Wendy'sThoughts's Reviews > Twice in a Blue Moon
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Twice in a Blue Moon
by Christina Lauren (Goodreads Author)

17755575
Wendy'sThoughts's review
Jun 02, 2019 · edit

it was amazing
Recommended for: Christina Lauren Fans, Romance

5 Stay Up All Night Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
There are certain authors you change your day to day existence for...Every devoted reader knows from where I speak. When one of those precious authors drops a book, you will put everything aside, clear all the commitments, and figure out a way to be one with the book. Christina Lauren, this infamous writing duo under one name, is one of those authors for me.

The timing was perfect, I was recovering from a nasty cold and had no real obligations. I started Twice in a Blue Moon with only the blurb and proceeded to go without sleep. When I saw the 4 o'clock hour turn into 5 A.M. I had to take a little break. Upon awakening, doing what was necessary, I was back at it again until I finished. I would do it all over again...

This Book...

New Discovery...
First Love...
Lost Love...
Pain From Love and Betrayal...

Confrontations...
Reconnecting...
Doubting...
Knowing...
And Loving Again...

This Book...These Authors...Just a Wonder and Delight...

This book will be the subject of many many reviews and will more than likely be on favorites of 2019. This is not hype or agenda driven. This is told to you by a reader who feels what these writers puts down on paper. Take the time, clear your day and enjoy this ride.


A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

Since joining NetGalley a few months ago, I have requested 3 Christina Lauren books and finally approved for Twice in a Blue Moon, due October 22. Their publisher may never approve me again, because I did not like this book.

Tate Jones, secret daughter of a famous actor, goes to London with her grandmother as a high school graduation present. While there she meets 21 year old Sam Brandis, who is travelling with his grandfather, for some reason. Tate and Sam fall in love, have sex, and then Sam sells her story to a newspaper. Fourteen years later, Tate has become an actress and is about to star in a movie with her father. On set, she discovers that the screenwriter is her first love and betrayer, Sam Brandis. 

Initially, I was leery of the whole premise, but the first part of the book with Tate and Sam falling in love in London, was engaging and I became invested in the young lovers. It fell apart in the second part of the book when Tate and Sam are thrown together again.

The biggest problem I had, and I had a few problems, was with Sam. Other than being a tortured cypher, his character growth completely stopped. All I could think as Tate became involved with him again was, why? Less than two weeks in London 14 years earlier doesn't seem like enough of a basis for an adult relationship. Tate barely talks to Sam, except to occasionally yell at him, so why is he so irresistible? Is being tall and her first lover good enough? We get to live inside Tate's head and she is charming. Sam is just there, on the periphery, and then suddenly they are in love again. I was utterly perplexed why Tate ends up with Sam.


It strains all credulity that a new screenwriter with no significant connections in Hollywood would have any say over casting. It seems improbable that Tate wouldn't have met with Sam as the screenwriter, especially a screenwriter with final casting approval, before arriving at the shooting location. Not enough time is spent of the relationship for me to feel like Tate and Sam get a Happily Ever After. This doesn't feel like a romance, at least not a well thought out romance.

I want to start by saying I love every single one of Christina Lauren’s past books. This was was so different from their norm. Not the usual witty banter or humor was present. It was an interesting love story and the writing was great, but this fell a little flat for me. Thank you to netgalley for the Arc.

I borderline hated this book. I love Christina Lauren so much but this book didn’t even sound like them. The writing was so choppy and weird and awful. Can not recommend this one, but I definitely recommend Love and Other Words by them. Now THAT is a gem of a book.

I've only ever read one Christina Lauren book, The Unhoneymooners. And I freakin' loved it. This book.... was not that. For starters, this is not a rom-com. It's a straight-up romance, and a pretty melodramatic one at that. There is none of the wit, or the the laugh out loud moments that I was so hoping for. Beyond that, I just didn't really buy any part of this? I enjoyed the first 1/3; the London setting it great, the characters felt really fleshed out, and the whirlwind romance definitely worked. The second part, though... there was a lot of potential but the characters felt flat, the plot was barely existent, the whole betrayal thing was some major bull, and it lost all the charm it had built in those first few pages. I just didn't really care for or like any of the characters in the second part, the romance was WAY too intense for no good reason, and the ending felt super abrupt and unearned. There are definitely people who will love this one, but it just sadly wasn't for me.

Tate and Sam are a match made in heaven! Christina Lauren does it again with Twice in a Blue Moon! I read this book in one sitting, I kept wanting more, and still do! All the different story lines going on and they tie them together wonderfully!

Beautifully written romance I couldn't put down - I kept sneaking in a few pages all through the day until i was done. Lauren writes so well - she is way beyond the average romance writer in every way, managing to really get into her characters and develop friendships and relationships between more than just the two main characters. So if you're looking for a book that isn't the usual boring template for what works, this is one you'll enjoy.

Wow. Another hit from the writing duo Christina Lauren. I read this in two sittings because I simply couldn't put it down. The vivid story telling, the highs the lows, I was glued to these pages. My heart was heavy, my heart was happy, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Add this to your Fall must read list!

This book gets a rare 5 stars from me. A book must have something that I connect to personally, pulls at my emotions, or I take something away that leaves me thinking.

I’m a big fan of Christina Lauren and have been an avid follower of their works. This book is no exception. Sam and Tate meet when they’re teenagers, when love comes quick, defined by passion, and often left with the questions of “what if”. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the identity of Tate, a well know actors daughter, gets leaked to the press and nothing is quite the same. Fast forward 14 years later and the two meet again. Their love story is reignited. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is a quick read and you get the satisfaction of a happy ending. However, it did wrap up pretty quickly for me and I would have like a bit more with this story, maybe an epilogue? Those who are fans of their work won’t be disappointed.

This was a cute contemporary romance from the dynamic duo of Christina Lauren. The plot structure for this novel was different than in previous novels; the book started in the past and then halfway through fast forwarded to the present. The book was enjoyable but predictable. I'm not sure why but the characters were less relatable to me than they typically are in the authors' books. By far my favorite part was the sub-story of Sam's grandparents- I found myself wishing this was the primary story line. This was still an fun light-hearted read, just not as high on my list as some of their previous novels.

Trigger warnings: conversational coarse language, several fairly steamy love scenes, racism

Christina Lauren has done it again with Twice in a Blue Moon! If you’re familiar with my reading tastes, you’re aware that CL is one of my favorite authors, and they did not disappoint. While Twice in a Blue Moon isn’t my favorite book of theirs - I don’t want to fall into the trappings of comparison, but couldn’t help but think their novel Love and Other Words was a better second-chance romance - it was a solid romance. While I think I would have liked to see this told in alternating chapters of the two timelines, Tate and Sam’a story was angsts, endearing, at times heart breaking, and ultimately moving. We’ve got a great set of characters here who all stand out ( Marco, Trey, Charlie, Ian Butler, Tates mother (Emma) and her grandmother (Jude) and Nick) that support and flesh out the narrative. Ultimately, I did not have any problems with the plot, characters, or writing style, but rather with the structure of the novel.

How do these ladies do it!? Two novels in one year? They must never sleep. Twice in Blue Moon was a wonderful read and loved it! Nothing like a good second change romance story placed in Hollywood, two things I enjoy so much. We get great detail upfront about the relationship the first time and it makes the second half so satisfying.

You will enjoy this one!

I love everything Cristina Lauren writes and this was no exception! Although it was more serious than some of their other novels, I was quite invested in the characters and their lives. I think the only thing I would have enjoyed would have been the addition of an epilogue. I feel we were given so much truth and details of these individual characters, ot would have been cool to have it rounded out as a whole with after thoughts.
I loved Sam and Charlie. I enjoyed love spanning over years, commitments, families and sacrifices. Acting careers and privacy were very prevalent issues and I enjoyed the inside scoop on them! Broken hearts, forgiveness and true feel with your soul love brought me to the heart of this novel and I adored it!!

The range of what these two can write about and make me love, somehow still surprises me every time I open up one of their new books. Their more erotic stuff (Wild Seasons and Beautiful series), their romantic comedies (Josh and Hazel, Half-Night Stand, etc.), and their more…poignant (?) novels (Love and Other Words and now this one) have all stuck out to me as being some of my favorite romances of all time for different reasons. While there were a few parts of this one that didn’t make me feel a 100% full-on, typical Arielle obsession, there is no doubt that I felt these words deep in my bones. There are (as always) quite a few quotes that I highlighted the crap out of because I know even just reading those few specific lines over again will have my heart racing.

I’ll been that there will be some people that will say that the romance between Sam and Tate during their brief time in London at the beginning of the book wasn’t believable and I will strongly disagree. I am and always have and will be a die-hard romantic. I’d like to think that I do, in fact, believe in a variation of love at first sight. I think that it’s entirely possible to meet someone for the very first time and have a ~sense~ about them that tells you that they are special. It can be a bone deep connection that you can’t shake..a feeling that your entire life as you know it has changed by this chance meeting. That’s how I feel about how Tate and Sam met. They saw each other, spent time together, talking, and they indeed felt that pull to one another that only happens between certain people. I personally loved that first part and it reminded me a lot of Gayle Foreman’s Just One Day duology.

The story ten fast forwards to about 15 years after their week in London. After the press is alerted to who Tate really is, in a whirlwind of events she is now an actress, just as famous as her father. The two are starring in their very first movie together and they are filming on a beautiful farm in northern California. In an….interesting….turn of events, the screen writer for this film that Tate has grown to love so dearly is, yeah you guessed it, Sam. They have not seen nor heard from one another in FIFTEEN YEARS so it’s a pretty big shock to Tate to say the least. Obviously the rest of the book is about the two of them trying to wade through the ocean of feelings and hurt that lay between them.

The one thing I didn’t like about this book, kind of spoiler alert, was that they didn’t get back together until very near the end of the book. I mean….in real life it’s obviously super realistic for them to have taken a long amount of time to heal their respective wounds before they could reconnect but damn…I selfishly just wanted more time with them actually together as an actual couple lol. It just slightly dimmed the story and knocked off a star for me but that still doesn’t mean I didn’t like the book. I mean when they got back together that first time the writing gave me goosebumps and took my breath away. It was incredible.

So yes, overall, I would definitely recommend this one. As always. Just know it’s not like the last few light-hearted ones they have written!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion! ♥

This was a cute "second chance" romance. There's some cute humor and snappy dialogue that is trademark of Lauren's romances., but I struggled connecting to Tate and Sam's story. Overall, a cute read, but I wanted more character development.

Christina Lauren May be my favorite romance authors. All of their stories make me care deeply about their characters and the events going on, but this one is special.

I didn’t realize how much I liked the “second chance romance” trope until this story. Watching Tate and Sam fall in love as teenagers was wonderful. I’m glad this look back lasted more than just a chapter or two, because it felt less like a setup to the current storyline and more like an individual story itself. Seeing how (and why) they meet later in the future is made even stronger and more powerful because of this extended backstory.

All of the characters felt so real. Although the minor characters didn’t get a lot of development, I still felt like I knew each of them. There was enough detail for the characters to feel like real, relatable people.

I wish I could bottle the feelings I experience when I'm reading a book by Christina Lauren. First there's anticipation, as I've now read eight of their books, and I just love the way they tell a story. Then there's excitement, as the main characters encounter one another and begin the awkward dance of attraction and emotion, tinged with the reluctance of acknowledging their feelings.

Excitement gives way to complete emotional immersion, and I find myself rooting for the characters to find their happily ever after. Then, of course, there's satisfaction, which quickly gives way to sadness...because I realize I'll have to wait at least six months for their next book! (Boy, am I fortunate they've been giving us two books a year lately!)

Their newest book, Twice in a Blue Moon, has now become my favorite. There's a love story, of course, but it's coupled with complicated family issues and the added appeal of the entertainment world. It's ironic, too, that a book which in part takes place on a movie set is one of the books I'd most love to see adapted for the big or small screen!

Tate Jones and her grandmother are on a trip to London to celebrate Tate's 18th birthday and her impending departure for college. Apart from the early days of her childhood, Tate has lived with her mother and grandmother in a small Northern California town, where everyone knows everyone and tourists are plentiful in season. She's always longed for more, but since she bears a secret that the world would die to know—she's the long-lost daughter of a famous film actor—she has always had to live life quietly.

While Tate enjoys everything about London, early on in her trip she meets Sam Brandis, a handsome college student on a similar vacation with his grandfather, who raised him. Tate and Sam are drawn to each other immediately, and over the course of a few late nights spent talking (and more), they fall in love with each other. Tate gives Sam her heart, and at the same time, shares the secret of who her father is, and all of the facts and feelings she's kept hidden deep inside. Within a day or two, her truths are exposed for the world to see, and she never sees Sam again.

Fourteen years later, Tate has made a name for herself as an actress. She's been lucky professionally, but romantically, not so much. She is set to make a movie with her father for the very first time, a movie she believes might change the course of her career, and perhaps the dynamics of her relationship with her father. And when she steps on to the set, one of the first people she sees is the one who betrayed her trust all those years ago, leaving her life and heart in turmoil.

Twice in a Blue Moon is a story of whether love can withstand anything thrown in its path, and whether a second chance is really ever possible. It's a story of the complicated relationship between fathers and daughters, particularly when both are in a business where image is everything, as well as a story of the sacrifices parents are willing to make for their children. The book also explores the idea of whether there's really one true love out there for everyone, or whether you can find it in yourself to move on.

Christina Lauren's books are always full of humor, emotion, steamy sex, chemistry, and an immense amount of heart, and Twice in a Blue Moon is no exception. Most importantly, though, the way they tell a story (Christina Lauren is the pen name for the collaboration of two writers who are best friends) is so compelling that I can never seem to tear myself away, even though I know I might be left without one of their books for a while.

I can't recommend this or any of their other books enough. Love and Other Words was my favorite until now, mainly because, like this book, I tend to like love stories that have some emotional history to them. But every single one of their books that I've read have left me in awe of their talent and left me a little teary-eyed at the end.

NetGalley and Gallery Books provided me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

This book will be published October 22, 2019.

I love the 2nd change at love angle. I loved the Hollywood aspect. I loved Sam's family story. This was just an all around great book.

I don’t read second chance romances often enough to be an expert, but Tate and Sam’s story was touching, moving and beautiful. They needed a second chance. It was like neither was able to move on without the other. Both of them already found THE ONE, now it was just a case of letting the past be the past and moving on! The circumstances might have been unfortunate but the endgame was already written in the stars.

I love Hollywood inspired novels. It’s like getting a glimpse of how it’s done in Hollywood. Moreover I enjoyed all the movie related details about the set, the crew, the process.

Although part of the story was mostly about Tate’s journey, it didn’t take away from the overall beautifully crafted love story between the two star-crossed lovers. Instead it allowed for a more deeply insight into Tate’s life after the tumultuous event in London. The past and present collided in a very emotional, and heart tugging way. And I had a hard time putting the book down, which made going to work really inconvenient.

With each CL book, it has become more clear, that their standalone novels are some of my favorites of all in this industry. I’m always looking forward to the next, excited to see what it will be about, because each one is unique, distinctive and compelling in its own way. Twice in a Blue Moon was no exception.

The one thing I always lament about is the missing epilogue. The ending comes way too soon, I’m always unprepared and need just a little more time to say goodbye to my favorite characters.

A heartwarming love story that will have you feeling so many emotions! Love isn’t an easy road, throw in life decisions that force you to choose between the family that loves you and the love you’ve just met and you’re bound to make a decision that will cause an earth shattering domino effect!

Sam and Tate have had their fair share of disappointment and for a short time they both found friendship, and love in their short time together but the choice of one shattered all they thought they had! Years later fate thought it’d be funny and they find themselves trying to figure out what it all means! When the past repeats itself it’s up to Tate to decide if love is worth the fall!