Twice in a Blue Moon is Christina Lauren at their absolute best. What I thought would be a light romance read turned out to have so much depth and heartache that it made me tear up a few times. The chemistry between Sam and Tate in the past and in the present was spot on. This book is very well written and should be added to the top of your wish list.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I was so excited to read this new novel by Christina Lauren because, typically, I will finish their books in a few hours and love every single word. Twice in A Blue Moon was very different from their usual books and I applaud them for stepping a bit out of their comfort zones, but this one was just o.k. for me.

As usual, the writing was flawless considering they are a duo and manage to make it all seem so effortless, but I struggled to like and/or connect with the characters. I was initially enamored with both Tate and Sam, but in the end, wasn't impressed by wither character.

The best way to convey my overall feelings would be that when I started to write this review just a few days after I finished it, I couldn't recall a thing about the book. I had to grab my Kindle and re-read the first few pages and the last few pages to recall enough to even review it. I adore Christina Lauren, but this wasn't their best.

* I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

My first Christina Lauren book was when I read The Unhoneymooners this summer and I liked this almost as much!!! It is a beautiful (and in some places sexy) story of how love can bloom so quickly and how one choice can change the course of so many peoples’ lives. It gives you hope that love can withstand time and conquer all, and it’s just all around a great story. Excellent pacing, complex characters, and romance... what more can a gal ask for?

As usual, Christina Lauren have hit it out of the park. I loved this! Tate and Sam were great characters. I wish Ian had more growth but I suppose some people don’t? Eugh he was irritating (as he was written to be). I just really enjoyed this. It was generally sweet and sappy and had a good ending. I was pleased.

This is a story of firsts.
First love.
First time.
First heartbreak.

It is also a story of seconds.
Second chances
Second loves.
It explores whether it is possible to have your second love be the same as your first (which is where the title comes to play).

Tate Jones has lived a sheltered life. It takes some time to understand why. During a 2-week vacation with her Nana in London, she meets Sam Brandis, and is so smitten with him, that she finds someone worth sharing her family secrets.

I loved these early moments of this book, as these two young adults connect on the lawn of the Marriott, they are both staying at. Their moments are sweet in their innocence, that is until neither character can hold back. I thought Sam was exactly what Tate needed - a man to convince her to take chances, to step out of her shell and explore life.

"Do you want to live in the sun?" he asked quietly. "Or do you want to go back in the shadows?"

However, that all goes very wrong one day and I wanted to nut punch him.

I won't give away the time from this couple's high, to their low, but as its been made clear, they reunite and are forced to be in each other's space. For me, it wasn't a matter of if they would reconcile, but how. I think Tate may have gone a bit too easy on him, but I think ultimately, she understood his reasons and would have done the same if in his shoes.

The part I struggled the most with in this story is Tate's relationship with her dad. She gives him so many chances, but Ian Butler is a shit dad. All he cares about his himself and his career. I kept waiting for Tate to blow up at him and demand his genuine attention. Instead, she lets him use her over and over for his own advancement.

Aside from those frustrating parts, I enjoyed this story. I liked how Sam honored his family's past and how Tate embraced that personal history and made it her own. Despite being taken advantage of twice in this book, she managed to rise above her own pain, which is admirable. If you enjoy second chance love stories, check this one out.

Tate first fell in love on a trip to London, where she met the mysterious Sam Brandis. They shared all their deepest secrets and dreams together every night in their hotel's garden. It was a whirlwind, beautiful romance. Sam was the only person that Tate told her biggest secret: she is the daughter of one of Hollywood's biggest film stars. But their brief love story ended abruptly when Sam betrayed Tate, revealing her secret and outing her to the world. Now, fourteen years later, Tate is a famous actress herself. She's on set on her biggest project to date. The last person she's expecting to see is Sam Brandis. But here he is. Now Tate is forced to confront what happened fourteen years ago--and how it has affected her all these years later.

"What would you do if you got a second chance with your first love?"

Well, I was totally caught up in this captivating romance. I'm a real sucker for Hollywood drama, so this was right up my alley. The daughter of a Hollywood star, who abandoned her and her Mom after a messy divorce? Said daughter grows up and decides to be a film star after being outed by her first love? I'm so in.

This Christina Lauren novel is told just from Tate's point of view, so we don't get some of the back-and-forth POV that we see in some of the duo's other books. There is more drama, less witty banter, than we might see in other books. But there's still plenty of the usual lies, longing, and misunderstandings. There are also lots of sexy moments and romantic interludes, too.

Tate is a fun character; I liked the divide between young Tate and Sam and then cutting to them fourteen years later. Honestly, older Tate is a little clueless at times. It takes her a while to catch on to things that seem pretty obvious to the rest of us. As usual, some things are rather predictable and other moments are a bit overblown, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book. While Sam and Tate might not have had a constant humorous dialogue going, I liked the seriousness that the book brought to their relationship, as well as the funny moments it dropped in too. Tate's family, friends, and co-stars add a lighthearted touch, too.

Overall, this is a sweet, engaging romance. I loved the Hollywood aspect and the changing dynamic between Tate and Sam. 4 stars.

Christina Lauren is always a must read for me so I jumped at the chance to read their newest book, Twice in a Blue Moon. ⁣
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Did you know this was a writing duo? Yep! Blew my mind too! How hard that must be to co-write a novel but this team pulls it together so seamlessly. ⁣
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This was a lighter romance with characters who may be getting a second chance at love. Sometimes you just need a feel good storyline and after a slew of serial killer novels this was just what I needed! At times a little too predictable and obvious, this was not my favorite book of theirs. However, it was an enjoyable read with likable characters and an interesting plot. I found this to be a light, fresh, fun read to shake up my reading life! 3.5/5 stars. Thank you @gallerybooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Lauren is one of those #bookstagrammademedoit author finds and have recently read all of their standalones. I'm a huge fan and my favorites are The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words. I was sooo excited for Twice in a Blue Moon, but very sad to say, it just wasn't for me. I didn't love the overall story, character development, and it felt like this could be improved by alternating timelines or a second POV. I did love that most of this book was set on a movie set and that felt very unique to have this background and really loved the first section of the story. It fell a little flat for me after that point. But, I'm still a ride or die CLo fan and super excited for The Honey Don't List next year.

Twice in a Blue Moon is a novel that I was generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I always expect that I’m going to like Christina Lauren’s books more than I do. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this one, because did. I just didn’t love it.
I really enjoyed the first half of Tate’s story when she was young. I felt like this was a good way for the reader to get to know her. I liked that we saw her younger and then flashing forward to her present. I think we got to know less about Tate in the second half, aside from her issues with her father.
I also really liked Sam. But he felt kind of generic. I feel this way about most of the characters. They have like one or two personal details, unless they’re Tate or her family.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was quick and fun to read, but didn’t blow me away.
Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

"Twice in a Blue Moon" is following all of Christina Lauren's other books to my favorites shelf.
Interesting and unique love story that only they can do.

Everything about this book filled me with absolute joy and giddiness. I love, well, love. Especially second chance love. This is 100% a book I'd recommend to people who want a story that will tear their heart out, rip it to shreds, and then put it back together with a bow on it. Magical and real. I will be re-reading this one many times over.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

This book read like a motion picture screenplay, as many of Christina Lauren's stories do, but this one happened to be about a movie as well, how perfect is that?!?! I really enjoyed this unique second chance story. The back story was heartbreaking and the complexity of their reunion was perfectly layered with emotion and drama. Another fantastic CL novel!

When I started this novel I knew that there was a high chance I was going to have to clear out my day because many of the Christina Lauren novels have been books I can't put down once I start.

And this was no exception.

I pretty much read it from beginning to end in one spot in one day. Their ability to bring characters to life and have the reader empathize and root for them and cheer them on in unparalleled. Their books always seem to have the sweet romance that has strong chemistry between the characters. This book's first section has the characters at a considerably younger age than other books I've read by them (18 & 21) which I think sets the tone a bit for the novel. Even after almost 20 years, the characters still don't develop the more typical slightly snarky tone some of their novels have.

Which, for some, might have been a loss, but for me felt just right.

I loved the extra texture in the novel around trust, family, support, vulnerability. I also loved Luther and Roberta's story and how that layered here with small glimpses into some of the racism of the time. It did not at all address the issues around racism or feminist thinking or even really the drug/sex issues in the movie industry from the past. There are a bunch of mentions but no real depth in any of them.

At its core these novels are always about the romance, the redemption, the forgiveness and self-journey and this one was no different. I knew what to expect and it didn't disappoint. If you're a fan, I think you will enjoy this one.

⁣⁣Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"I wanted to possess him and be possessed by him in a way that made me feel nearly wild"

Isn't that the truth? When you fall in love nothing else matters and it's just you and that person that consumes you forever.

There is just something that I crave about Christina Lauren novels and I always always love their novels. I don't think I've been disappointed once in the 4 books that I've read by them. From flirting to crazy love is what romance fans will crave in this one!

I have been seeing a lot of mediocre reviews for this one... which I do have to say the comical/quirkiness/sassy tone is missing from this one BUT this second chance romance story was oh so perfect in so many ways. Such an easy cast that will steal your heart multiple times!

It's a refreshing outlook on the heartaches of love, romance, and second chances with a mix of Hollywood lifestyle.

I devoured this book in a little over a day and cannot wait to read the next novel by this lovely duo!! <3

4.5 stars!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Gallery Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Published to GR: 9/23/19
Publication date: 10/22/19

I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book! I have read a couple other Christina Lauren books and had mixed feelings about them, romance just isn't my genre usually. But when I read the description of this one it really resonated with me so was eager to read it. I love the idea that timing is everything in a relationship, and I think everyone has that person who got away because the timing just wasn't right. This book gives the reader the idea that they could have a second chance at that relationship. This book gave me all the feels and lived up to my expectation, and felt more realistic than some of their other books.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Tate and Sam meet in London when they were on vacation with their respective grandparent--Tate with her grandmother and Sam with his grandfather. The attraction was immediate, and they fall hard and fast. So much so, that Tate tells Sam a little secret--she is the daughter of one of the most famous movie actors alive. Little does she know, when they return back home, her life is turned upside down.

Fast forward fourteen years, Tate is also a successful actress in her own right. She is cast in a movie in which she is the lead and her father has a supporting role. She is excited until she runs into Sam on the set, and finds out that he wrote the screenplay for the film.

This is my first book by the author duo, but I know it will not be my last.

The interaction between Tate and Sam was wonderful. But is there forgiveness for what happened on London? Well, you'll just have to read it to find out.

Likeable story and cast. I did wish that there was more development between the main characters because it felt rushed. Will be purchasing for the collection.

Christina Lauren is a writing team that is inventive and delivers a different plot in each novel with surprising consistency. Twice in a Blue Moon began with a long prologue, which almost turned me off, but it was needed to cement the twists and turns in the character's own feelings. The pace is quick after the prologue and develops depth in the characters and plot. If contempory romance is your thing, this book (and these authors) are a must read. If this is your first Christina Lauren novel, your Winter Reading List just became longer. Lucky You!

I was so excited to receive this book as I loved The Unhoneymooners which I thought though predictable was laugh out loud and just plain fun. I couldn't wait to get back to reading it. This book was the polar opposite save it too was predictable.

Some groan at the prose moments. ["I wanted to possess him and be possessed by him in a way that made me feel nearly wild." "My hands come to the front of his shirt... and I want to tear it off, dig my hands into the skin underneath and pull his heart free."] STOP. PLEASE!!

Everything was telegraphed. And seemingly contrived. A page turner only because I felt committed to finishing the book and wanted to do it as quickly as possible.

Did I even like any of the characters? I think not. Well, maybe Luther who had a very minor role and Nana. Tate and Sam--the main characters--not so much.

Additionally, I found the movie set dialog [no real spoiler alert] between Richard and Ellen a disconnect/distraction/abrupt. I'm in the distinct minority here, but this book just did nothing for me.

A struggle to finish. 1.5. This is my first 1* review. I was tempted to round up, but upon review, my 2* were far superior, so...