This was pretty alright.

I obviously wasn't expecting something spectacular going into this book so I'm not too disappointed but this book was just very average. This is one of those books that is exactly a 3 stars—no more, no less. It's just so middle-of-the-road. While the book was super fast-paced and quick to read and had pretty good writing overall, the characters fell kind of flat, and some of the plot elements were pretty half-baked.

This would make a great Netflix Christmas movie, but as a book, it just doesn't work as well. There are entire chapters dedicated to very mundane, normal Christmas activities that would be so much more engaging on the screen.

So, yeah. The writing was good as always. The characters were fine but nothing great. The plot was quick to read but not flawless. It was all just pretty okay. It was a fun fast Christmas read and I definitely got what I expected. I just wish it could have been as good as I think it probably could have been because I think Christina Lauren definitely had/has the potential to write an amazing Christmas book. It was still fun though and pretty engaging just because it was so quick to get through.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a very cute concept. It was a very fun read especially around the holidays.

I didn't like this book at all. I started reading it and found it difficult to continue. I forced myself to keep reading but eventually gave up. There are too many good books out there for me to waste my time on this one.

I love a good Groundhogs Day type story, and this was a light, fun romp! I enjoyed Mae and Andrew, and was very fond of Benny… other characters tended to fade into the background a little for me. The setting was beautiful and made me want to head to a snowy cabin for Christmas with all my loved ones. 3.5 stars!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

A sweet story where the main character relives the holiday vacation with her family and family friends in order to learn what truly makes her happy. It was cute and predictable but some things were left unexplained such as what happened to the girl who was in the truck that was hit? Another dimension? It never explored her relationship with Andrew's brother/the expectations everyone had for them to be together. A quick winter read perfect for before the holidays.

A Christmas retelling of Groundhogs Day but with a little steam. I swear, this duo can do no wrong!!

This book was a pleasure to read. It kept my attention and before I knew it, the book was over. I fell in love with Andrew, the cabin and the whole reliving Christmas with family would honestly be a dream. I just loved everything about this book. The characters, the storyline.. I just!!! Ahhhh!!! I loved it.

End of story!

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the amazing duo that is Christina Lauren for the opportunity to read a review this book in exchange for an honest review.

I missed this title last year so was glad to give it a read this season. I enjoyed the story -- great setting and characters. It was an easy read and fun with a little bit of steam. I wanted a bit more time travel because that is one of my favorites in a storyline.

IN A HOLIDAZE - Christina Lauren

CUTE and CLEVER! - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Mae is devoted to tradition, so the annual Christmas vacation with her extended family is almost perfect for her. It's just that she is attracted to Andrew, who only treats her as a sister. But when unexpected bad news is received at the end of their trip, she questions the universe, then suddenly finds herself reliving the vacation over and over, with some major changes each time and not always for the better.

Writing - 4 stars - I was caught up in the story right away. The characters are fun, the writing is easy-to-read, and the story is intriguing. Sure, it's been done before, but Mae is a good character to follow and her actions and thoughts make sense, especially in the confusing life that she's currently living.

Characters - 4 stars - There's a large cast, but Mae is the main character, and she's fun and entertaining. She has a good head on her shoulders, but occasionally she's overwhelmed by the world and her thoughts and is a little too anxious. Andrew is a great hero--warm and kind and sweet. But he's got feelings too, and they get confused and hurt as their relationship gets sticky. Secondary characters of their parents, Benny, and the others in the house party add some depth and warmth to the story without getting too involved.

Title - 4 stars - Clever play of words, plus it refers to the holidays which leads the reader in the right direction of what the story will be about.

Cover - 4 stars - Great holiday color to draw the eye, plus a bunch of lights to set the Christmas mood.

Overall - 4 stars - This is clever and very entertaining. I like the premise and found it fascinating, although I'll admit that it bogged down a bit in the middle as Mae and Andrew's relationship developed. The premise is not new, of course, but the characters gave it a different spin from the original Groundhog Day movie (which is acknowledged in the book, I might add). The romance is sweet, the family drama is typical, and I enjoyed reading about the family's traditions and activities, although it didn't sound particularly fun to me to be involved in such constantly competitive games. This was a hopeful book, with Mae rediscovering herself. I'd almost call this a coming-of-age book, except that Mae is 26! But she's cute and has been stuck in a rut for years, and this time she has the chance to make some changes in her life and try to get it right. All in all, this was a light-hearted holiday romp, and I will look for more from this author.

I know I’m like a year behind on reading In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, but I finally made the time to read it and it was the perfect way to start off the holiday season.

It is a cute friend to lovers romance and a really quick read. The MC, Mae, asks the universe for a sign of what she should be doing with her life and the answer came in the form of a little bit of time travel and a second chance to tell her true love exactly how she feels about him. I especially enjoyed the bit of time travel involved. I thought that was a clever integration into the story.

If you like friends to lovers, spending a snowy Christmas in a mountain cabin surrounded by a bunch of fun, supportive and loving characters/family you will enjoy reading this book. If you are like me and didn’t get around to it last year, don’t make the mistake of missing the chance to read it this year!!

This one was a twist on Groundhog Day and every Christmas movie you've ever seen. Maise is stuck in deja vu when after she and her family leave after their Christmas vacation and she made out with Theo and the next morning he turns his nose up at her. Then she finds out they are selling the cabin. On the way to the airport they are in an accident. BAM! she wakes up on the airplane and they are getting ready to land for their vacation. She knows what is going to happen. First off, she is not going to make out with Theo, her dad is going to break his tooth, and when things start happening she gets hit in the head and BAM! she wakes up on the plane again. This time she is going to confide in someone. Uncle Benny. LOVE him! Right away, don't let dad eat the cookies so he doesn't break a tooth, check, tell Andrew what she is feeling about him, check, go figure he feels the same! and watch the rest fall into place. This one was far fetched but fun, in a big way. It was just pure fun. Give it a go and enjoy!

A Groundhog Day retelling set during the Christmas holiday season. This is a very hard retelling to get right without feeling repetitious. Christina Lauren does a pretty good job of this but it still has moments where it drags a bit.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Sadly, In a Holidaze didn't wow me like other Christina Lauren books I've enjoyed in the past (The Unhoneymooners, Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating, Autoboyography). I think it was supposed to be a warm and fuzzy romance, but it was very light on both. Romance-lite? Diet Romance? The story and characters were mostly meh (think Roomies and The Honey-Don't List). I believe this book would have benefitted from a duel POV, but we only get Mae's perspective. When she finally admits her feelings for Andrew, he just seems to go with it. There wasn't any tension or buildup to their relationship. It was kind of like she said, "Hey, I really like you," and he said, "Cool." 😴💤

Uncle Benny was easily my favorite character and I wish he'd been given more page time. (Obviously, we need a Benny spinoff now.) I liked his hippy vibe. The weird love-triangle-that-wasn't-really-a-love-triangle was unnecessary and really should've been left out. Mae ends up admitting to something that didn't actually happen in her current timeline (don't you just love time loops?), which starts a conflict with Andrew that didn't need to happen. It was also a really weird thing for them to "fight" about, to be honest. It happened, but it also didn't happen. I think this is why I dislike books that mess with time without fully explaining how everything works. You can't just scream at the cosmos every few pages looking for answers. WE need the information, too. After a while, everything just started to feel repetitive (her days AND her relationship with Andrew). What exactly was Mae supposed to be doing? Finding her happiness? It was very vague, and some of her resets didn't really make sense. Why couldn't she be happy in any of the other versions of her life?

We're also told from the start (by Mae) how much she loves Andrew. She has always loved Andrew, but I never actually saw their connection. I wish we'd seen more affection (and not the brotherly kind) between the two of them instead of simply being told over and over again that it was there. They only saw each other once or twice a year, so when did she have time to fall deeply and madly in love with him? Why was his affection immediately returned without anything really leading up to it? It was a little corny and a lot unbelievable. I also hated that she avoided Andrew's brother (can't even remember his name) instead of smoothing out the weirdness that only she was aware of. He felt avoided and didn't know why, and then she dismissed his feelings without a second thought (remember the love-triangle-that-wasn't-really-a-love-triangle?).

Additionally, there were a lot of secondary - very flat, one-dimensional - characters, which made it hard to keep up with who was who at the start (so many family members and their many children). Overall, In a Holidaze was a quick read that wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't memorable. (★★★☆☆)

In a holidaze is a time traveling, friends to lovers romance. I had high hopes for it since it seemed to be the darling of the Christmas season last year, however it turned out to be not for me.
I liked all the references to salt lake and park city because I am a Utah native.

What I didn’t enjoy and was confused about was the time traveling aspect. It started out of no where and ended without really giving the reader a reason why. I also just felt really disconnected to the romance and it’s characters and couldn’t get on board with the story line. But this is a big hit with a lot of readers so clearly this one just wasn’t for me.

I tried, I really did. So. Many. Times. I did finally finish the book, but it was more out of a determination and maybe a bit of OCD about not leaving things unfinished. I've enjoyed so many books by this writing duo, but the last couple have been a disappointment. In the case of In a Holidaze, I didn't care for any of it - not the characters, the storyline, none of it. The premise isn't new by any means, but it had so much potential that I didn't feel was realized. I used to read everything Christina Lauren wrote, and maybe it's just me, but something isn't working for me anymore.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly

I am extremely delayed in reviewing this ARC, but it was a very delightful read! Mae and Andrew are adorable and I liked this holiday take on the groundhog day phenomenon.

So incredibly CUTE!!!

Christina Lauren always brings the quintessential dialogue that we all crave. I love how they create such quirky characters and unique stories lines. This one was I believe the most unique book of theirs that I have ever read. Mae and Andrew's story may not be typical, but when did books by CL ever become typical?

Definitely give this one a try while you are hunkered down in the darkness and cold of the winter. You won't regret it.

Overall, I really liked this book. The holidays in a cabin was the perfect setting. However, I just don't know how I feel about Maelyn reliving the same day again and again. But as holiday books (movies) go, this was a really fun and laughable book.

In a Holidaze was the cutest Holiday Read. It got me in a holiday spirit for sure! It was just want Santa ordered! I love a good holiday romance and this didn’t disappoint.

4.5 out of 5 stars.
Maelyn has had a few setbacks. Moving back home to her mom and stepfather’s house was not ideal. But that’s okay, because she’s on her way to the cabin.
For as long as she’s been alive, her mom, her dad, her brother and she fly to Utah to stay at their family friend’s cabin for Christmas.
They’ll see Lisa and Ricky (and sons Theo and Andrew) along with a few others. Their days are planned. They are doing the same things they always do from December 20-26. However, this year feels different. And when some disappointing news just before they leave turns the mood sour, she seems resigned to that being the worst thing ever. Until a car crash.
And then she wakes up on the plane. And her brother tells her it’s December 20th. And Maelyn has a chance to relive her successes and forget her failures.