I'm just such a fan of Christina Lauren books. I know what to expect, and they never disappoint me.

Reading a book about Christmas in August was my favorite way to spend a few hours. This is the story of Maelyn who is at a Utah cabin with her family and another few families who've spent Christmas together for ever. The book starts off as a Groundhog's Day trope which really worried me because I've read several books this year where the main character gets to re-live the same day and none of them were executed well so I got really worried.

But as it turns out she only gets to re-live a small number of times here and there's something new and fun in each instance. So it's not the main focus of the book, which for me, was a good thing.

This is a story about how it pays off to be yourself, to go after the things that make you happy and to take chances each and every time. Life is short and don't compromise your joy because you're too scared.

It's fun, funny, inspiring and sweet. Everything I've come to expect from Christina Lauren and they deliver again in this wonderful holiday novel.

With gratitude to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I got the email that this was a "read now" selection for the first 100 members and I was actually in time to get it: I usually realize it too late. And after loving The Unhoneymooners, I was eager to read the newest from Christina Lauren. It sounded cute: a Christmassy romantic Groundhog Day.

Maelyn Jones is in crisis mode. At twenty-six, she just had to move in with her parents, she's disappointed with her job, and she just made out with Theo. But it's his brother Andrew with whom she's in love.

But worst of all, the place she loves the most, the cabin in Utah where she spends her Christmases with her family and closest friends, is going to be sold. Good bye, holidays. On the ride home to the airport, she's lamenting this fact and praying to the universe to bring her happiness when a truck crashes into the side of the family car. Suddenly Mae is on the plane to Utah--the same one she was on a week before, where she begins the Christmas break all over again. And with one "hilarious" disaster after another, she's back on the plane to do it all over again. Mae has to figure out how to stop her time traveling to secure her kiss under the mistletoe once and for all.

Ok, so this was a nice "change of pace book." It will most likely put a smile on your face if you like Christina Lauren's novels and are a fan of happy holiday romances. It's definitely a feel-good story and who couldn't use that right now?

Unfortunately, at the same time, it was saccharine overload. Everyone was just so perfect and Mae just adored everyone so much and the cabin is the most perfect place in the universe and yes, we are beat over the head with how absolutely perfectly sweet and gorgeous and precious Andrew is. It was way too repetitive. And I had to remind myself that Mae and Andrew were 26 and 30. This read entirely like YA. It did not have the witty banter or maturity of The Unhoneymooners.

That being said, I was glad to read it even if it didn't pan out as I hoped. At the very least, it was a fun diversion from the heavier-themed books out there.

Thank you to Gallery Books for giving me the opportunity to review this advance copy.

I can always count on a Christina Lauren book to give me the good feels, and this one was no different. They just seem to write my brand of rom-coms.

Mae is headed back home after what may be her last Christmas at the idyllic cabin in snowy Utah surrounded by her family and friends when she is involved in a car accident. Or so she thinks. Right before the accident, Mae asks the universe to show her what will make her happy. Mae then wakes up on the plane headed to Utah and begins reliving her Christmas week over and over - changing things each time she restarts the week. Will she change her career? Her love life? Her need to live up to such high expectations and follow traditions for the sake of tradition?

What I loved about this book:
Andrew - swoon. Guitar playing hunk who legit remembers things you say (including how you like your drinks) and buys you thoughtful gifts.

Mae - she was pretty hilarious as most Christina Lauren female leads are.

I loved the holiday feel. 2020 has put us through it, y’all.

What I didn’t love:
This book felt way too short. I was reading during a break and realized I was over halfway through and could not believe it! I wanted more.

I think because the book was too short, it left some big things...unanswered.

Theo and Miles seemed to be afterthoughts. Especially Theo - I wanted to see some sort of redemption there or more of a backstory and it just never came.

Overall, I give this one a 3.5/5. Thank you so much, Netgalley!

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Romance | Women's Fiction
Release Date: October 6, 2020
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Groundhog Day comes to Christmas and I am here for it! This was such a great book! The humor, family, Christmas traditions, love, and self-discovery all wrapped up into this amazing story.

I love the author's writing style, it feels light even when the plot the gets heavy. The character development was great and she created such likable characters. I wanted to join in with their Christmas!

This book was so good that I could not put it down or go to bed until I reached the end.

I think I have found a new favorite author!!!!

I'm so grateful to Christina Lauren, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely ADORED this book!!!

I am still just smiling like an idiot over here because this book just made me insanely happy!

Christina Lauren... damn. They never fail to make me smile and laugh and feel all happy and sappy. This book had all the cozy, wintery, holiday vibes that I love and added in an amazing romance! Like seriously. Top notch romance. I was swooning the entire time and couldn’t stop smiling!

I am so excited for everyone to read this because it’s just another wholesome, sweet, romcom that just leaves you feeling giddy!

Thank you so much NetGalley for an arc of this book!💕

What a fun, interesting read! I devoured this book, staying up late to finish it. The characters are quirky and real, and I loved the time travel twist.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book! I am familiar with Christina Lauren and their writing. I was thrown off a little (in a good way!) by the unexpected time-travel plot but I think it’s secretly every one’s dream for a chance to get something right. I was able to live vicariously through Mae’s.

For the large group of people, the story followed each character and I got to know all of them through the love of the cabin: Ultimately, this book felt like one big happy Christmas hug, which is much needed lately.

Thank you again!

I was so excited to be able to read In a Holidaze that I dropped everything else on my list to read this right away. Everything I have read by these authors so far has been amazing, so I had big expectations for this book. It did not disappoint.

Mae is at a low point in her life, and she feels like she is never going to get out of the rut. She is someone I think anyone can relate to, because everyone has a time when they feel like nothing is working out for them. Luckily, she has a great support system around her who are there to give advice and be a listening ear for everything she is going through.

This book really highlights the importance of your chosen family, lifelong friends who become staples in your life. In this story, Mae’s parents have friends that go back over thirty years. They have become family, and now their children are growing up the same way. They all live in different parts of the country, but they have such a strong love for each other that they come back together every year to this cabin in Utah and its like they were never apart. I could feel the love through the pages of this book.

Mae gets to ask the universe what her world would look like if she were happy, and actually go back in time to relive her last week until she can make it happen. I think anyone reading this book gets to take away that you may get a little nudge here and there, but in the end you have to make happiness for yourself.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
After reading this book, I’m realizing that Christina Lauren are becoming my favorite authors. This is the third book I have read by them, and my third five-star read by them. I loved this book. It is funny and heartwarming throughout. I was smiling to myself almost the entire read (there has to be some conflict, right?). This is one of those feel-good books that put me in a good mood every time I picked it up. I love that this is a holiday book, because I am going to treat it like a Christmas movie that I have to watch every year, and bring it out every December.

Delightful read about leaving one's comfort zone and going after what one wants..
After reliving the same day again and again, Mae wonders what the outcome will be if there are changes in the course of events.

Description: Mae is headed back home from her family’s annual Christmas celebration with several other families in Utah when she starts to spiral—she hates her job, she’s moved back home with her parents, and she may have just lost one of her oldest childhood friends after an eggnog induced kiss. ⁣
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Mae makes a wish that the universe will show her what will actually make her happy just before a terrible car accident...only when she wakes up, from the accident she’s back on a plane TO Utah for the Christmas celebration, with a chance to do things differently this time around. ⁣
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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—sometimes I just need the book equivalent of a Hallmark Christmas movie...and In A Holidaze fits that bill completely. And bringing in the slightly fantastical/magical realism element? YES PLEASE. ⁣
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Sometimes, rom coms can frustrate me because often the major “drama” could have been cleared up with one honest and transparent conversation between the two leading characters. This was NOT the case here—Mae and her romantic interest were actually pretty great communicators, and reading a rom-com where the issue to be solved wasn’t just a communication breakdown was a breath of fresh air. ⁣
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This felt a bit like a cross between Groundhog’s Day and The Family Stone to me, and even though some of the concepts and themes felt familiar, the book itself felt new and fresh. It was a funny and slightly steamy rom-com that I definitely didn’t want to end. ⁣
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Also, I think this was the first Christina Lauren book I’ve read that wasn’t told from alternating perspectives, (which has always made sense to me given that “Christina Lauren” is a pseudonym for two friends who write together). I wasn’t sure whether a story told from a singular perspective would work with two different writers, but it was *flawless*. ⁣
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This book releases 10/6/20, and I think it will be the perfect book to pre-order to help ease into the holiday spirit! ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 out of 5 stars)⁣

This was entertaining but puzzling. The time looping is enticing. There are so many characters that it took a while to not get mixed up. I like Benny though; he really stands out as straight forward and mature. Siblings being “matched” with the same woman whether real or imaginary, not my cup of tea, plus they seem like kids instead of adults. I love their holiday traditions, very interesting. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed The Unhoneymooners more than this but this book was still great. I could see this book being made into Hallmark movie for sure because the plot and characters fit perfectly with what Hallmark would want. AND.... there is a Groundhog Day-esque kind of time line which I happen to love. I do not to put too much on here about events in the book without spoiling it. You will just have to read it!

A must read for any Christina Lauren fan. Highly recommended and a perfect holiday read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Christina Lauren and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 10/6/20

Mae has had a bad holiday. Every year her family and a tight knit group of their family friends get together for the days surrounding Christmas. This year, shes gotten a little too tipsy on some very grown up eggnog and made out with the wrong brother. Mae has been in love with Andrew Hollis since she knew what love was but she finds herself on boxing day having made out with his younger brother Theo. With her family vacation coming to a close, Mae makes a wish on her way to the airport that she could be happy and with a jolt wakes up back to the first day of the vacation. Mae has to navigate her Holiday just right or she risks going back to day one. Will she get it right with Andrew or will she just end up making out with Theo after a few too many eggnogs again?

I LOVE Christina Lauren. Anything they can put out I try to get my hands on. In a Holidaze was no different. I was snorting with laughter, getting tense with frustration, and falling in love with Andrew Hollis. They have created the kind of idyllic family and extended family structure that a more modern reader would wish for. This is a great, fun read that hits your heart in a good way. Read this one!

I really enjoyed this book, I wasn't sure if I would or not but I did. At different times I wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh. These characters were well written and the story line kept you on your toes.

Maelyn keeps reliving the same week over and over, and she's not sure what she needs to change in order to get what makes her happy. Except on the third time, she makes the decision to go for it and says exactly how she feels about not only the one guy shes always loved but also the cabin her family spends every Christmas. In the end she is able to get everything she has always wanted and what makes her happy.

This is a story about figuring out how to be happy again.... and again... and again.


I’m picky about both romance & comedy, but this was a delightful read. Definitely perfect for the holidays, or just a general light hearted fun story.

I grabbed this one as a special Read Now offer because the description had immediately grabbed me with its Groundhog Day-like premise and I couldn't wait to read it!

The story follows Maelyn after she spends the day after Christmas wishing that she hadn't drunkenly kissed an old family friend (especially because she's really in love with his brother) and when she asks the universe to show her how to be happy, the universe listens - and the next thing she knows, the family Christmas trip is about to start all over again! I absolutely love this type of time travel in books and I think that Mae and Andrew might be my new favorite CLo couple (and YES I KNOW that's a bold statement)!! I also fell in love with the setting of this book and it really made me wish that I had a cabin retreat to go away to! It was a fast read for me and I just wanted more time with the Hollis and Jones families. Maybe another trip through the weird time travel? Or just more time on the vacation? I did love the epilogue and was so glad that a little more of Mae and Andrew's story was in there!

In a Holidaze is a magical holiday story about keeping your family close and taking a risk on happiness and lifelong love. Maelyn is melancholy as she and her family are leaving their annual Park City Christmas vacation with dear family friends when their car is hit by a truck just as she asks the universe to show her what will make her happy. But when Mae awakens after the impact, she has traveled back in time and is on a plane headed to the annual family holiday all over again. Will she relive the holidays forever or be allowed to continue on in her life once she gets it right?

I enjoyed reading this lighthearted story and watching the relationship between Mae and Andrew bloom. It was a sweet friends to lovers story reminiscent of "Groundhogs Day", so I didn't find it original plot-wise, but it made for good entertainment nonetheless. I recommend it for readers who would like a mental escape or who want to get into the holiday spirit starting in October upon the books publication. Rating: 3.5 stars

Advanced copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was more like a 3.5 stars but I'll round it up to 4 because I really liked the ending. I really loved the idea of the book SPOILER (the going back in time and getting to do it all again) but for like half the book it was like a love triangle of sorts and I have no idea, like at all, who the heck was supposed to be the love interest. I was so confused and I liked both so even more confusing. I will say that the book was not as engaging for me till about 55% into the story and then it got good and I was no longer confused about who our guy was going to be but then something else happened and it lost me again which is why I cannot rate this higher. I have loved all of this author duo books, most have been 5 stars for me but this one I guess will be my least favorite. It was still good and super romantic in the end which I loved. I also loved that it was a Christmas book. Definitely recommend.

A cute, fun, holiday romance from Christina Lauren!
Mae is stuck, both figuratively in her dead end job and literally in a time loop. Normally, her Christmas holiday vacation with her parents and various family friends is her favorite time of year, but after making some eggnog based decisions, Mae finds herself on her way home full of regret. When she and her family get in a car crash, Mae wakes up six days earlier, and she finds herself in a Groundhog Day style Christmas, repeating her holiday vacation over and over again. Mae has to figure out how to get it right and how to do something about the crush she's had on family friend Andrew for the last 13 years.
I'm a sucker for anything time travel/time loop related, so I was ready to give this a go, despite not loving the last book by Christina Lauren. This book is chock full of Christmas, which I really enjoyed, and I thought Andrew was a great love interest. You can't really ask for much more in a holiday romance :)

So I didn't hate it but I was also so confused on what was going on and who was who and why they were all together. But I did appreciate that the author jumped right into action and didn't bore me to death with way too much backstory. However maybe a little context in the beginning would've been a little helpful. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters but it was still an entertaining story.