Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner (April 30, 2024) This has to be the book most recommended and talked about by SO MANY of my bookstagram friends (and one friend who notoriously DNF’d it)
After his best friend is killed in a mass shooting, mid-level country star Colton Gentry spirals into alcohol and speaks out about gun violence at one of his concerts. His demographic doesn’t take kindly to his stance on guns and his life quickly implodes – he loses his record deal, his marriage, and his money. Which is how he finds himself returning to the small town Kentucky town from his youth. Now back in his childhood bedroom, he is resigned that all of his best days are behind him. Then he goes to the local farm-to-table restaurant run by his fist love Luann where she offers him a job training in her kitchen. And as it turns out, he still might still another act.
Told in the present and points dating back up to 20 years ago, we track Colton, Luann, their lives, friends, families, and loves. There is a lot of emotional storytelling in this book and I feel like the second half was mesmerizingly wonderful. I was so invested in every character, the town, the food, the restaurant. I will admit that I didn’t get the appeal in the first half and it felt like a long road to get to the turning point in the book where I got it. Did all of the work Zentner put in up front payoff in the second half of the story, absolutely. Did I prefer the second half to the first, definitely. It is a great read and a really beautifully written romantic book and we don’t have enough male authors writing this level of complex character-driven romance. I’m very happy I read it! (Also, best use of footnotes in a book ever!)
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: (11h 1m) Charlie Thurston just nailed this performance. It kept me going when I was struggling in the beginning and lifted it up in the second half when I genuinely fell in love with this story!
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🎧 Audio performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🔥 Spice: 🌶️
Book Smart Kate 