<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.

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.

𝓦𝓱𝓸 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼𝓷’𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮? ⁣
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I know I do and this book made me FEEL! It took me back in time to young love and made me remember that all-consuming passionate feeling of when you first find your soul mate. How no matter how much time you spend together it is never enough because all you want to do is learn all there is about one another. 💏⁣
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“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅.”⁣
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The story of Tate and Sam will pull at your heart strings. A second chance romance with some Hollywood drama thrown in. In addition, throughout this story we learn what true unconditional love is and what it isn’t. ❤️⁣
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Unconditional love sometimes comes from people who place themselves in your life because they want to be there, not because their blood or DNA says they have to be. Tate learns through her journey what real unconditional love is and what it’s not... and what she learns will change her life forever because it only comes about Twice in a Blue Moon. ✨🌙 ⁣
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This book released yesterday so fun out and buy your copy now! You will want to devour this @christinalauren book!

I have read so many of Christina Lauren's books that they are now an auto-buy whenever they have a new release. Unfortunately, this one didn't grab me the way previous books have. I will most likely revisit it at a later time, because I'm a total mood reader! This is a large gap second chance romance where you get that young love and devastation, and then get to dive into the aftermath as they meet again as adults. I think secnd change reader's will love it!

3.5 - 4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance that falls more on the emotional end of the spectrum.

When 18 year old Tate and 21 year old Sam meet by chance on vacation in London they fall fast and hard. With their grandparents they spend nearly two weeks together and become inseparable. Tate tells Sam her deepest darkest secret, that she's the child of famous actor Ian Butler. When Sam disappears and the press swarm their hotel, her secret is out and she knows she's been betrayed by the only boy she's ever let in. Years later, as a famous actress, Tate is going to star in a film with her father. Despite what they want the media to think, they're not close, and before the press found her, he wasn't in her life. Filming is going to be tense, and that is before she realizes that Sam wrote the screen play for the movie she's starring in. How can she put on the performance of her life, while he's watching her every move?

I meant to read Love and Other Words before I got to this one, but I ran out of time. I didn't quite know what to expect from a more emotional Christina Lauren book. One thing I love about their writing is the comedy. I found myself enamored with young Tate and Sam, and their whirlwind romance in London. I didn't want the betrayal to happen, even though I knew that it would. I also liked Tate and Sam in the present. I thought that their conflict and romance was very slow burn, which I liked, but there wasn't as much tension as I expected. I'm not overly into plots about famous people, so while I liked the parts where they were filming the movie, all of the PR and high profile stuff wasn't my favorite. I thought that Sam was really swoony, and that his movie sounded incredible. I liked the ending, but felt like it could have possibly used an epilogue. Overall I enjoyed this one, but I was hoping for a bit more tension, romance, and drama. All that being said, it took me about a day to read, so it is definitely captivating, just not my favorite CL book to date.

They are the best at romance books. Another one that I would recommend to people who don't even LIKE romance.

A young woman’s heart is broken after she reveals a secret. Years later, she comes face to face with the same man who betrayed her, and she must decide whether she’ll give him another chance. Author duo team Christina Lauren tackles the complications of first love coming back around in the dragged-out novel Twice in a Blue Moon.

At 18, Tate Jones can’t believe she’s in London. It’s a long ways away from Guerneville, California, the small town where she lives with her mother and Nana. In the U.K., Tate’s getting a taste of what life will be like when she goes to college. Well, if Nana goes with her when she leaves for school. But Tate won’t let her grandmother dispel the magic of visiting a new place. She’ll follow the schedule Nana set up and drink in every minute of the two weeks they’ve planned to spend on their vacation.

The magic becomes electric when Tate meets Sam Brandis and his grandpa, Luther. Sam is 21 and already in college; he’s handsome and funny and kind, and there’s no doubt he feels a connection to Tate too. Within days, the two become inseparable.

Tate finds herself falling hard and fast in love with Sam, and he tells her the same thing. He feels something for her that he hasn’t felt for anyone else. Tate gives Sam her heart, her love, and her deepest secret: her last name isn’t Jones, it’s Butler. She’s the daughter of the famous Hollywood actor, Ian Butler. When she was eight years old, her mother moved Tate from L.A. to Guerneville to get away from the PR machine. She and Tate changed their last names and went underground.

Tate has never shared the truth about her identity with anyone. People in Guerneville think she’s just plain old Tate Jones, and the media have no idea where Tate Butler lives. That information would be golden to anyone, and it becomes especially true for Sam who leaks it.

Years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress herself, walks onto the set of a film that everyone says could be the turning point of her career. Tate’s excited about the prospect, as much for the challenge the role provides as for the fact that it’s the first time she’ll be working on a movie with her father. Maybe, she thinks, the surface-level relationship she and Ian have had all these years will sink deeper and become more than just a publicity stunt.

Then she discovers that that the scriptwriter is Sam, and the clock rolls back 14 years. As Tate grapples with her feelings and the movie role, she’ll have to face the reality of how he betrayed her and whether she can forgive it. Either way, Tate knows one thing for sure: she won’t be forgetting Sam any time soon.

Author team Christina Lauren build a believable story of first love during the time Tate and Sam spend in London. Readers who have had their hearts broken by someone will find themselves reminiscing about their own experiences. Tate’s wide-eyed acceptance of Sam and her indecision about whether to trust him ring true to life.

The problem comes after the London portion of the book, which takes up more than a third of the novel. The years that pass between Sam’s betrayal and when he and Tate meet again get tossed to the wind. Tate goes from an innocent 18-year-old to an actress in her mid-thirties adept at handling the paparazzi and the ancillary inconveniences of celebrity life. Readers don’t get the benefit of watching her struggle in her craft as an actor or through the subsequent relationships after Sam.

As a result, Tate’s success doesn’t feel earned; neither does Sam’s return nor his reason for exposing her true identity to the media. Both get mentioned in passing as if readers don’t need to bother with those facts. The events in the present day feel overtly orchestrated. Tate at 18 and Sam at 21 feel more genuine, more relatable, more real than their grownup selves.

Because the book is in the romance genre, readers will already know before they open the cover what the ending will be. The point of romance novels is how the characters get to that “happily ever after.” In this case, Tate and Sam seem to be treading water and not really fighting any great storm back to one another.

I recommend readers Bypass Twice in a Blue Moon.