One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette
Published by Griffin on May 7, 2024
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: Audiobook ARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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A debut romance about a supermodel and a photographer with a past marriage pact who meet again ten years later on a photoshoot in Cinque Terre, Italy.

From the moment Emerson and Theo met as teenagers, they were inseparable. But just when they finally expressed their feelings to one another, they were torn apart.

Now, supermodel Emerson is nearing her twenty-eighth birthday, and she’s tired of looking for love in all the wrong places. When the calendar reminder for the marriage pact she and Theo made as teens goes off on her phone, she realizes this is it―her chance to rekindle the only romance that ever really made sense. Emerson convinces her grumpy agent to book her as the face of the fashion campaign that Theo, now a fashion photographer, is shooting. The good the campaign is being shot in ridiculously romantic Cinque Terre, Italy. The bad news? Theo might not be as happy to see her as she'd hoped.

The two embark on a four-day campaign that tests not only their feelings, but their ability to keep their hands off one another. But as roadblock after roadblock keeps them apart, Emerson starts to will this photoshoot be the key to getting one last shot at love, or will it be a final goodbye?

Oh, how I love this book! It’s not getting a lot of attention in the book world, yet it has stuck with me and I’ve thought about it a lot over the last year since I read it. I love Italy and I love friends to lovers. A marriage pact trope pushed it right over the top for me, and I enjoyed it so much. I’m a very character-driven reader. I have to connect with the main characters in order to love a story, so I will admit that the idea of having a famous, successful supermodel and an up-and-coming photographer as the main characters had me a little worried. They both ended up being so sweet and down-to-earth. Nothing like the models we meet in The Devil Wears Prada. lol. Emerson’s and Theo’s rekindling was so heartwarming and special, all set against the stunning backdrop of Cinque Terre. I felt like I was right there with them, enjoying the sun and the beautiful scenery.

Emerson and Theo were joined at the hip as teenagers, spending their childhoods swimming and eating lots of donuts together. They get torn apart, as is always the case, and spend years dealing with the fallout of some major miscommunication (I hate the miscommunication trope, but it worked for me here). They lived their lives separately, her as a supermodel and him as a photographer. When Emerson’s calendar notification goes off, reminding her of her marriage pact with Theo, she realizes how unhappy in love she’s been. So she strong-arms her agent into booking her a modeling job where Theo is working. Their reunion is icy cold at best, and then they start to warm up and fall into their old friendship. The feelings they had for each other all those years ago are still alive and kicking, and I loved watching them figure out how to be around each other as adults.

Theo made this book for me. He is everything. As soon as his calendar notification goes off, he is flooded with feelings of his time with Emerson and it made me so sad for him. He’s so sweet and caring and understanding and has carried his love for her for ten years. And he’s also so insecure and self-conscious, which made me want to hung him very tightly. He would do anything for Emerson. I kind of hated Emerson in the beginning because how could she just leave a guy like Theo without a second glance? I know as teens we’re at the mercy of life and are not always in control of where we go, but she didn’t even say goodbye to him. But I grew to really love her, just as Theo grew to be able to trust her again. There’s so much angst and mutual pining and the burn is soooooo slooooow, which was surprising considering their history. But I gobbled it up. I loved the push and pull, will they or won’t they, WHEN WILL THEY. I couldn’t stop reading. Their romance is so swoony and perfect, even though the road is bumpy and winding sometimes. This is a true movie romance. Oh my gosh, someone needs to make. movie out of this. It would be amazing, especially in Italy!

Audio notes: Loved it. I’ve struggled with Brittany Presley in the past, but she did a great job with this one. This was my first time listening to Sean Patrick Hopkins, and his voice was perfect for Theo. Both narrators read with emotion, which made me feel for the characters so much more deeply than if I had read it on my own.

All in all, you need to read this. It’s a tender, sweet, beautiful romance set in my favorite country in the entire world. I can’t wait to see what Betty Cayouette writes next!