Tate Jones and Sam Brandis have a whirlwind, first-love relationship when they meet by chance while on vacation in London. But after a heavenly two weeks, Sam breaks her heart in the most devastating way. She is distraught—but eventually moves on with her life.

The story then picks up 14 years later. Tate is now a famous actress about to star in her biggest movie role yet. But when she arrives on set, she is introduced to the film’s writer who she is shocked to discover is…Sam.

Sam and Tate must then navigate this incredibly awkward situation and the plethora of unresolved feelings that it brings to the surface.

I am very picky about romance stories, but I really enjoyed this one. It’s smart, surprising, fun, and very hard to put down. Fans of Christina Lauren will absolutely adore it. It was, by far, my favorite Christina Lauren book yet!

Have you ever trusted someone with a secret of yours and then they betrayed you? What if that person was your first love?🌜

Tate Jones should be excited that she is in London. She is finally out of the small town of Guerneville were she lives with her mom and Nana Jude. But Tate is afraid Nana will just be hovering over her as usual in London. She’s eighteen and she’s rarely allowed out alone.

Nana and Tate meet fellow Americans, Luther Hill and his grandson Sam Brandis. The four start meeting for breakfast daily, but Sam and Tate begin to sneak away to be alone.

As Tate spends time with Sam, she wants so badly to be herself with him - her true self. She has had to hide her identity for almost ten years. Sam is so sweet and genuine that Tate pours out her story to him. She is the daughter of the world-famous movie star, Ian Butler. She and her mother have been hiding out since her father’s scandal. Just as Tate and Sam declare their love for one another, the paparazzi find Tate and the flood gates open. A story breaks and Tate is now the headline on every paper. Sam is nowhere to be found. Tate has to make a decision: does she want to continue living in the shadows or is it time to bask in fame’s glow?

Fourteen years later, and Tate is now a successful actress. She is about to do a new film with her famous dad. The relationship is still strained, but they make it look good for their careers. On set for filming, Tate is prepared for tension with her father, but she never could have imagined confronting the man who betrayed her. The writer of the film is Sam, her first love, the man she revealed everything to and then he exposed her. Tate will have to decide if she should trust him a second time. 🌚

This is a very clever book, and I love that you get to experience a dual love story throughout it.

Thank you to @Netgalley, @gallerybooks and @Christinalauren for this arc for review.

3-3.5 STARS!
I love Christina Lauren book... always have... always will. They are amazing storytellers, have written characters that I have loved completely and truly write unforgettable books.
While I enjoyed Twice in a Blue Moon—how the characters met in London, their instant chemistry and connection, I was left wanting more.
Sam hurts Tate in a way that alters her life completely... maybe for the better as she has always wanted to be an actress, following in the footsteps of her absent dad. When they reconnect 14 years later on the set of a new movie that Sam wrote, while I was hurt by how everything went down in London, I just kept waiting for that MORE.
I loved the close friendships, I loved her mom and Nana, Roberta and Luther's story, I even loved Sam and Tate as individuals but I wanted more time with them together than apart... I wanted more chemistry and touches in their adulthood than remembering them 14 years prior, I wanted to kick the father in the you know where for his shadiness and selfishness and not being able to age with grace... UGH!
Maybe if we got an epilogue to see how they turned out together would have satisfied me... I was just left wanting more of them.
Will I continue to read Christina Lauren? Of course! I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!

This book wasn't what I expected but I loved every moment of it. This book starts in the past so the reader can see what happened between Sam and Tate before we get to the now. This book held me captivated. I felt the connection between Sam and Tate and I wanted their whirlwind romance to last. And I felt Tate's heartbreak. But, she did what she could to make the best of the circumstances. She finally got the role of a lifetime and is completely blindsided by Sam. Tate hasn't had an easy life and the mess she was left with was a struggle. But she was a strong woman and had a great support group around her. There were times I felt myself holding my breath waiting to see what was going to happen. But answers were what was most needed/helpful. This book was full of all the feels and was such a joy to read. I can't recommend this book enough!

This book was such an emotional read for me. I knew it was a second chance romance, and wondered how it was going to come about, but I should know that the duo of a Christina Lauren would have a great story! Many times second chance romances seems formulaic to me, but this one was not. Sam and Tate met as teenagers and fell in love. Tate was the daughter of a famous actor but had not been seen by the public in many years. Tate was betrayed by Sam,and when they meet again many years later, Tate is an actress and Sam is a screenwriter. There was definitely a “Hollywood” vibe about this book, but I am so glad that is was only the backdrop to this story and we could concentrate on the relationship between Tate and her father, and Tate and Sam. As always, and enjoyable read.

A fantastic new book from this amazing duo! I absolutely loved this one. In trademark fashion there is a bit of humor woven into an incredible love story. I loved Sam and Tate and seeing them get a second chance. Their story was unique and definitely an unforgettable one. Five stars and hats off to this amazing writing duo for another addictive novel!

Tate and Sam were traveling when they were younger in Europe with their families. They both meet and a connection sparks. After a betrayal that leaves Tate upset and after 14 years go past fate brings them face to face. Tate is an upcoming actress who is on the set of her big break when she finds out Sam will be working with her will she be able to stay? After confronting Sam with Tate be able to continue? Why does her feelings still spark when she sees him?
Can they make this project a hit?
This story seemed disconnected a bit for me. It did not seem like a typical story from Christina Lauren. I did enjoy it to a point it just did not excite me . I felt even a disconnect between the characters. I do enjoy reading books from this author but unfortunately this particular book was not for me

At the age of 18, Tate meets the boy of her dreams during a London vacation. They fall in love and she confides her secret life story to him, only for that secret to be told to the world.
14 years later, having been thrust into the limelight, Tate has become a very successful actress. She is starring in a new movie alongside her mega star of a father and the boy who stole her heart and her innocence just happens to be an integral part of this new film.
This was no cookie cutter romance novel. It was raw and messy and painful. Tate is tough and strong but still so vulnerable and full of insecurity. Sam, was in a sense, too perfect and that bit her in the ass, but you fall in love with him all the same. I very much enjoyed the movie making process that was described in the book. The reader is taken along during scene shoots and introduced to other actors and set crew. It really was a lot of fun to read!

Tate Jones and Sam Brandis meet and fall in love while on a two week vacation in London. He was her first lover and confidant and ultimately broke her heart. 14 years later Tate is an actress who shows up for a role of a lifetime and finds out the screenwriter is none other than Sam. This reconnection brings up all of her past hurts. Will they take advantage of this second chance?

OK, boy, this story was so much more than the brief synopsis above. Another huge plot point is the fact that Tate’s father is this huge actor and is cast in a supporting role in the movie. Tate has always wanted to have a better relationship with her father and her journey towards the discovery of who they both are is at times heartbreaking and is such a great sub plot to this novel! I really feel that without that additional conflict the story would have fallen a little flat. I’m always a sucker for daddy issues and boy, this daddy has issues!

I loved Sam right from the start and was just as heartbroken as Tate when their relationship couldn’t get past their first big conflict. However, it was Tate and her family/friends that held this story together. Her Nana and mom were awesome and her best friend Charlie was funny and ferocious.

I recently read Christina Lauren’s Unhoneymooners and that novel was hilarious and fun. This novel had more heart and depth. There was some humor from the cast of characters but there was a lot of emotional turmoil in Tate’s heart and it was that emotion that drew me in. I feel like this novel was different than their other books because of how adult the topics and the maturity of the characters. If you look for those heart tugging moments in the books you read then you need to pick this one up! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Twice in a Blue Moon is amazing. Christina Lauren take you through finding love young to the angst that follows and finally second chances. I loved this one so much. I really couldn't put it down. As you learn what happened that caused the pain Sam and Tate go through. From the very start you feel the pull and the love between Tate and Sam. You watch Tate grow and follow her dreams. I love how Tate and Sam get a second chance together. This one stole my heart from the start.

Christina Lauren can always be counted on to deliver great characters and an entertaining story. I enjoyed this very much.

A magnificent emotional roller coaster to ride. Sam is Tate’s first love and when he betrays her she is devastated. When they meet fourteen years later, she realizes that all she has believed is a facade. The story explores love in two different generations and ways. Sam loved the grandparents that raised him and they would do anything for each other. Tate is from a broken home and has to deal with a narcissistic father. The life they have led makes them do things differently in their lives. The characters are wonderful and add multiple layers to the story. Getting a chance to right a wrong and love again has never been told more beautifully.

Not the typical rom-com we have all come to expect and love from this duo author team but it is a contemporary second chance romance with some angst thrown in with all the witty banter from the secondary characters that kept me turning the pages way too late at night. Tate has just turned 18 and on a vacation in London with her Nana for two weeks before off to college when on their first night they met another duo from the states, a handsome young man and his grandfather. A whirlwind romance and Tate and Sam share secrets and, yep, firsts, and just when things are getting good the paparazzi shows up and soon her secrets are out and everyone knows she is the daughter of a movie star who has been in hiding for years. Fast forward 14 years and we find out Tate has settled into the career she has always wanted, acting, and now is going to star in a feature film with her dad in a supporting role and guess who is the screenwriter...that's right...Sam. Will they be able to get past this? Should they? Oh, the feels in this one. I could not turn the pages fast enough and found myself cursing having to stop and work. I definitely recommend this one!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

This is a hard review to write because I am a HUUUGE Christina Lauren fan. I've read every one of their books and the Beautiful series, the Wild Season series, Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating and The Unhoneymooners are some of my favorite books of all time.

Twice in a Blue Moon was a unique storyline, but was missing the usual CL magic. I felt like both the past and the ending needed more.
More connection, more details, and definitely more chemistry.

The past tells us how Tate and Sam met. It was an insta-love that spanned only two weeks. Tate felt such a connection to Sam that she told him some of her secrets, which came back to either haunt her or help her. You have to be the judge of it.

Fourteen years later, when they meet again, there is, of course, hostility on Tate's part. She not only has to deal with seeing Sam again but deal with her rocky relationship with her Dad, who is also an actor.

I wasn't overly crazy about any of the characters and thought Tate was slow on the uptake. I'm glad I read the book and will still always buy anything they write, but this book won't go on my re-read list.

4.5 stars

This is only the second book I’ve read by these authors. I enjoyed my introduction to them with The Unhoneymooners, but wasn’t all in yet. This story changed things for me. I absolutely adore this book. The flow, the characters, the storyline, the setting…all are spot on.

The angst and awe of young love is beautifully written. Sam is the perfect first love for any young lady. He is patient and kind, but also flirty and fun. Having lived a pretty sheltered life, Tate falls head over heels pretty quickly. Not only is there a great connection between Tate and Sam, there’s also a freedom Tate feels when they’re together. And then things fall apart…

When Sam and Tate meet again 14 years later the chemistry is definitely still there, even stronger. Which makes things hard on Tate since she feels Sam betrayed her all those years ago and wants nothing to do with him. To the extent that she doesn’t even realize some very obvious things about the movie they are making together. She’s so in her head about her dad and Sam that she is very self-centered for a while; believing her feelings and problems have got to be more intense than everyone else around her on this very isolated film shoot.

From the time Tate and Sam had their first private conversation in the garden in London, I was pretty sure I knew how and why things would fall apart between them. Where I found the reasons forgivable and understand the frantic decisions that were made, it doesn’t make them okay. Yet, when the truth comes out all those years later, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy and compassion for Sam. He’s still the same amazing and patient man he was all those years ago when the two first met.

Watching this pair dance around each other was sweet torture. Yet, I wouldn’t have wanted it to play out any other way. They both had some demons to slay about their past before there could be any moving forward.

This story sold me on this writing duo when I was on the fence before. I can’t wait to read more from them.

Twice in a Blue Moon features a second chance romance. Tate and Sam first meet on a trip to London when she is 18 and he is 21. Things go horribly wrong and now 14 years later they meet again. Second chance romances are hard to pull off. The reader needs to be able to understand that whatever happened in the past could be overcome in order for the relationship to work. For me, in this particularly plot, it worked ok, but not perfectly. I think their first go at it in London was already not very realistic, and the second chance was even less so.

The implausibility aside, what I really liked about the story is the setting and the atmosphere: the movie set, the filming and the behind the scenes look into how fake and PR-driven the life of celebrities can be. Tate's dad was particularly hard for me to understand. He just epitomizes everything that is bad about Hollywood and the celebrity culture. Think, an egomaniac obsessed with staying famous despite the pain he causes other people. I also think the authors did a good job keeping the reader in suspense as to which way to story will go, which made it an even quicker read. This was overall an enjoyable book. 3 out 5 stars.

Rating: 4 Caffeinated Stars
Trigger Warnings: Dealing with Racism, Angst

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I requested this book on NetGalley. Christina Lauren is an author I have heard a lot about, yet I have never read one of their books (writing duo). I figured I had nothing to lose, so I jumped right in.

This book has everything that an angst lover will love, you have young love, betrayal, unrequited love, and the entire gambit of emotions throughout this book. I did think that this book started off a bit too slow for me, but once it got to 40% mark, it picked up, and I didn't want to put it down.

The best part of this book was the characters. I loved seeing Tate interacting with everyone. It was fun to watch her grow and become the woman she was in the second half of the book. My favorite interactions were Tate and Charlie. I just loved seeing that friendship on the page. I really just loved Tate's character, and I would like to read more books with her. Sam, on the other hand, fell flat. I never connected with him as a character. I struggled to think of him as a love interest, so I was thoroughly unimpressed with the romance part of this book.

Even though I wasn't feeling the main character's love arc, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the plotline, and I love reading all of the angst. Angst is one of those things that has to be done well, or it becomes too much. Fortunately, this writing duo knows how to write angst. It was believable, and it not over the top. This was an incredibly emotional read that genuinely made you feel for Tate and to a lesser extent Sam.

All in all, this was an excellent angst-filled read that I would recommend to many readers. I just wish that I liked the main love interest more.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review*

Fourteen years ago, 18 year old Tate fell in love with 21 year old Sam while on a trip to London with her grandmother, Jude. Unfortunately, their relationship came to an abrupt ending with Tate left feeling betrayed. What happened, and after they are reunited years later, is it possible to fall for your first love "twice in a blue moon?" And, if Tate does fall in love with Sam, will she regret it once again?

If you're looking for this writing duo's typical flirty and fun romcom, this is not it. Instead, this novel featured a more in depth and serious love story... and I enjoyed it immensely! The beginning was all about Tate and Sam falling in love for the first time, and I'm always a sucker for young love. Throw in a romance rekindled years later, and I was totally a puddle on the ground star gazing alongside this sweet couple. Don't miss this tender, romantic, and refreshing love story from this talented writing duo!

Location: England (London), California (Guerneville and Los Angeles), and Vermont (Eden)

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have a lot of complicated feelings about Twice in a Blue Moon. A couple of them involve spoilers, so I'll stick that at the end. This is a second-chance romance that begins when Sam and Tate meet in London while on vacations with their grandparents. She's with her cafe-owning, over-protective grandmother, and he's with his step-grandfather who turns out to be terminally ill. This last bit is revealed early in the book, so don't be mad at me. Anyway, they're staying at the same hotel and end up eating breakfast together every day. The vacation is two weeks long and Sam and Tate, ages 21 and 18, fall into a whirlwind romance. Vacation is cut short, however, when Sam presumably tells the press that Tate is the long-hidden daughter of a mega-famous movie star, a secret she, her mother and her grandmother have worked to hide for over a decade. Then she doesn't see him again and doesn't have any way of contacting him. Fourteen years later, the two are reunited when she's cast as the lead in a movie adaptation of his novel, Milkweed.

The romance is much stronger in the Before, when the two are learning about each other and falling  in love. After they meet again, there's a lot about the filming, the movie itself, and some angry sex/reconciliation sex. I'm not sure I believed their HEA completely (see spoiler below), but it was still full of the kind of swoony lines I'm accustomed to reading in a Christina Lauren book.

Now on to the complications.

When we're introduced to Sam, we hear about how huge he is--tall, wide, imposing but trying not to be. Then we meet his grandfather, Luther, who is described as Black with salt and pepper hair. It's not for another chapter that we learn that Sam is white and Luther is his step-grandfather. This pattern continues throughout the book. Any PoC are either on page or mentioned for a long time before we hear anything about their ethnicity, or they're immediately marked. None of the White characters are assigned a race except for Sam, when he says something like "Luther is my step-grandfather, but you probably guessed that since I'm a White guy and Luther is Black." This pattern of not-quite-there continues throughout the book. This is really common in books written by White authors so I'm not trying to call out CLo in particular, but it serves to reinforced the White Default and other all PoC. It's not great.


If this was my only concern, my feelings would be less complicated. However, the plot hinges upon the romance between Sam's White grandmother and Luther. They got together in a small town in Vermont in the late 60's, meaning that they experienced a lot of racism. In fact, someone in town burns down their barn in an attempt to run them out of town. While I don't think it's CLo's place to speak about racism from the perspective of their Black characters, it felt really weird that there was this huge spectre of violent racism hanging over Luther's entire life and the book then film. The actor playing Luther in the film is Black and excited to play this emotional, award-nomination-worthy role, but there's only one scene in which he casually mentions how moving it is and that racism still exists. Again, not their place to write Black pain, but I also don't think that this was their story to tell. It felt sanitized and the emotional heft of the book is really more about Sam's betrayal and one later by Tate's (terrible) father who is cast in a supporting role in the film. It's just not quite there for a White author duo to write about two White characters falling in love set against the backdrop of violent racism.


I'll admit, I had a hard time separating myself from much of this narrative since I grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont and one of our barns burned down shortly before I was born. Then another one when I was 12. It's traumatic and neither of those was caused by arson. It's terrifying and my mother still has nightmares. I also lived in Vermont when we were the first state to pass Civil Union legislation for same-sex couples. Someone nearby painted the entire side of their road-facing barn with "Take Back Vermont," a widely used slogan for the homophobic movement that wanted to repeal that law. Prejudice thrives in the hills of Vermont. Why else would we have a population that's 98% White? We never made interracial marriage illegal in the state... because it wasn't an issue. People like to point to us as the exception because "we weren't as racist as all those Other States!" It's simply untrue.


Anyway, it's a second-chance love story and they have an HEA. I'm sticking the spoiler down below the content warnings, so if you want it...





Content Warnings: death of a grandparent, parental abandonment, cheating (not by main characters), cancer (I think), racism


Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.








Spoiler: Sam actually DID sell the story to the press! He finds out that Luther took him to London to say goodbye, because he knows they can't afford treatment for his illness. So Sam sells the story without giving Tate even a warning and uses the money to pay for Luther's treatment. Luther ends up living another 10 years instead of a few months. Could they not have found a different way to handle this? Because OMG I hated Sam for doing it. He claims to have loved her every day, but he gets married and divorced in the intervening years, so that's not great for his claim or ex-wife. So he claims to have been in love with her but also says he'd do it again when she asks. Yes, Tate ended up being a successful actress, but she had press hounding her for well... forever, and she had no choice.


I think if he had told Tate what he was planning and why, she would have at least been able to manage it better. I was SO mad at him and I never forgave him, even if Tate immediately rolled over and did.


How do we know he won't betray her again?

GAH! YOU GUYSSSSSSSSSS! Every time I go into a contemporary romance, I think "pshhh.. romance, *rolls eyes* whatever...." and then it's Christina Lauren and they KILL ME. EVERY. TIME.

Nothing is more of an emotional roller coaster than your first young love and heartbreak... until your first real adult love and heartbreak. To get that second chance with that *perfect* person. Well, hell. Thank you books for making me believe that maybe... just *maybe*, this could happen in real life. I mean, don't we all need a Sam in our lives? And Tate - how do you not fall in love with her too?

What I love about this book too is the backstory, the screen writing peppered within of Milkweed. Tackling that subject matter in such a dignified and beautiful way. Bringing the story that both Sam and Tate go through and making you feel it with all of your everything. DAMMIT. I don't like to feel this much and YET I DO. I keep thinking that THIS ONE isn't going to get to me but here I am, reading emails with Tate and feeling this weird wetness in my eyeballs. Great. JUST GREAT.

Basically, read this book. Read all their books! Just grab a tissue box, a cozy comforter and keep that glimmer of hope shining within.