Christina Lauren never fail me! In a Holidaze was everything I hoped for! Christmas chaos, lots of laughter, a dash of angst, and a completely satisfying ending!
After spending her Christmas holiday wondering just how her life had turned out this way, Maelyn is on the way to the airport with her family when an accident occurs; she makes a wish just before asking the universe to show her what would make her truly happy. She wakes up on a plane seven days before the accident. Trapped in a Groundhog Day scenario, Mae tells her trusted Uncle Benny what has happened to her. As Mae and Benny try to uncover what could have her trapped in this time loop, Mae tries to navigate each day and figure out where she went wrong and where she could go so right, or even if she will have a chance to save her Christmas! I definitely don’t want to spoil the story anymore, but trust me when I say, you want to read this book! Our hero, is absolutely dreamy and perfect and may be my new favorite Christina Lauren book boyfriend!!! Uncle Benny is a total sweetheart and I loved his belief in Mae every time she approached him with her scenario. He never once wavered in his support of her and I loved that!
Christina Lauren once again give you an adventure filled with emotion and humor that will get you wishing for your own do over.

Unremarkable. You probably will like it if you’re a CLo fan, but I wasn’t invested with the couple. The time loop storyline could’ve been more interesting. I had, perhaps unfairly, expectations of clever/bananas time loop shenanigans because of fanfic. The creative potential of a time loop is infinite; this execution felt like the most boring/mediocre example of it. It was an okay read and I’ll forget everything about it by tomorrow.

I was right this book was just what I needed right now. Mae has been in love with Andrew since she was 13 years old but has always been too unsure of herself to tell him. That is until life throws her 3 curve balls in the form of do-overs. Will the final do-over stick or will she have to go back to do more? Is this what happens when you ask the universe what will make you happy?

I even teared up a bit during the book. Plus now I want a cabin in the woods in Park City.

An annual Christmas gathering among close friends has a different spin this year for Mae. Typically, the weirdest thing about Christmas is her divorced parents still spend Christmas together. This year however, weird takes on a whole new meaning. She’s not happy in her job, she’s moved back into her childhood home, she’s given her boyfriend the boot, she learns that her favorite place in the world, the only place in the world, she’s spent her Christmases may no longer exist after this year, she kisses the wrong brother, and oh, she seems to be reliving the last few days leading up to the Christmas holiday over and over.
For her entire life Mae has spent the Christmas holiday with the same people. Her parents’ college friends and their families. When it comes to the Hollis brothers, Mae has been in love with Andrew Hollis since she was thirteen years old, but because his brother Theo is closer to her age everyone assumes it’s she and Theo that will be romantically linked. When she drunkenly makes out Theo, he suddenly treats her like she has the plague and when learns that Andrew witnessed it but doesn’t seem to be affected by it, she’s completely confused. At the end of the holiday while on the way to the airport with her family Mae contemplates her life and asks the universe “Can you show me what will make me happy?”, just before she witnesses a car coming straight towards them. The next thing Mae knows, she’s on the plane, but not on her way home. She’s on her way to celebrate the holiday. Mae’s reliving the days leading up to the end of the holiday over and over. Each time she discovers something new it takes her further into the week.
This Ground Hog’s Day meets, National Lampoon’s Christmas, meets The Family Stone book was quite pleasant. There’s not too much to say without giving too many spoilers, but it was very low on angst with a cast of characters that were really enjoyable. There were a few points where the storyline lagged a bit and I felt like things could have wrapped up a lot quicker but for the most part, I enjoyed it. With the weather now turning to Fall, it’s a good book to sit by the fireplace wrapped in your favorite blanket with your favorite hot beverage.

I initially requested to read and review this book because my sister had already mentioned it being on her list to read this year, and when I saw the title I was hopefully to be able to pass along to her that it was worth ready. And indeed, it was! This is a cutesy little read that embraces the holiday season perfectly. This is my first book by this author, but I’ll likely read another!

This was really sweet and funny! I enjoyed the Groundhog’s Day vibe and the family relationships were really heartwarming and charming. Obviously, the whole premise is unbelievable but that makes it easy to just have fun with everything.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

"In a Holidaze" by Christina Lauren follows Mae as she embarks on what might be her last trip to a family cabin. Not your typical family, a group of friends gather each year with their children to celebrate Christmas. Now the expenses of the cabin have grown to be too much, and the magic is coming to an end. As Mae is leaving the cabin she makes a wish to see what would truly make her happy, and suddenly is back on the plane, beginning the holiday again. In a very much <em>Groundhog Day</em> kind of way, Mae finds herself back on the plane over and over again as she tries to get everything right and see what truly will make her happy.

Mae is charming and realistic. I think that her character is one that each of us can easily slip into. Everyone has had the person that they're too afraid to confess their love to. Everyone has been stuck in a job they didn't love. Everyone has wished that they could see what exactly would give them a happy life. Mae is just lucky enough to get the chance over and over again until she gets it right.

I gave this book 4 stars, because I can't help myself. The writing was okay and the plot was predictable, but there's something magical about any Christina Lauren book. It's love and it's fun and it's light. I think Christina Lauren books are great for a calm night in. Especially as the Christmas season rolls around!

I don't read many romance novels these days, but every once in awhile, I get the urge to delve into something sweet and heartwarming. In a Holidaze was the perfect choice.

I read this story in just two, sixty minute sessions. I literally could not put it down. The characters, their relationships, the family dynamics, the setting, our leading lady, Maelyn, and her years-long love interest, Andrew...everything about this book is perfection.

At one point, I snort laughed. Another time, I felt my eyeballs getting wet with unshed tears. This story brings the feels, y'all, and in the best possible way.

I recommend this to everyone, because I honestly can't imagine any of you disliking this charming rom-com.

Available October 6, 2020.

**My sincere appreciation to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my review copy.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

I'm going to qualify this review by saying this genre is so far out of what I'm used to reading that I had to stretch to take it all in. It's got a Groundhog Day thing going but after a few bumps back to Dec 20, that's about it and in no way is there any kind of explanation for what takes place. Apparently Maelyn just had to get a few things right to set her on a path of "what makes her happy".  The story is so sappy, so cute, so happy (between worrying, fretting, second guessing, and regretting) and was a really nice change of pace from just about anything I ever read. I had to turn off my critical thinking and overly judgemental mind and accept a good amount of silliness to make this work for me but it was a nice vacation from doom and gloom. 

Twenty six year old Maelyn Jones is on the yearly Christmas vacation that has taken place her entire life, with her parents, brother, and the families of her parents college roommates. The vacation site is a wonderful cabin in the Utah mountains and the other "kids" (besides the newcomer adopted five year olds of one of the couples) are Maelyn's seventeen year old brother and twenty six year old Theo and his older brother, Andrew. Theo and Andrew are the sons of Maelyn's parents' roommates and Maelyn has been secretly in love with Andrew for thirteen years, never telling a soul, never daring to think that Andrew had any such feelings for her. 

Several things happen that make Maelyn realize just how miserable she is and she wishes that she could be happy. Bam, an accident, and then the next thing Maelyn knows, she's gone back six days and their holiday trip is starting over. It's up to Maelyn to figure out what she needs to do to keep from going back in time, again and again. It has something to do with her choices and she now knows the choice she wants to live with for the rest of her life but how does she make sure she's on the right path to that happiness?

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

New favorite holiday book!! In a Holidaze was such a cute read - think groundhog’s day meets your favorite modern romance. This is definitely going to be picked up for a movie - it’s too good not to! The characters are well-written and lovable. And I’m totally envious of the family/friend dynamic. Will definitely be picking up more from this author. Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

I saw another review where someone said they loved the Unhoneymooners but other CL books have fallen short for them. While I wouldn’t quite say that, I would say that I haven’t found one that I’ve enjoyed quite as much. This book was a typical romance novel but with a time loop aspect to it. The time loop did add a fun twist and it was interesting to see the same day with different actions/reactions. I loved the Christmas aspect to the story! I’m not one to read seasonally and I don’t really even celebrate Christmas, but this book put even me in a Christmassy mood. Lots of fun holiday novelties: popcorn garlands, tree shopping, sledding, snowmen, etc. The holiday atmosphere and the time loop story were both really fun, but the romance was a bit lukewarm for me. ⁣
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“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘔𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯.”⁣
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Rating: 4.5 stars

This boooook!!! OK, I started reading this because a friend was like "shut up, you have to go read this." Then I started it and really wasn't into the first couple of chapters. And then I was like "HEY, is this, like, Groundhog Day meets Happy Death Day at Christmas? I am not sure how I feel about this..." And then I just kept reading and HOLY COW, am I glad I did. By about chapter 9 I was DMing my friend things like "!!!" and wordless squealing, and THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD, shup and go read it.

OK, now that I got that out of my system... *clears throat* In A Holidaze is written in the first person present tense from Mae's point of view. I do prefer a romance that switches off between leads, but I suppose if one of them is a time-traveling Groundhog Day type person that doesn't make a TON of sense...

I really like Mae (Maelyn? Maisie? Mayhem? She has so many nicknames!) and liked getting to see her person journey and growth throughout this book. This is the part where I want to say some stuff but I CAN'T because it would be SPOILERS and I try not to include those in my reviews... Suffice it to say she learns a lot about being authentic and living her life without filters and for herself instead of to accommodate others. This is a lesson I really needed a timely reminder about as well, so I really felt connected with Mae. Her long-standing crush on Andrew and their interactions across the various timelines (after the first one, anyway) are SO GREAT, and there was one point where I emitted this high-pitched squeal of glee that had my spouse asking me if I was okay.

This book did NOT keep me up way past my bedtime, but only because I refused to put it down at all until I'd finished the whole thing. (Have you ever tried making enchiladas with a book in your hand? Not easy.) I laughed out loud, I ugly-cried, my heart went pitter-pat. This is just such a great book. It did take me a while to get into it - the original timeline story is not great (which is likely why Mae ends up pleading with the universe) and there are SO MANY side characters it was really confusing at first. The ending also wrapped up just a bit too quickly for me, but I still closed the book grinning like an idiot so what do I know. Stick with it through the first couple of rocky chapters, because the pay-off is SO WORTH IT.

Christina Lauren books have been hit and miss for me in the past, but when I read this was a cross between Love, Actually and Groundhog Day I requested an ARC. Thank you too Netgalley and the publisher for saying yes.

Mae is in Utah with her divorced parents and her brother celebrating Christmas with their chosen family. Every year they spend the holidays with her parents college friends and their kids. Even after her parents separated they continued with this tradition. Only as this year's festivities come to a close things are different. Mae is unhappy and worried she's going to lose the place and people she loves. Mae pleads with the universe to show her what will make her happy. Suddenly there's a screech of tires and the car is crashing. Mae startles awake to find she's on the plane, but instead of going home she's headed back to the start of the holiday vacation. Mae finds herself stuck in a time loop trying to figure out how to make the correct choices so she will no longer be stuck.

I picked up this book because I needed something light and fun to distract me from the real world- pandemic, election year in the US, and the general doom that is 2020. I was not disappointed by this story. The people in the story feel real and you're rooting for everyone's happiness.

Mae struggles to figure out what she wants to do and how to tell the guy she's loved her whole life that she loves him as more than a friend or brother. In learning to be honest with herself and those she loves most she discovers true happiness. This was a perfect mix of romance, family high jinx, and drama. I loved every character in this story!

This is a feel good story. If you love Hallmark Christmas movies this is a book for you. In fact I'm hoping this becomes a movie if they keep the story as perfect as the authors already have it. This book hits shelves on October 6th so do yourself a favor and preorder it now!

Thanks to Gallery Books for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure I was going to love this book because of the Groundhog Day type of plot, but it worked so well for this story. The authors took this trope and truly made it their own. It wasn't overly repetitive or redundant. I didn't find myself getting bored with the story or wishing it would move faster like I have with other books with this type of plot. Instead, I was entranced from the first page trying to figure out the lesson that Maelyn was supposed to learn. These people and their location also made the story so enjoyable. I could especially relate to Maelyn no longer being the kid, but not accepted by the older adults as an adult in this situation.

I also loved the romance in this book. Christina Lauren do such a great job on creating intense, deep feelings in the reader in their books. I rooted for these characters and their relationship the whole time I was reading.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. Honestly, this might have been a four or five star book if more time had been devoted to the relationship and less to the "time travel" aspect. Or vice versa. I had no trouble finishing it but I wasn't riveted.

I was intrigued by the concept and how everything would work out at first. But then it just got rather repetitive for a bit. And then the whole time travel thread sort of disappeared almost altogether through the relationship building part of the book. Everything felt very uneven, unexplained, and over the top. First Maelyn is freaking out over them selling the cabin. Then she's freaking out over the weird, unexplained time travel thing. Then she seems to totally forget all that and just want to date Andrew.

Maelyn and Andrew's relationship had some really cute and sweet moments, although it moved at light speed, but I think that mostly came from how Christina Lauren wrote Maelyn and her emotions. Andrew did not really have any standout qualities. He was just sort of there as a cardboard cut out nice guy. Until he found out Mae kissed his brother. Then I didn't think he was so nice. With everything that was going on I thought it was incredibly selfish and immature for him to react that dramatically to finding out about that. Especially considering, in their current timeline it never even happened. He really just annoyed me from then on.

I really didn't care about the cabin enough to want to hear about all the ins and outs of buying and refurbishing it. I guess I'm not really a sentimental person, because I really thought taking the group and going somewhere else for holidays and vacations would be a great opportunity. Who wants to be locked into the same thing year after year when there's so much out there to see and do?

Everything wrapped up super neatly. The cabin solution was not believable to me. Maelyn and Andrew's engagement was...fine. I wasn't too interested in their relationship after Andrew freaked out NOT about his girlfriend possibly time traveling and possibly being in danger of getting hurt or going back again any minute, but about her kissing his brother once in another time line. *eye roll forever* Come on dude. It was weird that the time travel was never explained or referenced again. I really wanted some sort of explanation or resolution to that plot line. It felt tacked on and unnecessary. Just a ploy to make this book stand out from the other holiday rom coms. There were some cute and funny moments, and this was mostly enjoyable to read, but I doubt I'll ever come back to it.

This was a very fun book to read. It’s been a while since I’ve indulged in a Christina Lauren book, and I admit this book felt very different that what I remember their other books being like.

Feeling very much like one of my favorite movies, Groundhog’s Day, Maelyn Jones has just spent the last holiday at the cabin her family has been going to every year AND committed a serious hookup mistake, all she wants is a do over and a way to figure out what in the world will make her happy. After waking up from what she thought was a car accident, she finds herself reliving the day she arrives at the holiday cabin over and over again, and she’s desperate to figure out how to get this day to stop and her life to move forward. She just has to figure out exactly what will make this stop – and as she keeps repeating the same week over and over, she finally starts to look more at what she really wants and stops being the “people pleaser” she’s always been.

This was a quick read and entertaining. I really loved Andrew’s character and the family’s as a whole. My first holiday read for the year and it was a pleasure!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

One, I am NOT a romance reader. Two, this was my first Christina Lauren book, and I was nervous. Three, I freaking loved it. In a Holidaze is a quick, but meaningful love story. Our main character goes on a yearly holiday trip with her family and her family's closest friends and a long-awaited romance blooms. It's sweet, precious in some ways, and thoroughly enjoyable.



I was a little nervous at first because as I stated, romance books are not for me. But this isn't really a romance story as much as it is a story that happens to have romance in it. Though some people might disagree. Either way, it's wonderful. I think the best part was that there's a little bit of mystery too. And that highly spoke to the thriller/mystery reader in me.



I had no idea it was gonna end the way it did. It was unexpected and a little bit beautiful.



In a Holidaze publishes 10.06.2020.



5/5 Stars

I went into this knowing nothing other than it's a Christina Lauren holiday romance, so it's my own fault for being surprised — and disappointed — that this follows a Groundhog's Day-esque trope. It's just not something I enjoy, particularly in books. I'm also not really into a ~magical twist~ in my contemporary romances, I guess. However, despite my distaste for it, I did think this handled the trope pretty well and managed not to be too repetitive. Still, it definitely affected my overall rating, so keep that in mind.

The writing was fantastic, as I've come to expect from Christina Lauren. As weird as this was to be reading right before October, (would November at the earliest not have made for a better release time? idk) it managed to make me feel like I was in the midst of the holiday season. It was warm and fuzzy with a really unique, lovely cast of characters. While the romance is definitely a part of the main plot, I would say family (and found family) focuses pretty heavily as well. The group as a whole is such fun and made me wish I had the same kind of relationships and traditions in my own life.

I will say, I've definitely come to the point where I like my romances to be a bit steamier than this was. The smut was minimal and pretty tame. However, what I did really love about the sex scene was the way our characters were not only sexy with each other, but laughing and having fun, too. The relationship between them and the open communication they had was something I really enjoyed.

So, plot wise as a whole? Not my favorite. But the way this made me feel, the wonderful characters, and the way I couldn't put this down definitely made it worth the read.

Maelyn’s family has gathered together with friends and families every December since before she was born. It’s a time of fun, festivities, celebrations, and traditions that have grown over the years. In a Holidaze, by Christina Lauren, is a fun filled romantic comedy full of emotional ups and downs and is a beautiful portrayal of the things we do for one another. Christina Lauren has crafted a touching story about how the spirit of the season and the joy of Christmas bring us together through love and time honored traditions that create memories that will last a lifetime. The gathering this year is different than any other year though.

Maelyn, Andrew, and Andrew’s brother Theo have been friends since they were kids. Their lives undergo an unexpected change during their time together with their families this year. Maelyn has had a crush on Andrew for the longest time, but things go astray this Christmas. Instead of their time together turning out the way Maelyn had hoped, she makes some poor choices that lead to painful consequences. Rather than time moving on, she gets stuck in a cycle of do overs where she continues reliving the same week again and again until she makes choices that rectify her wrongdoings. In this Groundhog Day comparable storyline of time repeating itself, Maelyn makes countless mistakes and learns how to follow her heart and do what she knows is right. Although she learns the hard way by experiencing harsh realities of what could’ve been, the ending is sure to warm your heart. With memorable characters, a gorgeous setting, and a plot filled with emotional roller coaster experiences, Christina Lauren reveals how people can learn, grow, and love despite the mistakes we sometimes make along the way. With a backdrop of Christmastime, In a Holidaze is sure to be a favorite this holiday season!

Thank you Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, Simon & Schuster, and Netgalley for allowing m,e the privilege of reading In a Holidaze. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinions.

I usually love Christina Lauren books because they are light, easy romances that usually make me smile, but aren't too deep. This one was no exception to that. Mae and her family (and a million other people that even by the end of the book I couldn't figure out who was who) spend Christmas week in a cabin in Utah. The book opens on December 26th, where Mae is regretting her actions from the night before. In Groundhog Day fashion, she gets in a car accident which sends her back in time to the beginning of her Christmas vacation. She relives the days until she gets it right.

There were SO many plot holes in this one, but I think what bothered me the most is that Mae has been in love with Andrew, son of one of the family friends they vacation with, forever. She's 26, he's 29 and they have never had any romantic tension before? This all comes out of nowhere? They're madly in love after a day? What? This seemed rushed, but also missing some backstory that might have made the characters more likeable and the romance more believeable.

If you want a quick read that is a romance with very little steam, this works. If you like the live the days over again plotline, I'd recommend How to Save A Life instead. That one has a little more substance and you can actually understand why the character is reliving the day over again. This one? It's still not clear what the "universe's purpose" was to have her relive her vacation over and over again.