Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Who says Christmas books can’t be enjoyed in July?! This book came at just the right time. I loved it so much. It wasn’t like anything that I’ve ever read before, it was a great combo of a rom com with a mix of Groundhog Day thrown in. It’s about second chances and learning from your mistakes to get things right.
I’ve enjoyed every Christina Lauren book that I’ve read and this one is one of my favorites.. I loved the dynamic between Mae and Andrew. The authors always do such a good job of fleshing out their characters and that helps to really suck you into the story.

Was this review helpful?

Maelyn Jones feels like her life has stalled professionally and personally. The one thing she could always count on, even after her parent's divorce, was Christmas at the cabin with both her parents, her brother, their large chosen family, and tons of tradition. When Ricky and Lisa announce they're selling the cabin, Mae feels even more lost. Sending a wish out into the universe to find what makes her happy seems like a good idea at the time, only she could have no way of knowing she'd time travel back to the beginning of their vacation and get stuck in a time loop until she gets everything right.

In a Holidaze is another phenomenal book from Christina Lauren, I adore everything about it, it's sweet, funny, and full of good feelings. It's also more than just a romcom, Mae spends a lot of time figuring out what she wants in life and putting herself out there to get it. She feels real and relatable, and I could feel every emotion she was experiencing because it's so well written. I finished this book last night and I'm still struggling with finding words that adequately describe how much I love it. There are great side characters, they're all different and add so much to the story without being overwhelming. Andrew's just everything, there aren't enough adjectives to describe him. I've never loved single pov before, but Christina Lauren changed that for me, not getting a peek into Andrew's head made the story so much better. I thoroughly enjoyed the time loop aspect, I was so stressed out Mae was going to start over around the 70% mark, or later. You absolutely need to read this amazing, warm, fuzzy, sweet, funny holiday book.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this one! It's funny, romantic, and sexy. Think your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie meets Groundhog Day. I can see myself reading it every holiday season.

Was this review helpful?

Christmas books are great no matter what time of year. Christina Lauren does it again with a cute and romantic story and a woman who gets stuck in a time loop, living the Christmas holiday over and over again until she gets it right. Mae's large group of family and friends get together every year at a cabin for Christmas, and she's always been in love with Andrew - one of the members of the group. They've known each other all their lives but she's never been able to say anything. In a near death experience, Mae asks the universe to show her what would make her happy - and the time loop begins.

Mae's antics in this book had me cracking up at times. She starts off so careful and focused on keeping the traditions of the holiday that doesn't really allow her to be herself. The time loop gives her the opportunity to freak out and just be real with everyone, and not take everything so seriously, which allows Andrew to see a different side of her. Andrew is an interesting character and seems very nice and normal - but I don't feel like he was developed very well. There's little back story of him or personality building. There were also so many side characters that it was hard to keep everything straight.

I loved the time loop concept. It was so fun and I haven't read a romance novel with this concept. The plot was obviously not science fiction so the time loop isn't explained or explored, just something that you accept as happening. Each time loop sequence was so cool because Mae just came off as crazy before she figured out what was happening and had to convince people what was happening. It was a really zany situation that ws just hilarious at times. I wish that she had been reset in time just one more time than she was, because I feel like it would've added depth and more conflict to make it more interesting.

If you like Christina Lauren books, you'll like this one. And just in time for the holidays!

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

My absolute favorite authors on the planet are back with another book and I had such high expectations. & they did not let me down! To be honest, I remember skimming a few reviews and the term "sci-fi" jumped out and my heart dropped. Oh no, romance authors writing sci-fi!? That's not what I want! But it's Christian Lauren, so I went into it with an open mind and I'm glad I did!

I definitely wouldn't classify this as "science fiction." Yes, there are some elements that are not realistic and thus, more "sci-fi" but over all, it's still very much a contemporary romance book (with a groundhog day twist to it :)).

Christmas is my favorite time of year so I loved reading about these characters and their story during that time. It gave me all the warm & fuzzy feels.

Overall, this book was not as predictable as many often think for a romance book and I loved that about it. My initial guess for what was going to happen in the beginning was totally wrong and with the groundhog day element, it keeps you guessing.

5/5 stars and I can't wait to read this ahead this holiday season and buy a hard copy of it!

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Was this review helpful?

In A Holidaze is my favorite book by Christina Lauren to date! There was so much heart and soul in this book. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and I fell in love with this blended family.

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and a lot of that has to do with very fond memories growing up. If I could describe this book, it would be just like that. It's a family spending a week together to enjoy their holidays, adding new memories, except this year there's a twist.

The whole Groundhog Day twist was wildly entertaining. I got so invested in Mae's life and her road to figuring out what would get her out of the loop. By the end of the book, I wished these people were real and that I knew them. That's the result of some excellent writing from this author duo.

Was this review helpful?

I’ll automatically pick up any book written by this author duo, but when I started this one I thought the premise was maybe just a little too “out there” for me. Luckily, by the time I was 25% into it, I’d fallen in love with the characters and only focused on their story and not how improbable the beginning of the book was. This is such a great story about not being afraid to go after what you want and changing your life. Another great story by these authors.

Was this review helpful?

Merry early Christmas to me! It was so fun to have a snowy holiday escape in July courtesy of my favorites, Christina Lauren. In A Holidaze comes out October 6th and you are going to LOVE it! This was a super quick read with everything you would expect from one of their books: lovable characters, witty banter and lots of romance.
-

This one has a plot similar to one of the best movies ever, Groundhog Day (Bill Murray is everything!). The main character, Maisie, has a disastrous ending to her family's annual Christmas vacation and has to go back and relive it a few times until she gets it right. There are a whole lot of crazy family and friend shenanigans paired with a hidden love affair. This would make a great movie! Can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts when it comes out. Pre-order it now! ❤🌲☃️❄
Thanks, @netgalley and @gallerybooks!

Was this review helpful?

Christina Lauren knocks it out of the park again with this heartwarming story! A yearly Christmas vacation with family and friends turns into a sweet groundhog day romance. Perfect holiday read!

Was this review helpful?

Arguably their best book in years. This is classic Christina Lauren, doing what they do best - friends to lovers, deep, emotional romance. Plus pithy adorable banter and a quirky cast of characters.

It you loved Love & Other Words, Josh & Hazel, and My Half Night Stand you’ll love this one too.

Plus as an added bonus there’s Christmas and a little bit of time travel!

Was this review helpful?

This light, immensely entertaining read was a perfect weekend escape from reality. I loved the full cast of characters and found their interactions and struggles realistic and relatable (okay, the groundhog-day thing was out there, but everything felt genuine, and who knows, maybe that could be too). I was rooting for Mae and Andrew, and I wasn't even sure who to blame for the temporary relationship meltdown. I found this story to be refreshingly different, and I highly recommend it.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing an ARC for review.

Was this review helpful?

Huge Christina Lauren fan! Must Read author for me. This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fun romantic Christmas story! It's a tradition for Maelyn to spend Christmas at a cabin with her parents and their friends from college along with their children. Mae gets drunk with Theo one evening and the next morning is awkward. Flying home she wishes for happiness and is given many chances to redo the Christmas vacation and to rethink her life decisions. Mae's real crush is Theo's older brother Andrew. Can Mae fix things to end up with Andrew? I enjoyed many things about this book, the unconventional Christmas spent with family friends and all the traditions they have every year and the friendship Mae has with Benny, one of her dad's college friends. He is her confidant. "It's just hard to know which choice is right until it's all over."

Was this review helpful?

Christina Lauren books have a way of brightening my day every time I pick them up.. In A Holidaze was a light and magical experience.

Maelyn, her family, and their friends get together every Christmas at on of their cabins. The week is filled with traditions, laughter, and drinking. This year however is different, Maelyn is frustrated with her job and is about ready to tell her crush that she is into him (he is the son of one of the families at Christmas). Andrew is funny, kind, and beautiful. Things start getting weird when she realizes she has been living the same day over and over. Will things change this day? Will she get the courage to tell Andrew how she feels?

Thank you to Gallery Books, NetGalley, and Christina Lauren for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

This has easily become my favorite Christina Lauren book of all time! I absolutely adored the new take on an old story. Mae is one of the best romance characters that I have read in a long time; she is so authentic and I loved hearing her story. My favorite aspect of the book is the overall setting during Christmas time. The descriptions really helped paint the full picture and I hated having to put this down! It made me want Christmas in the summer! I will absolutely be pre-ordering a copy and recommending to everyone.

Was this review helpful?

What a sweet book! I have loved everything I have read by Christina Lauren, and this was no exception. Maelyn Jones finds herself on a strange Groundhog Day-like time-traveling adventure after an accidental hookup with a longtime family friend (and brother of her longtime crush) at the family Christmas gathering. What follows is a journey to finding herself as well as what she really wants out of life. The time-traveling angle was a little rough for me - I wasn't always sure exactly where it was taking the story - and the way it ended seemed a bit abrupt. Th characters were all really relatable and felt like good friends. I will say that Maelyn often frustrated me when she was slow on the uptake, but that's from an outsider looking in... A very fun story you will enjoy any time of the year, even if it is based at Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Interessante Idee, die Umsetzung war ok

Der Liebesroman des Autorenduos Christina Lauren spielt damit, dass die weibliche Hauptfigur ein paar Tage immer und immer wieder erlebt. Daraus versucht sie sich zu befreien und dabei auch noch mit der Liebe ihres Lebens zusammenzukommen.

Die Grundidee der Geschichte empfand ich als durchaus interessant, wenn so etwas auch nichts ist, was ich unbedingt in Liebesromanen brauche.

Das Buch bewerte ich mit 2,5 Sternen (auf drei aufgerundet) und zwar nicht wegen der für mich nicht idealen Grundidee, sondern weil ich überraschenderweise überhaupt wenig Zugang zu den Charakteren bekommen habe und ich die Dynamiken zwischen ihnen nicht überzeugend fand. Auch den Schreibstil und vor allem die Dialoge fand ich etwas holprig. Das alles hat mich doch ziemlich überrascht, da dies nicht das erste Buch der beiden Autorinnen ist, das ich in den letzten Jahren gelesen habe und bisher fand ich ihren Schreibstil eigentlich immer gut. Keine Ahnung, was dieses Mal schief gelaufen ist.

"In a holidaze" kann man lesen, muss man meiner Meinung nach aber nicht.

Was this review helpful?

Christmas Holidays that Go On and On?! If I didn’t know better, I’d say that seems Magical!

Maelyn, her parents and their family friends always spend the Christmas Holidays together in an old cabin in Utah where they play games, cook, eat and drink. All year, Mae looks forward to Christmas: spending time with her family friends, especially her “Uncle Benny” and her best friends, Andrew and Theo. Andrew is her longtime crush and has no idea how she feels, while Theo has always just been there for her through thick and thin.

This year, however things are different. Mae is different and she wishes for what she wants most in this world. Unfortunately for her, she makes a mistake that has major ramifications. Mae, of course, is crushed.

Can you say do over?! Let the games begin!

When Mae gets a chance to make it right she seizes the opportunity, again and again. Enter Andrew. Funny, Kind, Gorgeous, Sweet Andrew.

Cue the Smiles and the Laughter. A Little Romance is in the House!

Leave it to Christina Lauren to come up with a lovely, sweet, romantic Christmas Story that is somewhat fresh and new in “In a Holidaze.” While there were a few parts of this novel that I think were extraneous, all in all, I truly enjoyed this story and loved the characters of Benny, Mae and Andrew. If you’re looking for a magical read that will be sure to make you smile, this is it!

This was another buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to Gallery Books, NetGalley and Christina Lauren for the arc.

Published on Goodreads on 7.3.20.

Was this review helpful?

The duo authors do it again! I could not stop grinning throughout this story. I loved each character and the roles they each played in this chosen family they’ve created. Somehow Christina Lauren gets you so caught up in the characters and their relationships that you completely forget that this groundhogs day story couldn’t happen. You’re just too busy learning about all the Christmas traditions and rooting for a happy ending. I loved this book.

Was this review helpful?

This book is different from the others that Christina and Lauren have written. It's time travel meets Ground Hog's Day. That is so not my jam but I will read anything that these two authors put out. The basic premise is that Maelyn's holiday trip with family and friends does not go as planned. She makes a wish and suddenly she finds herself back at the beginning of her trip and she has an opportunity to steer things in a different direction. This happens multiple times--she keeps going back to the beginning of the trip and starting over to try and change the course of history.

I was pretty frustrated at about 3% of the book because there are a ton of characters and I couldn't keep them all straight. The good thing about the Christmas vacation playing on a never ending loop is that you finally get to know the characters. Each time that Mae returns to the beginning of her vacation, more is revealed about the characters.

At about 28% of the book, I was a little bored with the constant return to the beginning of the vacation. But then I settled into the book and really got pulled into the story. Mae and Andrew are great characters. i wish there would have been more opportunities to read their story outside of the sci-fi time travel plotline.

Was this review helpful?