Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I much prefer the ""show, not tell" style of writing to this. The characters felt surface level as well as their relationships within each other. Just boils down to personal preference but I am sure there are many out there that will enjoy the quick-pace, second chance romance. Happy I had the chance to read this one. Congrats to the author on her debut!

Betty’s Book List was the first bookstagram account I stumbled on and now here I am getting to review it!

In her debut novel, Betty Cayouette introduces us to Emerson and Theo, who felt an instant connection as freshmen during high school, but were both too nervous to share their feelings with the other. And while they were inseparable during high school, they haven’t spoken in ten years. Now, an alarm has gone off on both of their phones, reminding them that they made a marriage pact more than a decade ago. Emerson is determined to fix their relationship after running away from Theo when they were 18, and modelling in his latest ad campaign is her perfect opportunity.

Knowing that Betty worked in the fashion industry, and dreamed of being a writer, makes this novel all the more special. It should also be mentioned that there is a very meaningful trigger warning at the beginning of the novel, which respectfully addresses that trauma is part of people’s lives, but is not all that they are.

#NetGalleyARC Oh I LOVED this book. Maybe I’m partial because I’m a Salem girl and the author is also from Salem but outside of the Salem connection I loved this book. It’s such a great friends to lovers story. Emerson and Theo are so well written and feel like they could be people we know. A definite must read!

I have a lot of feelings about this and most of them are positive, none of them are really negative they’re just neutral or confused 😂

I loved loved loved how despite their hesitation or uncertainty, Theo and Emerson fall so easily back into their pattern of caring for each other (especially Theo knowing her tells and what she needs when she won’t admit it). The way they were so familiar with each other as people despite the years.

They are both terrible at communicating. Like painfully so. Especially when every time they DO actually communicate with each other effectively, the other responds well with kindness and acceptance. This person has literally never once judged you for anything, and the reveal is almost anticlimactic because after all that sadness and loneliness and distress, it’s just like “… you could have told me. It doesn’t change how I feel”.

Anyway they’re cute and I hope they live happily ever after!

what a feel good reading! Its like watching a rom-com and it's absolutely what I needed today. The writing was easily digestible and well paced. It was funny, entertaining, and I truly enjoyed the time period flash backs to build the story. It was witty and heartfelt...I had so much fun reading this! Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this in advance!

I really liked this book! I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, and boy was this one a hit! Not only was it set in coastal Italy (who wouldn’t like that setting!?) but it also tackles real life issues - and I appreciated how it was handled, with care. Of course, the romance was so cute too! I loved the relationships that Emerson and Theo had with their families/best friends and how they developed theirs from years ago - the dual timeline also really went well with the book!

The miscommunication part towards the end did make me a bit iffy (it’s not my favorite trope) but l liked how to book ended.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was just ok for me. I found myself bored a times and I wish they would of just COMMUNICATED, It was very frustrating and I wanted to DNF but I powered through. It did have its cute moments and I enjoyed the parts when they were teenagers more. It just didn't grab my attention that I wanted to.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A super cute debut romance novel, "One Last Shot" is a sweet, adult, friends to romance type book that had me hooked from the beginning. Dual POV, slow burn, steamy > spicy, and a beautiful love story.

Emerson and Theo are old "friends" who haven't seen one another in a decade due to a falling out. After a decade apart they're thrown together as supermodel Emerson is reminded of the pact the two made when they were 18. Strings are pulled and photography god Theo is roped in to Emerson's newest shoot and the drama quickly ramps up from there,

The book was a little slow going but it was thoroughly enjoyable and I found myself rooting for Theo and Emerson and wanting to know more and more about their past history together. This book was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written debut romance.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Theo and Emerson have been separated for 10 years since they were seniors in high school. Emerson feels called to see Theo again when she gets a notification on Theo's birthday about their marriage pact- if they are not married by 28 they will marry each other. Being a world-famous model she uses her connections to go to Cinque Terra, where Theo is the photographer on the shoot. Will they be able to reconnect and honor their marriage pact?

This was a great romance book. I really liked Emerson and thought she was well-round in being successful, down to earth, a girl's girl, and independent. I was rooting for her and enjoyed all of her parts.

Theo was a weaker point for me. He was very codependent and whiny. He just felt like someone who thinks he always has to protect Emerson from every little thing, when she is a grown woman who has handled herself for the last decade. It is admirable that he doesn't want someone he loves to be hurt in any way and wants to be sure she is healthily dealing with her emotions, but he was suffocating. I hate to say it but he gave "nice guys" vibes at times. However, he isn't toxic so of course, I was rooting for them to be together. Though sometimes Harry was more interesting than him, I saw his appeal much more.

With this being a romance book, it of course has some common tropes such as miscommunication. While I did not mind that because I knew what I was reading, when we were on about the 80th back and forth of miscommunication with about 6 small chapters left it was pretty played out. It didn't make me not like the book or anything, but I wanted something slightly more original. Overall, I do recommend this book as it is one of the better contemporary romance books I have read with a very likable female protagonist.

I've followed Betty's Book List for a few years. I was excited when she announced she had written and published a book, but I was also a little nervous to read it. What if it changed how I felt about the account I enjoyed so much? Thankfully, I loved One Last Shot!!

This is a second-chance, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance about a supermodel and a brand photographer who reconnect just as the marriage pact they made as teens is nearing. After a string of meaningless relationships, Emerson decides she wants another chance with Theo; she arranges to get hired on the campaign he is shooting in Cinque Terre, Italy, to win him back.

Is the premise a little out there? Yes.
Did it matter? Not at all!

I loved Emerson and Theo separately, and I loved them even more together. They were the perfect complement to each other, and it was almost brutal having to wait so long for them to get together. I don't usually love slow burns, but it didn't bother me in One Last Shot. Their chemistry was fire, and I loved their banter.

One Last Shot switches between past and present and also shifts narrators. I don't always love the past and present back and forth because it often pulls me out of the story, but it was perfectly done. I was eager to know what happened in each timeline, and the transitions never bothered me. I am also really glad we got to hear from Emerson and Theo because it helps round out the story and provides a complete picture.

The Italian setting was easy to picture in my mind and made the story all that much more enjoyable. Most of the book was pretty tame, but there was one spicy scene, which was worth the wait.

I highly recommend this to all the romance lovers out there! I can't wait for Betty's next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC!

The concept was great in theory but the execution let me down. The miscommunication was INSANE. One time is forgivable. Maybe two. But the whole time no one was honest and it caused so many awkward moments for no reason! Also, none of the dialogue felt genuine or natural. Unfortunately, there’s something in the writing that makes everything sound stilted or like a caricature. Even with a dual point of view, the reader was more told than shown how the characters felt and that kept me from really connecting with them. My favourite part was definitely the flashbacks! Those were written really well and were really adorable. I definitely like Theo and Emerson better at 18 years old than at 28.

I loved the plot and I was rooting for Emerson and Theo, but overall I was surprised to see the miscommunication trope used so many times by a writer that we know reads so much romance. Their love story was cute, but they annoyed me pretty much the whole way through because of how they acted.

I absolutely adored this debut novel! This is a well written work of art that will give you all the feels. One Last Shot is my favorite second-chance romance I have ever read (and I’ve read A LOT)!

The story of Theo and Emerson is perfection. I cannot wait to see what Betty comes up with next!

This was such a fun second change romance read. I was rooting for the characters the whole time! I loved the chemistry the characters had as well as the flashbacks to show how they built their relationship. This will definitely make me reach for more of Betty’s books!

I have many a qualm about TikTokers/influencers becoming authors, and I feel bad taking it out on One Last Shot, but someone needs to say it (maybe? I'm just a jaded old woman okay), and I think this book is the perfect example of it. The author, given her social media, surely has read so many romance novels, and yet this entire book hinges on miscommunication after miscommunication, which makes it incredibly frustrating to read through. In addition, I think that the primary miscommunication that their entire relationship hinges on was mishandled and the way it was dealt with by the characters was, frankly, unbelievable (I also am aware that the author addresses it in the author's note in the beginning, so I feel for her, but it just seems like the way it was handled was insensitive). Additionally, I found the writing to be quite awkward and the pacing of the book to be very up in the air. The flashbacks were supposed to show the two falling in love but they seemed to zoom in on inconsequential moments that just made them seem incredibly horny for each other instead of building an emotional connection. Finally, (I'm so sorry for being complainy but this book was such a pain to get through) I thought that Emerson's character was incredibly dense. She talks all the time in her inner monologue about being this strong, girl's girl model but every time she interacted with someone she was so....personality-less and rude. It was definitely more telling than showing and made me not want to root for her.

I think this was a solid attempt for a debut, and readers who loved second-chance, dual timeline and (!) dual POV would be interested. Thank you SMP and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Emerson and Theo meet in high school and quickly become best friends. When they are eighteen, they make a pact to marry each other if they are both single when they turn twenty-eight. Fast-forward 10 years, Emerson is now a world-famous model who seems to have it all, and Theo is a photographer who isn't entirely passionate about his career. Emerson is reminded of their pact as her 28th birthday approaches and immediately seeks out Theo to participate in his next photo shoot in Italy. While working on the campaign, the two try to sort out their feelings for each other as they start healing from their past.

I've been following the author's Instagram book reviews for a while now and was interested in picking up their debut as soon as I heard the premise. I liked that this was a dual POV and had lots of flashbacks to the main characters during their time in high school. It was interesting to watch their relationship from the beginning and then see the different paths they took that eventually led to their reconnection. There were lots of sweet moments between Theo and Emerson. You really felt their connection and love for each other. It did take them a long time to resolve their issues, which, at times, was a little frustrating. Overall, I do really recommend this one. It is a strong debut, and readers who like friends-to-lovers and second-chance romances will adore it.

Thank you to author Betty Cayouette, St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for an eARC of One Last Shot in exchange for my review.

One last shot is one of the sweetest second chance romance I have read in awhile!

When love goes wrong is there a way back? That’s the question at the heart of this beautiful story and Emerson and Theo are reunited 10 years later after a notification remind them both of a pact made years ago.

When Emerson’s love life is falling to pieces she receives a notification that takes her back a time when love was everything and she was truly happy! In that moment of desperation she makes a choice that will set her on a course to reconnect with her one true love or show her that maybe love isn’t enough.

Theo receives the same notification and though he’s hesitant he tries to reach out to the one girl who set his heart on fire and made him feel alive!

After several miscommunications and walls finally tumbling down these two find themselves face to face and both try to find answers to what went wrong!

I loved how truly real and open this book is about the realities of young love and how healing yet scary it is to reconnect when the heart is on the line! I loved the side characters especially the models rooting Emerson on! A very enjoyable and fun read!

A classic will they won't they romance book about two long lost friends and their marriage pact. So the question remains, will they or won't they? Check out this book to find out! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for a copy of this book for an honest review.

The writing was alright (a little stilted or forced at times) and the main characters had tons of potential, but what took this down for me was the fact there was a lack of communication throughout the entirety of the story. And, even more frustrating, the romance didn’t move along at all until passed the 75% mark, making the whole middle feel very stagnant. The ending also felt forced, like the author squeezed in a 3rd act breakup and 50-75 pages of “back to normal life” scenes because they felt they had to even though it wasn’t really needed. It would’ve worked a lot better (imo!) had the entirety of the story taken place in Italy with more scenes fleshed out and the focus on the romance dialed in more.

I feel so thankful to have received an early copy of this book! The characters were wonderful together and I loved watching their story grow. It was hard to get into the two different narrators in the beginning because they were so similar but I eventually had a hard time putting this one down. I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next!

Can you ever stop loving the one that got away?

I’m thankful that I was given a second chance with my husband. We’d broken up after dating for a few months, I’d met someone else, but I couldn’t get ‘him’ out of my mind. There was so much about this story that resonated with me.

When I saw this book, written by Betty Cayouette, the 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮’𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙞𝙠𝙏𝙤𝙠 account, 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 that follows two friends who, after making a marriage pact, have a falling out, I knew I had to read it! The bonus is, that I love supporting debut authors. With so much going for this book, I knew it’d be a great read. I wasn’t disappointed.

The story continues, that ten years later after realizing their dreams, she, of becoming a supermodel and he, of being a successful photographer, they are given one last shot at love while working together on an assignment in Cinque Terre.

𝙎𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙫𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? I’m sold.

A 𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧?! Let’s get started reading already!

The story really benefitted from flipping between the characters’ high school days and the present day. The author’s ability to tap into readers’ emotions, gives this second-chance romance a deserving spotlight. It also benefitted from both characters as narrators; Theo and Emerson. It really was a sweet romance - the kind with butterflies in your tummy!

Yes, there’s room for improvement. Yes, there are holes in the story. Yes, it’s surface level in some parts. BUT, guys. It’s a debut author and there’s more than a grain of something good here. There’s heaps of goodness! This author will go places. Watch for her. She’ll write great stories one day and you’ll look back and think, I read her first book and 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒕!

I can’t wait to see what this author does next!

I’m thankful for St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley providing me with an ARC of this debut and was under no obligation to provide a review.