Twice in a Blue Moon is a second chance romance that I couldn’t put down!

Tate and Sam are two Americans traveling with a grandparent who meet in London. It’s like it's meant to be for them to meet. Tate has just graduated high school and is completely smitten with Sam. In a short time, they find them selves falling hard for one another. Tate spills all of her secrets, telling Sam things she's never told anyone. And it backfires in a huge way, shattering her trust completely.

Sometimes people do really bad things for good reasons, and that was the case with Sam. Sam was a likable character, as well as Tate. I really loved their time in London so so much. I also enjoyed the movie set/Hollywood aspect. I could have done without Tate’s dad, but I understood why it was necessary to the story.

I absolutely loved the first half. I was completely hooked. The second half I didn’t love as much. It felt rushed, especially the ending, and I wanted more from Sam’s character. I just needed more. There was such a huge gap in time (around 14 years I think) and things weren’t concluded the way I needed them to be. Honestly the first half was at least a 4 star, but the last half was a 2-3 for me. I wanted to love it, but I was let down.

Overall, I liked a lot of this book, but it wasn’t my favorite from this fantastic writing duo. I think an epilogue would have made it so much better. Still, I did enjoy a lot about it and I think it’s a book a lot of readers will love!

I went into this novel not really knowing much because at this point if Christina Lauren wrote it I’m going to read it. Period. So I was intrigued to find that we were beginning in the past and that it would not be an alternating past and present type of situation but a lot of past and then a jump to the present. This wasn’t a format I expected but I was into it and it made sense for the plot.

The story is told solely in Tate Jones’ POV. She is the daughter of a big movie star, but when she was a kid her mom left her father and they moved back to her mother’s hometown where they kept Tate’s true identity a secret. Thus, Tate grew up out of the spotlight but she also had to keep this major secret from pretty much everyone in her life.

Enter Sam Brandis. While on vacation in London with her grandmother Tate meets Sam and it’s basically love at first sight. And as one is wont to do when they’re in love (or so I’ve heard) Tate bared her soul to Sam, which included telling him her the truth about her identity. Unfortunately, Sam, along with his grandfather, then left London and Tate’s secret was leaked to the tabloids.

Fast forward to the present and now Tate is a well known actress in her own right. Her relationship with her absentee father is strained at best but Tate is hoping that by working on a movie together that’ll bring them closer. However, what Tate wasn’t expecting was to run into Sam on the set of the film. Now Tate is stuck on location with her father and the guy who sold her secret. What’s a girl to do? Fake it until you make it, amirite?

I really loved this story because it wasn’t black and white. What Sam did to Tate was wrong but it launched her career in a way. Additionally, he of course had his reasons. Whether or not those reasons were valid…well I’ll let you read the book and decide for yourself. The more important question is whether or not Tate is able to forgive him and then trust him.

Obviously, the book dealt a lot with forgiveness and trust, but this wasn’t just through Sam and Tate but also with Tate and her father, which I found really interesting. I also loved learning Sam’s backstory and the movie that Tate was working on was just as interesting as Tate’s own story. The film dealt with racial prejudice and it was really well done. Honestly, I wish it was a real movie. I’d watch it.

But anyway, my point is I enjoyed this book. I wanted a bit more from the ending because it didn’t feel totally resolved to me, but otherwise it was a great read.

On a trip to London with her grandmother, Tate meets Sam and her life changes forever. 18 year old Tate has never experience true love but feels an instant connection to Sam and tells him her biggest secret, that her father is a famous movie star. Sam ends up selling Tate out, and her heart never recovers despite her acting career taking off and becoming a star. Years later, the two meet up again on a movie set, and their chemistry is off the charts. Can Tate forgive Sam for his betrayal and allow her heart to open up once more?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

I enjoyed the storyline and the love story happening. I wished there had not been so many other characters involved and that the author focused solely on Tate and Sam. I also would have loved to have learned more about Tate's mom and dad's past as it would have added to the story and to add to Tate's backstory.

That said it was a good read and I enjoyed it.

“Twice in a Blue Moon” is a story of Tate and Sam, as they meet in London when they are 18 and 21, respectively. Over the next few weeks they fall in love like only teenagers can, but when Tate tells Sam her biggest secret, and he betrays her, everything changes. Fast forward fourteen years, when they meet up again unexpectedly on a movie set. Cue the tension, misunderstandings, and DRAMA!.

I love the writing style of Christina Lauren’s novels, and in this case it was no different. However, I really didn’t connect with the characters, and the “thing” that usually draws me into these books just wasn’t there this time. I did enjoy the first half of the book, and probably would have loved it more if it continued as a YA novel. For me, when the switch happened and the characters were older, I sort of lost interest. I did appreciate how the ending came full circle (but who wants to lie down in damp grass? I mean really. ANYWAY) Fans of Christina Lauren will probably enjoy this novel, but for me, it sort of fell flat. It was still fairly enjoyable.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is split into two parts with the beginning being 14 years before present day. This split made the novel feel like two books and both parts left me a bit unsatisfied. The romance was fine...but I would have much rather seen the story focus on Tate and her family. The movie set was a fun setting for the story and I enjoyed Nick and Tate's friendship.

Also, what was that ending? There were like three plot lines that did not get wrapped up.

Overall, it was a little bit lackluster, but I enjoyed it well enough. Plus, the cover is GORGEOUS!

I have not been able to make much progress with this latest Christina Lauren title. It may pick up once the characters are in the "present" but I can't get there. I dislike Tate, and all the characters feel underdeveloped. This reads differently from the other books, which are a bit more light-hearted.

Christina Lauren is a hit-or-miss author for me. When they're good, they're ohmygodsogood. But every once in a while I pick up a book that I'm not able to connect with at all. This, unfortunately, was one of those books.

I struggled with the pacing. I struggled with the connection between Sam and Tate. While I love "hollywood/movie star" types of romance, second chance romances are iffy for me sometimes and in this case it just didn't work.

That said, I've come to learn that this is just a bump in the road. I still adore this author duo and look forward to reading more of them in the future. Every once in a while, they just swing and miss for me...

I don't know how they do it. How can Christina Lauren keep writing gem after gem? And such different kinds of gems too. There's the quirkiness of Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, the jaw-dropping sexiness of Beautiful Bastard, and now we have Twice in a Blue Moon. It's in a category by itself - simultaneously sweet, sexy, and consistently tugs at your heartstrings while reading. I couldn't put it down, but that's nothing new for a Christina Lauren book.

Tate Jones and her Nana are on a trip to London before Tate leaves for college. Apart from the early days of her childhood, Tate has lived with her mother and grandmother in a small California town, where everyone knows everyone. She has always had to live life quietly because she has a secret that would shatter her world if anyone found out.

London has already become the most exciting thing to happen to Tate, and then she meets Sam Brandis. Similarly, he's on vacation with his Grandpa, and they keep running into each other. Tate and Sam are drawn to each other immediately, and over the course of their vacations, they fall in love. Tate gives Sam her heart, her secrets, and all she's kept hidden. Sam tells Tate he loves her, shares her secrets with the world, and is never seen again.

Until fourteen years later. Despite the tornado that Sam brought down into Tate's life, things have settled down. Tate has made a name for herself as an actress. She's been lucky professionally but hasn't ever found a love like she had with Sam. Now, she's about to make a movie she believes might change the course of her career
- the kind of movie an actor dreams about. And who should appear on set her very first day? None other than the person who took her love, broke her trust, and left her alone to try to sort out the pieces of her heart.

Christina Lauren's books are always full of humor, sex appeal, and an immense amount of heart, and Twice in a Blue Moon stays the course. I didn't feel as much of a connection with Tate as I have in the past with Hazel or Olive, but I still found her a compelling character to read about. My one other complaint is that I wish we had gotten more of Sam's personality throughout the course of the book, not just in the beginning when he's young, hopeful, and prone to dreaming. But neither of those things stopped me from loving this book. I can't recommend Christina Lauren enough! (And I do, often, to anyone who will listen...which is pretty much no one now because they've all heard it before!)

I have read several of books by Christina Lauren and I loved them. This book I have mixed emotions on. I would say about a third of the book was written in the past. Then the book goes to present time. However Tate and Sam don’t really have any real interaction. The most real time they had together was 14 years prior in London. This book was also wrote in Tates POV. I usually like books with dual POV.

This story was well written but I didn’t love it. I will however read another book by this author.

I received an advanced copy for an honest review.

I made a joke that I hoped I finished this book by the time it came out in October because school has been crazy but jokes on me because I finished this in one day. I LOVE second chance at love stories, and this was no exception. It reminded me a lot of my favorite book the the duo, Love and Other Words and I think that could be part of the reason I loved the story so much. I also enjoyed the Hollywood plot a lot more than I thought I would- I liked seeing an insight into that. I loved the characters, thought the writing was done so well, and loved how it all came together!

I'm a big fan of these two women! Their books always seem to be some of my favorite that I've ever read! This book was a really good read. Parts of it felt like a YA read (The beginning) and reminded me of heartbreak and first love. It's a great read, with a plot twist I kinda saw coming but not in the way that it played out. Again, great book. However, this one lacked a little bit of the emotions that I've felt in the other books. I still really loved it and felt that I was emotionally connected with the characters. I was rooting for the two main characters and when the story went into heartbreak and first loves, it took me back to my own experience! I would for sure read this book as it's a great story. Parts of it just felt a tiny bit rushed to me.

Christina Lauren have written some of my favorite books ever, and well they always bring it. Twice in a Blue Moon is not my favorite of their books, but it still a pretty solid effort. This book is a little different from their latest books like Josh and Hazel, Half-Night, etc. It's less of a rom-com (or not at all) and more of a serious book. It's also a second chance love story for the most part. Tate and Sam meet in London and have a brief, but powerful fling that basically changes the course of their lives and the impact is still felt years later. Now 14 years later, they come face to face again and have to deal with the consequences of their decisions and perhaps rekindle what they once had.

I honestly have mixed feelings. Don't get me wrong, I was hooked with the book, but felt like something was missing, I'm not sure if it's how the book was structured, the book's first half is then (14 years ago), and Now (14 years later), the single POV, or simply that it felt rushed, especially the second part. I felt like we get to know these characters, Tate and Sam, pretty well as teenagers/Young adults, but the characters are not as greatly developed in the second part, especially Sam. I had lots of questions in the end and definitely needed more. I felt the second part of the book was weaker than the first, and that the relationship between the main characters was lost to all the other things going on in the book. The love that we feel in the first half is not quite there and everything is just rushed. At least an epilogue!!! :( I did love all the Hollywood, movie making parts, it's always something I love reading about and their descriptions were on point. But I was overall expecting more. I'd still recommend cause it's CL and you can never go wrong with them.

It would take a complete change of course for Christina Lauren to write a book I wouldn’t love. :)

Twice in a Blue Moon was something special. It was a brave story told by deliberate and thoughtful storytellers that had my emotions all over the map. I cried more in this story than any other CL book.

I had the deepest devotion to Tate. And god, did I love Sam something fierce. But my heart also enveloped Luther and Roberta, ,Charlie and Nick, and all the additional characters that made up this community of people contributing to an incredibly rich, lush, important, story.

I loved the setup with both their backstory and then the present day story. It reminded me a bit of another favorite of theirs, Love and Other Words.

It’s been a couple days and this story is still top of mind and filling my heart. I expect that to continue for some time. Bravo.

Christina Lauren does it again. What a great romantic story. Do we get a second chance with our true love? If we give up once. Will there be a second chance

This book gave me The Notebook Vibes because of falling in love as a teenager and how it consumes you because of the deep connection and of the fallout. The teenage love between Sam and Tate pulled at my heart and when they meet again fourteen years later it just overwhelmed me like Tate. The betrayals, the love, the movie scenes that are going on was all done very well!

As with the other four books I've read by Christina Lauren, I really like the female lead character, she and I would be friends for sure! This is another easy to read romance novel with a little bite to it. If you enjoy her books, you will like this one as well. This one is not as quirky and fun as her last couple though, but enjoyable nonetheless. #netgalley #twiceinabluemoon

This was a lot heavier than I was expecting from this author duo. Everything I've read up to this point have been Romcoms. This one will really pull on your emotions.

I viewed this more as a woman's fiction story instead of a romance. Only because it wasn't the romance that was the draw for me this time. Tate's character is what really had me pulled into this story.

Tate has lived a very sheltered life, falls in love for the first time at eighteen years old, only to be immediately betrayed by that love. Tate’s struggle after that betrayal had a domino affect in her life. In fact it seems a lot of the women in this book have dealt with similar betrayal. It’s hard not to be effected by what they all have been through.

When we first meet Sam, I adored him. His betrayal hit hard and felt morally wrong no matter the good reason he had to do it. I never really recovered the romance in the story after that. Part of that is I also didn't feel that Sam every truly earned her love back. Usually this would ruin a book for me, but I actually still very much enjoyed this book.

That really says something about the writing if I can overlook the lack of romance that I initially read the story for. This is why it came off more as a womens fiction book. I really am a fan of the writing from this author duo. I think I could enjoy anything they write. I look forward to what they bring us next.

Eighteen-year-old Tate and her grandmother, take a long awaited trip to London after her high school graduation. While there she quickly falls for handsome Sam. They have a whirlwind romance but just when she trusts he feels the same way about her he betrays her trusts and the consequences of his choices turn her life upside down. Fast forward fourteen years and they run into each other again at work and all wall Tate has built around herself begins to crack.

Yet another great book by Christina Lauren. I have read five and always get something different out of them but the strong writing, good dialogue, and likeable characters are all the same. I enjoyed "Twice in a Blue Moon". It was a tad predictable but it didn't bother me in the least. Good romance, would make a great beach read, or something to curl up with on a rainy day. Recommend to those who like light-hearted romance and chic-lit books. I will continue to work my way through all the Christina Lauren books and look forward to reading more in the future.

"Twice in a Blue Moon" by Christina Lauren is available to purchase on October 22, 2019. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the advanced reader's copy of this book and the chance to share my honest review.

I have read a number of Christina Lauren’s other books, and I found this one to be a bit different from the others. It’s a “then-and-now” storyline, with main characters Tate and Sam falling in love on vacation in London 14 years ago - when they are 18 and 21 respectively. This section reads more like YA, although their sexual relationship is described in enough detail that it may be more accurately categorized as new adult. Sam breaks Tate’s heart by betraying her in a pretty terrible way, and then the story fast forwards to now, when Tate is a famous actress and she unexpectedly runs into Sam again on the set of a career-making project. One of the big departures from earlier Christina Lauren books that I’ve read is that this isn’t particularly comedic - Tate and Sam’s communication style is more earnest (and then later mostly angry and uncomfortable) than witty and banter-filled. Their relationship is also less developed than I would have liked. The writing is solid and this was a fast and easy read, but I didn’t feel particularly invested in the characters.