounds so cheesy but she was just so desperately, beautifully human. Ely was still quite wrecked over the past she shares with the family she no longer speaks to, and yet, she reckoned with missing the community and missing her connection to her spirituality. I grew up in a Roman Catholic household so I can't speak to the representation of Orthodox Judaism but I deeply appreciated Ely's introspection and memories tied to her culture and religion. I felt and believed her longing for it, and her pain in feeling she was unworthy of it now.

Wyatt's dynamic with his family -the wondering of why they didn't fight for him harder- was so tough because you can't help BUT wonder when you are unable to get clear answers from the people who were supposed to love and support you. I appreciated that we saw representation of Wyatt attending Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and how he discussed these issues there too. I respect the holistic view of examining our habits and choices, and I welcome the attitude that Wyatt has when it comes to relapses. I love that no one was villainized or portrayed as evil just because they were an addict. Ely especially already carried enough guilt, accountability, and feelings of shame so I adored that Wyatt remained so encouraging and hopeful of her journey.

As far as Wyatt & Ely's romance, I love a funny professor x student setup. It's funny because I totally would talk so much shit if this was my real life (say, if a professor started dating one of their students at my university) but I loved the setup of the one-night stand. It absolutely gave Grey's Anatomy & I enjoyed the explicit nod to it in Ely's thoughts haha.

I will be adding all of Victoria's books to my Libby holds and looking for them on Kobo, Hoopla & Libro.fm -- I'm officially a Victoria Lee stan & no one can stop me!

quotations that stood out to me (this was hard because I highlighted SO much):
I should have listened the first time someone told me it was a problem, that time Chaya Levy and I had our big fight when we were sixteen and she told me that I was a threat to her Yiddishkeit and we had to take a friendship break. You’re just a little too intense, she said, and the accusation flung me into the kind of immediate, reactive rage that pretty much proved her point.

Maybe my problem isn’t caring too much after all. Maybe it’s that I take every possible opportunity to gamble away the things I care about on high stakes for stupid prizes.
Or as my sponsor would put it: “Ely, you sure do like to fuck around and find out.”

I wonder what it’s like to exist in the world as someone who didn’t ruin their life when they were eighteen.

My want is a living, throbbing thing inside me, unignorable. I squirm beneath him as he does it again; fucking torturous, it really is...He touches me like he actually cares if I get off, like he actually cares more about my getting off, even, than his own. And maybe that shouldn’t be a rare quality, but it kind of is. Or maybe I have a habit of giving myself to people who want me for very different reasons. I’ve never asked for more. Never thought there was more to demand.

This is literally TV-drama behavior, without the benefits. I’m pretty sure this is the plot of the first episode of Grey’s Anatomy. Only McDreamy didn’t kick Meredith Grey out of her surgical internship afterward—we got multiple seasons of yearning stares and steamy scenes in surgical supply closets.

It feels like the kind of coincidence that shouldn’t happen in real life. New York is huge. That’s one thing I like about this city: the anonymity. I’ve lived here long enough to have plenty of stories about missed connections, people I ran into one time on the subway or at the grocery store and never saw again. I have neighbors in my building who I’ve only met one time in six years. A part of me thinks I should deconstruct my office and search for hidden cameras, because surely this is some kind of joke. It’s not, though, and I know it’s not. I just have that kind of luck.

Art is a form of telepathy, really. You have an idea, or a feeling, and you try to get someone else—someone totally different from you, with different wants and fears and interests—to share your emotions, even if just for a moment. It doesn’t always work. But when it does, it’s the best experience in the entire world.

Working with film is one of my all-time favorite things. It’s so . . . physical, so profane. I like the way the negatives feel between my fingers, delicate as glass. The smell of chemicals. Maybe it’s the ex-Orthodox in me, still addicted to the art of ritual.

Recovery isn’t magic. You can’t just show up to a few meetings and get better. You have to want it. That took me way too long to internalize.

“All art is flawed,” Wyatt says, sounding surprisingly sage for a guy with neck tats and a penchant for arguing about sparkling water. “You can’t chase perfection. You just have to figure out what you wanna say, and then say it.”

Wyatt blew my world right open.

I’ve always liked the kind of art that pulls back the curtain and shows you that your reality isn’t the only reality.

“Losing your family, all at once . . . it’s like a death. Like the part of you that used to exist is gone, and you have to become someone new.”

“That’s what art’s all about—vulnerability. Peel your skin off, and let the wolves feast.”

But New York refused to hold me at arm’s length. It grabbed me with both hands and pulled me in, wrapping me up tight.

I became a filter through which the rest of the world passed—voices, sensations, the throb of the music. I was a bee trapped in its own honey. Everything tasted golden and sweet.

Everything Wyatt says to me feels like a hug, his fingers squeezing my shoulders and the skin of his cheek warm against mine.

But Ophelia called me her friend. And that’s pretty much enough to make me ride or die for her. I smile, the first real smile of the night. “Thanks. You’re . . . a very kind person, you know that?”
“It’s basic human decency,” Ophelia says, “but I appreciate the sentiment all the same.”

That’s one thing I missed about New York. All these people—all these lives, each with its own story, its own history and hopes and fears. Millions of people in this city living in their own social webs, silver threads connecting them to friends, lovers, sisters. The tenuous, fragile thread that connects them to me, in this moment where our stories intersect before we depart in our own separate directions. Makes you feel small. A tiny plankton in a massive ocean teeming with life. Your own problems become small too.

I know that feeling too well—the sickly blend of shame and anger, even after all these years still not being sure who to blame more: them or yourself. The deadly undercurrent of hope that one day, just maybe, they might change their minds and come back for you.

He keeps searching my face, no doubt looking for the reaction we always expect: disgust, revulsion, disappointment. The same emotions we usually see painted over everyone’s faces when we confess our darkest moments—the stolen credit cards, the used needles, the blow jobs in back alleys that you swore you’d never trade for dope until you did.
I hope he doesn’t find any of that there when he looks at me.
I hope he knows how deeply I understand.

The problem, as usual, is me. Because I’m pathologically incapable of not overthinking things, and it fucks me over every time.

It’s worth it. It hurts, but it’s worth it. That’s why we do this, isn’t it? We want to say something important. But in art, you can’t just say what you want to say outright. You have to wrap it up in layers of meaning and symbolism and trust that your viewer will be able to unwrap them. Even when it’s scary. Even when it hurts.”

Time to rip my heart open and spill out the gore.

I feel like I’ve been fighting my whole life just to be normal—the kind of person who can handle herself. Handle shit going wrong. Instead I’m intense, like Chaya told me during the worst of our fights. I feel things too much. I don’t know how to tone it down, or shut it off, or whatever it is other people do to keep their minds sailing along on an even keel.

I don’t know if I believe him—or if it takes ten years to get to that point—but I’m still glad he said it. I wrap those words up and keep them safe in the corner of my heart, where they might take root and maybe—one day—have a chance of becoming true.

Even looking at her feels sinful.

A lot of Jews believe them. But those beliefs don’t fill my cup the way religion used to. I want the feeling of arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. I want the structure of halacha and mitzvot, the rules and commandments all Jews are bound to follow as part of our covenant with Hashem—even the silly ones. I want to believe in G-d, but I gave all that up. I threw it away. I don’t know what I believe now.

The door isn’t open, but it isn’t shut anymore either. Maybe Wyatt was right. There’s always a way back.

It’s not much—it barely qualifies as observing Shabbos—but it’s something. And it counts.

Every moment we share now feels so precious and hard-won.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I was used to. I am not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this book really surprised me in a good way. I gave it three stars, but it is closer to 3.5. I think the characters were full of passion that I could feel through the pages. This story really hits on heavy topics that I don't normally read a lot. I want to say that Victoria (the author) did a really good job portraying the pain and anxiety that comes with addiction, but I almost wish there was more from both the main characters' pasts. This was a solid read that I enjoyed!

4.75⭐️
Rep: Pansexual Jewish FMC, Trans MMC

Cw: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Physical abuse, Child abuse

I really did love this book. A Shot in the Dark is a contemporary romance that examines recovery from substance abuse, difficult childhoods, falling in love, and figuring out what your future holds.

This novel is written in 1st person dual pov between the two main characters, with a few flashbacks scattered about. The flashbacks worked perfectly for me and were placed just where I was yearning for some more background info.

This book taught me so much about Jewish culture and I really loved it for that. I did have to look up some terms at times but it was still really easy for me to understand everything (as someone who knows almost nothing about any religion).

The chemistry between the two characters was really strong, I don’t see how that could ever be argued. However, the whole “can we can’t we” got pretty old pretty quick.

The first few chapters and the last few chapters didn’t really do it for me, but everything else felt perfect. I just felt that the ending had way too much conflict thrown in in a really short amount of time.

I really wish and hope that this is advertised more as a contemporary than a romance. I went into this expecting a pretty fluffy romance, even from the synopsis, and it was anything but.

Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a heavy contemporary about starting your life over with a dash of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

There is absolutely nothing that Victoria Lee could write that I would not read. Lee always manages to capture the queer experience in unique and exciting ways. I can’t wait to read more of Lee’s future works.

(3.5 stars)

A lighthearted queer romance that despite the heavy trauma faced by the MCs shines in its acceptance of harsh realities but also the chance to constantly get back up again no matter what!

A Shot in the Dark follows Ely as she is just about to begin a prestigious photography program only to realize the teacher she's most looking forward to working with is none other than the man she just had a one night stand with. Oops....

Overall, I found this to be a quick, enjoyable read. With a trans MC, two former addicts, exploration of religion, and the lives of struggling artists, this could have been a much heavier read, but it's often broken up with great banter and quiet beautiful moments that give it a light hearted and relatable vibe. Although I did struggle with the pacing at times and the speed in which the relationship developed time, the nuance with which the characters are written and the overall premise more than make up for it.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

**TRIGGER WARNING FOR SUBSTANCE USE** This book is phenomenal. Usually, I wouldn't say I like the student/teacher trope. However, this was executed in such a way that it was different than I have ever read before. If you have a substance use disorder or are triggered by substance use, you may want to skip reading this book. As someone currently in college to work with this population, I think the book did an excellent job of showing the internal thought process of someone in recovery. It also did a fantastic job of touching on sensitive topics. The consent the characters have when discussing issues, sharing stories, having sex, and spending time together is refreshing. The love story itself is a slow burn in the best possible way. We can see the internal struggles from each point of view and find out exactly why communication is essential for them. It's a book that I will be reading again. The LGBTQIA+ representation was terrific. The religious trauma was portrayed in a way that allowed you to feel it if you have ever faced any of these issues. Seeing the inclusivity of different groups in the LGBTQIA+ community was very nice. There were so many genders and sexualities represented.

Once I picked this book up I could not put it down. I basically filled every moment of my free time with this book over two days. It had me hooked.

I am generally really picky with romance or romantic books because I so often find love stories just aren't believable to me. But, everything about this love story felt real and raw and so believable. I loved that this book focused on so much more than just the romance between the two characters. Getting to see Ely's journey with her Jewish identity and seeing Ely and Wyatt both navigate their sobriety (together and individually) made this story really stick with me. The ups and downs of the characters made the romance that much more believable and getting to see into their separate lives before meeting each other and as their romance developed made me really invested in them both.

Additionally, while this book does dive into heavier topics (I would check the content warnings before reading) I really felt that they were handled with care.