I read The Unhoneymooners this past summer--my first Christina Lauren--and loved it. When I saw that they were coming out with a new title, I was so excited, and when I saw the beautiful cover, even more so. Unfortunately, Twice in a Blue Moon didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It didn’t have the charm/romance/humour that I loved so much in The Unhoneymooners and was hoping for more of.

Sam and Tate fell in love over the course of two weeks, but then Sam betrayed Tate’s trust and disappeared. Fourteen years later, they meet again.

The main reason I didn’t buy into this love story was that I felt Sam and Tate’s initial romance was too quick. If that initial romance was more believable, I might have been more invested in them and might have looked past everything else, but alas.

I think we were meant to root for Sam and Tate because they were connected by the secrets they shared with each other. Whilst their secrets could have garnered some sympathy from me, I didn’t know enough about the characters to understand why those secrets were such a big deal, so instead of garnering my sympathy, the secrets felt generic and melodramatic. The quickness and ease with which they spilled their secrets only drove that feeling home.

And then Sam’s unexplained betrayal, which sets the rest of the story in motion. First of all, I didn’t feel that Sam was anything special. To be fair, I start off skeptical of most pretty boys (they’re unnerving… Like, what evils are you hiding in that perfect head of yours??). His particular brand of charisma made him come off as a player, at least to me. He could drown you in sickly sweet compliments, but he was as bland as could be. So when he exposed Tate’s secret, I wasn’t inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, as I didn’t have any real insight to his intentions and where he might have been coming from.

From a moral standpoint, what he did was wrong. Continuing on with the story, I was almost in suspense, curious to understand his reasons by the end of the book, hoping--anticipating, even--that he’d redeem himself. But alas, his reasons weren’t enough for me. C’mon, he snitched like 6ix9ine; no one asked, dude!!

no one:
sam: tate is the long-lost daughter of movie star ian butler

When Sam and Tate were reunited, at one point, Tate mused, “What kind of doormat am I? We’re weeks into this shoot, in the middle of nowhere, and he tells me he’s sorry and he’s jealous and that’s it? Fourteen years and I’m ready to pick back up where we left off?”

THAT. EXACTLY THAT. WHY TATE, WHY. ARE YOU A DOORMAT?? That excerpt pretty much summarises [most of] my feelings about this story. Straight from Tate herself!!

You know who would back me up on this? Charlie, Tate’s best friend. She’s a real one. Anyone that does her friend wrong has done her wrong. She won’t let you forget it. She won’t be wooed by your empty words or sexy muscles. Charlie’s my favourite.

Another favourite was Nick, Tate’s costar (fourteen years later, Tate’s an up-and-coming actress). He had that heart-fluttering charisma and wholesome, playful energy I was hoping to get out of the main love interest. I wish that there was a love triangle between Tate, Nick, and Sam, just so that I could have gotten more of Nick and less of Tate pining over Sam.

Although I wasn’t particularly charmed by this romance, it was easy to read. Maybe if you don’t hold grudges as badly as I do, you could potentially enjoy this one. If you’re stuck in the countryside and don’t have anything to do, this isn’t the worst way to pass your time. If you’re happy with a fling with a pretty face, this book will do you just fine. But I’m a pessimistic romantic (a winning combo, I know).

In general, I’d say that you don’t need to make Twice in a Blue Moon a priority to read if you have other books on your TBR. But I haven’t given up on Christina Lauren! I keep hearing about Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and Love and Other Words, so those will probably be my next Christina Lauren reads.

Tate was raised in a remote small town in northern California. Her beloved hardworking Nana Judith takes her on a graduation trip to explore London before college begins. Having never been very far from home, their two-week adventure is precisely scheduled to be filled with non-stop shows, museums and lunch at Harrods. The ladies never expected to meet the charming Luther and his handsome grandson Sam on their very first day. Sam and Tate immediately connect and manage to escape the over protective clutches of Judith to experience their very first young love. Tate feels things she has never experienced before. She shares her most precious secret - she is the missing daughter of the worlds' most famous film star. When this information is leaked to the media her life is turned completely upside down and an entire destiny is changed forever. Fourteen years later on the set of her break out film co-starring her father, Sam and Tate meet again. Realizing their chemistry is as passionate as ever, these star crossed lovers must decide if it is possible to find trust and love again. Slightly different from their long list of bestsellers, Twice in a Blue Moon is another delicious romance from the never disappointing duo Christina Lauren.

I’m on the 3.5 mixed feelings fence. There’s a lot that I liked in here but I just felt so bad for Tate. That girl was done dirty...twice! Betrayed to the core and I really wasn’t having it from Sam or her dad. I get and understand why by Sam but it still doesn’t make it right. Her father, trash. There’s no epilogue but for reals, I hope she doesn’t speak to him again. Like I said, there’s no epilogue so the ending did feel a wee bit rushed.

4.5 Second-chance Stars!

This book needs to be a movie. I see it as a movie for sure. PassionFlix here it comes!

Young love borne during a romantic trip abroad takes a turn for the worse when our heroine, Tate, is betrayed in the worst way by our hero, Sam. No explanation. Just heartbreak with no explanation. Fast forward over a decade later, they meet again. A lot has changed. They’ve grown up. But deep seated feelings continue to shoulder beneath the surface. But can she forgive him the betrayal?

Great plot development, a second chance romance with a cast of characters that’ll keep you turning the pages. Great flow, I seriously hope to see this hit the big screen.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free review copy.


After the joy and fun that is "The Unhoneymooners," I was psyched to be allowed a chance to read this book. From the blurb, I was expecting a short intro backstory for Tate and Sam before what would no doubt be the Big Betrayal and then we'd be off to the modern day part of the story. Nope. We get 90 pages (on my ereader) of a set up. From the start, it was a chore to read. Things are told only from Tate's POV and it's clear that she's been raised by her mother and grandmother being told what to do and basically controlled.


Then she and Nana have a trip to London that never felt quite realistic and she meets Sam and he kind of starts to tell her what to do. I was reading and waiting (impatiently) for the betrayal but the backstory just kept slowly coming along. And I was starting to get seriously bored. I was also not connecting with any of the characters and increasingly skeptical about the set up for the book. Tate is the daughter of a famous father, thinking about an acting career, and we're supposed to believe that she's never gone online and read anything about the breakup of her parent's marriage? Pre-internet this might have been something I could swallow but even 14 years ago this would not seem plausible.


Finally I skipped ahead to the moment of betrayal and the immediate aftermath and guess what? Tate is still being told what to do only this time by a manager. After reading other reviews that mirror what I thought of this early 1/3 of the book, I realized that this one just isn't for me since the trademark humor wasn't there and I wasn't feeling the chemistry between the main characters. This is a disappointing DNF for me.

Before I get into my personal opinion on this one I want to start by saying that this didn’t feel like a typical CL rom com. I’ve seen quite a few not so great reviews of this and I can’t help but think that it’s partly because peoples expectations for this one weren’t met based on the authors previous books. I haven’t read every single one of CL’s books but I’ve read most of them and usually they crack me up, make me swoon and I always find my next book boyfriend. This one is different, but it was different in a good way for me. It’s not really funny, it’s deeper and it felt more mature to me than their previous books, think more angst and emotion and less hijinks and laughs. I always appreciate when an author changes things up a bit, but just a heads up that this isn’t as light as their typical rom com.
I was talking with my friend Jamie @beauty_andthebook_ and I think she nailed what made this one a standout for me. This begins when Tate is just eighteen and Sam is a couple of years older and instead of a brief prologue that barely scratches the surface you get multiple chapters from this time period so you really get to know and understand what happened in their past before you flash forward fourteen years later. It provides a significant backstory and really allows the reader to experience all of the first love feelings right alongside Tate and really strengthened my connection with her. To me, great depth of character is just as important to me as an engaging storyline and CL nailed the characterization here.
A second chance romance, a Hollywood movie set and a supporting cast of characters that added flavor and spice to a sometimes dramatic story made up the most perfect combination for me! Again, this one felt more soulful and mature than the usual CL book, but if you want a heartfelt romance with a strong plot grab this one.

This was my first Christina Lauren book, but it won't be my last. Fourteen years after Tate and Sam's passionate vacation romance ends in a life-changing betrayal, they find themselves back together in unlikely circumstances. Plenty of plot and charm with a hint of spice made this a quick, fun read. Be prepared to be reminded of your own first love, no matter how cringe-worthy and to root for these characters, flaws and all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren are auto-read authors for me, and though this book was not as much rom-com as their previous releases, it was a really solid second chance romance with a strong focus on family and forgiveness, which I really enjoyed.

I was utterly swept away in throes of young love during the beginning of the book. Those nights I spent with Sam and Tate watching the stars were some of the best. They wore their hearts on their sleeves, and I must admit, Sam's betrayal broke my heart. I was shipping these two so hard, that when fate (and a movie) brought them back together, I was really excited.

The bulk of the "now" part of the story was really Tate working through her heartbreak and emotions regarding Sam and how he betrayed her trust. It really affected her, and even over a decade later, it was interfering in her relationships. I found all her emotions and reactions realistic, and it was a pleasure seeing Tate grow and come to terms with so many things in her life, because I really wanted her to find her happy.

It was a lot of fun being on the movie set, and I loved the whole idea and inspiration for the film, but as always, it was the characters that Christina Lauren crafted, which took this story to another level for me. Tate's bestie, mother, grandmother, and the rest of the cast were all wonderful and colorful, and I grew to adore them each and every one of them. And, as with any great romance, I cried some happy tears for these two, and the ending was perfection.

Overall: Another fabulous addition to the CLo catalog.

I have loved every book I have ever read by Christina Lauren, some are really sexy, and some are really quirky. This book, for me, fell into a completely different category. The book starts off when two teenagers fall in love in London *que swoon* but that’s where the predictability of this book stops. While these lovebirds are in London, Tate reveals a secret to Sam, a secret that will change not only her life, but the life of those all around Sam too, especially because Sam is the one who leaked the secret to the press!

The book flashforwards and now Tate is a 32 year old mainstream actress, and Sam has written a screenplay that Tate is the main star for, and a lot of things become center stage.

This book has it all: love, lost, faith, hope and a dash of humor. This book did not disappoint, but then again, I never thought it would:-)

This was such a good book. I've loved all the books this duo has produced and this is no different. The characters were fresh, fun and innovative. The storytelling kept me interested and intrigued while not bogging down the storyline.

When Tate Jones is 18 years old, her grandmother takes her on a rare vacation to London. While there, Tate meets the 21-year-old Sam Brandis and his grandfather, Luther, also on a rare vacation in London. The quartet spend most of their waking hours together, and Sam and Tate fall deeply in love, telling each other their deepest secrets: Tate is actually the daughter of Hollywood's biggest movie star, raised in a tiny town since her parents divorced a decade earlier, and despite being kept strictly out of the spotlight, what she really wants to do is act; and Sam would rather be a writer than take over the family farm. When circumstances cause Sam to sell Tate's identity to the paparazzi, she's devastated...and also plunged into the very career she secretly desired. For fourteen years, the pair have no contact, until the day the now-famous Tate steps foot on the set of the new movie she's about to film and is shocked to discover that the screenwriter is, in fact, Sam. Old wounds are reopened, lanced, and given an opportunity to finally heal.

I really enjoyed this quieter tale of first love and the struggle to understand and forgive. The common theme among reviewers who didn't like this book seems to be that they were all expecting the type of humor found in most of Christina Lauren's previous novels, so if readers set expectations aside (or read something else if they are in the mood for banter and slapstick), the tone of this book shines.

I did find that certain aspects of this story strained credulity, however. For one thing, once the initial shock of betrayal wore off, why didn't Tate ever ponder what could have caused Sam to sell her out? She had to have known it would take something extraordinary, and she knew the name of his town, so it wouldn't have been that hard to locate him. Likewise, she was insta-famous, so surely Sam could have tracked her down to apologize and explain?

For another thing, how on earth could Tate have read the movie script and NOT recognized the story? It was completely obvious who wrote it and about whom. Even if she didn't recognize it prior to arriving on set, she should have caught a clue the moment she discovered Sam was the screenwriter.

Also, despite her fourteen years in the spotlight, Tate remains surprisingly naive. She really should know better than to believe anything her father says--she KNOWS it's all an act. So why is she stunned when he betrays her in order to garner media attention? Then again, perhaps that is a common mistake for children of narcissistic parents to make because they so badly WANT to believe their parents might for once put their kids' needs ahead of their own? So maybe that's more accurate than I'd like to think.

Nonetheless, the overall story was really well done, and I greatly enjoyed it. Many many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary. Some profanity and a couple of sex scenes. No violence. Main characters are white, but best friend is half Asian, step-grandfather (Sam's) & costar are African-American, & best friend's assistant is gay.

3 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

Sadly I am coming to find that Christina Lauren books are becoming a hit or miss author duo for me. Some books I love but sadly this is not one of them. To start the story off we meet Tate and Sam while they are both on vacation celebrating with their grandparents. During this time we find out that Tate has some family secrets that have kept her in a small town experience until she turned eighteen. Sam takes advantage of Tate's vulnerability with betrayal when he finds out some devastating news of his own. Years past and they both have to deal with the betrayal in different ways so when they are thrust back into each other's lives there is animosity that is much warranted. Others play a role in another hiccup within their attempt to rekindle a relationship only to make up in a whiplash fashion. The majority of the story was about Tate acting on the set off a movie with her father and the screenwriter who betrayed her. The movie script has an interesting plot but doesn’t mix well into the story to save it from being kind of boring.

This specific video review will be included in the October 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

There is just something about young love that gets me every time. The giddy feeling and invincible hopefulness that only first love can create. Second chance romances that start like this are always my catnip. Twice in a Blue Moon definitely delivers on this (as well as on the forced proximity trope), but I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as a romance. It certainly has romantic elements and a large part of the story focuses on romantic love, but an equally large part focuses on the love of family (blood related and not) and the sacrifices and lengths we will go for those we love.

I really enjoyed seeing Sam and Tate's relationship begin and how the whirlwind of young love consumes them. The chapters in the past were written so beautifully that I couldn't help but be swept up in their love too. It was so relatable and Christina Lauren captured the excitement, uncertainty, and wonder of first love so well. Just as quickly as it begins though, it all comes crashing down. 14 years pass before the stars realign for Sam and Tate and circumstances push them together again. The connection they shared all those years ago is just as strong and I liked how they were able to get to know these older and somewhat wiser versions of each other.

There are some wonderful (and not so wonderful) secondary characters in the book, specifically Charlie, Marco, and Ian. Charlie is the BFF we all wish we had and Marco is the rock that will see you through anything. Ian was perfectly despicable and the fact that I wanted to throttle him several times in the book shows how well written his character was. The ending of the book felt a little rushed and my greedy heart really wanted an epilogue, but I loved how the story came full circle. Twice in a Blue Moon left me smiling ear to ear.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This book was really quite lovely. Twice in a Blue Moon is slow and unlike any Christina Lauren book I've read in the past. We start out with Tate meeting Sam in London and the two of them rapidly forming a connection and falling in love. They're 18 and 21 respectively. But when Sam abruptly disappears and Tate's secret is revealed, the sense of betrayal is strong. The story doesn't linger though and rapidly moves on to Tate at 32 not knowing how to use Twitter and navigating a press event at Twitter headquarters. She and her father are doing a film together and it's only when she arrives on set and sees Sam that she discovers he's involved in this project.

This book is a love story and really, it is a romance, but there's a lot that's not about the romance. What kept me from giving it five stars is that it almost seemed like it didn't know what it wanted to be. There's an element of women's fiction, but the story isn't quite enough about Tate finding herself and figuring out who she is before she reconnects with Sam. But at the same time, there's so much time spent with Sam and Tate apart that it's hard to really classify it as a romance. I loved the story within a story aspect of seeing the screenplay and Sam and Tate really do have great chemistry. I liked the secondary characters, but I feel like we didn't get quite enough of them. Nevertheless, I was swept away by this story and I really enjoyed it.

I read an advanced copy of this thanks to Netgalley and Gallery books, so thanks to those companies for the opportunity!

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a big fan of Christina Lauren, so I was excited to read their upcoming book. While it was an okay read, it wasn’t up to par with previous books by the duo.

I found myself struggling to relate to Tate and Sam, both at the beginning, when they’re 18 and 21, and in the remainder of the book, which takes place 14 years later. There was major insta-love in the first section and as the story progressed, I never became invested in their relationship. I didn’t find myself rooting for them to end up together, which is something I want in a romance. The story was by no means poorly written, and I’m sure there are many readers who will love it, but for me, it was just okay.

Twice in a Blue Moon was cute and compulsively readable, which is what I expect when I pick up a Christina Lauren book.

The story starts out fourteen years in the past with 18-year-old Tate on a trip to London with her grandmother. They run into a couple of other American tourists and Tate falls into insta-lust with Sam. She ends up telling him things about herself she’s never told anyone, including her relationship with her super famous father. Their relationship ends abruptly when he ghosts her after selling her story to the press. Fast forward to the present and Tate is now a famous actor herself and is set to star in a much buzzed about movie with her father. She’s thrown for a loop when she arrives on set and discovers the screenwriter is Sam.

To be perfectly honest, it took me a long time to get on board this ship. Tate and Sam’s relationship was really insta-lovey. They were only together for a couple of weeks and I never really bought into it as something real. I understand how fourteen years later the trauma of the betrayal may still affect them, but the puppy love surviving was a bit of a stretch for me. The whole second chance aspect of it wasn’t done as effectively as I thought it could have been, either. While I’m all for forgiveness, I felt like Sam was let off the hook a little too easily. He basically sold her out because his family needed money and going to the tabloids was the most expedient way to get it. He also says he would do it all over again if had to because what the money did for his family was worth it. But he felt really bad about it, so it’s all ok. I had a hard time rooting for him.

That said, as the story went on, they did grow on me. There were some cute moments I enjoyed. I also enjoyed several of the supporting characters, including Tate’s Manager, Marco, and her co-star, Nick. I could’ve used a little more of them, actually.

Overall, Twice in a Blue Moon was enjoyable, but not my favorite book by this duo. Christina Lauren’s writing was as addictive as always, though, and I look forward to reading more from them.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

Tate is reunited with her first love!

Tate Jones knows she can’t tell anybody who she really is but when she meets Sam Brandis during a graduation trip to London with her grandmother. Tate and Sam started to fall in love during some late night talking in the hotel garden but when Tate told him she was Tate Butler, her normal life changed the next morning forever. Sam had told the tabloids that she was the daughter of Ian Butler who had disappeared to a small town after her parent’s divorce.
Tate had finally reached the top of her profession and was cast in a movie written by S.B. Hill with her father for the first time that could possibly give her a chance at an academy award. When she found out that S.B. Hill was actually Sam her first love and the guy that had sold her out.

Wow, usually when a book has the return of a first love it’s because of being too young but Twice in a Blue Moon went in a different direction that makes the story really, really good because you find out all the reasons Sam did what he did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christina Lauren is one of my favorite author(s) and Twice in a Blue Moon did not disappoint. While I love their enemies-to-lovers books, I couldn't put down this second-chance at love read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

Another light-hearted and romantic read from the masters! This book was the perfect story to curl up with on a crisp fall night.

I liked the story of this book. The characters were compelling and the plot was intriguing. I really liked Sam and couldn't believe that he would do that at first. But I wasn't convinced that she should have been an actress. They said that she was good, but she seemed removed from it.