Review will be posted on 12/18/2020

Maelyn Jones is twenty six and she's not living the life she imagined. She doesn't love her job, she has no boyfriend, and she lives at home with her parents. Every year she looks forward to spending the holidays at a cabin in Park City along with her family and a group family friends. While in Utah, she makes out with family friend, Theo, despite having a crush on his brother, Andrew, for years. Cue the drama. To complicate matters further, Maelyn finds out that Andrew's family is going to sell the cabin. This is devastating to Maelyn, but she looks forward to this every year and its the one time her divorced parents are together without bickering. While heading to the airport with her family, they get into a horrific car accident. Maelyn wakes up, but not in the hospital. She's back on the plane en route to Park City. It's a do-over in the most Groundhog Day of ways. What will she do differently this time? Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze is a fun holiday tale that has it all: holiday touches, romance, and a major romantic comedy vibe.

Maelyn is pretty much all of us at twenty-six just trying to find her way and dealing with the pressures of the holiday season. Every year, she looks forward to her family escaping to Utah with her parents' college friends and their families. She has harbored a secret crush on Andrew for years, but hasn't said anything to him and things get even more complicated when she drunkenly makes out with his brother, Theo. Once Maelyn gets her Groundhog Day re-do in In a Holidaze, she tries to figure out what will make her happy. Can she finally tell Andrew how she feels? Will that make everything in her life better? More importantly, how does she get out of re-living the same day over and over again?

One reason I really enjoy Christina Lauren's novels is for the snarky humor. The brilliant writing duo can make me laugh out loud like no other author(s) out there. The witty banter feels authentic in In a Holidaze and it feels like you are watching your favorite romantic comedy. Plus, the romance between her characters is always smoldering. Who doesn't need a holiday pick-me-up at this point?

So, if you are looking for a laugh-out-loud and swoon-worthy holiday romance, look no further. Christina Lauren never disappoints!

Honestly, I couldn't finish this one The time loop/groundhog's day thing was not working for me and the main character, Mae, was not someone I was willing to root for. The setting lacked the warm, cozy, winter, cabin vibes. The characters fell flat and Mae's desires for Andrew felt childish. After reading other books by author duo Christina Lauren, I expected so much more. Unfortunately this go-around I quit reading at about 30%.

This was a super cute, holiday bucket list read. Fans of winter romances like Royal Holiday, Christmas Shopaholic, One Day In December, and the Winter Street series will love this one. ⁣
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Thank you #partner @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the egalley of this book, available now.

I love everything Christen Lauren writes, and this one was right up there. Rom-Coms are my jam, and I enjoyed reading this book. Highly recommend.

In a Holidaze was not the fun, holiday romp I was looking for. The premise is a mix of Groundhog Day and Christmas Carol, but neither really fully played out. So we're basically left with a a girl who is pining after a guy for half her life, and she learns that all she has to do is say she likes him for them live happily ever after. Meh.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to see this title pop up on Netgalley over the summer. I read an ARC of one of Christina Lauren’s previous novels, The Unhoneymooners, and absolutely adored it. I could not wait to see what this fantastic writing duo would do with a traditional holiday romance with a twist.

I want to start off by saying I wish I had read this book first in my holiday readathon. I’ve even toyed with the idea of going back and amending some of my previous reviews, because this book reminded me just how good Christina Lauren are at their craft.

Any of my complaints from my previous holiday readathon books were null and void in In a Holidaze. There was no repetitive dialogue that refused to advance the plot forward, there aren’t any inherently unlikable characters, and it hit all my Christmas buttons.

If you took out the romance, I think this novel could still stand on its own. That’s how good the overall plot and character development is throughout the story. The romance is an incredible bonus, because Christina Lauren have figured out how to write it in the exact way that I want to read it.

I’ve sort of gushed over this book without giving any context, haven’t I? In a Holidaze is centered around a group of college roommates and friends. This group eventually becomes parents to our main characters, who are now in their middle to late twenties.

Maelyn is the only daughter of this second generation, and has been in love with the oldest boy since she was thirteen. Maelyn is a rule follower, even if the rules manifest into her unhappiness. I won’t go into the circumstances too much, because that was part of the fun of this book, but Maelyn ends up making a wish that she wants to find out what makes her happy. All of a sudden her vacation starts over. And over. And over, until she gets it right.

I do want to put a little, tiny, itty bitty trigger warning on this book. I’m not sure it will affect many readers, but it did hit a small nerve for me personally and I think that’s enough of a reason to mention it to a wider audience. When Maelyn makes a mistake in her new timeline, she begins to beg for the timeline to start over. However, in order for the timeline to restart Maelyn needs to be grievously injured or, we can assume, killed.

As the reader, this came unnervingly close to suicidal ideation. I think Christina Lauren did a fantastic job at swerving away from this a paragraph later, but it was still a triggering moment for me. I think if the story had lingered in this unsettled state for too long it could have been harmful, but the authors did a really great job at easing the tension, and bringing us back into the whimsy and joy of the season.

Let’s get back to the happy place of this novel: the romance. What a sizzle! I thought the book was going to catch on fire! While it started slow and with some trepidation, once the characters figured out what they wanted they took off full speed ahead. I personally loved how steamy moments were at times punctuated with awkward, adorable, family interruptions. It was a great reminder that this story is about family, as well as redefining yourself in (what should be) a safe space to grow.

This was the perfect book to escape into as the holidays approach. You can feel the outpouring of love as well as a healthy dose of family dysfunction, which kept a story about magical time travel grounded. This is the best holiday romance I’ve read so far for my readathon, and I’m honestly not sure anything will be able to top it. I’m already excited to read it again next year.

Excellent book! I found the premise intriguing....a lot of people would love a chance to go back in time and do things over until they get it right. But then again, who decides which outcome is the right one? I definitely recommend this book.

The Perfect 2020 Christmas Story!

Groundhog Day meets Hallmark Christmas with more than a little steam!

Mae’s having a very weird Christmas but one thing she knows for sure is that she is willing to risk it all for the love of her life and her chosen family.

I loved the Groundhog aspect of the story but also the family dynamics and the love story was like the perfect cozy night by the fire.

You wouldn't think that two authors working together could so consistently write excellent books, but such is the case with Christina Lauren. With a holiday take on the old Groundhog Day movie starring Bill Murray, Maelyn must relive Christmas until she gets it right while finding love in the process.
Filled with joy, humor, and heart, this book gets right down into all the cozy spots and putting you in the mood to hang some garland and have a warm cup of cocoa. We follow along with Maelyn while she encounters all the holiday standbys (sometimes numerous times, but conversations are never repeated verbatim and left to become stale like in some books that use this plot device). Instead, we see her becoming (to her family) increasingly unhinged as she struggles to figure out just what it is she's supposed to do. Her responses all felt genuine and had just the right amount of freak out to them without being overly dramatic.
Along with discovering which of the two brothers she's meant to end up with (or if the answer is neither), she also confronts the idea of things being traditional just for the sake of being traditional. Is it possible to putter along and do the same thing year after year when there's a better option? What happens if your holiday itinerary is no longer bringing joy? Should we push forward and build the snowman, make the cookies and watch THE movie just because it's what we've always done?
From the first page, this book put me in the holiday spirit. The cast of characters was unique and felt like a real family, complete with their unconditional love and various quirks. There is an incident near the end of the book that felt a bit forced to me and left me feeling a bit "ehhhh" about one of the love interests that dropped my rating, but other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming romance and have enthusiastically recommended it to anyone who may even be remotely interested in this genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy. This had no impact on my review.

As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest Christina Lauren novel! I wouldn't mind an annual holiday-themed story from them, to be honest (hint, hint, if y'all happen to read this). I loved the Groundhog Day-esque feel to this novel and could hardly put it down as I anxiously awaited the outcome of Maelyn's mayhem during a holiday vacation with family and friends. A must-read for fans of Christina Lauren and heartfelt holiday stories!

This felt like a classic Christina Lauren book with a fun holiday setting. It definitely feels like a Christmas book so it's not something I'd see myself returning to year-round, but it's a super fun holiday read. The "groundhog-day" time travel trope is handled really well here, giving a great set-up for the story without ever becoming tedious with repetition. I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys Hallmark/Lifetime holiday movies

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

This was a sweet story - a Groundhog Day holiday story but still a fun read. It started out a little fast/ confusing for me but then once I got into the groove, I couldn’t put it down. If you love Hallmark holiday movies, you will love this book.

A holiday themed Groundhog’s Day story with a HEA. ⁣
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In a Holiday is definitely a fun, feel good, holiday binge read! I enjoyed the premise but felt left with too many unanswered questions. Many people are loving this one and while I definitely enjoyed it, I didn't love it as much I have previous books because I felt like the plot just had too many holes. The storyline felt unresolved to me. ⁣

<i>In a Holidaze</i> was a nice change of pace for a holiday romance—I always love a good Christmas smut book, and it was fun to have something a little different. I have to admit that I’ve never seen <i>Groundhog Day</i>, but I’ve heard enough about it to know the premise.

Maelyn and her family are driving to the airport after a lackluster, kind of devastating Christmas—the last one in the cabin they’ve visited every Christmas (and throughout the year), as their friends have decided to sell—when they get in a pretty bad car accident. All of a sudden, Mae is reliving the same few days with her family and family friends (including her pretty much lifelong crush).

This one was cute. The last couple of books by Christina Lauren have not been big winners for me (I keep comparing everything to <i>Josh and Hazel</i>, and they just don’t quite measure up), but I didn’t walk away from <i>In a Holidaze</i> feeling completely let down. And, it had the honor of being my first Christmas romance read of the season!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

This is a perfectly quirky Christmas romance with just enough Hallmarky cheesiness to make it feel festive, and of course, what is a Christmas book without a *Christmas Wish* and a cheeky little Groundhog Day time loop? Hot take - I feel like this book could have achieved a similar vibe and outcome without the slightly shoehorned-in time loop but...that’s just me 🤷🏼‍♀️ The romance was super cute (I love a good friends to lovers story!), and I really related to Mae’s nostalgia and attachment to tradition (hello, #enneagram4 🙋🏼‍♀️). I enjoyed watching her grow and change and realize that as meaningful as traditions are, there is still a lot of value in switching things up every now and then. ⁣⁣
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Overall, super fun, entertaining, and hilarious Christmas book that you can totally read in a day in your pajamas with a fire going and a steaming mug of mulled wine.

This lighthearted Christmas themed Groundhog Day romance was just what I needed when I am feeling very overwhelmed. I liked the character development of Mae, and enjoyed seeing her trying to adjust what she should do. Benny stole the show in this book; he is my favorite new book uncle. I really liked Andrew and seeing how their relationship shifted. I am really glad that I gave this book a chance.

This was a cute Christmas story. Mae is feeling some unrequited love, unhappiness at work and living at home and on top of it her family friends are selling her beloved Christmas cottage. There's a fun element of time travel but we seem to kind of lose that after only a few tries. Overall though it was a sweet Christmas story.

Song/s the book brought to mind: All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren was so much fun, and just what I needed a week before Christmas! This is a holiday themed novel that has romance, time travel and more, and I listened to the majority of it in just one sitting. This book is like the movie Groundhog Day, but better in my opinion since Mae didn't have to live the exact same day over and over again. Christina Lauren is such a great writing duo and I always look forward to their books, and I was very excited they decided to do a holiday themed novel this year. I know it will be funny (it was), and fluffy (yes again), but it will also have its serious moments (and it did)!

In a Holidaze was the perfect blend of romance and holiday cheer, and I loved every minute of it. I did think it was kind of weird that the authors didn't really address the time travel aspect at the end (or what happened initially to set it off), but besides that I had zero complaints about this book. I listened to the audio which is super short at just over seven and a half hours, and really enjoyed the narrator Patti Murin. I did think she struggled a bit with Benny's accent, but I actually found this pretty funny and it in no way ruined the audio for me.

If you want a light romance with some time travel and holiday cheer, In a Holidaze will fulfill those needs. Can someone turn this into a movie? Asking for a friend...

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.

I picked In a Holidaze for my book club because I love this amazing duo and I knew my girls would too! You can't go wrong with a romance set at Christmas time and for an added bonus through in a "ground hogs day" type story on repeat. Maelyn is stuck in a rut with no idea how to make a change. She lives with her parents, she hates her job, and her dating life is on the fritz. On top of all this her favorite place to go for the holidays is going to be sold and her traditions as she knows them over. She has been going to the cabin since she was born and it's something she looks forward to, how can she have another holiday without it? Everything comes to an abrupt stop when Mae gets into a bad crash, but when she wakes up it's like a really bad dream and she finds herself on the plane to Utah......something she already did???? Dazed and confused and basically embarrassed, how can she tell anyone what's going on without them committing her to a mental hospital which she's not even sure wouldn't be a bad idea! Whats the universe trying to tell her and why? She just have to keep redoing this holiday until she gets it right!

In a Holidaze is a fun, entertaining, feel good rom-com that revolves around the holidays and family. Without exception, I will always read every new Christina Lauren book since they are light, easy, humorous romances. This was slightly different than other Christina Lauren novels, due to a “time loop” which was similar to “Groundhog Day”. During Christmas in Utah, the main character relives the same period of time during the holidays, over and over again. Like many of this writing duo’s previous novels, it deals with the emotions that occur when the path to romance does not go smoothly. Mae needs to face her true feelings in order to realize her own happiness.

This light-hearted, entertaining romance was a quick, easy read, and evoked warm feelings about family and the holiday season. I enjoyed the setting of the cozy Utah cabin where the two families and childhood friends gathered every year over the holiday season. I wanted to spend the holidays in this fantastic cabin with this fun group of friends and family. The closeness of these characters who functioned as one big extended family was heartwarming. Many of the secondary characters were very well developed. The lead character, Mae, was a confused but endearing character; however, the male lead, Andrew, was less defined. I felt that their relationship was a bit forced, so I was glad that there were several other storylines that were focused on. The romance between Mae and Andrew happened quickly and seemed to come out of nowhere even though they had known each other all of their lives. Filling the reader in on some of their past history could have helped me to better understand their relationship, and would have made the romantic tension more authentic and believable. I was never completely invested in this couple.

The time travel concept has been very popular in fiction recently. I was probably more critical of this story since the last two books I read had the same theme, but had more substance and was a less “gimmicky”. I was also confused as to why Mae kept on re-living the same day over and over. The reasons weren’t made clear as to why she was sent back in time to relive the same holiday during certain situations. This book did have a universal message that what we think we need to do to obtain happiness isn’t always the right thing, and that happiness can come from making changes. Although I wasn’t as wowed by this book as much as Christina Lauren’s previous books, I will continue to be a fan. There are many warm and fuzzy moments in this book, and it had a very sweet ending. It will definitely put the reader in the holiday spirit. Fans of Christina Lauren will enjoy this lighthearted romance.