What can I say I’m a sucker for Christina Lauren and this one lives up to past books!! Do you know what else I’m a sucker for? FIRST LOVES!!! This story of Sam and Tate was a whirlwind in the best way possible. Should I go to London with my Nana and find my forever love only to have him betray me!?!?! Also loved the behind the scenes Hollywood look that we got in the current day section. The description writing had me wishing I could visit this fictional place. What can I say I loved it, but of course I did because it’s Christina Lauren!

*Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a free arc in exchange for a honest review*

4.5/5 stars

I am obsessed with Christina Lauren. This book was amazing! However I am very glad that I went into this book blind. If you love this duo then do yourself a favor and don't read the book blurb. IMO it spoils a lot of the story. And I know that I wouldn't have liked this book as much if I had known most of what was going to happen before reading it.

I love these authors and have really enjoyed their last few books. So I was beyond excited to read their newest book, Twice in a Blue Moon. This book is a contemporary romance. But it's not a romantic comedy like some of their recent books (I think that it's important to know this so you don't go in expecting something super funny).

The narrator of this book is Tate (female - 1st person POV). The book is divided into Then and Now. It is not my favorite when authors decide to alternate chapters between the past and present. However, for this book the authors decided to have the first section of the story take place in the past (when Tate is 18) and the rest of the story takes place in the present (14 years later). I am extremely happy that the authors chose to do the story this way, as it worked perfectly for me.

In the past Tate has just turned 18 and she goes to London with her grandmother. I can sometimes struggle with past sections of books. But in this case I adored it. I loved getting to know Tate as a young woman. And even though this part of the book had a very Young Adult feel to it I think that it added so much to the story.

Tate grew up in a small town (an hour north of San Francisco). She lived with her overprotective mom and grandmother. But they all had a secret. I loved how this played out. I was sufficiently intrigued. And was dying to figure out her story. Also I was extremely curious to find out what Tate's life would be like in the present.

Something happened at the end of the past part of the story that impacted the rest of the book. I thought that this was a very strong way to end this part of the book.

The present part of the book was also very interesting. I loved the setting. And I liked the career that Tate ended up pursuing. I had a strong idea what she would do with her life. But it ended up being even more special than I expected.

The romance in this book was good. I really enjoyed Tate as an eighteen year old. But I also really enjoyed seeing her more grown up. There was also some really good family drama that added a lot to the story.

I do think that this book could have used an epilogue. The ending was good. but I wanted more. But overall this was another strong story from a great writing team.

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you’ll know I’ve read a lot of Christina Lauren books. I really enjoy them, with their humour and romance. I was super excited for their latest release, but sadly I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed their other books.

I think my biggest issue with the book is that I wasn’t personally grabbed by the story. The pacing is a bit on the slower side, and as its a more series book, it made the story drag a bit for me. We first meet the characters when they’re young adults, and I kept waiting for the story to progress into their reunion. The thing is, that took awhile to happen on the page. We stay with them as young adults for a good chunk of the book, and the second half therefore seems like it didn’t get enough time to develop.

I adore the two main characters, I really do. Tate is feeling stifled when we meet her, and as she’s on the verge of adulthood and independence, she’s hungry for new experiences. This includes falling in love for the first time, and having her first time. She’s a well written character who we vey much root for. But I feel that as an adult, there’s a lot of questions left unanswered.

Sam is the same, really. As a young man, he’s kind and thoughtful, flirty and sexy. He’s a bit of a mystery, but also not a mystery. It’s very clear why they break up in their youth. This book is very much about forgiveness and a second chance at love. I loved how it was done in Persuasion by Jane Austen, but here the ending felt too open. As this is a modern story, I couldn’t help but wonder why it ended the way it did. And where things would go after the book ends.

The book tackles some complex topics, like trust, love, family, and more. I was drawn to the power of love, which is a big theme in the book for various relationships. I enjoyed seeing how each relationship functioned, and how family plays such a vital role.

I think I just wanted more from this book. It’s kind of a more quiet story, driven more by characters’ actions and reactions. I did enjoy Twice In a Blue Moon, but I wasn’t in love with the story the way I wanted to be.

<i>arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

<b>"I don't know why people think permanent denial is better than temporary disappointment."</b>

This novel starts off with Tate Jones, an eighteen year old who is off on a vacation to London with her grandmother before college starts. No one knows who she really is, that she is Tate Butler, long-lost daughter to one of the world's biggest actors. When she meets Sam on her trip, she falls for him hard and fast and trusts him enough to reveal who she is. She quickly realizes her trust was misplaced and that she was betrayed. The story skips to fourteen years later when she's on set for a new movie, a movie she's sure will skyrocket her career when she sees Him. The same Sam she fell in love with in London is there, on set and it turns out he's the screenwriter for the movie. The story shoots off from there.

This book was frustrating to sum it up. The beginning portion with Tate and Sam's love story felt incredibly rushed. I didn't feel the connection between the two characters and it honestly felt more strained and forced than anything. I figured this was just so we could see how the betrayal played out and that the rest of the book would be more evenly paced and that the romance would be better fleshed out, with problems talked out and resolved but it was the opposite. The rest of the book dragged and it felt like it took forever before the romance aspect even picked up again.

I liked Tate and Sam but their characters felt very flat and one dimensional. I didn't feel a strong connection to either of them, didn't feel sucked in to their emotions and inner turmoil, I was just annoyed at how long it took for them to even speak about their past. The character descriptions for Sam were also really awkward. Like we understood very early on that Sam was a big man but describing him as 'wide as a road' was just odd.

I did like the acting scenes and the overall vibe with that plot. It felt almost magical and I could feel the emotions that the script portrayed. Also, the friendships that Tate made and had on set felt very genuine, her friendships with Charlie and Nick and Marco were my favourite parts of this book besides the acting and script bits.

Overall, I was disappointed with this book. But I love Christina Lauren's writing and I will still pick up every book that they write in the future!

Rating: 2/5

TW: loss of a family member, racism

I was late to the Christina Lauren party, but their books have recently become must reads for me. So I was really excited to see this on #netgalley and able to get an ARC.

This book is a little different from their latest books and well worth the read. More serious than rom-com and will definitely pull your heart strings and encourage a second chance at love. The plot was so perfectly created, I felt like I was right in the middle of this beautiful love story.

I honestly adored this book!! I think there is just something about all Christina Lauren books that will always get me completely enamoured from start to finish. I really love the way they write, from the characters to the descriptions of the setting, to the overall plot of the story. As someone who was also very interested in the acting world, but never had any desire to pursue it, I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I loved the script scenes that were added in.

Anytime Christina and Lauren want to come out with a book, I'll be ready and so excited to read what they bring out!

Advanced copy received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren delivered an engaging, beautifully written story about one women’s encounter with her first love after a serious betrayal. The character development was rich and I felt the emotions of all of the characters, although the story was written from a single point of view. I especially loved the character of Nick/Richard. He was kind and genuine and Tate’s relationship with him was so pure. Also, I think the writers’ efforts to include an ethnically diverse cast of characters was a positive note. Hopefully one day they can write a book with a minority lead.

The one negative aspect which decreased the rating for me was that I wish the ending was flushed out a bit better. It seemed abrupt and could have benefited from an epilogue or something with a bit more closure. The ending left me wanting more (which isn’t necessarily bad!) I eagerly look forward to the next Christina Lauren book.

3.5 stars. This was a light, quick read and I certainly enjoyed it but didn't really feel the chemistry between the two leads as Christina Lauren's other works.

I wanted to love this more than I did. Much like Love and Other Words I seem to struggle with Christina Lauren’s books that deal with past and present. The beginning read so much like a YA book to me that I struggled to see where it was going. I loved the setting and the intermixing of scripts and the two stories and I loved the background story of the grandparents. I didn’t love the ending, it felt rushed and unsatisfying and I felt like this was missing the epilogue that most CL books have.

**Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.**
I had been in a bit of a book rut when I got approved for an advanced reader copy of this book on Netgalley. I had requested it quite awhile ago, so was pleasantly surprised to hear that I would be able to read this one. Christina Lauren are 2 of my favourite authors and I was so excited to read their newest book Twice in a Blue Moon.
It did not disappoint! This book got me out of my book rut, and I finished it in 2 days. Once I started, I got sucked in to Tate and Sam's relationship and couldn't wait to see how it developed.
I loved the fact that Tate was a famous actress, and Sam a screen writer, so the reader got to see a lot about what happens on a movie set.
Without giving too much away, there was one character in the story that I didn't like at all, which was Tate's father, Ian. I was hoping that their relationship would play out differently, but things do not always end the way we want in a story and I was happy with the ending otherwise.
All in all, a great read that I would strongly recommend for fans of romance.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a digital arc of this book.

3.75 stars.
Twice In A Blue Moon is a beautiful story about first love and second chances. Tate's Jones, daughter of the greatest celebrity of Hollywood, has always lived in fear of her identity being discovered. But when she meets Sam Brandis, she wants to share with him the part of her that she has never shown anyone before. Just when she starts to learn what true love feels like, Sam sells her identity to the paparazzi and leaves her betrayed and heartbroken. Fourteen years later, Tate is a very popular movie star and is about to hit the biggest break in her career. But in the set of her dream project, Sam Brandis is the last person she expects to see. Soon her old feelings of love mixed with years of hatred come crashing down and she must decide if forgetting the bitter past is worth the hope of a beautiful future.

I recently read The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and fell in love with her writing. The author beautifully balances humor and drama to make her stories heartwarming and beautiful. Twice In a Blue Moon switches between two timelines - the past when Tate was 18 and then the present. Tate Jones is a strong, sassy and wonderful main character. Sam Brandis is quite charming and lovable. The first half of this story reads like a fun YA novel while the second half is a little more serious NA. I loved the second half a lot more than the first just because of the setting and the tension. The setting creates this peaceful warm atmosphere which I thoroughly loved. Tate and Sam has so much chemistry. I adored their story. I haven't read many second chance romances but I have to say this one is my favourite. I can't wait binge all the Christina Lauren's books.

I love every book Christina Lauren put out and this one did not disappoint. It started out like a YA novel and turned into this realistic love story. Can she forgive him? Does she know the whole story? Can she look past it all and love him anyway ? On top of all of that can she follow in her fathers footsteps of being an actor? Can he actually be a father to her? I devoured this book. Another fantastic book from Christina Lauren.

When I received this ARC from NetGalley I seriously lost my mind! I’ve been dying to read this book for months and it finally happened! All I can say is it was worth the wait and did not disappoint! There’s something about these ladies writing that literally captures me from the moment I start reading and doesn’t let me go for days after I’m finished the book!
This second chance love story of Tate and Sam reminded me of my my favourite book by these ladies Love and Other Words and is everything I adore and love in a Christina Lauren book. The sexual tension that is so steamy and leaves you all hot and bothered, the turmoil that gives you anxiety, then the swoon that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and an ending that makes you cry because you never want the book to end! All the emotions and feelings!
I’ll be having serious book hangover from this one for awhile!

Thank you Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! Seriously thank you so much 🥰😘🥰

Reading this book took 2.5 hours of my life, and I LOVED every minute of it. I keep saying that the duo of Christina Lauren keep getting better with each novel they write, and this release did not prove me wrong. Tate and Sam's relationship had me hooked from the moment their eyes met. Once aspect that I absolutely adored was Tate's character growth. We miss most of it during the 14 year jump, but i loved seeing the differences in young, naive Tate and the unstoppable, headstrong actress that we meet later. She was forced into a situation that she didn't agree to, but made the absolute most of it. I am so in love with her character, even throughout the mistakes that she makes. Beautiful, beautiful story!

4.5/5 stars.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book just by reading the synopsis. And boy did I ever.

Tate has had a weird life. Her father is one of the most famous people in Hollywood, but he’s also an asshole. So, when she was younger, and after her mother has had enough of his cheating, she uprooted them in an attempt to save the both of them from a life under the scrutiny of the media and they went back to a small town where no one knew of their identities, except very few, select people. But all that changes when Tate goes to London for two weeks.

I loved most of the characters in this book, especially Tate and her support system: Her mother, her PR manager Marco and her best friend Charlie. I’m a sucker for a angsty story where the main character has good people on her side who don’t turn out to be backstabbing assholes.

I must admit, though, my favorite thing about this book was the romance. I first fell in love with Tate and Sam’s relationship back when they met in London, their chemistry and their scenes were amazing. It’s hard to convince readers that people can fall in love in a little less than 2 weeks, but Christina Lauren found all the right words and ways to convene just that, because I was very much convinced. Which made their later longing and still-there-love all the more believable.

Now, I did think this book was a little bit too fast-paced and could’ve done with an epilogue, which is the reason behind my 0.5 star drop. The way it ended made it feel every… unfinished, as if it ended in the middle, which left me with some unanswered questions and a feeling of… unfulfillment.

But in general, I adored this book just as much as I adored the characters, regardless of its rushed ending, I would absolutely recommend it to everyone I know as it definitely confirmed, for me, that I just have to read more Christina Lauren books.

Review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Twice in a blue moon by Christina Lauren

Sam was Tate’s first love in a whirlwind holiday romance. She confided everything in him, and him to her. However, he unexpectedly breaks her heart and disappears from her life. 14 years later, after becoming a successful actress, she sees him again and is forced to confront the painful past.

The Christina Lauren duo are authors I will drop everything for and read absolutely anything they write. After reading Love and Other Words (similar premise, second chance romance), my anticipation of this book was HIGH.

This book grapples with forgiveness after real, heartbreaking betrayal. To be honest, I did find Tate to be a little too forgiving right off the bat and didn’t fully trust Sam. I also didn’t connect or invest in Tate or Sam as the protagonists either for some reason. Consequently, I did find it lacked a bit of build up and chemistry between Sam and Tate in the present. Their ending also was a little abrupt. I would have loved to see a longer resolution. I will say, Nana was my ultimate favourite character and I would have loved to have seen more of her! 🙌🏼

I will say this book really got it right with the steam level. It was top notch 👌🏼. I also enjoyed the setting of the film set and the Hollywood theme.

Although it wasn’t my favourite CLo book, I still did enjoy it and would recommend. As with any CLo book, the writing style, wit and humour are unparalleled. Their flow and style is literally my favourite to read of any contemporary romance author.

Massive thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada, netgalley, and Christina Lauren for allowing me access to this ARC. 💞

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