Book Review: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Pages: 358

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: October 22, 2019

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books by Author: Love and Other Words
and The Unhoneymooners

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "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. "

Tate Butler is on a trip of a lifetime to London with her grandmother.  While there, they meet Sam Brandis and his grandfather.  Tate and Sam hit it off and find themselves spending more and more time together while on this trip.  Sam has a complicated family history and Tate, well, her family's story is ripped straight off the cover of a tabloid. Her father is Ian Butler, the world's most famous movie star and since her mother divorced him, Tate has fallen off the face of the Earth much to the paparazzi's chagrin.  She has maintained an extremely low profile living under a different name off the beaten path, so she could experience a normal childhood.  While in London, Tate and Sam get very close. So close that she actually reveals who is truly is and some of her backstory.  Disaster ensues and her whereabouts are leaked to the press.  Skip ahead to many years later when Tate is a working actress herself and she runs into Sam on set.  What will happen when the only man she ever truly loved as well as the only man to break her heart re-enters her life again?  Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren is a compelling romance set amongst movie sets and ultimately, it's all about second chances at love and life.

Twice in a Blue Moon starts off with Tate and her grandmother on this amazing trip to London. Tate is naive and hasn't really lived much thanks to her sheltered childhood. So, this is a very exciting trip for Tate. As sparks fly between Sam and Tate, they not only have chemistry, but they have a deeper connection. They get each other and surprisingly, Tate can relate to Sam, which never happens.  But by the end of the trip; however, word is out that Tate Butler is in London and the paparazzi have found her.  She only told one person about her true identity and that person is Sam. So, this means he betrayed her trust.  Plus, there's no more hiding anymore. Everyone has found Tate Butler and even has some insight into her story, thanks to Sam's blubbering mouth.

Sam is a complex character in Twice in a Blue Moon.  Initially, I found myself really liking him, but he made some horribly bad decisions, so it was tough to finally come around to him.  Keep in mind, there is more to Sam than we initially though and more is revealed as the story unfolds.  Fast forward many years and we have Tate, a successful actress, on set and she runs into Sam. Not only is Sam on the movie set, he wrote the screenplay under a pseudonym, which is why Tate is shocked about this encounter.  It truly throws her for a loop.  A big loop.  To complicate matters further, Tate is on set with her formally estranged father, who is the famous Ian Butler.  He is playing her dad in the movie. So, cue all the drama.  

My favorite part of Twice in a Blue Moon is the Hollywood/movie set setting. I loved that and it felt fun and original.  It was interesting to learn how Sam came up with his idea for the movie and what inspired him to write the screenplay.  His family's history plays a big role in it, which I also found compelling.  

White the romance didn't wow me like it did in Lauren's The Unhoneymooners, I was still delighted by this original romance.  I wish it had more of the witty banter and snarky comments Lauren is known for, but ultimately, Twice in a Blue Moon worked for me.   It's a good book to curl up with this November and holiday season, especially if you appreciate a satisfying second chance at love story.