Katastrophe Chef

Can’t Shoot Whiskey by Zoe Forward

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Can’t Shoot Whiskey is a spicy, contemporary small-town romance following Erika and Josh, two veterinarians who have been at odds since a high school betrayal. After years of estrangement from her father, Erika is forced to return to her North Carolina hometown following the sudden death of her father and stepmother. There, she discovers she has been named guardian to her younger half-brother, whom she’s never met, and that she now co-owns a vet clinic with her ex-nemesis, Josh. She also has to navigate a clean break from her controlling boyfriend back in Philly, which isn’t as clean as she hoped it’d be.

This book made me cry so many times. If you’ve lost a parent or really anyone, this will dredge up a lot of feelings. I felt like the author handled grief really well, where there is no one single way to handle it, and people can be irrational when dealing with their feelings. I would not recommend reading this while on break at work because there’s a chance your co-workers will witness you crying.

I really appreciate that Erika always had plans for Vinny, her little brother. So many times, you have the kids or pets that as soon as they are off-screen, it’s easy to forget about them, and you will be like, “How are you doing all this stuff!? Where is so and so!?”

I went in expecting a light-hearted, low-stakes story and instead found a gut-wrenching, high-stakes emotional journey. I also love that the animals they interact with behave differently depending on who is interacting with them, because so many pets prefer some people over others. Overall, it felt pretty authentic.

I got an advanced copy of Can’t Shoot Whiskey for free through HiddenGemsBooks and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Can’t Shoot Whiskey releases on April 7th, 2026 – you can get it here: https://amzn.to/4t5Rxwa


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