While everyone else seems to be loving this one, it just did not work for me. The protagonist was always crying - who cries that much?! I just wanted it to end.

Colton Gentry’s Third Act is THE BOOK!! Jeff Zenter gives us an amazing work combining second chance romances, high schools sweethearts, music, food - this book gave me all the things I love! I can’t wait to read more books by this author - adding to cart now.

Thank you NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

a gentle, heartwarming read with steady pacing🤠

ex-country singer, recovering alcoholic, starting over as a chef in his small hometown

🗣️ single POV, jumping timelines
🔥 high school sweethearts with sarcasm intertwined in easy chemistry, second chance!!
❤️‍🩹 dealing with gun violence, loss & grief, alcoholism
🍽️ it’ll make you hungry with all its food descriptions
🐾 a sweet old rescue dog (highly appreciate the footnote assurance that nothing bad happens to him🥹)

this story is easy to follow & sink completely into. Zentner’s voice smoothly guides readers into these characters and what makes their hearts ache and swell. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Jeff has done it again! I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading his books.

I enjoyed this so much. The timeline jump from past to present was well done. You get Jeff's YA writing style mixed in with this adult second chances romance plotline. I thought the balance was well developed and I was able to easily follow along between each timeline.

Jeff is fantastic at building relationships between characters which is one of the best parts of his writing. He doesn't just make you feel what the main character is feeling and going through but provides well fleshed out supporting characters as well.

Colton's life has fallen apart and he's resorted to going back home to his small town to learn how to pick up the pieces. He's working on his sobriety throughout the book, and I thought Jeff portrayed the struggles of his first year so well. It felt real and Colton's experiences with alcoholism felt authentic. As someone who has close family in sobriety or have struggled with sobriety, this one hit hard. I appreciate the way Jeff wrote about the subject of alcoholism and sobriety. It was well done.

The romance was subtle but there and I enjoyed watching Colton and Luann reconnect! All in all. I definitely recommend this one!

This was a sweet romance with a southern setting that I really enjoyed. The multiple timelines worked really well for me and I was happy to see Colton get his happily ever after.

This was incredibly sweet and heartwarming. The author did a wonderful job at making you fall in love with these characters and feel everything that they were feeling. I went through so many different emotions while reading and I loved experiencing so many different things.

An incredibly heartwarming story that I would absolutely 1000% recommend!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a read - I was a bit hesitant to start this one bc the author previously published in YA. Well done switching of gears. Well done second chance romance but with all of the got life can throw at you. I do love a complicated and nuanced story. Bravo!

Beautiful story -- I love Jeff Zentner's writing. I didn't know what his first foray into adult fiction as opposed to YA would be, but I'm so happy I've had the opportunity to read this book.

Colton Gentry is on the cusp of becoming a genuine country superstar. His latest single is a hit; he’s opening for the biggest act in the business and married to the darling of country radio. But behind the scenes, he is hurting. His best friend was murdered during an act of gun violence, and his addiction is spiraling out of control. His life implodes, and he’s forced to retreat to his hometown, where he runs into people from his past who help him on his healing journey.

This book gave me the same feelings as one of my favorite romances, Nora Goes Off Script. A mature lead character deals with intense life challenges, but some lightness and humor are peppered throughout. I was rooting for Colton and hoped everything would work out for him. It is a heartfelt, deep, and romantic novel about healing with fantastic side characters, a lovable dog, and outstanding food writing. I just loved this one so much and think everyone should read it!

This absolute marvel of a book has it all…humor, heartache, love lost and found, faith broken and restored, compelling characters, amazing food, and some of the most lyrical and gorgeous prose it’s been my pleasure as a life-long reader to get lost in. This is pure pleasure and I cannot recommend it highly enough. This is not Jeff Zentner’s first book by any means, but it is one of his finest! You want to read this, y’all! It is stunning!

This was really sweet. Jeff Zentner perfectly balances social issues, mental health, and relationships in his books for both youth and adults. My favorite character was Luann and I think she was a little too easy on Colton at times. I didn't understand why he was still so hung up on his toxic ex-wife, but maybe she symbolized his celebrity past and complicated his recovery from alcoholism. The dialogue was a little cheesy at times, but other details shined: the Kentucky setting, interesting careers, and the warm hospitality and food descriptions of Luann's restaurant.

I was drawn to Colton Gentry's Third Act because of its description about a story of love and healing. Gentry is suffering with alcohol abuse problems, which has been accelerated by an especially painful loss of a dear friend to a mass shooting. His wife has left him and his promising country music career is in the toilet because of an anti-gun statement he makes at a concert.

Colton has to heal himself and get his life together. Seemingly out of options, he returns to his small town, Venice, Kentucky with his tail between his legs. He's fresh out of rehab and a bit aimless. This book is about that, switching from the past to present day, we understand how he has ended up in his situation and how he finds purpose again. Colton is so well drawn. We don't necessarily forgive his bad behavior, but it's seen through an empathetic lens.

The writing is beautiful and descriptive. I loved the scene setting and sharply drawn characters. The banter between characters is fantastic. Connecting with others and re-finding his passion is so important on his journey. I would recommend this if you like Abby Jimenez's writing. A wonderful story if you're looking for a relatable tale of redemption.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

What a delightful read! I loved this book about Colton and Luann’s love story. It was so fresh to read romance written by a man from a man’s perspective. I loved all of the cultural references and be prepared to be hungry reading this book…. The food descriptions were so interesting and appealing. I can’t wait to recommend this book!

I love Jeff Zentner's books because I love the small town vibes. This was different from The Serpent King and In the Wild Light but character development was just as great. I enjoyed the dialogue and maturity of the story.

Pick up this book if you're ready to fall in love with characters and become invested in their lives. Pick up this book if you long for one of those novels that are so beautifully written that you have to stop reading and let it soak in. Pick up this book if you want to travel back to the nostalgia of the 1990s. Pick up this book for a slice of life and love and the journey for both.

Colton Gentry's Third Act by Jeff Zentnrr is a hopeful and heartwarming second chance romance.

Colton is a country music singer who, following a personal tragedy, turns to alcohol to cope. This addiction is the downfall of his career, marriage, and life. 

Finding himself at rock bottom, he moves back to his family home in the town he grew up in. 

When a chance meeting with his high school sweetheart, Luann, results in a job, Colton is finally given a new chance at life.

It was a wonderful story that I could not put down

What a wonderful book and great cover art choice! This had all the moments of a sad country story song, but was also filled with plenty of upbeat moments and smiles to keep from feeling heavy or sad for long. The friendships of the past and the reconnection in the present, were written in a way that kept me zipping through the pages and enjoying the dialogue. I can’t say that I’ve ever read a story that had me wanting to listen to my favorite Alan Jackson songs, while eating a bit of Nashville hot chicken and sweet pickles; drooling here! THIS book is definitely going on my keeper shelf. I highly recommend it!!

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of “Colton Gentry’s Third Act" by Jeff Zentner; thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing!

Jeff made me love country and I don’t even LIKE country. You’ll cry, cheer and celebrate Colton at the top of your lungs. Dare I say this is my new fictional boyfriend?

This Southern romance featuring a washed up country music star stood out from the pack for me! Colton Gentry is a disgraced country music star who returns to his tiny hometown in Kentucky when his career and marriage implode. There, he encounters his high school girlfriend and first love, who he hasn’t spoken to in decades. And, they get a second chance at love. Like other romances that have worked for me, this one deals with heavier themes in a light package. Zentner covers grief, friendship, addiction, and loneliness, which made me care about the characters more than I usually do in a romance. I also loved all the settings that this story takes place in: country music, food / restaurants, high school football, and the world of fame (which we know is a romance Micro Genre for me). And, a lot of this story is about redemption and rebuilding your life after things go sideways. There is a small political element to this story - Colton is black-balled from the music business because he pulls a Dixie Chicks-esque move by speaking out against guns on stage at a concert. But, this is more of a driver of getting Colton back to his hometown rather than a huge element of the story. And, it was sort of interesting to explore the aftermath of something like this.

A B list country musician does the unforgivable and drunkenly speaks out about gun violence and the second amendment while on stage as the opening act for a more famous musician. He is immediately cancelled and goes home to Kentucky to lick his wounds. The majority of the book takes place after his return home while also flashing back to his senior year in highschool and decisions made that impacted his life
I wanted to like this book but found myself skimming pages of dialogue where conversations didn't really further the story. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.