Groundhog Day meets A Christmas Carol. Twentysomething Maelynn and her family always spend the holidays with her parents’ college friends and their families at a snowy Utah cabin. It’s her favorite time of year, but this year things went awry for many reasons, from a drunken mistake to some startlingly bad news. As she and her family morosely drive away after Christmas, a truck smashes into the side of their car. Everything goes black...and then Mae wakes up on an airplane next to her brother. Six days earlier.

Soon she realizes she’s stuck in a time loop, doomed to die and repeat the holidays until she learns some kind of lesson. But what is the universe trying to tell her? And can she figure it out in time to stay alive and maybe find true love?

This was funny and good-hearted, and should be a hit at the holidays. Mae has a unique voice as she tells her crazy story. I could have honestly used one or two more resets, but the authors clearly made the choice to keep this brief novel the right length for reading in front of your cozy holiday decor.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review.

Extremely well written, with a very intriguing plot. I think anyone who wants to read a unique holiday romance, with a “Groundhog Day” like plot, will enjoy this story. That’s what my rating is based on, the pure enjoyability of the read and the flow of the writing. I admittedly was rooting for a different ending. There is a bit of a “who will she choose, what will make her happy?” plot, and I was honestly hoping for a different, and less obvious result. But alas I am not one of the authors, so that is not my decision, and they really didn’t make it ever seem like a different result would actually happen, so it was definitely a me created complaint. That being said if you’re looking for unique and low angst, mixed with holiday romance, then you will enjoy I’m sure.

In a Holidaze felt like the book equivalent of getting cozy by the fire with a warm mug of hot chocolate. The perfect holiday love story.
Mae gets the rare opportunity of a do-over and second chance to re-make decisions that actually make her happy. Instead of watching life happen to her she decides to take control. What's the worst thing that can happen with you get to relive your favorite holiday until you get it right?
I loved the romance in this story. Childhood friends to lovers with a twist. The only thing that keeps this from 5 stars is the messy time-loop story line. It felt a bit out of place, but not distracting enough to ruin the book.
4.2/5

Perhaps reaching for a Christmas romance novel in the middle of summer is odd, but hey, don't judge me for my quarantine reading list! Because this was funny, comforting and freaking excellent.

While everyone is being lovey-dovey during the holiday season, Maelyn Jones is simply not having it - living with her parents, working a boring job and having just dumped her last boyfriend. The only thing Mae looks forward to are the Christmas holidays in a cabin in Utah each year since she was a child: not only is it a fun family time, but she also gets to see her forever-crush Andrew...

BUT, this year is different, it's the last one. The cabin is getting sold. Unfortunately, Mae does something really stupid in front of Andrew, and knowing that there will not be another year to make up for it, she is completely destroyed. Lucky for her, holiday magic makes her a time traveler - Mae is stuck in this same year's holiday vacation, reliving it over and over again as she needs to figure out how to get out.

Christina Lauren is an iconic romance duo, and they sure did not disappoint with this one! "In a Holidaze" is sweet, hilarious and emotional. It was everything I want in a romance - except I wish there were some steamier scenes, or at least more adult conversations.

*Thank you to the Publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars!
Cute, entertaining read!

Every year since she was born, Mae’s family and their friends stay at a snowy cabin in Utah the week of Christmas. Full of traditions and fun activities, the families spend much needed time together. This year is different though- Mae is trapped reliving Christmas over and over again. Determined to break the loop, she makes changes in her life, and finally is upfront and honest about her feelings for Andrew.

I love Christmas theme romances- and this story had a lot of sweet moments. The first few chapters were hard for me to get into, I’m usually not a fan of the Groundhog Day type of stories. But after the time travel stopped, it became more interesting. We got to know the characters better, and there were a lot of heartfelt moments. My favorite parts were Andrew and Mae just spending time together, laying under the Christmas tree, sledding, etc. I really enjoyed the epilogue too!

I will say this book felt very YA/Teen at times. The main characters are almost 30 yrs. old and have known each other their entire lives, yet still having a hard time being honest about their feelings for one another. There’s a lot of sneaking around, kissing in the pantry and closets. I didn’t care for the (sort of) love triangle between Mae, Andrew, and Theo. But I’d say overall a sweet, Hallmark-ish type romance.

A special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC.

What would you change if you kept reliving the same day over and over? In this book, Maelyn get the chance to do just that. She knows it is a crazy twist of fate to be able to know what events are on the horizon and how to be able to change them before they happen. She begins to change those events so there won't be family hysterics and car crashes. Not to mention in the end finally ending up with her true love.
A true treat to read now or for the holidays!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren books can be categorized under two umbrellas: romantic dramedy and straight-up romantic comedy. I've always ended up preferring the romantic dramedy stories because I like it when there's a deeper issue at hand that goes beyond the main romance. Such is the case with In a Holidaze, which wraps up a holiday romance in a Groundhog Day-esque package.

Maelyn and her family have spent every Christmas with her parents' best friends from college, celebrating the week together in a cozy Utah cabin. Now in her late twenties, Mae commits a drunken mistake toward the end of the holiday that upsets her friendship with the grown son of her parents' friends and intensifies her longtime crush on his older brother. When she somehow wakes up at the beginning of the week she just lived, she realizes she can use this second chance to fix her faux pas with the brothers.

The book didn't leave the same emotional impact as Roomies or Love and Other Words did, but it's a fun, sweet read that I definitely enjoyed more than recent CLo reads The Unhoneymooners and The Honey Don't List. I loved the book's idea of chosen family and how much everyone seemed to love each other, but certain aspects like Mae's relationship with Theo and her connection to Benny felt underdeveloped. It felt like CLo believed the history there could be felt with only a few explanatory paragraphs, but given the amount of background included about other random Christmases, these relationships could have been handled better.

Christmas Groundhog day romcom.
I'm not normally one for either of the first two aspects, but the romcom aspect was solid enough to draw me in and keep me from sleeping a wee bit. Quick, easy, fun read.

This book is not something I would have picked up had anyone else written it, but Christina Lauren rarely leads me astray, so I went for it. The Groundhog Day type setup just isn't really my thing, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. I usually go for the more realistic story lines (well, at least as much as ANY romance novel is realistic), but if you can suspend disbelief a bit and just go with the story here, you'll find an entertaining, funny, and heartwarming read.

Maelyn is living at home, working a job that isn't remotely close to what she actually wants to do, and feeling rather stuck. Her family has been joining the families of their best friends at a cabin in Utah for Christmas for as long as anyone can remember, but even that happy time turns semi-disastrous for Maelyn. First, she has a drunken make out session with a good friend (Theo) who happens to be the brother of the guy (Andrew) she's been crushing on for 13 years (but she's not acted on the attraction for fear of changing their friendship). Theo's weird the next morning, she finds out Andrew witnessed them kissing, and it feels like both relationships are tarnished as a result. Then she learns that this Christmas is the last one that the families will spend together at the cabin that has been such a staple of Maelyn's life. Reflecting on all that has happened and her dissatisfaction with life in general, Maelyn finds herself begging the universe to show her what will make her happy - seconds before her family is in a massive car wreck. When Maelyn comes to, she's not in the car or even a hospital - she's on an airplane, several day earlier, headed for the cabin in Utah to start the holiday celebration.

The story that follows is whimsical and entertaining, but it also raises some interesting questions. What would change if you truly got a do over? Would you be able to move past your hangups and go after what you truly want, or would you ultimately make the same "mistakes" that landed you where you are in the first place?

The story here is a bigger focus than the characters themselves, but Maelyn and Andrew were both enjoyable, likable people that had me rooting for a happy ending. With the Groundhog Day-esq plotline, this was outside my normal reading habits, but it was an entertaining book nonetheless. All in all, In a Holidaze is a super cute, charming, feel-good book that is perfect for the holiday season.

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

I'm a huge Christina Lauren fan, but this one was a little underwhelming for me. Though the concept was cute and it worked better than I expected, overall it just felt lackluster. However, it has many of the hallmarks of a CL read: charming characters, great banter, and lots of tension.

This book was only ok. A little letdown being such a huge CL fan, but it was cute. I love both the premises in this book but it didn’t seem to fit together as well as I thought it would. Mae and Andrew were adorable and there was a lot of laugh out loud moments which I appreciated.
I am definitely looking forward to another book by this duo!!

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy. I am alway so excited for her books, and this one didn’t disappoint. This is a cute chick lit that’s a fast read. Although I have liked some of her books more, this was a solid 4 stars. The holiday theme didn’t bother me while reading poolside. Characters were endearing and I liked learning about the different family members. Overall, a nice, fun read.

Not my favourite of her books, but still fun. If I could redo a day over and over again until I make myself happy, I think I’d be a lot more pleased than Mae.

As I was reading, I kept think how this would make a great Hallmark movie! I think part of the reason is because we got a lot of side characters, but she didn’t really flesh them out much; they were mostly just there and I would have like a little bit more of some of them.

The conclusion was cute. I just felt like something was a little off, that it was just missing a little something to make this 5 stars for me.

Initial Thoughts

Ok, it’s June and I’m writing a review of a holiday book when it’s 85 degrees outside. Honestly, I don’t know why I read this one so early (normally, I save my holiday reads for a little closer to the holiday season), but I was feeling like I needed some holiday cheer. Working from home definitely has me feeling down lately so I decided to pick up this book. Also, the last two Christina Lauren books I applied for, I did not get approved in NetGalley so I was SUPER excited to get this one.

Some Things I Liked

Groundhog Day meets The Family Stone. I loved the tag line of this book. Those are two amazing holiday movies and I loved the idea of mixing them together. The holiday themes already made this story feel nostalgic but adding in some classic movies made it even better.
Andrew the guitar player. This one is close to my heart as my boyfriend is also a guitar playing Andrew. I loved him as a character and thought he was just perfect for Mae.
The humor. Once again, Christina Lauren created laugh out loud situations and dialogue and I loved every minute of it.
Modern family vibes. This book reminded me of the TV show modern family in both their antics and their dynamic. Each family unit brought their own unique situation and baggage in some cases but they all made it work. I loved learning about all of them and would hope to see more of these characters in future stories.

Series Value

I liked the other members of the family in this story. I’d like to see a spin-off about Theo or Miles – something about where they find love.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect pick-me-up to get me out of my reading slump.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – if you enjoyed the writing style and family dynamics of this book, try another one of Christina Lauren’s standalone novels.
Coming Home to Glendale Hall by Victoria Walters – if you liked the holiday themes as well as the idea of a long-time love story, check out this series by Victoria Walters.
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler – if you liked the idea of a romance blossoming in a short time while on vacation, try this May 2020 release.

I generally love Christina Lauren, but this was not my favorite of her books. The Groundhogs Day premise seemed a bitter convoluted and got dropped fairly early in the book. While I liked the idea of going back and redoing what went wrong previously, it seemed quite arbitrary when she was sent back. A fun read, but not one I would necessarily go back to or think about after it's over.

This book was a cute, cheesy holiday book that wasted potential.

I had just finished The Unhoneymooners last week and it took me a couple of chapters before I recognized the style of this author. When I went on Goodreads to check I was all AH, okay makes sense. The writing itself is always super solid, but the author has the same problem of making the characters seem much younger than they are supposed to be. A lot of the interaction between Mae/Theo/Andrew seemed more akin to highschoolers than mid-twenties. This book also had the same issue as The Unhoneymooners where it kind of flatlined halfway through.

Again—this was a super solid premise, but really she replays the day like 4 times max and it all happens in the first 1/3 of the book. The rest of the time is a super awkward cheesy relationship. For me it was predictable and I felt like the book should have gone in the opposite direction where what makes her happy is the last thing she expected instead of the thing she's been lusting over for half of her life.

I do think it will do great during the holidays esp for those who enjoy those Halmark-type cheeseball romances. For me, it was a bit of a miss.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Christina Lauren is one of my favorite authors for romantic comedies. This is the perfect romance to read during the holidays. It was laugh out loud funny and had plenty of sexy and romantic moments. Looking forward to more from Christina Lauren.

Signature Christina Lauren with a holiday twist. It’s a cute, fluffy and festive read that will be perfect to get readers in the holiday spirit this year and it’s not nearly as predictable as a Hallmark Christmas movie. Although, I admit that I did find myself not connected to the protagonist as much as I usually am, but if you love Christina Lauren’s other books, you will probably enjoy this one! Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of In A Holidaze in exchange for an honest review. 🌟🌟🌟💫

This was everything I want in a holiday story. All the elements of the season, found family, and a dash of magic.
I walked into this blind. Had no idea what it was about. But I love this writing duo, so I was sold no matter what.
Basically, this is Groundhog Day meets Christmas.
I loved it. The do-overs, the lesson of letting go and being herself. And everyone should have an Uncle Benny. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I saw Christina Lauren was coming out with a Christmas book, I knew I needed it in my life. Although I'm reading this in June, it still felt festive and fun, and I really enjoyed this story!

In a Holidaze is a charming Christmas novel, that will be absolutely perfect to read around the holidays. It's charming and fast-paced, with a swoon-worthy romance that will put you right into the Christmas spirit.

The story follows Mae, as she relives the same holiday over and over again. She has no idea how she strangely fell in to this time-loop, bur she's determined to figure it out. Mae has been crushing on Andrew, her best friend's brother, for the longest time. The fact that their families are super close makes things a little awkward. But as she keeps on repeating the same day, she has an opportunity to find out what she really wants with her career, love life, and more.

The Groundhog Day vibes were awesome, and if you like that movie, I highly recommend this book.