I love Hallmark Christmas movies, so when given the chance to read a Christina Lauren book set at Christmas…Yes Please! I knew I would be smiling as I read and this book definitely didn’t disappoint!

Remember the movie Groundhogs Day? Well, imagine that at Christmas time as Mae Jones embarks on a journey back and forth through time to find what will truly make her happy. Sound crazy? Sure, but show me a good romance book that doesn’t have a little bit of crazy! It works for this book, and I got exactly what I was hoping to from it.

Mae grew up with her family getting together with her parents college friends every year for Christmas. Even with family dynamics changing, everyone still managed to get together. Mae’s two besties happen to be two boys she grew up with. Both, now men, turn out to be gorgeous guys, in different ways, in her eyes, but she always had her sights on just one. Is that who will truly make her happy? Is Mae going to get her heart broke? Is there going to be Christmas magic?

Thank you so much to Gallery Books for this ARC via NetGalley!

5 star read for me. I loved it!

This book gave me the warm fuzzies because it made me feel good and hopeful that some errors in love aren’t fatal for relationships. I wish I had the ability to go back and fix a mistake in the past, and this story just made me smile because it was a ground-hog day romance done right.

Mae Jones’s family spend every Christmas holiday at a remote cabin in Utah with the Holis Family, her parent’s BF. The families practically grew up together and have so much history. Since they were teenagers, Mae had a crush on Andrew Holis, but all the kids were friend so she never acted on her feelings.

On this particular Christmas vacation, Mae made a huge mistake that she fears would hurt Andrew if he found out but the universe granted Mae a reprieve by sending her a few days back. And thus, Mae’s ground hog day/time travel experience begins as she keeps relieving the same day over and over until she learns some cosmic lesson.

I loved the growth in Mae. At the beginning of the story, Mae had just moved back home with her parents as her career was floundering. As a character, she felt adrift but as she kept reliving the same day, she gained confidence and insight. This holiday romance was a slow burner but it was sweet and humorous. The added family dynamics, particularly, the siblings was the best part of the book for me. I love holiday times because of the family and this rom-com definitely gave me the feels.

The writing was so smooth and the story was relatable that I could envision this as both my family as well as a Christmas holiday movie. It won’t surprise me one bit to see this on Hallmark one day. This one was another winner by Christina Lauren.

I count myself as one of Christina Lauren's fans, I've read all the books. I really liked this one a lot! The descriptions of the family Christmas celebrations at a Utah cabin made me wish I'd had that when I was growing up. Lots of funny family traditions and Christmas spirit, and the characters were will written and memorable. Of course, I can't forget the romance, which built at the perfect rate and was satisfying for the reader. This was a holiday standout that I highly recommend! 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one tricked me! It kept me guessing on the ending the whole way through the story. Very cute premise and nice escapism.

I almost didn't request this book because the last couple Christina Lauren books have been misses for me, but I am so glad that I did! Christina Lauren is a must read author for contemporary romances for me because I have loved so many of her back lists books. I am so happy to say that this newest book was a delightful holiday escape that I could.not.put.down. The beginning of the book started off slow with a heavy character backstory cast list, but once I got the characters down this book was a delight that kept me guessing because of the cute plot line. Definitely check out this fun holiday romance!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher however all opinions are my own.

Ok….full disclosure: I hate time-loops. Despise them. I don’t want to read the same scene four times. Please don’t make me. BUT I loved how Christina Lauren did it in this book. They only repeated what they needed to and skipped over what they didn’t. It was perfection. I was so worried it was going to be repetitive but it wasn’t and *exhales* it’s so nice.

On to the romance! I really like how the romance was introduced between Maelyn and Andrew. At one point, I had no idea who she was going to end up with and I like that not knowing. I also like how they started. It felt very honest and strong and real. Like…she just said how she felt because she figured there were no consequences because of the time-loop but then the loop doesn’t restart and holy shit, she’s in a relationship with her dream dude!

I also loved the conflict in the story. There are a couple (time-loop stress and the Andrew/Theo situation) and I enjoyed how both were handled. I did think Maelyn’s gift to Andrew was a little weird (like…she didn’t even know if he was still ok with them being friends), but the rest I was like YESSSSS #relationshipgoals ALL THE WAY!

I also HIGHLY RELATE to Maelyn’s feelings of not wanting things to change and needing them a certain way because then they will be perfect. Like…it hit a little too close to home.

I also really liked all the supporting characters and while there were a lot of them, I didn’t mess up who was who too often.

I am in love with Benny and would like to live with him or maybe he could just give me advice. Maelyn’s relationship with her brother was also written really well. It starts off as the cliché with the brother ignoring his sister, being in his own world thing, but it doesn’t stay that way and it was really sweet. I also love Maelyn’s mom.

Now for the setting…WHEN CAN I MOVE THERE?!?! I would like to live in a cabin far away from neighbors and surrounded by nature and snow and maybe a dude and a friend could move in too so I’m not scared when it gets dark and I probably watch too many true-crime shows.

Overall, In A Holidaze is a delightful read and if you have a soft heart like me, you will cry at least twice. The writing is superb, Maelyn’s character development through the time-loop business was borderline perfection, and I really liked how the supporting characters were fit into the story. They had their own things going on and their own problems within and outside of Maelyn’s story.

I am giving In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren 4 out of 5 stars

It is available now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

So, it’s not super original, but it’s a Christmas book and it’s very enjoyable! It’s a holiday story Groundhog Day (the movie) style. It’s is exactly what you expect from this team of authors and I really liked it! Thanks to Netgalley for the e- ARC!

Ok this was my first book by the author and at first it was off to a slow start for me. Granted it could have been different for others. I definitely still want to try other books by them. Not going to let 1 book deter me. I will say after 50% it did speed up and get much better to say the least. I enjoyed it for the most part.

When Mae sets out for the annual family holiday trip to the cabin she will be on a time warp. Has she experienced this before? Was she in a car wreck that has caused the "wrinkle in time" that she is experiencing? Could it be that she is so emotionally overwrought due to her short romantic interlude with Theo that she cannot comprehend the reality around her? Or is her desire for Drew so overwhelming that she is thinking straight? Hopefully, Benny, a long-time friend of the family, and Mae can help her rediscover what really happened. Will the group get to keep the cabin, a place of friendship, and acceptance for all? Read this book to discover the mysteries and answers to the holiday romance and the surrounding questions it poses. Thanks to #InaHolidaze#NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Christina Lauren comes back with a fun holiday romp that has all the heat that you are used to from them, Maelynn keeps reliving the early days of her Christmas vacation until she figures out what she really wants and takes charge to get it.

Mae is not happy, living at home with her parents, and she hates her job. Every Christmas her and her family go to Utah to spend the holiday with her parents best friends. Mae has been in love with one of her parents best friends sons, but has never said anything before. When she kisses the other son, she is doomed to repeat these days, until she figures out what will make her happy.

This story is so much more than just a romance novel. Christina Lauren writes a book that will make you think about chasing what you really want and how to make yourself happy. At times this book is delightful, steamy and everything in between. This is a very nice additional to their already very large number of books they have written.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Just what I am looking for in a holiday book. I am not a fantasy reader, but I like a little magic (or a lot of magic) in my Christmas stories. This is my second Christina Lauren book and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to read this one. I loved it. The concept is what drew me in immediately. I think we all would love to have the chance to redo things and In a Holidaze explores this in a charming, funny, and fun way. The secondary characters are wonderful and can Benny be my uncle, please. I smiled a lot while reading this book and suspect that all readers would do the same. In a Holidaze is just the right amount of holiday cheesy and I highly recommend it.

If you’re a fan of holiday books, Ground Hog’s Day (the movie) and Christina Lauren (all of which, I am) then this is definitely a book you should check out.

I loved the mish-mash of families and friendships that came together in this story, complete with traditions, good-natured ribbing, a bit of drama, and lots of love.

Considering the circumstances of the story, Mae handled things pretty well. I mean, most people would just have themselves checked in to a psych ward if they started to repeat the same day over and over. But Mae did a fairly good job of trying to figure things out. More importantly, she used the do-over to go after her dreams, and I loved that.

Andrew was sweet, romantic, shy and yet not a push-over. He might be one of my favorite book heroes that I’ve read in quite some time.

Overall, this was a fun, happy, laugh-out-loud book that made me smile.

In a Holidaze was absolutely amazing. From beginning to end I just loved this story. The underlying messaged paired with the amazing characters and storytelling had me from page one.

Mae has always loved spending the holidays with her family. The night before they leave she makes out with Theo, her crushes brother, and finds out that his parents plan on selling their holiday home. On their way to the airport Mae wishes for the universe to show her how to make her happy and when their car gets hit by a truck she wakes up on a plane heading back to the family home for Christmas.

Now she's stuck in a timeloop until she "gets it right" and starts doing what makes her happy over what she thinks she needs to do. And she does. She tells Andrew, the guy she's been in love with since she was thirteen that she's in love with him. She shakes things up with the family traditions, and she starts letting go of being who she always was with being who she wants to be.

I freaking loved this story. I thought it was phenomenal. I loved the underlying message about how we all get stuck in a routine and don't necessarily do things because we like to, but because we always have. I also loved how Mae finally started letting go of the past to start enjoying her time with her family. I think that was beautiful. She realized when she heard the house was going to be sold how much she loved and cherished the time she spent with the families and her time in the cabins.

This was an amazing story about family, friendship, growth, and of course love. The slow building romance between Mae and Andrew was absolutely amazing. While I wouldn't have hated more steaminess, I definitely loved how despite knowing each other forever it was still a slow build.

In a Holidaze is an absolute must-read. Grab it now and re-read at Christmas.

I love how the authors Christina Lauren surprise us from book to book—from the contemplative, heart wrenching Love and Other Words to the face-sweating heat of Beautiful Bastard.

In the case of their newest release In a Holidaze, I was once again impressed by their versatility but unfortunately didn’t fall for the love story.

After an inebriated make-out session with a friend who just happens to be the brother of the man she’s had unrequited feelings for for years, Maelyn Jones asks the universe to “show me what will make me happy.”

The universe decides to make her relive her Christmas vacation, the one her family does every year with her parents’s college friends & their kids, including Theo, the aforementioned friend she kissed, & Andrew, his brother & the man she’s harbored romantic feelings for.

The question becomes: what does Mae’s happy life look like? & who is front & center in it?

Though this romance shares a basic premise with the movie Groundhog Day it feels fresh & entertaining in Christina Lauren’s hands, peppered with approachable wry & sometimes crass humor.

Mae’s a likeable heroine—she goes on a fun evolution from someone who, in her words, tries to be so careful to someone who isn’t afraid to upset the balance a bit.

Where the book falls short for me is with the brothers, both of whom come off as rather one-note for me. The brother her heart ends up truly desiring feels too perfect; I couldn’t get a sense of his flaws or that Mae could see any, & that veered a little too close to putting-him-on-a-pedestal-adoration for me.

After a sustained period of not warming to him, I couldn’t fully relax into their romance, a sensation that was made more unsettling by the unpredictability of the time travel plot itself.

With that being said, I like this book: it’s sweet, sexy, and funny. The premise is great & the writing is warm & cozy. The romance just doesn’t rock my (holiday) socks off.

3.5⭐️. In a Holidaze is available now. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Another delightful book from Christina Lauren. In a Holidaze.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn 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.

This was such a fun filled book with a great cast of characters in this take on Groundhog Day the movie.

Super sweet friends-to-lovers romance. Imagine a holiday weekend with your crazy friends and family ends on a low note and you get another chance to make your holiday the best one yet. Maelyn Jones is stuck in a time loop and she decides its finally time to take some chances.

I loved the dynamic of the characters. I've always loved the idea of a large family setting in a cabin for the holidays, so picturesque. I sat down and read this book in one setting. On my scale of 9-10 CLO love, this one rates about 8!

This wonderful, twisted, mind-spinning holiday romance will have you laughing out loud, cheering characters on, heartbroken, and sighing.

In a Holidaze by the wonderful rom-com writing duo Christina Lauren was a great combination of Groundhog Day and any Christmas Hallmark movie! It was such a light hearted, fun read. The characters were great, and the slooowwwwww burn was well done! I really enjoyed this Romantic Christmas comedy. It made me think and re-think. There were some deep moments, some regrets, and some close calls. I would certainly recommend this for a different twist on a Christmas read!

Pleasantly surprised by this one after not enjoying many of Christina Lauren’s latest novels. A great holiday read!

I received an ARC from the author and the publisher through NetGalley, 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.

I don’t usually pick up holiday themed books, but if Christina Lauren writes it, I read it.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. It was sweet, low on the drama and all of the characters were very likable. I loved the “groundhog day” spin on this, and it kept me Mae and Andrew were so great, but I expected nothing less from CL. I really loved their connection and friendship.

Another thing that i loved about this book was the setting. It had me excited for snow and all of my family traditions. For my first Christmas themed read, I was pleasantly surprised.


This is truly a feel good read. For those that are searching for something light hearted I highly recommend picking this up.