Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren Narrator: Erin Mallon
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio on October 22, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Length: 8 hours, 29minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
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.
I love the way Tate had amazing women in her life: Nana, her Mom and Charlie. Also, I hate the men in her life or that drop in and out so quickly. Her parents divorcing when she was young and her Dad being a big movie star has to be weird. And then her Nana and Mom never talk about him and she never sees him.
Tate is very likable although a bit insecure about men. Well, that is not surprising. Sam may have reasons but I don’t like what he did. At all. I enjoyed getting to see a bit of his thoughts from the four emails he sent her. I totally get Tate being attracted to him but I hate it. Her father, well, she has experience with him and it isn’t going to help her feel secure.
Twice in a Blue Moon is two emotional whirlwinds for Tate with a decade plus between them. Each time is emotionally authentic but I don’t like the time gap. I’d also like to see how things go forward a bit from the ending point. It’s one thing to let a woman be independent enough to choose, but another when you don’t communicate anything.
Narration:
I have listened to Erin Mallon before. Her female voices were distinct but I felt she had mostly one male voice. I love that male voice but it was weird coming from a couple different characters. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Erin Mallon
Erin Mallon is an actor, writer and voice artist in NYC. Her naturally warm personality and youthful sound have proven excellent tools for the many young adult and romance titles she narrates. She has originated roles in the theater with Ensemble Studio Theater’s Youngblood Company, The Drilling Company, Mabou Mines, Incubator Arts Project and many more. Erin is a devoted volunteer at The 52nd Street Project, the voice of many TV and radio commercials, and was one of BACKSTAGE’s “Career Dispatch” columnists for 2012.
About Christina Lauren
Yes, there are two of us! Lauren (on the left) and Christina (on the right).
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year, and been nominated for several Goodreads Choice Awards. They have been featured in publications such as Forbes, The Washington Post, Time, Entertainment Weekly, People, O Magazine and more. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in September, followed by a contemporary romance, Roomies in December, and their first Women’s Fiction, Love and Other Words in April.
Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.
Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you can find her at her desk, writing or watching BTS videos. She grew up in Utah and is absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 17 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
The time gap with some second chance romances and the big cause of the split can be problematic at times. I love Erin Mallon’s narration work, too, but haven’t listened often enough to run into the one male voice thing. I can see how that would bring to mind other characters. 🙂
Yes certainly everyone is younger before the time gap and certainly has less experience and maturity and communication skills. Sigh. I think it could happen with any narrator and I’ve had problems when I heard a narrator on one book and then heard a previously read book’s character in it, if that makes sense. It doesn’t happen too often, thank goodness. But when 2 characters in the same book sound too much alike and they are both pretty main characters I have more trouble. I won’t mention the characters because it could just be me. I enjoyed it anyway.
I’ve got this coming up. Thanks for the warning that there are going to be troublesome elements. Great review, Anne?
Well you might not have the same issues so that’s why I didn’t mention the 2 characters I thought sounded similar. Some of my issues are just my issues and may not be relevant to anyone else. I enjoyed the book anyway. I hope you enjoy it.
communication is almost always an issue in romantic suspense, which is one of my favorite genres. sometimes it can be annoying to me. it’s all in how the author handles it
Well as I mentioned above, the characters are much younger, less experienced etc before the gap and even after, when emotions are involved it can be more difficult to express things.
I would be curious to try their new novel
I always want to read all their books.
This doesn’t seem to be getting as many good reviews as their other books have been getting. It is hard when you don’t like what a character does. I am kind of glad that I didn’t request this one.
Probably for the best. This is not my favorite one from the author.
I get that there has to be a time gap with second chance romances, but it has to be handled in a way where I’m not feeling like some big things left the story lacking.
Well I enjoyed the book but I had a few issues with believing some aspects.
I thought this one was okay but certainly not my favorite by Christina Lauren. Tate’s relationship with her father bugged me and I grew tired of her constantly seeking his approval/love. That was a relationship she should have let go a long time ago. I also wished there had been more from Sam’s POV instead of just the few emails.
I totally agree with you. I needed her to stand up to her father or dump him. I also needed more of Sam or at least more time with them together on the second time period.
I really appreciate your thoughts on this one, Anne. I really enjoyed this one overall, but like you I wanted more at the end.
YES! Too much muddling around at the beginning and not enough at the end. Tate also spent waaaaaay too much time worrying about her dad, especially in the second half.
I grabbed this one for review b/c I have usually love these authors. However, after seeing a few reviews similar to yours, I’m not sure I’ll end up reading it. And I DNF’d their last one. Hmmm… maybe time for me to take a break. Thanks for your review.
I always want to read everything and I’m not sorry I listened to this one. But overall it isn’t my favorite of theirs.
I was on the fence about this one. I really enjoy Christina Lauren but I wasn’t sure I’d like the time gap either. There are a few authors that have done it and made it work and it is a beautiful thing. But then there are a few that haven’t gone well for me since I’m still mad at one of the characters, emotional reader that I am. Still this looks like something I could be into in the right frame of mind.
Weeeelll, you could easily get mad at one of the characters or two here. I still read all of their work. But I’m tickled to hear you get mad at characters.
I enjoy this one but not as much as their other books. I didn’t mind the story between Tate and Sam but the dad could have been left out.
I read your review. I think the dad adds depth but it takes away from the main story of Tate and Sam. I didn’t feel we got enough of Sam overall to really care about him.