A Shot in the Dark

A Novel

By: Victoria Lee

Narrated by: Scott Turner Schofield, Gilli Messer

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A passionate and powerful romance featuring a transgender man and an ex-Orthodox woman who find each other through their devotion to art, and fall in love despite all odds, from bestselling author Victoria Lee

“A sensual love story about art and passion . . . emotional and heart-aching.”—Ashley Poston, New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: PopSugar, She Reads, Publishers Weekly

Elisheva Cohen has just returned to New York after almost a decade away. The wounds of her past haven’t fully healed, but four years of sobriety and a scholarship to study photography with art legend Wyatt Cole are signs of good things to come, right? They could be, as long as Ely resists self-sabotage. She’s lucky enough to hit it off with a handsome himbo her first night out in the city. But the morning after their mind-blowing hookup, reality comes knocking. When Wyatt Cole walks into the classroom, Ely realizes the man she just spent the night with, the man whose name she couldn’t hear over the loud club music, is her teacher.

Everyone in the art world is obsessed with Wyatt Cole. He’s immensely talented and his notoriously reclusive personal life makes him even more compelling. But behind closed doors, Wyatt’s past is a painful memory. After coming out as transgender, Wyatt was dishonorably discharged from the military and disowned by his family. Since these traumatic experiences, Wyatt has worked hard for his sobriety and his flourishing art career. He can’t risk it all for Ely, no matter how attracted to her he is or how bad he feels about insisting she drop his class in exchange for a strictly professional mentorship. Wyatt can help with her capstone photography project, but he cannot, under any circumstances, fall in love with her in the process.

Through the lens of her camera, Ely must confront the reason she left New York in the first place: the Orthodox community that raised her, then shunned her because of her substance abuse. Along the way, Wyatt’s walls begin to break down, and each artist fights for what’s right in front of them—a person who sees them for all that they are and a love that could mean more than they ever imagined possible.

©2022 Victoria Lee (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Victoria Lee aims straight for the heart, and pierces the center without restraint.”—Kosoko Jackson, author of the Lambda Literary Award finalist I’m So (Not) Over You

“A moving portrait of queer love, religion, recovery, art, and community.”—Mackenzi Lee, author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

A Believable Romance

The sex and language in this book were a little out of my comfort zone, but I pushed through that because I try to broaden my horizons. I really enjoyed it. It was an intimate look into the life of a nontraditional couple, a former addict, and a person who had grown up in an Orthodox community. There was a lot to learn and I felt that the relationship that was built between the characters was believable and heartwarming.

A shot into our inner life

Loved this book! Gilli Messer Joseffy and Scott Turner Schofield
Narration is sensitive and beautiful - they are bringing the story to life. I really felt that I got to know both Ely and Wyatt and follow their journey.
Through their eyes and stories we learned about the past, we lived the present and we are looking forward for their future together - as a couple and as creative people that will work together .
I decided not to describe the story - I invite you to listen and follow their life.
Kudus to Victoria Lee for writing such a beautiful, sad , happy and story.

Can’t recommend enough!

This book covered topics that I don’t typically come across in my day to day life including trans romance, Orthodox Judaism and drug addiction to name a few and I am so very grateful for it. While it is fiction I feel that it opened my eyes on some intimate topics that I was naive to. You absolutely fall in love with the characters and Victoria’s writing style allows you to get to know them and their story on what seems like such an intimate level. It was a beautiful story that is so worth reading! Can’t recommend enough!