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.

I'm a huge fan of the romance writing duo Christina Lauren so I was super bummed when Rona prevented me from meeting them as planned this year. I've read most of their backlist and I've enjoyed all of their books so I went into this one without reading the synopsis. I'll admit I was slightly confused at first because I had no idea what the book was about, but after I caught on this was a great read. My bookclub picked this as their December read so I can't wait to chat about it later this month.

What I loved about this book:

1. This romcom is a modern day retelling of the classic movie Groundhog's Day. It's definitely a romcom plot I've never read before and I read a shocking number of romance books every year.

2. This was a quick enjoyable read that I finished in one day. I've been struggling to get into reading for a couple months so the fact that I couldn't stop reading this one was a huge bonus.

3. I loved Andrew and Maelyn's characters....swoon. I'm sure we all can relate to an unrequited teenage infatuation and I was cheering Mae on when they kissed under the mistletoe. While I'm glad I didn't end up with my teenage crush, I was happy to see it turn out well for these two.

While I definitely enjoyed this book, it's not one I see myself thinking about for days to come. If you're looking for sweet holiday romance to get lost in, definitely pick this one up.

Such a freaking cute holiday read!! It makes me happy to read a book like this. I smiled all the way through to the end!

This book is such a fun holiday read! I love the "Groundhog Day" premise where you live a time period over again. What made this different (and therefore more interesting) was that the time jump was not predictable. She went back a full week the first time, but didn't re-live the whole week! I won't spoil how many times she goes back, but it's definitely interesting not to know when or why she might go back. I would say I do feel like there wasn't as much of a climax as I thought there might be, but I understand it's a romance and happy endings are a "must." It's my favorite Christina Lauren book so far.

This was my first Christina Lauren novel. I was really looking forward to reading a work by this author. Unfortunately, I found the book to be pretty average. The whole “Groundhog Day” situation lasted too long, but also wasn’t integrated enough to the storyline. The main couple was cute enough, but the main conflict between them was overdone and had an overly dramatic resolution.

This was such a fun holiday story! I love the depth of relationships in this story and the dynamics between all the characters. Mae reliving the trip over and over is a great device for her to learn how to fix what’s going on in her life. I love Andrew and their relationship. So sweet and adorable. Would recommend.

I wish you could give half stars because I teetered between 3 and 4 stars throughout this book. Holidaze isn’t quite so Lifetime-movie-in-verse as some of CLs’ more recent books (which was pleasantly surprising given that it’s Christmas themed), but I still couldn’t get as into it as I have their really early books, like the Beautiful Bastard series. Also, I don’t think it’s a spoiler to point out that, for a book that’s marketed as a Groundhog Day-type time loop book, there’s not a lot of actual going back in time, and it really didn’t feel like the time loops were a major source of conflict in the story. That being said, Holidaze did hit the spot for Christmas reads! If you want something holiday themed that isn’t achingly sentimental, definitely check this out!

This is one of those books that I liked but didn't like at the same time.

I liked the premise of the plot, and I thought it would be fun. However each time that time went back to the same day, I found myself bored. I just wanted to get on with it, started to lose patience with the whole "groundhog day" scenario.

Overall, cute book. I was just a little underwhelmed after all the hype about this book.

This book was adorable. A classic holiday love story wrapped up in a unique and darling approach. You couldn't help but root for Maisie and Mandrew and hope that true love prevailed. This was an easy, light read with a wonderful message of hope.

One part The Family Stone, one part Groundhog Day, and a little bit of Jenny Han's earlier works, In a Holidaze is perfect holiday escapism reading. The characters are charming (the cast of characters feels a little unwieldy at the start), the premise is silly but entertaining, and there's nothing cozier than a cabin full of people who love each other (but also drive one another up the walls somtimes). The romance between Mae and Andrew is a sweet slow burn, and readers will absolutely root for Mae to figure out how to get out of the time loop and back to her new real life.

Definitely fun holiday reading.

A sweet, fun story that will give you all the Christmasy warm fuzzies. Even if you hate the movie Groundhog Day like I do.

To begin, credit to Christina Lauren for writing a Christmas story that’s actually focused on Christmas things.

Most “Christmas books” seem to follow the model of A few paragraphs at the beginning and end along the lines of “It was Christmas time. Here are some characters opening gifts or hanging a garland,” and then the rest of the story is just the same mystery or romance it would have been without the holiday content.

So this one was a pleasant surprise in that the holiday festivities are consistently described and important to the plot throughout the book.

The romance is sweet and the couple easy to root for, even if the whole thing gets pretty schlocky at times. I preferred the other major theme in the book, which is chosen family.

That aspect of the story is what made it a winner for me. As a non-romance reader, I doubt I would have had any interest in the book otherwise.

Despite the hokey romance and the nebulous resolution of the time travel issue, this is a fun, light read that really does feel Christmasy and festive and boasts an entertaining cast of characters.

3.5 stars, rounded up for truly delivering on a Christmasy details and a good cover.

Christina Lauren has been one of my favorite authors for awhile now, and I get super excited every time they have a new book coming out. I enjoyed In a Holidaze, though I did have an issue with one aspect of the book.

I really liked Mae, she is someone I'd like to be friends with. She's a little bit of a mess, but who isn't in their mid twenties. I also really liked Andrew. They made a cute couple that you felt was going to last for the long haul at the end.

The plot is a little like Groundhog Day, but not quite as obnoxious. I liked that there were two things that Mae needed to work on to "right" things. She did a great job of working on the two things, from using her knowledge of past trips, without going over the top.

I loved all the side characters. They really added to the story, especially Mae's brother Miles (can we get a book about him please?) and Benny. Such a wonderful group of people I'd like to call family myself.

In a Holidaze was cute and fun, with some feelings, just how I like it. Highly recommend this holiday read.

Only Christina Lauren can bring a wide smile on my face. There is something always special, always unique about their stories. They make you laugh, cry, feel good, well up and warm the heart. Lovely, feel good stories.

This one is a lovely Christmas special.

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 favourite 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.

This story has a Groundhog Day thing going which makes for an entertaining read. I don't want to give away anything but suffice it to say that this book will make you believe in love.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Story

I’ve been lucky that there have been a few books this year where I was like “yup this is exactly what I needed.” I’m one of those people who didn’t hop on the Christina Lauren bandwagon until they started writing more rom-com style books, and I’ve enjoyed most of them. Somewhat mixed, but always quick and easy reads. This is easily one of my favorites!

This featured a Groundhog Day-style story where Mae keeps returning to the beginning of the trip to try to find out what will make her happy. Can she save the cabin? Will she take a shot at Andrew, her childhood friend and longtime crush? I’ll admit that I usually prefer more “restarts” when I read these books. I won’t say how many times she looped back to the start for spoiler reasons.

The big group of people who come to this cabin on a yearly basis were lovely – Mae’s parents (now divorced) and her parents’ college friends, plus all of their kids. There’s somewhat of a SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY vibe with a brother-based “love triangle” (not really, IMO) that I also loved. Benny, their parents fun single friend, was a great confidante for Mae and I loved him. I could have read a lot more about this chosen family! I think that’s one of the main areas where the book was lacking – I wanted MORE of the holiday feels, as discussed below, and more moments with everyone together. I just loved the concept. The romance was wonderful for me too.

Wintery Setting & Holiday Feels

This is a classic example of if a book is a “Christmas book” or just a “book that happens to take place around Christmas.” I think it’s somewhere in between. Mae and her big “family” head to their cabin at Christmastime every year and she DOES relive the days a few times, including wintery activities, but it didn’t feel like the central story. A snowy Utah cabin around the holidays with snow creature building and wintery scavenger hunts definitely brought some holiday spirit out.

Overall

I’ll admit that this was a bit surface-level and could have used even more development around the chosen family and them spending time together, as well as the deeper motivations/feelings of Mae. I totally got where she was coming from and her slight obsession with Andrew (that was a lot sometimes, but settled in the second half) but just wanted more stories from their history too. Lots of great family feels and memories at their cabin. I adored the ending too. Overall, the high rating is because this was not perfect, but perfect for ME at the time.

I just don't think this author duo is for me. I keep trying to read their books, and I'm always disappointed. I thought this book was going to be like Maybe in Another Life by TJR, but this was just a cheesy, disorganized romance book. I didn't feel connected to the characters, and the time hopping was weird and just not what I was expecting. I can definitely see why people like this book, and it was a decent holiday read, but I just expected it to be more mature and have a deeper meaning than it did.

If you’re in the mood for a holiday rom-com read, In A Holidaze could be the book for you! Christina Lauren’s latest release centers around Maelyn Jones, who is despairing over a few things this holiday season: the fact that she still lives with her parents, her job situation, a drunken lapse of judgment, and the knowledge that the holiday tradition she has known and loved all her life is going to be over with the sale of the Utah cabin where her family and two others spend their holidays. When she’s magically thrown back to the start of the week all over again, Mae has the chance to figure out what’ll really make her happy. But will she be able to break this unusual time loop or will she be stuck reliving this week forever? In a Holidaze had a lot of predictable elements to the plot, but I did enjoy it. I really liked the found family in the tale, with all their eccentricities and quirks and the familiarity between everyone that came across so well on page. I also enjoyed all the fun holiday traditions they had for their week away, which got me in the holiday spirit! But certain elements were just okay, including the characters (I didn’t connect with anyone), the romance (I didn’t feel very invested in their HEA, to be honest) and the actual plot and resolution. It was, overall, a likeable read, especially for the holiday season.

In a Holidaze was a fun, quick Holiday read! After finishing this one in a day, I was left feeling so much happier about the Christmas season.
Maelyn Jones lives with her parents and dislikes her job. She looks forward to the annual Holiday vacation with her family and family friends in the same cabin each year. This year, Maelyn has a few too many drinks and makes a massive mistake she later regrets. On her way home, she asks the universe, “Please show me what will make me happy.” Maelyn wakes up on a plane headed back toward the cabin for a chance to redo her holiday vacation.
One again, Christina Lauren outdid themselves with a smashing romance novel.
Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not sure if it was the chaos of a busy week or the book, but it took me a little while to get into this one. That said, once I was hooked, I was HOOKED!!! I loved this wild crazy blended found family so much!!! And the romance... Swoon!

A perfect holiday read with all of the typical Christina Lauren pieces, In a Holidaze is a cute, friends to lovers story that will leave you satisfied. I'm always hesitant to pick up a book that is about time travel. It can often be confusing and repetitive. But this topic is perfectly tackled in this book. The chemistry between Maelyn and Andrew is spicey and the slow burn is worth it. I also loved the atmosphere of this novel. Set in a sleepy, snowy cabin in Utah, a group of longtime friends come together to celebrate Christmas every year. How lovely! With many laugh-out-loud parts and scenes that will make you blush, In a Holidaze is a must-read for the holiday season.