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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Twice in a Blue Moon is a little different than Christina Lauren’s previous releases. It’s missing the humor that I have come to associate with them along with the heart stopping love that I wanted. In fact, I felt this book felt more forced than their other books and had a very hard time WANTING to continue reading. While I appreciate the overall story- especially the “story within the story” and the second chance love between Sam and Tate, I didn’t care much for anything else. There were many instances where I could skip over whole paragraphs and not even miss anything and this told me that the story was way to slow and a tad boring. While I do love this writing duos other novels AND will continue reading their books in the future, this just wasn’t really the book for me.
Other readers are likely to feel different than I did about this novel so take my review with a grain of salt and go into it with an open mind if you plan on reading it. Christina Lauren is an awesome writing duo and while this wasn’t my favorite book by them there are still things I liked about it.
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren is a second chance romance. Sam and Tate met when they were young and fell hard for each other. Everything was perfect, until it wasn’t. But Sam hurts and betrays Tate in the worse way possible. Years later they come face-to-face again in what is the biggest opportunity for Tate. Now she needs to keep him bay. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Can she forgive Sam? Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren was a charming read with all kinds of feels.
Happy reading!
Twice In A Blue Moon is one of my most anticipated reads for October. I am a sucker for second chance romance novels. Plus I loved Christina Lauren previous novels so reading this book was a no brainer. I have to say I LOVED the first half of this book. You could feel the chemistry oozing off the page between Sam and Tate. I loved the buildup, the character development, pacing. I felt all the emotions while reading and suffered right along with Tate. When I got to the present this half of the book fell flat for me story wise which was a bummer. I really wanted to feel that emotional re-connection between Sam and Tate but I felt they lacked the passion they had in the first half of this story. I also felt too much time was focused on Tate’s father. I would have also liked an epilogue as well.
4.25-4.5 STARS
Set against a Hollywood backdrop, this second-chance romance boasts a unique premise that had me hooked right from the very first page. It’s a story about young love and the sting of betrayal. It’s also a story about fractured relationships and the desire to repair what had long ago been broken. Rather easily, I found myself swept away by both storyline threads and all the others layered in between.
While I’ll admit that the burgeoning romance between young Tate and Sam sizzled and sparked more than the reunion of their older selves, I still found myself rooting for their HEA. I fell in love with this couple early on and wanted nothing more than for them to find their way back to one another. And along the way, I hoped against all hope that Tate would eventually forge a relationship with her self-absorbed, celebrity dad, with whom she was estranged.
Overall, I found “Twice In a Blue Moon” to be a quick, enjoyable read, albeit, slightly flawed during the second half. But while it might not be a perfectly executed story, it still tugged on my heartstrings, nonetheless.
3.5 stars. This is a pretty good book. Twice in a Blue Moon is a standalone and is Tate and Sam’s story. Tate is the estranged daughter of a big Hollywood star, but she is living the small town farm girl life with her mom and grandmother. When Tate was 18, her grandmother took her on a long trip abroad to England. There she met Sam and had a sweet first love and romance. They talked about continuing their relationship after the trip, but, instead, Sam turns around, sells her family secrets to the tabloids and leaves. This event changed her life and in some ways she never got over it. Now, fourteen years later, Tate is a famous actress living in Hollywood herself. She is doing her first movie with her father and is shocked to run into Sam on the set. They are forced to work together and live on set in close proximity, which brings up huge feelings between them that they must work through. They eventually begin a new relationship and heal from their past.
I liked this story. It was compelling and kept me eagerly reading. The writing was very good. The details about acting and working on location on set were really interesting. I liked Tate a lot. Despite being a big star, she is down to earth and has had a lonely life, without many close friends. This book felt like Tate’s story and more women’s fiction then romance. The romance between Sam and Tate did not satisfy my romance cravings. I really enjoyed the story and was sucked into the book, but ended up feeling let down by the romance and the conclusion. I liked the beginning of the book more than the end. I didn’t really love Sam. In the past flashback, I liked him more, but in the present, he seemed totally different, lacked the charisma he had, and was too passive. He was the strong silent type, to his detriment. I didn’t feel like Sam’s reasons were justified in ruining Tate’s life when she was eighteen, breaking her heart and making her life totally different. Then, when they met again, she had to chase him to get him to admit feelings. He was too passive and I felt like he should have apologized more and tried to make it up to her more. He should have pursued her, but he never did, which made me doubt his feelings for her. I just was not sure the couple really still loved each other or were really going to end up together. The book was also very low heat. In the end, I definitely needed more resolution and didn’t feel like they were fully back in love with a sure future.
Overall, Twice in a Blue Moon was pretty good, even if I had a few issues with it. It was an easy read, entertaining and hard to put down. It was not a bad book. I enjoyed the story and side characters, but I didn’t love the way the romance worked out. I am still a fan of Christina Lauren’s work, even if I wish they would write more books similar to their Beautiful Bastard series.
This is a story of what could’ve been..literally. It started off like a YA story, which I actually enjoyed then became somewhat a women’s fiction. I needed more romance, more connection, more wooing the second time around but we got more family connection, acquaintances, friends. It was more, “Act, Drink, and Pretend To Be Merry.” Second chance is my favourite trope and I’m willing to overlook some stuff so trust me when I say I’m being generous here.
I needed Sam to grovel more, but he wasn’t given the opportunities. I needed more depth in their reconnection but alas. If we’d been given Sam’s POV, we could’ve had a different persepective. This story would’ve greatly benefited from an epilogue as well because the resolution wasn’t satisfactory for me in light of the number of years they’ve been apart.
I never do this breakdown but here’s a summary:
Plot- 4/5 Content-2.5/5 Characters- 4/5 Heat- 2/5
Edited to add- I know they have it in them to write that epic romance because of the screenplay that Sam wrote.
Christina Lauren really knows how to pull you in and keep you on the edge of your seat. I think I’ve found a new favorite author.
I was completely shredded after Tate’s return from London. I wasn’t sure how Sam was going to redeem himself. Did he do it? Will we find out it was someone else who betrayed Tate? And how will she react when she sees Sam again after 14 years?
So good. 5 stars!!!
3.5 Stars I try to not write spoilers but this might slightly qualify. I think it would be obvious that some of this happens as it’s a romance. You been warned. Okay, so I loved Tate and Sam but I also wanted to shake them and say ‘what the hell?’ I get why Sam did what he did, but really just disappear? Is that forgivable? I don’t know. For someone like Sam as he appears to be, maybe. Now, Tate… I really liked her and yet I felt she was so stupid. It was mentioned a couple of times about being spineless and yeah, I think she was and a DOORMAT! I get wanting your dad to be better than he was but seriously? How many times did he have to shit on her to get a clue? I wanted her to shout out and tell it like it was and quit taking crap. It seemed like she kind of did in the end, but it wasn’t really spelled out in my mind. So underlying good story with some problems. I love Christina Lauren books and I guess just looking for a better ending. It had an HEA but still…
Second Chance at Happiness
This book started off so slow and boring that I nearly quit reading it. I’m glad that I persevered. Once the book got to the ‘today’ area, it was a knockout. As a romance and more-so as Women’s Fiction, this story has great depth and emotional range. I was pleasantly surprised and plan on reading more of this author’s work. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
A second chance at love is what Twice in a Blue Moon is all about. Coauthors Christina Lauren have created two compelling main characters, with a supporting cast of interesting personalities. I especially liked the heroine, actress Tate Jones, for being able to handle total heartbreak from the two men in her life that should have known better.
Although Tate is the daughter of a super megastar actor, she grew up in a small town in Northern California. Her mother and grandmother raised her, yet never spoke of her narcissistic dad. Tate lived a sheltered life until the age of 18, when she was visiting London with her grandmother in celebration of her high school graduation. There she met Sam Brandis, a gorgeous and college educated young man. He and his grandfather took time away to see London, in celebration of Sam’s college graduation. Tate and Sam are attracted to each other almost immediately, and their short time together evolves into lust and love. Tate shares her family secrets with Sam, which ends up on the front page of every tabloid, newspaper, and social media outlet. Sam wanted more time with his ailing grandfather, and selling Tate’s story was the answer to his prayers. However, he totally regrets having to hurt the love of his life in the process.
Now we move forward fourteen years. Tate is a popular actress and Sam is a successful author. Tate has never gotten over the heartbreak and Sam’s disloyalty from over a decade ago. Thanks to Sam’s betrayal and her father’s notoriety, Tate is able to live her dream of being an actress. With her latest role, she has the opportunity to win an Oscar. Unbeknownst to Tate, Sam wrote the book and the film’s screenplay. Tate’s dad has been cast in the film as well, and the publicity surrounding their first time working together is pure gold. Thanks to amazing publicists, the world believes that Tate and her dad have a warm relationship, which couldn’t be further from the truth. They are both very good actors and are able to sell the lie. The remote location and isolated set, allows Tate and Sam rekindle their love for each other. Unfortunately, their personal lives become fodder for all of social media. This time Sam did not cause Tate’s heartbreak, however, the man who did will never be forgiven.
This is a very interesting book and it kept me entertained from beginning to end. Although the story starts out a bit slow, it picks up speed along the way and never loses momentum. Many things happen in London and on the set of the film, which keeps the plot lively and intriguing. I was gutted when Sam betrayed Tate. Nevertheless, Tate and Sam have great chemistry. Overall, a wonderful romantic read!
Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
I enjoyed TIABM and read it in two days but I must say it didn’t have that usual Christina Lauren feel to it. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad just not what I expected.
I guess things were too easy; the insta love and the quick forgiveness. I wish it had a little more push and pull between Tate and Sam.
Overall a good read and I’m glad I got to read it early.
**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed **
4 Stars!
Tate Jones is the daughter of a famous movie star who is living a normal life under the radar in a small town in Northern California. She’s eighteen and just graduated high school. Before she starts college she takes the vacation of a lifetime to London with her Nana. There she meets a guy she feels an instant connection with. Sam Brandis is from a farm in Vermont, and is travelling abroad with his grandfather when he meets Tate. They fall fast and hard, and are crazy about one another.
Sam is Tate’s first love, and first everything. She felt free for the first time in years to confide all her secrets, including her true identity. After living in the shadows for so long, she finally felt like she was living in the sun. She’s excited to explore and have one big adventure with Sam by her side. Then everything goes terribly wrong, and she’s left feeling betrayed and brokenhearted. She put her trust in the wrong person, and was burned.
Over a decade later Tate is living her life in the public eye as an actress. She finally has the big break out role she’s been waiting on. When she walks onto set her first day she never expected to see her first love. Sam is just as gorgeous as she remembered, but she has to keep it together, and guard her heart. She’s determined to stay professional and co-exist with him while doing her job, but when forced to confront the past and the feelings still between them, will they get a second chance at love?
Twice In A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren is a wonderful second chance romance about young love, heartbreak, and unbreakable connections. I really enjoyed this story and love this amazing writing duo!
Twice in a Blue Moon is another Christina Lauren gem!
My favorite thing about this book is that we get to watch Tate and Sam fall in love as kids in “real time” rather than thru one sided recollections and flashbacks. The back story was fully developed first and then we moved to the present where the two are reunited as very different people who still have this undeniable connection with one another.
I loved Charlie, Tyler, and Nick as Tate’s support on set and of course Emma and Nana at home. The story felt so organic without feeling overly predictable. My only complaints are that we never got to be in Sam’s head and it felt a little rushed at the ending…but then really good books often feel too short!
I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.
Tate Jones has spent most of her life living in a quiet little town with her mom and nana, and away from her famous actor dad. After graduating from high school, Tate’s nana takes her to London for a two week vacation. While they are there, they meet Sam Brandis and his grandfather, Luther. While spending time with Sam, Tate is very drawn to him and starts sneaking away to spend alone time with him. Tate has fallen in love with Same and eventually confides all of her secrets to him. Of course this ends up blowing up in her face.
Fourteen years later, Tate is a famous actress and is going to star in a new movie that has a lot of Oscar buzz where she will also be working with her father for the first time. Imagine Tate’s surprise when she sees Sam on the set. Even though he broke her heart, she is drawn to him. It will take a lot of conversations for these two to get to a better understanding of each other and over time it just might make them fall in all over again.
I just LOVED this story and could not put it down. I cannot even begin to imagine the type of life Tate has had to live. Even through it all, she has come out as such a strong and fragile character at the same time. I also just adored Sam. It was hard to stay mad at him after you hear what happened and why. Together these two just brought out the best in each other. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book. Read it….you will not be sorry!
When we first meet up with Tate and Sam, their romance is sweet and innocent. Everything your first love should be. Tate and Sam found love and friendship without having to look hard for it, only for the deepest betrayal to happen. But, when it comes to Tate and Sam’s story, it’s not a malicious as it seems. There’s more to their story than meets the eyes, and it will be fourteen years before these former lovers are reunited and the truth finally sees the light….
Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. So, let’s start with the things that worked. I really liked the beginning of the story. I loved the way that Sam and Tate met. They just hit it off and couldn’t help the pull they felt for one another. I think for Tate, it was a breath of fresh air to be around someone she liked, but that didn’t know her. She found it easy to confide in Sam and just be who Tate wanted to be. Sam and Tate’s beginning was filled with lots of stolen and sweet moments and those moments left me with butterflies in my stomach from all of the cuteness. The betrayal was a great twist. I wasn’t expecting it and definitely didn’t see it coming. I liked the overall plot of the story. I thought it was a unique take on a first love/second chance romance.
Sadly, this book was not a 100% hit for me. So, lets touch on what did not work. First thing being first. There is a huge gap of time between when we last see Tate and Sam. Now, usually that isn’t a huge deal, but for this story, that gap left me with a lot of questions. For me, I wanted to see what happened to both Sam and Tate after their separation. I wanted to see Tate rise up and also see what led her to her new career. I think if we had gotten to experience those moments instead of a blip of a mention of them, I feel like I would have connected to the “new” Tate better. Same can be said for Sam. His life changed in many ways and I would have liked to see how he got there and those moments that led to his reunion with Tate. This is definitely a time where I feel that dual point of view could have really helped with character growth and connection. My other issue was the ending. While I really liked it, it felt a bit rushed to me, like we hit our climax and that’s it, show’s over. After everything these characters went through, I would have liked to gotten more of their reunion and their future instead of just tiny blips of it.
So, my final thoughts. This book was an ok read. For me, it had a totally different feel from what we normal get from this duo. It was much lighter, less angst, less steamy moments. Don’t get me wrong, there was still drama and some steam. But, it just didn’t have that spark or signature humor that I’m used to from Christina Lauren. There were some parts that worked and some that just didn’t. I think this book will be one of those that some will love and some will hate. And while this isn’t my favorite book by this duo, I’m still glad that I checked it out and gave it a chance.
“It’s so crazy to think that things that I thought only lived in my imagination can be real.”
There is an indescribable feeling you get when you are lost in the pages written be these authors. It still amazes me how their books are seamless and you feel like it’s just one author writing these words that capture your soul. Very few authors can do this for me. I treasure the gift.
“But then I touch you, and it’s like every fantasy I ever had coming true.”
This book is filled with the excitement of many milestones, I love the wisdom sprinkled throughout, friendship, betrayal, loyalty, compassion, growth, second chances, misunderstandings, humor and life experiences.
“…the worst thing I ever did was for the best reason I ever had?”
You will be take back in time and shown how some of the hardest times in life were also simplistic and authentic times as well. Sometimes walking in another’s shoes is difficult~yet you learn to appreciate moments from another perspective.
“I finally did something right in his eyes, and he only had to sell me out to get it.”
I pray somewhere down the line we get more of these characters. I feel in love with them and don’t want their story to end.
“…he’s always shown me exactly who he is, and I just never want to believe it.”
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.
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!
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 of a 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.