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

This book missed the mark for me. I had a very difficult time connecting with Tate. I didn't like her as an adult. I struggled to keep focused on the story .

I love Christina Lauren, and I will automatically read any book they write. Twice in a Blue Moon did not disappoint. I loved the story line, and honestly everything about this book. 5 stars

Okay, so I took me awhile to get to this. I started reading it before it came out and I had little interest in it. I picked it back up recently and able to finish it. I liked the plot but I felt no connection to the characters. Over all this wasn’t my favorite from this author duo. Would I recommend? If you want to read all of their books sure? But I wouldn’t recommend this as a starting place if you have never read their work before.

Author duo Christina Lauren are the type of writers who really just grab your attention from the beginning. Their characters always seem so real that you can't help becoming emotionally invested. They have a certain charm that has never failed to engage me entirely in the stories they weave. As someone who typically doesn't care for romance novels, I have to admit that this author duo has, at times, made me question my long-held opinion of the genre.

<em>Twice in a Blue Moon</em> tells the story of a young woman, Tate, daughter of a rather famous actor and her first love, Sam, a farm boy (for lack of a better phrase). When Tate confides a rather big secret during her short romance with the young man, his betrayal changes her life completely. Flash forward fourteen years and she arrives on the set of her big break as an actress--the first film she'll be shooting with her father--and suddenly the boy who loved and betrayed her is front and center to her life again.

As always seems to be the case with Christina Lauren's novels, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. For me, I don't think it was as good as the first novel I read of hers--<em>Roomies</em>--but it was deeply engaging nonetheless. The characters, despite being an actress and a screenwriter--not something the average person really relates to--are quite real and relatable at times. You understand who they are and why they make the decisions they do. This was, ultimately, a very good story. I loved Tate and Sam and, I imagine as expected, can't stand Tate's father.

I don't know if it's some sort of unspoken rule that whenever there is a book, movie, or a play that characters are working with or enjoy in a novel, but it always seems to me that it's usually quite underdeveloped. While I can see this making sense, it was a little annoying to me that I hated Sam's screenplay entirely. I was so bored with it which, at times, made me feel bad since it was based on his grandparents. But, I did absolutely adore Luther for the time we got to spend with him.

Now, the big thing about Christina Lauren's books for me is that, while I do often find myself really enjoying the stories as I read them, I'm never really interested in rereading them later. This isn't the kind of book that I look at and say I fell in love with it. It was good, sure. The whole book was well written and kept me invested. But am I in love? Am I emotionally attached? Not so much.

<em>Twice in a Blue Moon</em> was a good book that I enjoyed reading, but it was nothing mind blowing.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

Twice in a Blue Moon I was not able to finish this book
we are site about books we enjoy so this book was not reviewed

thank you for the opportunity

I really wanted to enjoy this because Christina Lauren's books are everywhere and I have previously read The Unhoneymooners and loved it. However, this book just wasn't for me. The characters fell flat for me and I really wished that there was more development for them. I thought the plot was interesting but could have been a little more exciting. I am very disappointed that I didn't love this book.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I still think The Unhoneymooners is my favorite Christina Lauren book. This was fun and I thought the time jump was interesting. But, I don't really think that reading about Hollywood is my thing and I definitely skimmed a bit. This just wasn't really my thing but I would still recommend. And, the romance is really healthy and sweet in my opinion. For sure, my favorite part of the book.

“It’s so crazy to think that things that I thought only lived in my imagination can be real.”

The one constant threaded throughout Christina Lauren’s body of work, chemistry-ridden love. From meet-cute to flirty banter and the intoxicating solidification of feelings, this dynamic writing duo delivers on what romance readers crave. Storylines that unfold through the thoughts, feelings, and vulnerabilities of an easy-to-adore cast, ready and willing to steal hearts.

What’s noticeably absent this time around, the snark or quirkiness fans have come to adore. The heady mix of humor and romance present in some of the writing duo’s past releases, have felt akin to magic (ahem, the BEST to-date being Josh and Hazel). With that said, bliss often comes from setting aside preconceived notions or the desire for a previous experience to be emulated and fully succumbing to the journey at hand. Different doesn’t have to be a dirty word. After all, second chance love stories of this caliber only come along every once in a blue moon.

On the precipice of college and freedom from the constraints of the small northern California town she calls home, Tate learns that sometimes the most life-altering things happen when we least expect it. By happenstance, while on a two-week trip to London with her grandmother, Tate meets Sam. A small-town guy from Vermont with plans to farm and a dream to write.

Tate and Sam’s connection tempts fate, releases inhibitions and inspires that elusive L-word to linger. Even post-heartbreak and disappearing act.

Fourteen long years after those impulsive London nights spent stargazing in the grass, Tate and Sam find their way back to one another. Not an ideal time for Tate, considering it’s on the set of the most demanding role of her acting career yet and the one chance she has to cement a connection with her Hollywood god of a father. Naturally, Tate’s feelings surrounding Sam are a confusing mix of disdain, assumptions, and to her complete and utter surprise, lust.

I won't deny, I was a little less than enthused with the Hollywood aspect of the storyline initially. My tune changed quite a bit once the characters stepped foot on set and were ingrained in the process. The deeper meaning behind the script and what it managed to provoke from Tate and Sam worked to pull the entire story together. To reignite, and solidify, those deep feelings the lovers caught way back in London.

While the two plots vary vastly, there are some notable similarities between Twice in a Blue Moon and Roomies. Both lack outright humor (of course, there are a few one-liners) and dual perspectives (this one is told solely through Tate’s eyes), but deliver leading couples that command the spotlight. In typical Christina Lauren fashion, devour-able writing meets intense connection, making a binge session imminent.

Christina Lauren did it again! Even though this isn’t as humorous and doesn’t have as much banter as some of their previous titles it was such a sweet story.

Twice in a Blue Moon is perfect for fans of Love and Other Words. It's leans more towards a literary fiction esque romance than a steamy fast-paced read. I loved that it's told in two significant timeline chunks. Readers have the chance to follow characters as they mature and grow and see them find their way back to each other.

This was my first Christina Lauren book and it will not be my last! It was such a fun and necessary escape with just the right amount of romance. I'm definitely going to be recommending this title to my friends who have been looking for a Romance with just the right amount of steam.

I really loved this book. After I finished reading, I gave a happy sigh of relief. You know the feeling after you’ve read a good, complete story, and the ending was well-deserved? That kind of sigh.

The all-encompassing feeling of first love was handled brilliantly. The side characters are fully realized people, and were free-spirited/protective/concerned (Tate’s mom, grandma, and friend) without being cartoonish.

Sam is a good guy. Tate is a good woman. Their second chance plays out in a setting most of us will never be a part of, but it feels real.

This isn’t the best review and my words will get better as I edit this later, but for now, if you’re looking for a swoony contemporary romance that makes your chest ache a little, give this a go.

Twice in a Blue Moon grabbed my attention from the beginning with a teenage romance. Lauren then showed how that one pivotal moment could shift a person’s life and change their outlook. It was an interesting novel with an intriguing plot, but it still felt like something was missing. Whether that was more development with her mom or more scenes with the main characters grandma, there was a piece of the story that still wasn’t there.

I want to let you guys know that I adore Christina Lauren as a writing duo. Their titles are swoony with terrific strong female characters, super hot guys, and I have loved almost all of them. That said, I did not embrace this title. I think part of the problem is it is YA in nature. The protagonist is 18 yo female and is on the cusp of adulthood, but still firmly YA. The duo excels in writing the late twenties (or even early twenties) and early thirties where there is hot sex and adults trying to figure out what the heck they are doing.

I got through 30 percent of the book, but had to eventually stop because the protagonist is this naive innocent girl who calls the brawny (okay how many references to his huge size and the diameter of his arms are there?) 21 yo farm guy a "man" since he is technically an adult with his age, who responds in kind by uttering wise words of wisdom to guide the poor young girl to a better understanding of herself. Yeah, no. That's not what I want to read about, so I had to stop.

Never fear though, I'm picking up the next Christina Lauren anyway.

What a great book! I am relatively new to Christina Lauren books, but I love the wit and the fun and engrossing stories. In Twice in a Blue Moon, Tate meets Sam when they are both traveling in London. She is just 18 and inexperienced. He is 21 and gorgeous. They fall in love quickly. But the Sam is gone and Tate’s world and all her secrets are out. Fast forward, more than a decade and they meet again. Tate feels those same feelings, but can she really trust Sam again?

This book had just the right amount of angst, humor, sadness and romance. I was hesitant to read it because early reviews were not favorable, but I am so glad that I finally did. This book started off like a YA/NA but towards later half, it felt more like an adult contemporary romance. This love story spanned 14 years from innocent teenagers to adults working in the movie/entertainment industry.

Tate and Sam started off as naive teenagers who met on vacation but after a shocking betrayal separated them, both of them grew up fast. The Tate we meet 14 years later was jaded towards love. I understood why but I didn't like that the issue was left out there for over a decade before they addressed it. The roles the supporting characters played added depth to both the plot and the character as we came to understand why Sam and Tate made the decisions they made pertaining to each other. I love the progression of the characters, the excitement of first love, the pain of the betrayal and the redemption of Sam. I really liked them together both as teenagers and as adults with careers. I also love when authors do second chance love/redemption stories well.

This is a book that I will recommend often since I was engaged from the beginning all the way to the last page. This was a good one.

This was a bit hard to review because I loved half the book. I loved the flashbacks-- Christina and Lauren know how to write young love. But I was not a fan of the reunion because I found it impossible to believe that the heroine truly never found out about "THE TRUTH" until much later. This tends to plague novels about great misunderstandings. With the age of the internet, word travels too quickly for there to really be a misunderstanding that absolves both parties of any blame.

Christina Lauren is one of my favorite author duos and I love second chance romance, so I was super excited about this book. I also fell totally in love with the cover, so that made me even more excited. I'm especially fond of second chance romances where the reader gets to see exactly the couple went through the first time. Since Twice in a Blue Moon is told from Tate's POV in both past and present tense, I got both. Which more or less gave me a chance to fall for Sam and Tate twice. It's just that one ended a little better than the first, which to be honest, about broke my heart. Sam and Tate tugged on my heartstrings in both past and present. 

I loved the start of the story, with Sam and Tate as young adults in London. It was sweet and charming in the way first love often is. Unfortunately, it took one hell of a turn with Sam's betrayal and everyone's confusion about WHY he did what he did. My heart broke for Tate. Fast forward a whole bunch of years and the two find themselves face-to-face again under very interesting circumstances I will not ruin for you. What ensues isn't always easy, but it's worth it. I loved how things came together for them. It was a great read/listen with Erin Mallon narrating. I always enjoy her performances and I thought she did a great job bringing Tate, especially, to life.

Favorite Quotes:

I think the fact that I never got to fall out of love with him—that I just had to keep moving forward, stumbling into something new and totally different—means that my brain and heart don’t know the protocol here.

For the first time in my life I get it: home isn't always a space it can be a person.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me. The miscommunication and complete lack thereof that drove the conflict was immature to me. When somebody has a legitimate excuse and rationale behind objectively poor behavior it’s not completely forgivable but it’s understandable to rational people. A few sentences of explanation and a different drive for conflict might have worked better personally for me. I love Christina Lauren and will continue to read their books but this one wasn’t for me.