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.
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Loved the Groundhog Day type plot. Just a happy holiday romance….
It never occurred to me that you might be mine.
If you had the chance to travel back in time and change the outcome of your future, would you?
In this hilarious story filled with heartwarming and swoon-worthy moments, Christina Lauren throw Maelyn Jones into a continuous time loop, where her words and actions determine not only her future but the future of those around her.
This was such a fun story. From the amazing characters to the situations Maelyn puts herself and her family through, I was either gasping for air from laughing or gasping with dread.
I’m not typically a fan of holiday reads, because they tend to be too ‘sweet’ and ‘hallmark-y’ for me. Which is why I loved this story so much; it went against that formula, yet still delivered on the importance of love and family.
Not my favorite book. The idea was such a good idea but I just didn’t like how it was written. It had a lot of swearing, drinking, and sex (although not super graphic). Maybe I’m just a prude but none of it added to the story. This wasn’t my kind of book, but if that sort of stuff doesn’t bother you then maybe you would really like this story.
Thanks to a wish, Maelyn is stuck in a time loop and needs to figure out how to act to try to get out of this mess.
At first, the story begins with one tragedy after another, with each return in time something changes inside Mae and her perception and attitudes change together.
I cheered a lot for Andrew and Mae, they are very cute together, so I was a little disappointed with the point of conflict. I confess that I preferred a story with linear time and that the main focus was on the couple building the relationship of childhood friends where the guy suddenly realizes that she was always the girl for him. I expected Andrew to be a gentleman in shining armor for Mae. He even redeems himself at the very end but I found his previous attitude quite selfish and childish.
The story has a good potential to become a fun and light Christmas movie.
Another delightful book from Christina Lauren. In a Holidaze.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn 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.
This was such a fun filled book with a great cast of characters in this take on Groundhog Day the movie.
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren was a fun and charming holiday story with a laugh out loud twist. Though for many, it may be the happiest time of the year, for Mae Jones, it’s anything but. When she wishes to find what happiness would mean for her, she never imagined that would mean relieving her holiday trip until she got it right. What follows is a story that will leave you smiling. Full of fun characters and a delightful story, this is a must-read this holiday season.
Happy reading!
I received a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
In A Holidaze
By: Christina Lauren
REVIEW
I love the classic movie Groundhog Day, and anything with a like minded concept always draws my attention. In a Holidaze is the story of Mae, a young woman whose life is kind of stuck. Who is she? What does she want? Where is her life going? Then, something happens, and Mae finds herself on repeat.
This story is good fun and the perfect pick me up when you are stuck at home, which is everyday. With holiday vibes, romcom laughs and all the feels, I thought it was a charming story. I’m delighted to have read In A Holidaze, and I highly recommend it.
While I’d typically prefer to tackle my holiday reads once my Christmas tree is up and the weather has turned colder, I just couldn’t wait any longer for In a Holidaze. I’m glad I didn’t hold off any longer, to be honest. This book gave me all the magic I so desperately needed right now. It was a light and fun read, but it also packed a bit of an emotional punch. (At least for me.) There were tears, but that really shouldn’t surprise anyone that much because I am an emotional reader.
Friends-first romances are my jam. The relationships take time to evolve. There’s often some amount of unrequited (or, is it?!) love and loads of longing. I can’t get enough. Sure, I often want to force the characters into a closet and make them confront their feelings, but I still freaking love it. (Side note: there are some delightful closet scenes in this book, too.) I couldn’t NOT love Maelyn and Andrew. They gave me all the heart eyes, even when things weren’t smooth and that one time in the story where I legit wanted to scream. But all’s well that ends well, right?
If I had to describe In a Holidaze in three words, they would be delightful, magical and swoony. It’s the Christmasy romance novel version of what would happen if you mixed the movies Groundhog Day and The Family Stone (but without the cancer storyline). I straight-up read it in one sitting. That’s something that doesn’t happen very often anymore. 2020 has taken a toll on my reading focus, but it didn’t hinder me a bit here. I loved being able to escape into the snowy (and dreamy!) Park City setting and this wonderful, quirky family.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Favorite Quotes:
I want to capture this moment. I want to put it in a snow globe and be able to see it just like this, forever.
“You’ve never been for me, Maisie. I never knew you were an option.”
“It never occurred to me that you might be mine.”
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways, I was not required to give a favorable review. This is a great story about family, falling in love and the holidays. College friends have spent many of a holiday together with this children and now those children are grown up. But this year Mae is disappointed in her job, is afraid of telling Andrew she has like him since she was 13, but their parents always thought it would be her younger brother who is her age. But this Christmas is different, Andrew’s parents told them they were going to sell the cabin they have spent the holidays together there. On there way to catch the plane they get into an accident and she starts having own Groundhog day moment 3 times over except its Christmas and all she asked the universe was to show her how to be happy. The only one of the older adult who she can confide in is Benny. Now at 26 Mae starts to change things in her life and one of them is letting Andrew now how she feels. Loved it.
In A Holidaze is aptly named. I greatly appreciate a fantastic title that embodies a book’s essence.
Mae has a Groundhog’s Day experience over Christmas week. When she leaves with her family to head home after spending a week in a cabin, per tradition, with family friends, a car collision initiates her return to the beginning of their trip. She is understandably confused but quickly takes the reigns to change her fate.
Mae is very relatable and kind of stuck in a rut. After attempting to pursue her dreams staright out of college, she is in a job she doesn’t love and her personal life is stale. Mae gets into some funny and/or awkward sticky situations that will put a smile on your face while inwardly cringing.
After I got over myself that my LI prediction was wrong, I sat back to enjoy this book. Typical of Christina Lauren, there is witty banter and a cozy holiday feel. The supporting cast is fun and a perfect backdrop for Mae’s romantic journey and self discovery.
TW: language and skippable steam
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.
This was a really cute story! The first thing that came to mind was Hallmark movie. It was very much a feel good, warm and fuzzy, holiday romance. It had a lot of laugh out loud moments but also a lot of swoony moments. I guess I was wanting something more than warm and fuzzy. I did find some things to be very predictable like you find with a lot of those movies. If you are looking for a cute holiday romance this is the perfect book.
“Universe, I’d asked. What am I doing with my life? Please. Can you show me what will make me happy?”
I loved this Christmas romance. It was just right as a feel-good book for my mood right now. 2020 just about has kicked my butt. This book helped.
It definitely has the vibes of GROUNDHOG DAY, the 1993 movie. But rather than a male lead (like Bill Murray was in the movie) we have 26 year-old Maelyn “Mae” Jones. Her parents and a group of their college friends have been going to a cabin in snowy Lake City, Utah more years than Mae has been alive.
She has had a huge crush on Andrew, one of the owner’s sons, since she was 13 years old – and what does she do? Drunkenly makes out with his brother.
After she wishes to be shown what will make her happy, she ends up on a loop being shown different outcomes if she behaves differently.
I mean, who among us wouldn’t like to redo bad moments in their lives?
I highly recommend this holiday romance. It was lots of fun.
I received this book from Gallery Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read and review it.
My first holiday book of the year. In a Holidaze was a fun Groundhog Dayish story. Maelyn Jones is reliving her Christmas at the Utah cabin over and over. I wasn’t sure how this would play out; would it be the same ol’ story just being retold? How would the days be different when she is just reliving the same timeframe? I will admit that at the beginning I was ready to put the book down but then Maelyn stuck. She did not relive her time and the story got better.
I loved the family vibe of the story. The fact that the same people got together every year, no matter what was going on in their lives, to celebrate the holidays together at the Utah cabin just as their tradition called for. Bennie was a fun character. He was the weed smoking, mushroom hiding, friend of Maelyn’s dad that was like the fun uncle that everyone knew they could go to for anything they needed. Each character had quirks but as they all got together they fit together as a dysfunctional family with lots of love and support to give.
In a Holidaze was a fun and quirky winter setting book to read. If you are looking for a quick and easy book this is the perfect book for you.
Ok this was my first book by the author and at first it was off to a slow start for me. Granted it could have been different for others. I definitely still want to try other books by them. Not going to let 1 book deter me. I will say after 50% it did speed up and get much better to say the least. I enjoyed it for the most part.
I don’t usually pick up holiday themed books, but if Christina Lauren writes it, I read it.
This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. It was sweet, low on the drama and all of the characters were very likable. I loved the “groundhog day” spin on this, and it kept me Mae and Andrew were so great, but I expected nothing less from CL. I really loved their connection and friendship.
Another thing that i loved about this book was the setting. It had me excited for snow and all of my family traditions. For my first Christmas themed read, I was pleasantly surprised.
This is truly a feel good read. For those that are searching for something light hearted I highly recommend picking this up.
For Maelyn Jones, her family Christmas holiday becomes more than she bargained for when it plays in repeat, similar in spirit to that of the less festive–but very familiar–Groundhog day. An interesting concept for a holiday romance, for sure, but sadly, the story just felt flat, and I had a difficult time staying engaged.
As much as I love Christina Lauren’s novels, “In a Holidaze” failed to live up to my expectations. While I have no problem suspending disbelief or enjoying a fun “Hallmark-style” Christmas story, Maelyn and Andrew’s luke-warm, mediocre romance just didn’t do it for me. So, as much as I would love to jump on the “4 & 5 star” bandwagon, I simply wasn’t feeling it.
Maelyn Jones wakes up the last day of her Christmas holiday to the sour remnants of a drunken decision and in desperate need of solid advice. Then things don’t work out as expected, the family annual holiday ends up with sad news for all of them and, after making one fateful wish, she falls into a time loop that makes her live that week over and over again.
This is a Groundhog Day meets The Kissing Booth story about a young woman at a crossroad in her life after making a mistake she can’t possibly come to fix, but she’ll take the opportunity she’s given to make changes and that’s how she finds herself walking the path with Andrew Hollis, the one man she’s loved all her life.
I’m not a fan of Christmas movies or stories, but In a Holidaze is a book filled with everything you would want in a holiday romance: a loving group of families, best friends, love, anecdotes, holiday magic and more than a handful of shenanigans.
If you are looking for a book that will surely warm your heart this holiday season, this is definitely the book for you.
4.5 Fun Stars!
This one definitely made me laugh. I loved the tradition these friends turned family created through the years. The Groundhog Day effect was perfect and made this story FUN to read!
Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books and the Author Christina Lauren for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love a Romantic Christmas read and this one did not disappoint.
All the characters in this book so go together and the traditions that they have are so wonderful even though the story takes a small turn but not as a detriment. All in all a heartwarming feel good read.
I will definitely be checking out this Author’s other works.
I could not put this down! I’m not always up for a holiday book but I’m definitely in for Christina Lauren. This duo always finds a way to write an HEA in a completely different way and I love it. When the book begins, Mae is in UT at the end of her extended family and friends annual Christmas getaway. The same group go to the same cabin every single year and enjoy the same traditions. However, the last 12 or so hours of the trip didn’t end as Mae had expected or hoped for and she finds herself wishing for happiness on the way to the airport to fly home. The next things she knows she’s back on the plan on the way to UT 5 days earlier.
This book has that Groundhog Day feel. I struggled a bit at the beginning with Mae repeatedly returning to the start of the trip but knew that this writing duo wouldn’t let me down and boy was I right. Before I knew it, I was sucked into the story and all the characters and found myself reading way too late at night and waking up early to finish. There was that great found family vibe I love, all the warm holiday cheer that just puts you in a good mood, and an HEA you don’t really see coming but are desperately hoping for right along with Mae.
Another win for Christina Lauren! I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun and different holiday read. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of this book. The opinions here are my own.