Gallery Books Twice in a Blue Moon

Absolutely Stunning! I LOVED this book and I really thought that I was going to HATE it! The low-star reviews that I read are just not fair for this beautiful book from our darlings Christina & Lauren. All these reviewers wanted to re-read the CLo books of the Beautiful B*stard troupe and this is not one of those books. Don’t get me wrong – BB is one of my all time favorites – but this is a lovely, heart-wrenching, second chance love story. The Past: Tate is a sheltered 18 year-old everygirl – sheltered from the public as her father is a iconic movie star who wronged her mother years ago. Sam is visiting London with his dying Grandfather. Whirl wind romance thru London staring at the stars ends in a crazy cosmic betrayal. Sam: “Can you believe me, though?” he asks quietly. “That the worst thing I ever did was for the best reason I ever had?” SWOON! The Now: Sam’s betrayal forced Tate into a fabulous acting career – rough, huh? The second chance meeting is not a pleasant surprise as they are forced together on Tate’s Oscar-potential breakout film role – 14 years later! Lots of angsty drama (not what we are used to from our authorettes) but it WORKS! Supporting characters – CLO really puts a lot into the ancillary characters which always has you rooting for follow up sequels. Charlie (Tate’s outgoing bestie) and Marco or maybe some Nick and Trey – all sorts of fun scenarios running thru my mind. I cried throughout and I was delighted by the ending – wishing for at least 4 more chapters! This is a wonderfully written, soulful story. I became emotionally invested in both flawed characters just anticipating their ultimate real reunion which was beautiful. Good Job Ladies!

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her First love. Her First everything. Including her first heartbreak. ⁣ ⁣ During a two-week vacation abroad in London, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way first loves do; sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets. ⁣ ⁣ Sam is the only person Tate has ever revealed her identity to. The long-lost-daughter of one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars. But when she realizes her trust was misplaced, her world is shattered for good. ⁣ ⁣ Fourteen years later Tate is now a un-and-coming actress, but still thinks about her first love. When she steps onto the set of her big break, he is the last person she expects to see. Yet here he 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 reasons.. And whether once in a lifetime can come around twice. ⁣ ⁣ I want to start off by saying this is not your typical Christina Lauren book.It so obviously has the beautiful and witty writing style of our beloved duo, but this wouldn’t be like “Roomies”. If you enjoyed “Love and Other Words” this would be a good choice for you! I have seen plenty of mixed reviews about this one and hopefully this helps you! I personally loved this book! It has romance but the story mainly follows Tate’s career, her relationship with her father, and her internal struggles about her past with Sam. The amount of detail about film sets and the script writing were such a great touch that really added to the story. This audiobook with Erin Mallon narrating, transports you right into the story. I listened to this whenever I had the chance so I could find out how it ended. I can’t wait for my pre-order to arrive because I am happy to add this one to my CLO collection as well! ⁣

I have enjoyed other books by the author duo Christina Lauren, and I’ve had Twice in a Blue Moon on my bookshelf for a while. Recently, I’ve been opting for audiobooks because life has thrown me some curveballs, and I haven’t had much time to sit down with a physical book or my Kindle. Thankfully, Libby had the audiobook for this title. Erin Mallon, the narrator, did a fabulous job and definitely made the book enjoyable, even though I wasn’t thrilled with the direction the story took at the end. The story is narrated solely from the perspective of the FMC, Tate. It begins when she is eighteen and on vacation in London with her grandmother. There, she meets Sam and his grandfather. Tate and Sam quickly grow close and fall for each other. However, when Tate reveals her true identity, Sam takes advantage of this information. Fast forward fourteen years: Tate is now working with her father on a film and unexpectedly encounters Sam, who betrayed her and broke her heart all those years ago. As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed about Sam’s betrayal, and Tate discovers that the film she is acting in is deeply connected to Sam’s family’s past. This book started amazingly, and I loved the instant connection and attraction that Tate and Sam felt while on vacation. However, when Sam betrayed her, I completely understood why Tate was so angry with him when they later reunited in life. He not only broke her heart, but he also betrayed her trust, and he really should have been groveling to win her back. While it was clear that he still had feelings for her and regretted what he did, if he truly cared, he would have addressed the situation with her before betraying her all those years ago. I really believe he should have made a greater effort to apologize during the ending. More groveling, perhaps. Lots of groveling, actually. I had another issue with Tate’s father, who I felt was unnecessary to the story. He contributed to the conflict between Tate and Sam toward the end of the book, and I really didn’t like his character. He was not there for Tate during her childhood and treated her poorly. While they were working together on the film, he belittled her. Tate didn’t even need his guidance, as she was an amazing actress, and everyone around her kept telling her that. I loved Tate’s character and seeing how she followed her dreams, even after what Sam did and how her father treated her. Her father didn’t deserve her. Tate truly shined in whatever she did. I’m happy that she ended up with Sam and got her happily ever after, but I think she should have made him work harder for her forgiveness. Unfortunately, this isn’t my favorite book by the author duo. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t recommend it to other readers. I’ve actually passed my physical copy of the book to my college friend so she can read it. She might enjoy it much more than I did. If you enjoy Second Chance Romance stories, then this book may be something you want to add to your TBR. What to Expect: 💙Second Chance Romance 💙Forced Proximity 💙Celebrity Romance

Let me start by saying that I loved this book, I thoroughly enjoy this departure from the rom-com books that Christin Lauren have previously produced. This book had so much feeling - I could feel the despair and pain that Tate felt from her betrayal and how it haunted her, and then how being confront with Sam would throw her off balance. I loved the new and excitingness of first love, but all the time was waiting for Sam to crush her – so I was full of angst while I was reading this part. I was glad that Tate didn’t let the bitterness and hurt she felt hold her back from living her life on her terms! And whilst it didn’t happen like she would have wanted it, she made the best of the situation. The reconnection was everything that I hoped it would be, it was rough, full of confrontation and honesty, a little jealousy and but most of all it was full of forgiveness! Sam owned his actions and was honest about his reasons, but knowing his side of the story made it easier for Sam to forgive, since he wasn’t the jerk she had built up in her head! I liked that she didn’t just let him off the hook, but their natural chemistry made it impossible for them to keep their distance for too long! I don’t even want to talk about Tate’s dad – what a jerk! I can see where the mixed feelings about this book come from, but honestly it really worked for me and I like that it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns! I would be happy for only rom-coms from Christina Lauren, but this to me really show their scope of writing!

Sheltered teenager Tate Jones fell in love with Sam Brandis while both were travelling to London with elderly grandparents (100% got A Room with a View vibes). Tate revealed her deepest, darkest secrets to Sam, only to have him betray her in the most devastating way. A decade and a half later, Tate is an actress and is shocked to find Sam hanging around her latest movie set. The two are forced to confront their past and discover whether true love can happen, say it with me, TWICE in a blue moon. There were some things that were really sweet about this book. I love Sam's grandparents and I love the movie being inspired by their lives (and I thought Tate had to be super dense not to realize it immediately like I did...). Sam himself is a cool character, not perfect, but definitely sympathetic and charming. I love Nick, a supporting character, and I hope he gets his own book. He and Tate's bff Charlie were the best. I felt like I got to know them both better than even Sam and Tate. I really did not like the beginning, focusing on the YA love story. It felt SO unrealistic and took up way too much time in my opinion. I wish more time had been spent on Sam and Tate's reconnection. Their resolution felt really forced and left me with unanswered questions. The unbelievable plots gets 2 stars from me but because, like every other CLo book I've read, the writing is just so enjoyable and it definitely provides a happy escape, I couldn't rate the book that low. All in all, I definitely think CLo and romcom fans will like this book, but I wouldn't rush it to the top of your TBR.