Will be posted on 11/7/19

Tate Butler is on a trip of a lifetime to London with her grandmother. While there, they meet Sam Brandis and his grandfather. Tate and Sam hit it off and find themselves spending more and more time together while on this trip. Sam has a complicated family history and Tate, well, her family's story is ripped straight off the cover of a tabloid. Her father is Ian Butler, the world's most famous movie star and since her mother divorced him, Tate has fallen off the face of the Earth much to the paparazzi's chagrin. She has maintained an extremely low profile living under a different name off the beaten path, so she could experience a normal childhood. While in London, Tate and Sam get very close. So close that she actually reveals who is truly is and some of her backstory. Disaster ensues and her whereabouts are leaked to the press. Skip ahead to many years later when Tate is a working actress herself and she runs into Sam on set. What will happen when the only man she ever truly loved as well as the only man to break her heart re-enters her life again? Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren is a compelling romance set amongst movie sets and ultimately, it's all about second chances at love and life.

Twice in a Blue Moon starts off with Tate and her grandmother on this amazing trip to London. Tate is naive and hasn't really lived much thanks to her sheltered childhood. So, this is a very exciting trip for Tate. As sparks fly between Sam and Tate, they not only have chemistry, but they have a deeper connection. They get each other and surprisingly, Tate can relate to Sam, which never happens. But by the end of the trip; however, word is out that Tate Butler is in London and the paparazzi have found her. She only told one person about her true identity and that person is Sam. So, this means he betrayed her trust. Plus, there's no more hiding anymore. Everyone has found Tate Butler and even has some insight into her story, thanks to Sam's blubbering mouth.

Sam is a complex character in Twice in a Blue Moon. Initially, I found myself really liking him, but he made some horribly bad decisions, so it was tough to finally come around to him. Keep in mind, there is more to Sam than we initially though and more is revealed as the story unfolds. Fast forward many years and we have Tate, a successful actress, on set and she runs into Sam. Not only is Sam on the movie set, he wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym, which is why Tate is shocked about this encounter. It truly throws her for a loop. A big loop. To complicate matters further, Tate is on set with her formally estranged father, who is the famous Ian Butler. He is playing her dad in the movie. So, cue all the drama.

My favorite part of Twice in a Blue Moon is the Hollywood/movie set setting. I loved that and it felt fun and original. It was interesting to learn how Sam came up with his idea for the movie and what inspired him to write the screenplay. His family's history plays a big role in it, which I also found compelling.

White the romance didn't wow me like it did in Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, I was still delighted by this original romance. I wish it had more of the witty banter and snarky comments Lauren is known for, but ultimately, Twice in a Blue Moon worked for me. It's a good book to curl up with this November and holiday season, especially if you appreciate a satisfying second chance at love story.

I wish I loved this book as much as I've loved other novels by Christina Lauren. Perhaps it's not entirely the author's fault at an eager CL fan wanted to get that FEEL from this book, but the need to just hang in there, give it some more time, hope and hope and hope for something to click into the heartstrings just made this one a bit of an effort. Again, the author has to work against expectation. That said, there were some definite weaknesses here, like a thin layer of interest above and beyond the romance, that weakened this one. But we know this author has other books on the way, ones that will likely surpass expectation. It's by no means bad. We just have come to expect a lot. Still, a nice time reading it.

I enjoyed Twice In A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren, my second book by this author. My first was Unhoneymooners. Twice In A Blue Moon was a sweet story that I enjoyed from beginning to end, but it was missing the humor I loved so much in The Unhoneymooners. Tate and Sam's love story just never felt as real or relatable as the one in the Unhoneymooners either. If I had read Twice In A Blue Moon without having anything to compare it to, I think I still would have given it 3 stars. I do think it will be hurt a bit by coming out so soon after the home run that was The Unhoneymooners. The positive takeaway for me is that I now know that I really do like Christina Lauren's novels, two for two now. The two I have read, this one included, were never boring or corny. I'm a fan of the author even if this book wasn't a 4 or 5 star book, it was still a very pleasant experience.

Thanks so much to the publisher, the authors, and Netgalley for my advanced ecopy!

This book is such an enjoyable read. Right off the bat the chemistry between the two main characters jumps off the page. I was torn between rooting for them or hating Sam for what he did to Tate. And Tate's father, Ian, is a character I loved to hate. It's easy to see past his facade in a way Tate couldn't, but given that he's her father I'll allow it. The characters are fully-dimensional and realistic and the plot line progresses beautifully.

This is a quick read, but I think that's mostly because I couldn't put down. It reads fast and it reads really well, I was hooked quickly and throughout the entire thing. If you're looking for a enjoyable rom-com to get lost in for a few hours, this one will definitely do the trick.

<em>Christina Lauren's</em> latest addition to their backlist released last month and I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. It may have taken me a little bit to get this review written but reading the book? Nah. I read this one as soon as I could. My initial thoughts on this book upon first finishing it were that it wasn't my favorite book by this fantastic writing duo but it certainly wasn't my least favorite either.

So <em>Twice in a Blue Moon</em> tells the story of Tate and Sam. They met the summer after Tate graduated from high school and went on a trip to England with her grandmother. Sam, who was twenty-one at the time was there on his own vacation with his grandfather. When the two of them keep bumping into each other and then swap hotel rooms, a friendship sparks between them. They spend a good chunk of their vacations getting to know each other under the stars in London. Tate, who is the daughter of an aging A-List actor is pretty closed off from the world. She lives in a small town in the Bay area with her mother and her grandmother and she lives far away from the limelight of Hollywood. Nobody knows who her father is and she's kept that secret close to her vest for the longest of times. She remembers the mob that greeted her the last time she was found out and she has no wish to repeat that adventure. There are three people in her life that know who she really is and when she meets Sam, she feels a connection with him that has her opening up to him about things she never speaks about aloud. She falls head over heels in love with Sam and even though she was only eighteen, she knew her mind and she knew her heart and both of them wanted Sam. So when Sam betrays her trust in the cruelest of ways, she leaves him behind and never looks back.

Years and years later, Tate has become a break out star in Hollywood and she's just signed on to shoot a movie with her Dad. It'll be their first job together and Tate secretly hopes that they'll finally forge a bond that's real and not the smile for the camera's relationship that they have now. This movie could be a really big break for Tate and she's stoked to be a part of the film until she comes face to face with Sam. An all grown up Sam that is just as good looking, if not more good looking than he was the last time she saw him.

So this story is told in parts. The first part is for young Sam and Tate. We see them falling in love as young adults in London and their love was super sweet but fun. I really enjoyed the young Sam and Tate. I loved seeing their friendship grow and grow into a love that took them both by surprise and yet I fully supported. A summer romance that they both wanted to try to keep alive when they returned home held so much promise and I was here for it...until Sam does the unthinkable and then I was heartbroken for Tate. I mean, she didn't trust anyone with that information but she trusted Sam and he did her dirty. So that brings us to part two, when they come together on the movie set of the movie that Sam wrote about his grandparents. They're both grown adults now and on Tate's part, there's a lot of resentment and on Sam's part, there's remorse. I thought I'd get a whole lot of groveling from Sam and sadly, we didn't get that. A huge part of the reason for that was this story was told in first person, strictly from Tate's point of view. She's pissed off at Sam (rightfully so) and so that's what we see. We see glimpses of Sam being remorseful and we see Sam's apology to Tate but for me, it wasn't enough. Sam didn't grovel nearly enough to make up for the giant kick in the teeth he delivered to Tate all those years ago.

I will say that I adored all of the side characters. Tate's best friend Charlie was the bomb. I love me a loyal bitch and Charlie was that and more. I loved how fiercely she had Tate's back and I was really hoping that her and Nick would become a thing. I really adored Nick and wished that his part was a bigger part of the story. I felt like the biggest thing about the movie that Sam wrote was the relationship between his white grandmother and his black grandfather. Nick's reasons for wanting to do the movie hit me in my feels and I wanted more from that so I was bummed when it was such a small part of the book. Also, the whole thing with her Dad felt displaced. Like, it didn't really fit in with everything else in the book. I wish that was dropped and that Tate hadn't wasted so much time and energy into trying to forge a bond with her Dad that he just did not seem to want to reciprocate. I felt like she was too old to still be chasing after her father's affection. When all of that was said and done, I was completely underwhelmed.

This book was a lot more serious than other Christina Lauren books. It's not the rom=com books that we've come to expect from Christina Lauren like <a href="http://bookbinge.com/2018/09/review-josh-hazel-guide-to-not-dating-christina-lauren/">Josh and Hazel's Guide to Dating</a> or <a href="http://bookbinge.com/2018/12/featured-review-my-favorite-half-night-stand-christina-lauren/">My Favorite Half-Night Stand</a>. I enjoyed the first half a lot more than I enjoyed the second half but overall, the story was solid and I'm glad that I finished it. I'm looking forward to the next one from Christina Lauren for sure.

3.25 out of 5

I love the cover for Twice in a Blue Moon. I love all things Christina Lauren and can’t wait for the next book. I am sucker when it comes to second chance romances. Sam and Tate have amazing chemistry that sizzles off the pages. They met in London when Tate went with her grandmother for a two week trip. They fall fast for each other quickly and then Sam breaks her heart.

Now fourteen years later Tate is doing what she always wanted, a movie star. Her big break is coming, and she never expected the screenwriter of this movie to be Sam. Now she has to decide how she’s going to handle it.

This book pulled me in and I was sad when it ended. I can’t wait for another book by Christina Lauren.

Sam and Tate met in London, 14 years ago. Sam was responsible for some big changes in Tate's life...the kind of changes that your life will never be the same after...and, it seems like it will be something she will never be able to forgive. I liked that it was a big deal, that it was a betrayal, and that it had a reason that was tough to stay too mad at.

And, I really liked that about this book. I liked that there was enough of their past story to really relate to them in the present, to see why there just might be enough of a pull toward one another for them to get past the events in London and form a lasting relationship in the present, and within their new lives.

Overall, I bought into it. I believed the relationship in the past, and the one in the present...although the one in the present felt like it was a little too easy, a little too simple to get to the forgiveness part. I don't know if I wanted more, exactly, but I felt the connection more strongly in the London scenes than I did in the scenes that happened in the present. I also wanted a little more to the relationship with one of the main side characters, as I felt the ending of that storyline didn't have the payoff that it could have.

All this said, I liked the story. I liked the way it was written and the way it flowed from character to character and the way the past and the present did meld together in a lot of ways.

I did enjoy this title, and I do recommend it.

I find myself really struggling to get into this book especially at the beginning. A lot put into the story of Sam and Tate in London. Both on holiday with one of their grandparents. Sam and Tate sharing intimate details of their lives, only to find that Tate's trust was misplaced.

Tate's biological father is a famous movie star and her identity was sold out to the press. Tate spins the story into a career for herself. She gets a chance to star in a movie alongside her famous dad and it just so happen Sam is also on set. The struggle between them is still there, the hurt and the past.

While i could see behind some of the reasoning behind the betrayals, I found it hard to really enjoy the characters and even the movie set drama.

I'm torn between three and four stars for this title. As ever, t the authors write an enjoyable love story wit characters the reader will care about. I got kind of stuck on the movie making and celebrity aspect of the story.

Tate is the daughter of a famous actor, but is no longer in his life. She has been raised by her mother and grandmother in the countryside, away from the hustle of the city. Then, when she turns eighteen, her grandmother takes her to London.

Sam is a farmboy from Vermont who is vacationing in London with his grandfather. When he and Tate meet, the have instant attraction. They spend time together and fall head over heels in love.

Then the paparazzi are outside the hotel, and Sam is nowhere to be found. He has sold her story and disappeared, pushing her into a spotlight she never wanted.

Fast forward fourteen years and Tate is an actress starring in a movie with her father. She hopes this will give her the award nominations she wants. Little does she realize the writer is Sam and they will be working together on location.

This is where I had to struggle to keep interested. Other people may love this part of the story, but I'm not the person who follows celebrity news.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Admittedly Twice in a Blue Moon started off a little slow for me. I can't really put my finger on why, it just was. However once I got past the first third or so it really picked up and I couldn't put it down.

Sam and Tate meet while both on vacation in London post high school. They enjoy some time together and start to fall for each other, as one does when they're young. This was the part that mostly felt slow for me, so if it's feeling slow for you, push through, it's absolutely worth it.

Near the end of their respective London trip Sam and his grandfather leave and Tate is bum rushed with cameras and paparazzi's. Tate is understandably crushed that Sam had to have been the one to sell her out, as she told no one else who her family is.

Fast forward 14 years and Tate is an actress staring in a movie with her father for the first time ever. Unexpectedly Sam makes a reappearance in her life and it's sending Tate into a spin. I could not put this part of the story down! It's hard to talk about all the things without spoilers but I loved how things progressed and worked out. I also appreciated that Christina Lauren let the bad thing be the bad thing and didn't explain it away some ridiculous way. It made everything feel more authentic.

Tate and her grandmother take a vacation to London. Tate meets a wonderful young man. Or so she thinks! In just the few weeks she is in London, she falls in love with Sam. She tells him her deepest secret. Then she is betrayed.

Years later, Tate encounters Sam on the set of a movie. This throws Tate completely off her game. You will have to read this story to find out their where’s, when’s, why’s and how’s.

This is not your typical story from this duo. It is missing all the snarkiness and the funny innuendos. But, it is still a good tale. I will say, when the story began, I felt like I was reading a teen love story. I will be honest, I almost put it aside. I am glad I continued reading. The connection between Sam and Tate is strong. But, is it strong enough to survive?

I received this novel for St. Martin’s Press and Book Expo 2019.

A feel good story of two people who meet and fall in love, but wait, there's more. At the beginning, they move quickly from strangers to more than just friends. When secrets are shared, then sold, the two part just as quickly as they came together. Fast forward and fate pushed them together again. Can they learn to trust again? Love again? Well, it is a romantical novel. But the journey they travel is a very entertaining one that will satisfy even the most cynical reader. The ending is very good. That big sigh you heard was me, I really enjoyed this book.

I really tried to finish this book so I could give it an accurate review however I did not find it capturing enough to keep me entertained to finish.

I have loved every Christina Lauren book I have read and this is no exception! This is a bit more serious than most of their books but I still really enjoyed it. I love second chance romances and this was a fantastic one!

Christina Lauren are a wonderful combo of authors that really do work so well together. Their work is so well intertwined. This is another terrific release from this duo. A quick and sweet romantic read that was a pleasurable change from some of the darker reads of this time of year. The story is a sweet romance of love at first sight with a wonderful setting, making the atmosphere part of the story.
Their work is always great fun and with a great tone.
Definitely recommend.
#TwiceInABlueMoon #NetGalley #GalleryBooks #GalleryPocketBooks

This was my first ever Christina Lauren book, I know this is a kick-ass female writing duo, and I have heard amazing things about their books in the past. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a hit for me, there many issues that I had with it, and the main one is something that I could tell was going to happen almost immediately.

The book starts when the two main characters meet on a vacation in London, how they grew closer, and ultimately the events that drove them apart, all of this last for about the first 30% of the book. Then it time jumps 14 years in the future to where they reconnect and everything that comes with that. I felt that since a big chunk of the beginning of the book takes place in the past instead of the present, the pacing in the present was thrown off. This book honestly needed about 100 more pages to fully develop the story and have more realistic pacing.

I feel like not much happens in the middle of the book and then in about the last 30% of the book, I feel like so much was jammed into a small amount of page, Many of the main plot points happened within a few days, which didn’t feel natural, and led to a disconnect to the book with the reader.

After finishing the book I sadly realized I never grew to care for either of the main characters, Tate and Sam. I also didn’t care or understand their relationship, I didn’t feel any chemistry between them.

I was hoping that the ending would redeem some of the books for me, but I was disappointed, The ending was rushed because of the entire book’s pacing being thrown off, and I felt that the story ended up abruptly without much of a resolution, and was very unsatisfying.

Though I didn’t love this book at all, I have heard amazing things about these wonderful ladies, so I do plan on giving some of their books a chance in the future.

This was my first Christina Lauren book, and the author duo did not disappoint. I've been interested in reading their books for quite some time, but I never took the dive until I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks!

I've heard that this duo are masters of romance novels, and that statement is absolutely true. From the first flirty-cutesy scenes to the full on rush that is falling in love, they have it all, and they write it well. There was so much chemistry between the main characters, which meant the ending came way too quickly. Let me stop you before you consider that a con; it's not. I enjoyed the story so much and am praising the writing so wholly that I absolutely wanted more story. Even if they wrote 1,000 more pages, it wouldn't be enough. Second chance love stories are special and can be a difficult feat to complete properly, but these ladies nailed it.

It seems like Christina Lauren has been turning out books like crazy lately. Perhaps that's why this latest one wasn't that great. It wasn't bad, but it seemed to lack the heart of previous works.

Tate and Sam's relationship seemed rush. I understand that they were each other's first loves and falling head over heels while somewhere exotic is a popular trope, but it never felt real in this case. Fast forward to their reunion that any reader saw coming and it was more of the same. Nothing was surprising and the ending was completely rushed. Perhaps that would be OK if it had been a satisfying ending, but it wasn't.

Every writer is allowed to stumble. I hope this is Christina Lauren's anomaly.

Anything written by the amazing ladies Christina and Lauren is going to be gold! I loved the romance elements in this one and the character development made me wanting more!

I haven't met a Christina Lauren novel I didn't like. That said, the magic comes late to this one - something that left me wanting just a little... more. There's still plenty to love about this tale, however, with a charming cast and plenty of drama. So excited for their next novel in Spring, 2020!
Much thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy for review.