Cover Image: In a Holidaze

In a Holidaze

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The premise of this story had me completely sold from the very beginning, but it's Christina Lauren's unique style of storytelling that kept the pages turning on this romantic time loop story. Reading this book went by way too fast and I absolutely adored the joint family get-away as the backdrop to the action. This is a standalone novel. I don't believe it is tied to any of Christina Lauren's other books. Fully enjoyable holiday romance!

Was this review helpful?

I could not put this book down. I loved it. It was the feel good holiday romance book I didn't know I needed!

Was this review helpful?

I loved this mismatch of a time-travel, sort of love triangle, family, holiday story. There's something familiar and comforting about being with friends you consider family for years. I loved that these people got together every year to spend Christmas together. Tradition is cozy, but needs to be shaken up from time to time. I liked watching Maelyn try to figure out what she wanted out of her life. Andrew was sweet and sexy. Benny was like a guardian angel. I loved that he was kind of the secret keeper. I loved how close-knit everyone was, even through their idiosyncrasies.

Was this review helpful?

This is Christina Lauren at their finest. Again, they’ve gifted their readers with a friends-to-lovers romance that, despite employing many tropes, is fresh and unique. In an added twist, heroine Mae is trapped in a Groundhog Day scenario after she wishes to be shown happiness. She is destined to repeat Christmas vacation with her family and lifelong friends until she can figure out how to capture that happiness. In this case, it’s with Andrew, the boy she’s pined for since she first discovered what love was at age 13. Unfortunately, her close friendship with Theo, Andrew’s younger brother, has obscured her true feelings so that Andrew has never felt he had a chance to make her his. Will Mae be doomed to an endless repetition of days or will the curse be lifted when the truth becomes clear?

An amusing cast of characters, especially “Uncle” Benny the pot-smoking sage, a bit of Christmas magic, and a romance full of laughter and shared memories all add up to a heartwarming gift for the holidays. If you adore Lauren’s Love and Other Notes, you want to get your hands on this treasure ASAP.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Was this review helpful?

I wasn't sure how I would like this one... Groundhog Day style books usually bore me. I mean there are only so many ways you can do and redo a day. Well, I'm certainly going to admit I was wrong about this one. I very much enjoyed this! You will just love Maelyn and the whole cast of characters. They are fun, down to earth and completely relatable! While this is set in the holiday season, I say grab it and read it no matter the season!

Was this review helpful?

This writing duo is a fan favorite. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. However will def recommend to members in my library.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this one! However, it wasn’t my favorite Christina Lauren book. I needed to be more connected with the characters. It was sweet and light, so if you need a good dose of that, this is for you

Was this review helpful?

3/5 ⭐️s

I think maybe this book suffered from me deciding on the plot from the very beginning and being wrong. I spent 60% of this book expecting Mae’s romantic interest to pivot, so I didn’t really get behind the main couple until I forced myself to once I realized that was the ending I should be expecting. I’ll try giving this a read next year and seeing if I like it more the second time around, but I doubt it. The main couple was very vanilla...two goody-goody characters with hardly one ounce of personality.

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited to be picked for this ARC! I love this writing team and couldn't wait to dive in. The plot is pretty similar to a "Groundhog's Day" scenario. Maelyn and her family having been sharing vacations with her childhood crush's family for years. She has always been in love with the older brother and annoyed by the younger. This year everything changes when she is forced to repeat her stay over and over again until she picks the right guy for her. Fate
(aka the authors) had a very diabolical sense of humor in this book and I was here for every juicy minute of it!

Was this review helpful?

IN A HOLIDAZE by Christina Lauren
Rating 4/5

I’m a huge fan of Christina Lauren! The two authors behind the pen name always find a way to deliver feel good reads. For the most part her books always rank high for me in the romcom genre. This guy focuses on Maelyn and her journey to discover what truly makes her happy. After an accident pushes her into an alternate reality, she realises there is more to life when you put yourself first and follow your heart - which ends up leading her back to Andrew, always.

Was this review helpful?

Another Christina Lauren success!

How quickly I can read a Christina Lauren book is almost comical. Other books can take weeks but these take a day or two.

I love the holiday vibe which is why I read this book over the holidays this year. It is like Hallmark channel meets Netflix in a fun Christmas wish type story line.

Was this review helpful?

In a Holidaze is a time travel/time loop romance centered on Maelyn Jones. Maelyn spends every holiday with her family and family friends in a snowy Utah cabin. One night, Maelyn asks the universe to show her what will make her happy, and the time looping commences.

This is only my second Christina Lauren book, and I liked it more than my first (Twice in a Blue Moon), but I didn’t love it. The setting was perfect, and I liked that the book emphasized the importance of family and showed that family doesn’t have to mean just blood relatives.

The time loop element was repetitive to me, but I guess that’s the point. I wasn’t super invested in Maelyn or the romance, but overall found this to be a cute, fun read that is basically what you’d expect it to be. I think it’d make for a great movie!

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and the authors for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Yuck! I normally enjoy the Christina Lauren writings, but not this time. From the very beginning nothing drew me in. Nothing really made me care about Mae, Theo, Andrew or any of them. that’s the main reason it took me so long to finish. Definitely would not read again. I’ll think twice before I grab anymore of their books.

Was this review helpful?

I’m a big Christina Lauren fan and this one fell flat for me. There are a ton of characters to keep straight and because of the plot, you start to feel like you’re reading the same book over and over. I ended up skimming just so I could see how it ended.

Was this review helpful?

This story is absolutely adorable and a perfect book to read during the holidays! I LOVED My Favorite Half-Night Stand so a big thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to review this one! It did not disappoint!

May was such a wonderful, quirky, anxiety driven character that I loved because I saw a lot of her in me. At a traditional family get together- that happens every Christmas- May ends up hooking up with Theo, her lifelong friend of the family. But, after a car crash- she ends up waking up to almost a Groundhog Day effect (Time hop) to the same family weekend.

May, is in love with Theo’s brother Andrew... for like ever- and they finally have a romantic rendezvous one night that ends up with them both confessing their attraction to each other.

This book has love, comedy, craziness, awkwardness, and just downright so cute that it was a great read! What is even better was that ending! Great rom-com story!

Was this review helpful?

In a Holidaze was a fun, sweet, holiday read. I generally do not love time travel storylines but, could not resist seeing how Christina Lauren would spin the trope. Initially, I was a bit confused on how it was all playing out and the 'Groundhog Day' aspect. In the end, this cast of characters was just too entertaining and lovable to care! I stopped trying to figure it out and truly enjoyed the ride...and the romance!

Was this review helpful?

In A Holidaze was the perfect Holiday read and it filled me with all the holiday cheer!! I really enjoyed this one!!

Was this review helpful?

I know that Christmas has passed us, but if you are not ready to let go of the holidays and also want a romantic read for the month of love then this is the perfect book for you. I absolutely loved this story, not only was it funny and romantic but the themes covered in this book warmed my heart and had me smiling from ear to ear. Through Maelyn’s adventures while repeating the same week over and over the authors are able to show the readers that you should always be true to yourself and it’s the small things in life that truly make it worth living. I highly recommend this book to all readers, it has a little something for everyone.

Was this review helpful?

A clever time-warp holiday romance. Maelyn is a mess--trying to figure out what it is she wants and how to get it, and the universe provides with multiple chances to relive a week with her extended friends and family. The novel is ultimately a bit lightweight, however, but an amusing read nonetheless.

Was this review helpful?

It was a cute book. I don't usually love books based on holidays and events, but this was a nice read. It was unique and fun and I'm glad I took a chance on something out of my comfort zone.

Was this review helpful?