Twice in a blue moon
5 stars

This is award worthy! Wholly captivating from start to finish, Twice in a Blue Moon is chock-full of feels. There’s love, trust, betrayal, sadness, loss and forgiveness. Ms. Lauren has really outdone herself. The hero is a fascinating character — good to the bone, but capable of devastation too. The heroine is beautiful, smart and dynamic. She’s also a victim, survivor and pardoner (more times than anyone should have to be). Bonus: There’s a story within the story that's pretty remarkable as well.

I quite honestly can’t say enough good things about this one.

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

I am shocked to say that I had to DNF this book. I've never done that with this author but I just couldn't get into the story. I won't be sharing a review since I did not finish the book.

Twice in a Blue Moon is a delightful romance perfect for a day at the beach or a rainy day at home. The story tackles a common theme of "what if" you had a second chance with your first love. Would it be better the second time around or would you feel like memories were better than reality?

I liked the setting of the movie set for most of this novel. The characters were a delight and the pace moved quickly enough that you never get bored reading. I'm definitely going to be looking at previous titles by this author.

Loved this sweet story! My heart aches for these two characters. This author really knows how to throw loves, sex, drama and heartache together in on story! Highly recommend.

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

Will another leaked betrayal be their end or will true love last?

Another enjoyable book by this writing duo but not my favorite of the recent releases. the characters lack oomph and I missed the humor.

A fun, quick read that gave me what a was looking for in between my gruesome thrillers. Overall, I found the writing in this book to be good and it to be pretty enjoyable. Wasn’t quite a 5 star unputdownable read, but was a fun, quick read.
Will make sure I tell others about it.

I thought this story was cute. I really enjoyed reading it and had a lot of fun with these characters. That said, I never really felt fully drawn in or connected. I would have liked a little more. I adore Christina Lauren though and I am still looking forward to more from them.

Almost a 4...

Believe it or not, I have not read a book by this duo before.

I STARTED one, earlier this summer at the urging of friends, but found the dialogue of the characters to be crude and immature. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I know!! The “humor” is what most readers like about these romances! Which is why, several devoted fans have been disappointed with this book.

Since the publisher said that this book would have a “different feel” from the others...I decided to give this one a try. It is a more serious romance. Not humorous at all, in fact.

And, I liked it!!

Tate and Sam meet while vacationing with their respective grandparents in Europe. He is her “first love” and the first person she reveals her true identity to. But her trust was misplaced.

Fourteen years later, she is an up and coming actress, and is shocked when she walks onto the set, of the film, “Milkweed” and Sam is there. She has not seen or spoken to him since Europe. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, she must ask herself the question:

“ IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO THE WRONG THING FOR THE RIGHT REASON?”

YOUR answer to this question may determine if you root for them in this story.

I enjoyed the “movie set” and getting to know all of the characters.
But, I cannot say that I was really rooting for Tate and Sam to reunite.

It was a wonderful story of forgiveness, more so than a “once in a blue moon” romance to me.
I am okay with the ending , but would’ve been just as fine with another outcome...

What is important though is that I was was fully engaged with the story and have no hesitation in recommending this book!

Just go into it expecting something a bit different from their earlier work.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Gallery, Pocket Books, and Christina Lauren for the digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! This title will be released on Oct. 22, 2019!

Tate Jones lived most of her young life ‘hiding in plain sight’, but never sharing the secret of who her father is except with her best friend, Charlie. Living with her grandmother and mother, working in their little café just north of Los Angeles, and never being allowed to just be a kid without secrets, her first trip away from home in over a decade is to London with her grandmother, leaving her mother in charge of the café. From the start, Tate and her grandmother have adjustments to make – it’s the biggest place Tate has ever been, her grandmother is unhappy with the room, and she’s planned every second of the trip for and with Tate. But, they also encounter another pair of Americans in a small café – Sam and his ‘pseudo-grandfather’ Luther. Instant sparks flash between Tate and Sam, and while he’s a bit older, the attraction is not one-sided and her grandmother and Luther seem to have things to discuss as well.

But, trust and Luther’s failing health have Tate in a tight spot – especially when partway into their vacation Tate shares her secret and the feelings she has for Sam, and just a bit later he and Luther are gone, checked out of the hotel, and the paparazzi are hounding Tate. Having lost her first love and her trust betrayed in such a callous manner has Tate closing down on the ‘personal’ side of her life, although she’s been offered the chance to act, and been very successful. Fast forward a decade and Tate has been chosen for a script that seems to be tailor made for her – one that will bring critical acclaim as well as stretch her skills. There’s just one problem – the story, and person, she is to play is Sam’s grandmother – the screenwriter is Sam, and he’s there – at the first table read – without her having any warning at all. Of course there is plenty of back and forth, and more than a bit of interference from Tate’s father- always to place himself in the best light, but things do come to a head with decisions to be made by both of them.

While this started out as a very YA read, the growth in both Sam and Tate when we rejoin them years later, as well as the revelations and self-awareness that is sparked during their reunion and information (or confirmation) about Tate’s father all seem to bring the story into a solid late-20’s sort of story – both characters have a fairly solid sense of who they are and who they are meant to be, and with the input from secondary characters that help to fix Tate’s challenges and worries into a more ‘familiar’ framework for her to sort through – the story is engaging, hopeful and full of the heart that one expects from a second chance at romance story.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Tate and Sam met when they were on a vacation in London with their grandparents (Tate with her grandmother and Sam with his grandfather). Tate was just 18 years old and Sam was a college student. They spent many nights under the stars and fell deeply in love. Tate is a daughter of a famous movie star, but no one knows that little secret though … until the end of the trip when her secret life was sold to paparazzi. Tate left London brokenhearted and she never seen or heard from Sam again. Over a decade passed Tate is an actress as well recently being casted a lead role in a love story. What she did not expect when she showed up on set was coming face to face with her first love again. Sam is a screenwriter for the movie. How is Tate going to work side by side with the man who betrayed her years ago? What’s worst? She is still in love with him. Does Sam feel the same way? Will Tate get the closure she desperately needs?
Okay so, I love the first part of the book – the light-hearted innocent romance, all the exploring and the nights under the stars. As adults, I did not feel the connection between Tate and Sam as I would have like at least not until Sam’s letters at the end. I wish there were more Sam’s POV. There was so much focus on the relationship between Tate and her father as well I felt like it takes away from the main love story. Movie star characters are not particular my favorite either so I did not care for the movie set scenes but that is just my personal taste. Don’t let it deter you from reading the author beautiful words. I feel Once in a blue moon is more of the heroine’s journey from a young lady to adulthood and less of a romance. So, if you are in to the glitz and glam and drama of Hollywood, this book is for you.

I was really really looking forward to getting sucked into a nice easy breezy romance. But it fell flat.
I know this is a highly HIGHLY anticipated book but it was just meh for me. I loved the fact that it followed actors and all that behind the scenes stuff, and I liked the beginning which felt a lot like a YA novel (could be because the characters are still teenagers). It was your typical, fall in love super fast stuff and then they meet years later. So your basic first loves reconnect many years later after building a life together. I usually like those stories, but I couldn't find my groove with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Having read the Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and thoroughly enjoying the humorous banter between the characters I hoped for the same chemistry in TWICE IN A BLUE MOON.
The chemistry was not the same but I enjoyed TWICE IN A BLUE moon nonetheless.

TWICE IN A BLUE MOON is a second chance love story; a story of forgiveness.

It was an enjoyable quick read and I did feel invested in the characters and their friendships and their loves.

I do feel this book lacked some of the magic I was anticipating, I will definitely read the next novel these ladies write and surely recommend this one.

This was such a great book! It was definitely a second chance romance book and I loved it. I'm a sucker for this plot. Tate and Sam's story was cute and what I expected. Meet young, fall in love, betrayal, lose touch, reconnect and will they fall in love again? Although I liked the main characters, I didn't love them. Not like other CL books that I've read and the characters stick with me for a while. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait for this duo's next book.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

I thought this book was a disappointment for Christina Lauren. I know that books require a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, but I thought it was far-fetched that Sam would have been able to make a lot of money for giving info about Tate. There wasn't a lot of chemistry between Sam and Tate. I really hated Ian and not in a fun to hate way. To me, this didn't measure up to her previous books.

As a huge Christina Lauren fangirl every time I read a book of theirs that I don't absolutely love it feels as if someone canceled Christmas. This was not a bad book but I knew almost instaneously that this one was not going to end up on any of my favorites lists. From the opening that is straight out of A Room With a View to the lackluster connection between Tate and Sam, I was left wishing for more. For a second chance story like this one to really work, there has to be enough depth to the relationship initially to sustain those feelings into the future. Nothing about Sam and Tate's meeting in London gave me any of that. They were attracted to each other but had no connection. It didn't help that they both seemed so much younger than they were supposed to be and without fully formed personalities. When they meet again a decade later none of that really changes. They rarely talk to each other and never about anything that doesn't involve their past. They didn't know each other then so how can they possibly know each other now? As I reader I never felt as if I knew them either. I never fully understood how they got from London to that movie set together. I was much more interested in the characters surrounding them and trying to figure out everything outside of the romance. Tate's relationship, or lack there of, with her father added some appreciated tension. This was a fast read but not one that will stick with me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm convinced that the amazing duo known as Christina Lauren can't write a bad book. I've fallen in love with the characters in every single book I've read of theirs, and I have a hard time distancing myself from the story once the book is over. This one was just as wonderful as the others! We meet Tate, an up and coming actress who is going to be working on a movie with her Oscar winning (and kind of sketchy) dad. 14 years prior, Tate had met Sam, a boy from the other side of the country, on a 2 week vacation in Europe. They quickly fell head over heels in love, but he broke her heart and shattered her trust. When Tate steps onto the set of her new (and very anticipated) movie, Sam is the last person she expects to see … but he's there. She still thinks about him, and doesn't understand what happened and why he did what he did. The only problem is that he's even more attractive and alluring now, and she can't justify him with the image that she has created in her head (of a man who hurt and abandoned her). Will she be able to confront him & talk about what happened? Will their "once in blue moon" type of love be able to happen again?
This was such a sweet story, and I absolutely would recommend it to any romance lovers. Second chance romance books may be a new favorite trope of mine, and I need to find tons more of these types of books!

The book started out so good, with a love-at-first-sight kind of romance between young adults that have such an innocent and pure love, it was beautiful to see. It is ruined by sacrifice and impossible choices. Enter a nefarious father in the background trying to get more clout off the back of his up and coming actress daughter in a Hollywood that is moving one without him. Again, the beginning was very good and pure with the beginning of sweet relationship and then the story lags a lot in the middle and especially in the end it was very anti-climactic.

This is only my second Christina Lauren book and I officially need them all. Who knew I would love second chance romances so much! Sam and Tate were adorable and this book was just fun! I am such a fan of this duo and cannot wait to read more. Fully review on the blog next month!

*This title was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

This has to be one of my favorite Christina Lauren novel's ever and I've read almost all of them! Sam and Tate are so freaking cute together! I loved watching their romance start up in London and then skip to the now and see them reconnect again. The writing is fun and witty like usual, characters are so cute, real and flawed just like us.

As always with these authors this is a feminist, progressive book. Very PC, so if that bothers you, be warned you won't like this. If you like that or can look over then you need to give this book a chance because it's so dang cute!

My only issue was the marriage thing... no spoilers but it just seemed thrown in for more drama and made no sense to me personally but this is just opinion.

Will go live on my blog 09/25/2019

OMG that was so so so so good and quite surprising.

While I haven’t read every Christina Lauren book, included any of the Beautiful Bastard books, I’m mostly used to the duo writing fun, sexy humor mixed into the drama of their romances.

TiaBM is quite the opposite. It’s a drama novel with a hefty (though not unmanageable) dose of angst. And it’s superb.

Beautifully balanced and mixed with all the right components of a romance, the story tells the story of Sam Brandis and Tate Jones, across two periods of their lives.

Tate lives in hiding, but doesn’t have the entire picture of her childhood. She secretly dreams of becoming an actress, however being the daughter of the most successful Hollywood actor, and realizing the pressure she’d put on her mother and grandmother, she avoids mentioning it.

Sam lives with his grandparent and grateful to them for everything he has in life. He is intended to inherit their farm, but also dreams of becoming a writer.

When the two meet in London, the attraction is instantaneous, and love comes right on its heels, but when Sam’s betrayal tears them apart, it takes years for Tate to recover.

When Tate sees Sam on set 14 years later, her world as she built is almost crumbles down around her, but holding her own and supported by her closest friend and family, she pulls through and finding her way back to Sam again.

I loved the reasoning for Sam’s betrayal. I must admit I didn’t think of it at first, and I held hope and believed he was the one to actually do it. But the way CL unfolded everything was spot on beautiful, reaching straight through to the heart.

It’s been a while since I read a full novel in one sitting, but hey, who needs sleep when you come across such a great story.