Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

9/9/2019

SYNOPSIS

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.

Synopsis from Goodreads

PERSONAL REVIEW

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of Twice in a Blue Moon in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve gone on a big Christina Lauren binge lately, which is why I was so excited to receive this ARC of their newest book. We’re given a time jump from when the characters first meet to their second face-to-face interaction after Sam has betrayed Tate. I loved where their love story took us.

Love the Time Jump
I really loved getting to see Tate and Sam at two different stages of their lives. The 14 year time jump was a great idea because it shows us Tate’s heartbreak and how these two characters have changed over time. I was really happy to find that a solid chunk of the novel was dedicated to when Tate and Sam first meet because it was important to lay the groundwork of how they fall in love before the jump happens. Without that time, it would’ve been easy to brush off Tate’s feelings as young love, but those first chapters were well built and my heart was broken alongside hers.

Cool “Behind the Scenes” of a Movie
I thought that Christina Lauren did a cute job of giving readers a "behind the scenes" of making a movie. While I know that it's all fiction, I honestly like believing that actors are friends behind the scenes that they have a good time making movies. There's a "magic" to moviemaking that is fun to imagine and Christina Lauren has given us that chance to feel like we're glimpsing behind the scenes of it without really hurting our expectations. It was a fun alternate reality to read about.

Secondary Characters were Underdeveloped
There were so many wonderful characters in this book, but I felt like we didn’t really get to know them. We know they are part of this world, but nothing really develops from them except as being there to prop up the story. While I don’t think every character needs to come with their own story (the book would be massive!), I do wish we had a chance to get to see some deeper interactions between Tate and her friends and family. It would have added some additional depth to the story and I definitely would’ve loved to know more about Charlie specifically! She just seems so cool!

Overall, I thought this was a really great book! It was a type of contemporary romance I’ve come to expect from Christina Lauren novels and I enjoyed getting to meet these new characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who’s enjoyed other Christina Lauren novels, to people who like contemporary romances or romantic comedies, or anyone looking for a fun read moving into the fall season.

FINAL RATING: 4/5