A review by graciesbooknook
One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5/5

One Last Shot by Betty Cayouette is one of the best books that I have read so far this year. When I read its description and saw its cover, I was immediately hooked. 

This book starts off with an author’s note. To me, this set a tone for the entire book that was to follow, and I loved every single word of it. I think that theming a book around the aftermath of sexual assault and how it impacts all relationships in the future was a really powerful idea. As soon as I finished reading the author’s note, I knew that this was going to be one of my new favorite books. 

I loved the story that Cayouette created. I enjoyed the characters, their backstories, their development, and the dual timeline between high school and present day. Second-chance romance and friends to lovers are two of my favorite romance tropes to read. I also really loved the setting of this book; the descriptions were wonderfully painted and helped to create a really clear mental picture of what Cayouette was describing. 

I have several favorite quotes from this book, but the one that impacted me the most came from the author’s note. “I hope that reading this book and seeing the wonderful lives of characters who have been impacted by sexual assault makes readers who have experienced any type of sexual harassment or violence feel seen and optimistic. Because while sexual violence did change my story, it was ultimately just a chapter.” 

I can hardly wait to have the chance to own this book once physical copies are released to the public, and Cayouette will be an auto-buy author for me from now on. 

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of this book, I loved it. 
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