Title: Colton Gentry’s Third Act
Author: Jeff Zentner
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication date: April 30, 2024
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Summary
After years of working in the music industry, Colton Gentry finally got a break opening for big country star Brant Lucas. Mostly thanks to his country star wife, but still. However, having lost his best friend Duane in a mass shooting a few weeks earlier, he’s not at his best. With the help of alcohol, Colton makes his thoughts on guns known in front of a sold-out crowd. Which isn’t exactly the place to talk about gun control.
Overnight, Colton not only loses his music contracts, but also his wife. Now, he’s back in his Kentucky hometown trying to put the pieces back together. What he doesn’t expect is to find himself face-to-face with his high school sweetheart–who also offers him a job at her new farm-to-table restaurant. Will he be successful this time?
Review: Colton Gentry’s Third Act
Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner! A rare adult fiction review from me, purely because I absolutely love Jeff Zentner. And I was definitely going to jump on the chance to read his book early!
If you enjoy Zentner’s YA stuff, you’ll definitely enjoy his jump into adult fiction. His poetic writing style is one of my favorite things about his books, and it’s on full display in this book. There are just some gorgeous lines that hit right at the emotions the characters are feeling like: “Grief is an arsonist, stealing in under cover of dark to reduce you to ashes” and “Silence is fertile soil for grief to grow like creeping vines and cover you up.”
Characters are another thing that Zentner excels at, and your heart will ache for Colton right from the first page. Including flashbacks not only helps you to get his whole story, but also the other characters who play a major role in his life. What I appreciated about this book is that it shows that it’s never too late to start over; especially if you have people who are in your corner.
Also, much appreciated for the footnotes that assure you that Petey (the dog) will not die by the end of the book. In comparison to Zentner’s other books, this one is definitely not quite as sad, though that doesn’t mean you won’t feel a spectrum of emotions while reading it. Colton has plenty of ups and downs, but the running current through it all is hope. Hope that things will look up eventually.
All in all, Zentner’s foray into adult fiction is definitely a success, and I can’t wait for other people to read this book next spring!
5/5 stars