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.

If you are looking for something fun, festive and romantic to read, you are in luck! In a Holidaze fits that bill, with loveable characters, an interesting twist and some laugh out loud moments, to boot. Maelyn Jones loves her parent's friends cabin in Utah, a holiday destination she has been coming to for years, with all of her favorite people and the boy she has loved for over half her life. This Christmas, however, is slated to be the last, as her parent's friends have decided it is time to sell the cabin. Leaving there, leaves her in despair, and thus she makes one wish, for the universe to show her what would make her happy. The next instant ends in a terrible car crash, and Maelyn back on the plane that brought her to the cabin for Christmas... in a new spin on groundhog day it looks as if Maelyn might have to find a way to make this Christmas end the right way, in order for her to get out of the time loop. Thus, she begins to do things different, including letting Andrew, her crush, know how she feels about him. When she gets what she really wants, will she be able to keep it, or will she begin once again on the plane? Read this heartwarming tale to learn where Maelyn will end up.
This is a perfect fit for people who love Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot and Lauren Weisberger.

I tend to stay in my holiday lane - and excitedly enjoy them in calendar order but when I got the chance to read an advance copy of In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, I couldn't pass it up. The Unhoneymooers and Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating were 2 of my favorite books I've read this year, and this one did not disappoint.  This book was a perfect cozy (and steamy) story that made me long for snowy afternoons and a plate of Christmas cookies.

Maeyln Jones loves Christmas spent at the cabin with the wild crew of her parents', their friends and their families, but this year - between being disappointed with where her mid-twenties life is going, and fresh off of a regrettable moment and unexpected news to end the week - it wasn't exactly a jolly holiday.  On the way home, dwelling on her disappointment, she throws a holiday wish out to the universe.  Flash forward to her waking up on plane - one week earlier - on her way to the cabin to celebrate Christmas. Again. Can Mae figure out what is happening, why it's happening, and how to get her holiday wish?  I literally want to make snow angels just thinking about it.

This book was like a Hallmark Christmas movie in your lap - I loved the characters, I loved the storylines and the warm, family holiday nostalgia was on point. It was a fast and satisfying read that brought a smile to face throughout without being over the top sugary sweet or too predictable.

Thank you to netgalley and Christina Lauren for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.

Also, I fully support #bennyforpresident.

4.5 STARS

Christmas, that wonderful time of year when families reunite and age-old traditions are enjoyed. Maelyn Jones has spent every one of her twenty-six Christmas’s with her family and their longtime friends in a Utah cabin. Although Mae is happy to be with very much loved people including one of whom she has had a years long crush, she has a lot going on in her life and most of it unhappy. Mae’s job is a soul killer; she is living back at home with her mother and step-father, and now it looks as if the she is losing the joy and comfort of cabin as well since the owners plan to sell after this holiday.

After a night of too much eggnog and a snogging session which a was a big mistake, Mae is on the way to the airport in a major funk riding with her family when she sees death coming for them. The next thing Mae knows is waking up on a plane headed to the cabin for their Christmas holiday. At first, she is horrified and not a little freaked out to be living the whole sad holiday again, but then Mae realizes that this is a do-over, a blessing in disguise. She has the unique opportunity to make some major life changes. Disasters keep happening and the plane ride over again until Mae figures out what, or in this case who, she truly wants to be happy. Andrew, the man Mae has been in love with half her life, plays a big part in this effort to find where happiness lies.

Initially I was put off by the premise; however, I was pleasantly surprised what a good tale this story turns out to be. The writing team of Christina Lauren has a winner with a time-traveling Christmas romantic comedy. The quirky characters and family drama along with Mae’s bizarre experiences are a fun read. We all at times have wished for a chance to set our feet on a different path and rectify mistakes, so it’s interesting to see what her new choices turn out to be when she is presented with the opportunity. This cleverly wrought tale will entertain fans of the genre plus please those who have followed the authors from their initial days as fanfic writers.

This was exactly what I have come to expect for Christina Lauren at present. Which isn't to say that is a bad thing, I just wanted a little more from this story. I did enjoy the holiday twist in this. And, as always, their writing keeps me coming back.

It's CLo, bitch! Oops!...They did it again! (it being another great four-star read from the wonderful and talented writing duo)

I think I speak for the masses when I say that Christina Lauren is my go-to rom-com author. Any time life gets hard and I need a little rom-com pick-me-up, CLo never fails to deliver exactly what I need. Let's put it this way: I'm a junkie who's always fiending for my next hit of rom-com, and CLo is my friendly neighborhood plug who'd pull up to my house at 3 a.m. on Christmas Day to get me my rom-com fix, no question. And hey, that's no small thing; I can count on two fingers the authors who have a catalog that is at least five books long and consistently write four- and five-star rom-coms, and one of those is Christina Lauren. (The other, if you're wondering, is Mhairi McFarlane.) A good plug is hard to find these days, as my girl Flannery O'Connor once so eloquently put it. (I might be paraphrasing a bit.)

So, it should come as no surprise that CLo's latest novel, In a Holidaze, was just as sweet, fun, and charming as all their other books. In signature CLo fashion, right from page one, In a Holidaze played with my heart and I got lost in its game. /Britney references ... Okay, but in all seriousness, I know the cliché could not put this book down gets thrown around a lot in reviews, but I literally could not put this book down—yes, literally literally! I even went to the toilet with it—and finished it in less than three hours.

In a Holidaze is probably the first rom-com/sci-fi lite crossbreed I've ever read, and I think it's possible that, with its publication, CLo might have created a new rom-com sub-genre. Think Hallmark meets Groundhog Day. (Full disclosure: I've never actually seen the movie Groundhog Day so I don't actually know how accurate this representation is, but Mae, the female MC in the book, kept comparing her time travel experience to the movie, and so I decided to take her at her word and just run with it.)

The story begins on the eve of Mae's final day at the annual Christmas holiday retreat with her family and close family friends. Drunk on eggnog, Mae accidentally makes out with Theo, the younger brother of her lifelong crush, Andrew. She regrets it immediately, especially when Theo acts weird the morning after and she finds out that Andrew witnessed the awful encounter. On the drive to the airport on her way home, Mae wishes she could change what happened and then—BAM!—the next thing she knows, it's the week before and she's again on the airplane taking her to the cabin for the start of the holiday vacation. Cue Mae's several botched attempts at doing the holiday right and finding out what will make her happy.

Without a doubt, In a Holidaze was the fluffiest CLo book I've read, which isn't really all that surprising given the surrealistic nature of the plot. Not to mention that the frothiness of the book probably worked to its advantage in the end since no one wants to read something raw, gritty, and depressing centered around the Christmas holiday. Gritty realism can have the other 364 days of the year, but let idealism have Christmas Day so that at least it can be magical and romantic in the fictional universe dammit.

That said, all the characters in the story (including MCs Mae and Andrew), while lovely and a joy to read about, were all pretty one-dimensional and not at all fleshed out—another casualty that wasn't totally unexpected or surprising. It didn't really bother me though, probably because flat characters kind of come with the territory of this sort of frothy, lighthearted read. My only real issue with the story was that the conflict that tore Mae and Andrew apart was really rather stupid and kind of a nonissue. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't disclose here what got Andrew's panties in a wad, but it kind of felt like CLo couldn't think of anything better for Mae and Andrew to fight over and—wanting to avoid the inevitable mess that a time travel-related conflict would cause—just picked something that could passably be a source of tension between the two MCs. Yeah, it annoyed me, and at several times I was just like, Why are you even mad, bro? @ Andrew, but otherwise it was easy enough to overlook when the story itself wasn't meant to be serious. Things have bothered me more about a book, that's for sure.

While In a Holidaze wasn't my favorite CLo book (that distinction goes to either Love and Other Words or My Favorite Half-Night Stand—if you haven't already read these books, do yourself a favor and check them out), I like that they branched out into writing a seasonal rom-com with a sci-fi lite twist, so as to give us something that was not only unlike every other book they've ever written before, but also doubly festive thanks to the time travel element that infused the story with an extra magical quality in keeping with the spirit of Christmas. I can already see families taking a year-long hiatus from their annual showing of It's a Wonderful Life (another classic movie that I've never actually seen) and instead coming together to listen to the audiobook of In a Holidaze. At least that's what I plan on talking my family into doing this year.

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was such fun read with a mix of Groundhog Day and a Hallmark holiday movie mixed in one. Love all the dynamics of the different families that gather each year to the cabin. I love how Maelyn used her repeat of the time to get what she wants. I felt that Andrew’s love for Maelyn went from 0 to 60 way too quickly but love his grand gesture at the end.

Thank you to #netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced ebook!

What an amazing book! Mae spends her Christmas holidays with her mother and father’s college pals and their families. Mae has had a crush on Andrew since her teens, but smooches his younger brother, Theo. Mae is feeling down because her life is not where she wants it to be and Andrew caught her kissing Theo.

On the way home from the holiday trip she asks the universe to show her what happiness is. The universe puts her in a time loop a la Groundhog Day/Palm Springs. What choices will Mae make to manifest her happiness? What changes will she make to get out of the time loop?

This book left me with a big grin on my face. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read Christina Lauren’s back catalog.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Overall - 2.5
Steam - 2

In a Holidaze was billed as the movie Groundhog’s Day gone Christmas and I was excited for it. As I’ve mentioned before I’m a glutton for all things Christmas and holiday. So of course when I saw Christina and Lauren were putting out a holiday book I couldn’t hit the request button fast enough.

The story is about Maelyn Jones, a woman who’s life isn’t going exactly to plan. She’s just spent the last ever Christmas in her family’s cabin and she wishes that she could see what it would be like to be happy. This sets off a time loop that puts Maelyn back into the plane on the way to the cabin and starting the whole holiday over. This whole premise was catnip for me since I love the idea of getting a do-over in life. And Christin and Lauren’s writing is so enjoyable that I don’t mind the some times confusing plot structure.

But even though this book had a lot going for it, I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. I was getting frustrated with myself over how long (weeks) it took me to read this book. I worried I was letting 2020 get to me and that I was being unfair to the queens of modern rom-com. Did I laugh? Of course. Did a swoon a little? Sure. Did i root for Mae to get the “right” HEA? You’re darn tootin’. But did I really enjoy this book? Not really. I can find the lingering wit and joie de vivre in the way these two craft the humor in their novels. I can even appreciate their character work. But the romance? The passion? It’s gone for me.

I found Christina Lauren books when they were fresh out of the fanfic world and writing their Beautiful Bastard series. I absorbed every filthy detail they wrote and re-read many of the books because the enjoyment was so high. As the duo has started to veer away from these roots their craft has gotten better, but the stories have become boring. This isn’t an argument for open vs. closed door. There is space for it all in romance. But when an author changes styles and strays from what you expect, sometimes you can’t take that journey with them. Especially when you begin to suspect that changes are due to a lingering prejudice of the romance genre. That’s when you begin to wonder if these changes are indicative of a desire to appear “mainstream” and cast off our romance roots.

So overall I’m giving this a fairly low score, but that’s certainly not going to be the common theme in other reviews. I just wanted to offer probably one of the only dissenting opinions and take a stab at why I’m losing the love for pair of extremely talented writers. I’m hoping these two can figure out a way to bring some of their old magic back to their stories. Until they do I’m not sure I’ll be picking up another of their books.

Post live 10/7/20

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren is a story of second families, second chances, and finding new ways to define yourself. The story stars with Mae, a struggling 26 year old who is living with her mom and new husband and finding herself doing more accounting than graphic design she was hired to do. The highlight of her year is the week she spends with her family and her parents college friends and their respective families in a cabin in the mountains of Utah. Mae relishes the tradition of knowing what activities they will do every year and loves that she can escape her humdrum life for the beautiful nostalgia of the cabin at Christmastime.

However, Mae makes a mistake and drunkenly kisses Theo instead of her long-time crush Andrew. Panicking that she threw away everything with her family and friends she leaves the cabin on down note. When a freak accident coincides with a wish to try to do it over again, Mae finds herself at the beginning of the week and perhaps a chance a the love she has been pining for all along.

I enjoyed spending time with Mae and the rest of her family and friends. The cozy atmosphere and comfortable friendships made me wish I could spend some time with this crew in the cabin. I liked that Mae had to work on what she wanted rather than trying to do what pleased everyone else before the crux of the romantic storyline could build steam. The supernatural element was fun and believable. All in all, this was a fun holiday romance with some good life lessons on not being afraid to admit what you want and having the courage to go after your dreams.

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

Christina Lauren does it again!! I have to say at first when I heard the description I was a bit leery. However, as always the characters are so relatable and I ended up loving the "Groundhog Day" plot. The setting is also to die for and gives me the best holiday vibes. I may or may not have looked up winter cabins for my family to go to this holiday season! Absolutely loved it.