This was a fun holiday read! Think Groundhog Day meets The Family Stone! This was a funny, heartwarming, feel-good story that made me smile.
Maelyn Jones is stuck in a rut- her parents are divorced, she moved back into her childhood home, she hates her job, and her love life is a mess. The one thing she is looking forward to is spending Christmas at the cabin in Utah that belongs to family friends. The families gather there every year, even her divorced parents, AND her longtime crush Andrew. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's say that after doing something she regrets, Maelyn starts reliving the Christmas break over and over- enter the Groundhog Day theme. I will say, I wasn't sure about this at first- I feel this scenario has been done over and over in books and movies. However, once I was about halfway in, I really started to enjoy this book. It was heartfelt and a fun Christmas story. Romances usually aren't my favorite, but Christina Lauren's are always an exception for me! Definitely would recommend this one.

Mae just wants to have a normal holiday, but when she wakes up the day after making out with a long-time friend of the family, she's certain that she's ruined everything. Especially when she's secretly in love with his older brother, Andrew. So when she's leaving the cabin, possibly for the last time, she makes a wish and sees in come true Groundog's Day-style.

This is a classic rom-com from Christina Lauren. It has all the elements that you would expect: drama, intrigue, hilarity, and a happy ending. Not only does it have all that, it is also set during the holiday season, so it's the right book to pick up right now when you have a few hours free between online shopping and cookie baking.

This was a perfect holiday read. I have decided that there are now two types of holiday movies, Netflix style and Hallmark style. This was definitely Netflix style. It felt very timely, very cozy and very predictable at the same time (but aren't all holiday movies?)
The MC and her family, plus family friends always go to the same cabin for the holidays. She grew up with a set of brothers. She has been secretly in love with one of the brothers, but has never said anything.
In true holiday movie fashion, it turns into a modern day Groundhog story. She gets stuck in a loop and is reliving the few days before Christmas. She needs to figure out what the universe wants her to do.
I really enjoyed the story, it had the warm holiday vibes, romance and full on corniness that I love during the holiday season. Yes, it was fairly predictable, but I am fine with it.
I thought the characters were flushed out well and the book had an overall good message. I haven't read a ton of Christina Lauren books, but there was just a small amount of "smut" without feeling like it went overboard.
I could totally see reading this one again next holiday season.

This one is to told for the high school library but i loved it and will probably buy a personal copy to read again. The cover is adorable and I was drawn in by it. I have read other books by this author set and didn't enjoy them much. This one was better than the previous stuff.

Thanks to Gallery Books for my review copy. All opinions are my own.  Do you love Christmas movies? Are you obsessed with Romance books? Do you need to swoon? ⁣ If you answered yes to any of those questions, stop everything and order In a Holidaze. I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK. Like possibly my favorite Christmas novel of all time. ⁣
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I adored Mae and Andrew’s love story. It’s set up like Groundhog’s Day with Mae repeating the same Christmas vacation until she gets it right. And man... does she get it right.⁣ Peppermint Kisses, Sexy Sledding, Snowball Fights, Christmas Tree trimming... this book is oozing with cheer-filled holiday goodness with a few scenes that are steamier than a cup of cocoa.⁣ 4.5 stars

CLo is always an auto read/buy for me. So when I got In a Holidaze on Netgalley, I was so ecstatic. I waited a little while to read it, because I didn’t want it to end (crazy I know, since I didn’t even start it), but also because it is the December pick for my local bookclub. But I held off as long as I could. I drove in head first.

“The world stretches out in both directions, and every single point on Earth’s surface is the center of someone’s universe.”

I spent the day getting absorbed into this story. I did not want to put this book down. I was cheering for Mae. I was loving this family formed by friends and steeped in tradition. It was everything you want in a Christmas romcom (with a nod to Groundhog Day thrown in).

Also I can vividly see it as a movie. Anyone else who has read this agree? I so wish that someone would do a film adaption, I would 100% be here for it.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery for my eARC copy to read and provide a review.

If you ever saw groundhogs day the movie this is similar in that Mae Jones will have to relive the Holidays until she gets it right. Until she figures out what makes her happy.

Everything went wrong this Christmas vacation. She didn't kiss her crush but his brother! She finds out that the cabin they spend Christmas every year is going to be sold. Then she gets into a car accident. After the accident she wakes up to find herself back on the airplane heading to the cabin and doing over the holidays.

A cute Christmas romance about figuring out what you really want and what makes you happy. If you like reliving the day over and over and seeing a romance bloom this is the book for you!

This is my first Christina Lauren and the minute I finished I immediately ordered their ENTIRE backlist. I LOVED IT.

This was a bit of a miss for me, which is a bummer, as I'm a big fan of CL. I tried getting into it so many times, but unfortunately, it never held my interest. It's a miracle I even finished it, although it was more of me pushing myself to finish it, hoping it would get better.

There's nothing particularly wrong with it. I just couldn't connect. The story itself was pretty boring. I found myself zoning out a lot. I also had zero interest in the main couple and while they had a couple of fun moments, I couldn't care less about them and honestly didn't really want them to be together. If anything, I was more invested in the premise of her repeating the day, but the repeats were only a handful of times and very forgettable. I also didn't like how it ended, so yeah, while others might enjoy this, it just wasn't the book for me.

In a Holidaze was enjoyable in a sort of cotton candy way. Sweet but fleeting. Maelyn's family has always spent Christmas week at a cabin in Utah with another family and one of her parents' college friends. And she's always had a monster crush on Andrew, older son of the other family. As her family leaves the cabin, they get into a deadly car accident and Maelyn is suddenly on the plane to the cabin again. The  Groundhog Day premise is executed in the standard fashion for the first couple of go-rounds, but most of the book takes place in one re-do. Maelyn spends a lot of time trying to figure out what she's supposed to fix, what to avoid so she doesn't get sent back to the start again and how to finally get together with Andrew. The romance was successful but the structure was weird. I just sort of rolled with it and I think it helps that I was listening to this audiobook while doing some crafting, so I could just lean into the silliness of Christmas traditions and the absurdity of the repeat-a-week premise.
It's been interesting to watch as CLo's books get less and less explicit. I started reading their books when they were solidly erotic romance and now we're at makeouts in a closet and such vague descriptions that it's almost fade-to-black. Just keep that in mind if you're a long-time reader.


Content Warnings: car accident, character dies multiple times (but not really?), mention of past cancer, mention of past divorce, drug use, many mentions of being "crazy" (because time travel)

I received a digital copy of this book for review but read it on audio through my library.

I absolutely devoured this one. It was extremely unique and just got me right in the holiday feels! It was the first book I read by this author and I will absolutely be picking up more of her books - I can't wait :)

I absolutely loved this. Mae’s annual Christmas vacation has a rocky end. On her way to the airport, she makes a wish to be shown what makes her happy. Then, there’s a terrible car crash, everything goes black, and she wakes up on the airplane headed to her holiday destination 6 days earlier. In a set up that feels like the “Mystery Spot” episode of Supernatural (season 3, episode 11), it takes Mae a couple of resets to get things right. Those reset moments had me howling with laughter. The characters are delightful, the plot is fun, and I loved the evolution of the romance. Ordinarily, I don’t reread contemporary romance novels, but I may make an exception for this one. My hard copy is on its way to me and I may reread this every December. It really is a perfect and perfectly charming holiday romance.

3.5 Stars

In a Holidaze is the perfect ode to deep framily ties and holiday traditions.

Maisie Jones has spent every Christmas of her 26 years in Park City, Utah with her family and the college friends (and their families) of her mom and dad. It’s a fun-filled six days of wacky games with a crowd that has grown to 13 members and sadly ended on a down note this year. But a series of calamitous events sends Maisie back to the beginning of her vacation - multiple times - leaving her to wonder what the universe wants her to learn.

Had this book been written by any other author (or author duo, as the case may be) I probably would have given up after a couple chapters. There were a lot of characters, none of whom were explained very well up front, and I spent a good deal of the first part of the book confused about what was going on. Which, come to think of it...I shared that confusion with the heroine.

Anyway, Christina Lauren books have flawless writing and effortless humor. The witty banter between characters always keeps me chuckling - often out loud. So even though I found the relationship between the hero and heroine less than satisfying, I was still immensely amused by the storytelling. At the hands of a lesser author, the antics would have seemed slapstick and overdone and not much about this book would have worked for me. Instead, In a Holidaze was a pleasant way to spend a couple evenings curled up in my reading chair with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea. And I can’t complain about that.

A little bit Christmas story and a lot a bit Groundhog day.

Masie and family have done the same Christmas routine for as long as she can remember. Go to a cabin in Park City with some of her parent’s friends from college and their children and spend Dec 20 – Dec 26 doing all the traditional things. It is the best part of her year and she has just screwed up royally only to learn that the cabin is being sold and she might never spend the holidays with this makeshift family again. In a panic she asks to see what will make her happy and then the car is violently hit by a semi full of Christmas trees only for her to wake up at the start of the holiday all over again.

In a desperate bid to make sure she doesn’t make the same mistakes again Masie is determined to:

1 - Not drunkenly make out with Theo, because she is in love with his brother Andrew.
2 - Figure out how to get Andrew and Theo’s parents not to sell the cabin.
3 - Tell Andrew how she feels and hope he is into her too.

What will it take for her to get her Christmas miracle? There are going to be a few mess ups and do overs and Masie is going to need to be honest with herself first and the rest of the family after that if there is any hope of her making it to the end of this holiday without looping into the beginning again.

Masie was easy to like. She has had a failure to launch situation happen and is living at home with her parents and brother. She has also always been encouraged to gravitate to Theo so they can all be family for real. But the truth is she has had a secret crush on Andrew since she was thirteen and it looks like it is going to have to be now or never if she wants anything to come of it.

***“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.”***

Andrew knows that Masie is acting a little crazy, but it is in a good way and he is all for shaking up all the traditions and possibly making a few new ones. This is the girl he never gets to see and even though he has liked her forever, she was supposed to be for his brother so he never even tried. Except now seems like the time and Masie has made it clear that she is into him so maybe, just maybe he can get out of his own way and make a play for the girl he has never dared to want.

Eventually you can see why Andrew and Masie are totally made for each other, their conversations and banter are very fun and playful which I expect from a Christina Lauren story.

Totally a cute holiday story filled with fun, family angst and learning how to trust yourself to make the big choices and take the big chances in life.

A charming holiday romance

I would like to thank Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

SPOILERS

I’m a little surprised I like this book, to be honest; CL’s books tend to be hit or miss with me. I didn’t read the blurb beforehand, went in blind, and when I realized it was going to have a Groundhog Day plot, I groaned inwardly, because it’s been overdone at this point. I thought I knew exactly what would happen—she was going to redo the day until she realized her crush on Andrew was a holdover from childhood and that she’d really been in love with Theo for years, or something along those lines.

No, no. This did not go as expected, and CL gets props for that. I’m glad it proved unpredictable, yet I’m upset about it because I wasted so much of the novel waiting for the other shoe to drop and not allowing myself to like Andrew because I didn’t think he was the endgame, lol! As I got closer and closer to the end, I was prepared to write a scathing review about how stupid it was to waste that much time on Andrew the Red Herring and not spend any time with the hero, Theo, who was portrayed as pretty much a womanizing jackass. That would have been horrible writing—so thank goodness I had it wrong.

So my feelings toward Andrew are a bit tainted by my expecting to dislike him, but in the end I did like him; he was charming and endearing, and I was happy for him and Maelyn. Maelyn was a great if unremarkable heroine. It might have benefited her arc if we’d had more of a demonstration of the problem that she needed to fix, her fear of change and rejection, because her climactic revelation barely registered. There was some setup, but it felt like we jumped into the Groundhogging pretty quick and was distracted by that for much of the time.

Overall, this was a lovely story whose biggest problem was focusing a bit too much on the romance rather than Maelyn’s women’s fiction arc. I wish I hadn’t let myself develop a prejudice against Andrew at the beginning, but I liked him well enough in the end.

This was really cute! I was happily surprised because, while I usually love Christina Lauren's books, the last couple haven't done it for me. This was a cute read and fun for the holidays. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This is a great holiday romance to read to kick off the festive season! I enjoyed how this romance is a long time friends to lovers and perfect for Christmas reading. I didn't understand the 'fight' in the book, but loved the epilogue. I read this book in a half day, so if you want a shorter festive, holiday read this is a good one!

This book was a heartwarming, entertaining, funny, feel-good rom-com that is perfect to lift up your lovely holiday spirits. I fell in love with all the characters and felt that I was right along side them at the cabin. Also, nothing makes me happier than reading about imperfect families that are so perfect for each other. Maelyn is a fantastic protagonist and her character traits are perfectly suited to this story… & don’t get me started on Andrew 🔥 The adorable personality and romantic gestures towards the end of the book gave me all the feels. I think it’s safe to say that Christina Lauren is my go-to rom-com author. What a lovely early Christmas treat!

Can someone make this into a holiday Netflix or Hulu movie please?!

What I realized after reading:
-I want a tarot card reading now
-I need a Benny in my life
-I want to go to a cabin every year for Christmas with extended fam
-I’m so fucking happy I went to Tahihi for my honeymoon when I see others fantasize about it just as much as I did 🥰

Synopsis: Maelyn Jones goes to a snowy Utah cabin where she and her family (and extended) have spent every holiday since she was born. Upon making several life and make-out mistakes, she makes a wish “Please. Show me what will make me happy.” Mae who, in a strange turn of events, finds herself in a Groundhog Day scenario repeating the same day over and over. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to December 20, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

Thank you so much to Gallery Books & @netgalley for the gifted copy in an exchange for an honest review ✨

Christina Lauren is my go to when trying to get out of a reading slump. Their books are so cute and easy to devour in one or two sittings. In a Holidaze was no exception! I adored the romance between Mae and Andrew and couldn’t get enough of Andrew as a character. His charm came right off the page making it so easy to fall in love with him. I kept rooting for them until the very end. I also really liked Benny and his cool uncle vibe. He was such a sweet laid back character and his relationship with Mae was super endearing.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the Groundhog Day reliving the same day over and over again trope but I can see why it was used. But I think the story could’ve been done nicely without it too. The ending was also a bit cheesy and rushed. It went from 0 to 100 in a matter of pages. I’m still new to the rom com genre so maybe it’s just me. Otherwise I really loved this one!

If you’re looking for a cute holiday rom com, I highly recommend In a Holidaze.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Very cute holiday romance. Really thought there was going to be a twist, but there was not. Over all fun idea, though I did find the amount of nicknames and bit over the top and annoying at points.