REVIEW: "Twice in a Blue Moon" by Christina Lauren (Romantic Comedy)

TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren
	Publisher: S&S/Gallery Books Genre: Romantic Comedy Publication Date: October 22nd 2019 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Second Chances, Creatives in Love
Other Books by Christina Lauren
Description from Publisher:
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.
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. On one hand, the story was interesting enough and I really enjoyed the filming on a movie set. On the other, I jist didn't really feel chemistry between Sam and Tate. Everything felt a bit too easy, despite all the wrenches. There was a lot of disbelief suspending, as well. The sequence in which they filmed, the fact that Tate didn't get the connection of the film and Sam for forever... I don't know that the instalove helped matters, or the fact that Sam and Tate didn't really interact all that much. I really liked all of the supporting characters, and what they all meant to Tate. Tate's family and friends all felt like they had a good amount of depth. All in all, I think I'll just have to consider this the one Christina Lauren book that wasn't a hit for me.
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author:
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 fourteen 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.)

REVIEW: "Smitten by the Brit" by Melonie Johnson (Contemporary Romance)

Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson
	Publisher: St Martin's Press Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: May 28th 2019 Series: Sometimes in Love, #2 Standalone: Yes
Categories:
Love Abroad, Strong Heroine
Other Books by Melonie Johnson
#1
Description from Publisher:
DEFINITELY, MAYBE...OR LOVE, ACTUALLY? English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene—and quickens Bonnie's heart. With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer—conveniently close to Theo—she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she's falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo's life makes Bonnie feel like she's wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
So I have to start this by saying: I LOVED Logan in the first book, and liked Theo as his friend. They had an excellent bromance going. But more Theo has me loving the Brit as well! He is a sweetheart of a guy, and strong-willed, loyal, with the perfect amount of cheeky. Bonnie was a nice match for him. She's a mix of strong feminist and old-fashioned, loving Jane Austen and Shakespeare. I admit that, at first, some of her "Don't treat me like a weak female" hangup felt over-the-top, but it paid off well with the arc of her character. Her vulnerability really helped to round her out, especially towards the beginning half. The inclusion of the characters from the first book was great, and I felt like they were worked in pretty seamlessly. I would still recommend reading Hot for the Scot before this one to get backstory, but that isn't exactly a hardship since both books are fantastic! I'd say that my favorite thing about this book, and the first, was that the issues felt like genuine issues with a bit of serendipitous whimsy to make it interesting. The characters' problems and interactions feel almost like real life. In case you can't tell, I am loving this series! Keep 'em coming, Melonie! :)
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author:
A Star Wars junkie and Shakespeare groupie who quotes both Yoda and the Bard with equal aplomb, award-winning author Melonie Johnson—aka #thewritinglush—is a two-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist who loves dark coffee, cheap wine, and expensive beer. And margaritas. And mimosas. And mules. Basically any cocktail that starts with the letter m. She met her future husband in that most romantic of places—the mall—when they were teenagers working in stores across the hall from each other. Today, they live happily ever after in the magical land midway between Chicago and Milwaukee with their two redhead daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a pair of hermit crabs. After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie taught high school English and Theatre in the northern Chicago suburbs for several years. Now she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin.