Before I get into my personal opinion on this one I want to start by saying that this didn’t feel like a typical CL rom com. I’ve seen quite a few not so great reviews of this and I can’t help but think that it’s partly because peoples expectations for this one weren’t met based on the authors previous books. I haven’t read every single one of CL’s books but I’ve read most of them and usually they crack me up, make me swoon and I always find my next book boyfriend. This one is different, but it was different in a good way for me. It’s not really funny, it’s deeper and it felt more mature to me than their previous books, think more angst and emotion and less hijinks and laughs. I always appreciate when an author changes things up a bit, but just a heads up that this isn’t as light as their typical rom com.
I was talking with my friend Jamie @beauty_andthebook_ and I think she nailed what made this one a standout for me. This begins when Tate is just eighteen and Sam is a couple of years older and instead of a brief prologue that barely scratches the surface you get multiple chapters from this time period so you really get to know and understand what happened in their past before you flash forward fourteen years later. It provides a significant backstory and really allows the reader to experience all of the first love feelings right alongside Tate and really strengthened my connection with her. To me, great depth of character is just as important to me as an engaging storyline and CL nailed the characterization here.
A second chance romance, a Hollywood movie set and a supporting cast of characters that added flavor and spice to a sometimes dramatic story made up the most perfect combination for me! Again, this one felt more soulful and mature than the usual CL book, but if you want a heartfelt romance with a strong plot grab this one.

This was my first Christina Lauren book, but it won't be my last. Fourteen years after Tate and Sam's passionate vacation romance ends in a life-changing betrayal, they find themselves back together in unlikely circumstances. Plenty of plot and charm with a hint of spice made this a quick, fun read. Be prepared to be reminded of your own first love, no matter how cringe-worthy and to root for these characters, flaws and all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren are auto-read authors for me, and though this book was not as much rom-com as their previous releases, it was a really solid second chance romance with a strong focus on family and forgiveness, which I really enjoyed.

I was utterly swept away in throes of young love during the beginning of the book. Those nights I spent with Sam and Tate watching the stars were some of the best. They wore their hearts on their sleeves, and I must admit, Sam's betrayal broke my heart. I was shipping these two so hard, that when fate (and a movie) brought them back together, I was really excited.

The bulk of the "now" part of the story was really Tate working through her heartbreak and emotions regarding Sam and how he betrayed her trust. It really affected her, and even over a decade later, it was interfering in her relationships. I found all her emotions and reactions realistic, and it was a pleasure seeing Tate grow and come to terms with so many things in her life, because I really wanted her to find her happy.

It was a lot of fun being on the movie set, and I loved the whole idea and inspiration for the film, but as always, it was the characters that Christina Lauren crafted, which took this story to another level for me. Tate's bestie, mother, grandmother, and the rest of the cast were all wonderful and colorful, and I grew to adore them each and every one of them. And, as with any great romance, I cried some happy tears for these two, and the ending was perfection.

Overall: Another fabulous addition to the CLo catalog.

I have loved every book I have ever read by Christina Lauren, some are really sexy, and some are really quirky. This book, for me, fell into a completely different category. The book starts off when two teenagers fall in love in London *que swoon* but that’s where the predictability of this book stops. While these lovebirds are in London, Tate reveals a secret to Sam, a secret that will change not only her life, but the life of those all around Sam too, especially because Sam is the one who leaked the secret to the press!

The book flashforwards and now Tate is a 32 year old mainstream actress, and Sam has written a screenplay that Tate is the main star for, and a lot of things become center stage.

This book has it all: love, lost, faith, hope and a dash of humor. This book did not disappoint, but then again, I never thought it would:-)

This was such a good book. I've loved all the books this duo has produced and this is no different. The characters were fresh, fun and innovative. The storytelling kept me interested and intrigued while not bogging down the storyline.

When Tate Jones is 18 years old, her grandmother takes her on a rare vacation to London. While there, Tate meets the 21-year-old Sam Brandis and his grandfather, Luther, also on a rare vacation in London. The quartet spend most of their waking hours together, and Sam and Tate fall deeply in love, telling each other their deepest secrets: Tate is actually the daughter of Hollywood's biggest movie star, raised in a tiny town since her parents divorced a decade earlier, and despite being kept strictly out of the spotlight, what she really wants to do is act; and Sam would rather be a writer than take over the family farm. When circumstances cause Sam to sell Tate's identity to the paparazzi, she's devastated...and also plunged into the very career she secretly desired. For fourteen years, the pair have no contact, until the day the now-famous Tate steps foot on the set of the new movie she's about to film and is shocked to discover that the screenwriter is, in fact, Sam. Old wounds are reopened, lanced, and given an opportunity to finally heal.

I really enjoyed this quieter tale of first love and the struggle to understand and forgive. The common theme among reviewers who didn't like this book seems to be that they were all expecting the type of humor found in most of Christina Lauren's previous novels, so if readers set expectations aside (or read something else if they are in the mood for banter and slapstick), the tone of this book shines.

I did find that certain aspects of this story strained credulity, however. For one thing, once the initial shock of betrayal wore off, why didn't Tate ever ponder what could have caused Sam to sell her out? She had to have known it would take something extraordinary, and she knew the name of his town, so it wouldn't have been that hard to locate him. Likewise, she was insta-famous, so surely Sam could have tracked her down to apologize and explain?

For another thing, how on earth could Tate have read the movie script and NOT recognized the story? It was completely obvious who wrote it and about whom. Even if she didn't recognize it prior to arriving on set, she should have caught a clue the moment she discovered Sam was the screenwriter.

Also, despite her fourteen years in the spotlight, Tate remains surprisingly naive. She really should know better than to believe anything her father says--she KNOWS it's all an act. So why is she stunned when he betrays her in order to garner media attention? Then again, perhaps that is a common mistake for children of narcissistic parents to make because they so badly WANT to believe their parents might for once put their kids' needs ahead of their own? So maybe that's more accurate than I'd like to think.

Nonetheless, the overall story was really well done, and I greatly enjoyed it. Many many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary. Some profanity and a couple of sex scenes. No violence. Main characters are white, but best friend is half Asian, step-grandfather (Sam's) & costar are African-American, & best friend's assistant is gay.

3 Stars / 2 Steam Fans

Sadly I am coming to find that Christina Lauren books are becoming a hit or miss author duo for me. Some books I love but sadly this is not one of them. To start the story off we meet Tate and Sam while they are both on vacation celebrating with their grandparents. During this time we find out that Tate has some family secrets that have kept her in a small town experience until she turned eighteen. Sam takes advantage of Tate's vulnerability with betrayal when he finds out some devastating news of his own. Years past and they both have to deal with the betrayal in different ways so when they are thrust back into each other's lives there is animosity that is much warranted. Others play a role in another hiccup within their attempt to rekindle a relationship only to make up in a whiplash fashion. The majority of the story was about Tate acting on the set off a movie with her father and the screenwriter who betrayed her. The movie script has an interesting plot but doesn’t mix well into the story to save it from being kind of boring.

This specific video review will be included in the October 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

There is just something about young love that gets me every time. The giddy feeling and invincible hopefulness that only first love can create. Second chance romances that start like this are always my catnip. Twice in a Blue Moon definitely delivers on this (as well as on the forced proximity trope), but I wouldn't necessarily classify this book as a romance. It certainly has romantic elements and a large part of the story focuses on romantic love, but an equally large part focuses on the love of family (blood related and not) and the sacrifices and lengths we will go for those we love.

I really enjoyed seeing Sam and Tate's relationship begin and how the whirlwind of young love consumes them. The chapters in the past were written so beautifully that I couldn't help but be swept up in their love too. It was so relatable and Christina Lauren captured the excitement, uncertainty, and wonder of first love so well. Just as quickly as it begins though, it all comes crashing down. 14 years pass before the stars realign for Sam and Tate and circumstances push them together again. The connection they shared all those years ago is just as strong and I liked how they were able to get to know these older and somewhat wiser versions of each other.

There are some wonderful (and not so wonderful) secondary characters in the book, specifically Charlie, Marco, and Ian. Charlie is the BFF we all wish we had and Marco is the rock that will see you through anything. Ian was perfectly despicable and the fact that I wanted to throttle him several times in the book shows how well written his character was. The ending of the book felt a little rushed and my greedy heart really wanted an epilogue, but I loved how the story came full circle. Twice in a Blue Moon left me smiling ear to ear.

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This book was really quite lovely. Twice in a Blue Moon is slow and unlike any Christina Lauren book I've read in the past. We start out with Tate meeting Sam in London and the two of them rapidly forming a connection and falling in love. They're 18 and 21 respectively. But when Sam abruptly disappears and Tate's secret is revealed, the sense of betrayal is strong. The story doesn't linger though and rapidly moves on to Tate at 32 not knowing how to use Twitter and navigating a press event at Twitter headquarters. She and her father are doing a film together and it's only when she arrives on set and sees Sam that she discovers he's involved in this project.

This book is a love story and really, it is a romance, but there's a lot that's not about the romance. What kept me from giving it five stars is that it almost seemed like it didn't know what it wanted to be. There's an element of women's fiction, but the story isn't quite enough about Tate finding herself and figuring out who she is before she reconnects with Sam. But at the same time, there's so much time spent with Sam and Tate apart that it's hard to really classify it as a romance. I loved the story within a story aspect of seeing the screenplay and Sam and Tate really do have great chemistry. I liked the secondary characters, but I feel like we didn't get quite enough of them. Nevertheless, I was swept away by this story and I really enjoyed it.

I read an advanced copy of this thanks to Netgalley and Gallery books, so thanks to those companies for the opportunity!

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a big fan of Christina Lauren, so I was excited to read their upcoming book. While it was an okay read, it wasn’t up to par with previous books by the duo.

I found myself struggling to relate to Tate and Sam, both at the beginning, when they’re 18 and 21, and in the remainder of the book, which takes place 14 years later. There was major insta-love in the first section and as the story progressed, I never became invested in their relationship. I didn’t find myself rooting for them to end up together, which is something I want in a romance. The story was by no means poorly written, and I’m sure there are many readers who will love it, but for me, it was just okay.

Twice in a Blue Moon was cute and compulsively readable, which is what I expect when I pick up a Christina Lauren book.

The story starts out fourteen years in the past with 18-year-old Tate on a trip to London with her grandmother. They run into a couple of other American tourists and Tate falls into insta-lust with Sam. She ends up telling him things about herself she’s never told anyone, including her relationship with her super famous father. Their relationship ends abruptly when he ghosts her after selling her story to the press. Fast forward to the present and Tate is now a famous actor herself and is set to star in a much buzzed about movie with her father. She’s thrown for a loop when she arrives on set and discovers the screenwriter is Sam.

To be perfectly honest, it took me a long time to get on board this ship. Tate and Sam’s relationship was really insta-lovey. They were only together for a couple of weeks and I never really bought into it as something real. I understand how fourteen years later the trauma of the betrayal may still affect them, but the puppy love surviving was a bit of a stretch for me. The whole second chance aspect of it wasn’t done as effectively as I thought it could have been, either. While I’m all for forgiveness, I felt like Sam was let off the hook a little too easily. He basically sold her out because his family needed money and going to the tabloids was the most expedient way to get it. He also says he would do it all over again if had to because what the money did for his family was worth it. But he felt really bad about it, so it’s all ok. I had a hard time rooting for him.

That said, as the story went on, they did grow on me. There were some cute moments I enjoyed. I also enjoyed several of the supporting characters, including Tate’s Manager, Marco, and her co-star, Nick. I could’ve used a little more of them, actually.

Overall, Twice in a Blue Moon was enjoyable, but not my favorite book by this duo. Christina Lauren’s writing was as addictive as always, though, and I look forward to reading more from them.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 3 Stars

Tate is reunited with her first love!

Tate Jones knows she can’t tell anybody who she really is but when she meets Sam Brandis during a graduation trip to London with her grandmother. Tate and Sam started to fall in love during some late night talking in the hotel garden but when Tate told him she was Tate Butler, her normal life changed the next morning forever. Sam had told the tabloids that she was the daughter of Ian Butler who had disappeared to a small town after her parent’s divorce.
Tate had finally reached the top of her profession and was cast in a movie written by S.B. Hill with her father for the first time that could possibly give her a chance at an academy award. When she found out that S.B. Hill was actually Sam her first love and the guy that had sold her out.

Wow, usually when a book has the return of a first love it’s because of being too young but Twice in a Blue Moon went in a different direction that makes the story really, really good because you find out all the reasons Sam did what he did.

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

Christina Lauren is one of my favorite author(s) and Twice in a Blue Moon did not disappoint. While I love their enemies-to-lovers books, I couldn't put down this second-chance at love read!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

Another light-hearted and romantic read from the masters! This book was the perfect story to curl up with on a crisp fall night.

I liked the story of this book. The characters were compelling and the plot was intriguing. I really liked Sam and couldn't believe that he would do that at first. But I wasn't convinced that she should have been an actress. They said that she was good, but she seemed removed from it.

I wanted to like this. I liked how the story started, with the romantic pair, Tate and Sam, hitting it off in London with a couple of good twists. I really enjoyed seeing them bond, connect, and learn about themselves, but when the story jumps ahead to the current timeline that’s when it went downhill for me. That time jump took all my connection to the couple away, as they are now 14 years older and I as a reader don’t know them at all.

Most of the story felt a bit flat to me. I was just watching them do things as opposed to feeling connected or rooting for a good outcome. I think the setup could have had a good payoff but I continued to lose interest and mainly just wanted to see the twists and how the romance was resolved.

I really missed the romance being the core of this story, as it has been for other Christina Lauren titles I’ve enjoyed. This story mainly revolves around Tate with hints at romance and I would have liked this one more if it focused more on the romance with hints of family dynamic.

The family dynamic felt forced to me from the start, with Tate explaining her grandmother, mother, and eventually her father. I did like how there was family drama but again it was difficult to connect with and felt like extra information.

Tate is an actress and the film she’s working on is central to the story, but there are portions of the actual script in the context of the book and I wasn’t sure exactly why they were added. I think the scenes could have been explained as actual dialog and watching her act in real time, since reading the actual script distanced me from her character even further.

3-3.5 stars: This is a perfectly well executed contemporary romance of its kind... second chance love. Young love thwarted. Hollywood affair with complications. However, the thing that is largely missing from this book is the trademark Christina Lauren humor. That is always my favorite note in their books, and that's just not the focus in here. The book of theirs that this most reminds me of is ROOMIES, so if you liked that one, I think you'll also like this. Overall, totally solid, just not my personal fav in their oeuvre

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I have always enjoyed Christina Lauren books and Twice in a Blue Moon was no exception. It is a bit different than some of their novels in the sense it wasn't as snarky and funny, but to me, that was okay. I felt like this one gave us a glimpse at a different side of Christina Lauren and I'm totally good with that!

When Tate and her grandmother, Jude, took a trip to London, little did Tate know that she was going to meet her first love. When she and Sam met, the interest from both of them was noticeable immediately and the chemistry they had grew by leaps and bounds in a very short amount of time. The two spent two-weeks getting to know one another, sharing hopes and dreams, and secrets, with one another and experiencing firsts with one another. They ultimately fell in love and then it fell apart before it really got started. It was revealed that Tate was the long missing from the spotlight of one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

Fast forward 14 years and Tate is now a movie star herself and is getting ready to star in the biggest film of her career, one she really connects with, as well as being in a film with her father for the first time. What she doesn't realize is that the man that she fell in love with so long ago is part of the film. While she wants to fight the feelings that she still harbors for him, is that something she can really do? And when she finally hears him out, will that change anything?

I really enjoyed this story, the characters and how the movie played it's own part in the story. While this is a departure from Christina Lauren's previous books, in my opinion it is no less fantastic than their other books.

This is my favorite Christina Lauren book so far. I loved this story and the characters. I think the time shift was done so well. You got a good grasp on the story from both time periods. This was delightful. It was a deeper book than their books usually are and with less sex and witty snark. But I loved it.

I love Christina Lauren, but this one was not a favorite of mine. I adore their writing style and this was no different, but it was more serious than their other books. It wasn’t heavy by any means, but I would have liked something a little funnier.

This book is told in two parts sort of a before and after, and I far preferred the before story to the after story. I liked the characters, especially Tate, but the chemistry between Sam and Tate was lacking for me in the second half of the boo, especially after seeing how they had been together in London. In fact I though Tate might have been better off with her cute co-star.

All in all, I enjoyed this book, but I still prefer Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and the Unhoneymooners to this one.