Member Reviews
Groundhog Day meets Christmas in Christina Lauren's first holiday novel. It was cozy, heartwarming and the kind of sweet story I like to curl up with over the holidays- even Christmas in July.
In a Holidaze takes place at a cabin in Park City, UT where a found-family gathers each Christmas. Our female lead, Mae, finds herself traveling back in time to relive the holiday and in the process gains the confidence to finally give a voice to the crush she's been harboring for 13 years. Yes., the time travel aspect did illicit a couple eye-rolls, but what better time to believe in magic than at the holidays.
I can always count on Christina Lauren books to hit a sweet spot.. They are so gosh darn entertaining. I relish the sometimes predictable, but never boring story lines Add a little fun and romance and I'm all in.
I know I'll be giving this title a re-read later this year once the snow starts to fall.
Thanks NetGalley!
This is a fun book. Once the time travelling aspect is able to be established, the book settles into such a fun and cozy vibe that is perfect for the holidays. My only critique is that it does take a bit to establish the time travel, but be patient. It is worth it!
In a Holidaze is about Maelyn Jones, she spends every holiday season in Utah with her family and close family friends and her crush Andrew. Andrew is the son of her family friends, they have grown up together and have spent every single holiday season with one another. When the Christmas holiday ends, Maelyn finds out that the cabin they spend every year is will be sold and that will be their last Christmas they spend there. On their way back home Maelyn and her family get into a car accident and Maelyn wakes up on a plane bound for Utah to spend the holiday with her family and friends. She gets the opportunity to relive her last holiday at the cabin and change some outcomes of her life.
I have multiple feelings about this book, I really enjoyed the concept of Maelyn going back and reliving her week at the cabin to see how she changed things for herself. At times, I felt that there were some slow parts in the middle of the book but picked up about 75% through. I loved the family and close family friends relationships that Maelyn has and Christina Lauren does an amazing job in describing those relationships. I did love the Christmas/ Holiday feel and think this makes for a great holiday season read. I love reading Christina Lauren books and even though this wasn't my favorite I will still always try and read what they write.
What a cute story! I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan, so any book USA must read. This book reminded me of a tv Christmas movie The 12 Dates of Christmas, not to mention Groundhog Day. But with the authors’ spicy love story aspect thrown in. I would very much recommend this book. It is definitely going into my Christmas holiday book rotation.
Delightful and perfect for the holidays! I'm not usually a fan of Christmas romance books, but this changed my mind. Christina & Lauren are so skilled at getting inside the quirky nuances of not just the hero and heroine but of their supporting characters that it's sometimes difficult for me to believe that these people aren't real when I walk away from the book.
YASSS! I love Christina Lauren. I love the holidays. I love Groundhog Day. I loved the main characters (shoutout to Andrew and Benny). This book literally had it all. Very happy to receive an ARC from NetGalley. 5 stars.
When I started this book, I was excited about reading a holiday book. Let me tell you it was so much more than I expected. What a fun book to read.
Mae spends every Christmas with her family at their cabin in Park City. This year Mae had a holiday she will never forget. This is one of those books you start to read and before you know it you are on the last page.
This is a definite book I will get for my girlfriends to read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Christina Lauren and Gallery Books for the ARC. This is my personal review for the ARC.
In a Holidaze is unique when compared to other Christina Lauren books, as this one contains a plot line in which the main character, Maelyn, finds herself reliving several days of her life. The setting is lovely-a snowy winter cabin where Marilyn’s family and the family of her parents best friends spend Christmas together every year.
Because of the repetition, I didn’t really feel that there was enough opportunity for character development-they all felt pretty surface level. If you’re a diehard CL fan you’ll likely enjoy this one but I don’t recommend reading this as an introduction to Christina Lauren, as it doesn’t really represent the majority of their books.
Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Christina Lauren is always a good bet when you are looking for a good read. She is witty and fun. Her characters are likable and relatable. Great holiday read. I very much enjoyed this book.
Christina Lauren does it again! Another fun, romantic, crazy ride into a Groundhog Day like scenario.
In true Christina Lauren fashion, I am obsessed. I cannot love this enough. I've read it twice now and plan to read it yet again around the holidays. This book gave me alllllllll of the feels and I don't think I've ever read a Christina Lauren book that disappointed so this was no exception. Thank you so much!
My all time favorite authors did it again. I’ve been a fan since the Beautiful Bastard series, so when I heard that this duo is releasing a new book I didn’t pass this chance. It was kind of weird reading this book in mid-July, but this light, immensely entertaining book was the perfect escape amidst all the current events. I love the Christmas setting, the old cabin, and the full cast of characters and found their interactions relatable. It’s basically like the groundhog day movie on a Christmas holiday setting and a more mature version of the kissing booth combined. In short lots of funny moments and romance too. I was rooting for Mae and Theo, and then Mae and Andrew, but sometimes as a reader you just don’t know what’s gonna happen next and who is the leading character going to end up with.
Overall, I found this story refreshing, different, and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the authors, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC. It has been a pleasure reading this book.
What a cute holiday story! This one is definitely a CL winner! I don’t usually like the addition of time travel in a book that isn’t science fiction or fantasy, but somehow it just worked here. Here are the main reasons why I liked this book:
☃️ The Setting: This story takes place in the most perfect snowy winter cabin you can imagine! It even came with a cute town nearby! I felt all the coziness of this place through the pages and could easily imagine myself sitting by the fireplace with a book as the snow is falling outside.
☃️ The Characters: I feel like CL did a good job in writing about all the characters, and not just the main couple. This book brings together a group of families who spend every Christmas together, not because of blood ties, but because they are each other’s chosen family. The love they all have for each other was so obvious and fun to see!
☃️ The Romance: I mean, this wouldn’t be a CL novel without a little romance, right? While there was definitely less steam here than in previous CL novels, the romance was absolutely adorable! It was so easy to fall in love with Mae, Andrew, and Theo! I definitely felt vindicated when Mae’s 13 year unrequited love story got a happy ending 💘
Overall, this is a cute Christmas story that you can easily curl up with and escape in for the day!
Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and the authors for a review copy of this book. It comes out October 6, 2020.
Check out this review, and other book reviews on my Instagram page @MissBookReviews !
Christina Lauren are two of my favorite writers of all time. This book was totally different than their typical lighthearted romances, in my opinion. I have to be honest and say it just wasn't my style. I'm typically not a fan of books that use fantasy and this was an example of one, in my opinion.
Wow wow wow wow. I have a new CL novel. They have absolutely outdone themselves. Thank you so much to netgalley for this arc! It gave me a chance to celebrate Christmas in July and it was everything I needed!
In A Holidaze follows a woman named Mae who, in a strange turn of events, finds herself in a Groundhog Day scenario repeating the same day over and over. She spends every Christmas with her family and her parents lifelong friends at their cabin. This year, however, Mae made a decision that ends up altering the course of her life....but she doesn’t exactly know how. Now she’s doomed (or blessed?) to repeat this Christmas vacation everyday until she figured out her correct path.
I adored this book so much. It was like Groundhog Day, Freaky Friday, and The Family Stone had a lovechild. I felt so connected to these characters and this story. I couldn’t put it down! I laughed out loud several times and I also sobbed equally as loud. I would give anything for this to be turned into a Christmas movie! Do not miss this book when the holiday season hits!
I absolutely loved this book. The story was so original, the characters were loveable. I'm so glad I read this book, I flew through it in a day!
I really have enjoyed the duo writing team of Christina Lauren in the past, and this book didn’t disappoint!
Mae and her family spend every Christmas holiday with family and friends in a Park Coty cabin. Mae has been in love with her childhood friend Andrew for years, but has never been able to tell him.
When an accident occurs and she begins to experience the same days over and over, she feels like she’s living in a Groundhog Days loop. Maybe this is the time to change the present and possibly the future?
I finished this book in one sitting. At times Mae irritated me and I can’t explain why. But I easily fell in love with Andrew and was able to get past her character flaws because of him. A festive holiday book that I would recommend to everyone.
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars.
First, I want to say a huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Publishing for the ARC of this book. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book is available for pre-order now and releases on October 6th. I was so excited to get this book just in time for my Christmas in July challenge. It was practically perfect.
I received my e-mail saying I was approved for this ARC right when I started planning my Christmas in July challenge (one Christmas book, one Christmas movie, one Christmas cookie recipe) and I HAD to put this in the mix. It seemed like everything I’ve ever wanted in a Christmasy book. It has a cabin in a snowy mountain town, a found family, and a Groundhog Day style plot line. And it was such a fun adventure to go on.
I loved the setting so much. It’s what I’ve always wanted for my own Christmases. A snowy mountain cabin full of Christmas cheer and a group of people who choose to be together because they love each other not because of blood relation. And you get so many Christmas activities and feels. It was all exactly what I needed for Christmas in July. The characters are also a pretty great part of this story. I love the little kids and the group of adults who are flawed and just trying their best. Andrew and Theo as love interests are both so different and so interesting in their own ways.
There is one moment about half way through the book where I swear I was practically swooning. It seemed so perfect. Which is when I knew something bad had to be just around the corner. I was right and was hit in the feels with a huge helping of angst. Me, being the weirdo I am, absolutely loved it. I like angst in my romance and it felt authentic and realistic. It isn’t like a lot of those romance novels where the angst is wedged into a story where it makes no sense or is based on poor communication. I actually thought the main characters in this novel communicated in a clear and authentic way. Which is probably what made in angst hurt so much more. I love that both characters had to decide to try to make it work. That was all wonderful.
I think there are two things that take away half of a star for me. Number one is that I wish there was more at the beginning to explain why the swoon worthy section in the middle was such a big deal. (Me wanting more of something in a book? Time to take a shot.) I know there is a line in there to explain it, but I wish we could have gotten a flashback or two to really settle it into the story. Number two is that I feel like the ending wraps everything up in a nice little bow which is sweet and feels deserved after the chaos that preluded it, but I’ve never been a huge fan of everything getting wrapped up that way. I like that the characters are happy, but it felt too put together. I hope that makes sense. Otherwise, this is probably one of my favorite books of the year.
If you are a Christmas enthusiast like myself, you absolutely have to read this book. It will be a perfect read while you’re waiting for it to be socially acceptable to play Christmas music. It’s also a fast and fun read for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit later this year. Christina Lauren are becoming a new favorite author duo for me. Who would have thought?
Fun, quirky, light...perfect little holiday read.
As a big Christina Lauren fan, I felt like Honey Don't List fell a little flat (to me!) and I was a little worried about this one. I had nothing to worry about, this one was everything I love about Christina Lauren.
This book whisks you away to Christmas in Park City, Utah with a quirky cast of chosen family - college friends that just keep getting together after decades. Our MC Maelyn is at a crossroads in her life. Twenty-five and unsure just what will make her happy. Once the Christmas vacation is over, on the way to the airport, Maelyn makes a wish to the universe...Show me what will make me happy. And there our story begins.
One part Groundhogs Day, one part Family Stone, two parts Christina Lauren and a sprinkling of Holiday Magic...this one is super fun all the way through.
Christina Lauren are quite possibly my all-time favorite romance writers. I have adored many of their books and while I enjoyed their last two I hadn’t felt the same magic as I did with some of their other books. In A Holidaze brought me right back to what I truly love about their writing. This book felt effortless in its ability to make me connect with the characters, laugh out loud, and grin over all the sweet moments.
I am not a huge fan of time loop tropes so I came into this book with a bit of skepticism but that part of the plot was well done so that things didn’t feel repetitive in any way. I loved Mae and her growth throughout the story. Her love story embraces everything about revealing a secret crush, forcing herself out of her comfort zone, and all the awkwardness that goes along with it. I inhaled this book in a day and cannot wait to read more from this fantastic duo.