Christina Lauren is the pen name of American co-authors Lauren Billings and Christina Hobbs. Together they have written many successful romance novels including such books as "The Unhoneymooners" and the 'Beautiful Bastard" series. This new release features Christmas, family, a 'groundhog day' experience and of course romance. Maelyn's family and friends have always spent Christmas at a cabin in Utah. This year after things were less than perfect and with the knowledge it may be the last Christmas there she makes a wish to the universe "Please. Show me what will make me happy". This creates a magical time loop where she gets to work on the holiday all over until she gets it right. This is a good recommendation for light romance and Hallmark Christmas movie fans. It was a fun read and a great change for me as I do not usually read romance - maybe that has to change some.

This book was an utter Christmassy delight from start to finish. I love the unique Groundhog-day like premise of reliving the same Christmas vacation but I was also relieved when it eventually settled into one timeline (sometimes it is easy to get attached to certain plot points and not want them to disappear!!!)
I loved the inclusion of such a fun close-knit group of family friends in this book. The characters were endearing and fun and all so different. It wasn't hard to picture myself sitting in the living room with them all celebrating Christmas. Their Christmas traditions sounded so fun and it was also interesting to consider the idea of breaking tradition a bit and changing things up. The ROMANCE in this book was also adorable and swoony and SO GOOD. No complaints at all.
This will be the go-to Christmas romance of the year this year for good reason! Highly recommend it and it didn't feel weird to read it on a hot summer day at all - despite it being set at Christmas, it doesn't feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie (at least not to me).

I miss old Christina Lauren their newer stuff just isn’t resonating with me at all. Once again I found this book disjointed and not cohesive at all it left me with a lot of unanswered questions. The Characters were fun the steam was Meh. I’m just sad I didn’t love it more

Waking up a day after Christmas, Maelyn Jones realized that she kissed the wrong brother. Eggnog-drunk, she and Theo made out in the mudroom the previous night. And it made everything awkward between them afterward. Mostly for Mae, because she had pinned her heart for Andrew, Theo’s older brother since she was 13-years-old. To make everything more miserable, The Hollises announced that they are giving up their Park City cabin, and this year may be their last Christmas holiday there. On the way to the airport, wrecked and sad, Maelyn Jones pleaded the universe to show her what will make her happy. So to humor her, the universe sent her back in time.

Time travel is such a messy affair. So, after a few tries, Mae threw caution to the wind and went for what her heart truly desires. I like that part -knowing one’s self and daring to be true. Forgiving one’s mistakes is vital too. The story’s narration all came from Mae’s perspective. She‘s a well-rounded character, and I cannot help cheering for her. Although I hoped that Andrew was developed in such a way too, I’m satisfied that both authors kept their focus on Mae. Since this story is more about girl empowerment – taking control of your happiness, no matter how humorous the universe can be.

I also like the family setups introduced in the story. Although not everyone gets the same community of people, I marvel at how diverse and open these people are. It gives the readers a possibility and understanding. I’m sure every reader will wish to have an Uncle Benny too.

IN A HOLIDAZE is a sweet and honest read. There is no cozier than a lovely rom-com like this. Be sure to preorder this for your next read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

Finally - some good romance with good characters. I cannot stand when the love interest in the book is a so-called bad boy that the main character is in love with. I though this book would go that way, but it didn't. All of the characters were so sweet and lovely. The story line was pretty fun to follow through - multiple times - as there was some Groundhog Day likeness to the book. Yes, you had to suspend your disbelief in time-travel, but it wasn't completely absurd. This will be a perfect holiday book to curl up and enjoy alongside some cookies and hot chocolate.

I love Christina Lauren books. They are humorous, romantic and, simply put, leave me feeling good. When I first learned that they had a Christmas book publishing, I knew I just had to read it.

Maelyn Jones is a twenty-six year old woman who has a fairly mundane life - she still lives with her parents and works at a job she doesn’t enjoy. One of the things she looks forward to each year is spending the Christmas holidays with the people she has grown up sharing the season with. This is a time of celebration, loaded with food, traditions and festive activities. She’s grown up with Theo and Andrew, the boys of Maelyn’s parents’ good friends, and has secretly held a crush on Andrew for the past thirteen years. She questions, then, why she made a big mistake her final night at the cabin. Her life seems to be filled with missed opportunities.
The holiday together finishes, and Maelyn and her family drive away. She reflects on her life, her inability to take chances and asks the universe to let her know what will make her happy. The next thing she knows, her family is involved in a car crash, and Maelyn wakes up only to find her self back on a plane to Utah on December 20 and in a Groundhog’s Day repeat of the last few days. Will the choices she makes lead to a different outcome by the end of the trip?

I loved this story. The authors have the ability to bring me back to a time of new romance with all the excitement, desire and passion I remember and cherish. I thoroughly enjoyed that the book is set at Christmas, with all the festivities, food and traditions. The characters are all likeable and the story engaging. I appreciated the history of the families coming together and the joy experienced by the characters. I’d love to see this book made into a movie.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

i am in love with Christina Lauren so i was over the moon with a chance to read this book!! I absolutely loved it!!! I usually don’t read romance but Christina Lauren always has me in the feels.
Mae lives with her parents, has a job she hates, kissed the brother of the guy she loves & worst of all it will be the last Christmas at the place she loves the most- snowy cabin in Utah that she has spent every year at with her family and two other beloved families. Sad and upset, on the way to the airport she makes wish to the universe “Please, show me what will make me happy.” Next she hears metal crushing and tired squeezing, everything goes back. But she gasps awake, and is back on the plane, beginning the holiday again.
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The time-loop had me wondering if this was the right book for me, unsure where it was going, but OMG so good!! This books funny, sad, romantic and cute. By the end you’ll be ready for Christmas & believe in the true magic of the holidays. The family dynamic between the three families alone will make you love this book, but it’s so much more. Mae tries to grasp her time-loop, while trying to solve the major problem she is faced with, saving the cabin and saving her love life.
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Basically, you HAVE to read this book.
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This book was the perfect light read romance novel. It had just the right amount of Christmas in it to make it feel festive, but not a book that you could only read at Christmas time. I loved the characters, and rooted for their love story the whole time. I thought the Groundhog Day concept was unique for this type of story and added a bit of mystery to the plot. Overall would recommend for anyone looking for something light and fun!

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Publication Date: October 6, 2020 - Don’t miss this!
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Description from NetGalley...
“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.”
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Thank you to @NetGalley @simonschusterca @gallerybooks for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
Bookish friends, this is what Christmas romcom book should be! It was laugh out loud funny, cozy, traditional, familial and just such a super fun read. I stayed up reading this because I couldn’t put it down. I don’t like big Christmas gatherings, but this book was so cozy and filled with happiness that made me want a big Christmas this year. And let’s talk about “steamy”🧖‍♂️🧖‍♀️ - actually, let’s not, let’s keep this PG. I want to read more about this group of people. Christina and Lauren, if you’re reading this, please make this into a Christmas series!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy, all thoughts are my own.

This is the second book I've read from this author duo and I have to say that I find their books quite enjoyable.

They are cute, easy, feel good reads. I loved the characters and the family dynamics this group of people have. This would definitely be a good book to read around Christmas/holiday time.

Perfect for anyone who is looking for an easy, feel good, quick read.

I don't think a Romance book has ever made me feel so warm and cozy as this one. I love the setting being at a family friend's cabin and it taking place at Christmas. I also like the little bit of magical realism with a time loop that the main character gets stuck in.

Mae isn't super happy with how her life is going, but the one thing that always makes her happy is heading to the Utah cabin with all of her favourite people. including Andrew who she has been in love with for 13 years. But then the trip goes nothing like she hopes it would and as she drives away she wishes to the Universe to show her what would make her happy.

Then she wakes up back on the way to the cabin before the trip even starts. The Universe has given her a do-over (and maybe another and another) and Mae has to figure out how to make everything right again and perhaps fall in love in the meantime.

This book was so cute, full of holiday cheer, and full of cozy feelings. I read it curled up next to the fire and squealed multiple times because of pure joy and happiness.

This book gave me joy on a dreary day and has rocketed to the top of my Romance Lists.

3.5

In a Holidaze follows Mae, who’s spending her Christmas vacation like she has every year since birth, with her family friends, more family than friends, at their cottage. The book follows Mae through the vacation until something unexpected happens, an accident causes Mae to travel back in time, reliving the same holiday over, and over again. Mae has to deal with knowing what comes next, how to change it, fix it (and hopefully not send herself back again!), alongside dealing with her ever present crush on Andrew.

I liked this book! I had a lot of life happen while reading it so I read it over a long period of time which didn’t help. Mae was funny and likeable, the story is heartwarming and sweet. I loved the group of characters, they were more diverse and interesting than I usually find. The dynamics between the characters was awesome, I love that home feeling this book brought. However, I thought the time travel was super unnecessary. To me it really felt like a weird secondary part of the story, very present at first but then tapers off. I think this book would still be good without it. Also, I found some aspects too cheesy, especially the cringey nicknames the characters use for each other. It’s hard to believe Mae is 30, she presents as much younger. I did like the romance between her and Andrew and how it was thrown off and kept me wondering, but I wish this was expanded more. Just a tad more drama, and less silly reasons for why he’s upset. All in all, I do think this book could’ve been flushed out more, but, I really did enjoy it!

This was a solid 3.5. I enjoyed it, but it didn't rank as high as some of Christina Lauren's other standalones (Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating will forever be a favourite). There were a lot of things I liked about this novel. First was the surprising new genre elements. I never expected Christina Lauren to dive into time travel, even if it was a fairly known/ done trope, but the Groundhog Day plot was a fun twist on the typical romance. I loved seeing how increasingly frazzled Mae got, and they wrote the side characters' confused reactions wonderfully. As is always the case with this duo's writing, the banter was realistic and hilarious, and I absolutely loved the cheery Christmas atmosphere of the novel. This was actually the first intentionally Christmas themed novel I've read, and I'll admit, I get the appeal.

There were some aspects of the plot however, that kept me from really loving this novel. First, even though I found the Groundhog Day premise new and fun, I found it really slowed down the story. I mean, obviously it slowed down the beginning because Mae was reliving the same day over and over, but it wasn't the repetition that bothered me, but rather the length of time it took for the novel to gain more substance. And while I really enjoyed the large chosen-family cast of side characters (especially Benny!), I felt that there were maybe too many characters, and it was difficult to keep track of everyone in the beginning. And maybe it was just me, but the description made it seem as if there would be more of a love triangle between Theo, Andrew, and Mae, so I spent most of the novel trying not to get attached to anyone (so my ship wouldn't get thwarted). Alas, there wasn't much of a triangle at all, so I never really got invested in the relationship, which to me seemed all too convenient and a little too fast if I'm being honest (SPOILER: I know Mae and Andrew have known each other for a long time, but planning a proposal after only 2 months of dating just seems a little much? Just me?).

BUT, the banter always makes me smile and now I want a Christopher Walken Christmas sweater, so all in all, it was a good read.

"What am I doing with my life? Please. Can you show me what will make me happy?" Be careful what you wish for. A chick-lit love story that has the "Groundhog day" premise. I mean, who wouldn't want to go back in time after kissing the wrong guy? I found it different than their usual novels and I'm not sure CL fan's will love it as much as say, the Honeymooners.

Christina Lauren books are a must for me and I wasn't about to pass up this opportunity, thank you #netgalley for the advanced copy.

IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren is so fun and festive! I loved it! I basically had a smile on my face the entire time while I was reading it. The friends to lovers trope is my favourite and I was completely invested in the relationship between the two main characters, Mae and Andrew. I literally shed a tear at a certain point in this book. All of the Christmas cheer in this book really made me wish I was reading it in December with a cup of hot chocolate. It truly has everything to set up the wonderful winter wonderland vibes: log cabin, snow, quirky family members and traditions that pair so well with the pure romance. This is the perfect book to read this holiday season! 🎄
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Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley for my advance review copy!

I loved this time loop romance , and I was not confident going in that CLo could stick the landing on this premise. It's a fun, hopeful story set during a found family Christimas that's overladen with traditions.
I have a few quibbles - mostly about finding happiness = dating your dream boy, rather than through self growth, But I have set that aside to just enjoy the story at the surface level and not agonize over themes.
Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an early copy for review. Can't wait for pub day.

I was a tad hesitant when I saw this book had a 'groundhog-day-esque' storyline to it, but I've loved all of the other CL books that I've read, so I gave it a try and I absolutely loved it. I'm not normally one for sci-fi themes (especially in romances) but god I loved these books and all of the characters. I expected to love the romance aspects, but the relationship between Mae and Benny was something I didn't anticipate loving as much as I did. All around great romance, will have to give it a reread closer to the holiday's (or should I say Holidaze) to get into the festive spirit.

Just finished reading IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren. I received this ARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Official publication date is October 6th, 2020.

I couldn't help myself, I know its too early for Christmas, I am just a Christinalauren fan 👋.

26 year old Maelyn Jones is living life on the edge. Not really... she's living with her parents, hates her job, and just hard core drunkenly made out with a long-time family friend during their Christmas vacation at a cabin in Utah. Worst of all the cabin is being sold. She and her family have spent every holiday since she was a baby there, along with two other close family friends. It's the end of an era, and this makes Mae even more upset.

As the vacation ends, and they all head home, Mae wishes to the universe that she could figure out what would make her happy. The next thing she knows, she's in a car accident and everything goes black. But when Mae wakes up she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday again. Yes time travel is possible 🤣.

With one embarrassing disaster after the other, sending her back to the plane again. Mae must figure out how to break free of the holiday time loop, and finally get the happiness that she craves.

A cute read just in time for the holiday season...in 3 months 😋. I would definitely recommend this one for a quick feel good holiday rom-com. I enjoyed Mae's journey to find happiness!

Maelyn Jones finds herself stuck in a time loop after Christmas, being transported back to the beginning of her holidays with her family and friends. During her struggles to get out of the time loop, Mae also has to deal with her large family and her feelings for Andrew.

I thought this was a fun book. I loved the holiday vibes and there was a lot of fluff. However, I felt that the romance seemed too fast. There is barely any romance until past the halfway mark of the book, and from there I felt that it escalated really quickly.

I liked the family dynamic but I feel like there were almost too many characters to keep straight. I did really like Mae’s relationship with her Benny. He was a really great side character.

Another enjoyable Christina Lauren book!

I read this book in less than 24 hours - it's light hearted and fluffy. The perfect book for a wintery-Christmas day to just curl up with.

The characters are really enjoyable. I love that they're all one big family and they have such deep-rooted traditions. It's a gentle reminder that tradition is wonderful but there is always room for improvement and change. Mae is a great main character - she pushes herself to accept change and go after what she wants.

I enjoyed the romance in the book but it didn't make me swoon like it normally does. It's lighthearted so it makes for a perfect holiday read but I wanted a bit more romance. While it's great that Mae goes for what she wants with Andrew, I just felt like their connection wasn't jumping through the pages - especially on Andrew's end.

Either way, it's a solid, enjoyable holiday read. Christina Lauren will always be a favourite and I can't wait to see what they come out with next!

A full review will be posted on my blog, The Contented Reader, very shortly!