I’m so excited to be bringing you this review today, it’s the perfect little summer read to devour by the poolside! Big thanks to Stephen Anthony Brotherton and Rachel from Rachels Random Resources for providing me with the copy of the book for review and for inviting me to be part of the tour!
Blurb
“It used to make me feel special, the fact that they knew me, knew what I wanted, but it had soured with repetition. I’d become my drink order – that’s what it felt like. But it was okay. People watching in this place made me feel part of the world, got me away from the house for a few hours. And it was here she came back to me. I hadn’t seen her for three decades and suddenly there she was, standing next to my table.
‘Hello, Freddie’.”
Another Shot tells the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo, who are reunited in a coffee shop thirty-five years after the end of their teenage romance. Jo-Jo finds Freddie through a mutual friend, and tells him that she is emigrating following the death of her husband. She gives him a photograph of the two of them on their first weekend away, a trip to Blackpool.
How they originally met, why they parted, what happens in their lives apart is all told through a series of flashbacks. These memories feed into events when they meet up again and explain why, despite the passage of time and the intensity of their still simmering love, there is no future for their relationship.
Review
I didn’t expect to become so attached to Freddie and Jo-Jo so easily, but I was quickly and deeply invested in their story. The book jumps back and forth between present day and various memories from their young relationship and respective childhoods, small snippets of their story being revealed during each flashback. The flashbacks span across many key points of their relationship together; from the night they met, their first weekend away together, to Jo-Jo preparing to move to another town for university.
With 35 years having spanned between their last contact and their current reunion, a lot has changed in their lives, though it is clear that their feelings for each other have not. I felt myself cringe on Freddies behalf so many times – The poor guy clearly wasn’t the greatest at social cues back when they were together, and now with over 3 decades of awkwardness having built up, he is far from being the suave gentleman, waiting to sweep Jo-Jo off her feet!
The ending of this book managed to sneak up on me, with me having devoured the entire thing in one sitting, and I was not ready for it to end! I was left with questions that I needed the answers to. Imagine my relief to know that there is a second book due to come out next month! I’ll finally get to see what lies on the other end of the epic cliffhanger that Another Shot left me with!
Purchase Links
About The Author
‘I was born in Walsall, grew up in the West Midlands and now live in Telford with my two cats, Boris and Tai. After working in the health and social care sector for over thirty years, I have now taken early retirement to write the trilogy that has been rooted in my head for most of my life.
Another Shot is the first book in the Shots trilogy, which is based on a first love relationship I had as a teenager. It tells the story of Freddie and Jo-Jo, who are reunited in a coffee shop three decades after the end of their teenage romance. How they originally met, why they parted, what happens in their lives apart, and what happens when they reunite is all told through a series of first person vignettes. The second book, An Extra Shot, will be published in July 2019. I am currently working on the final instalment.
Getting these stories down on paper has been a cathartic process. I hope you enjoy them.’
Social Media
Instagram – @freddiejojoreunited
Twitter – @FreddieJoJo1
Don’t forget to check out all the other lovely blogs taking part in this tour!
K T Robson 
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