New Release Spotlight w/ Review: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren
Today I'm sharing the new release from New York Times bestselling author, Christina Lauren.
Twice in a Blue Moon is a contemporary romance- NOT a romcom as you might expect- that explores young love, family drama, betrayal, and second chances. It's available in stores and online TODAY.
Find out more about the book below, and read my full review to see what I thought about this hot new romance!
Enjoy.
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About the Book:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it… 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.
Buy Links:
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My Review:
Twice in a Blue Moon is an adult contemporary romance novel told from the POV of the heroine, Tate. It takes place Then and Now, with a span of fourteen years in between. The story had many entertaining elements, but I found the romance in the present time was lacking.
For someone who generally doesn't gravitate towards or necessarily enjoy Young Adult novels very often, I actually found myself preferring the first part of Twice in a Blue Moon where the young characters fell in love fast, over the second chance love story as mature adults.
While in London, Tate and Sam met and there was an instant attraction. The vibe between them was fun and flirty. The author built on that connection and what transpired was a fast and sweet first love romance. That relationship ended all too suddenly, and in heartbreak.
Fourteen years later their paths crossed again, and it was this chunk of the story that really failed to draw me in. That passion Sam and Tate shared as young lovers didn't return full-force. She had been betrayed by him in a huge way back then and although you can understand his reasoning to a degree, it was still a pretty big betrayal. Tate forgave him and moved on a little too swiftly. As a reader, I felt disconnected from Sam in the present, he hadn't won me over again so quickly, so it was hard to fully invest in their reunion. His character and the second part of the story needed further development.
The drama and conflict added a good bit of tension, but the conclusion came too abruptly. It felt rushed and I believe Twice in a Blue Moon would have benefited from including an epilogue.
**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon & Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.**
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About the Author:
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 internationally bestselling authors of the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series, Dating You / Hating You, Autoboyography, Love and Other Words, Roomies, Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, My Favorite Half-Night Stand, and The Unhoneymooners. You can find them online at ChristinaLaurenBooks.com, @ChristinaLauren on Instagram, or @ChristinaLauren on Twitter.
