Rating: 4/5⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣
Rationale: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren was the exact story I needed right now— magical, heartwarming, and with plenty of cozy holiday cheer.
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𝗪𝐡𝐨 𝐈’𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐨: CLo fans who are looking for a sweet story comparable to Love In Other Words (vs. a saucy Unhoneymooners)
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝: As is true in all of CLo’s books that I’ve read, the main characters Mae and Andrew were two people that you just want to root for. I loved Mae’s sense of humor about her entire Groundhog Day experience, and found Andrew to be so charming. The characters in this book and their annual cabin tradition feel straight out of a movie and I couldn’t help but wish that I could be a part of this family. You could feel their love and joy seep off the page and it was infectious.

Christina Lauren take some risks and the “Groundhog Day” element is a bit bizarre/requires you to suspend belief, but I also though that it was fun and well-executed. I really loved the focus on Mae's individual story and on the cast of characters making up her real and chosen family brought the whole story to life. The ending was sweet, hopeful, emotionally charged, and satisfying. This is the perfect holiday pick-me-up that will leave your heart warm and toasty.
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𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: This one had a bit of a slow start for me and I couldn’t really figure out where it was going, but once it picked up I was hooked. There were also a lot of characters to keep track of, and not all of them felt totally necessary. I would have loved if some of that had been sacrificed so that the relationship had a bit more time to develop throughout the middle of the book.

I was excited to read In A Holidaze because I really enjoyed The Honey-Don’t List! Two of the major plot devices in this book are a love triangle and one of those endless time loops that the heroine has to figure out how to break. Full disclosure: I am not a fan of either of those devices which is probably why I did not fall in love with this book. If you are a fan of the movie Groundhog Day and/or enjoy love triangles this book will be your catnip. I, however, do not like those things so I found the plot to be a little stale/predictable and was annoyed about who Maelyn dedicated to end up with. This book is about Maelyn, who is in a rut in her life and clearly fears change. When an upsetting announcement by her lifelong family friends at Christmas shakes up her world, she is not quite sure how she is going to move on. Then, she gets into a terrible car crash and wakes up a week earlier. Unsure of how to move on, Maelyn is forced to figure out how to fix the time loop, keep everyone happy, and decide who her true love is after all. My feelings about this book are also likely related to the fact that I read it in July and it is most definitely a story about Christmas.

I always read sappy Christmas novels around the holidays. It’s kind of a tradition but I acknowledge that they are quite cheesy and often objectively not very good. This Christmas novel was refreshingly great! I really enjoyed the premise and the characters. The pace of the book moved quickly and I loved the romance. There was some sex in the book but it hit the right balance of not being boring and not being too explicit. There were some character holes (I would have liked more of a redemption story for Theo) but it was overall a fun and enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For as long as she can remember, Mae has been a part of a large, extended family: her parents’ university friends, all of the kids and plenty of love, laughter and memories. It’s the best time of the year for Mae: she’s attached to the traditions, gets plenty of time with her ‘adopted’ uncle Benny, her childhood (now grown) friends Andrew and Theo, and time to connect with memories of happy times. But things are different this year. Although she’s always had a crush on Andrew, well, since she was a teen, she’s never truly believed in the possibility of them: or if their dynamic and the holiday would change if for some reason they did make it to ‘relationship’ stage. But, just as the holiday is winding down, she discovers that this may be the last holiday in this particular mountain cabin.....

Devastated and distraught, she’s asking the universe for some answers: how to be happy, what can she do to change the fact that the cabin holiday will forever change, and what direction should she go to find her own joy. BAM – she's granted a do over- where she works to change (with subtle warnings and not-so-subtle ones: when the third repeat of her day starts anew, she’s stressed: but everything is different. Starting to tell the universe what she wants, rather than waiting for things to happen: she’s making changes, and one of those changes is getting to know Andrew in ways previously avoided. From starting a ‘relationship’ with him that leaves them both giddy and excited, to actually sharing the truth of her ‘time slips’ the two have plenty to work out – with several missteps, plenty of overreactions, and Mae’s willingness (or compulsion) to take on every mishap as something she could (or should) have prevented.

THIS book brought back ALL of the reasons I read books from this author duo – the fun, the characters, the silly situations and moments that in any other story would be horrendously over-the-top. Laugh out loud references and descriptions as everyone has a moment to shine in this large cast of characters – although the main couple of Andrew and Mae, and the wise and very surprising “adopted uncle” Benny is always good for a moment. Mae just needs to gain her own sense of self and what she truly wants – rather than worrying about reactions (and actions) of others, while Drew needed to (and does, finally) take the time to explain to her that one moment, or one argument, is not going to end the years they’ve known one another, or what he’s always felt about her. With the holidays, the traditions, the descriptions and even the laughs, the moments keep piling on as the pages turn, making this a ‘read in one sitting’ favorite for me from Christina Lauren.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Mae's family and family friends always spend the holidays at the cabin together. This year she finds herself in a bit of a time loop. When the trip is over and the family is headed back to the airport, they are in a car accident; however, she wakes up back on the plane on the way to the vacation again. There are a few things on her mind - save the cabin and tell family friend, Andrew, that she is in love with him. As Mae, lives the time loop again she makes a few changes, but then finds herself back on the plane again. She is struggling to find out what she needs to do to get out of the time loop.

First of all, I am a big fan of Christina Lauren's writing. Their books are always easy to breeze through and leave me feeling all of the feels. This one was no different in that way. I found the book slow to start as the time loop was playing out, but once we got into the meat of things I flew through. I loved Mae and Andrew's characters. Uncle Benny was the greatest and the ending was perfection.

To say that this book is a gem would be an understatement. It was in fact, a true enjoyable read and I look forward to the next one.

A sweet, happy book. Fun to read. Going along with the magic and not letting it get in the way, the story was satisfying and the people were interesting. Having never read anything by this author before, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed her writing style.

They’re baaaack!!

Ah this book was exactly what I needed and have been hoping to get from this dynamic duo! The last few books by Christina Lauren have been total flops for me so I was very hesitant to start this one. After getting a high recommendation from a close friend I decided to dive in....I thought this would be a quick read but still take me a few days, wrong. I read it in a day and loved every bit of it!

The romance, the humor, the emotions, the sexiness, EVERYTHING was great! This will definitely be a book you’ll want to read around the holidays, or to get you ready for the holidays!

I'm a big fan of "Groundhog Day" and this book was a lot of fun to read. Family traditions that made a change one year, but the future holds the promise of family & friends adding to the ever changing family & traditions. Love is found.

I was given an advanced copy, but voluntarily left this review.

I will leave a 4 star review on Amazon under name of Connie

Thank you for granting me access to this book

Holidaze was a first read for me by Christina Lauren.. This was a entertaining romantic comedy that will take you away to a cold winter retreat where Mae and her family and friends have been spending a Christmas holiday together for many years.. this story has love and laughter that will leave your heart happy as you travel with Mae and Andrew through their mutual discovery of love.

I jumped at the chance to review this book as I have loved the other books I have read by Christina Lauren. What can I say? This book was so much fun to read! The little bit of magic, the Groundhog day vibe, the blended, loving family of friends - it all worked together to make cozy, holiday magic. I DID however feel like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop over the last half of the book - just like Mae felt. I'm a bit disappointed there wasn't some sort of resolution to the magical part to prove she was now on the right track All in all, my recommendation is grab some cocoa, snuggle up in a blanket, and read this book.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This writing duo hits it out of the park again! Every year, Maelyn (Mae), her family, and the families of her parents' oldest friends return to the same cabin to celebrate Christmas. It's a week steeped in beloved tradition. This year, things end differently. Mae shares a drunken kiss with the brother of her long term crush and the family who owns the cabin announces their intention to sell. As her family drives to the airport, Mae throws out a plea to the universe to show her what will make her happen. A moment later their car crashes and Mae wakes up on the plane on day 1 of Christmas vacation. Mae is now stuck in a time loop until she figures out the who and what will make her happy. This was a fun read filled with holiday coziness that readers will enjoy no matter the season.

After hearing the news that 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, Mae sends a wish into the universe - 'show me what will make me happy'. She immediately gets into a car accident, and wakes up to the arrival day at the cabin, 6 days before. What follows is a Groundhog Day situation, a series of hilarious hijinx, and a journey of discovery what Mae truly wants out of life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was such a great kickoff into holiday reads. This story pulled me in from the first chapter and didn't let go until the last page.

I loved the family dynamics between the old college friends and all their offspring. It felt a little Family Stone-esque and had me dreaming of 20 years from now, how I want our friends to raise our kids for these amazing relationships and memories.

We don't actually get re-dos in life, but I loved the concept of going after what you want. It really made me contemplate what would make me happy, and how do I make that happen for myself?

Christina Lauren does it again - an obvious autobuy for me, and will continue to be so.

Oh my, I loved this one so much!! I honestly didn't expect to love this one quite as much as I did but it was just so wonderful and fun! I didn't read the description going in and was soooo confused at the beginning. But once the plot really got going, I had so much fun with this. It definitely has Groundhog Day vibes at the beginning but I loved that, especially in a Christmas setting.

Plus all of the characters are so fun and I loved getting to know them, especially Andrew. I love his relationship with Mae. They are just so adorable and I loved their banter! I also really love Benny. He's hilarious and I loved his role as Mae's confidante. It made for some very hilarious situations.

So overall, this was just a wonderful, fun time. It made me really excited for Christmas and is definitely the perfect fun romcom to get you in the Christmas spirit so if you're looking for something fun to read in December, I highly recommend this one! It's my first Christina Lauren but I already love this duo and I will definitely be picking up some of their older books!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Such a wonderful read. The characters are so realistic, that I could easily imagine me as part of the group. Mae’s family and friends have a Christmas tradition of meeting a week in Ricky and Lisa cabin near Park City. And there are many traditions that they all enjoyed year after year. Snow creature day, sledding day, etc, etc. The kids now are grown and Mae has had a crush on Andrew, Ricky and Lisa son, half of her life. Even though his brother Theo seems to be the one who likes Mae. There are a lot of characters, many crazy twists and turns. I just didn’t want the book to end!

This book gave me all the holiday feels. I wanted to cozy up by the fireplace with a big cozy blanket and some hot chocolate to read this. Of course its September in South Florida so I didn't do that. But still. When I first picked this book up and realized the Groundhog Day vibes, I was like oh gosh this is gonna be so stupid. But as I got deeper in the book, I fell in love with the characters! I should also point out that this is my first time reading Christina Lauren and I'm definitely going to be picking up more of her books!

Mae grew up going to the snowy Utah cabin and spending a week during Christmas with her bonus family. Her parents' friends and their families who Mae considers her own. But this year is the last Christmas they will spend at the cabin. While going through all the emotions on the drive back to the airport after leaving the cabin for the last time, Mae asks the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy. And at that moment a Truck is heading straight for her car. Everything goes black, and then she wakes up on the airplane next to her brother, reliving the same week. Again and again she gets sent back to the plane until she can figure out how to stop the time loop. Mae won't find true happiness until she stops being a people pleaser and starts doing what she actually wants to do.

I’ve never read a Christina Lauren book before, so when I saw the opportunity to read an ARC of this one through @netgalley, I was excited to do so. I don’t know if I’ll read any other of their books though. I am just not the target market, I’m sure.

I enjoy a rom-com now and then, but I’m not up for open door romance and this was for sure that. I also don’t like gratuitous language and there were some unnecessary f-bombs dropped.

I liked the premise of Groundhogs Day-meets-Christmas and I was definitely surprised by the first time travel experience. I also liked not knowing when/if another re-do was coming.

If I was ever to create a GoodReads shelf called "warm fuzzies," it would have been for this book.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and the lady authors for the opportunity to read this ARC copy of the book. An honest review was requested but not required.


So in a way, I'm kinda bummed, because this IS EXACTLY THE SORT OF BOOK I deliberately seek out at Christmas to give me all those warm fuzzy Christmas feelings. It checked all my holiday reading boxes: warm, Check. Funny, Check. Irreverent, Check. Sweet, Check. Christmas feelings, Check. Holiday atmosphere, Check. Steamy, CHECK CHECK CHECK. It's almost a shame to waste such a perfect Christmas book as *this* on the month when I do my scary "Halloween" reading.

It wasn't absolutely note-perfect:
-the beginning started a little slow, for me
-at the pace the Groundhog's Day shenanigans were unravelling, I was frankly a little surprised when the third time around stuck and just kept going. I thought the authors would stick yet another one in there.
-The misunderstanding <spoiler> seemed a little excessive on Andrew's part. So he can buy into literally all the rest of it, but Mae's confession about his brother was the one thing that stopped him cold?!
-and yes, that epilogue was a tad saccharine if you're being a real stickler. But honestly! When could an ending like that fly if not in a Christmas romance? Please! Have a little holiday spirit! (she says, as she puts up bats and ghosts and vampire blood gel clings on the windows.)

Christina Lauren's patented sparkly dialogue, relatable characterization, good pacing and spot-on plotting is out in full force here. It 100% made me forget the sad sack that was The Honey Don't List. This is probably up there in my all time favorite Christmas romances. To be completely honest, I will be revisiting this in two and a half months to give me all those seasonal warm fuzzies, in, uh, the correct season. Ho Ho Ho!

This was a cute holiday story. Mae is having a “ Ground Hogs Day” experience. She keeps reliving the same week until she gets her HEA with Andrew.

I've read every Christina Lauren book - they never fail. This is a departure -- because there's magic in this book. And it works. It's a delightful read. A hopeful fairytale. Just what I needed. Fun, sexy, hot, sweet and pitch-perfect.