Incredibly endearing and honest. Twice in a Blue Moon was a quick, easy, and fun read with a lovable and relatable cast of characters. I couldn't put it down and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted contemporary read. There were a couple parts where I laughed out loud (and some other parts where I was wracked with secondhand embarrassment lol). Overall, a great book.

4.5 stars — Well this was a strange romance.

I felt so much for the crazy position that Tate was put in. She’s such a strange character, because in so many ways she’s pretty weak actually. But not completely, and that’s what made her interesting to read about. Because she’s kind of unlike anyone I’ve ever read before. Because of her childhood, and her Mom and Nana, she was so sheltered and conditioned to follow their whims and desires. It was kind of unhealthy if I’m being honest, but not, like, hugely unhealthy. Just not ideal. I almost wish she’d had more epiphanies in that direction. But anyways. So we kind of understand how she developed into this somewhat more meek character, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t interesting things about her, that she doesn’t have an inner strength to her. She’s just sort of lost her way a bit.

And the whole situation with Sam was so bizarre and kind of heartbreaking. I kind of absolutely loved that the author didn’t shy away from the difficult situation. It was uncomfortable to read, b/c he was placed in this horrible position, and while I believe he went about things wrong, I *get* why he made the decisions he made. And it was interesting to see how the consequences followed him, but yet he would still make the same decision. I loved how real that was. How real *he* was.

And I LOVED her reactions to him, and the things she finds out about all of it They were so RAW and REAL and CONFLICTED. I adored that. Because fuck, what a situation, you know? Like, she has every right to still be hurt and betrayed by it, but there’s so much more in all that. GAH. Noice.

I LOVED the romance from their teenage years. God, it was just so real, and visceral. I felt the crush. I felt the chemistry. I felt the developing friendship. It was like, all that is good in humanity that makes me have silly smiles and tummy tingles.

I hurt for Tate with her Dad. That situation may have been real, but it fucking sucked.

I LOVED the secondary characters in this one! Oh man, so many great friends! From Luther at the beginning, to Charlie, Trey, and Nick later. And Marco! It was nice to see Tate have all these other support systems, you know? She didn’t live in a vacuum. I also loved that she developed friendships along the way, and it was a real friendship with Nick. Great interactions there.

I loved how fierce Charlie was in her protection of Tate, but that in the end she would always support Tate and really just wanted her to be happy.

I strangely loved the script and the glimpses of that story within the story. We didn’t get the full one, but enough to understand what was in Sam’s heart based on his love for his grandparents.

So yeah…this one was a strange bird, but it worked for me. I was sucked in and intrigued.

This was my first read by author Christina Lauren. I’ve heard so many great things about her work, so I was really excited to dive into Twice in a Blue Moon. I want to start off by complimenting whoever designed the cover because it’s absolutely adorable and really catches the eye.

The story is broken up into two parts. In the past when Tate and Sam first meet on a two-week vacation abroad and fourteen years later in the present, working on a movie Tate is starring in.
I really enjoy the second chance romance trope, so I enjoyed that Christina Lauren wrote scenes from both the past and present to really bring readers into the story. I have to say that it was the past that really kept me hooked. Tate and Sam have immediate chemistry and the moments they share together are sure to put a smile on your face. It was the present that I seemed to struggle with. I found that the chemistry just wasn’t the same as it was in the past. The connection that they formed on that vacation didn’t seem to carry over into the present until almost the end. I think if there were a few more moments for them to reform that bond in the present it really would have solidified their relationship for me. The secondary characters were very vibrant and brought a humour to the story that I really enjoyed.

I did like the inclusion of the father daughter relationship. I think it added another element to the story. It wasn’t a picture perfect relationship and I thought it added a realistic feel to the story. Overall, this was a quick read because you just had to know how things were going to turn out. If you love the second chance romance trope I would definitely recommend this book to you.

Having been a fan of Christina Lauren's previous works, I couldn't wait for the release of Twice in a Blue Moon! However, once I was reading this one, I have to say I was a little let down as it not only took a while to get into this book but also felt lacking. With that being said, I am ultimately glad I finished this book as the ending was by far the best part of the book.

The first part of the book was a sort of light-hearted romance, exploring and innocent. It read similar to that of a young adult novel. It is there that we are first introduced to 18-year-old Tate and her grandmother who are in London for two weeks. While they are dining at a restaurant, they meet 21-year-old Sam and his grandfather. From there, a whirlwind romance takes place leading Tate to confide her biggest secret to Sam, only to have him betray her in the cruelest way possible.

Fourteen years later, and we see what has changed not only between the two main characters' relationship but also their own character development and careers. While I did enjoy Tate and Sam's characters, I did not feel as strong of a connection between the adult versions of Tate and Sam as I would have liked, especially compared to their younger selves. It was only near the 80% mark that I could finally see an endless-love sort of chemistry between the two.

While I personally thought that there were too many supporting characters that did not add value to the book but diminished it as they became a distraction to the overall story, I can admit that I did enjoy the dynamic, and particular focus, between Tate and her father. Through their relationship, one can see that this wasn't simply a book entered upon romance but one that focused on various kinds of relationships between those the characters are close to.

In the end, I was hoping to escape in a delightful world that Christina Lauren typically creates, but was unable to get fully captivated or invested in this story. While I did enjoy Tate and Sam's characters, especially their younger selves, I was hoping for more in the romance department. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read.

The Good
-A book that you don’t want to stop reading until you finish it
-Chemistry between characters; I can always count on Christina Lauren to give me characters that work so well together
-I like that it’s unlike their other books. We have this amazing duo who found what works for them (i.e. sexy and full of humour) but here they are, experimenting with something different and I love that.
-While this felt different, it still felt similar and I could still say that it’s a Christina Lauren book
-All kinds of relationships; good and bad ones, healthy, unhealthy, family, friendship, etc.
-Milkweed‘s story, Ellen and Richard’s story, was very interesting and I really wanted to read more of it.
-Tate’s Nana is both annoying and amazing. Annoying because she’s so particular about mostly everything. Amazing because of what she did for herself, for her daughter, and for her granddaughter.
-Good characters

The Not-So-Good

-It’s not the usual Christina Lauren books. That’s not really a bad thing but I’m such a huge fan of their humour and witty banters. (I say that but my favourite book of theirs is actually Love and Other Words🙈)
-While the chemistry was still there when they met again, it was pretty weak compared to the love they had when they were younger
-Sam and Tate’s love doesn’t feel…developed? Yes, there was spark but, it didn’t give me that feeling that they’re meant to be together forever

Overall

This is different from their previous books. I liked it, enjoyed it, and read it so quickly but it didn’t leave me with a “Wow!” feeling that I usually get after I read a Christina Lauren book.

In a way, this is like Love in Other Words since it deals with second chance love but it’s also very different. With this book, while I anticipated the rekindling of Sam and Tate’s relationship, I didn’t have intense feelings about it and just kinda went with the flow. When they saw each other again, I went 'oooh'. With Love and Other Words, I had very strong feelings of needing Macy and Elliot to get back together and when they finally saw each other again, I was chanting 'omgomgomgyesyesyesyesomgomgyeeeeeees' in my head😂.

Not my favourite Christina Lauren book but it is still a good read.

I really wanted to love this book, but it was just ok for me. Don't get me wrong, I do normally enjoy a second chance romance but I just wasn't captivated by this one. Honestly I think it could have been due to the time it took me to read it. I often read e-books over a longer period of time because I prefer the physical book. So, rather than taking only 3-4 days to read a book it may take me a week or two. I have seen a lot of readers who have enjoyed this one though so if you're a fan of this writing duo then I'd definitely say to give this one a chance. Probably just a matter of the right book, but the wrong time. I will still plan to read more by this duo as I loved both Love & Other Words and The Unhoneymooners.

This book was an enjoyable read, about young love, big life changes, and facing that first love again. Tate is an interesting character because while she is confident and knows who she is and wants to be, she is still defaulting to her people pleasing ways. Her journey is one of finding herself and who she is meant to be, although there are definitely stumbles along the way. What do you do when you are faced with your first love, and the person who may have betrayed you all those years ago? How do you step into yourself and decide what you want? I thought this was a sweet story (a little steam, but not near as much as some of their other books), and a bit heartbreaking at times, but overall a really good read. I don't think this is my favourite book from Christina Lauren, but I did really enjoy it. Looking forward to what this duo will come up with next! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC through NetGalley.

As always with Christina Lauren books, it was great! It was quite different from their last two books, but I still very much enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the next one!

A modern-day Persuasion - contemplative and sweet

3 stars. eARC provided by Simon & Schuster Canada via Netgalley (thank you!).

This is only my third Christina Lauren book, and the previous two were The Unhoneymooners and Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, which were zany, fun rom-coms. So I was surprised to find Twice in a Blue Moon more of a contemplative read.

The story features Tate Butler, daughter of one of the most famous actors in the world, the icon Ian Butler. Tate has been sequestered in a small North Californian town for most of her life after her mother fled L.A. with her when she was 8 after Ian’s many indiscretions. Because of that, she’s super sheltered when we first meet her in London, on a graduation trip with her grandmother. But that doesn’t stop her from meeting Sam Brandis, a college student who is also on a grad trip with his grandfather. Tate and Sam hit it off fast, spending most of their two weeks in the hotel garden talking and falling for one another. Tate spills to Sam about her famous family, the first time she’s ever told anyone about her life and her secret dream to become an actress.

And then Sam betrays her by going to the tabloids with her story.

Now it’s 14 years later and Tate is about to take on the biggest role of her career. Now a seasoned actress, Tate has never been able to trust anyone since she fell for Sam. And it doesn’t help that her father will be acting in this film with her. So it all comes to head when, on the first day on set, she discovers that Sam is the writer of the film, and she’s about to spend six weeks in close proximity with the only guy she’s ever loved.

Here’s the thing about this story: on paper, it really works. You know where it’s going, and it feels like an amazing concept. And I have to admit that the writing was super compelling the way that the last two C.Lo books I read were - you just want to know what happens, even though you kind of already know.

The mood of the book both summery and somber, bittersweet like a reunion romance is, but also really, really emotional. It’s a very in-your-head-with-issues type book, and so, for me, it read a lot more like women’s fiction than romance. That’s not a problem - it was just a surprise!

But Twice in a Blue Moon sadly fell a bit flat for me because I felt like we were TOLD a lot of things about Tate (how she’s brave, ambitious, kind, etc), but I never really SAW it. Because of the way the book works - first with Tate as a sheltered kid who mostly hangs out in the hotel garden, then with Tate and the cast and crew at one farm during the entire set - you don’t get to SEE Tate be all the things she can be. You see someone who has had a hard time (OMG her dad is such a douche), and who is emotional and fragile, but not someone who has the brilliance that she needs to have. And I felt the same thing with Sam. He just felt like an ordinary guy who didn’t have that much going for him. The only thing I really liked about him was that he was incredibly honest (most of the time, anyway).

This feeling might have been exacerbated because during the book, we see snippets of the script that Sam has written - that Tate is acting. And it was supposed to be this amazing thing, but it just fell kind of flat for me because it wasn’t.

The other thing that really bothered me about this book was the betrayal. Yes, there’s a reason for it. Yes, it makes sense, and yes, I believed and understood how Tate could move past it. But I don’t know if I could. I don’t want to get into too many details, but let’s just say that it was really hard for me to get into Sam after that.

But other than those two, I did enjoy the secondary characters, the feeling of summer camp, and the uniqueness of being on a film set. I also liked how C.Lo addressed some of the race issues that haven’t always been present in their previous work.

For me, this book is sort of like a modern-day Persuasion - it’s a reunion story with a lot of hurt feelings, it’s quiet and contemplative, and man, there’s a terrible dad. If you’re into that idea, I definitely encourage you to read it. For me, it was just okay, but I’m betting that other people will really like this one.

This was my first ever Christina Lauren book, and it will not be the last! Fun fact that I just found out - Christina Lauren is actually 2 people; best friends who write together which is phenomenal! I think that's so cool, and definitely makes me want to read more of their books.
Twice In A Blue Moon was a great read, it starts off with a before narrative in Tate's POV. She meets handsome Sam and they instantly connect. Some could even say it was love at first sight. The two of them have plans for after London, and then abruptly, it all ends. Flash forward 14 years, and Tate has it all. She's an up and coming actress who's about to film the movie that will win her awards. But as you might guess, Sam comes back into the picture and Tate wonders, can once in a blue moon actually turn into twice in a blue moon?

The writing was great, and the story was told very well. It reminded me of Emily Giffin and K.A. Tucker. The fluid story telling made it so I could pick up the book wherever I left off and continue reading without having to backtrack a few paragraphs (or pages!). Also, isn't the cover of Twice In A Blue Moon so pretty? Now go and read this book while I check my local library for The Unhoneymooners written by this duo!

I really enjoyed this book. Once again, Christina Lauren did not disappoint! I loved the storyline, it was fun and very entertaining. I was rooting hard for Tate and I thought I might be let down by some of her decisions but surprisingly I didn’t scream too many times!

I LOVED the London adventures (probably my favourite part of the book) but I also really enjoyed the aftermath and everything that happened after they got back to the US.

Highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Twice In A Blue Moon starts out as a really sweet romance. Tate and Sam meet as teens while both are on vacation in London each with a grandparent. They immediately connect and find ways to be alone together, get to know each other and share their private selves.

Their split is sudden and comes with a heartbreaking betrayal that sends Tate’s life off in a new, unexpected and unplanned direction.

“It’s not like you won’t be disappointed regardless if nothing happens. I don’t know why people think permanent denial is better than temporary disappointment.”

I loved the sweet romance between Tate and Sam. I really enjoyed the slow way that the time between their split and their reunion is eventually revealed and the twists involved. #NetGalley #TwiceInABlueMoon

-4 Stars!-

I've been a huge fan of Christina Lauren's books for years and this one help up along with the othersjust as I had hoped.

I'm all for rekindling romances with your one true soul mate especially when they have to win eachother over again. I loved the characters in novel as well with all the quick wit and banter back and forth.

I will continue to pick up their novels as they are published and devour each and every one of them.

Go run out to your local book store and pick this one up!

This book was wild ride,
I loved the second chance romance and how the characters had grown individually in between the time stamps. As always I am a HUGE fan of their writing style and storytelling, this was no different.
The only book I have ever not loved by them was Half Night Stand and that’s because of the cat-fishing aspect of it that just rubbed me the wrong way.
Anyhow, Twice in a Blue Moon we get a similar “not meant to be a funny book (as in you don’t read all the time laughing out loud)” such as Rommies was, there were a couple of funny moments though !
I love seeing Sam and Tate igniting their feelings for each other a second time; While the Hollywood actors setting is not for everyone the angst and the misunderstandings did make it all worth it for me in the end.
Overall, while this was not one of my favourite Christina Lauren novel I did really enjoy it. Though it wasn’t one I will go back and read parts of it or remember vividly each details of it.
3.85/5⭐️
Bookarina.

Honestly, I had a very hard time getting into the first part of the story. Not sure if Christina Lauren writing that YA portion worked for me. Now the rest, the Contemporary romance, yes, they did very well on that part. However, something about this story lacked the usual richness of writing/characters/story line that I’ve come to expect from them. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good solid story, and I liked the characters, and maybe it’s just me, but it just wasn’t their usual standard of story-telling. I still enjoyed it very much overall and I do recommend it for readers of Contemporary Romance.

I discovered Christina Lauren's books recently and have been enjoying their books a lot. Although this book is meant to be light, it deals with difficult subjects such as parental abandonment, over sheltering, insecurities, and betrayal. Without giving out the plot, I must admit that some parts of the books caused a few rolls of the eyes. I had a hard time relating to this book and its characters. Some situations were just too unrealistic for my taste. There were lots of great moments too which made up for the ones I did not enjoy so much.

🙋🏼‍♀️ A big thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of this sexy novel. Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren is now available at your favourite bookstore.

There are many mixed reviews about this new release from CLo, so I was curious to see which side I would take and I’m happy to report I loved it. This one is less of a rom com than The Unhoneymooners, and has more of the same feel as Love and Other Words, but I actually preferred this to the latter.

I did, however, have two believability issues with this one. For me, I like my romances to be realistic and I couldn’t fully get on board with how quickly and deeply these two fell for each other. I get “love at first sight”, but I would have liked a little more from the story line from the past. Without spoiling anything, I also couldn’t get past the pace of the reconciliation between Tate and Sam, again it left me wanting even more from them.

Despite all of that this is still a 4⭐️ read for me and I definitely recommend it. A second chance love story with a side of Hollywood glam and an insider peek into life on a movie set is a win for me!

𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 is out tomorrow! Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the free advanced copy to review, all opinions are my own.

Christina Lauren have done it again with another great contemporary romance story. In their newest collaboration, the story begins with Tate and Sam finding an intense first love while vacationing with family in London. For much of her life, Tate has carried a secret about her identity. She discloses her actual identity for the first time ever to Sam who betrays Tate by revealing this information publicly. The impact of this deception effects Tate profoundly, and she loses her ability to trust others.

Fourteen years later Tate is an actress filming a movie on a remote location when she meets Sam again. She is challenged by the appearance of her first and only real love. Is there a reason for his betrayal all those years ago?

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be beautifully written. I loved the story that was being filmed and its historical importance, not only within the book but, to the modern world. The book is not the romantic comedy found in many of Christina Lauren’s work, but just as engaging and captivating. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book. This book was a very quick read. Twice in a Blue Moon follows the story of Tate and Sam. They fall in love when they were teenagers while only knowing each other for two weeks. Fast forward 14 years, Tate is a successful actress and Sam finds his way back into Tate’s life. I love Christina Lauren’s writing style however I couldn’t not connect with story or the characters in this book. I did love the characters names, I felt they went together really well. I wasn’t expecting the YA feel of the beginning of the book and was not a big fan of it. The second half of the book just didn’t keep me interested. I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it either and I hate to say that about a Christina Lauren book.

4.5 stars

Christina Lauren are quickly becoming new favourites of mine. Twice in a Blue Moon is the third book of theirs I’ve read this year, and I loved it.

I’m a sucker for stories set in London, so I loved that the story started there, and I loved watching Tate and Sam fall for each other in a city I love. I enjoyed watching Tate get her first taste of real freedom after living such a sheltered life, and thought that exciting, heady feeling of first love was captured well.

I appreciated the authors’ choice to do a division of Then and Now rather than alternating chapters. Sometimes with the alternating chapters, it’s much easier to favour one over the other and the story ends up dragging. I liked that we saw Tate and Sam’s history all at once before catching up with them in the present and watching them get past what happened and develop feelings as the people they are now. I really liked Tate and I liked that while this was technically a romance, the story was truly about Tate’s journey and her coming into her own.

My only complaint is I wish there’d been a bit more at the end - maybe an epilogue a few months or a year later where we see Tate and Sam together. How did Milkweed do? Did they win a ton of awards? Did Tate accept that things would never change with Ian and that as much as it sucked, at least she had her mom, her nana, and Sam? Or maybe a press release/joint statement/interview with Tate and Sam. Just something. I liked the ending and you can definitely use your imagination and assume any or all the above, but the ending was a bit abrupt and it would have been nice to see some of what happened after Tate went to find Sam. It didn’t affect my overall feeling toward the book, but it was enough to not leave me 100% satisfied.

That being said, I enjoyed Twice in a Blue Moon so much I pre-ordered a physical copy, which I’ve never done before. I just knew I had to have this book in my collection.