One Last Shot Review

by Betty Cayouette

Rating: 2/5

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?

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This sounded like such a cute second chance romance, but ultimately let me down after a serious miscommunication trope that dragged the story on for me. Miscommunication is not my favorite trope, and in this one especially, I felt like we have had a much shorter story if our characters just actually talked to one another.

Not only that, we’re given a note from the author at the beginning of the book that I felt spoiled Emerson’s reason for leaving Theo all those years ago. Knowing that this big reveal is supposed to happen, I kept waiting for it to come out. But Emerson avoids any possibility of explaining until the book is almost over. Based on the author’s note, I figured it would come out much sooner so the two could move past it. By the time it does come out, everything afterwards just seems so rushed and then the book is over.I have no problem with the author wanting to write this note regarding the topic. But I do wish it was placed at the end of the book instead. Plus what the author said in the note, as a reader, I felt it was actually counterintuitive, especially being at the beginning of the book, because it was all I could think about as I made my way through the book.

Besides Emerson’s reason for leaving Theo. I also had a hard time connecting with either of our MCs, as we bounce not only between both of their perspectives but also between the past, back when they were in high school, and the present, where Emerson gets her agent to book her into a shoot she knows Theo will be a photographer for.

However, as I said earlier, this story seemed to be just unnecessarily long, filled with so much unneeded fluff. From the start, it’s obvious both MCs still love the other, especially as we get to see both of their perspectives. They literally just need to talk to each other about what happened all those years ago.

There’s also this hint towards some drama with Theo’s ex/new best friend that never really goes anywhere that I honestly really really wish did. It probably would have made this a more enjoyable read. But again, just unnecessary fluff.

This was unfortunately just not the book for me.

If you enjoy friends to lovers, second chance romance with a STRONG miscommunication trope, you might enjoy this one.