Maelyn is stuck in the same day over and over again. At first it was cute and funny, hosever than it hit a spot that felt forced. I was hoping for more out of this book. After the first couple of days the groundhog idea became boring and repetitive, also Maelyn was all overthe place.

Honestly I had a hard time reading this book and many times put it down and went to another book I only went back to it as I wanted to review it.


** Ireceived a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review**

In a Holidaze is a cute book that definitely could see its movie counterpart come to life on the Hallmark channel. I picked this book up when I was promised groundhogs day and the family stone merged into one - two of my favorite movies. I genuinely enjoyed the time looping aspect of the story and the push behind second chances and finding what your fate is destined to be. This was such a fun romcom to read during the month of December!

I didn’t really get some of the characters’ motivations, and ultimately found it unsatisfying. Also, I didn’t feel like it took full advantage of the Groundhog Day set up.

It's Groundhog's Day for Christmas when Mae finds her self stuck in a time loop repeating her holiday over and over again. Mae and her family have always spent the week of Christmas at a mountain cabin with their good friend's families. At 26, Mae and her teen age brother are still regulated to the kid's bunkbeds with brothers Theo and Andrew. Too much eggnog ends with an awkward kiss between Mae and her best friend Theo, although she has harbored a longtime crush on 29 year old Andrew. A wish to find her happiness sets the time loop in motion as Mae gets the chance to fix her relationship with Theo and finally admit her feelings for Andrew. A fun holiday romantic comedy!

A cute read, perfect for the holiday season as only the writing team of Christina Lauren can do. Grab the hot cocoa and enjoy.

Pretty cute, easy Christmas romance! I'm glad I waited to read this one over Christmas - it was fun to read about the same dates I was living in the current moment. I don't really understand why a time-loop was needed in the narrative to make this a cute Christmas romance, other than maybe Christina Lauren wanted to do something different. But, the time loop was only for the first 1/3 of the book, and then when the romance finally bloomed, she stayed within the same loop, which I thought didn't add any interesting spice to the narrative. Also, the hero gave me a bit of a headache with his melodrama. I'm glad I got to read this one by the Christmas tree, and it was really easy and light - I read this in less than 24 hours. I will always read Christina Lauren's books, even if they aren't my favorites, because there is just something about them that keeps drawing me back anyway.

Maelyn Jones usually loves her family's Christmas trips to the cabin in Park City, Utah. They meet up with old college friends of her parents and their kids. It is a tradition that means a lot to Mae. But here she is in her twenties, back living with her parents, and in a dead-end job. It is no wonder that she isn't exactly in the holiday mood when her family makes their annual trip to Park City. But even at her "happy place" Mae makes a mistake that she instantly regrets. When she makes a plea to the universe to show her what will make her happy the universe pulls a "Groundhog Day" on her. She relives the days at the cabin trying to figure out exactly what the universe is trying to tell her. As the days repeat, Mae starts to realize that happiness has been in front of her all along.

In A Holidaze was a delightful holiday novel. Mae is a fun character in a familiar, if not unusual situation. Not just Mae reliving the same days over and over. But let's admit it, it is WEIRD that her divorced parents travel to Park City to spend Christmas together every year. And Mae's stepfather is not only okay with it but nowhere to be found. It is weird and highly unrealistic. I did like Mae better when she was around Andrew. Their chemistry was palpable. Being a Christmas book, there is only one way this book ends - happily. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - In A Holidaze is a super cute Christmas book that hopefully will be turned into a super cute Christmas movie. At least one can hope.



Details:

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren
On Instagram
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 10/20/2020
Buy it Here!
Thanks to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the characters and vibe of this book but was thrown off by the time travel, and then how that thread was seemingly abandoned. It was a quick read and enjoyable, but there are a lot of holiday romances I’d recommend first.

Tried very hard to get into this; restarted a few times but unfortunately Christina Lauren's writing style nowadays don't mesh with me.

DNF at 10%

This is such a cute story. Liked the characters and wanted to see how it would end. I'm a sucker for groundhog-day-time-loop tales and this one managed to go that route without feeling overdone or boring. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fast, light, feel good, Holiday read!

I LOVED this! I finished it in an afternoon. I’m always so impressed by Christina + Lauren. Their books are always so well write, so entertaining, and so different. I loved this Groundhog Day story about going for you want and taking control of your life and making hard decisions. Obviously, the love story was great, but I enjoyed Mae’s journey to figure out what she wants! (Also, super disappointed in myself for not taking a picture of the actual copy of this book! I’ve gifted a copy to a friend, and my mom has my copy! You know I love a book when I buy it.)

Super duper cute; a pretty close to perfect romance— it was a bit chaotic with so many family members and loose ends to tie up at the end; however, the majority of the book was really lighthearted and fun!

TW: car accident

This is a cute holiday story and pretty much what you expect from the synopsis. Our main character has been in love with the son of family friends for years and finally gets a chance to see what would happen if she took a risk that the universe has granted during some Groundhog Day type shenanigans. This all takes place in a cozy holiday cabin featuring holiday traditions. Nothing memorable but a cute, easy read for the holidays.

In a Holidaze was my first Christmas themed book of the year and it did not disappoint. Mostly. I was so excited to start this Groundhog Day like story about a young woman who relives the same holiday multiple times--stuck in some sort of time loop--until she gets it right. What exactly "it" is, she isn't sure at first.

Maelyn Jones has a job she barely tolerates and is back living at home to save on expenses. As they have for all the years past, Mae, her teen brother and her divorced parents join friends at a cabin for the holidays. That cabin in Utah is her favorite place in the world.

But after a late night romantic interlude that never should have happened and then receiving bad news the next morning, Mae worries all is lost. She makes a single wish just before everything goes dark. She wakes up on the airplane, sure she's been in a car accident, only to find herself back on the plane--not headed home, but headed to the cabin. As if the holiday had not yet happened. She soon discovers she is reliving the past, having been given a second (and more) chance.

I found In a Holidaze to be just as funny and romantic as I hoped. I loved Mae and I really enjoyed spending time at the cabin with her friends and family. Mae is a relatable character. I wasn't too sure about her love interest at first admittedly and doubted whether he was as into her as she was to him, but as the novel progressed, I began to see things a little differently. My only real complaint about the novel is that I felt the time loop premise was not used to its full advantage. Even so, I liked the way everything was wrapped up in the end. This was my first novel by the writing team that is Christina Lauren, and it will definitely not be my last.

For the most part I really enjoyed this. I got so many laugh out loud moments from Christina’s dialogue. Really love her sense of humor. I just thought the ending was unsatisfying. We never get an answer on why the Groundhog Day continues or why it stops. Other than that I did enjoy the story and will continue to read Christina Lauren. I’ve enjoyed many of her books.
Review posted on Social Media as well.

In a Holidaze was exactly the combination of romance and magic that my 2020 holiday season needed. This book would be good for any Christmas season, but it hits different in 2020. Like all Christina Lauren books, it has beautifully developed characters, is funny, and full of witty dialogue. Most Christmas romances are novella length or shorter and it was nice to read a full length novel about this time of year that didn't feel like it should have been shorter. Can't wait to recommend this book to my romance reading patrons.

Fans of Christina Lauren will love this new holiday title. However I found the plot repetitive and the main character is not as lovable as Hazel (from Hazel and Josh). While it is a good book, it isn't as good as previous novels. It felt like some magic was missing. Like this book was rushed because of a deadline.

The reliving a holiday is a plot trope that fell a little flat but I think the book was saved by the fact you wanted the character to get her act together finally.

I’m pretty disappointed by In a Holidaze. I think part of the problem was me. I started this in September because I had an ARC, but I just wasn’t in the mood for a Christmas book at the time.

I expected to like the Groundhog Day twist in this story, but it was my least favorite aspect of the plot. I was pretty bored until the second half of the book.

I loved the chapters about this blended family’s Christmas traditions. Those were my favorite parts of the book honestly. I finally got on board with the romance at the end, but for the most part, I wasn’t feeling it.

Well wasn’t that just a warm cup of hot chocolate by the fire wrapped up inside a book 😍 I felt cozy and warm while reading it, if that makes sense at all. I smiled and laughed often.

I started and finished this book last night, if that tells you anything. Sleep? Sleep is for babies! I’ve got books to read!

I will say that I expected it to go a different route at the end, and was a little disappointed that she didn’t have to start over again with her groundhog Christmas. If that was the premise, I just think it should have happened at least one more time 🤷🏻‍♀️

Other than that, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it for a lighthearted Christmas love story ❤️

Meh. I wish there was more focus on the different family members, their history with the cabin/with each other, and just drama in general.
I also couldn't get into the setting....a crowded family cabin that yielded a lot of one-on-one time with a romantic interest? Debatable.
Light and fluffy though, if that is what you are looking for.