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Colton Gentry's Third Act: A Novel
"A story of love, healing, and second chances ” (Emily Henry) following a down on his luck country musician who, in the throes of grief after a shocking loss, moves back home and rekindles a relationship with his high school sweetheart, from award-winning author Jeff Zentner.
Colton Gentry is riding high. His first hit in nearly a decade has caught fire, he’s opening for country megastar Brant Lucas, and he’s married to one of the hottest acts in the country. But he’s hurting. Only a few weeks earlier, his best friend, Duane, was murdered onstage by a mass shooter at a country music festival. One night, with his trauma festering and Jim Beam flowing through his veins, Colton stands before a sold-out arena crowd of country music fans and offers his unfiltered opinion on guns. It goes over poorly.
Immediately, his career and marriage implode. Left with few choices or funds, he retreats to his rural Kentucky hometown. He’s resigned himself to has-been-dom, until a chance encounter at his town’s new farm-to-table restaurant gives him a second shot at a job working in the kitchen with Luann, his first love, who has undergone her own reinvention. Told through perspectives alternating between his senior year of high school, his time coming up with Duane as hungry musicians in Nashville, and the present, COLTON GENTRY’S THIRD ACT is a story of coming home, undoing past heartbreaks, and navigating grief, and is a reminder that there are next acts in life, no matter how unlikely they may seem.
Colton Gentry is riding high. His first hit in nearly a decade has caught fire, he’s opening for country megastar Brant Lucas, and he’s married to one of the hottest acts in the country. But he’s hurting. Only a few weeks earlier, his best friend, Duane, was murdered onstage by a mass shooter at a country music festival. One night, with his trauma festering and Jim Beam flowing through his veins, Colton stands before a sold-out arena crowd of country music fans and offers his unfiltered opinion on guns. It goes over poorly.
Immediately, his career and marriage implode. Left with few choices or funds, he retreats to his rural Kentucky hometown. He’s resigned himself to has-been-dom, until a chance encounter at his town’s new farm-to-table restaurant gives him a second shot at a job working in the kitchen with Luann, his first love, who has undergone her own reinvention. Told through perspectives alternating between his senior year of high school, his time coming up with Duane as hungry musicians in Nashville, and the present, COLTON GENTRY’S THIRD ACT is a story of coming home, undoing past heartbreaks, and navigating grief, and is a reminder that there are next acts in life, no matter how unlikely they may seem.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
217 people are currently reading
13333 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Zentner
12 books2,599 followersJeff Zentner is the author of The Serpent King, which Kirkus Reviews named one of the best books of the 21st Century, as well as In the Wild Light, Goodbye Days, Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee, Colton Gentry's Third Act, and Sunrise Nights, coauthored with Brittany Cavallaro. He has two books—Wayfarers and Love, Like Apples—forthcoming in 2026.
Among other honors, he has won the ALA’s William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award twice, the Muriel Becker Award, the International Literacy Association Award, been longlisted twice for the Carnegie Medal, and is a two-time Southern Book Prize finalist.
His books have been translated into fifteen languages and been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and in Vanity Fair and People Magazine. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville.
Among other honors, he has won the ALA’s William C. Morris Award, the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award twice, the Muriel Becker Award, the International Literacy Association Award, been longlisted twice for the Carnegie Medal, and is a two-time Southern Book Prize finalist.
His books have been translated into fifteen languages and been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and in Vanity Fair and People Magazine. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,375 reviews
January 23, 2025
One of the wonders of moving through this world is how unpredictable it can be. You end up in places you never imagined, doing things that were never part of your plan. And sometimes it all works to your greater joy.
When this book releases, I will have been a writer of fiction for just over ten years. Before that, I was a musician and to make my living doing that was my greatest dream. But the music industry is cruel and if you find yourself crossing the threshold of age thirty without having hit it big, you may reasonably assume it won’t ever happen for you.
I crossed that threshold without hitting it big.
My dreams of musical stardom in a shambles around me, I began looking for something I could do that would feed my creative spirit. So I started teaching guitar to teenagers at Tennessee Teen Rock Camp and Southern Girls Rock Camp. This experience taught me that I love the way young adults love the art that they love, full-throated and unabashed in their fervor. It made me want to create art for them. But at that point I was old enough to be Billie Eilish’s father. So what to do?
Why, turn to the one art form accommodating of my then-unforgivably advanced age of thirty-six: writing books. Over a span of five years, I wrote four books for young adults. I had a blast doing it—it made me glad I’d failed at music. However, there was a story I wasn’t getting to tell in that space—one where someone plans for years on taking one path, and his dreams wither on the vine and force him to take another path that ultimately results in even greater joy. My story.
But it wasn’t really my story, as I quickly found out once I started writing. It was Colton’s story. And Luann’s story. And Petey’s story. You know how I know? Because I, as someone indifferent to football, wrote a book centering a former high school football star. Because I, as someone who’s only ever previously written about misfits and outcasts, wrote a book about a grown-up homecoming king. And that’s where the magic of writing fiction lies—creating characters and watching them take over, and realizing how many people face the same struggles that you yourself might feel alone in.
I hope you sense that magic reading this story of high highs and low lows; of small towns and big dreams; of sultry Southern nights and fireflies; of country music and cast iron cookware; of life’s second chances and third acts. I hope you cry a little and fall in love a little more and most of all, get really hungry. I’m serious. You’re allowed to hate this book, but you’re not allowed to say the food in it doesn’t sound good.
Oh, and in case the two footnotes don’t offer sufficient reassurance, let me assure you here: Petey will not die in this book.
June 23, 2024
5 ⭐️
Wow, meet my new favorite book. It’ll be impossible to top this as my best read of the year. Oh my goodness??
I don’t remember the last time I read a 400 page book in 24 hours but I simply could not put this down. I cared for the characters so deeply, and I know I’m going to be thinking about them for a long time.
The prose was just stunning, the dialogue was perfectly written and the entire book read like a movie. I desperately need this to become a movie.
I read on my Kindle but already want to go back and reread via audio. I highlighted so many passages that I know I will come back to for comfort. It was sad but also so beautifully joy filled. Ugh, I just need you to read this. PLEASE.
Wow, meet my new favorite book. It’ll be impossible to top this as my best read of the year. Oh my goodness??
I don’t remember the last time I read a 400 page book in 24 hours but I simply could not put this down. I cared for the characters so deeply, and I know I’m going to be thinking about them for a long time.
The prose was just stunning, the dialogue was perfectly written and the entire book read like a movie. I desperately need this to become a movie.
I read on my Kindle but already want to go back and reread via audio. I highlighted so many passages that I know I will come back to for comfort. It was sad but also so beautifully joy filled. Ugh, I just need you to read this. PLEASE.
May 22, 2024
Honeysuckle Summer was the working title of this book, and somehow, I wished that this beautiful story about a country singer who drunkenly offers on stage his unfiltered opinion about guns after his best friend was killed in a mass shooting still had that poetic and mesmerizing title. Honeysuckle Summer is that time when daylight doesn’t seem to run out, trees still show their freshest green, bees buzz with anticipation, and flowers hail those yellow insects inside them—a time when everything seems to be perfect. But even at those times, darkness can snuck up on you like insecurity lures at the back of your head, whispering you’re a hopeless screwup.
Sometimes, I want to read a book badly. So badly that I’m afraid to start reading. Am I making sense? Not wanting to read another book because all you can do is think of that one? And when you finally have the courage to start reading, your hands are shaking, and you can’t concentrate. Because what if you don’t like it? What if it disappoints you? What if it doesn’t pull you in and keeps you hooked to the pages? What if?
It happened with me and this book. One of my most anticipated 2024 reads because Jeff Zentner’s writing is gorgeous. But when I finally started, my brain wouldn’t let me read more than a few pages. My gut didn’t let me feel what I needed to feel. I just gobbled up the words and recognized beautiful sentences but didn’t feel anything. I sighed and growled and almost threw my ereader against a wall. Until Colton stood next to his father’s grave. Tears leaped into my eyes and slowly rolled down my cheeks. Because Colton wept. Not only for the father he lost but also because of the deaths of essential pieces of himself. And then I knew I was reading another gem.
It doesn’t matter if Jeff Zentner writes YA or adult stories. I’m there for them all. I don’t think I know of any other author who writes so beautifully. I know I’m not supposed to quote because I’m reading an ARC, but I just need to show what Jeff’s capable of to all of you who haven’t read anything by this immensely talented author yet.
Grief is an arsonist, stealing in under cover of dark to reduce you to ashes.
How do you end a conversation like this? When there’s everything left to say, and you so badly want to confess your regret that it’s twisting your heart and mind into a braid.
While reading the last part of the book, I was in so much doubt about my rating. Only for the writing, I’d rate this novel a million stars. But there’s a tiny part about hunting (only a few sentences) that didn’t sit well with me. A shotgun is still a gun, in my humble (European) opinion. Those sentences didn’t add anything to the story. On the contrary, even. They weakened it (still my opinion) and made me decide with pain in my heart to rate this otherwise wonderful novel 4 instead of 5 stars.
I received an ARC from Grand Central Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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Sometimes, I want to read a book badly. So badly that I’m afraid to start reading. Am I making sense? Not wanting to read another book because all you can do is think of that one? And when you finally have the courage to start reading, your hands are shaking, and you can’t concentrate. Because what if you don’t like it? What if it disappoints you? What if it doesn’t pull you in and keeps you hooked to the pages? What if?
It happened with me and this book. One of my most anticipated 2024 reads because Jeff Zentner’s writing is gorgeous. But when I finally started, my brain wouldn’t let me read more than a few pages. My gut didn’t let me feel what I needed to feel. I just gobbled up the words and recognized beautiful sentences but didn’t feel anything. I sighed and growled and almost threw my ereader against a wall. Until Colton stood next to his father’s grave. Tears leaped into my eyes and slowly rolled down my cheeks. Because Colton wept. Not only for the father he lost but also because of the deaths of essential pieces of himself. And then I knew I was reading another gem.
It doesn’t matter if Jeff Zentner writes YA or adult stories. I’m there for them all. I don’t think I know of any other author who writes so beautifully. I know I’m not supposed to quote because I’m reading an ARC, but I just need to show what Jeff’s capable of to all of you who haven’t read anything by this immensely talented author yet.
Grief is an arsonist, stealing in under cover of dark to reduce you to ashes.
How do you end a conversation like this? When there’s everything left to say, and you so badly want to confess your regret that it’s twisting your heart and mind into a braid.
While reading the last part of the book, I was in so much doubt about my rating. Only for the writing, I’d rate this novel a million stars. But there’s a tiny part about hunting (only a few sentences) that didn’t sit well with me. A shotgun is still a gun, in my humble (European) opinion. Those sentences didn’t add anything to the story. On the contrary, even. They weakened it (still my opinion) and made me decide with pain in my heart to rate this otherwise wonderful novel 4 instead of 5 stars.
I received an ARC from Grand Central Publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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April 22, 2024
I should know better than to make assumptions based on a book's cover, but I went into this one thinking it would be a country romance and therefore, not my jam.
Boy, was I wrong. Yes, there "is" a romance between our hero, Colton, and his high-school sweetheart, Luann (which I loved because I loved both of these characters), but this is also a novel about found family, sobriety, standing up for one's beliefs, grief, courage, regret, and second chances.
The culinary descriptions alone convinced me of Jeff Zentner's skill as a wordsmith, but the banter between the characters is an absolute delight as well. I read this in two sittings. If you're looking for a multi-layered, uplifting read, look no further. Colton Gentry has everything you need.
Boy, was I wrong. Yes, there "is" a romance between our hero, Colton, and his high-school sweetheart, Luann (which I loved because I loved both of these characters), but this is also a novel about found family, sobriety, standing up for one's beliefs, grief, courage, regret, and second chances.
The culinary descriptions alone convinced me of Jeff Zentner's skill as a wordsmith, but the banter between the characters is an absolute delight as well. I read this in two sittings. If you're looking for a multi-layered, uplifting read, look no further. Colton Gentry has everything you need.
January 22, 2024
This was my most anticipated book of the year so I’m pretty upset that I liked but didn’t love it. In the Wild Light by Zentner is one of my all time favorite books. It’s so beautiful and I cried multiple times reading it & I immediately connected to the characters.
In this one, I just felt so lukewarm about everything. The plot was… fine? The characters were… fine? But I honestly didn’t care that much about them. They never fully felt like real people to me.
The writing sometimes felt like he was trying to use the most words from a thesaurus and it felt like forced flowery language if that makes sense. And there were pages of just straight lists of food they were making at the restaurant which got old after a while haha
I enjoyed the second chance romance & redemption storyline, & I thought his addiction was portrayed well. I like the idea that there is always time for a new chapter in your life, I just wanted to feel more connected to the story.
In this one, I just felt so lukewarm about everything. The plot was… fine? The characters were… fine? But I honestly didn’t care that much about them. They never fully felt like real people to me.
The writing sometimes felt like he was trying to use the most words from a thesaurus and it felt like forced flowery language if that makes sense. And there were pages of just straight lists of food they were making at the restaurant which got old after a while haha
I enjoyed the second chance romance & redemption storyline, & I thought his addiction was portrayed well. I like the idea that there is always time for a new chapter in your life, I just wanted to feel more connected to the story.
July 15, 2024
review to come!
cw: gun violence, death of a loved one, alcoholism, cheating
cw: gun violence, death of a loved one, alcoholism, cheating
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December 2, 2025Wow! This needs to be a movie!!
This was so very good that I read most of it in a single day! Jeff Zentner has such an amazing way of writing characters that you're drawn in and care for them immediately. I love the almost poetic nature of his writing and the vibrant description and detail in little ways. Wonderful slow burn in this one where he's often struggling, asking questions and reassessing trying to figure out what the best way forward is. Colton Gentry is REAL! I think that's the thing... he's relatable and flawed and struggles like most of the the rest of us. Great supporting cast as always in Zentner's writing as well and so many wonderful details that are continued through the story.
Stellar! Again, this needs to be a movie!
This was so very good that I read most of it in a single day! Jeff Zentner has such an amazing way of writing characters that you're drawn in and care for them immediately. I love the almost poetic nature of his writing and the vibrant description and detail in little ways. Wonderful slow burn in this one where he's often struggling, asking questions and reassessing trying to figure out what the best way forward is. Colton Gentry is REAL! I think that's the thing... he's relatable and flawed and struggles like most of the the rest of us. Great supporting cast as always in Zentner's writing as well and so many wonderful details that are continued through the story.
Stellar! Again, this needs to be a movie!
February 15, 2026
3.5 stars, rounded up for uniqueness
When this book opens, Colton Gentry is performing on a concert stage drunk, drowning in grief, and making enemies of his country music audience by engaging with hecklers who don’t like his stand on gun control. He’s removed from the stage to a chorus of boo’s and dropped from the tour. Within days, his record label and his agency sever ties, and his superstar wife ends their marriage, gifting him with a stint in rehab as a parting gift. Afterwards, broke and defeated, he heads home to his small Western Kentucky hometown with no plan for the future and no hope for reviving his past.
After nursing his wounds for a few weeks, he gets in touch with an old friend still in town. He deliberately chooses to adopt the “worst” dog, nicknamed Petey Poops, from the town’s worst animal shelter, which is the most moving section in the whole book (and for which I might have fallen a little bit in love with him). And he accidentally runs into his first love, his high school girlfriend, who offers him a way to reclaim hope and dignity.
I normally despise alternating timelines, but I think the author used them effectively here. The sad, struggling Colton in the present day becomes more interesting when the reader is introduced to the 17-year-old Colton, star quarterback, who is special enough to recognize the brilliance in the fearless Luann, strong enough to love her instead of the head cheerleader, and sensitive enough to appreciate the gift of her love in return.
Until he blew it. Because he felt unworthy.
And she overreacted. Because she was already too familiar with abandonment.
I liked so many things about this book: it’s realistic depiction of Colton’s alcoholism, it’s thoughtfulness, it’s carefulness, the beautifully described Kentucky setting, the lack of easy answers, the sweetness of Colton’s and Luann’s young love, Luann being such an original female character, the deep emotions, the moodiness, and Petey. Most of all, Petey.
But around the two thirds mark, I became frustrated: the never-ending food descriptions, the lack of movement between Colton and Luann, Colton’s bouts of self pity and his unilateral decision-making, conversations that go nowhere, the constant descriptions of smells—of hair, bodies, clothing, houses—that were combinations of exotic ingredients that no one’s hair or body or house ever smelled of, the moodiness, moodiness, moodiness.
When all was said and done, I thought the romance was underwhelming. At a time when I wanted him to be consumed with Luann, and when she certainly deserved for him to be consumed with her, Colton experienced several episodes that showed he was still too easily affected by his ex-wife and still had doubts about the future he wanted.
And no, Luann, Colton’s ex-wife did not still love him. She just hated losing. You’re the one who still loves him.
Luann deserved certainty, and it took Colton too long to deliver it.
When this book opens, Colton Gentry is performing on a concert stage drunk, drowning in grief, and making enemies of his country music audience by engaging with hecklers who don’t like his stand on gun control. He’s removed from the stage to a chorus of boo’s and dropped from the tour. Within days, his record label and his agency sever ties, and his superstar wife ends their marriage, gifting him with a stint in rehab as a parting gift. Afterwards, broke and defeated, he heads home to his small Western Kentucky hometown with no plan for the future and no hope for reviving his past.
After nursing his wounds for a few weeks, he gets in touch with an old friend still in town. He deliberately chooses to adopt the “worst” dog, nicknamed Petey Poops, from the town’s worst animal shelter, which is the most moving section in the whole book (and for which I might have fallen a little bit in love with him). And he accidentally runs into his first love, his high school girlfriend, who offers him a way to reclaim hope and dignity.
I normally despise alternating timelines, but I think the author used them effectively here. The sad, struggling Colton in the present day becomes more interesting when the reader is introduced to the 17-year-old Colton, star quarterback, who is special enough to recognize the brilliance in the fearless Luann, strong enough to love her instead of the head cheerleader, and sensitive enough to appreciate the gift of her love in return.
Until he blew it. Because he felt unworthy.
And she overreacted. Because she was already too familiar with abandonment.
I liked so many things about this book: it’s realistic depiction of Colton’s alcoholism, it’s thoughtfulness, it’s carefulness, the beautifully described Kentucky setting, the lack of easy answers, the sweetness of Colton’s and Luann’s young love, Luann being such an original female character, the deep emotions, the moodiness, and Petey. Most of all, Petey.
But around the two thirds mark, I became frustrated: the never-ending food descriptions, the lack of movement between Colton and Luann, Colton’s bouts of self pity and his unilateral decision-making, conversations that go nowhere, the constant descriptions of smells—of hair, bodies, clothing, houses—that were combinations of exotic ingredients that no one’s hair or body or house ever smelled of, the moodiness, moodiness, moodiness.
When all was said and done, I thought the romance was underwhelming. At a time when I wanted him to be consumed with Luann, and when she certainly deserved for him to be consumed with her, Colton experienced several episodes that showed he was still too easily affected by his ex-wife and still had doubts about the future he wanted.
And no, Luann, Colton’s ex-wife did not still love him. She just hated losing. You’re the one who still loves him.
Luann deserved certainty, and it took Colton too long to deliver it.
April 10, 2024
This book had me by the throat and I couldn't put it down.
Technically speaking the second half of that sentence is a lie. In 2o23 I picked this up and read the first couple chapters, immediately intrigued but me and reading with my eyes have been having some disagreements. It got shuffled off to the side, but luckily the audio was one of Libro.fms advance copies this month and so I was able to get around to this before the release date.
Boy am I glad that I am.
I was initially drawn to this because Colton Gentry is a country music musician, and while the book isn't about his rise to fame so much as his dusting himself off after his fifteen minutes, it's still a buzzword for me.
This story is told in a couple different timelines, though just knowing you get stuff from Colton's past and his present is almost all you need to know.
In the present Colton Gentry is a man in recovery; both from his alcoholism and from the music career he lost. After Colton's best friend was shot at a music festival and he doubled down on statements advocating for stricter gun regulation Colton finds himself no longer the opening act, no longer married, and back home in the small town he was raised in living in his childhood bedroom.
In the past we see Colton Gentry, football star as he forms a relationship with Luann; a new girl in school and not part of his usual social circle.
It's the way that the past informs Colton's present, and Luann's return that had me believing that maybe second chance romances can be done well
Zentner is able to craft a story that is addictive. The way that Colton's and Luann's relationship is written in the past and the present is some of my favorite scenes I've read all year. The way the past is some of the most romantic storytelling I've ever read and the present reads as some of the most compelling cases for platonic love, with that old flame still simmering just under the surface until it makes sense for things to change.
It really is some of the best character work I've read this year, it quickly rocketed to my favorite read of the year. If I hadn't been at work I would have been kicking my feet and blushing the entire time I read it.
Even the platonic male relationships are a thing of joy in this book. The friendship that Colton had with Duane, the friend that was murdered is explored in some of the past chapters, and the friendship that Colton had in high school also comes back into play and feels on equal footing. Truly just a masterclass as far as I'm concerned.
This is the first book by Jeff Zentner that I've read, and I doubt that it will be my last.
Technically speaking the second half of that sentence is a lie. In 2o23 I picked this up and read the first couple chapters, immediately intrigued but me and reading with my eyes have been having some disagreements. It got shuffled off to the side, but luckily the audio was one of Libro.fms advance copies this month and so I was able to get around to this before the release date.
Boy am I glad that I am.
I was initially drawn to this because Colton Gentry is a country music musician, and while the book isn't about his rise to fame so much as his dusting himself off after his fifteen minutes, it's still a buzzword for me.
This story is told in a couple different timelines, though just knowing you get stuff from Colton's past and his present is almost all you need to know.
In the present Colton Gentry is a man in recovery; both from his alcoholism and from the music career he lost. After Colton's best friend was shot at a music festival and he doubled down on statements advocating for stricter gun regulation Colton finds himself no longer the opening act, no longer married, and back home in the small town he was raised in living in his childhood bedroom.
In the past we see Colton Gentry, football star as he forms a relationship with Luann; a new girl in school and not part of his usual social circle.
It's the way that the past informs Colton's present, and Luann's return that had me believing that maybe second chance romances can be done well
Zentner is able to craft a story that is addictive. The way that Colton's and Luann's relationship is written in the past and the present is some of my favorite scenes I've read all year. The way the past is some of the most romantic storytelling I've ever read and the present reads as some of the most compelling cases for platonic love, with that old flame still simmering just under the surface until it makes sense for things to change.
It really is some of the best character work I've read this year, it quickly rocketed to my favorite read of the year. If I hadn't been at work I would have been kicking my feet and blushing the entire time I read it.
Even the platonic male relationships are a thing of joy in this book. The friendship that Colton had with Duane, the friend that was murdered is explored in some of the past chapters, and the friendship that Colton had in high school also comes back into play and feels on equal footing. Truly just a masterclass as far as I'm concerned.
This is the first book by Jeff Zentner that I've read, and I doubt that it will be my last.
May 20, 2024
I really, really wanted to be into it.. but this is romance written by a man, and you can *TELL* it was written by a man...? I've read a lot of romance and a lot of literature written by men.. but I'm not sure that contemporary romance written by a man is my cup of tea.
Or perhaps it was just *this* romance written by a man? Anna Karenina isn't romance, but it has romance and was written by a man so I know I like the possibility of this perspective? Also Atonement is one of my favorite stories and it was written by Ian McEwan -- another writer of the male species. Again - has romance but isn't really a romance at the end of the day? Contemporary make romance writers just aren't doing it for me I guess.
**Thank you to Grand Central Publishing & Bibliolifestyle for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
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Or perhaps it was just *this* romance written by a man? Anna Karenina isn't romance, but it has romance and was written by a man so I know I like the possibility of this perspective? Also Atonement is one of my favorite stories and it was written by Ian McEwan -- another writer of the male species. Again - has romance but isn't really a romance at the end of the day? Contemporary make romance writers just aren't doing it for me I guess.
**Thank you to Grand Central Publishing & Bibliolifestyle for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
February 15, 2026
Quintessentially a Jeff Zentner novel in that COLTON GENTRY’S THIRD ACT makes you feel *everything.* You’ll cry a lot, of course, sometimes because what you’re reading is hysterically funny and other times heartbreaking but you’ll always cry because what you’re reading is so incomprehensibly beautifully written. April 30, 2024.
September 23, 2025
(4.5 stars)
I don’t know why it took me this long to read Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner! It’s exactly the kind of story I love; it’s got romance and heartbreak, and it also covers serious issues.
Colton Gentry grew up in a small town in Kentucky and was a high school football star. Until he couldn’t play football anymore. Which is when he turned to music, becoming a minor country star. The book bounces between Colton’s senior year in high school in 1995-96 and twenty years later, 2015-16.
Over the years, Colton had developed a reliance on alcohol and when his best friend, fellow musician Duane, is one of the victims of a mass shooting at a music festival, his life falls apart. He drunkenly speaks out against guns at a country music concert and gets booed off the stage. His career and marriage implode. After a stint in rehab, he heads back to his hometown to “lick his wounds” and figure out what to do next. And that forms the rest of the story, his “third act.”
This was my first book by Jeff Zentner and I loved his writing. He has created realistic, multifaceted characters that you want to root for. And an adorable elderly dog too. The redeeming “third act” was a bit unbelievable, but it was still a great story.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I don’t know why it took me this long to read Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner! It’s exactly the kind of story I love; it’s got romance and heartbreak, and it also covers serious issues.
Colton Gentry grew up in a small town in Kentucky and was a high school football star. Until he couldn’t play football anymore. Which is when he turned to music, becoming a minor country star. The book bounces between Colton’s senior year in high school in 1995-96 and twenty years later, 2015-16.
Over the years, Colton had developed a reliance on alcohol and when his best friend, fellow musician Duane, is one of the victims of a mass shooting at a music festival, his life falls apart. He drunkenly speaks out against guns at a country music concert and gets booed off the stage. His career and marriage implode. After a stint in rehab, he heads back to his hometown to “lick his wounds” and figure out what to do next. And that forms the rest of the story, his “third act.”
This was my first book by Jeff Zentner and I loved his writing. He has created realistic, multifaceted characters that you want to root for. And an adorable elderly dog too. The redeeming “third act” was a bit unbelievable, but it was still a great story.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
April 26, 2024
Listen to Jeff Zentner on the Book Gang Podcast NOW! We discuss What Jeff Zentner Brings to Romance Click here to tune in! If you love the show, please consider joining my Patreon.
Readers may be surprised to discover that Jeff Zentner is firmly planting his feet in the romance world with his first small-town romance written for adult readers. It was a pleasure to talk to him about his writing transition this month.
This earnest second-chance love story opens with an emotionally charged moment when a drunken Colton Gentry professes outrage against gun violence on the microphone at a sold-out show that he is performing. The reason for this outburst is not politically driven but personally driven because his best friend was murdered onstage by a mass shooter at a country music festival.
As Colton's drunken rant begins, his team cuts his microphone midsentence, unleashing a cancellation by the country music industry for his public stance against gun rights.
With his personal life in shambles, a defeated Colton returns home to live with his mother, trying to find a new purpose and financial freedom away from his infamous past.
Luann, left behind by Colton when the two struggled to navigate a long-distance romance when they were kids, is now the proud owner of a local farm-to-table restaurant whose dishes wow Colton's dishes when he visits as a patron. Still smarting from the loss years ago, Luann sets aside her misgivings to allow Colton to work as a sous chef for the restaurant.
But how will this impact Luann's world when Colton becomes the punching bag for a media circus that trails him? And, after leaving her, is he deserving of this redemption story?
The book offers readers a slow-burn romance as Luann and Colton rekindle their relationship.
There is a familiarity that Zentner believably builds, but it is no surprise that this magic is best captured when they are kids. As Zenter is a young adult writer, it allowed him to sit comfortably in his wheelhouse while exploring a more grown-up story of navigating divorce, kids, and sobriety in their grown-up moments.
While steamy, the romance is almost entirely closed-door, with only a paragraph going beyond fade-to-black bedroom scenes.
Like J. Ryan Stradal's writing of Midwestern food details, Zentner offers our book stacks a well-researched Southern food scene. But where he shines is a coming-of-age story that develops on the page, celebrating the defining moments of a man coming to know himself and who matters most in his thirties.
Despite the opener, the story stays surprisingly neutral as Colton finds commonality with everyone, which many readers will find comforting. Zentner stresses in our interview that this is not an issues book. It could be an excellent book club book for those who want starter conversations for their groups around the gun rights topic.
This novel will more than satisfy Jeff Zentner fans.
May 3, 2024
Colton Gentry’s Third Act was one of my most anticipated books, unfortunately for me it did not live up to the hype. It was just okay for me. I am definitely in the minority, but I just didn't feel any excitement from this book.
The characters were very bland. They were okay, but just fell flat in my opinion. I wanted more of the second chance romance between them, not just at the end. There was something missing for me to truly feel their connection. They never felt like real people to me. I honestly did not care for them as much as I wanted.
The plot also was just okay for me. I liked the addiction storyline and his redemption, I just felt like it could've been more. The writing also felt off at times, as if he was trying to write in a way that was awkward. It just did not have the effect I was expecting this book would have on me. Keep in mind I am in the minority for this one!
🎧 The narration by Charlie Thurston was good. He kept me engaged. He was interesting to listen to. I think if I read this book I might've not finished it.
✨️Thank you to @librofm for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.
The characters were very bland. They were okay, but just fell flat in my opinion. I wanted more of the second chance romance between them, not just at the end. There was something missing for me to truly feel their connection. They never felt like real people to me. I honestly did not care for them as much as I wanted.
The plot also was just okay for me. I liked the addiction storyline and his redemption, I just felt like it could've been more. The writing also felt off at times, as if he was trying to write in a way that was awkward. It just did not have the effect I was expecting this book would have on me. Keep in mind I am in the minority for this one!
🎧 The narration by Charlie Thurston was good. He kept me engaged. He was interesting to listen to. I think if I read this book I might've not finished it.
✨️Thank you to @librofm for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2024
I have mixed thoughts about this book. I thought the first half was strong, but the second half, when the romance actually starts, I thought it got a little cheesy.
Colton is a country music star who speaks out on gun violence after his best friend is killed in a mass shooting and immediately falls from grace. His wife leaves him, his career is over, and he is an alcoholic, so he returns home to a small Kentucky town to try to rebuild his life. He gets sober, reunites with his high school sweetheart, and begins a new career, but can he hold it all together when things get tough?
There were parts of this book that I really liked. The sobriety issue and Colton getting his life back together were done very well. I even appreciated the flashbacks to his high school days. It painted such a great picture of why Colton makes the decisions that he does. Where this book fell short for me was in the romance department. The banter was cringey and sounded like a caricature of what small town Kentucky people sound like. There was a weird fixation on food that came out of nowhere. I am a food person and didn't need that much description of the meals that were being made. The romance was sweet but I felt like I was more interested in their high school love story than the current day one. I also was uncomfortable with his obsession with his former wife, who was a real jerk.
Anyway, I enjoyed this but obviously also had some issues.
Colton is a country music star who speaks out on gun violence after his best friend is killed in a mass shooting and immediately falls from grace. His wife leaves him, his career is over, and he is an alcoholic, so he returns home to a small Kentucky town to try to rebuild his life. He gets sober, reunites with his high school sweetheart, and begins a new career, but can he hold it all together when things get tough?
There were parts of this book that I really liked. The sobriety issue and Colton getting his life back together were done very well. I even appreciated the flashbacks to his high school days. It painted such a great picture of why Colton makes the decisions that he does. Where this book fell short for me was in the romance department. The banter was cringey and sounded like a caricature of what small town Kentucky people sound like. There was a weird fixation on food that came out of nowhere. I am a food person and didn't need that much description of the meals that were being made. The romance was sweet but I felt like I was more interested in their high school love story than the current day one. I also was uncomfortable with his obsession with his former wife, who was a real jerk.
Anyway, I enjoyed this but obviously also had some issues.
May 10, 2024
Here’s the thing this is note perfect. Like, all of it start to finish. It’s the story of a down and out musician who steps in it with gun enthusiasts and has to rebuild his life. That he does it with food was surprising. Zenter’s first adult book has this fun little YA interlude when the main character reminisces about his old high school flame. It’s a second chance romance that is done very, very well. So much of it was so authentic and raw like it came from some deep, holy and beautiful place.
Cannot recommend enough. Need to figure out how to hire sky writers- it is so good. And the dude from Demon Copperhead does the audio so I recommend that version as well because he nails it.
Cannot recommend enough. Need to figure out how to hire sky writers- it is so good. And the dude from Demon Copperhead does the audio so I recommend that version as well because he nails it.
January 14, 2025
A male author I can stan. Literally cried when he went and confronted the protestors. I loved this book.
January 9, 2025
You wouldn't know from the cover, but this was a truly amazing second-chance romance. Jeff Zentner has a way with words. He vividly captured the intensity of first love, heartbreak, and the all-encompassing emotions that come with them.
The story opens with Colton, a country music star deeply grieving the loss of a friend who died onstage during a mass shooting. This traumatic experience ignites a fire in him, pushing him to openly speak out against gun violence—a moment that unfortunately causes his career to take a nosedive in the country music scene.
I really loved the distinct tones of the past and present timelines. Beyond being a love story, this is a story of addiction, resilience, redemption, and embracing unexpected turns. A reminder that you are not defined by just one path or failure.
Without giving too much away, part two kind of lost me with the excessive food descriptions, but overall I'd highly recommend this. It's not just a story about second chances, but third chances—and however many you need to find happiness!
(heat level: mostly closed door + one very brief open-door scene towards the end)
The story opens with Colton, a country music star deeply grieving the loss of a friend who died onstage during a mass shooting. This traumatic experience ignites a fire in him, pushing him to openly speak out against gun violence—a moment that unfortunately causes his career to take a nosedive in the country music scene.
I really loved the distinct tones of the past and present timelines. Beyond being a love story, this is a story of addiction, resilience, redemption, and embracing unexpected turns. A reminder that you are not defined by just one path or failure.
Without giving too much away, part two kind of lost me with the excessive food descriptions, but overall I'd highly recommend this. It's not just a story about second chances, but third chances—and however many you need to find happiness!
(heat level: mostly closed door + one very brief open-door scene towards the end)
April 19, 2025
once again, a second chance romance has obliterated me.
but this is more than just a romance. it's a story of second and third chances at life.
you think you've lost everything and your purpose, to find it in something new...in something you could not have imagined for yourself. that's what Colton Gentry's Third Act is all about.
this was so emotionally satisfying. it felt like a warm hug. PLEASE PICK THIS UP IF YOU WERE EVEN MILDY CONSIDERING READING THIS. you will feel so filled with hope and joy.
songs that made this reading experience EVEN BETTER:
"sweet heat lightning" by Gregory Alan Isakov
"rivers and roads" by The Head and The Heart
"I remember everything" by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves
"big black car" by Gregory Alan Isakov
but this is more than just a romance. it's a story of second and third chances at life.
you think you've lost everything and your purpose, to find it in something new...in something you could not have imagined for yourself. that's what Colton Gentry's Third Act is all about.
this was so emotionally satisfying. it felt like a warm hug. PLEASE PICK THIS UP IF YOU WERE EVEN MILDY CONSIDERING READING THIS. you will feel so filled with hope and joy.
songs that made this reading experience EVEN BETTER:
"sweet heat lightning" by Gregory Alan Isakov
"rivers and roads" by The Head and The Heart
"I remember everything" by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves
"big black car" by Gregory Alan Isakov
July 12, 2023
This is my new favorite book. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I cannot wait for everyone to read it.
August 5, 2025
This book totally lived up to all the rave reviews I've been seeing! If you enjoy second chance love stories, country music, comeback stories, small town stories, high school sweethearts and books about food and family this one is for you!!
Fair warning that alcoholism and a gun shooting play a big part in this book but if that's not a trigger for you, definitely don't miss out on this wonderful book!!! Great on audio and my absolute new favorite by Jeff Zentner!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Libro.fm for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommended for fans of the old school George Strait movie, Dusty!!
Fair warning that alcoholism and a gun shooting play a big part in this book but if that's not a trigger for you, definitely don't miss out on this wonderful book!!! Great on audio and my absolute new favorite by Jeff Zentner!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and Libro.fm for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! Highly recommended for fans of the old school George Strait movie, Dusty!!
June 20, 2024
This book was cringy. The similes were so cheesy. It felt like a middle-schooler wrote it. I do not recommend.
July 8, 2024
Unexpectedly loved this so much! Loved the plot and the characters and their flaws and the storyline. Was a good romance but not too frilly, had serious topics that were dealt with care, in my opinion. Also really good writing which I don’t always notice/care about but I feel like it was such good writing that I actually noticed.
May 8, 2024
From the start, I was completely invested in Colton and his story. Him standing up for what he believed in (which is something I also happen to believe in) despite the unpopularity of his anti-gun sentiment in the country music community endeared him to me immediately. I mean sure he was kiiind of inebriated when he did it, but my opinion stands. You can tell the guy is hurting, and it's also clear that things are about to get worse before they get better.
He packs up and moves back home, finds him an old dog (with a footnote that nothing will happen to the dog, thank goodness!) and a job totally outside his comfort zone, which just so happens to be at the restaurant of an old flame.
Obviously, the theme here is Colton trying to get his life back on track. He realizes that drinking has become a problem, so he works toward sobriety. He tries to reconnect with folks from his past, and really kind of discover who he wants to be and what he wants his life to look like. It's obviously incredibly relatable for anyone who has had to do a reset long after many of your peers seem to have their lives figured out. There's romance, friendship, family, all kinds of great stuff packed into this book.
But my one absolute favorite part? Colton is a dude who has emotions. No one shames him for having emotions, he doesn't feel "less of a man" for showing said emotions. Everything about this is just... healthy. Not to say that Colton is always dealing with things in a healthy way (remember the aforementioned drinking? He also has been known to push people away to "protect" them, so yeah he isn't perfect, not by a long shot!) but the way it is all portrayed in a way that delivers really good messages.
Bottom Line: It's charming, funny, heartwarming, emotional, and all around fabulous. You obviously need it in your life.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
He packs up and moves back home, finds him an old dog (with a footnote that nothing will happen to the dog, thank goodness!) and a job totally outside his comfort zone, which just so happens to be at the restaurant of an old flame.
Obviously, the theme here is Colton trying to get his life back on track. He realizes that drinking has become a problem, so he works toward sobriety. He tries to reconnect with folks from his past, and really kind of discover who he wants to be and what he wants his life to look like. It's obviously incredibly relatable for anyone who has had to do a reset long after many of your peers seem to have their lives figured out. There's romance, friendship, family, all kinds of great stuff packed into this book.
But my one absolute favorite part? Colton is a dude who has emotions. No one shames him for having emotions, he doesn't feel "less of a man" for showing said emotions. Everything about this is just... healthy. Not to say that Colton is always dealing with things in a healthy way (remember the aforementioned drinking? He also has been known to push people away to "protect" them, so yeah he isn't perfect, not by a long shot!) but the way it is all portrayed in a way that delivers really good messages.
Bottom Line: It's charming, funny, heartwarming, emotional, and all around fabulous. You obviously need it in your life.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
May 29, 2024
I mean we all knew Zentner could write, but his first adult novel was absolutely gorgeous. The prose brought me to tears many times throughout. I loved watching Colton go through his stages of grief and figuring out his next steps. I wish the topic of gun reform was touched on just a bit more in places. But overall, the story itself was so rewarding and I didn’t want it to end honestly.
September 6, 2024
I can’t resist a good comeback/redemption story, and this was perfect.
I loved so much about this story: The food descriptions, the humor, the romance, the friendships. It was delightful, and I found myself smiling almost the entire time I listened.
I think the cover turns a lot of people away from this book. I’ll be honest- I didn’t pick it up for a while because of its appearance.
But, I’m happy I finally gave it a try. If you love movies like Jerry Maguire or a good second-chance romance, Colton Gentry is for you!
⚠️One quick open door scene, a cracked door scene, and infrequent profanity; references to gun violence
I loved so much about this story: The food descriptions, the humor, the romance, the friendships. It was delightful, and I found myself smiling almost the entire time I listened.
I think the cover turns a lot of people away from this book. I’ll be honest- I didn’t pick it up for a while because of its appearance.
But, I’m happy I finally gave it a try. If you love movies like Jerry Maguire or a good second-chance romance, Colton Gentry is for you!
⚠️One quick open door scene, a cracked door scene, and infrequent profanity; references to gun violence
July 21, 2024
Ugh, this book was so good! I loved the personal development that Colton went through and the way his healed his broken relationships.
I immediately want to find the nearest farm to table restaurant and eat all the good food because everything in this book sounded SO GOOD.
The romance was predictable but I still loved how they reconnected and restored their relationship. I was cheering for Colton and the way he worked through so many personal problems was so enjoyable to read!
I immediately want to find the nearest farm to table restaurant and eat all the good food because everything in this book sounded SO GOOD.
The romance was predictable but I still loved how they reconnected and restored their relationship. I was cheering for Colton and the way he worked through so many personal problems was so enjoyable to read!
May 27, 2024
I enjoyed this story of reinvention and second chances!
Colton is a country singer who tanks his career by speaking up on gun control, following a personal tragedy. He spirals into alcohol addiction, loses both love and livelihood, and has only one option left - get clean and return to his small town home. There, he is forced to grapple with his past mistakes, and find a way forward. He runs into his first love who offers him forgiveness and opportunity, and starts to heal.
The second chance trope has become a favorite, and I enjoyed this as a romance and as a story of personal growth! 4.5/5 stars
[Thank you Grand Central Pub for the ARC copy. All thoughts are my own]
Colton is a country singer who tanks his career by speaking up on gun control, following a personal tragedy. He spirals into alcohol addiction, loses both love and livelihood, and has only one option left - get clean and return to his small town home. There, he is forced to grapple with his past mistakes, and find a way forward. He runs into his first love who offers him forgiveness and opportunity, and starts to heal.
The second chance trope has become a favorite, and I enjoyed this as a romance and as a story of personal growth! 4.5/5 stars
[Thank you Grand Central Pub for the ARC copy. All thoughts are my own]
June 7, 2024
It was fine. Super sweet and predictable story that another writer could have made better. I struggled with this writer a lot. There was so much weird humor and unnecessary banter between the characters. It was sometimes uncomfortable and a little creepy.
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