The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
It’s no secret that I am a long-time fan of the marvelous duo of Christina Lauren and I am not wholly responsible for the noises of excitement I make in response to getting to read their newest book. “In a Holidaze” is the holiday hallmark love story of that we need to get us in the holiday spirit and make this disaster of a year feel THAT much closer to being over.

Maelyn has a long-standing tradition of spending Christmas week with her family and the families of her parents friends at a vacation cabin in Utah. Their days are filled with festivities and games that they have been doing for as long as she can remember. Her life isn’t going as spectacularly as she would hope and the escape to comfort and tradition brings her some solace.. along with some quality time with her crush Andrew. This year however, things are a bit different. Upon learning that Andrew’s parents are no longer able to keep the cabin and their Christmases together are now in jeopardy she falls into a spiral of wallowing that ends with some alcohol induced bad decisions. As she’s headed home to lick her emotional wounds she quite literally crashes into a Groundhog Day situation and is transported back to the beginning of her Christmas week and is given another chance to heal the families and find her true happiness. Much to her dismay, finding her happiness and the key to stopping her time-travel adventures is not as easy as one would think and she ends up getting more chances than she bargained for. Along the way she is able to learn more about Andrew than she had in all their previous years together, and in doing so she realizes that her crush may not have been unrequited and their connection is one worth taking a risk for.

I have to be honest that I don’t tend to read books that are specifically geared toward the holidays. Even my romance loving heart can’t take the generally over-sweet mushiness that comes from thawing hardened hearts and Christmas magic. BUT! I know my girls behind Christina Lauren would deliver. This is a holiday book that will appeal to the hallmark junkies and scrooges alike as it hits all the right feels for a genuinely adorable book. For the first quarter of the book I wasn’t actually sure this was a romance, with only the mention of her crush and a few brief interactions this played out more as a touching family story and it was succeeding in that realm. Once the romance storyline began to play out it was all the sweet sugar you’d expect for the holidays. Fans of their older series such as Beautiful Bastard and Wild Seasons might be missing the spicy scenes that they are used to, but we are instead given a playful romance that will be perfect to curl up with as the weather cools. If you are like me and holiday books aren’t normally your thing, I highly recommend giving this a try, it may be just the thing to change your mind. Congratulations ladies this was the perfect start to the holiday season!

A delicious book that is the perfect blend of Groundhog day, secret crush, friends to lovers and winter. This is a book that you want to read with a hot chocolate in front of a fire as the snow falls in the background. Andrew and Maelyn or Mae are such a cute couple. When a random wish, gives Mae a chance to do her life over, she struggles to find the right path towards happiness and love. I loved this book. It gave me such a warm and fuzzy feeling after reading it. Yes, this is a book about romance but it also about family and traditions. This is a stand-alone book. I adored it and would highly recommend this book.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

The last couple of Christina Lauren books weren't my favorite but I really enjoyed this one. It's a friends to lovers with a Groundhog's Day twist. Mae and Andrew were super cute and I loved their history and their chemistry. I also loved the side characters. A cute Christmas romance!

In A Holidaze was such a sweet book! By the end of the story, I felt surrounded by so much love. I was attached to all the characters and felt like a part of the family. Also, Benny is the best! I think I’m biased because he reminded me of someone in my own life. I wish that everyone had their own Benny.

Gah, I absolutely love how Christina Lauren can fix the theme of their books and then weave incredible love stories around them. Mae and her Christmas romance is everything. You’ll start out wondering who you’re supposed to be rooting for, but pretty soon, you’l be all-in.

Ahhhh! If you're in the mood for a christmas-y read IN A HOLIDAZE by this author duo is perfect to take your mind off the craziness that has been 2020.

I was totally charmed by the characters, all of them. Maisie was a lovely, sweet heroine who needed to fix some things in her life to find true happiness. One of those things was coming clean about her feelings for her childhood friend Drew. I loved how honest and forward the "new" Maisie was, how she addressed her feelings so courageously. And Drew, ohhh what a dreamboat he was. All the swoons! Their connection felt so natural and effortless.

I adored Bernie, Family friend and un-related uncle to both Maisie and Drew. He was such a fun character, hilarious, wise and it was clear that he and Maisie had a special bond. The whole family was so lovable, every single one.

The Groundhog's Day setting was funny and even though it is obvious what's going on and it's an old theme it totally worked.
IN A HOLIDAZE will give you the warm fuzzies and its sweetness, romantic love story, characters and warmth will sweep you off your feet and leave you with the biggest grin on your face. So grab a cup of hot, steamy chocolate, hop into your favorite PJs, wrap yourself in your most comfy soft blanket, get cozy and dive into this delightful, magical Christmas story.
“Don’t be coy, Andrew Polley Hollis, you know you’re my favorite thing.”

Christina Lauren writes a great feel-good holiday story. Maelyn makes a wish to be happy after she leaves what may be her last Christmas with her closest family and friends. However, when Mae wakes up she isn't on a plane, but back in the cabin at the beginning of her Christmas holiday.

Mae tries and fails several times to get back to the present but it isn't until she discovers who she really is and what it is that she truly wants that she finds what makes her happy and a way home.

This was another solid book by the authors Christina Lauren. Humor, depth, actual wrestling with internal misbeliefs make the story more than a holiday junk food read. The authors kept me guessing up until the very end, and while I get my HEA it took a while getting there.

I'm a huge fan of Christina Lauren-they are funny and heartfelt. The beginning of this book had me worried-I wasn't sure I could buy into the time travel aspect however, it's handled fairly well. My only issue is that basically, it just goes away never to be sorted out which was a bit strange. I was also impressed that this was a fully-flushed out holiday romance. So often, they are rushed, with little thought to believable plots (I'm looking at you, Jasmine Guillroy's Royal Holiday).

Christina Lauren are some of my favorite auto read authors and I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this one. I went into this not reading the synopsis but knowing it was a Christmas Vacation meets Groundhog's Day story. ⁣
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I really liked the chemistry and history between Mae and Andrew and the friends to lovers trope worked well here. This is a story about being vulnerable, second, third, and fourth chances, and truly feels like a Hallmark movie. This was a cute read and put me in the mood for my other holiday reads coming up. I still have a few unresolved questions which kept me from loving this one. But, the holiday magic and holiday traditions this group had were delightful. ⁣
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The Unhoneymooners and Love and Other Words continue to be my favorites by them but I'm all in on their next book. ⁣

I'm a sucker for a Groundhog Day type story! I thought it was used effectively here, however I could have used more time loops. I kept expecting there to be one more reset, but it never came. However, the story is so engaging and cute! I could totally picture the location and it totally gave off Christmas vibes. This one will definitely be nice to read in the winter next to a roaring fire.

A fun premise for a Christmas story. I love that Maelyn gets an opportunity to find what truly matters and finds the courage to go after that which her heart desires. The story is told in a fun and engaging manner that brought many smiles to my face. This is a heat filled romance, so clean readers beware!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

I was excited to be approved for this book. The premise sounded intriguing and I eagerly awaited reading the book. Unfortunately, I have been unable so far to properly access this book. The netgalley app js a mess and reading this book in it has been quite the challenge. The issue is that, I go to the book, open it and as soon as I try to read, the app will reset whatever peg I was on. I was only able to read the first three chapters is of the book. The little bit I read, I enjoyed. I’m very disappointed I wasn’t able to download this to read it on the kindle app or over drive app. Please fix this netgalley.

This was classic Christina Lauren, and I loved it. Funny, weird, and totally charming. I couldn't put it down to save my life.

In a Holidaze is a cute Christmas meets Groundhog Day book where we meet the main character, Maelyn Jones and her wild and crazy family and friends. Set in the days leading up to Christmas, Mae re-lives December 20th multiple times, each time getting a little closer to Christmas Day and eventually to her fateful car trip home. This rom-com puts a smile on your face as you wait and hope that Mae is going to finally have her happy ending. This feel good book had a magical holiday vibe and I would recommend to anyone looking to get swept away in the charm of a feel good holiday read.

I have been a fan of Christina Lauren books ever since I happened upon their "Josh and Hazel" book. When I saw that they wrote a Holiday rom-com I could not resist. I was not disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed Maelyn and Andrew's story. It made me laugh, it made me swoon, it made my heart clinch-yep, all the feels! The universe came through and gave Maelyn a do-over and it's just what we needed this year!

I seriously loved everything about this book. The setting was magical, the characters were so love-able and fun, and the story was fast paced and entertaining! I wish someone would make this into a Christmas movie. It was be so good! I would highly recommend this to readers who love a good quick rom com with lots of holiday cheer! Thank you netgalley and Gallery for sending a copy in exchange for review.

I am not a romance book fan. However, In a Holidaze was more than just a romance book. It was a Groundhog Day rewind. I loved how Maelyn ends up having to figure out how to become the person she is meant to be. This is a story of self-discovery and growth. There are wonderful relationships and it was enjoyable getting to follow Maelyn as her relationship with Andrew begins to change and develop beyond the family friend one they’ve known all their lives. And I loved Uncle Benny! We all need an Uncle Benny in our lives!

The Christmas traditions were wonderful and made me wish that my family had developed those over the years. This is a heartwarming story and full of love, laughter, and wonderful characters. If you are looking for a light holiday read, this is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I am less and less likely to keep Christina Lauren on my list of 'must read' new releases.

This book was just meh. I felt no true affinity for the main characters. It was fine, went along at a good clip, but it just wasn't something I felt super invested in.

For readers looking for an easy romance, this will satisfy that requirement.

I am quickly becoming a bigger (and bigger) fan of the dynamic duo known as Christina Lauren. In this book, readers are taking on this "timeless" adventure (get it?) of Mae. She asks to be shown what will make her happy and has to relive these memories until she realizes that she holds the key to her own happiness. Of course, she finds (or solidifies) love on the way there. This is a really great book year-round, but will be an especially cozy read during the holidays. This was the perfect combination of funny, emotional, warm, and slightly heart-breaking (very slightly). I love books that can make me truly feel the emotions of the characters. This is definitely one of them. I would give this book 10-stars if I could. I really loved it!

Thanks to #Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an advance eBook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @gallerybooks #partner for my gifted e-copy.
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Christmas in October? Duhhhh, it feels like The Nightmare Before Christmas right now. I was so happy to get approved for this one! This is going to be tied for number two for my fave CLo books. I’m a sucker for cute Christmas setting romances. Something about the spirit of the Holidaze (get it? 😄) that make me so cheery and happy.

I’m not usually a fan of the whole ‘Groundhog Day’ theme but CLo did it well without it being redundant. I was worried Mae was going to get stuck having to redo days that didn’t matter. I was especially worried it would happen after some juicy moments transpired (we get a little steam in this one).

This entire family was the best! I felt like I was in the cabin with this entire cast of characters! CLo can always create secondary characters with their own uniqueness. I don’t think their stories would actually be the same without them. I wasn’t a fan of the last two but this one made me reclaim my CLo love.

Somebody turn this into a Hallmark movie and have the cast be similar to the family on “When You Were Sleeping” with Sandra Bullock.

Half the fun of picking up a Christina Lauren book is knowing that you're going to read something "out of the box" in terms of plot, structure and characters. It's always interesting to see how these authors will put their own unique twist on a classic trope. I did not pay much attention to the description before I started reading, so this one was definitely a surprise.
A friends-to-lovers story is one of my favorites. I thought the premise was unique and the characters well-developed. The time travel aspect of the story didn't work for me, especially since it stops abruptly with no explanation why. Also, it seemed like there was supposed to be a love triangle, yet there really wasn't.
There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and the writing is strong. I look forward to reading whatever comes next for this powerhouse team of talented authors.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions shared here are my own.