I loved this time-travel / Groundhog's Day story and have been counting down the days until I could read it. I will say, I was slightly lost at the beginning. I felt like I had missed something, but by the end of the first chapter I was fine. I read the book in one sitting. I think one of the things I enjoyed the most was, while the books focus was on Mae and Andrew, we got to know everyone else and they didn't feel like side characters. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of Hallmark or Lifetime holiday movies, it gave me those kind of vibes.

She asked the Universe to show her happiness. So it did, but the problem is, she doesn't know how to get the happiness she asked for.



Maelyn has a wish. She wants to be happy. To catch her own happiness when she doesn't feel right in the world she's living in.

She doesn't like the job she has, or about her parents divorce. And she really doesn't like how her love life is tangled. The only thing that can truly make her smile is spending time in the cabin when it's her Christmas holiday, along with her other loved families in Utah. She's always spent her winter time in that cabin, feeling all of the childhood she had.

But when she's in a car accident, she is seriously confused when she's on an airplane, back to Utah. But the thing is, she's already been to Utah and the last thing she remembers is riding a car to go to the airport with her family then going home. But instead, she's in her holiday all over again.

So when she sees that the Universe is trying to show her happiness by being in the holidays she had all over again, she's determined to do it right. And maybe even get her true love under the mistletoe.

To be honest, I didn't get the 10% of this book because it didn't really make sense, but when I kept reading, I was like, SO INTO IT. I think the most confusing thing was that Maelyn was time-travelling and going back over and over to when she was on the plane. I didn't quite understand why her family was acting around her like she's just grown another eye on her forehead, that they were NOT in a car accident and that it's Christmas time.

But when I finished the book, I was thinking that it made PERFECT SENSE since the whole story line I was missing clicked into place. It was like, my head just lighted up a light-ball and I was just in awe that Christina Lauren thought of this amazing story. It was heartwarming, cute and definitely romantic. And I was laughing my head off at conversations between characters because oh boy, this author has a talent to write a rom-com.

And just after finishing this book, I felt that 'In a Holidaze' showed happiness will be earned but there still will be mistakes that wouldn't be rubbed off. Because everyone deserves some happy things in their life.

Thank you so much to Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it so much and I am very grateful that I read it.

I think this is a year that no one can argue with anyone when they say they need Christmas joy a little early, and Christina Lauren’s IN A HOLIDAZE did that for me.

Maelyn is 26 and stuck. She lives at home, her love life is zero, and she hates her job. I think anyone who has lived through their 20s can relate to her in some way.

Her family has spent the holidays at a family friend’s’ cabin in Utah for decades, but at the end of their most recent trip, and following an embarrassing make out session with her friend, Theo, they find out the cabin will be sold and Christmas at the cabin will be no more. On their way out of town, Maelyn’s family gets into a car crash and she wakes up on the plane to Utah 6 days earlier. For some reason, she is traveling back in time. She sees this as the universe telling her to go after what she wants—a job, saving the cabin, maybe her secret love for her friend Andrew (who just so happens to be Theo’s brother), but she had to figure it out in her own.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a very character-driven book, which I enjoyed because the characters were so well developed. Maelyn was a relatable narrator, and I could see 20-something me in her. It has all the things we love in a good romance, with the added bonus of being centered on the holidays!

In a Holidaze is a cute time-travel romance that’ll get you geared up for the Christmas season. I enjoyed the extended family aspect of the plot and found the characters genuine. I wish Mae and Andrew’s romance would have been a bit more fleshed out and I did think the love triangle aspect was a bit clunky. If you’re looking for a quick holiday romance, this one checks the boxes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up. I fell in love with the setting and with the roundup of characters in this book. With so many names, it would’ve been easy to get lost but I felt everyone was well developed and distinct. I sincerely hope Netflix buys the rights to this because I’d love to see this play out in a movie.

My one minor issue: the time travel/groundhog day storyline didn’t seem resolved, or really fleshed out. I didn’t need a supernatural reasoning as to why it happened, but I don’t feel the resolution was satisfying or believable enough.

I also wish holiday books came out a little closer to Christmas. I kept putting this off to try and wait until I felt more christmas-y but the pub date approached much too quickly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Looking forward to the next Christina Lauren title!

I usually love this writing duo, but In A Holidaze just didn't work for me. I don't mind suspending belief a bit in my romance books, but the whole "time travel-Groundhog Day movie" experience just didn't work. I found Maelyn to be a bit insipid and her whole "woe is me life" boring when she absolutely had the power to change her situation. I liked Andrew but honestly didn't feel we got to know him well enough. I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters, the whole implosion of their romance was a bit ridiculous considering the situation, and while I enjoyed all the characters at times it just seemed too busy and therefore the romance was lost. It pains me to write a low star review for these ladies as I enjoy their work very much, but this one was lost on me.

In a Holidaze is definitely one of my top Christina Lauren books of all time! Super sweet and fun holiday-themed friends-to-lovers romance to get you in the holiday mood. But also, who doesn't love Groundhogs Day? Because, Bill Murray. Amiright? (My friends and I were pretty much obsessed with that movie when it came out back in the day. I know, I'm old. We'll all live through it)

Mae is living her worst life. She wakes up after the most ill-advised night of her life. Add that on top of her already not so stellar job, having to move back home and life with her parents, and well, last night's HUGE error in egg-nog laced judgment. Then, as her family is getting ready to leave their traditional multi-family holiday vacation, they get word that this will be the last year everyone will be celebrating at the majestic cabin in the woods. Mae was praying to the universe to "Show me what will make me happy" when suddenly a Christmas tree truck is making their way straight for her family's car and the world goes topsy-turvy. She wakes to find herself back on the airplane TO the Utah cabin 5 days earlier with no one else the wiser...

Although In a Holidaze isn't set to publish until October, I couldn't help myself on reading this holiday-themed book any longer. (I think I've waited at least 3 months!) The world is in such a yuk place right now, I NEEDED the sweet, sweet pick me up more than I can say.

The dynamic of Mae and Andrew from the very clear 'we're just friends' at the beginning to the eyes-wide-open "Oh, I never knew this could even be mine" was intoxicating. As always, Christina Lauren have a way of writing that just draws you in. And, I also have to gush that, their characters are believable in such a way that little Ms. perfect with their perfect, perfect meet Mr. I'm-so-aweome-and-caring, blah, blah, blah. We have all (well most of us) lived some of these gigantic (if not) egg-nog-fueled ill-thought-out happenings and struggled with the after-effects. Mae is not perfect but her ability to want and try to change if not just the circumstances but also herself and her mindset surrounding how she has penned her own life is refreshing.

I was *involved* throughout the whole book. I loved the continued Groundhogs Day theme and rooted for Mae throughout. I wish (maybe) that we maybe had one more time round the bend -but- maybe not. I like messy. Life is messy and this last time 'round the bend was SO not perfect.

In a Holidaze is definitely a book you should pick up. It's fun and sweet with a bit of steam and will warm the cockles of even the most deadened *cough, cough* of hearts.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Maelyn is celebrating Christmas with family and friends who are like family in the cabin they've been going to since she can remember. She's also been in love with Andrew, son of her parents best friends, for just as long. After a mistake filled drunken night, she finds herself in a time loop where she keeps waking up on the plane headed to the cabin and reliving the days leading up to Christmas. Why is this happening? Is it because of the wish she sent out to the universe? When will the groundhog day like time loop end? Or will it?

I'm sorry, but I was unable to get into this story. I think the idea and plot is fun and will draw numerous readers. I wasn't able to connect with the characters. I, unfortunately, wasn't among them. I wish the author and publisher much success upon it's release.

4.5 Yes, Feeling All Of It Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
There have been many books that have used the "Groundhog" element in their plot. If there is anyone who may not know what that means, it is a story where the main character is locked in a time loop of some kind, re-living the same set of days, being in the same set of circumstances until they do or figure out what must change in order to fix it.

The joke is there are so many experiences we all wish we could "Do-Over", right...The ones where we want the floor to swallow us up whole so we don't have to look at those looking at us when we have done what we are not happy with...

But for me, yes, I have had those...But I have also had the type of experiences I wish I could do over because I loved them so much. Reading Christina Lauren's entire Bastard series with a dear friend from goodreads was one of those times.

It is the memories of our moments. There are so many times we have these joyous memories...remembering the big life moments from childhood, thinking about all the firsts, and then remembering the times when you were held and felt safe.

This story approaches families, memories, different perspectives, owning up to mistakes, and of course, the holidays.

Christina Lauren has now has added new memories and joy in my reading them.

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books and Christina Lauren for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
When I saw a Christina Lauren book available on NetGalley I immediately had to request it! I was over the moon when I was sent the book and I’ve been DYING to read it! If you loved ANY of their other books, you’ll love this one! I’ll be honest... a holiday themed, time travel book is normally something I’d pass on but how can you pass on a Christina Lauren book?! Thank Goodness I didn’t because I fell in love with this family!
Maelyn Jones loves tradition. Every year her family and friends get together to spend the Christmas holiday together. Every year since they were children, the families have stuck to a routine. A day for a snow sculpture contest, another for sledding a massive hill, the next for a across town scavenger hunt. After ending a deadbeat relationship and struggling to love her job, she is especially looking forward to escaping to the cabin.It doesn’t hurt that she’ll get to spend a week with her family friend, Andrew. Mae has been in love with Andrew since they were kids. After ending their trip on a bad note, Mae makes a simple wish to the universe: Show me what will make me happy. Suddenly she’s starting the trip all over again, and again, each time getting a little closer to her happy ever after.
As someone with a MASSIVE family and seven siblings myself, I loved the family dynamic in this! Christmas in my house is major and I’m a sucker for traditions like Mae. My parents recently talked about wintering in the south for winters and my first thought was...but what about Christmas at your house??? I’m in the middle of transitioning from new adult to... actual adult, and I think the changing family traditions hit me the hardest! I could completely relate to Mae throughout.
I was nervous about the time jumping, something I usually just can’t get into in book form, but as always, this was written smoothly! You’re sucked in from the beginning and the story keeps a quick pace throughout! Honestly the only complaint I’d have is I read these characters as young adults... 18-25. The fact that they were almost 30 kept throwing me off because there really was nothing to indicate their age throughout.
It’s safe to say I would read a grocery list written by Crisitina Lauren at this point! They nail contemporary romance perfectly.

Thank goodness for Christina Lauren! So glad I was able to get my hands on this book. It's still months away from the holiday season but this gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings I needed even in the beginning of fall. After being disappointed with both Twice in a Blue Moon and The Honey Don't List, I was hopeful that Christina Lauren would return to the writing I really loved in their earlier books. In a Holidaze really knocked it out of the park. The storyline was a fresh twist on the whole friends to lovers scenario mixing in, dare I say, time travel elements?! At times I felt there were a few too many peripheral characters to keep up with but honestly they weren't brought into the story too terribly much that I didn't feel overwhelmed. I loved the way the story wrapped up even if it was very predictable. That's why we read romance novels; we want that happy ending. My only complaint was the relationship between Maelyn and Theo could have been fleshed out further. There was a lot of importance placed by both Theo and Andrew on the relationship/friendship between these two but I never really SAW it.

The love scenes were just the right amount of steamy and you were still able to see it through the lens of a cozy holiday book. I felt like I was reading a really fun Hallmark movie. Definitely will recommend this to my friends for a fun Christmas time read.

An adorable time-loop Christmas romance. I grinned and giggle like a fool while reading this one.
In a Holidaze is about a woman on family holiday vacation who makes a wish that causes her to relive the holiday over and over… The slow burn friends to lovers romance was so sweet and absorbing. Typical pinning charters make me want shake and yell get over it but something Maelyn made me want to root for her. The time-loop (favorite plot device) was well done with just enough confusion and rebooting to move Maelyn forward on her journey. If I had to give a criticism it would be that all characters were unbelievably nice and understanding. But. I. Don’t. Care. I wish I could spend my holiday In a Holidaze

Received from NetGalley for review.

I didn’t realize this was time travel book because I’m not into those, however, I absolutely LOVED this book. Mae is at her friends of the family Cabin for their annual Christmas holiday. In a series of
events, Mae is sent back in time to right some wrongs or a do over. When she “wakes” on the plane, I found it sort of comical because of her brother.

Enter Andrew (Mandrew) the love interest she has know her whole life. He’s oblivious to Mae’s attraction to him.

The supporting characters kept the story moving and entertaining, especially Benny. He helps Mae along the way.

There is one sex scene, I wouldn’t say explicit, but you know what’s going on and some feeling up in the closet. You have to read it to know.

Thank you for NetGalley and Christina Lauren for allowing me to review this book.

As each year, Maelyn spends Christmas with her family and two other families in a cabin in Utah. At the moment Mae’s life is in a bit of a mess. She is back at home and stuck in a job that isn’t giving her much job. And to makes things worse she makes out with Theo even though she is in love with his brother, Andrew. After that Mae makes a plea to the Universe: please show me what will make me happy. The next thing she knows she travels back in time to have a second chance to make things right.


I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it came up short. It was a typical rom-com - very predictable. I love books set during Christmas period and this book didn’t disappoint. A log cabin in Utah is definitely a nice place to spend your holidays with your loved ones. However the plot wasn’t that interesting. I didn’t like the idea of time travel and Maelyn wasn’t vey likeable or interesting character. I found her rather irritating and self centered. The book just wasn’t for me.

I really, really liked this book from beginning to end. It had adventure, plenty of humor, and, of course, romance. This was my first Christina Lauren book to read, but it certainly won't be my last!

From the beginning of the book, I knew I was going to love it. It started out at the end of Mae's trip which was nice for a couple of reasons. One, it gave me an overview as to things that had already happened throughout the week. Two, it showed me why Mae was both dreading leaving and wanting to get away as soon as possible. And three, it didn't make me walk through the whole week since I knew going in that this book was going to be a Groundhog Day situation. So, even though the character ends up living through the week, again and again, most times, we're experiencing things for the first time so it's not annoying or monotonous.

This book was also so funny! Part of it had to do with the array of amazing characters, but the rest was all storyline. I feel like usually in Groundhog Day type books, it's just that the character wakes up the next day to find that they have to live the same day over. This book was a little different in that she could get sent back to day one of her vacation from any accident that befell her. I mean, the ways Mae kept getting sent back to day one were hilarious to me.

But going back to the characters, I loved them all! They all had their quirks and things that made them original and unique as people, which I loved so much. I also felt like I got to know them all really well by the end of the book. They were kinda beginning to feel like my family which made the ending that much more bittersweet.

The only slightly negative thing I have to say about this book (that I can't even really say since it's a spoiler) is that I was slightly thrown off by the direction this book ended up taking. I'm okay with the way things ended and what not, but I really thought things were going to go another way. The fact that they didn't is still throwing me off and making me feel a little like things aren't completely resolved.

But, overall, I really liked this book! It took me on a crazy trip that I never wanted to leave with characters that I never wanted to say goodbye to. This is the perfect holiday read for everyone to enjoy!

Christmas is in exactly THREE months, so what better time to share my review of this upcoming book?! It is pretty much a rule of the bookish universe that if Christina Lauren write a book, I will read it and love it. It is hard to explain what I love about their books, but if you have read any of them, you know. In this book, Groundhog Day meets yuletide cheer when the main character, Mae, is stuck in a strange time loop. Mae is at a dead end in her life, but one thing she can count on to make her happy is her family's annual trip to a friend's cabin in Utah. Enter Theo and Andrew- two brothers, one who has a crush on Mae and the other whom Mae has a crush on. In a Holidaze is the perfect holiday read. It is like curling up with a cup of hot cocoa on a cold, snowy day; it will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It's full of heart-warming holiday cheer. Like any good Christmas movie, it will make you realize what is important in life and put things into perspective. It was a quick and entertaining read, and I enjoyed it. In a Holidaze is out on October 6! Thank you @gallerybooks @simonandschuster and @christinalauren for my copy!

Such a light, swoony, feel good holiday read! I had to stew on my rating for this one overnight because the second half is most definitely stronger than the first, but then I realized that the ONLY thing I didn't like about it is the time travel gimmick, and that's all laid out in the blurb. Can't fault a book for doing exactly what it said it was going to do, but I fully admit that it was a slow start for me. But after that? So much friends to lovers goodness, with a hero who is just so GOOD and a romance that's got years of history behind it. These two might fall hard and fast, but they're already family from the start.

The story follows Mae, a woman whose life isn't going quite how she planned. She's moved back home, works a job she hates, and the only bright spot in her life is the yearly family trip for the holidays where she gets to see the guy she's been crushing on since puberty (the son of family friends). But even that's gone horribly wrong this year. In a drunken moment of depression, Mae kissed the wrong brother, and now there's no chance that the right one will want anything to do with her. Add in a terribly awkward morning after and news that this will be the last trip to the cabin, and it's all too much. When Mae makes a Christmas wish in an attempt to find what will make her happy, things get a little crazy. Reliving the same trip over and over again until she gets it right, Mae seizes the moment and gets her joy back.

I openly admit that this started off pretty questionable for me. I was worried that it was going to go full love triangle for a minute, and the focus at the start is definitely the time travel/Groundhog Day effect. But this settles into such a good read. Mae's guy is sweet, kind, loving, adorable with just a touch of sexy - everything you want in a holiday romance. There are plenty of family moments and some Christmas cheer, but the romance stays at the forefront throughout. It's a quick, light read that will make you think about all of the possibilities in life, and I kinda loved that about it. The tone is uplifting and playful, feeling like your favorite kind of Christmas movie with a hint of steam. So I'm willing to overlook the rocky start because the rest was exactly what I wanted from it. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review of this holiday romance.

A perfect example of Chick Lit/Women's Fiction. As is always expected from CLo, it was funny, but you were so invested in the characters that I actually got butterflies at key moments and even got a little misty eyed at one point. Once I started reading, I literally could not stop until I finished, which made for a VERY late night and a pretty dire book hangover the next morning. You'd think that the Groundhog Day trope would feel old, but it just works--I had no problem rolling with it, as crazy as it is. Each repeat gave Mae a chance to realize what's really important and give her to courage to break from the norm, and they didn't go on so long that it started to feel repetitive. The supporting characters may not be super developed, but they didn't really need to be. The love among all the members of this family of choice was obvious, and that was the most important part--they also managed to impart a little wisdom or angst as needed, without weighing down the primary focus.

I love this book. LOVE IT. I think it may be my new favorite Christmas romance and I want Hallmark to make a movie immediately. It’s absolutely charming and I wouldn’t change a thing for our main character, who I stuck in a time warp of repeating the last few days before she gets clobbered in a car accident.

This is a five star story, and soooo good.