Such a fun book! I was rooting for the romance the entire time, and it put me right into the holiday spirit. As always, Christina Lauren’s book are fast and enjoyable reads, and this book did not disappoint!

Ok, I didn't love this book, but I also didn't hate it.

This Groundhog Day inspired Christmas tale follows Mae. She doesn't want to go back to her life in California. She's down on her luck, and living back at home until she picks up the pieces.
She finds out one of her favorite places where her family travels to with friends is going to be sold, and wishes for happiness. This then shoots her back to the beginning of the trip for a Groundhog Day do-over.
I really enjoyed the Utah landscape for the cabin, and Park City is a great choice for this. Being a Utah native, I understood the appeal of it. All of the supporting characters were also a lot of fun, and added to the story in the right ways, particularly Benny, as a mentor type figure to Mae.
The brother love triangle however, I was not here for how that went down. It just felt clunky and awkward to me. I've seen this done well in many novels, so I guess I had a hard time with how awkward it all felt.
So, this one wasn't it for me. I know there are a lot of people who are going to enjoy this one. It just wasn't the one for me.

I usually inhale Christina Lauren books. This one took me about four evenings to get through though. The “Groundhog Day” chapters were a little slow. Once the attraction between Mae and Andrew became a thing that’s when I became invested in the story and read straight through until the last satisfying page. It’s not as steamy as previous books by this dynamic contemporary romance duo—this one had more of a chicklit vibe. But I was glad for the happily ever after and went to sleep with a happy heart.
I read this via NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. Thank you.

The tag line for the blurb for In a Holidaze is "Love Actually meets Groundhog Day in this quintessential holiday romance . . ." so I am not really giving anything away by saying that the universe gives leading lady Mae a second chance ( and third and fourth...) to get things right when her annual holiday with her extended family ends on a wrong note and there may not be an opportunity to ever fix things even as she head back to a life that is off track.

There was so much that I liked about in a Holidaze once the story gets past its unfortunate beginning/ending. Mae is very likeable, as is her older family friend Benny - who gives the best advice. And Mae is surrounded by a great supporting cast in her divorced parents - who still spend every Christmas with Mae and brother - and her parent's best friends and their families who have been a big part of Mae's life forever. I also really liked the way that the time loop was handled, in fact I'd say this is the best handling of the trope I've ever encountered. Generally, the audience is clued into the repeats by actually having to witness the repetitive parts. That is not the case here - we see very little about the "first time" but learn about events when Mae shares them with the Benny and since her loop is 5 or 6 days in most cases different events are the focus in different loops.

At the heart of this is Mae's chance to make better choices to get the happiness that she wishes for and there are some very nice moments with Mae and the one that she wants for her happily ever after. Along the way she learns that even with do overs mistakes are not avoidable, but it is what you do to fix them that matters. And then there is "the scene", the one scene in the whole book that is so touching that I went back and read it three times - there are others that are swoon worthy, but this one made me misty every time I read it.

I originally rated In a Holidaze 4.5 stars when I finished because I really liked it - the ending is very 'feel good' - but I save 5 stars for books the very few rare books that I know that I will actually reread. Then I found myself immediately reading the parts of the story that I liked so much and thinking about how well the trope was handled so final rating... 5 stars.

ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley release date 10/6/2020

A typical chick-lit, romance, love-story that reminded me of the movie 'Groundhog Day.'. Later on in the story, the author actually mentions that! If you like fluffy beach reads and Christina Lauren's other books, you'll enjoy this one as well.

Really great story. A fun escape and totally charming. One of my fav recent CLo stories! The LI Andrew was really charming.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The amazing writing duo is back and in the holiday spirit with their latest, In a Holidaze.

Mae loves going to the cabin every Christmas. There she spends the week with her parents and brother as well as her found family who have known each other for decades. One Christmas Eve, she happens to fall into the arms of one of them and it turns her world upside down. Literally. She repeats the days over and over to only find herself in a sort of love triangle.

I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan. That’s no secret. Their last two novels failed to wow me but this one was solid. The characters were a rag-tag group with such strong personalities that made me laugh and wish I could spend the holidays with them too. The romance was great and Mae was a funny heroine who was completely confused but endearing. This is a solid 4 star book for its quick and fun style, humor, and themes of being careful what you wish for and live out your own dreams. AND the end...was pure sweetness.

The one issue I have with this novel is the premise did not develop to its full potential. Without giving away anything, an event that happens in the beginning gets no explanation, yet the entire time readers are guessing “what the heck is this all about.” Its hard not to be vague, but the novel hinged on this one situation.

Solid and highly enjoyable holiday adventure!

Pick it up when it releases in October!

This books was sweet, quaint, and a delightful read. I have small qualms with the character building and world building, but for what it is, it's great! Maise and Andrew are such a cute couple, I've never really liked childhood friends to lovers, but this one was so adorable and done so well. I have a ew complaints, but this is not to say that this book wasn't great. It was amazing and really made me feel as though I wanted a significant other who I knew as a kid. I really enjoyed the straight serotonin that this book gave me.

Also, this is rare for me, most contemporary romance novels don't get more than 2 stars from me. I feel the stars aligned for this book, my mental state, my free time, outside events... Anyways, let's get onto the cynicisms:

I was very interested in the 'Groundhog Day' twist to a romance novel, and that part of the story was very interesting. I think that it could have been done better, but considering this book was a romance novel above a thriller/mystery novel, I think it played into the story well. I think that plot line was the means to an end, to put it bluntly, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

I also think that Andrew's character could have been expanded on further, I liked the way that his character was built but I would have loved more from/about him. I liked the 'soft boy' vibes that he gives off but I wanted to get to know him more, I would have loved to know more about his thoughts, feelings, motives.

Overall, I think that this book could have been given more pages dedicated to a fuller plot and fuller characters. This is almost always my criticism of books, I'm a simple girl who wants long books to quench my thirst of fully developed worlds, characters, and plots.

I give this book a 3.5/5 :)

All it takes is one moment to zap away the Christmas spirit. All it takes is one moment to know you made a mistake. All it takes is one moment to feel like you've lost everything. All it takes is one moment to make a wish...

Maelyn Jones' Christmas has come to a terrible end, having drunkenly kissed the guy she's known her entire life and have him treat her coldly the next morning. And, oh yeah, she's been in love with his brother for the last 13 years. Mae's Christmases are always spent at the cabin in Utah owned by a family friend, where three families (plus their "uncle", Benny) gather to spend the holidays. But Mae's just learned that this is their last Christmas ever at the cabin--adding to her misery of the kiss-of-Christmas-mistakes, a job she hates, and having needed to move back in with her mom, step-dad, and younger brother when her first job ended in failure. On the way to the airport, Mae makes a wish, for the universe to show her what she needs to be happy.

And then the car gets hit by a truck.

Instead of waking up in the hospital, or limbo, Mae finds herself on the plane going *to* Utah. It's December 20th. She has a second chance to fix her mistakes, save the cabin, and confess her feelings for the brother she truly loves. It'll be a Christmas she'll never forget--especially if she has to keep reliving it over and over and over...

A fantastic, funny, and swoony Christmas-themed "Groundhog Day", "In a Holidaze" is another brilliantly written brain-child of the dynamic duo Christina Lauren! Fabulously festive, "In a Holidaze" focuses on family--both blood and found--and taking charge (and some risks) in one's life to find happiness. Mae was given a second chance, and found the confidence to make choices she otherwise wouldn't have--and is much happier for it. As someone who will be Mae's age this upcoming Christmas, I definitely felt her as a kindred spirit when it comes to job woes, feeling discouraged about failed attempts of self-sufficiency, and coming fully into adulthood after being seen as a 'kid' in the family for a very long time.

As sweet as a candy cane--and spicy as spiked eggnog--Christina Lauren's newest "In a Holidaze" is one you'll want to read this holiday season!

[2.5]
In a Holidaze blends a holiday romance with the Groundhog Day concept in a way that unfortunately wasn't executed to my liking. This book had a lot going for it initially, it just failed to hold up to all the potential it had from the start. Take the timeloop for example, a supposed key point to the story, that only really ended up forcing the main character back in time a grand total of three occasions. As this was what really drew me in to the book in the first place, I have to say I was let down in that respect. The romance too, between the main character Maelyn and her childhood friend Andrew, didn't really wow me at all. There really wasn't anything between them that made me emphasize or care, which in a romance is perhaps the most important thing to bring across. The same could be said for most of the characters throughout the book. Something about this story was just missing that panache or feeling that grabs your attention and leaves you wanting more. I know the authors can tap into that, The Unhoneymooners had all of those qualities and then some. So I hope to read more of their books in the future that is representative of that. Just wish this had that quality to it as well.

This was a quick read that was both lighthearted and funny. Just like the lead character Maelyn, I was waiting for her to get thrust back to the beginning. This is a great Christmas story that is wrapped up very nicely.

A perfect Holiday read to cozy up to the fire with if you aren't looking for anything too heavy. Sweet and charming, a little silly, and just the right amount of steamy, but not the typical Christina Lauren. The story follows the main character Mae in a "Groundhog Day" like loop which seems hinged on her finding how to live in the way that is most true to herself. It isn't until Mae finds her stride that she can "regulate" time and really come into her own. A part coming of age, part romance, part comedy but all around enjoyable book.
I gave it 3.5 stars.

This is a cute rom-com with a twist. It’s Groundhog Day meets any Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s a take on what we are all looking for and how we go about finding it. The book explores the notion that what we think we think we have to do to be happy isn’t always the way and that happiness can come from change

I was so excited when NetGalley emailed me about this new book by Christina Lauren - something fun, festive and romantic before Christmas? SIGN. ME. TF. UP 🙌🏻 “In a Holidaze” was an adorable story that kept me laughing and entertained throughout the entire book. The storyline definitely reminded me of a Hallmark movie and immediately got me in a holiday mood 😍

DESCRIPTION: 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.


First, let me talk about how lovable ALL of the characters in this book are and how enjoyable the family dynamics were. Maelyn was so entertaining, witty and relatable while Andrew was easy to fall in love with due to his charm and attention to detail. Benny was another favorite character of mine and I adored the friendship he shared with Maelyn. In general, I absolutely LOVED the fact that these close family friends vacation together for the holidays every year at the cabin- I feel like growing up with a tradition like this would be so much fun. Second, I enjoyed the time travel aspect of this story. It was fun to watch her navigate this journey to discovering what would truly make her happy and find new ways to define herself.

This was my first book by Christina Lauren and I definitely look forward to reading more by her! If you’re looking for something fluffy, heartwarming, fun and festive to help you get in the holiday spirit, I highly recommend checking out “In A Holidaze,” hitting shelves on 10/20. Thank you again so much NetGalley and Gallery Books for gifting me this delightful eARC in exchange for my honest review 💛

oh my goodness.

I knew I was going to like this one because hello... I loved The Unhoneymooners, but oh my goodness this book!!! I’d even go as far as saying that I enjoyed this one even more than Unhoneymooners. Yes...I think I can safely say that.

I started In A Holidaze this morning and just could not put it down!! When I tell you I laughed out loud multiple times, and I tell you I had the goofiest most ridiculous grin on my face while reading this one...I am not lying.

In A Holidaze had two of my favorite things: Christmas and romance

The perfect feel-good book to get lost in. I read most of this book in one sitting. From the very beginning, I was hooked! Although it got a little too cheesy for me at times, it was a fantastic holiday romance story. Every character was perfect and once again Christina Lauren has created a throughly entertaining rom-com.

I've been struggling to write reviews lately. And this book isn't really motivating me. I did enjoy this, but it wasn't my favorite Christina Lauren book. And it's a lower four stars. If I still did half stars it would probably be 3.5 stars.

This read a lot like a Hallmark movie. That is not an insult-I love a Hallmark Christmas movie. It warms your hear, but isn't particularly deep.

Maelyn was a likable enough character, but she was also a little 1-dimensional. The romance felt the same way. I was along for the ride but never fully connected with it. Maybe if Andrew had a POV? I also am not a big fan of long-time crush stories.

The relationship that really shined here was Maelyn's relationship with Benny. Benny is a family-friend and serves as kind of a wise uncle figure. It was probably the best developed and their conversations/exchanges were the ones I looked forward to the most.

Maelyn also has to deal with the changing of life-long traditions. This part definitely hit me in the feels. My family is going through this stage right now. This is very natural, but still difficult. A lot of times books (and movies) glamorize traditions-especially holiday ones. I appreciated the honest look at real life.

I will continue to read Christina Lauren books-this one was just a little disappointing.

This book was just what I needed to get me ready for the holidays! Love, family, and a winter cabin, what more could you want. The perfect Christmas read.

I have come to count on Christina Lauren for laugh-out-loud romantic reads with characters that touch my heart. I have come to expect that when I finish the story, I will want to add the book to my keeper shelf so that I can re-read it when I need a pick me up. This book, however, didn't hit me the same way. This book was thoughtful and gentle at some points; angsty and funny in others. This book made me feel all the feels. I guess it is perfect for a holiday novel!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC! I was <i>very</i> excited to read this since it's the next Christina Lauren book and I'm a big fan of their reads. I was, however, a little wary because I, unfortunately, haven't enjoyed the last two CL books as much as I'd have wanted to.

This book was adorable and had a lot of funny moments. You know when you have a book that you didn't know you needed until you read it? This was it. I really enjoyed reading about everyone's relationships in the book; the found family trope is such a favorite of mine and holds a special spot in my heart. Each character brought something to the table and though they were mostly side characters, I liked all of them the same. Mae was having her quarter-life crisis and I totally related to the thoughts she was having. Her questions were questions I asked/still ask myself often and I'm sure we can all relate to the pleading questions to the universe of <i>"What am I doing with my life?" and "Can you show me what will make me happy?"</i> because that's a journey everyone takes.

This book was a little different from CL's other books as a little magic was involved since Mae is being thrust into a time loop on her mistakes. I would've liked an explanation about that aspect of it but we can chalk it up to MAGIC and call it day. I will say, the romance and pace of the story felt a little rushed and but it didn't bother me. Mae and Andrew have known each other since childhood and then, circumstances happened for them to have a chance at romance. This event is taking place the week of Christmas so it's also understandable that things moved quickly. While the romance did feel rushed, the way Andrew and Mae communicated was realistic and appreciated; they were honest and open with each other, even if it might've cost them each other. I liked the message of the story and how nicely it wrapped up. I just really enjoy stories about found families who are there for each other no matter what and this didn't disappoint in that department.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed the read! It has some small flaws but none of them really impacted my enjoyment of the story; I knocked it out in a day and sometimes, you just need an easy HEA read. This is definitely a great holiday read, especially in December. I still felt that coziness reading it in September.