Twice in a Blue Moon: a heart-wrenching story of a second chance at first love

by Christina Lauren

'Witty and downright hilarious' Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

'Funny, engaging and strikingly poignant' Bookpage

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 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.

Find out why readers LOVE Christina Lauren

'A smart, sexy romance for readers who thrive on girl power' Kirkus Reviews on Dating You, Hating You

'Beautifully written and remarkably compelling Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author

'Heartfelt and funny, this enemies-to-lovers romance shows that the best things in life are all-inclusive and nontransferable as well as free' Kirkus Reviews on The Unhoneymooners

'Delicious, steamy, feel good romp' Goodreads reviewer

'Oh, this was just downright charming! I actually caught myself laughing out loud so many times!' Goodreads reviewer

'Pure perfection' Goodreads reviewer

'It's been a long time since a romance novel has made me so giddy' Goodreads reviewer

• ISBN10: 0349422753
• ISBN13: 9780349422756
• Publish Date: 22 October 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 22 June 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Proceed With Caution:

This book has mentions of car accidents, miscarriage, and death.

The Basics:

Twice in a Blue Moon is the second Women's Fiction novel I've picked up by this author. It's focused on 32 year old Tate, who is an actress gaining notoriety. Her latest film is her first big starring role, the first movie she's done with her superstar father, and she's unexpectedly reunited with the boy who stole her heart and betrayed her at 18.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed Twice in a Blue Moon, but not as much as Love and Other Words. It was missing that cute-factor and was quieter in the drama department. If that's more your speed, then I'm sure you'll love it. The first quarter or so follows Tate and Sam around London, where the two met while on vacation with their grandparents. The two spend nearly all of their time together, and Sam is the first person--other than her BFF--who Tate opens up to about her past and her family. He's also her first love. Then Sam disappears and is replaced with a mob of paparazzi and reporters who have now found Hollywood's missing daughter.

Twice in a Blue Moon gives us a behind the scenes look into the film industry. It's not glamorous by any means, but Tate does have to deal with a publicity nightmare as a teenager and is thrust into the spotlight. She wanted to be an actress, so it all works out for her in the end, but she learned a hard lesson about trust. Needless to say, she's pretty closed off now as an adult. She's hoping to finally build a real relationship with her father on set, but she's distracted by Sam's presence. What he did to her was crappy and she hasn't forgiven or forgotten.

I totally guessed why Sam did what he did. It's revealed pretty early on, so there was really nothing to keep me reading. I had no idea where Twice in Blue Moon was going after that. I also found it unbelievable that Tate never once came up with this reason herself over the past fourteen years. It seemed obvious. Of course, it doesn't excuse what he did at all. But I did appreciate that Sam was honest and said that he'd do it all again, no regrets. He did what was best for him and his family at that time, and I don't even blame him.

In the end, Twice in a Blue Moon was pretty good. I got through it pretty quickly, despite it being a rather slow paced novel. There's no big drama. I mean, something does come up at the end, but nothing comes of it. Tate has already made up her mind at that point.

[Rowena]

This was another solid read. The ending was a bit abrupt and I really, really wanted an epilogue but for the most part, I enjoyed reading about Tate finding love again with the guy that broke her heart so many years ago. Lots of angst, loads of charm and I liked it.

[kimbacaffeinate]

When Tate Jones is fresh out of high school, she travels with her Nan on a whirlwind vacation to London. At their hotel she meets Sam Brandis who is on vacation with his grandfather. It’s the perfect vacation. A handsome boy, conversations under the stars, strawberry, crepes and firsts… that is until he betrays her.

Fast Forward fourteen years. Tate is about to star as the leading lady in a film alongside her father. The last person she expected to see was Sam.

At its heart the tale that unfolds is a second chance romance, but it also deals with an absentee father, secrets and abandonment issues. The first twenty-five percent is spent in London when Tate is eighteen. We don’t meet Sam again until about the forty-four percent mark. Which is all fine and good, but it made the novel feel more women’s fiction or chick-lit and that vibe remained.

I enjoyed filming on location. It was fun being a part of the different scenes, and the movie had relevance to the overall story. I felt the story being filmed was relevant and address issued from today’s headlines. It also made the betrayal feel genuine and gave it life.

Tate herself is working through a lot of issues, from her mega-movie star father and her feelings of abandonment to the betrayal she experienced with Sam. I felt connected with her emotionally. Sam’s story is one that will tug at your heartstrings. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[girlinthepages]

Christina Lauren is my favorite romance author duo, so when I was approved for my second book by them in the same year I was THRILLED! The cover, the title, the synopsis- everything appealed to me, and I found myself procrastinating on starting it, waiting for a time when I could really sit down, focus and enjoy it. When I finally did have a chance to sit down and read it over the course of a few days, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down, sneaking it in during lunch breaks, waiting for rides, etc. It’s one of my favorite Christina Lauren novels to date!

I’ll be honest- though this book was a strong 4 star read for me, what made it so enjoyable for me wasn’t the romance, but the overall plot and setting of the book. It follows protagonist Tate, who is the daughter of a really big movie star but has kept her identity hidden. Split between two time periods, it starts with a focus on her life right before the world rediscovers who she is, and then jumps over a decade later to her adult life as she navigates her acting career. I was so interested in reading all of the behind the scenes details of what the film industry is like, how her father acts in public vs. private, how movies are made, etc. I was so intrigued reading about how once Tate’s identity is released to the press she starts off as a vampire on a CW show which catapults her career until she’s a serious actress playing the lead in an Oscar-worthy period piece. The career progression fascinated me and though I can’t speak to how accurate the depictions were, I found it really interesting to read about how different parts of a movie are shot, staged, and created (like when they build a barn on set to actually burn it down for the film- wild!) I also loved the Northern California farm setting that serves as the backdrop for the movie Tate is filming- you could practically feel the crisp air and easily imagine the serene peacefulness of the rural setting.

Obviously, as a Christina Lauren novel the story is a romance, but it felt very romance “light” compared to many of their other novels (which may be a good or bad thing depending on the mood you are in). It actually reminded me a lot of their novel Love and Other Words although a less intense version, what with the dual timelines and the plot centering around a second chance love story. I felt like the first part of the novel that focused on Tate and Sam’s love story was really well done, and felt believable even though they were only falling in love over the course of a couple weeks during a trip to London. The authors really managed to capture the intense, all consuming feelings of teenage love and infatuation that move at a very accelerated pace, coupled with the tension of following your family’s rules and expectations. Though brief, their whirlwind romance as teens resonated more with me than their reunion as adults. I want to avoid spoilers in this review so I won’t go too in depth, but Tate and Sam’s reunion as adults didn’t move me much. There’s a betrayal they must communicate about and eventually move past, however I personally don’t think I could have 1) moved past it and 2) rekindled the romance after everything that had happened in the time in between. Also, Sam didn’t feel like the same character as his younger self to me, and I had trouble reconciling his older and younger self.

Overall: Twice in a Blue Moon has easily become one of my favorite Christina Lauren novels not for its romance, but for the plot, setting and intimate look at the movie industry and behind the scenes elements of how films are made. It felt to me more like a story of the personal journey of the protagonist who had a romance kick start the rest of her life, rather than her life revolving around a romance, which was a refreshing change.This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[Linda]

I received a free copy of Twice in a Blue Moon from Gallery Books via Edelweiss. This has in no way influenced my review which is honest and unbiased.*

Twice in a Blue Moon proves that Christina Lauren just get better and better at writing amazing stories. Here, we had a second chance at love that appeared to not really have a chance of becoming something new. The past was filled with bad decisions, and the present didn't really make any of them seem any better...

Well written, character-driven, Twice in a Blue Moon is a realistic story in many ways. And the writing was, as always, beautiful!

[Sam@WLABB]

Christina Lauren are auto-read authors for me, and though this book was not as much rom-com as their previous releases, it was a really solid second chance romance with a strong focus on family and forgiveness, which I really enjoyed.

I was utterly swept away in throes of young love during the beginning of the book. Those nights I spent with Sam and Tate watching the stars were some of the best. They wore their hearts on their sleeves, and I must admit, Sam's betrayal broke my heart. I was shipping these two so hard, that when fate (and a movie) brought them back together, I was really excited.

The bulk of the "now" part of the story was really Tate working through her heartbreak and emotions regarding Sam and how he betrayed her trust. It really affected her, and even over a decade later, it was interfering in her relationships. I found all her emotions and reactions realistic, and it was a pleasure seeing Tate grow and come to terms with so many things in her life, because I really wanted her to find her happy.

It was a lot of fun being on the movie set, and I loved the whole idea and inspiration for the film, but as always, it was the characters that Christina Lauren crafted, which took this story to another level for me. Tate's bestie, mother, grandmother, and the rest of the cast were all wonderful and colorful, and I grew to adore them each and every one of them. And, as with any great romance, I cried some happy tears for these two, and the ending was perfection.

Overall: Another fabulous addition to the CLo catalog.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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