Review: ‘Twice in a Blue Moon’ by Christina Lauren
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Twice in a Blue Moon
by Christina LaurenPublished by Gallery Books on October 22, 2019
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 351
Narrator: Erin Mallon
Length: 8 Hours And 29 Minutes
Source: Library - Libby, Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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As an adventurous send-off to her childhood, eighteen-year-old Tate Jones travels with her grandmother from their small town in Northern California to London. But the vacation of a lifetime is wonderfully derailed by the appearance of two charming Vermont farmers: grandfather Luther and his handsome grandson Sam.
Sam and Tate fall hard and fast. For two glorious weeks, the couple share their hopes, dreams, and secrets. Sam admits he suspects his grandfather is dying and that this could be the last trip they take together, and Tate reveals that she is the hidden daughter of one of the biggest film stars in the world—a secret she’s never told anyone before.
But when Tate is exposed by a crush of cameras and reporters, she knows she's been betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust. She is forced to decide whether she will return to her quiet life or embrace being in the public eye. So when Sam reappears in her world more than a decade later, can Tate forgive the past and rekindle the passion they shared on their magical trip abroad? And does she even want to?
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
About Christina Lauren
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced sixteen New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)
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