REVIEW: One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

In One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette, Emerson still isn’t sure how a gangly, awkward girl from Salem, Massachusetts has worked and clawed her way to the top to become one of the biggest supermodels in the world. As much as she loves not having to worry about money, she’s not a huge fan of the games people play in the land of the rich and famous. But the constant work has been part of Emerson’s coping technique to get over a traumatic incident as a teen–and the subsequent loss of her relationship with her former best friend Theo. So, she’s pretty shocked when ten years after they last saw each other, a reminder pops up on her phone: their pact to get married at age twenty-eight if neither of them was married by then. Believing this is a sign to track Theo down, Emerson embarks on a mission to find him and see if the love they once shared is still there.

‘The only thing scarier than spending the rest of my life without Theo in it is knowing I didn’t even try.’

Theo isn’t sure if it’s good luck or bad luck that brings Emerson back into his life. The chance to work together–him as the photographer, her as the model–will definitely be good for his career. But he’s worried that the old feelings of love as well as hurt will get in the way of them catching up after a decade apart. Theo didn’t realize how crazy and constrictive Emerson’s life has become as a highly sought after model. But underneath the glamour, she’s still the same woman he fell for back in high school in Salem. Maybe if they can talk things out finally and Emerson can explain why she left him so suddenly all those years ago then they might have one last shot at happiness. Something they’ve both been chasing for way too long.

“Em, I don’t know why you’ve never been able to see this. The only life I’ve ever wanted is the one where I’m with you.”

A debut novel that captures all the nuances of young love, recovery after trauma, heartbreak, joy, and second chances, ONE LAST SHOT will definitely be a memorable romance for readers.

“All of my best days are with you.”

CW: View Spoiler »Sexual assault (historical, no details), misogyny. « Hide Spoiler

ONE LAST SHOT was quite the undertaking for a debut author. But Betty Cayouette did a nice job piecing together all of the elements that made this second chance romance shine. Set in Italy, LA, Salem, and Dallas, it had a dual timeline of Emerson and Theo as teens up to their present day at age twenty-eight. The contrast of where they started out and where they ended up was stark. And that was in their personal lives as well as their careers. But through it all two things remained–their love for each other and their lack of true communication.

While I’m a sucker for a reunion story, I’m not always keen on characters who run away instead of staying to talk things out. Emerson particularly was that type of person. Now, she was also a strong woman who worked her way through a horrible experience (and bad childhood) to become a hugely successful supermodel. But when it came to being vulnerable, she walked away. Every time. I could see that when Emerson was a teenager. But as an adult, I wanted to tell her to use her words, please! She did finally have the conversation with Theo that should have happened a decade before, and it was everything. It proved how caring he was as well as how they needed to still work on a few things.

Being a dual POV, Theo’s take on what happened when they were eighteen, how he viewed Emerson’s success and decadent lifestyle as well as their insecurities getting the best of them was the perfect insight and balanced it all out. And that ending! Emerson’s love of rom-coms where grand gestures abound played a huge hand in the finale that was, yes, sweet and sappy, but so perfectly them.

QOTD: Emerson was a huge fan of maple donuts, being from New England. What’s your favorite flavor?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: May 7th, 2024 | St. Martin’s Griffin |

Supermodel Emerson seemingly has the perfect life – but she’s tired of looking for love in all the wrong places.
When a reminder for the marriage pact she and her former best friend Theo made as teens goes off on her phone, she realizes she has a chance to rekindle the only relationship that ever really made sense.
Emerson convinces her grumpy agent to book her as the face of the campaign that Theo, now a fashion photographer, is shooting.
The good news: 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 . . .
Will this be her one last shot at love, or a final goodbye?