A second chance love story that slowly unfolds with the tone of anticipation of an old Hollywood film.

I love my author duo behind Christina Lauren. I first fell in love with their steamy and often humor laden contemporay romance books. When I read their more serious in tone LOVE & OTHER WORDS, my brain perked up and took notice. They do not just deliver comedic relief but pack series writing chops as well. This most recent foray into literary/women's fiction is just as well delivered.

In the offset of this story I wasn't sure that I would buy in to this idea of a second chance given the devastating scope of betrayal. With raw emotion delivered in characters vulnerable moments, I was quickly engrossed in this story.

I went back and forth until the very end of this book trying to decide if a Happily Ever After was coming or not. So well crafted.

I received a complimentary advance copy of this title from the publisher. All comments and opinions are my own.

Big thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

4 un-put-downable stars!

I was so stinking thrilled to see this author/ title combo show up on Netgalley! I could tell immediately after reading the synopsis that I was going to absolutely love this story, and boy was I ever right! I read it in less than a day flat! It’s one of those beauties where the words just roll ever so smoothly and deliciously, and before you know it, it’s over. Bittersweet indeed.

The character development was superb, the emotions between protagonists from the heart, and the settings perfectly matched to the theme being portrayed. Absolutely loved the London scenes and the innocence involved in Tate and Sam’s meeting and exploration, followed by the finale set in a serene farming atmosphere. Perfection!

The only over thing I wanted to see was more of a final connection between Tate and Sam. A heart wrenching, tearful, sappy coming together and never parting sort of HEA. The emails just weren’t enough for what they’d been through. Still though, a fabulous read deserving a day completely cleared in your schedule!

I absolutely loved The Unhoneymooners, and it’s blend of saucy humor, witty banter, and well developed characters. This book lacked all of that. If I hadn’t read the cover I never would have guessed it was by the same authors.

It was overall a book I liked alright, but because of the authors I expected to love it. It seemed rushed and formulaic at points.

What I liked about it: Charlie was hilarious, and I loved the strong friendship between her and Tate. Yay for positive female friendships in a romcom! I also adored Nick’s character and found him to be the most well-written character of the book. Can we ask pretty please that he get his own book later?? The scenes during filming were hands down my favorite. Everything about Milkweed was wonderful too.

What I didn’t like: Sam and Tate were fine, but I never could see what made them fall so deeply in love in London. It wasn’t convincing at all, and their second chance seemed to come suddenly out of nowhere with no build up. The part taking place in London was too long and boring and resulted in the first 1/3 of the book reading like a YA novel. I also felt like the humor that is the authors’ trademark just wasn’t there this time.

Overall it was a like not a love for me. But I will still be waiting with anticipation for their next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free digital arc.

I really enjoyed the stories of Sam and Tate. I liked the format that this was written in. The characters were fun, and kept you wanting more !

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 ... I always love Christina Lauren! I continue to be fascinated by two writers working together on one book. These ladies have it down! Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!

Here's the thing. Second chance romances aren't my favorite. I know, I know. Many a Romancelandia citizen can't get enough of second chance stories but they're just generally not my jam. But this is Christina Lauren. Ilove Christina Lauren. So you best bet that I still fist-pumped when I was approved for this book. And I am giving it four stars because it's touching and well-written with character development and growth.

Maybe I don't agree with all the decisions these characters made. I would have made different choices. But this book is still super fun and full of heart.

First loves. Family drama. Hollywood A-list movie sets. Forgiveness and second chances. I predict that TONS of romance fans will love this book.

Thank you Netgalley and for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

I absolutely loved Sam and Tate. Their whirlwind romance was perfection and all the feelings were there. It was so relatable and I connected so hard with the emotions that Tate was going through. And then their reunion?! Ugh, so dreamy. And the emails. Sam was just so swoony despite his flaws. I do wish Tate had spoken up more towards her dad, but I still loved everything about this story. I couldn’t put it down and I’m so sad it’s over. The duo that is Christina Lauren has absolutely, positively become one of my faves.

This book has the romance that I expect from this writing duo but it just missed the mark somehow. I missed the usual humor of the authors' other books. It centers around a Hollywood father, Ian, and his estranged daughter, Tate. To keep Tate out of the spotlight her mother has kept her in a small town under an assumed name. This anonymity is shattered when her secret life is leaked by her boyfriend, Sam, while in London. Tate is devastated but goes on to become an actress. Not hearing from Sam until they meet on the set of her “big break” film ,that she is sharing with her father fourteen years later.

Why is he there? Will this affect her performance? Will her father finally be close to her? Should she even think about reconciling with Sam?

Those questions kept me turning pages. Christina Lauren can write fascinating characters set in interesting scenarios. But I still wasn't satisfied with this book like I had been with previous books by these authors. Still not a bad book so I can recommend it to those who like Hollywood stories.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Christina Lauren, and Gallery Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Twice in a Blue Moon tells the story of Sam Brandis and Tate Jones through the eyes of their young adult-selves meeting and falling head over heels and the present versions of themselves, fourteen years later.

The first half of this book gave me all the feels that I always expect when I pick up a CL book; the whirlwind romance felt so real, the connection felt so synced, and the betrayal was heart-crushing. The gut-wrenching feelings that CL wanted us to experience were spot on for me.

BUT then we fast forward fourteen years and this couple meet again. You're at the edge of your seat, waiting to see what these two will do but it just kind of immediately disapparates. I felt let down in the build-up of Tate's anger and hurt once they were toe-to-toe again. The romance also seemed to be put on the back burner as Tate worked through her emotions revolving around her relationship with her father.

In regards to style, this hit the nail as a classic CL read. The humor, the emotion, the story building and telling were all there, I just felt a little disconnected during the second half of the book. Which is a major bummer, because the first half was perfection.

That being said, even favorite authors tend to have books you don't fully jive with; for me, this was that book. CL is still amazing, and magical at crafting such riveting stories. I can't wait for their next release! 😐 / 😩🙁😐😀😍

*ARC generously provided by Netgalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review*

I am disappointed. It hurts. Even though I haven’t vibed with Christina Lauren’s most recent books, I was so hoping this would be to the one to turn the tide. Second chance romance always has the potential for greatness, but Twice in a Blue Moon left me feeling very meh.

This story spans many years, starting with Tate as an 18-year-old traveling to London with her grandmother, and while visiting quickly falls head over heels for a boy named Sam, who later deceives her by revealing to the world who she really is, the longtime hidden daughter of an ultra-famous actor named Ian Butler. Tate confided in Sam with this secret information and leaves London in the spotlight and heartbroken, without a chance to confront Sam. 14 years later, Tate is a famous actress starting a new film with her father. While on set, she runs into Sam and goes through a multitude of emotions as she is forced to face the man that betrayed her trust and broke her heart all those years ago.

This book has a lot of the same issues I have with My Favorite Half-Night Stand, which is that the love interest has as much personality as a stale piece of bread. Maybe even less... I mean, seriously, what we know about Sam is that he is from a farm and that he is GINORMOUS. Tate never fails to mention this when he is in the scene. I feel like as the reader, we’re left to fill in too many blanks with who he is and what his motivations are. I felt Tate’s personality come through in the beginning and it dwindled down from there. It really felt generic. Them compared to the liveliness that is Josh and Hazel (from Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating) and Holland and Calvin (from Roomies) feels stiff and forced. They don’t spark together. Maybe it’s because two characters without fully fleshed out personalities mixed together just makes a bigger, unmemorable mess of a supposed grand romance. HOW can you be so nostalgic for someone you knew for a week, 14 years later? Almost a decade and a half later?? How, Sway???? It sure enough wasn’t his personality, I know that much!

The side characters were mostly filler, without proper arcs of their own, so I mostly didn’t care about them at all, unfortunately. I actually liked the grandma the most, but we didn’t get much of her after the London section of the book. For a book that focuses on family a lot, it kind of lacked actual family dynamics. I wanted more mother/daughter/grandmother realness à la Jane the Virgin, but of course, we don’t get that.

The Hollywood aspect of this was okay, but still, I feel that more could have been done in this department. It felt kind of glossed over once we got to this point in the book. The script was progressive but written so simply that it didn’t truly move me as I wanted it to, in order to connect with both Tate and Sam. That said, the story within the script was great.

My favorite part of the book was definitely the last little bit—I thought that was nicely done and I love a good callback. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to forget about the snooze fest of the rest of the book.

This book has a lot of glowing reviews, so be sure to check out those as well! I might not have loved this one but many others have.

I’ll keep trying Christina Lauren! We are not finished here!!!!

Another 5 star from Christina Lauren! A bit different than their other recent novels, Twice in a Blue Moon still has the charm, romance, and character building that has made the authors top of their field.

I absolutely loved watching Tate and Sam fall in love as young adults.

Tate’s life had been so sheltered and there was a huge hole that was partly a result of that sheltering. Living a life where she couldn’t tell all her secrets, she finds herself opening up to Sam without a second thought even as she’s falling in love. But when all her secrets are blasted out for everyone to see, her young heart is broken and life takes a decidedly different turn.

’He’s the one who taught me what love looked like and felt like and then taught me it’s a lie.’

This is written in two parts. The young Tate and Sam and the present Tate and Sam, fourteen years later. I adored the young Tate and Sam. They were fun and engaging and shared all their thoughts, hopes and fears. It was everything you expect to read in a first love story. Of course, the heartbreak was sure to follow – second chance romance, right? I felt Tate’s devastation and pain when Sam betrays her and I could only cross my fingers that he either didn’t do it, or he had a very good reason to do so.

Fast forward fourteen years and this couple meet again. The angst is high, the uncertainty gnawing at me, and I couldn’t put my kindle down. And then, it just all kind of fizzled out. There was barely any Tate and Sam time, no real getting to know you again, no real connection. There was certainly animosity on Tate’s part and that fed a good part of the book. But the romance took a backseat to her dissecting her thoughts and emotions not only about Sam, but about her relationship with her father.

This was a nice, enjoyable read but I did skim a bit when I just wanted to get on with the story, with Tate and Sam. I wanted to love every word here, and they are beautiful words, but I read this for the romance and it was lacking in the second half of the book. Of course, there are some freaking amazing secondary characters and I loved them all while hating the ones I was supposed to hate, but again…I wanted more of this couple.

Nevertheless, this was a good read and one I’m sure their die-hard fans will adore

I need more than 5 starts. I was so invested in this story! To the point that my mood changed completely. I couldn't put the book down. I needed to know how the story would turn out so that I could function. I was hooked. How their love was born was charming. How it was ripped apart was devastating. How it was mended was challenging. But after betrayals and disappointments, growth and understanding, love and trust is put to the test. This story is just lovely and perfectly written. I had no reason to feel so in tune with Tate's character, no personal experience that was similar. But I still did. It captivated me.

I thought this book was a pretty much classic cliche of a romance. Except that I really didn't like how Tate was treated throughout the book and yet kept pining for Sam.

I’d like to thank Netgalley for gifting me a copy for an mat review.

I was really hoping to love this book just as much as I loved Unhoneymooners. First Christina Lauren was Unhoneymooners and I fell I love. That book was witty and funny and the romance was to die for. I loved everything about it. Then going into twice in a blue moon, was so different. The characters fell in love in two weeks, it felt like a YA novel. It was super slow and a bit boring. I really wasn’t happy with it. Then years after when the main character Tate was older she was a bit annoyed and super entitled. I didn’t care much for the story at all and the romance was mediocre to me.

I will be still giving a lot of their other books a chance but this one was not for me at all.

I’m a Christina Lauren fan, so I was incredibly excited when I was able to pick up an early copy of Twice in a Blue Moon this year. This second chance romance story, while certainly not perfect, made me cry, and because it’s a rarity for a romance to hit me in the feels that hard these days, I have a rather large soft spot for it. Tate and Sam meeting as young adults when they are both on trips to London, end up falling in love hard and fast but falling apart over a large betrayal. The story picks up years later when Tate has become a famous actress and ends up cast as the lead in a movie that, surprise twist (and I say that with loving sarcasm because if you read a ton of romance, it’s not really a surprise twist), written by Sam. You can likely imagine what goes on from there, friends. Now, the truth is I’m not usually a big second chance romance reader. I don’t have anything against the trope, but it’s not the one I tend to gravitate towards in my romances. But I did really like how it was done in Twice in a Blue Moon, as it was well-done (with the bonus of celebrity and movie star life in there). There were details that didn’t sit too well with me, and I did feel like we could have used a touch more of the secondary characters and relationships outside of the romance in it as well (which is why this one doesn’t rank quite as high as the Wild Seasons series does for me). But I did like it a lot, and it definitely hit me right in the feels, so I still think Twice in a Blue Moon was a great new novel from Christina Lauren.

3 1/2 stars
This book is a bit different for this author but I liked the differences. I liked the characters and felt invested in their story. Although slow to get going, I was glad I continued reading because the end was probably my favorite part of the story.

I received this ARC through the publisher via Netgalley.

This book definitely gave me more Love and Other Words vibes. I enjoyed reading this one! I loved Tate and Sam’s beginning. Their story setting in London seemed so romantic even though they were young. It seemed like the perfect way to fall in love for the first time. I felt sorry for Tate growing up hiding her identity and then living in the public eye. The ending comes fast and I wish there was a little more after the last chapter. This story made me want to lay down in a field at night at look at the stars. There really isn’t anything better than stargazing

The Magic Comes Late

Twice in a Blue Moon is a second chance romance about first love, heartbreak, and betrayal.

I am a huge CL fan. In no way shape or form is Twice in a Blue Moon Bad, it just lacked the magic of other CL books.

The beginning reads like a YA novel. In the first part of the book, the reader is introduced to 18-year-old Tate and her grandmother who are in London for two weeks, While dining at a restaurant near their hotel, they meet 21-year-old Sam and his grandfather, Luther. Tate and Sam quickly fall in love. She confides in him her greatest secret only to have him betray her in the most awful way possible. Fast-forward 14 years: Tate, now a famous actress, is about to begin filming her next role. When she arrives on location to begin filming,, much to her surprise, she discovers Sam on set. She now must face the man who betrayed her.

In some ways, Twice in a Blue Moon reminds me of my favorite CL novel Love and Other Words, but there are differences in narrative structure and plot line. In Love and Other Words, the tension between Elliot and Macy never waned, whereas with Tate and Sam it was lacking in intensity.

Twice in a Blue Moon was my Hurricane Barry read. I was hoping to escape into the blissful world that CL oftentimes creates, but I wasn’t able to get completely pulled in. While I liked Tate and Sam during their younger years, I didn’t feel the love of your life chemistry that was supposed to have developed. It wasn’t until I was at the 95% mark that I finally felt the magic I should have been feeling from the beginning. The ending saved it for me.


This is probably just a case of me and not the book--ignore my review and TIABM for yourself!


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this already having doubts, so imagine my surprise that I liked it. I haven’t even just liked the last two books Christina Lauren released. As I always say, their books are either hit or miss with me. While I didn’t love it, I can say that I actually didn’t hate it.

I want to say it's because it was different than what they have recently released. It was more on the emotional side and it didn’t dwell on the sex. It’s about first love, betrayal, and forgiveness. It’s a second chance romance that actually packed a punch.

I think what made this enjoyable for me were the characters. I really did love almost everyone we met. My favorite character here was Tate. She was strong and I really wanted the best for her. She was so easy to love and I really admired her being open to the fact of even thinking about forgiving Sam, I don’t know if I could have.

The side characters were also great. Her friend Charlie was someone that I want to be best friends with and I adored Nick. Speaking of Nick, it leads me to my next part.

This has a small part of this book that speaks on race and I loved how they slide that into this book. It made me feel seen and honestly glad they decided to add that fact for people who are unaware or don't care. Nick was an actor playing a black man back in the 1950s who wanted to court a white woman. Hearing him speak of why he wanted to do it really spoke to me.

You’re probably reading this wondering why I gave it three stars. While I really enjoyed the beginning half while we got to see their story and how they fell in love, the second half didn’t have the same pace. It felt slower and I wasn’t as invested as I was in the beginning. You knew a reunion was coming but it seemed like it was drawn out for the angst factor. I also didn’t love where this book ended. An epilogue would have made this book so much better.

To wrap up this review, I actually liked a new release from Christina Lauren and that hasn’t happened since I read Josh and Hazel.