Book Review: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Twice in a Blue Moon
By: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: October 22, 2019
Source: eARC from publisher in exchange for a honest review
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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 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.

 

My Thoughts:

I have had the pleasure of reading and enjoying author team Christina Lauren's books for several years now.  When I saw Twice in a Blue Moon, I was excited to get my hands on this newest addition and dive right in.  As a side note, I love the book cover and the whimsical and fun quality of the moon and stars.

The story begins with the main character Tate traveling with her Nana to celebrate her eighteenth birthday on her dream trip to London.  While on vacation Nana and Tate meet Luther and his grandson Sam, who are in London celebrating Sam's twenty-first birthday.  Nana is very cautious and warns Tate not to talk to anyone and to keep to herself.  Tate was excited to be away from home, to enjoy London, and get away from the heaviness of the secrets that resided at home.  

On the trip, Tate and Sam are drawn to one another and share a sizzling chemistry.  They quickly hit it off and find themselves spending a lot of time together.  What takes place is a romantic whirlwind, where these two experience an intense, exciting, and sweet first love.  Unfortunately, the tide shifts when Sam and Luther leave without saying goodbye, and Tate's trust is betrayed when her confidence is broken by Sam.

Fourteen years later, Tate is a successful actress and is excited to be embarking on a film that is sure to take her career to the next level.  However, she is completely caught off guard when she see's Sam, and learns that he is the writer for the film she will be starring in.  Tate has a lot of anger and hurt regarding Sam, but has never stopped loving him.  With the two of them on set, how will she manage to successfully act, and resolve the conflicting emotions that she feels towards Sam?

I enjoyed reading about the innocence, exuberance, and excitement of first love.  I could feel the butterflies, and picture these two that couldn't take their eyes off of one another.  Sam's betrayal devastated me, and I was angry and hurt for a young and brokenhearted Tate. 

When Tate and Sam were reunited on set, I struggled with forgiving him, even though I understood his explanation to a certain extent.  I felt like he could have handled the situation differently and even after everything went down, he didn't try to fix anything.  I enjoyed meeting an older Tate and Sam.  Being on the movie set, interacting with cast and crew, and the daily ins and outs of filming were fascinating.  Tate ends up acting with her famous and narcissistic father, and it heart my heart the way that he had abandoned her when she was younger, and she was still trying so hard to have a relationship with him, when all he cared about was himself.  

My favorite elements in the story were the characters, with my most beloved being Tate, her mother, Nana, Luther, and Tate's best friend Charlie.  I loved the settings of London and the farm where the movie was staged.  The romance was secondary for me, and I think that was because I didn't find myself falling for Sam the second time around, the way I did the first rime, before his betrayal.  

Christina Lauren is a very talented author duo.  I love their romantic comedies, and Twice in a Blue Moon was a more serious story. I enjoyed seeing them write a different type of story, and it just goes to prove that these two can write anything!   

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | TBD

About the Authors:

Yes, there are two of us! Lauren (on the left) and Christina (on the right). Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, a Lambda Literary Award finalist and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. They have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in 2017 to critical acclaim, followed by Roomies, Love and Other Words, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, and the Publisher’s Weekly starred My Favorite Half-Night Stand, out in December. 

Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance. 

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you can find her at her desk, writing or watching BTS videos. She grew up in Utah and is absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 17 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter. 

You can follow their shenanigans at: @lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter. On Tumblr! where we post kissing gifs and writerly stuff and Wattpad for short stories and sneak peeks! 

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie/TV news and more, follow @christinalauren.

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