Member Reviews
This was my first book by Christina Lauren.
Tate is on a European 18th birthday trip with her Grandma. They meet Sam and his grandfather in the trip.
Tate and Sam fall hard and fast for real other but get torn apart when the big secret-that Tate is the daughter of megastar, Ian Butler-is revealed and they don't see each other for 14 years.
Fate throws them back together on a film set- she the star and he the screenwriter. Can they forgive each other the past and rekindle their love?
I liked Tate. She had it tough, keeping that big secret for 18 years She does everyone with professionalism especially after finding Sam on the set. I get why Sam did what he did... He loved his grandfather so much!
Now Tate's father, I couldn't stand. Such a jerk at the end.
I loved this second chance romance and am more excited for backlisted storys by these authors!
I kept hearing about this book and was pleasantly surprised that it lived up to its expectations. It’s an enjoyable story and characters and likable.. I look forward to the next one from this author
Thank you thank you THANK YOU to the most awesome people at Gallery Books for the opportunity you gave me of being able to review this book. I am forever grateful with you guys for giving small, unpopular and not well known bloggers like me a chance to review books in advance. It is a privilege I never take for granted.
that said, Twice in a Blue Moon was another surprisingly fabulous book, like every book Ive read by CL, BUT, I do admit I feel like something was MISSING. Tate and Sam were the perfect characters, but only during that first part of the book while they were still young. I loved their connection and how in sync they seemed to be, (I hated what Sam did to Tate as well), and I loved their chemistry, but when we meet them again 14 years later, something just doesn't match. The amount of years each one had lived certainly changed them in a sense, but neither one had that balance I found when they have that first meet in London and onward. I guess time does change people, (I sure have changed in the last 14 years), but specifically in Tate's case, her character feel thru a lot of cracks for me.
the writing style is absolutely unique and special, everything you can expect in a CL book, of course, so I don't see any kind of failure there. The ending was the absolute saving grace of the entire half or so from the book.
I have plenty of confidence this will become a NYT Bestseller though. ICL is a household name in the list by now, and anything and everything they create just turns into pure magic. because of the tone of that chunk of the story, I don' feel I can give this more than 3 stars, but it is a fave of mine regardless. Cover is BEAUTIFUL as any of theirs usually is.
Twice in a Blue Moon is the story of young love and second chances. Sam Brandis and Tate Jones met during a vacation in London and fell for each other in the way only a first love can be. They shared their hopes, dreams, and secrets—including the fact that Tate is the daughter of one of the most famous actors in the world. When Sam betrays her in the most awful way she is not sure how she will ever recover. Fast forward 14 years and Tate is now a famous actress, about to start filming her next big role. This movie feels different because it’s a role Tate really connects with and it’s the first time she’ll share the screen with her father. During her first day on set she sees Sam for the first time since the betrayal and her world spins into turmoil.
This was my first Christina Lauren novel and I really enjoyed it! The first part of the novel almost reads like YA, but the second part is most definitely romance. I enjoyed the Hollywood aspect of the story line and how the two main characters never really forgot about one another. Something about the writing kept me engaged throughout the story, but I wish we could have gotten more personality from Sam. His and Tate’s love story kept me reading, but I think we could have gotten a deeper connection between the two if we had a bit more personality from Sam. That being said, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other readers!
3 stars
Christina Lauren have written a different book. This one was different, but it worked. I liked the couple's past more than their present.
Nothing pulls on my heartstrings more than a lost love from the past coming back into the picture in the future. I love stories like these. Tate left Sam in a bad way when they were younger so I knew it was going to be intense when they met back up as adults in a situation where they have to work together! There was lots of juicy content in this book. Seeing the full story unravel helped redeem Tate's decision. Yes, some of it was predictable as most contemporary romances are, but I thought it was a fresh story with a great feel to it. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading romantic stories.
Tate and Sam meet in London where they are both vacationing respectively. Tate is there with her overprotective grandmother for a two week vacation and Sam is there with his grandfather. What starts out as a friendship turns out to be so much more. I enjoyed the scenes between the younger Tate and Sam so much. It reminded me of young love and the thrilling feeling of getting to know a person for the first time. Circumstances tear these two apart and they don't see each other again for another 14 years. Tate is now a famous movie actress and is starring in a brand new film opposite her estranged father. Unbeknownst to her, the screenwriter is no other than Sam Brandis. The same Sam that broker her heart.
I really enjoyed this book so much. Not just the history and romantic aspect of Tate and Sam, but also the different relationships that both Sam and Tate had with their family/friends/costars. There was a level of angst and sadness in this book that really pulled at my heart strings. On more than one occasion I had tears in my eyes.
There's a reason why Christina Lauren is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The writing is seamless and so beautiful. There will be sentences that I read and have to immediately re-read and let them soak in because they are just that beautiful. My only qualm with the book is that I wish there was an epilogue. The ending felt a bit rushed for me and I wanted more.
Thank you to Gallery and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Very enjoyable! I liked how the book opened with the hero and heroine meeting as teenagers and falling in love quickly. The sudden end to their relationship was so jarring and yet so brilliantly crafted. The backstory, characters' vulnerability, motivations and flaws made me keep reading. I devoured this book so fast because I just had to see how it all turned out. I'm officially a huge Christina Lauren fan!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. All opinions stated are my own.
I had a little bit of a hard time getting past the hero's betrayal of the heroine in the backstory, but on the whole, this was classic, light, funny, endearing Christina Lauren, with all the heat you expect thrown in for good measure.
TWICE IN A BLUE MOON follows Tate Jones, daughter of two of Hollywoods’ most successful film stars. Tate typically tries to keep her parents' celebrity status on the down-low, especially after a disastrous betrayal by her first love – her first everything – Sam Brandis, the heart-breaking story of which we see play out in the first few chapters. Flashforward a few years, and Tate is an actress in her own right living her best life. When Tate runs into Sam on-set at a new film, however, she realizes her feelings never quite went away, despite his indiscretions. Is it possible to have a second chance at a first love? Or is Tate dooming herself from the start?
I can certainly see the appeal of TWICE IN A BLUE MOON and of Tate! Revisiting first loves is a subject that I think will certainly resonate with the notoriously difficult "new adult" audience, especially with Lauren's excellent writing style and gift with dialogue.
Read-alikes include Lauren’s first title, THE UNHONEYMOONERS, along with Kerry Winfrey’s WAITING FOR TOM HANKS and Jen Lancaster’s THE BEST OF ENEMIES.
Twice in a Blue Moon is a sweet romance novel about a young woman and man that fall in love in London, are separated, and then reunited many years later unexpectedly.
I like the characters of Tate and Sam, their love story in the beginning is believable but I am not entirely sure I bought the reunion and subsequent finale. I think that they are good characters, but the subplot with her family and his family were more interesting, infuriating and/or touching than the main plot. I would love an entire book on just Luther and Roberta.
This is a satisfying romance with enough family drama thrown in to make it a bit unique. When traveling in London with her grandmother, Tate meets Sam and falls hard. In the first twist, Sam betrays a trust and then disappears for 14 years. When they reunite the fire rekindles, but can Tate trust someone who betrayed her once before?
This book’s trope is second chance romance. The first one third of the book gives a glimpse into the past romance in between Tate and Sam. It is sweet and beautiful and shows us a glimpse into Tate's past. Sam seems a little bit of mystery through the entire book. I wish that rather than just first person voice of Tate, we would have also read the first person voice of Sam. I wanted to drill more into his brain and heart to understand what he felt about Tate. I loved Tate's character and could feel her angst, love, hope and pain. These two authors write the most amazing stories which completely immerse us in the characters and their worlds. This book is no different and I felt like I was on a movie set with the gossip, romances, rivalry and politics that goes on behind the scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, wish it didn’t end and I got a chance to know Sam and Tate even further.
* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*
I fell in love with this couple and their initial meeting. I was also broken too when they parted, and then slowly put back together when they meet again. This was sweet but sometimes angsty read that had me flipping the pages and rooting for both the hero and heroine. Another five stars for this writing duet!
4.25-4.5 STARS
Set against a Hollywood backdrop, this second-chance romance boasts a unique premise that had me hooked right from the very first page. It’s a story about young love and the sting of betrayal. It’s also a story about fractured relationships and the desire to repair what had long ago been broken. Rather easily, I found myself swept away by both storyline threads and all the others layered in between.
While I'll admit that the burgeoning romance between young Tate and Sam sizzled and sparked more than the reunion of their older selves, I still found myself rooting for their HEA. I fell in love with this couple early on and wanted nothing more than for them to find their way back to one another. And along the way, I hoped against all hope that Tate would eventually forge a relationship with her self-absorbed, celebrity dad, with whom she was estranged.
Overall, I found “Twice In a Blue Moon” to be a quick, enjoyable read, albeit, slightly flawed during the second half. But while it might not be a perfectly executed story, it still tugged on my heartstrings, nonetheless.
Christina Lauren write the hopefully romance stories that make readers smile and they do it again with this book. While the second chance romance isn't usually my favorite they made it something real and special. I loved the female friendship, strong female family support system, a bit of London's wonder, and some Hollywood magic. The ending felt rushed but I enjoyed the story
This breathtaking and emotional story is filled with passion, sadness, hope and romance. This satisfying story drew me in from the first page and the characters immediately reeled me in with their innocence and vulnerability.
Sam and Tate first meet and fall in love in London when they are both young. Unfortunately, circumstances tear them apart and they find it impossible to recover. Fourteen years later, they meet again. Can they move past their hurts and be together again?
This is a slow moving achingly beautiful love story. It’s about loving someone so much you are willing to sacrifice your happiness for them. Sam is easy to fall for; he is sensitive, caring and has a big heart. Tate has been hurt and disappointed so many times she finds it difficult to trust again. I enjoyed this second chance Hollywood romance.
"Twice in a Blue Moon" by Christina Lauren
And just like Tate... my heart broke at least a couple of times... and the tears flowed as I continued to read on searching for the smile to come. It is a contemporary romance story and I did not want the story to end. I wanted an epilogue, will you want one too? I received a free ARC of the story from the publisher. And, I loved this story from cover to cover. Hope you will love, or at least like it a whole lot, too. Happy Reading !!
The dynamic duo Christina Lauren has struck again with a wonderful romantic story about two people that are star-crossed lovers in a star’s showbusiness.
Tate Jones falls for Sam Brandis. Young love blooms during a two-week trip to Europe when Tate was only nineteen years old, but it ends quickly with intense heartbreak and unanswered questions that follow her throughout the next few years. Fast forward to the present day and Tate has become a budding actress about to step foot in the biggest role of her career yet. Then she sees Sam again on set. While Tate cannot get over the shock of seeing him again, she learns another startling fact...he is the screenwriter for the play she believed will make her career soar. The two must come to terms with the mistakes of their past to reunite in order to properly tell a story that means so much to both of them.
The set up for the novel was well-done. Christina Lauren always crafts likeable characters, including Tate and Sam. The chemistry between the two easily shifts from innocent first love into a fresh relationship that has some explaining to do. The cast of characters in this novel were vivid and fun as well as the setting of Hollywood movie sets. The story taking place around actors and actresses gives this a new spin on the classic rom com storyline of enemies and lovers. The tale is fresh and exciting without being too overdone or predictable. The inclusion of the movie script along with the plot was a nice touch to add depth to Sam and his life story.
I rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars for the dynamic story, characters, and overall theme of giving love a second chance.
Thank you Netgalley and Gallery, Pocket Books for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This novel is set to be released on October 22, 2019.
There's something about C. Lo... LOL! Of course, I'm talking about the incredible writing duo of Christina and Lauren that penned this book and so many before it. Due to some rather ridiculous insomnia and a football game quite a long jaunt from home, I finished this book rather quickly...which is no surprise to me. This usually is the case with one of their books; the well-practiced ease and smoothly polished niche they've created for themselves is quite evident in the romance genre. While this book wasn't one of my personal favorites, I still enjoyed the read and found it well written and am sure others will definitely love it. Thank you to NetGalley for the ecopy in exchange for an honest review.