I had no idea there was a prequel for The Last Mrs. Parrish until I was 25% of the way through the ARC of the sequel, so I knew I had to immediately stop and catch up with Amber's origin story. At 120 pages (eBook, not audible for me), I was able to finish this novella in a day or two.

I can't decide if I love or hate Amber. She's absolutely an abhorrent and repulsive character, but I find myself amazed at how cold and calculating she can be.

The First Shot details Amber when she first leaves Missouri and finds herself in Colorado, specifically for Jake Crawford and his billions as the owner of an oil company. As she did with Jackson Parrish in The Last Mrs. Parrish, Amber studies and is able to win over Jake with ease,

Spoiler

before shooting him in the back with a muzzleloader while on a hunt together.

I loved it. It was a prequel that I didn't know I needed, but I'm very much glad we got it.