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

I didn't quite like this, the communication between the main characters felt off and they weren't people I particularly wanted to be in the heads of.

This book was a DNF for me. I got to 30% and decided it was not for me. Hopefully it will be a good fit for someone else!

The premise of One Last Shot intrigued me. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this book because of the heavy miscommunication trope. It's one of my least favorite tropes because communication is so important for me and my relationships. I bet others would enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me.

Really enjoyed this story of a reunion of old friends and soul mates, the picture of the life of a successful model and her terrible secret. Loved the two of them together and the flashbacks to their youth.

despite being one last shot, this was Betty Cayouette's first shot into romance writing, and it was an INCREDIBLE first shot with some incredible chemistry.

This debut romcom surprised me. I wasn't sure what Cayouette would deliver but the characters were delightful, I loved the European setting and the slow burn second chance friends-to-lovers romance was entertaining. I'll defintiely read what she writes next.

Thanks to St. Martin's for the copy to review.

This was an adorable second-chance friends-to-lovers celebrity romance. Emerson and Theo were both super sweet and it was fun to watch them trying to navigate their friendship even though they both wanted more. The high school flashbacks were a great addition and helped explain Emerson’s past trauma. I liked that this was set in Italy for the majority of the present day timeline, super cute.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

Two young friends make a promise to marry each other if they don’t find anyone else before they turn twenty-eight. They didn’t foresee that they would date, break up, and not talk to each other for ten years. When they each get the alert on their calendar about the pact, they decide to contact each other. What happens next is a series of misunderstandings and a trip around Italy while they figure out what they could have been and whether they can still be friends…and something more.

Betty Cayouette gives us a sweet former friends-to-lovers romance. Luckily for us we get both main characters' points of view which makes the series of misunderstandings work for the plot. A lot of the drama of course could be avoided if everyone just spoke their truth, but then we wouldn’t have a romance in Italy (chuckle).

I think for me, personally, this was a sticking point. After the fourth misunderstanding, I was like just clear it up already. Then there was an illumination point that was immediately ignored. So, for me the story ended up dragging a bit.

There is a darker subject behind some of the reasons and Cayouette handles the discussion and the aftermath with sensitivity and intelligence. I like how this is done in regard to the romantic relationship and the sexual one.

Overall, One Last Shot is a sweet romance.

Thank you St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC of One Last Shot. All opinions in this review are my own.

I absolutely love this author's page on Instagram so I was really excited to read her debut novel. I appreciate that she opens with an Author's Note explaining her own healing experience and how that factored into the main character's experience.

I wanted to love this one but I had a hard time from the start with the pacing. After not talking for a decade, both Emmerson and Theo want to immediately reconnect because of a bet they made to get married at 28. I wish there had been more tension or more thought on both their parts to decide to reconnect, especially since they then spend the rest of the book not talking about their feelings and it takes so long for them to actually get together.

While this one wasn't for me, I still support this author and I look forward to reading her next book!

Unfortunately, I did not like either of the main characters. I could not connect to the story, I struggled to get through this book. I wanted to like this book but I didn't.

I have been following Betty on IG and Tiktok for about 2 years now, and I really trust her reviews. I love the way she portrayed Italy in this book, but after three times of trying to read it, I simply cannot get through it. Would give another chance, though.

Wow I am blown away! This was my first book by this author and I can’t wait for another. If you are looking for a book you can read in a weekend this is it

This one was really cute and an example of, in my opinion, true love and a love that prevails all. It was right person wrong time, and I love the idea of a marriage pact bringing them back together.
One of my favorite tropes is when one is a celebrity and the other partner is not (which is this book); the efforts she made just to get back in his orbit was so sweet.
The main character was a bit aggravating at times, like I just wanted to smoosh their faces together and be like “and kiss”, but I also understood. She had her reasons for being closed off and he misunderstood quite a few things and was protecting himself from being rejected for the umpteenth time. So yeah this one is a slow burn but the payoff is good!!

Thank you St Martins Griffin and NetGalley for the arc!!

I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and this is no exception. Emerson, now a famous supermodel, reconnects with her high school best friend after a decade because of a pact they made as teenagers. At Emerson's request, her agent puts her on a shoot with Theo, now a fashion photographer, and the drama begins.

This is a fun read with relatable narrative told by both of the main characters. And a good portion is set in Italy. I enjoyed the back and forth of the perspectives that create tension due to their lack of communication. There are also flashbacks to the early days of their friendship leading to the moment that led to their decade of separation. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but took off a star only because I guessed what the rift was caused by pretty early on, particularly after the author's intro.

I had an early copy of the book (all opinions my own), so that may be changed later or moved to the end of the book. Definitely pick this up if you enjoy a good love story. It's more complex than most of the beach reads that come out these days.

What a great way to wrap up the summer months with this banger! I loved this. Everything from the setting to the character development was perfect. This was my first Betty Cayouette book, and certainly won't be my last!

I can't believe I finished a whole book that is based on the miscommunication trope. I'm not happy about it.

Really liked this one. It was a quick, easy to get through story and while predictable (which I don't think is a bad thing!) it was still enjoyable!

So thankful for this advanced reader’s copy! This was a super cute summer romance book. I really enjoyed the two POV’s and the development of each of the main characters (Emerson & Theo). Their story over time keeps the reader engaged. I did not enjoy the couple’s seemingly constant miscommunication. The book cover is beautiful!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This was a cute love story. As a huge lover of Italy, it was hard not to like this book. The general scenery and backdrop is what i dream about. However, i hate miscommunication in books. It just comes across so petty and childish and i cant get past it. But overall i liked the book.