Super sweet love story. Loved the backdrop of Italy. I’m not a huge fan of miscommunication in books so that was a bit frustrating but overall I enjoyed it! 3.5 stars rounded up

One Last Shot was an incredible debut!! The characters and their stories sucked me in so quickly and I became so invested in their love story. I LOVE a second chance romance with flashbacks, and this had those scenes that just made my heart ache in such a good way. I was rooting for them throughout the whole book and binged this story so fast.

There was a wonderful combination of romance and angst; and with the setting being abroad, it really was such an incredible read and story. I can’t wait to read more books from this author.

*Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

The characters felt immature so I did not enjoy this as much as I had hoped for. It felt awkward at times. There’s plenty of summer vibes to it though. A short & simple read overall. It just wasn’t my cup of tea specifically.

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!

This was a fun novel with a twist on romance. When Emerson is nearing her twenty-eighth birthday, a forgotten calendar reminder pops up. It’s a marriage pact she made with her high school boyfriend ten years ago. She’s determined to see if they can follow through with thieir pact. She sets out to connect with him. If they can reconnect, it’s not going to be easy. There are some obstacles in their way.

This was good for what it was, a cute second chance romance. I did not feel much of a connection to the characters maybe due to their immaturity. I also despise lack of communication which was prevalent in the book. All in all some people would love it and others will be indifferent. It wasn’t for me but every bread has it’s butter.

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.

Betty Cayouette’s debut novel, One Last Shot, is a heartwarming romance set against the picturesque backdrop of Cinque Terre, Italy. The story follows supermodel Emerson and photographer Theo, who reconnect after a decade apart, thanks to a marriage pact made during their teenage years.

The novel's charm lies in its blend of nostalgia and romance by dual time lines with the past and present. Cayouette effectively captures the tension and longing between Emerson and Theo, creating a palpable chemistry that drives the narrative. The setting is beautifully described, as the author has described being on this exact trip which inspired her to write this book.

While the romance is compelling, the plot occasionally leans on predictable tropes such as the frustrating miscommunication and second chance romance tropes that didn’t feel as strong as other books I’ve read. However, these minor flaws are outweighed by the novel’s strong emotional core of past and present with the evocative setting.

Some pacing issues also detract from the narrative. The build-up to the climax feels rushed, and the resolution, while satisfying, lacks the emotional punch it could have delivered. The dialogue sometimes slips into clichés, which can undermine the authenticity of the characters’ interactions

Overall, One Last Shot is a delightful and escapist read with a captivating setting and a romance that will appeal to fans of the genre. Despite its predictable elements and occasional pacing issues, Cayouette’s debut offers a sweet and engaging second chance love story, hinting at a promising career ahead for the author.

This was a super fun and cute chic lit book. The characters were actually believable, not over the top Hollywood types. I loved that it switched back and forth from the past to current, so we got the backstory. It's a super easy, fast read....great for the beach, or poolside.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for this fun read!

If this book did one thing it made me want to plan a trip to Italy to see CInque Terre as soon as possible.

I do love a second chance friends to lovers, but this was just okay. TW for SA.

This was a cute well written book amidst the beautiful backdrop of CInque Terre. I loved the back and forth between Theo/Emerson's youth and present day, it was interesting to see both stories unfold simultaneously.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

This book was a pretty average romance read with some regular troupes like second chance romance, childhood friends and miscommunication. These are my three least favorite troupes, and coupled with being a slow burn - I found this book hard to read at times. Theo was way too good for Emerson, and I was really upset that he still wanted to pursue something even though she ghosted him. A miscommunication that lasts for a decade is not a way to enter a lasting relationship.

This book was cute. I enjoyed that it was mostly present time, but that we git some flashbacks to really get to know the characters. I could understand their emotions and the challenges they went through together and apart. I cried at the ending. It was a quick easy read and i would recommend it to all.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an arc 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 stars on this one!

This was a really sweet debut novel about two high school sweethearts reconnecting. I felt like Emerson's life was really shaped by this big thing that happened to her when she was just finishing high school, but I'm glad it wasn't the main focus on her story.

The biggest thing that knocked this book down for me was that a large majority of the plot rested entirely on miscommunication. I'm not one of those people who hate the miscommunication trope, but it felt a little exaggerated at times and it was very frustrating that neither of the main characters would just communicate their feelings, and danced around them, but also had the feeling that their love was reciprocated?

I really enjoyed reading this story and watching the love story play out in both present and flashbacks, but would have loved for it to rest less on miscommunication and more on the tension between them.

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

EXCUSE ME BETTY!!!!

Did you know that you'd have the entirety of your readers literally screaming with delight while we read this book???

Did you?!?!?!

I am OBSESSED with this book. Emerson and Theo are wonderful. This story of second chance love and their relationship touched my soul. They are so dang sweet. The touch of spice was great, and honestly, it was pretty accurate, if that makes sense. Nothing crazy and unrealistic.

I absolutely loved this book. I can't tell you how much. So. Good!

Emerson is now a supermodel so famous that she doesn't need a last name. As she's nearing 28 and looking at her empty life, she can't help but remember Theo, the boy she made a marriage pact with 10 years ago, and how perfect they were for each other. But can she reach across the 10 years they've spent apart to get Theo to once again be the one who sees past the outside into the person Emerson truly is on the inside? She's willing to risk it all by booking a photo shoot that makes no sense for her career and follow the now photographer to Cinque Terre, Italy to find out. But will Theo still remember their perfect, easy friendship and love?

I loved every detail of this story. Seeing Emerson and Theo as awkward teens and then trying to rekindle that friendship as adults even as they work to figure out if they're ready to be friends again is great. It's emotional and sweet in the best possible way, with their teenage awkwardness resurfacing in them as adults just from how much they both want to be with the other but refuse to be the one to make the first step. The chapters that give a glimpse into the teenage years together and how that deep bond formed are the perfect balance to the glamorous, tension-filled adults.

I seriously have zero notes about this. It's a faultless contemporary romance that balances sweetness and fun with dark topics to find a perfect balance of emotions.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the wonderful read!

This is a moving second-chance romance. Emerson and Theo were high school sweethearts, but when something traumatic happened to Emerson, she shut him out of her life. They both erroneously believe the other has moved on, but when the pact they made to marry by 28 when they were 18 comes up on their phones, they are both pushed towards trying again. Theo and Emerson accept that they are meant to be, and Emerson decides to be open with Theo about what originally moved them apart.

DNF at 30%...One Last Shot is a debut novel with a great sounding premise, but unfortunately the writing is just not all that great. It's repetitive and flat in places and the characters are boring and immature. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"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.