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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Christina Lauren never fail me! In a Holidaze was everything I hoped for! Christmas chaos, lots of laughter, a dash of angst, and a completely satisfying ending!
After spending her Christmas holiday wondering just how her life had turned out this way, Maelyn is on the way to the airport with her family when an accident occurs; she makes a wish just before asking the universe to show her what would make her truly happy. She wakes up on a plane seven days before the accident. Trapped in a Groundhog Day scenario, Mae tells her trusted Uncle Benny what has happened to her. As Mae and Benny try to uncover what could have her trapped in this time loop, Mae tries to navigate each day and figure out where she went wrong and where she could go so right, or even if she will have a chance to save her Christmas! I definitely don’t want to spoil the story anymore, but trust me when I say, you want to read this book! Our hero, is absolutely dreamy and perfect and may be my new favorite Christina Lauren book boyfriend!!! Uncle Benny is a total sweetheart and I loved his belief in Mae every time she approached him with her scenario. He never once wavered in his support of her and I loved that!
Christina Lauren once again give you an adventure filled with emotion and humor that will get you wishing for your own do over.
*I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review*
4.5 “snug as a Luke in a tauntaun” stars!
This was a really fun read with a storyline that I thought was quite different from most CLO books but with the same great character development and humor that I love and crave from the duo.
Maelyn has just ended her Christmas holidays with family on a low note. Afraid of change and wishing for whatever may bring her happiness, she awakens on the airplane back at the beginning of her holiday like she’s been granted a do-over, ala Groundhogs Day. Not exactly sure what she’s supposed to do she tries again, only to restart her week once more. As she fumbles her way through her holiday, every day brings her the confidence to ask for what she wants, taking what she needs instead of being the eternal people pleaser.
While the story was entertaining and humorous, the real stars are the cast of characters. Loved the family dynamic and character interactions. Very cute holiday story.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads, so here is my review.
First I have to say that I was not impressed with the “Groundhog Day” effect at the beginning of the book. I have never liked that movie and it took me longer than normal to get through this book because of it. I had to make myself read it but once I got past that, it was a sweet story.
Anyway, we have all had that one guy we fell in love with, whether it was a neighbor, brother’s friends, a long-time family friend son. Did you ever wish that you got the chance to see what would happen if you got together?
Well, this is Maelyn’s story and the groundhog day effect gives her the chance to change things to make things right. Or so it seems. While the rest of the families do not know how to take her answers to certain questions, she doesn’t tell everyone what is going on.
This story starts out as a 3 star and ends up a 4 star read for me. It is a sweet story if you don’t mind the do-over again and again at the beginning. But the ending is perfect for Mae and Andrew.
**Wicked Reads Review Team**
This was a very fun book to read. It’s been a while since I’ve indulged in a Christina Lauren book, and I admit this book felt very different that what I remember their other books being like.
Feeling very much like one of my favorite movies, Groundhog’s Day, Maelyn Jones has just spent the last holiday at the cabin her family has been going to every year AND committed a serious hookup mistake, all she wants is a do over and a way to figure out what in the world will make her happy. After waking up from what she thought was a car accident, she finds herself reliving the day she arrives at the holiday cabin over and over again, and she’s desperate to figure out how to get this day to stop and her life to move forward. She just has to figure out exactly what will make this stop – and as she keeps repeating the same week over and over, she finally starts to look more at what she really wants and stops being the “people pleaser” she’s always been.
This was a quick read and entertaining. I really loved Andrew’s character and the family’s as a whole. My first holiday read for the year and it was a pleasure!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
This was an interesting premise. A Christmas Ground Hog Day. I was moved by the book almost from the beginning watching Maelyn try to figure out why she’s repeating her family’s annual Christmas trip and watching her deal with her feelings for her lifelong friend, Andrew. What does the universe want from her? Is she supposed to be with Andrew’s brother, Theo? Surely not after a decade of being in love with Andrew. What about that job she doesn’t enjoy? What about tradition and it’s importance in her life?
Forced to review everything about herself and her life, Maelyn has to do some real introspection that she’s never done before. She’s not happy with a lot but fears changing anything. She finds it freeing once she tries being more honest with herself and others and life seems to be getting better. Until…
There’s just enough strife to keep the story really interesting and to be realistic (since life seldom takes the easiest route!) Maelyn and Andrew are so likeable and good together. The rest of the family adds great color and their own distractions.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.
What if you relived a certain time-period over and over until you got it right? Oh and by the way, you don’t actually know what “right” is. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, Maelyn Jones has been thrust into recurring time loop after an embarrassing hookup.
While the story is reminiscent of Ground Hog Day, it is also a very enjoyable holiday romcom. The cast of characters was delightfully flawed yet so very likable. The imagery of the snowy winter setting, rustic cabin and family/friend interactions was so well drawn that I could see it in my mind’s eye. This is a story that will make the reader believe in the magic of the holidays and the families that we create. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.
Cute holiday love story, Groundhog Day theme. New author to me. Fast, easy romance read. Story comes together nicely, perfect ending. Characters are mainly likable, but can be semi annoying (Mae). Close knit group of college friends that become family and spends every Christmas together. Enjoyed the tradition of the group…sledding, snowman building, scavenger hunt. I was looking for more out of the story, fairly predictable, just an ok read for me.
Will try the author again as I enjoyed the way she unfolds a story. Thanks to Ms. Lauren, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
What a fun and festive holiday read! Main character Maelyn Jones wakes up from a car accident living in her own personal version of Groundhog’s Day. She’s stuck in a loop beginning the same holiday over and over again. This book packs lots of laughs and humor, and is perfect to get you into the magical Christmas spirit!
In a Holidaze is fantastic get you in the mood for the holidays book. I love Maelyn and how she takes all the information given to her and does her best to set things right. Maelyn and Benny will make you giggle with the way they work through the week at the cabin. Andrew is charming and I love how he finally sees what is right in front of him. Andrew and Maeyln have great chemistry. This book will put a smile on your face and give you some giggles too along the way. You will love this group of family and friends holiday traditions.
Thank you Gallery Books for my digital ARC!
Christina Lauren does no wrong. I will continue to stand by that statement.
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In a Holidaze started a little scary for me. I thought eeeeeeepppppppp, I just don’t know that I can do a groundhog day. Guess what? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was pleasantly surprised.
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These ladies have such a way with characters. I really, fell in love with this blended family. I loved the concept of lifelong friends spending Christmas together in their cabin and living out the traditions every year. I’m sentimental like that :-).
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Overall this novel was very predictable in the very best way. If you want something fun and light….and although it is happening at Christmas. I would not say it is a super Christmasy book. Pick this one up.
This was a happy RomCom that made me long for Christmas music and hot chocolate. The best part of this story was the family. I loved that a group of people could meet in college and form these lifelong bonds that pass down to their children as well. In a Holidaze focused on the fact that family doesn’t always mean blood and that warms my heart.
After a disastrous ending to their holiday gathering, Maelyn makes a wish, asking the universe to show her what would make her happy. A Groundhog’s Day-esque situation follows, as Maelyn next wakes up back on the plane on her way to the cabin…six days prior.
Thinking that she may just be repeating these few days over and over again with no end, Mae shoots her shot and finally tells her long time crush Andrew how she feels. They both grew up together in this friend-family and for over a decade Mae has been hiding her feelings. What happens next is the quickest and yet sweetest relationship.
There are a few flaws, of course. Their fight felt contrived, and honestly a bit ridiculous. What Andrew was angry about was similar to being mad at someone for how they acted in a dream. Plus I wish there was a better resolution with Theo, it felt rushed and glossed over.
Regardless, In a Holidaze was a wonderful read that got me ready for the holidays!
Christina Lauren hit it out of the park with this festive gem. In this time of Covid and failure to focus; I picked this up and couldn’t put it back down until completion. I smiled, I laughed, I felt weepy… this book had everything I needed.
Maelyn Jones has a job that’s going nowhere, lives at home, and has been in love with Andrew Hollis for forever. At Christmas time, the tradition is alive and well, as her family and long family friends converge to a cabin in Utah.A little too much eggnog on the last night there has Mae making out with Theo – the wrong brother. They both know it’s a mistake by the next morning but things become worse as Andrew and Theo’s parents will be selling the lodge, ending their yearly tradition.
As Mae’s family heads to the airport to go home, she makes a wish to the universe to show her what would make her happy. Then there is a terrible accident and as Mae comes to, she realizes she is back on the plane, at the start of the week, heading to Utah. This week at the lodge becomes her Groundhogs Day as she navigates what will make her happy… she repeats the week a few times.
I loved this book. The cast of characters is vast but not overwhelming. They all play integral parts in the moving cog. This story is about letting go of ideals on how things are supposed to be and learning to embrace spontaneity.
So will Mae discover what makes her happy and get out of her time loop? Definitely one-click now to find out!
Seasonal togetherness with a side of romance
While the concept of the plot was interesting and the author drew me to the book, I found it slow going at the beginning and just never got invested in the characters. I guess I was looking for a romance and this book packs so many characters and the details of so many holiday activities into the story, I found the whole thing too long and disjointed. It improved towards the end but, on the whole, it missed the mark for me.
Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
If you read/hear this once, you’ll hear it a hundred times I’m sure…This is like a Christmas edition of Groundhog Day. Except Bill Murray’s got nothing on Maisie!
Maisie’s got quite a bit of drama and angst on her plate as the Christmas holiday comes to an end. I have to admit, I didn’t expect this to go the direction it did and watching it all through Maisie’s point of view was like a wacky sleigh ride over some treacherous hills. I enjoyed her so much as she is a heroine seemingly created from my perfect heroine list. With her quirky ways, a bit scatterbrained when in an awkward position, suffering from unrequited love, and beyond committed to her family both from blood and by choice, she won my heart almost from the very start and burrowed herself deep in there where she’ll reside as one of my top favorite heroines.
Actually, I fell in love with every character in this story. There isn’t one of them that didn’t make me smile, laugh, tear up or experience another emotion somewhere along the way. This chaotic group of characters reminded me so much of my own family even as they were experiencing growing pains just as we all do when it’s time for change.
I don’t want to spoiler anything here but I will say that I was engaged from the first page and read this in one sitting. It’s a fast paced book with enough steam to cause my hot cocoa to boil, if I weren’t drinking iced tea. Add a perfect epilogue and I’ve just finished my first seasonal read. Anything following this is going to have some pretty big boots to fill.
This year has sucked, but this story has helped. It was such a feel good holiday love story, and it was everything I needed. So I’m glad I got to read it now, and I’ll read it again in December. And next December. You guys, I highlighted the crap out of this book.
I have never read a Groundhog Day inspired Christmas Story! What a fun twist! It was funny, with some great lines, filled with unique characters that make you feel like you know them. I smiled throughout most of it, ya know? Just couldn’t help it. And I cried some.
Oh the main characters, Mae and Andrew. SO SWEET. I myself am a bit in love with Andrew. Ugh he’s just so considerate and gentle and playful. But his serious, behind closed doors side is super hot as well. And Mae. I really felt for her, what a crazy experience. And I love when she finally is just like, fine I’ll do whatever the heck I want and see what happens!
You need to believe in a bit of the wonder of the holidays, the magic of the season, to really fully enjoy this. And if you don’t, maybe this story will just pick you up a little bit and make you smile. Who couldn’t use a bit of that right now?
With a fresh premise and a winning cast of characters, this is not your average romcom. Reminiscent of Ground Hog Day, Maelyn Jones asks the Universe to show her what will make her happy. Rather than the annual week at Christmas in a Utah cabin with Mae’s family and two others, Mae finds herself reliving the first day or so of this year’s Christmas vacation. Each day happens a little differently as Mae works to understand what the Universe is trying to tell her.
The cabin in Utah is the one place that’s home for Maelyn. Her parents are divorced (but each still makes the trip to the cabin at Christmas), and now that she’s an adult, Mae’s life looks nothing like she expected it to and completely underwhelming. But the cabin hasn’t changed, the people are the same, and there’s comfort in the familiar. Except this year, the Hollises, who own the cabin, announce they’re planning to sell. And Mae has an unrequited crush on Andrew Hollis she may never have the chance to explore.
Through Mae’s journey, Lauren has the reader pondering what happiness looks like. It’s not in the perfect job, the perfect house, or the perfect standing in life. Rather, it’s in a family made of love and shared history and those we hold close in our hearts. It’s in a crackling fire, snowball fights, the tradition of Christmas cookies hard enough to damage teeth, and the small moments that can pass in the blink of an eye if we don’t intentionally preserve them in our hearts.
While there are laughs aplenty and a little steam, this book will remind you what really matters and have you believing in Christmas magic. Open your heart and let this story full of family, love and Christmas traditions fill your soul. Who knows? It may inspire some new traditions of your own, but one thing is sure. As you follow Mae on her journey to find happiness, you’ll have a greater appreciation for the things in this world that matter the most.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for an honest review. This was a new holiday concept for me but it sure was interesting. Groundhog Day and Christmas meet and Mae gets to relive those days over and over again. At first, it confused me but then I figured out that if I thought about it then I would see where the author was taking me. I did and there were many things the author was showing me that once I thought about them they were crystal clear.
Mae was in a loop and just like most of us sometimes are in a place where we can’t move forward until we really think about the situation, put things into place and once we do it we can move forward and get out of the loop. Many times in my life I have moved forward in my journey only be stopped and have to stop to think about something. Sometimes I have had to turn around and start again and sometimes I just had to go in another direction. I am not sure if this was the author’s intentions but it is what I got out of the book. I love reading a book that makes me figure things out and yes sometimes I get things out of a book that wasn’t plain to see but this is what I took away from In a Holidaze when Groundhog Day meets Christmas.
Best Book Ever! It is entertaining, funny often, excellently written with engaging and great characters. Another definite hit!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was entertaining but puzzling. The time looping is enticing. There are so many characters that it took a while to not get mixed up. I like Benny though; he really stands out as straight forward and mature. Siblings being “matched” with the same woman whether real or imaginary, not my cup of tea, plus they seem like kids instead of adults. I love their holiday traditions, very interesting.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This pair has knocked it out of the park again!
What did I love about this one? Oh, I don’t know…. ALL OF IT!
I needed something a little lighter and brighter, and honestly, what could be better than a Christmas story at not Christmas time?
Mae’s happiness, the family ties, the tradition soaked holidays, the sheer bravery, it all pieced together so intricately. Toss in a little time travel, some bad jokes, and it more than earned these 5 stars!