Emerson and Theo were high school best friends, they created a typical 10 years marriage pack. 10 years pass and Emerson is determined to see if anything can spark with Theo. Emerson being a model books a shoot in Cinque Terre with Theo as the photographer pretending that it is coincidental. Although, I did enjoy the book I'm not a huge miscommunicate trope lovers as all could be solved so quickly. The romance was very sweet and a good summer read. If you are into a light and fluffy miscommunication, friends to lovers, and second chance romance than this will probably be right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

CW: off-page sexual assault

SYNOPSIS -- Emerson and Theo were inseparable as teenagers until crossing a boundary made it impossible for their friendship/budding relationship to continue. 10 years later, Emerson is reminded of their marriage pact, made at 18, when she gets an alert about it on her phone. Desperate for a fresh-start and another chance, she worms her way into Theo's most recent shoot, much to his surprise and her agent's. Emerson and Theo only have a few days together before their careers and differences might rip them apart, and they're both determined to reach their seemingly different goals in that time. Will they make their last shot worth it, or lose each other forever?

This book was so cute! I loved both characters and the supporting characters added a ton to the story, especially the dynamic with the models. The audio was great and I think the narrators were chosen very well, especially Brittany Pressley. Overall, the premise seemed a bit far-fetched, but if you can commit to the story, it will be well worth it. Italy was a great setting and it was fun to read about the modeling industry in this way. Some really awesome lowkey feminism built into this one, too, and that made it special. Parts of this book became a bit frustrating, especially with all of the miscommunications/assumptions being made by both characters. Certain things felt glossed-over in a way that was less than satisfying, but this story was well-told overall. The flashback chapters were my FAV -- so cute to read and gave a ton of helpful insight into the Emerson and Theo of the present. Honestly, though there are a few plot flaws, I really loved this one and enjoyed every second of this listen!

I really liked this one! This is a second chance romance between a famous model and a photographer and it’s set in Italy. I thought it was the perfect summer romance and loved the setting so much. For a debut novel this was really impressive to me! My only complaint was that the miscommunication trope was leaned on heavily and it’s one of my least favorite tropes so that is mainly a me problem

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of the ebook and audiobook.

I started the ebook first. I didn’t like that Emerson calls herself a model SO MUCH. Do people really refer to their profession that much??? I wasn’t motivated to pick up the book much so I switched to the audio and enjoyed it SO MUCH MORE. I loved that there were 2 narrators—and one was Brittany Presley. She has become a favorite of mine. I enjoyed the way Emerson and Theo came back together and developed their relationship. I appreciated the pace and how the reveal (mentioned in the foreword) came into play. Would definitely seek out future books by Betty Cayouette. Great debut.

One Last Shot- Betty Cayouette
Narrated by Brittany Pressley and Sean Patrick Hopkins

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

This books was such a cute story about childhood friends with a pact to get married if they weren’t married to other people by the time they were 28. Seeing how both Emerson and Theo’s lives and careers were affected individually after a tragic event and the reactions to said event and then seeing them come back together after 10 years apart and reflecting on how that one decision basically determined all their future relationships, the decisions they made for their career, and their overall outlook on life, I thought was so realistic. Such a beautiful debut from Betty and I hope to see more from her in the future!

Brittany and Sean are new to me narrators and I thought they did incredible. They brought so much emotion to these characters and I loved seeing them come to life. I hope to hear more from them in the future as well.

📸 One Last Shot - Betty Cayouette

3.75 ⭐️ - I was pleasantly surprised by this one. A friends to lovers, second chance romance set in Italy is bound to be lovable. It was sweet, funny, and light with some added extra struggles for our characters.

The storyline was sweet and I enjoyed the flashbacks to our characters love story in high school. The flashback and present day timeline allowed us to see the growth the characters made and understand their love for each other. I loved the model/photographer aspect too. The middle got a tad slow for me, but overall, it was enjoyable. Definitely one to add to your summer reading list!

Thank you Netgalley, St Martin Press, and Macmillan audio for the early ARC and ALC! This beauty is out now!

Upon finishing this book all I have to say is GIVE ME MORE Model and Photographer on location in beautiful costal locations, friends to lovers to strangers reuniting after 10 years, marriage pact, and High School flash back romances!

This was definitely a really fun summer debut and I can’t wait to see what @bettysbooklist does next!!! Also I have to admit that I liked the physical reading of this book but I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the audiobook version! Mostly because I found out how to properly pronounce the author’s last name but also because the voice actors were just soooooo good! It’s the kind of book you want to lay out in the sun and listen to!

Happy first pub day Betty!!!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the review ALC💕

4.25⭐️

One Last Shot by @bettysbooklist - 4⭐ 0.5🌶️

Guys, I loved almost everything about this book. I am grateful that was chosen to read this through NetGalley, but it is worth buying.

MY LOVES: This book felt both unique and totally familiar. It was bringing back memories of my first love that I hadn't thought about in years. Emerson and Theo were always right for each other, but they didn't take the plunge in the high school for a litany of [good] reasons.

I had butterflies throughout. Not to mention, it mostly takes place in Cinque Terre, Italy, which is probably the most picturesque it could be. There were so many sweet touches that felt like their love was "growing up" with them, regardless of the time they spent apart. My personal favorite was the questions game; so, perfectly high school, and it became so perfectly them. I did not find myself wondering if they would work out, but I couldn't stop reading as if stopping the book might affect the outcome. LOL

MY ONLY QUALMS: I had 3 issues with this story. These were not huge, but they were occasionally pretty annoying. First, I felt like there was too much time spent wondering if they would get together. I liked the tension at first, but it got old around the 50% mark. Second, the third-act breakup 😩I really felt like this author was better than that. God, it's literally everyone's pet peeve, and this couple didn't deserve it. Finally, the marriage proposal at the end. I didn't need that for them. They were growing and healing together. I want them to have that time so their relationship feels adult.

Overall, I will 100% be recommending this book and I will 100% be reading more by this author. But can we pleeeeeaaaaasseeee stop with the 3ABU??

One Last Shot is a heartwarming love story about two high school besties who get a shot at love ten years later. While some of the tropes may seem silly on their own, woven together in this story they felt genuine and real. The MCs were well constructed and felt like real people from the beginning until the end.

I really enjoyed this romcom. It handled some tough subjects in very consumable ways that made it easy for the reader to understand while not being overwhelmed by the weight of the subjects. It was so intricately brought together in a respectful and thoughtful way.

I listened to the audiobook which was performed well by two narrators who helped bring the characters further to life. I listened at 1.75x speed (with 1.75-2x speed my normal audiobook listening speed).

Thank you netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy.

Really enjoyed this audiobook! Second chance romance is not always my favorite but this was very well done!

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Griffin, & NetGalley for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
A debut romance about a supermodel and a photographer with a past marriage pact who meet again ten years later on a photo shoot in Cinque Terry, Italy.

✨ My thoughts:
Really stinkin’ cute!! I couldn’t get enough. I listened to this audiobook in one sitting. I live when old friends reconnect and fall in love, or I guess in this case… reconnect and finally tell each other how the really feel about each other?! The miscommunication trope is definitely one of my least favorites but it seemed to work for me in this book. Theo is literally the BEST friend, he’s so supportive, even I fell in love with him. He’s pretty much perfect AND we got a dreamy backdrop. The narrators were fantastic and brought this story to life perfectly. If you’re looking for a friends to lovers, slow burn, that’s quick and dreamy… this is the one to pick up! One Last Shot is out now!!

Happy reading 📖

I had high hopes for this audiobook. At the start I wasn't thrilled with the narrator but she grew on me, the story however did not. I am all for a friends to lovers and second chance romance but it just didn't do it for me. I felt like something was missing in the current day timeline.

This was a characteristically cute contemporary romance, great for an easy, thoughtless summer read.

Two best friends from high-school end up in the same industry (photographer/model), and find themselves not only working on the same set, but still secretly in love with each other; both wanting to fulfill a pact they made as teenagers to marry each other by 28 if they weren’t already married to someone else. (I was still a wild animal at 28, this is 2024… so early on in the story the believability aspect slipped for me for a number of reasons, this being the first.)

I'm a photographer by trade, so I could appreciate the industry pieces and enjoyed them. That said, some of it was cliche, in both industry and romance aspects. The pacing was also a bit off for me, and the story itself could have used more editing to prevent the plot line from falling into the paint-by-numbers romance category; and it fell hard into that for me.

This is a story for the contemporary romance reader who enjoys second chance romances, enemies to lovers, and MAJOR miscommunication tropes (I do not, and this is another area where she lost me).

The story kept me entertained for the most part, and the characters did have in depth background stories; enough so that I could see the work the author put into them, which is always appreciated.

Overall, this was a cute story, but I personally wanted this to feel a little more real and edgy coming from someone who was a part of this type of career. This could have been a perfect book with a few well thought out changes.

Emerson is a famous supermodel, a dream she only imagined in her youth. An alert pops up on her phone, reminding her about a marriage pact she made with her best friend, Theo. They had lost touch over the years, a secret Emerson wasn’t ready to tell. Now, she wants to rekindle and see if there’s something there. She asks her agent to book a shoot with Theo, now a fashion photographer. Theo also shares his POV, and how similar they are to Emerson’s. It comes down to if they’re brave enough to express how they feel.

This was a cute debut! I was also excited that Emerson was narrated by my favorite narrator, which really helped me fly through this audiobook. This is a slow burn, friends to lovers, and second chance romance so if you like those tropes, it’s right up your alley! The book switches POVs and also timelines, as we see their blossoming friendship in high school vs. their pending connection now. I struggled a bit keeping focus at times, but I think reading it would’ve made a difference for me. There is some miscommunication, which I love how Emerson blatantly called it out, haha. Again, a cute listen!

Friends-to-lovers✅
Supermodel/Photographer ✅
Exciting locale (Italy! 🇮🇹) ✅
Deep heart to hearts ✅
Alternating timeline/flashbacks ✅
Dual POV/Dual Narrator ✅
Donuts 🍩✅✅

This one checks all the boxes for a great summer read! 😎💛

Special thanks to @macmillan.audio for the ALC.

“When I’m with Emerson, it’s like my entire body knows exactly where I’m meant to be.”

“He was my person, around him I was the best version of me, the me I wanted to be all the time.”

TLDR: This was such a fun summer read. I fell in love with Theo and Emerson quickly and was very invested in their HEA. The setting was picturesque. The narration was fantastic.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines. The flashbacks to when they were in high school were adorable. I loved their friendship, it was so sweet and pure. This of course just had me rooting for them in the present day as they worked to overcome past obstacles and rekindle their love for one another. There was some miscommunication but given their age, history, and experiences, I felt it made sense for them and found their reactions fairly relatable.

Often with a second chance with a long gap in their time together my heart still aches a little over the time they missed together. This one just had me happy they found their way back to each other and can live the beautiful life they deserve. (sigh) I have a feeling Theo and Emerson will be on my mind for a while.

Tropes + things
second chance romance
best friends to lovers
slow burn
marriage pact
model + photographer
dual POV/1st person
open door
dual narration

🎧 Brittany and Sean were the perfect duo for this book. Their performance absolutely brought it to life in a way that kept me more engaged than if I had been using my eyes to read. Highly recommend this format if you enjoy audiobooks.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. The cover and setting of Cinque Terre, Italy immediately drew me into the story. This picturesque town was the perfect backdrop for this story. This was such a sweet, summer romance and a good debut novel. I love a good second chance romance and friends to lovers and thought both tropes were done well. I enjoyed the dual timelines and POVs. I really enjoyed both narrators. Both voices were engaging and kept me interested in the story throughout the book.

Miscommunication is not my favorite, and a ten year long miscommunication was too much for me. Even when the characters reconnected, they had a hard time communicating. I did enjoy the way the story wrapped up, and I loved the ending. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it.

Read if you enjoy:
✔️Second chance
✔️Dual timelines
✔️Dual POV
✔️Slow burn romance

⚠️ Off-page SA


Thank you @macmillan.audio for my ALC!

I think this might just be one of my all time favorite books!!
It just had it ALL !!!

Love. Romance. Fashion. Friends. Friendships. Family. High style. Wealth beyond belief. Friends in high places… And yet…. Old fashioned values. High standards. Deep family roots. And did I mention…LOVE???

Happy Publication Day!!!

Em (Emerson) has made it BIG TIME! She is the face of FASHION. She is well known around the world. She seems to have EVERYTHING…but love…

Theo is a Fashion Photographer. He works for a huge outlet (reminds me of say Target or Walmart…BIG name, but not high $$ ticket…)

They have both made names for themselves!
They have both worked very hard.
They were both ONCE IN LOVE…with each other. But that was 10 years ago, back when they were in HS.

Funny thing though…they made a pact back then…
And, by God, Em is going to see if she can’t just make that pact a fact!!!

This will have your heart flip-flopping and doing summersaults. You will be cheering for them, and then yelling at them in the next moment!

You’ll laugh, and you’ll cry. Your heart will bleed…. And your eyes will leak…

I can’t even give it enough praise, it’s that good!
And, if I’m not mistaken, this is her first book…so, looking forward to what comes next. As she absolutely KNOCKED THIS ONE OUT OF THE PARK!!!

5++++ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫💫💫💫💫 for this one! It gave me ALL THE FEELS, and then some!

#OneLastShot by #BettyCayouette and narrated beautifully by #BettyCayouette, #BrittanyPressley and #SeanPatrickHopkins!

Please give THIS BOOK a shot! It’s so worth your time!!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Release date is TODAY, 5/7/24!

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you 'liked' my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

This book was so freaking sweet. I loved every minute of it. I was completely sunk into their world and their romance. Its a lovely romance & a perfect beach read.

One Last Shot was pure golden hour magic! I squealed at the ending and immediately wanted to begin again at the start!