From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it… Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak. During a whirlwind two-week … heartbreak.
During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate–the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars–ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.
Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.
With Christina Lauren’s signature “beautifully written and remarkably compelling” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.
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My favorite quote: “I want free-range, bottomless love.”
I adored this book. This is a story of broken first love and second chances. I expected many laughs as it usually is with Christina Lauren’s books, but this one was filled with more awww moments that left me with a heartwarming, fuzzy feeling.
The only complaint I have is that I wanted more. Tate’s relationship with her father was left unsolved, which probably is how it was meant to be, but I would’ve still liked to read an epilogue in the form maybe of an article or to know how the movie fared in the end…. I wasn’t ready for the story to end… Which happens only with the best books
I’m still trying to progress what I’ve read and try to form the words to adequately express my feelings for this book. Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren has been my first book by the writing duo in a while. To say I was elated to have been accepted for an early e-ARC by the publisher is an understatement (just haven’t been lucky previously). I have nothing bad to say about this duo’s writing. As always their writing is phenomenal and cohesive, feeling as if one person were writing the story. But this story was not what I had been hoping for.
I have to agree with many, the first part of the story is truly captivating. Tate Archer is 18 and young. Spending her summer in London with her Nana before she heads to college. On this trip she meets Sam Brandis. The two fall and embark in a sweet, angsty summer love until heartbreak occurs and the person Tate trusted the most betrays her. Fast forward 14 years and this is when the story started declining for me. Just when I thought Tate and Sam’s reconnection would be filled with passion, and angst it never came. There is barely any romance between them and their moments together aren’t as thrilling. Overall, I just needed more, especially from Sam. Those rare and small moments from him left me feeling resigned. And the ending, well the ending felt rushed. Sigh. That being said, I ask you to go completely blind into this story and experience it on your own. You may just end up loving it!
I’m on the 3.5 mixed feelings fence. There’s a lot that I liked in here but I just felt so bad for Tate. That girl was done dirty…twice! Betrayed to the core and I really wasn’t having it from Sam or her dad. I get and understand why by Sam but it still doesn’t make it right. Her father, trash. There’s no epilogue but for reals, I hope she doesn’t speak to him again. Like I said, there’s no epilogue so the ending did feel a wee bit rushed.
There is just something about young love that gets me every time. The giddy feeling and invincible hopefulness that only first love can create. Second chance romances that start like this are always my catnip. Twice in a Blue Moon definitely delivers on this (as well as on the forced proximity trope), but I wouldn’t necessarily classify this book as a romance. It certainly has romantic elements and a large part of the story focuses on romantic love, but an equally large part focuses on the love of family (blood related and not) and the sacrifices and lengths we will go for those we love.
I really enjoyed seeing Sam and Tate’s relationship begin and how the whirlwind of young love consumes them. The chapters in the past were written so beautifully that I couldn’t help but be swept up in their love too. It was so relatable and Christina Lauren captured the excitement, uncertainty, and wonder of first love so well. Just as quickly as it begins though, it all comes crashing down. 14 years pass before the stars realign for Sam and Tate and circumstances push them together again. The connection they shared all those years ago is just as strong and I liked how they were able to get to know these older and somewhat wiser versions of each other.
There are some wonderful (and not so wonderful) secondary characters in the book, specifically Charlie, Marco, and Ian. Charlie is the BFF we all wish we had and Marco is the rock that will see you through anything. Ian was perfectly despicable and the fact that I wanted to throttle him several times in the book shows how well written his character was. The ending of the book felt a little rushed and my greedy heart really wanted an epilogue, but I loved how the story came full circle. Twice in a Blue Moon left me smiling ear to ear.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
I was so excited to read this new novel by Christina Lauren because, typically, I will finish their books in a few hours and love every single word. Twice in A Blue Moon was very different from their usual books and I applaud them for stepping a bit out of their comfort zones, but this one was just o.k. for me.
As usual, the writing was flawless considering they are a duo and manage to make it all seem so effortless, but I struggled to like and/or connect with the characters. I was initially enamored with both Tate and Sam, but in the end, wasn’t impressed by wither character.
The best way to convey my overall feelings would be that when I started to write this review just a few days after I finished it, I couldn’t recall a thing about the book. I had to grab my Kindle and re-read the first few pages and the last few pages to recall enough to even review it. I adore Christina Lauren, but this wasn’t their best.
* I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. This is a second chance trope. The story was about love, family, betrayal and forgiveness. At first I was a little concerned, because it starts out with the main characters very young (18 and 21?), but then it kind of zooms ahead to them being in their 30’s. I also am not usually into movie star characters, but I was okay with this one since the emphasis was mostly on the complicated relationships in the book. I absolutely loved that the authors included the storyline that is told in the movie that is being filmed. Wonderful touch!
I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Erin Mallon. She improves even the best novels!
3- 3.5 STARS
Tate meets Sam while on vacation over seas and he quickly becomes her first everything. But her heart is broken when he betrays her in the worst way possible. I love the first half of the book and getting to watch their young relationship grow. While I enjoyed the second half of the book, I wanted a little more angst, a little more something. Worth the read, it just didn’t blow me away.
A second chance romance you won’t forget! Christina Lauren is a writing duo that always gets my heart aflutter, but this book has to be my favorite of theirs so far. The characters are beautifully written and incredibly lovable, even when they’re in the wrong. Such a compelling story that will have you rooting for a HEA with every page.
I didn’t like this one as much as every other Christina Lauren I’ve read before. It’s weird but I couldn’t quite dive into the story like their others. It’s like there was something holding me back from connecting completely with Tate and Sam.
The story is solid. I enjoyed the characters but they weren’t particularly special. I have an acting background so I found the world they inhabited to be an interesting and fairly accurate one. It feels like there was something missing.
I think the emotion of the story was all front-loaded and didn’t leave room for more at the end. It couldn’t build beyond what it had already achieved.
Don’t get me wrong, I liked this book and I’d recommend it…but I’d likely recommend some other Christina Lauren works first.
I’m on a Christina Lauren kick, I know! I just love their work– romantic while also realistic, with gut punches about relationships both with family and lovers –throughout. Love sitting down and diving into their stories that are filled with such rich wonderful characters. This one is another gem!
To state that I’ve discovered a new favorite author is a bit of a misnomer, in the best way possible. Because it’s not one, but two women who have penned this beautiful novel. I have enough difficulty writing a book as a solitary author. But to have these two gifted writers come together and create something so flowing, cohesive, emotional, and real is an inspiration.
It’s cliché, but from the opening page I was hooked. Which is exactly what you’re aim is as a storyteller, but it’s not always that simple. The introduction of Tate and Sam alongside the other characters, who although minor, play a significant role in the overall story, is beautifully done. And the manner in which the story unfolds is filled with a combination of fragility and strength that leaves the reader wondering what turn the narrative will take next.
For an author to take a societal issue and meld it with personal ambitions and a tender but aching love story is not a simple task, but Christina Lauren has done just that. I am not one who necessarily enjoys cussing and intimate scenes in a novel. And there are plenty of both in this book. But they’re placed in just the right places and with exactly the right intensity that it makes perfect sense. It’s an accurate reflection of life instead of an artificial depiction of the same.
My first encounter with this co-author duo was “Love and Other Words”. I was pretty sure that finding a story like that would occur once in a blue moon. But this novel and its title has proven otherwise. And I’m already certain that number three is waiting for me on the horizon.
Best authors EVER! Every book they write is a show stopper!!!
I listen to this book, Well I didn’t care for the audio version I loved the story. It was a beautifully written second chance romance. I love stories where both characters are nice people, who have to makes difficult decisions.
I’d recommend this story to anyone who adores contemporary romance, and wants to laugh and fall in love.
Second chance romances are a personal favorite of mine and this new book by the author duo, Christina Lauren, hit it out of the ballpark with this one for me. First love, first everything for one sheltered eighteen year old with an older(21)guy who falls in love as well was bound to not go well, especially when betrayal is in the mix. What happens fourteen years later is the crux of this engaging book-although this couple’s beginning was important as well.
Anytime I see the names Christina Lauren on a book, I am totally in for the read. And in all but one exception, I have loved all of the ones I have read. I find their books to be different from the normal contemporary romance with deeper messages/story lines/problems than those of the lighthearted variety. Not that there isn’t humor because there is, and not that they are tragedies, because they’re not, but rather that they are a bit more complicated. And that’s a good thing in my mind. I did find that this book lacked some of the humor that is the norm in their books.
Fresh out of high school, Tate Jones is on a two week vacation in London with her grandmother. There they meet a older man and his grandson, Sam Brandis on their first day. It’s not long before the four are eating most of their meals together and visiting all the touristy places together. It’s also not long until Tate is sneaking out when her grandmother is sleeping to spend time alone with Sam in the hotel’s huge garden. There they lay under the stars and tell each other all their secrets. Tate’s secret is that she’s the daughter of one of the most famous actors in the world, one that has disappeared from his life. The two are young and attracted to each other and fall in love. End of story. Not quite, because of course true love doesn’t run smooth and the two lose track of each other for fourteen years.
Fourteen years later and Tate is an actress in her own right and only has fleeting encounters with her father. He’s not a really good guy. She’s found the role of a lifetime and her father will be a supporting character in the movie. It involves being sent to a rural area and living on a huge farm for weeks. It also involves her meeting Sam again. Tate was a good character. She was raised mostly away from Hollywood in a small town where no one but her grandmother and mom knew who she was. She’s beautiful, intelligent and considerate. She also has a temper when it comes to Sam. Sam is actually a good guy who did a very stupid, but necessary? thing years ago. He’s a tall, well built man with a beard and is still stupidly handsome to Tate. Tate’s father is the ultimate egotistical actor. He’s always on in front of people and is so not the same in private. I disliked him immediately. Other important characters were her best friend Charlie, her movie co-star Nick, her mother, and her manager. They were all fleshed out almost as much as the two leads.
I found the book to be well written as usual, plotted and paced well and I loved the time spent in London as much as the time spent at the farm. The older romance was very believable and actually very sweet and full of lust. The new romance was a bit less believable(hence the blue moon)but still a good one and okay yes, in the end, full of lust as well. Don’t get me wrong, this is not erotica, but there are sex scenes and not ones to fill in where story should be. I also liked the inclusion of some of the dramatic scenes from the movie. They were actually important to the story and that’s all I am saying about that.
If you are adult and like good contemporary romance and characters, I highly recommend this one. I think you will be pleasantly surprised if you are new to the authors and not surprised at all if you are already fans of the authors.
Tate fell in love at 18, and at 32 she’s still struggling with the backlash.
Her teenage love with Sam was a Parisian fling, two weeks of tension and exploration.
Sam’s betrayal is harsh, but the way Christina Lauren twists it – the reasons he made the choice, and the way he feels about it now – made me love him even more.
The bad: the steamy scenes in the aftermath could have been better, and I wish I could have seen more dreaming of the future, building it up even more so when it comes crashing down again, it’s not just a continuation of a teenage dream, but two adults planning for a future.
Sam and Tate first met when they were eighteen, both on vacation from the U.S. to London with one of their grandparents. In two short weeks they fall fast and hard for each other, starting a love affair that appears as though was destined. But soon, Sam betrays Tate in the worst way she imagines and leaves without a trace. It isn’t until 14 years later, when Tate is a movie star stepping onto a set for her first dramatic leading role, that she sees Sam again. Is there any defense for his behavior? Can they be friends… or more.. ever again?
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Christina Lauren is a dynamic writing duo who know how to churn out a love story with excellent narration and charming characters. What knocks this story down below some of their other stellar reads is my complete lack of desire for the two main characters to end up together. After what he did, regardless of the reason, there is no reason for Tate to trust Sam again. And trust is near impossible to rebuild. It leaves you always questioning, always wondering. Sam does not deserve Tate. I would have rather seen her with her co-star, Nick, in all honesty. And I don’t count any of this as spoilers, because this is a romance and if you didn’t know how this was going to turn out going in, well, you need to read more romance.
The pacing was also relatively unusually. Roughly a third of the book takes place when the characters were 18. While I understand the need to understand the young love between Sam and Tate and for it to not feel rushed, I wish the blurb let on how much the story was about a vacation fling among young adults and less so the second chance romance of characters in their 30s. Just wasn’t what I was expecting.
Wow this book was addictive I needed to know what happened. Tate Jones lives her life in secret goes no where has one friend. Her secret desire is to be an actress but she can’t. Her grandmother is to protective of her.
For her graduation present her grandma and her travel to London. They run into another set of Americans an older gentleman and his grandson.
Tate and Sam fall in love but of course it’s not that easy they exchange secrets. Tate’s is much bigger and more destructive than Sam could imagine.
When Tate is betrayed her whole life changes in 30 seconds and the trip of a life time is over. She had to make a decision make it all go away or embrace it.
Years later she runs into Sam and she’s not sure if she can handle it. She must for her job and her image but it’s not easy to come face to face with the man who broke her heart. Will she give love a second chance or is it a done deal?
This book was sweet and I loved it. It shows the good and bad in every one. How a spilt decision out of desperation can change someone’s whole world. It also shows the power of love. I really didn’t want it to end.
This has been one of my favorite Christina Lauren novels — the pacing is terrific, TWICE IN A BLUE MOON (love that title) is laugh-out-loud hilarious, warm, and everything a chick lit book – slash – romantic comedy should be. If you’re looking for a book to crack you up or give you a great escape, you can’t go wrong with this one.
I gobbled this book up. I’m a sucker for second chance romances and loved Tate and Sam’s journey. A sweet, quick read that made me all warm and fuzzy by the end.
Christina Lauren is one of my favorite author duos and I love second chance romance, so I was super excited about this book. I also fell totally in love with the cover, so that made me even more excited. I’m especially fond of second chance romances where the reader gets to see exactly the couple went through the first time. Since Twice in a Blue Moon is told from Tate’s POV in both past and present tense, I got both. Which more or less gave me a chance to fall for Sam and Tate twice. It’s just that one ended a little better than the first, which to be honest, about broke my heart. Sam and Tate tugged on my heartstrings in both past and present.
I loved the start of the story, with Sam and Tate as young adults in London. It was sweet and charming in the way first love often is. Unfortunately, it took one hell of a turn with Sam’s betrayal and everyone’s confusion about WHY he did what he did. My heart broke for Tate. Fast forward a whole bunch of years and the two find themselves face-to-face again under very interesting circumstances I will not ruin for you. What ensues isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. I loved how things came together for them. It was a great read/listen with Erin Mallon narrating. I always enjoy her performances and I thought she did a great job bringing Tate, especially, to life.
Favorite Quotes:
I think the fact that I never got to fall out of love with him—that I just had to keep moving forward, stumbling into something new and totally different—means that my brain and heart don’t know the protocol here.
For the first time in my life I get it: home isn’t always a space it can be a person.