THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners.It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere … Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.
But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.
The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
more
Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books and Christina Lauren for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
When I saw a Christina Lauren book available on NetGalley I immediately had to request it! I was over the moon when I was sent the book and I’ve been DYING to read it! If you loved ANY of their other books, you’ll love this one! I’ll be honest… a holiday themed, time travel book is normally something I’d pass on but how can you pass on a Christina Lauren book?! Thank Goodness I didn’t because I fell in love with this family!
Maelyn Jones loves tradition. Every year her family and friends get together to spend the Christmas holiday together. Every year since they were children, the families have stuck to a routine. A day for a snow sculpture contest, another for sledding a massive hill, the next for a across town scavenger hunt. After ending a deadbeat relationship and struggling to love her job, she is especially looking forward to escaping to the cabin.It doesn’t hurt that she’ll get to spend a week with her family friend, Andrew. Mae has been in love with Andrew since they were kids. After ending their trip on a bad note, Mae makes a simple wish to the universe: Show me what will make me happy. Suddenly she’s starting the trip all over again, and again, each time getting a little closer to her happy ever after.
As someone with a MASSIVE family and seven siblings myself, I loved the family dynamic in this! Christmas in my house is major and I’m a sucker for traditions like Mae. My parents recently talked about wintering in the south for winters and my first thought was…but what about Christmas at your house??? I’m in the middle of transitioning from new adult to… actual adult, and I think the changing family traditions hit me the hardest! I could completely relate to Mae throughout.
I was nervous about the time jumping, something I usually just can’t get into in book form, but as always, this was written smoothly! You’re sucked in from the beginning and the story keeps a quick pace throughout! Honestly the only complaint I’d have is I read these characters as young adults… 18-25. The fact that they were almost 30 kept throwing me off because there really was nothing to indicate their age throughout.
It’s safe to say I would read a grocery list written by Cristina Lauren at this point! They nail contemporary romance perfectly.
Such a cute holiday read! I really enjoyed this Christina Lauren read! I could feel myself at this cabin, wanting to be there around this fun and loving family, joining in on their holiday traditions. I even laughed out loud a handful of times. This one was straight out of a Hallmark movie and I loved it!
This was a book I wanted really bad and it showed up as a Book of the Month Club choice for December. I had asked for it from a couple of Secret Santa events I was participating in, but it was on a list among other books, so I didn’t know if I’d get it. I still don’t know because I haven’t received one of those gifts yet. So I gave in and used my monthly credit for it and decided to pick it up and read it instead of another book I’d planned to read because it fit the season and I have been in the mood for holiday books this year. And boy am I glad I decided to fit this one in because I loved it!
The whole Groundhog’s Day movie aspect of repeating the day over and over was perfect, especially with how quickly it restarted the first few times. And then, when everything started going perfectly and I kept waiting for something to happen, the way the story had the reminders for Mae were really spot on. This was such a sweet romance, with a teensy bit of steaminess, and definitely some real emotions, I had tears running down my face for at least one chapter or so.
I will say that I had a bit of confusion about some of the adults in the family once or twice trying to remember who was who, but it wasn’t enough that it caused any issues for the story. Just took me a minute to try to remember who was married to who, etc. This book is one of the reasons that I love Christina Lauren, and will continue to read all their books!
ℎ ℎ . ℎ ℎ , . ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ ℎ ().
‘ ℎ , ℎ . ‘ ℎ ℎ ℎ .
4.5 ’s
I had been dying to get my hands on this new book from these two writers. I went in blind, as I wanted to be surprised and discover the story as I went. Of course I knew it would be a Christmas themed novel, but that’s all I knew. And I loved doing it this way.
Maelyn Jones has been living her life by just existing. The one time of the year she truly cherishes is the festive season with her family – blood and extended – at the cabin. This year is different. Everything is going along like the previous years traditions but Mae experiences a phenomenon when she asked the universe to show her what would make her happy. What then becomes a bit of a Groundhog Day occurrence, she has to unearth that magic question and learn for herself gives her the greatest joys.
I adored this story. I was onboard the whole way through on the family dynamics, the way they got together each year and why this year was a stumbling block for some. The thing I missed though was the answer to how it all came about, how or why it happened. I thought it might go down a different path of a dream or comma awakening and was ok that it didn’t but I wanted more of a conclusion. Thank you to a generous blogger who gifted me this book.
The perfect holiday escape this week! I adored this whimsical romance that follows Mae’s end-of-holiday-vacation wish to discover what makes her happy. That wish shoots her back in time to do her Christmas vacation over and over again as she tries to right her wrongs, and find her way into the arms of the boy she’s loved since childhood. The perfect holiday read!
I laughed out loud and I cried. I wanted the story to last forever.
In a Holidaze
Christina Lauren
Y’all, this book is GREAT! It was my December @bookofthemonth pick and I absolutely devoured it.
Have you ever wished you could find your happiness? Well, that’s exactly what Mae does & sends her back in time to figure it out.
This is the sweetest friends-to-lovers, holiday romance I’ve read. I loved all of the characters & the chemistry between them is amazing. Not gonna lie, I’m crossing my fingers for more of this family’s story
I received this book from my Secret Santa at the absolute perfect time of year!
It is a lighthearted read in the style of Groundhog Day. Maelyn and her family have a long-standing tradition of spending Christmas at a cabin in Utah. When things don’t go as Maelyn would like she has been committed (by an outside force) to relive the 5 days in the cabin over and over and over. She had asked the Universe what it would take to make her happy and this was the result.
The trouble with this is that the other characters are not reliving it…..each time is their first experience with this particular Christmas. As Maelyn gets frustrated everyone else is concerned that something is wrong with her.
It’s a fun read, laugh out loud funny at times. In fact, some of the writing is corny but it is also endearing. It fits right in with the theme of the book.
But it also has substance. There is a message: you have to search for what makes you happy. You can’t expect it to drop into your lap.
A perfect light read (with substance) for this busy time of year. Thanks to my secret Santa for picking this book for me.
Such a stinking cute holiday story! I really liked the characters and the magical elements here. Andrew was such a sweet bean! It was a fun change to what I’m used to reading when it comes to contemporary romance.
The Perfect 2020 Christmas Story!
Groundhog Day meets Hallmark Christmas with more than a little steam!
Mae’s having a very weird Christmas but one thing she knows for sure is that she is willing to risk it all for the love of her life and her chosen family.
I loved the Groundhog aspect of the story but also the family dynamics and the love story was like the perfect cozy night by the fire.
Christina Lauren are some of my favorite authors, but this one was not as amazing as others that I have read. It starts out kind of slow and doesn’t have the humor we are used to seeing from this duo. Once you get past a certain point though, the book finally pulls you in and makes you giggle. I think it was a cute holiday read the get our hearts in the spirit of Christmas. This is my first time rating one of their books less than 5 stars, but I still think it is 4 star worthy once you get past the first 50 pages or so.
Song/s the book brought to mind: All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren was so much fun, and just what I needed a week before Christmas! This is a holiday themed novel that has romance, time travel and more, and I listened to the majority of it in just one sitting. This book is like the movie Groundhog Day, but better in my opinion since Mae didn’t have to live the exact same day over and over again. Christina Lauren is such a great writing duo and I always look forward to their books, and I was very excited they decided to do a holiday themed novel this year. I know it will be funny (it was), and fluffy (yes again), but it will also have its serious moments (and it did)!
In a Holidaze was the perfect blend of romance and holiday cheer, and I loved every minute of it. I did think it was kind of weird that the authors didn’t really address the time travel aspect at the end (or what happened initially to set it off), but besides that I had zero complaints about this book. I listened to the audio which is super short at just over seven and a half hours, and really enjoyed the narrator Patti Murin. I did think she struggled a bit with Benny’s accent, but I actually found this pretty funny and it in no way ruined the audio for me.
If you want a light romance with some time travel and holiday cheer, In a Holidaze will fulfill those needs. Can someone turn this into a movie? Asking for a friend…
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Cute! Groundhog day stories always stress me out, but this was done in a way that I didn’t feel stressed! I was constantly on edge that she was going to be sent back in time again, but also too distracted by cute moments between Andrew and Maelyn to be really worried.
Mae’s focus on tradition was super interesting, and her decision to just do what makes you happy has made me rethink my own choices, which is exactly what a good book does! Andrew was a sweet love interest, I’m really glad she didn’t end up with Theo, which is what I guessed in the beginning. I also loved the comradery of the old group of friends, I desperately want that in my life one day!
I died over the scene where they were laying underneath the Christmas tree, that was so funny and precious!
The only thing I’d change was that you really didn’t get to know the characters outside of their time at the cabin until the very end. I would have appreciated a bit more discussion on their lives outside of the cabin, so I could connect more with them. Andrew’s character would have felt more realistic if so.
All in all, an adorable Christmas story, I think I’ll return to this next year!
As always, Christina Lauren does not disappoint. I love everything that’s written. That includes this latest. I love the love story and this one is so perfect I read it in two days.
Holidaze take me away! This is a fabulous story wrapped up in a cozy warm cup of chocolate with a Hersey’s kiss on top. In typical CLo style, our adorably frazzled heroine Maelyn Jones is in love with the unattainable older Andrew Hollis. The very first chapter, however, is all about a drunk make-out session between Maelyn and Theo – yep, Andrew’s little brother. What happens next and thru out the book is poor Maelyn stepping into a Groundhog’s Day loop reliving the week before Christmas in search of her “happiness”.
We meet the three families that vacation together in a cabin in Park City, Utah every Christmas. You will be totally jealous of the family dynamic – even with a divorce (Mae’s parents) – still spending their holidays together and keeping up the annual traditions. The parents have been close friends since college so Maelyn, Theo and Andrew (the kids) have spent Christmas together their entire lives. So they are really more siblings than dating options. Alas, our Maelyn has been in love with Andrew “since I knew what love was”.
Maelyn ends up making a wish to the powers that be “to show her happiness”. Bam, the mayhem begins in her endless rehashing of the events of this exact week. Our authorettes Christina and Lauren are especially good at writing some super funny scenes that had me literally laughing out loud. After reliving the same family breakfast a few times already – Mae gets a little “frizzly” in the insanity of her Groundhog’s day reruns. The funniest line of the book, she utters “These are the best blintzes I’ll have all year, and who knows when I’ll get them again?” I look at Benny and wink. “Well, except me. For sure I’ll get them again.” Benny, my favorite character, is the one that Maelyn (continually) entrusts her dilemma with each rehash. He is a treat – I want an Uncle Benny!
Maelyn finally spills her love for Andrew and finds her happiness in an upstairs cabin closet via Hershey white peppermint kisses. Another great quote from Mae: “I’ve essentially handed my heart over to the person who’s had it on reserve for half my life, and I’m terrified that he doesn’t realize what he’s holding.” As a reader, we are constantly wondering when she will be swept back to the beginning of the loop. You will need to read it to find out!
In a Holidaze is a funny quirky trip thru a light-hearted, tight knit “found” family Christmas vacation. You will laugh out loud, maybe shed a tear, and come away with a warm fuzzy feeling. Like I said, you will be jealous of the group dynamic and all their crazy Christmas traditions. Christina Lauren knocked it out of the park just as they knocked out our heroine a few times! Grab the book, sit in front of the fireplace, and enjoy the Holidays!
In a Holidaze by the author(s) Christina Lauren was such a cute Christmas book! I’m happy that I could listen to it as an audiobook; the narrator was top notch. All of the emotions and descriptions flowed well, directly into my waiting ears. This would make a great movie, think groundhog day with a holiday twist!
//
Told entirely from Mae’s perspective we’re given a refreshing story about a woman just trying to figure her life out when life throws her a curveball, jeopardizing her one true constant – the fate of the cabin, her family, and close family friends use as their holiday retreat every year. What seems like a nightmare to Mae at first, living the same week over and over again, ends up becoming fun, emotional, and ultimately life-changing. What happens when you stop doing what’s expected of you and instead follow your heart?
//
I enjoyed following Mae’s journey as she slowly allowed herself to fall into place with her one true self. Author(s) Christina Lauren did a fantastic job with Mae’s character progression and made the other characters in the book feel realistic, each with personalities and quirks of their own. It was fun getting to know each of them through every timeline reset.
//
I’d happily recommend this book to anyone looking for a feel-good romance book so long as they don’t mind suspending belief here and there, take the timeline resets as they are, and enjoy the ride. You can call it a Christmas miracle.
Thank you Christina Lauren Gallery Books and Netgalley for a #gifted copy of this book.
4.5/5
3/5 Steam Rating
This is one book that I’ve been anxiously waiting to read and it did not disappoint!!! I loved the Groundhogs Day element to this romance, it gave the holiday season a new sort of magic!! Reliving the same day over and over again not only forces Mae to confront her feelings for Andrew but it also forces her to confront what she truly wants with her life. While this isn’t the “traditional” Christmas romance, it’ll still get you in the mood for the coming holiday!!
Friends to Lovers is a favorite trope of mine, especially when one has been harboring a long time love for the other person!!! In addition to the wonderful magical element, Lauren created a great host of characters and built a quaint setting within the family cabin. I loved how Lauren made this a “chosen family” that have been building traditions so the last 30yrs.
I have been anticipating this one for so long and was not disappointed. This was my first time loop type book and I loved every minute. Mae is a great character! This is a great steamy Christmas book! I highly recommend.
I loved the thought of getting to relive Christmas in your favorite place over and over again until you get things just right. In a Holidaze is a little bit Groundhog Day and a little Hallmark Perfect Christmas vibe. It isn’t all perfect though and Mae finds she needs to act like every day is important. No more putting things off. She is part of a friends and family group who meet at a mountain cabin in Utah every year. There are her parent’s college pals and now their children who range in ages from five to late twenties. They do yearly events like sledding and snow-creature making and even though they aren’t all related, it’s like family. Mae who has always hung out with two brothers, one her age and one older, makes a decision about which one she likes, and then as she travels in time back and forth continually refines how the relationship can come together. Love this one!
I received this book through Net Galley and have left an honest review.