Review: The Last Shot by Amy Matayo

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing

Synopsis

It’s the same routine every night, and country music superstar Teddy Hayes wouldn’t have it any other way.

7:00 pm: Arena doors open and fans fill the stands.
7:45 pm: Lights go out and spotlights come on.
7:46 pm: Energy from concert-goers reaches an ear-spitting crescendo.
7:47 pm: Teddy takes the stage and begins to sing.

But tonight, something is off.

It starts when a stage light malfunctions and sends sparks into the air.
It continues when his drummer stops playing and stares slack-jawed in Teddy’s direction.
It dawns on him when a fan doubles-over and a red stain spreads across her shirt.
Something isn’t just off tonight.

Someone in the crowd is shooting a gun.

And it’s up to a female bodyguard he’s never met before to save his life.

My Review

Dang. This book is pretty intense- I mean, the subject matter is a mass shooting. I thought the author really delved into the scene without crossing any boundaries of graphic description, but skillfully explored the emotions and trauma the characters went through, both during and after. Teddy and Jane both have unresolved scars from their pasts which are triggered by the post-traumatic stress. I admired that Jane recognized her feelings and the sources and was able to figuratively wake up and make the changes that she needed to in order to feel like she's herself and really living again. Teddy struggles more with confronting his demons and his feelings of grief and guilt are so raw and complex. The bond he and Jane forged continues as she supports and encourages him to see things more clearly and not let his anxiety rule his choices. This author excels at opening up and revealing the hurts and fears while weaving in the power of hope and healing and love. Each book in the Love in Chaos series is so different- stranded on a desert island, the aftermath of a tornado, and living through a mass shooting, yet the themes of how we process and heal from the chaos in our lives makes them fit together perfectly.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

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Don't miss the previous books in the Love in Chaos series . . .