Groundhog day, but at Christmas...

Maelyn is stuck in a time loop. Suspend your disbelief. Its like Groundhog Day (which I had to look up since it was before my time) and meets Christmas cabin / airplane.
I thought it was enjoyable. Its like a much happier, less alien-y, Christmas version of Edge of Tomorrow.
Can she break the time loop?
Rinse and repeat.

3.5 stars. In a Holidaze doesn't necessarily rank among my favorite Christina Lauren books, but it absolutely was a fast and addictive read like their other stories. After taking a few pages to sort out the long list of characters thrown at you and to get into the concept of Mae's time-bending experience, the book becomes very hard to put down. The Groundhog Day-like concept was a unique approach, and the Christmas themed focus was also fun. Part of my reservations about the book were the relative immaturity of the leads given their ages. Though supposedly in their mid- to late-20's, they acted more like they were in high school or early college years. This made their actions and motivations feel off to me throughout the book, like Mae's career and semi-existential crisis at 26 years old (though the line about Mae envisioning the end of an era being a gradual process as opposed to sprinting head first into a brick wall resonated a lot given everything this year).

Overall, I liked this book for its escapism and Christina Lauren's usual engaging writing style, even if it didn't quite check all the boxes I was hoping for.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

In a Holidaze

When the annual family holiday trip to the mountains takes an unexpected turn, Maelyn Jones is devastated. Not only has she engaged in a snog fest with the wrong brother, but the cabin where her family has vacationed all her life, with her parent’s college friends and families, is going to be sold and she’ll never have a chance at a do over with the right brother.

Only she does. Again and again. Maelyn gets thrown back in time and had to play out the entire vacation from the beginning, and only she knows what happened the first time.

This is a delightful holiday novel, just right for a season too busy for serious books. The characters are the well drafted people who inhabit all our families, whether biological or chosen and they act accordingly. On top of that, it’s hilarious. It’s a perfect book for 2020, because who wouldn’t want some “do overs?”

I received an ARC of In a Holidaze from NetGalley. It’s release date is October 6, 2020.

Get your hands on a copy of In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren RIGHT NOW! This is probably one of my favorite books I have read in a long time. Any book that can totally sweep me out of pandemic life and into a new reality is a must read. I started this book on Sunday night and finished the rest on Monday evening. I could not put it down.

On a snowy evening at the end of a Christmas vacation in Park City, UT Maelyn Jones asks the question "Please. Show me what will make me happy." And that sets off a series of events where she lives over the vacation multiple times. In a Holidaze is engrossing and tender and everything I look for in a Christmas book. It's a cliché, but I laughed and cried, and was with these characters every step of the way. The cabin and this family were brought to life for me and absolutely delightful. And Andrew is the perfect cinnamon roll hero. If you have seen the movie The Family Stone, it very much reminded me of that. And that is one of my all time favorite movies. Add this one right to the top of your Christmas TBR!

This was fine! I didn't enjoy the premise as much as I should have, in fact I found myself getting impatient with it, and just wanted the authors to focus on the main two characters more instead of the wibbly-wobbly timey-wimeyness. I also wasn't as enamored with the idea of the cabin and the found family as the authors clearly were (and Mae was at the beginning of the story), which is weird since I usually love found family stories. I actually think I would have enjoyed this more if it would have been a straight through Christmas love story without the time travel, and who am I for typing that??

I did really like the whole idea behind letting the past and traditions go, letting them evolve, that doing things just because you always have is stagnation, and it's okay to let things change.

I left this ARC way too long, and rushed through it a bit because I wanted to get to it by pub day, so I might have enjoyed it more had I read it over a more normal span of time. But for some reason I thought it was coming out in December and the Oct. 6 release date snuck up on me.

[3.5 stars]

It's a holiday Twinkie--light, sweet, not that filling--so if you're already a fan of Hallmark Christmas marathons , you'll love this book. There's a Groundhog Day premise that could've run a day or two longer, but then the reader would've grown frustrated and felt total misery alongside Mae. As an older woman, it was easy for me to see 26-year old Mae's struggle and try and fight an eye roll; I had to remember that I was that 26-year old once myself.

It's clear that she has some big decisions to make about how her life has been going, and to take a chance on what--and who--she really wants. I could understand her fears of ruining things with Andrew if she had just gone for him from the get-go, and then everything with the family would've been awkward. Theo's actions were a little more confusing and just felt like a plot device.

Uncle Benny, who buys her time-travel story from the get-go, was amusing. There's something to be said for traditions and the need for them to adapt it over time. (Having married into a BIG family, we've had to do this over the decades.) And as per usual for this kind of book, a HEA.

HJ Recommends

In In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, The aging but still beautiful cabin Maelyn Jones and her family visit every year for Christmas in Park City, Utah, is her happy place. The snow, the festive decorations, and getting to catch up with her parents’ friends who have become her extended family is something Maelyn looks forward to all year. But this season everything is different. She’s become mired in the lack of direction her life is taking and is ready for…something. And after making a few blunders during their week in Utah, she wishes for a way to find what makes her happy on their drive back to the airport.

A freak car accident later and Maelyn wakes up on the same plane, in the same seat she sat in six days ago. Somehow she’s on her way to Park City with her parents and brother again, like nothing ever happened. Freaking out inside, Maelyn confides in family friend Benny that she’s lived this week before once they arrive at the cabin. His calming presence is a boost to her flagging spirit, wondering why she’s been given a do-over. But she’s not going to waste it. Maelyn has a plan to win the love of her life, save the cabin from being sold, and add their own touches to the traditions they’ve carried out her whole life. All while making herself and her family and friends happy. Not a small feat, but Maelyn knows she’ll never get this chance again.

His breath comes out warm against my neck, voice shaking: “It never occurred to me that you might be mine.”
My Christmas reading list got a huge boost with Christina Lauren’s latest standalone: In a Holidaze. Filled with a comical, offbeat ensemble cast, a warm & toasty holiday feel, romance that was sweet perfection, and the laughs I crave from this duo, I just wanted to wrap myself up in this novel and live with these characters a bit longer.

A CLo holiday book!!! Yay! And like the book synopsis says, this truly was a blend of Love Actually and Groundhog Day in the most entertaining of ways. I love the characters CLo creates in any of their books, but there was something even a bit more whimsical and quirky with the group we had all together under one roof for Christmas at the cabin. They had such a terrific, rich history that it added more layers to an already interesting premise. Their lives were so twined up around each other that it both made things easier–everyone knew the traditions they followed and where their place was in it–and more difficult–feelings could easily be hurt and there was no wiggle room to do what they wanted to do.

It was Maelyn who was stuck in the Groundhog Day-like time loop. And my heart went out to her. The frustration she felt, the joy, sorrow, hope, and all of the love she had for these people who were her safe place…CLo did an incredible job describing it all in a way that was wholly relatable and immersive. Honestly, I think Maelyn is one of my favorite heroines they’ve created. In her mid to late twenties, she was, well, not happy with the direction her life was taking. Add to that her lack of a love life and the unrequited crush she had for one of the guys she grew up with, and Maelyn was stuck. It was when she figured out what she truly wanted in life and how it could not only help her but add something to everyone else’s lives that things went in a positive direction. And what a breathtakingly, lovely series of events it was after that.

A novel that is guaranteed to give you all the feels and even add a touch of magic to your life, In a Holidaze turned tradition on its ear for a motley group of friends and family, showing them that love and friendship can overcome anything.

I read this book in one sitting. Let's just put that out there. After too many episodes of Criminal Minds, I needed something light and cute and this was exactly that.

That said, I didn't necessarily love this novel. Don't get me wrong, I definitely liked it. But, I had expected to like it more.

If you haven't read the synopsis of this book, it's the basic plot of Groundhog Day. After making a questionable decision on the last day of her Christmas vacation, and hearing news that she and her found family might not be able to continue their holiday tradition, the main character Mae, makes a wish. She asks the universe to show her what is going to make her happy. Next thing she knows, she's traveled back in time, and Christmas vacation has just begun. And so it goes, as Mae tries to change everything she considered a mistake to break the loop and find what makes her happy.

And as you can imagine, with this being a book about repeating the same days over and over, it got a bit repetitive. But, bear with me, because it wasn't even the loop that was repetitive for me (although I admit, I'm not a huge fan of time loops). The repetition came from the character's actions in the individual time jump. Mae and Andrew's entire romance felt repetitive and that was annoying.

My other issue with the book was that it had a lot of telling and not enough showing for my personal taste. I love the family dynamic of the story and all the characters that have come together to be such a lovable and close unit. But, near the beginning, we get a character literally go on for multiple pages explaining who each of the characters is, their relationship to each other, and basic descriptors of their lives, all in a long string of dialogue. It felt pretty forced, exposition wise.

Then there was the romance. We are told that Mae has been in love with her childhood friend, Andrew for the past decade. But I didn't really see why. Their families only ever get together for Christmas and Fourth of July weekend, so when exactly did they fall in love? Where is the undeniable chemistry between the two? Where is the proof that the two of them have been secretly in love, other than being told that they are? Especially from Andrew's part, where are the signs that he's ever had any feelings for Mae?

I wanted more! More romance and tension and cuteness!

And yet, despite my complaints, I enjoyed reading this.

It was a quick, fun read full of great, likable characters. Benny was perhaps one of my favorite parts of the entire story, so there is that. I also liked the writing and general storyline and definitely think that a lot of people are going to absolutely love this book. I just wasn't one of them.

Happy pub day to In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren and thank you so much to Netgalley and Gallery Books for letting me read an e-ARC of this one! I freaking love Christina Lauren books- I think they're a great contemporary romance writing duo and I also love holiday romances, so this was a match made in heaven for me. I absolutely loved In a Holidaze and devoured it in less than a day!

In a Holidaze 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: 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.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
First off, Mae, our main character is 26 and she doesn't know of the movie Groundhog day- what the heck?! I'm 27 and I've seen Groundhog day at least 10 times, not because I particularly like the movie, but because it was ALWAYS on TV when I was younger and home sick from school or when we had teacher workdays and there was never anything else on! But besides that, I loved how relatable every aspect of this book (minus the being stuck in a time loop part of it) was- going through life changes where the traditions you had as a child aren't really happening in the same way anymore, being stuck in a dead end job you hate, drunkenly hooking up with someone and then having them completely ignore you the next morning- all of it is stuff that the average person in their mid 20s has totally been through! I loved how in every reiteration, Mae has such a "fuck it" attitude and just embraced living and enjoying life to the most and taking risks and ultimately, having the best Christmas ever (with a few speedbumps along the way). This book made me feel super single (because, you know, I am pretty single haha), but it reminded me just how cute love can be and how adorable guys are when they really and truly like you (and don't just want to get into your pants). Overall, In a Holidaze was a super cute, super fun read and I highly recommend it- it may have just become my favorite Christina Lauren book!

I thoroughly loved this book! I am a sucker for CLo’s writing and this one hit the spot. I was wondering how a romance would work in this situation but it did. I loved Maisie and Andrew So much. I was LOL-ing at parts, and crying at others. If you’re a fan of Holiday romances or Christina lauren, you’re in for a treat!

I really don’t even know where to start with this review, it was such a journey.

When the book begins, heroine Mae is anxiously bemoaning the fact that she drunkenly made out with long time friend Theo, son of her parents’ best friends. Further complicating matters is the fact that Mae has long harbored a secret crush bordering on love on Theo’s older brother, Andrew. So, there I am, thinking Theo is the hero. Oh, I’ve read this trope before, I thought to myself, heroine fancies herself in love with a guy when her actual true love has been right under her nose all along. And then Theo acted like a jackass the next morning and I was like, OH NOOO as I had stopped reading C.Lo because the hero in the last book of theirs that I read, made me so ragey, I refuse to read them any more. And then this arc landed in my lap, which brings me to this book.

For a time travel book where Mae keeps reliving the same few days over and over again, there was a certain coziness and...charm (?) to the book that felt oddly out of place and surprising. It was soothing almost in a way that I was not expecting, almost like a Hallmark Christmas movie. The characters were cute but forgettable, kind of bland and boring.

The problem is...I’m not entirely sure what the conflict was about. Why did Andrew get so mad? Why did Mae have to make the big grand gesture? It rang false and hollow, and honestly, made zero sense. It had all the bells and whistles of a cute holiday romance but the characters were unremarkable and forgettable and the actual love story lacked any real tension, and the conflict towards the end was just weird. That I ended this book without wanting to throw the hero off a cliff is, I suppose, a win. But wow, what a low bar. It was a fine book. And I probably won’t even remember it by next week.

This book was a cherry popper for me: my first book from these authors and first time traveling read. The story is about a group of 13 people (family and friends) who for a long long time spend the Christmas week together in a cabin. Maelyn, or Mae, she is in love with Andrew since she was thirteen and she knew what love is. But everyone thought she was into Theo, Andrew’s brother, who was her age, against the 3 years difference from Andrew.

I’ll say that it took me some time to really get into the story, in the beginning I was really annoyed with Mae, she was winning so much about how she wasn’t happy with her life and now the owners of the cabin were planing to sell it, changing everything and don’t get me start with how she briefly kissed Theo while drunk.

So when she asks the universe to show her what will make her happy? The universe gives to her, see be careful for what you wish for. She is sent back to the first day when she and her family was arriving at the cabin, so she could make things right and make her happy. From there on everything is crazy, chaotic and funny. Every time she did something wrong the universe sent her back.

Tired of it all, she finally let it all go and start to be free and go after what she really wanted for her life, including her dream man Andrew. And that’s when things got awesome! I love this Mae! She got herself together and said her feelings to Andrew. It took some time for him to flip the coin, because he never thought she was available to him. But damn when he did they were fire and their chemistry was off charts.

The book also brings a lot of Christmas traditions and family awesomeness. But of course they had some bumps on the road and I loveeeeeed her speech in the end, it was true and heartfelt. The epilogue was my kind of ending and it made me love Andrew even more! Gah, he was awesome! If you like Christmas romances, this is for you!

Mae and her family spend every Christmas at a cabin in Utah with their family friends, but this Christmas will be their last one. That is, until Mae makes a wish, and she is stuck in a sort of Groundhog's Day time warp. Mae is in love with her childhood friend, Andrew, so maybe this is her one chance to finally get that unrequited love returned.

This was my first book by Christina Lauren. I own some of their other books, but have not read them yet. I will definitely be moving them up to the top of my TBR now. The story was sweet and funny and even heartbreaking sometimes which makes for a great contemporary romance in my opinion. While reading, I felt transported to Park Slope and the family cabin. I could picture the beautiful scenery and the tourist town as well as the cabin itself. I thought they picked the perfect place for this story.

I think that the Groundhog's Day type storyline was fun for this book. It brought some humor to it, and I loved Benny's character. Mae dealing with time travel was funny as well. I enjoyed her relationship with Andrew, but felt a little more storyline with Theo was needed.

Overall, this is a great holiday read! I was surprised to enjoy a Christmas story in the fall, but maybe that is what we all need right now!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I never know what to expect when I read a Christina Lauren book as there are all so unique and not to say this wasn’t unbelievably fun to read. It had a circuitous plot especially in the beginning, and there was a time when I truly wondered how this story could possibly end up with an HEA, but I should remember what fabulous writers these women are. I loved Maelyn, Andrew, Theo and the rest of the families. The story was such a fun read and an interesting take on the Christmas holiday romance novel.

You probably don’t know this because I’m super behind on reviews, but I read my first CLo book at the end of August and have since read 6 more of their books. Frankly, that number should be higher, but I’m trying to pace myself so I don’t run out of CLo books to read (the horror!!). All this to say, I think CLo books are the most enjoyable, reliable, funny, and nearly perfect rom-coms out there. For me, In a Holidaze was middle of the CLo pack - not my favorite, but not at the bottom of my list either (mind you, the bottom of my CLo list is still higher than most rom-coms!).

IaH includes all the markers of a great CLo - a nuanced main character, friends that feel like family, a love interest who’s been in the background of the MC’s life until the narrative starts. With CLo, the storyline supporting this standard cast of characters is what makes each book unique, and usually dictates how readers rank the book.

The setting of IaH is why it’s only in the middle of the pack for me. I LOVE the holiday setting - the cabin, the snow, the Christmas traditions. I love the cast of characters and the fun, cozy, winter wonderland adventures they go on. However, the Groundhogs Day theme put a damper on all of this goodness. The time loop trope can be great if done right, but it’s hard to get it right. In IaH, it feels like the authors kind of forgot about it halfway through. It’s never really resolved and that bugs me. I read CLo novels because I know what I’m going to get, and closure is a big part of that.

Listen, even a middling CLo book is an incredible read and I would 110% recommend IaH to any rom-com and/or CLo fan out there. Don’t get hung up on the time loop trope and you will absolutely love it. I can’t wait to make reading In a Holidaze my Christmas tradition!

2.75-3 stars. I didn't completely love this book, unfortunately. In a Holidaze is Maelyn's story. Maelyn is a young woman whose family has a close "best friend family" that they have always spent Christmas with at a cabin. Mae has always had a crush on one of the sons of that family, Andrew. But this Christmas at the cabin, everything has gotten mixed up. Bad news about the cabin, kissing the wrong brother, and accidents abound. When the Christmas week is over, Maelyn makes a wish for the universe to show her what will make her happy. The family is immediately in a car accident and when Mae wakes up the week is just starting again. Thus begins a Groundhog Day like scenario, where Mae goes through the week over and over until an accident happens to make her begin again.

This book did have a cute premise. But Mae came off like a very immature and innocent, young teenage girl with a silly schoolgirl crush, instead of a woman in her late 20s. Andrew, also did not feel like a 30 year old man. For much of the book, it did not feel like a romance. There was no chemistry or depth of character. The reasons why the "Groundhog Day scenario" happens are never fully explained, nor is why the days repeating finally stops. Also, the pacing is off. Rushing in parts and slow moving in parts. The book is relatively entertaining, but it felt more like a debut novel.

Overall, I can't say I enjoyed this book very much. I have read and enjoyed Christina Lauren books in the past, but haven't enjoyed many of their newer books. The Unhoneymooners was pretty good though, so I thought I would try In a Holidaze, in hopes that they got some of their groove back. But I was disappointed as I felt this was my least favorite book of theirs to date. It wasn't bad, but it was definitely only okay for me.

I love the movie Groundhog Day and time travel movies and books. In a Holidaze starts off with family and friends spending the holiday together. It's the same every year, same traditions and foods. Before they leave for home they find out the cabin is being sold and it is the last time they will celebrate at the cabin. On the way home, something happens and Mae finds herself back on the airplane traveling to the cabin again...she thinks she is going crazy. But she begins to think, maybe now is the time to fix her life. I adore the family. They made me giggle so many times. This is a really fun and cute rom-com with a great twist. It made me think about what actually makes me happy and maybe change is can be good for all of us.

Happy Pub Day to IN A HOLIDAZE, the newest book by the fabulous duo Christina Lauren!
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If you haven’t read a CL book yet stop what you are doing and go get one now!! You won’t regret it, their romances are the perfect balance of funny, heart wrenching, and heart warming truly.
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IN A HOLIDAZE is a Christmas romance about Maelyn who finds herself repeating the same week around Christmas with her family and family friends at the cabin they have gone to every year since their parents were in college. Every time she makes a choice that isn’t really true to what she wants and who she is, she gets sent back to day 1.
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Drama ensues as everyone thinks Maelyn has lost her mind and is acting strange, the holiday traditions continue, and Maelyn gets really sick of the same breakfast over and over.
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My six word review:
A sweet and unique festive read!
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I enjoyed this book, I read it in one sitting. It was unique for a CL book, but I feel like I’ve read this plot before where someone repeats the same day over and over around the holidays. It had unique elements but typically I feel like CL writes books from the usual tropes in an unpredictable and unique way and this fell a little flat. It’s hard to top The Unhoneymooners or Love and Other Words!!
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Christina Lauren's books have largely been hit or miss for me lately. I have been so desperate to get back to a story like The Unhoneymooners, and unfortunately, In a Holidaze was not it.

In a Holidaze is basically a Groundhound's Day Christmas rom-com. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy time travel and time loops in storylines, so I found the premise to be really exciting.

Our MC Mae is quite literally a hot mess. She's living back home with her mom and her job leaves more to be desired. At least she gets to look forward to her time at the cabin in Utah that her family spends Christmas at every year; especially since Andrew (who she's been in love with since she was a teenager) will be there. Anyways, fast forward to the final night of the cabin where Mae finds herself locking lips with Theo, Andrew's younger brother. Mae wakes up the next day mortified, but the universe has other plans for her and gives her the chance to do things over and finally be with the man she's loved since she was thirteen.

I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the traditions that these families engage in during the Christmas holiday. There's an annual snow creature building contest, sledding, lavish feasts, and overall holiday joy. I loved that there was an established mlm relationship with two adorable children.

For the most part, I was rooting for Andrew and Mae. I found their inside jokes with the nicknames a bit odd (they call each other Mandrew and Maisie), but it's something from childhood, so I let it slide for the most part. It was clear that Mae and Andrew have always had incredible chemistry since they've literally known each other their whole lives.

What kept me from really enjoying this book though was the narrative surrounding Theo. It is clear that Theo is in love with Mae even though Mae is the only one that seems oblivious. Mae is so determined to bury what happened between her and Theo in order to be with Andrew at the expense of Theo's feelings. When we finally get to the point that Theo and Mae address everything, it's just sort of brushed under the rug and we move on to Andrew again. I don't even understand what was the point of the Theo storyline.

This was such a fun read. I am a sucker for Christmas stories. I loved the characters , the setting, and the normal day-to-day life that throws us a curve ball every once in a while that is played out in this story. The writing is very good and the story held my attention; start-to-finish. This is a friends to lovers story with the twist of some time travel in the style of Groundhog Day/Christmas Everyday. Maelyn Jones finds out that you really do have to be careful what you wish for when she starts reliving the same Christmas week over and over again. Actually, she thinks she might be going a little bit insane. She has a unique extended family made up of her parents' college besties and one particular "Uncle", Benny, is her go-to confidante. She is fearful at first not sure what to do or how to make it stop. She finally throws caution to the wind and figures out that our pasts may shape us; but, it doesn't have to define us. We can make our own destinies; apparently with a little help from the Universe.