This was an okay read. I am a fan of Christina Lauren books but I felt this was missing something. I feel like some of their trademark humor was missing. I also didn’t feel the chemistry between Tate and Sam. This isn’t much different from other CL books it was just lacking the snark that I am used to.

Hello. My name is Jillian and I’m a huge Christina Lauren junkie. It should come at no surprise that I was beyond excited to get my hands on an advance copy of this book and as soon as I did you can bet your behind I dropped everything to dive in. Well, I’ve gotta give it to this dynamic writing duo….they’ve done it again. I mean is there anything these ladies can’t write?

From start to finish, Tate and Sam’s story pulled me in and didn’t let go. I’m already a sucker for a second chance romance and when CL writes it, forget about it! *swoon* These characters are beyond dynamic and the plot is beyond emotional and I loved every page.

Whether you’re a CL junkie like myself, or new to their work, I know you’ll love Twice in a Blue Moon just as much as I did!

I was not in love with this book. I think we were supposed to root for Sam in order to forgive him and I did not feel that connection to him.

I was entertained, but I never fully connected to any of the characters. I wasn't attached enough to want to see them get to their HEA.

I did really enjoy the past, until things with Sam happened. And I definitely enjoyed the being on set aspect of the present storyline. But, overall, it wasn't enough for me to give it anything higher than 3-3.5 stars.

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

whelp.
i went into this with fairly low expectations - mainly because i did not absolutely love their last one + several of my friends were reviewing this as 'meh/fine'... so i just kept putting it off, which sucks. i used to get super excited about a new CL. i don't know. i don't know if it was my low expectations or the book but i just didn't click with this one at all. super slow paced (i was texting my friend 'why are we still in the past at 30%?! when do we get to the present?!') and i think i was at like, 55% or more and the two main characters had barely talked since being reunited... wait, what? mostly, i just didn't care. i didn't know the characters well enough to give a shit about them or their relationship. which sucks big donkey balls and honestly, i'm a little hesitant to read their new one now :\

While on vacation in London with her grandmother, eighteen-year-old, Tate Jones falls in love with Sam Brandis. She also learns a few days later what heartbreak really is.

Tate meets Sam and his grandfather, Luther soon after arriving in London. Luther, Sam's grandfather and Tate's grandmother strike a conversation and at the beginning, Tate's grandmother is not very friendly. She's tired and upset that her room doesn't have a view. In a selfless act, the men decide to give their room to the ladies to accommodate them.

During the next two weeks, Tate and Sam will spend most days together (and most nights), learning about each other, their fears, their dreams. Tate confides in Sam, she tells him her deepest secret. When her trust is broken, Tate's life spirals into a nightmare.

Fast forward fourteen years, Tate is now an acclaimed actress who's going on location. Her latest movie will be filmed on a farm. Her father is playing her dad in the movie. Tate feels pressure to be at her best. She doesn't want to let her father down. The last thing on her mind was to come face to face with Sam.

I liked Twice in a Blue Moon. I can see it becoming a movie and having a great ending as the book does. I like both characters, I just didn't love them. I wish the second part of the book had more in-depth interaction between Tate and Sam. It was hard to believe they were still so in love with each other after more than a decade. I needed more dialogue. I also missed having the fun banter I have come to expect from these writers since it's one of the things I adore about their books.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last night I drove to a book store that is 40 miles from my home to see them speak. I might have fallen a little in love with the Lo half of this writing duo I have enjoyed many of their books. I regularly recommend their books. They are never perfect books but typically I get drawn in and get lost in the story and don’t see the flaws.

This book was an exception. I didn’t like it. At all. The best part of the romance is relegated to the first 30% of the book. And they are 18 & 21. I don’t read YA but that part had a very YA feel to it. The rest of it was not enjoyable. At one point I considered DNF’ing it. The hero does a terrible awful thing, is barely remorseful, for reasons, and the heroine forgives him very easily. I wasn’t buying it. The grovel was almost non-existent. This angered me.

There is a story within the story as the heroine is an actress and the hero is a screenwriter. The movie bits were weird and felt like they dragged on. There is also part of the sub-plot that felt a little icky and left me with a lot of complicated feelings. My friend Suzanne, from Love in Panels did an in-depth review and that talks about this book and the things happening in it. You should definitely check it out.

This book does have a HEA but I didn’t like the hero enough to care. I’m sure loyal CLo readers will probably really enjoy this book. Not enjoying this book won’t stop me from reading the next one. And if they do another book tour that is an hour +/- from my house, you’ll probably see me in the crowd.

What can I say, I’m complicated.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
I enjoyed this book set in the world of world class actors and the film industry. We spend quite a lot of time on location for a new film, which enables some clever dynamics to come into play. Living at close quarters with the crew and cast inevitably brings issues to the fore more readily. I found that entertaining and forced issues which in a normal situation could have been dragged out.

We first meet Tate visiting London with her grandmother. She has a huge secret and sadly trusts the wrong person with the facts. This leads to her 18-year-old self having her whole life turned upside down. Fast forward to now, and we get to understand the fallout and how relationships have changed. Now a successful actress, Tate finds out what happened to the 'one.'

I absolutely bought into this story and enjoyed watching how it all worked out – between Tate and Sam, and between Tate and her close family. The only thing I found strange was that it took her so long to understand what the script was all about; up until she saw who wrote it, I completely got it, but once she knew? But maybe she was just so overwhelmed by everything else going on... which I could convince myself.

A really enjoyable romance, definitely worth a read.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a sweet and angsty second-chance love story about an actress and a script writer. The first part of the book is pure joy – Sam and Tate’s first meeting in London is a heady, explosive few weeks of first love excitement. The second part of the book is a little darker. When Tate meets Sam again twelve years later, Sam’s betrayal hangs heavy between them. Both are older and more established, but neither has managed to find love with anyone else.

This is Tate’s book. The story is told from her perspective and at times the book is as much about her relationships with her parents and her career as it is about her relationship with Sam. I really loved Tate but there are a few moments when I found it difficult not to roll my eyes at her privileged and pampered self-pity. It’s difficult to feel sympathy for an A-list actress whose career has been boosted by her A-list actor father. In some ways, Sam is the more interesting character – but we don’t get to know him as well as I’d have liked to.

I love the film set setting for the second part of the story. The behind the scenes glimpses we get of the filmmaking process are fun and entertaining. Most of the characters are engaging but few move past type and trope. The story is a simple, easy read. It’s a satisfying – if predictable – read.


Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Spoiler-Free Review. The writing duo of Christina Lauren is new-to-me.

4 Stars. Rated based on the contemporary romance genre, not necessarily my enjoyment. I struggled to keep interested while reading, simply because it wasn't my cup of tea, even though second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes. However, I do believe fans of the author and this genre in particular will be highly entertained. Hence my 4-Star rating.

At the beginning of Twice in a Blue Moon, Tate is only eighteen years old, so it reads age-appropriate, more like a young adult novel, which I appreciated and enjoyed. Vacationing with her grandmother, Tate meets Sam, who is also with his grandfather. They spend the next two weeks in a whirlwind love affair, many secrets shared, then they part ways. Sam broke Tate's heart by betraying her.

Fast-forward 14 years, Tate is now an actress, and while on location, she runs into Sam, where a tangle of animosity is felt toward him. With the promise of angsty deliciousness, Sam is none other than the screenwriter. I'm a sucker for the angst of love-hate and second-chance romance. Where this didn't hit the mark is how the emotions were just at the surface, not too deep or realistic. I felt as if I was being told Tate and Sam were connected, instead of actually seeing the connection develop on the pages.

Twice in a Blue Moon is a light and fuzzy, quick read, which is sure to please fans of the author(s) and of the contemporary romance genre. I just needed something a bit deeper to truly entertain me, because I won't remember much of it after reading another book or two.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
For me, this book was a hard read. The first half of the book was what happened in the past... Tate's first love, Sam, and how they fell hard and fast while in London. Sam's betrayal of her trust and love not only broke Tate's heart but cracked her soul as well.

The second half of the book deals with the fallout of Tate seeing Sam again. Tate's life has done a complete 180 since they last saw each other. She's a leading lady, ready for the role that's sure to earn her acting nominations aplenty. What she didn't know until the first day on set is that Sam is the screenwriter.

The angst that follows Tate through her journey of self-discovery is very tangible; however, I believe Tate is very naive for having been in show business for 12 years.

This book did offer me some moments to ponder about things that happen and why they happen and how, in the end, it's really up to you to stand up and create your own path.

Another solid story by Christina Lauren! I will say, I think because I love them so much, I might hold them to a higher standard than others.

Tate Jones meets Sam when she’s in London. She shares her biggest secret, that she’s actually the daughter of one of the world’s most famous actors. When she is found by the paparazzi, she is crushed. Fast forward 15 years, and Tate is now a famous actress acting in a movie with her famous father for the first time. When she gets to set, she learns that the writer is Sam.

I’m going to start with what I like, in hopes that maybe it will help me figure out what didn’t work for me. I liked Tate a lot. I thought she was a great character and I liked seeing her grow. The first 30% or so of this book is a young adult novel and it really shows up different someone can be at 18 vs 32. Tate is a strong female lead and I liked all of her scenes.

Sam was almost annoyingly good. I think him turning Tate into the press was supposed to make the reader dislike him, but in the end he does it for good reason. I also kept waiting for it to be exposed that he wasn’t the one who leaked her story to the press, so maybe that effected my point of view. Spoiler alert in hopes that it makes you enjoy it more than I did, he did leak her story.

I think one of the things that didn’t work for me was that some of the passion was lacking for me. Christina Lauren is usually packed with passion and characters that can’t keep their hands off of each other and I love the way that drive their stories forward. Tate and Sam were very standoffish with each other and it took until the final part of the story until they started to reconnect.

The story is a good story and after a slump of books I had no desire to finish, I was happy I found one that was interesting and paced well. I think if this wasn’t a Christina Lauren book, I would have enjoyed it more and rated it higher, but because I had such high expectations for it, I was a little let down. It’s a little different from what I’ve come to know and love from them, so that threw me a bit. I would still recommend reading this book, because it is a good story. I would just maybe recommend some of their other books first.

I'm a sucker for second chance romances and when it's one written by Christina Lauren, I know it's going to be a doozy. In other words, a whole lot of feels! It all begins in the past when Sam and Tate meet during a two-week vacation abroad with their respective grandparents. They fall in love in that intense first love kind of way where they share everything about themselves. That's how Tate ends up revealing that she's the long-lost daughter of a famous movie star and soon after, it's clear her trust was misplaced. Flash-forward to fourteen years later when Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, steps onto the set of her newest film only to find Sam, her not-so-forgotten first love, there as well. What transpires is a whole lot of angst, slow reveals to the past and getting to know one another in the present. Christina Lauren really do excel at making readers believe in that rare, immediate connection with someone at first-meet and the notion of "one true love," both of which can be seen here. It's not a perfect story and I actually would've loved to see more of Sam and Tate as individuals in the past, during the years apart and when they're reunited again. I think knowing more history and more character development would've given the story more emotional impact. But I honestly didn't mind it much. I felt very invested in the present romance and watching these two individuals who never forgot one another, slowly work their way back.

Do I recommend? | I do! Twice in a Blue Moon is my favorite of their two 2019 releases but the title of ultimate fave still belongs to Sweet Filthy Boy.

Love, love, LOVE Christina Lauren! Their books are always my go to for a good romance that isn’t overly cheesy or cliche.

This one is super cute, but not one of my favorites, unfortunately.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Twice in a Blue Moon is a good read but wasn’t entirely a hit for me — likeable but not loveable!

I truly love Christina Lauren’s writing! I appreciate how seamlessly they write as a duo and always find their style(s) easy and evocative. Told in the POV of the leading lady, Tate, this is a story of first love, betrayal and heartbreak, second chance romance, and redemption.

Although I found this to be beautifully written, there was some kind of disconnect for me that I can’t entirely explain. Some of my issues were that I found the shift in the story from Tate’s past to her present-day life a bit jarring, I was never completely invested in the characters, and I wanted more from the romance.

I absolutely adored the present day setting, the behind the scenes of making the film, and learning the story behind the script. The story within the story is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking — it is probably my favorite aspect of this book.

Overall, I didn’t love Twice in a Blue Moon, but I also didn’t hate it. I know there are a lot of readers who will thoroughly enjoy this one, especially if they are fans of CLo’s Love and Other Words.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.

This was my least favorite Christina Lauren. I hated these characters. I couldn't care less about what was going on. They all made stupid choices. Tate was just stupid. Her emotions are all over the place and so inconsistent. Nick was such a great guy and he just gets tossed to the curb because Sam made a half hearted explanation about why he was an asshole. And her relationship with her father was just confusing and jumbled.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

I don't know how I managed to hold off so long you guys. Twice in a Blue Moon is my first time reading a Christina Lauren book, but now I am super pumped to read ALL of their books!

Christina Lauren is a writing duo of 2 women, and I seriously love how they put this story together. Twice in a Blue Moon had a bit of steam in the beginning and towards the end but for the most part it was just rom-com perfection. This book made me laugh almost nonstop but was also filled with plenty of mushy romantic moments, and a couple parts that almost had me in tears. I loved Tate and Sam and was busy rooting for them the entire time I was reading.

Twice in a Blue Moon was a super quick read for me and I was able to finish in just over 4 hours. It was hard for me to put down, and although I wasn't sure about the book in the very beginning, it was still making me laugh and I'm glad I stuck with it. The ending was maybe a tiny bit abrupt, but I see that a lot in rom-coms so it didn't really both me. I thought it was the perfect ending to this sweet book!

Song/s the book brought to mind: Hold My Hand by Hootie & the Blowfish

Final Thought: If you aren't a Christina Lauren fan yet, prepare yourself because you will be! I heard the audio was disappointing, so I recommend reading this like I did instead of listening to it. Twice in a Blue Moon was a perfect palate cleanser between thrillers and will be a great pick for contemporary romance lovers and those of you that like to laugh!

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Christina Lauren writes good books. Like really good books and I hang on her every release!
I've already read Twice in a Blue Moon- Thrice!

I seriously love CL and their books. I can't wait to continue to pick up their backlist after reading this, because it brought me so much joy and happiness during a very sad time for me and that's what CL's books do for me all the time, the characters were loVELY, and I love a good second chance romance (rhymes are cool)

Charming. Heartwarming. Sexy. I absolutely loved it.

Fourteen years ago, 18-year-old Tate fell in love with 21-year-old Sam. Unfortunately, their relationship came to an end when Tate is betrayed or thinks she is. They are reunited years later and the question becomes, is it possible to fall for your first love "twice in a blue moon?

I’ve read several Christina Lauren books, and usually they pull me in and have me laughing from the first chapter. Not so with this one. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing - after all, different isn’t bad, it’s just different. But when you’re used to one type of book from an author(s), and you get something completely different, it causes you to recalibrate your expectations. Which is what I had to do here...

Tate Jones is on the trip of a lifetime with her grandmother when she meets Sam Brandis and his grandfather. A chance encounter in a pub has them discovering they are staying at the same hotel, which turns into clandestine meet-ups in the hotel garden each night. Underneath the stars they spend hours and hours sharing their hopes and dreams, and Tate, believing she can fully trust Sam, shares a secret she’s been hiding most of her life. When Sam betrays her trust, it thrusts Tate onto a different path, completely changing the plans she had for her life.

Fourteen years later, Tate is an up-and-coming actress about to star in the most important role of her career. When the whole cast and production crew are scheduled to meet for a read through of the script written by S.B. Hill, the very last person on earth Tate expected to see was the man who broke her heart and shattered her ability to trust. With a filming schedule that’s supposed to last two months, it will be hard to avoid the man she’s thought about frequently over the past but loathes with a passion. But when she learns the truth about why Sam betrayed her, it makes it harder to loathe him. She then has to decide if she’s going to let hate win over forgiveness, or if she’ll do what is right for her instead of what everyone else thinks is right.

The first 10 chapters of Twice in a Blue Moon take place when the hero and heroine are 21 and 18 and spending time together in London. The pacing is slow - I wasn’t bored, but the story didn’t particularly draw me in, either. But the setup is important so the reader understands how Tate was able to fall in love so quickly, so completely. When the wheels fell off Tate’s life, I finally thought, “Now we’re getting somewhere!”

But then things started to fall apart for me beginning in chapter 11 when the story picks up 14 years later. When I say Tate’s life changed completely because of what Sam did, it’s not an exaggeration. And I would have liked to see some of the stress and conflict all that change caused during their separation, instead of getting bits and pieces of it through a sentence here, a sentence there. I couldn’t help but feel disconnected from the heroine (and hero) with all that history missing.

However, I really did like how the rest of Tate and Sam’s relationship played out. Tate holds onto her anger (instead of getting all stupid because Sam’s even better looking at 35 than he was at 21) until things can be talked out, and it took several discussions before things were talked out. Sam is appropriately remorseful and forthcoming with his feelings. I liked how an apology by Sam doesn’t immediately fix everything, and that when things fall apart again and it seems like history is repeating itself, Tate has to face her doubts and decide whether or not she’s going to let things play out the way they did the first time. I love a character who matures and uses perspective to behave like an adult! I found Tate’s thoughts and feelings to be realistic and appropriate. I also really liked how Sam was willing to put all his feelings out in the open, but didn’t push. He was willing to accept the repercussions of his actions. I’m a fan of the grovel, and Sam did pretty well here. It was a good thing to see.

I was all ready to like this book a whole lot, but then the story came to an abrupt end. They barely weather the latest conflict, and that’s it. Yes, the final scene was cute, but I was left feeling disconnected. Again. Granted, I like my stories to end tied up in a nice, neat little bow. I’m not a fan of the happy-for-now ending, but this one really, really left me feeling adrift.

I can appreciate when authors do something a little different than what they’re well known for (in this case, the romantic comedy). I think I would have really liked this one if I didn’t feel like so much of the story missing. But with the giant hole in the timeline, and the in-between backstory so sparse, I couldn’t connect with the characters, or their story. I liked the characters, I liked the writing. I just didn’t like the execution of the story.

I've read most of Christina Lauren's books. Some are hits. Some are misses. This one is more in-between for me. It definitely wasn't like most of their other books. This one had two different time periods it took place in, once when the main characters were 18 and another time period when they were older. The love story that unfolded when they were young was super cute but I felt like the second time period when Tate and Sam re-entered each other's lives just didn't live up to the first half of the book. Overall it was still an enjoyable read but I needed a little more closure at the end for it to give me all the feels! Looking forward to their next book, as always!

Another great book!!! I love anything Christina Lauren writes! She never disappoints me. Her storytelling astounds me!! Can't wait for her next book!!