I've been following Betty's book recommendations on social media for a while, and her pitch for this book sounded right up my alley so I am ecstatic that I got an ARC of her book from Netgalley.
I thought this was such a wonderful debut! I admit I found the writing a bit clunky at the beginning, but it improved as we got deeper into the story. I'm a sucker for childhood friends-to-lovers romances, the characters were really well developed, their love story and reasoning made perfect sense, and most importantly the pining was on point! I'll add that I was skeptical about the setting in a popular tourist destination and the model/photographer aspect of this story, because these can easily veer into corny territory (in my opinion), but Betty incorporated these seamlessly into the story. I also really appreciated the author's note, and I think she did a wonderful job in getting her ideas across to the reader. I breezed through One Last Shot in 2 days and had a great time!
If you like romances like "Love and other words" or "People we meet on vacation", I think you'll enjoy this one!

<b>One Line Review:</b> They were everything to each other from the moment they met, inseparable until one day… they weren’t. Theo and Em have navigated the last 10 years apart from each other but will fate and a well-timed reminder be able to bring them back to where they may have once belonged?

<b>Synopsis:</b> Theo and Emerson were as close as any two friends could be in their younger years, not a day going by without them venturing off to experience life together. The two jokingly made a pact with each other that no matter what cards life dealt them, by their 28th birthdays they would marry one another. Emerson, on a stroke of luck, was scouted by a modeling agent in a mall and began her whirlwind career as a model, while Theo’s passion grew rapidly for photography. Their friendship naturally developed into something much more, believing they would be together forever, until one day the weren’t. Time and circumstance seemed to separate them without warning in the most vicious of ways, leaving Theo with a broken heart.

Ten years later, the marriage pact reminder goes off in both of their phones. Emerson, now one of the world’s greatest supermodels, needs to see Theo again, believing that he is her truest and greatest love. But a question that needs answering, has the distance been too great to allow the one-time friends to be brought back together?

<b>My Thoughts:</b> Couple things to note, if you are not a fan of certain tropes, still give this book a chance. I am an avid hater of a miscommunication trope, but this leant into the story line in a way that didn’t bother me once I understood more about Emerson’s character. BUT if you are a friends to lovers trope fan you better add this to your TBR because omg.
When I tell you there was <b>more than one moment during reading this that I actually teared up</b>… This book hit right in the softest part of my little hopeless romantic heart, and I loved every minute of it. This. This book was exactly the sweet, romantic, minimally spicy read that I needed in 2024, and I very much look forward to buying the physical copy to add to my shelf when release date comes! The cover is dreamy, and EXACTLY what I pictured as the setting!
I want to take a special second to thank Net Galley and Betty Cayouette for the opportunity to read such an amazing debut… I will absolutely be keeping Betty on my short list of authors to look out for in the future! 4.5 stars all day long in my eyes.

Last but not least, I do want to give one VERY slight trigger warning, there is one direct mention of SA toward the end but is extremely brief, and a few hints toward what happened lightly throughout.

The premise of this book intrigued me but I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. It was hard to follow with the flashbacks, and I think that is because the book was so slow at times it was hard to remember what you were even reading. I think I just don’t prefer books where the entire story hinges on a small miscommunication. 2/5 stars

This book started off strong, was hard to push through in the middle and then the ending made it all worth it. It was too wordy for me in the middle it felt forced to be longer, but overall a fun read.

“The only life I’ve ever wanted is the one where I’m with you.”
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high school best friends Emerson and Theo made a pact that if they weren’t married by their 28th birthdays, they’d marry each other.

but one breakup, a couple devastating events, and a decade later when their phones remind them of their vow, it’s been years since they’ve spoken to each other. undeterred by their distance and invigorated by the reminder, Emerson uses her supermodel status to book a spot in Theo’s upcoming Italian photo campaign in order to see if there’s any love to rekindle.

although it’s filled with way more miscommunication than I generally enjoy, One Last Shot is a sweet story of two people who’ve been all around the world finding their way back to each other.
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this and that:
♡ aspiring authors
♡ donut quests
♡ drunken confessions
♡ dual pov
♡ fashion model / photographer
♡ flashbacks
♡ friends-to-lovers
♡ gelato
♡ high school sweethearts
♡ hiking
♡ Italian sunrises
♡ jet-setting
♡ marriage pacts
♡ one bed
♡ open door
♡ road trips
♡ second chances
♡ thursday movies nights
♡ questions and answers games
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triggers:
☞ bullying
☞ hoarding
☞ parental death
☞ rape (discussed but occurs off-page)
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notable quotes:
・“bet on yourself.”

・“You deserve to have everything you’ve ever wanted and to wake up every day and be so excited for what you’re going to do that it hurts.”

・“The only life I’ve ever wanted is the one where I’m with you.”

・“This is what getting everything you’ve ever wanted looks like.”

・“all of my best days are with you.”

・“I’ve been waiting to be with you my entire life”

・“I could have anything I want, but you are all that I want”
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thank you SMP Romance for providing me with an early copy for review!

A love story told from freshman year to senior year and ten years later concurrently, this book was a treat in a much more flushed out and realized that you would expect for a summer romance book.

I fell in love with the characters and it almost read like a thriller with me rushing to find what had happened all those years ago.

Great read.

Emerson is a famous model who after breaking up with her boyfriend realizes she has 'one last shot' to reconnect with her high school best friend, Theo. They separated under unclear circumstances and haven't spoken in 10 years. She finagles her way onto a photoshoot that Theo is the photographer for in Italy. Neither person knows the other's true feelings or intentions, which created tension and uncertainty.

I enjoyed this book. I liked both main characters and the format of the story with it being told in past and present timelines as well as dual POV. Knowing the basis of their friendship helped me to connect to the characters and root for them to repair the hurts they both had from their separation years ago. When Theo and Emerson are together, they clearly have chemistry and I felt it even more in the past chapters when they were in high school, There are deeper topics throughout this book including a sexual assault (not described on page), hoarding, and parental abandonment. I will say that if you have a problem with miscommunication, this book will not be for you as it is ripe with it. That didn't bother me so much, because the basis for it seemed realistic, but at times I felt like the burn was a little too slow. I would have liked a bit more physical contact between the two characters early on to build on that tension and the push/pull energy. I'd recommend this for people who liked Every Summer After and The Infinity Between Us.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to the author and St. Martin’s for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This premise sounded so cute but unfortunately the book didn’t pull through. The writing was very stilted and awkward, and the pacing was all over the place - slow when it should have been fast and vice versa. I had a hard time getting myself to power through, even through some of my favorite tropes (second chance romance and friends to lovers). This book just needed much more time spent on development before going out into the world.

This debut novel by TikTok influencer Betty Cayouette is a second chance romance about a super model and a photographer who were inseparable in high school but haven't spoken to each other in the 10 years since graduation. When they were 18, Emerson and Theo made a pact that if they weren't married yet at 28 that they would marry each other and then set a reminder on their phones. Emerson is now a famous supermodel living a glamourous life but has never found a man she cares for as much as Theo. When the reminder goes off on her phone she is determined to have one last shot at a relationship with Theo so has her agent arrange for her to be a model on his 4 day photo shoot in Italy the following week. The story is told from the point of view of both characters in the present and also in flashbacks to their four years of high school friendship.

An enjoyable romance set in a beautiful location although it's a bit slow moving and the miscommunication that is central to the plot is frustrating. Most of the story takes place in Cinque Terre, Italy but there wasn't enough focus on the setting for me - I would have loved a greater sense of place. Overall a good debut novel that will be a fun summer read!

The author provides a content warning for sexual assault. It doesn't occur on the page - the focus is on how she dealt with the trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

TW: SA, R@pe
Spice: 🌶️

This book was super cute, and a really good palate cleanser for a break from my dragon books. A bit of Italy, some romance, and a sweet “high school sweethearts” type of love.

One Last Shot was an easy read about a model named Emerson with a rough upbringing, who swiftly makes friends with a cute jock named Theo on the very first day of Freshman orientation. The two quickly hit it off, and from that day through the rest of high school, they’re inseparable friends. They make a pact that in 10 years, if neither of them are married by 28, they’ll get married to each other.

Fast forward to 10 years later, and the two haven’t spoken in that entire length of time. One thing leads to another however, and the two are on the same shoot; Theo as the photographer for the brand, and Emerson as a model on set.

The reconnection of old friends/lovers in this book was cute, if a little disjointed. There were a bunch of times where even though I knew I wasn’t getting the full story, I felt thrust into part of the story in a way that was really confusing. The book was cute and quick, but I didn’t find myself falling in love with either of the characters. Owen, sure, but not Theo or Em.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!

I will be honest and admit I didn't have high hopes for this book since this is the author's first novel. Well, shame on me because this was fantastic! I couldn't put it down and found myself wondering about the story throughout my day when I wasn't reading.

This is a second chance, dual pov and dual timeline romance. The timeline switches between current day when the characters are 28 and their high school years.

I'm normally not a friends to lovers kind of girl but Betty really pulled this off. I loved reading the high school chapters and reading about their friendship through their teen years so much. The rekindling of their friendship and ultimately their romantic love was so beautiful.

The chemistry between Theo and Emerson is palpable. The flashbacks to their high school experience pulls you in and doesn't let go.

If I could change one thing about the book I would shorten the descriptions of the photo shoot details. I found myself skipping through some of the description. However, I absolutely loved that the book took place in Cinque Terre, Italy. It is what compelled me to request this book as an ARC.

I really hope Betty is working on another novel because I can't wait to read more of her stories!

This was a lighthearted, second chance-ish romance. A calendar reminder of a marriage pact spurs Emerson to connect with Theo, hoping he still feels something for her. As a model, Emerson gets herself booked on a photo shoot featuring Theo as the photographer. With limited time, and roadblocks in the way, can they/should they end up together, 10 years later?

I would consider this a fun beach-esque read. The Italian setting made me think of vacations, even though Emerson and Theo were clearly working! I would definitely pick up another book by the author.

Book Review: One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Synopsis: Supermodel Emerson has been the go to high end fashion model for a decade. While all of her relationships have been with superficial men, a week before her 28th birthday, a reminder pops up on her phone of a marriage pact she made with her best friend from high school, Theo, whom she is now estranged from after their friendship became something more. Theo is a fashion photographer shooting campaigns for a more traditional mass market clothing line, however, every once in a while, he gets to extend his creativity in a beautiful local, this time, Cinque Terre. However, he is thrown for a loop when one of the models for this shoot is none other than Emerson. As they have one week on this shoot together, will they finally figure out what happened in their pasts, that could potentially lead to an even greater future?

Review: OMG, how cute are Emerson and Theo together?? In this delicious debut from Betty Cayouette, we get to see dual POV AND timeline, to show how these two came to be and how they came back together. I truly appreciated how Betty wove these storylines together, and the past and present were really great at mirroring each other in the story.

However, at times, it felt like it was difficult to understand the motivations behind the second chance part of the story, as due to the quick nature of the photo shoot. I had to, at times, suspend reality in working through all the previous relationship trauma in only a week, especially compared to the years that we got in the past to show the growth.

I also appreciated the side characters in the form of Emerson’s group. They truthfully helped to prop her up in her growth as a character. I only wish we had a few more moments with them!

Overall, this is a fantastic debut, and I would highly recommend it if you love any of the tropes!

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a great summer romance read and a solid debut novel!

Emerson and Theo are brought back together by a marriage pact they made in high school, after 10 years of not speaking to each other. Emerson is a successful model and Theo is a photographer. Their reunion happens on a photo shoot in Cinque Terre, which is the perfect location for a summer read. It’s absolutely magical and Cayouette did a great job making you feel like you were there.

The pacing was a little interesting in this book, it felt really fast at times and then super slow and focused on things that didn’t really seem to matter at other points. Tropes-wise the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope was a big one throughout the whole novel. It’s not my favorite trope and I struggled at some points because a lot of it was for no reason. There was a resolution, but it was a struggle to get there. The dual POV made it a little easier to handle, because you got both sides of the story.

Overall it was a good first novel for the author and I’ll definitely read what she puts out next. This book was cute and I would recommend it to someone who likes a friends to lovers, second chance romance, with a little international spice thrown in.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut, friends to lovers to estranged to friends to lovers, model/photograher on set in Italy, is a new favorite. And Betty Cayouette is a new auto-buy author. This book changed me as a romance reader. I've loved romance for years now, but I've been very picky about certain things, and this fabulous author made me chill the eff out on my requirements.
Suddenly:
I'm a convert to dual timeline.

I don't so much mind the "I didn't want to ruin the friendship" reason that it took a pair of friends an eternity (not really, but it is a slow burn) to become lovers.

Mariana Zapata is no longer the only author who can make me be okay with waiting so long to see a kiss. It just made sense for these two, and it was so worth the wait.

Don't get me wrong: this is open door. It just takes time to get there.

And the proposal. I saw one only remotely similar on reality TV a few years ago, and thought it was ridiculous. But in these pages, knowing that it wasn't crafted by a producer, rather by the author who created the people themselves and that the proposal was perfect for them, rather than perfect for fame.... I think it's my favorite proposal scene that I've ever read or seen. Anywhere. Ever.

And now I'm off to go find her booksta, and her ⏰ app account. Because I need to know everything about how she worked this magic on my stringent rules. 🤣

This book was really slow, and it was hard to be invested in the characters. I found the constant lack of communication really annoying.

This was a cute little romance book, but there was just something missing to make it really good. The miscommunication really threw me off, as it is the worst trope for me.

This book was an absolute delight, the dynamic between Emerson and Theo stole my heart and overall I really enjoyed their love story.

Initially, the pacing felt perfect, setting a promising tone. However, as I progressed through a few chapters, particularly in the middle, it began to feel a bit slower than I would have liked and unfortunately the miscommunication trope went on far too long for my personal liking. I loved the characters together and to me I needed just a bit more context and background to why they wouldn't just talk through the problem.

The book features several beloved tropes, including second chance romance, best friends to lovers and plenty of slow burn. These elements added depth to the story.

There were several things I loved about this book, the alternating narrator, the alternating timeline and the friendship between Emerson and Theo. Cayouette did a great job showing the deep bond they created at a young age, how it affected their lives and what that friendship meant to both of them. The authors note at the start of the book and how she handled such a traumatic, and difficult topic with respect and as few details as possible (while still getting the point across). One Last Shot was a great debut and a fun read.
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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

High school besties meet back up in Italy. One is a super model and the other is photographing the shoot.

This book is so well written. I love flashbacks/second chance romance with best friends but a lot of times I feel like the back story is really under developed. This was not the case with this book. I loved both characters and their stories. The pacing of the story was also great.

Thanks netgalley for the early access! I will be rewriting a full review in a few weeks