Name: Courtney's review of In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Item: In a Holidaze
Rating: 3
Author: Courtney

Christina Lauren

One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners. 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 favorite 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. The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

In a Holidaze

Iara Figueira

Andrew turns us, pressing me against the wall . Playful and sweet and light Andrew is washed away in the shadow of the man in front of me who smiles still , but it’s dark and exciting. 

He tugs at the strap of a floral apron around his neck and picks up a can opener.

Granted, it’s a sort of fancy version of a regular can opener, but my brother turns it around in his hands like it’s a complicated rocket engine part salvaged from NASA.

Are we really entrusting this fetus with dinner preparation for thirteen people?

For the first thirty seconds or so, I feel like I’m drowning in the sound of everything else in the room and the contrasting quiet between us. But then the stilted awareness dissolves, and I can focus on the lights, the dangling gold ornament just to my right, the laminated picture of Theo and Andrew as little kids hanging on the branch nearby. I can focus on his warm, easy presence next to me. Andrew’s arm presses along the length of mine and we just lie like that, breathing in tandem.

“It’s hard to explain,” I admit. “I’m not mad at him, I’m just aware that he and I are close because we’ve known each other forever, but not because we’re actually close anymore.” I shrug. “Just normal drifting that happens when people grow up, I guess.”

Mom comes up behind me, putting her arms around my waist and her chin on my shoulder. “I agree with Andrew.”

Andrew bats at some fluffy snow on a branch. “Coming into this holiday like a wrecking ball.”

A rebellious streak races through me. “It’s more like, I see my life stretching out ahead of me and figure, why not go for what I want?”

“Jam and applesauce on your blintzes,” he jokes. “Cocktails on the porch. 

Al I know is that the sound of my loved ones’ laughter bouncing off the hil side is the best sound I’ve ever heard.

“Just Like Heaven” filters out from his headphones; the sound is muffled by the press of our bodies, but the melody is clear enough to push an ache of nostalgia between my ribs. I’ve heard Andrew sing this song a hundred times. Music is entwined with his DNA, it is the bedrock of his gentle happiness, and right now this hug feels like a lul aby, like a calming melody hummed at bedtime.

Kennedy knows the capital of every state or country in the world,” he says confidentially. “She says some of the smartest things to ever come out of this group, and we don’t let anyone give that little girl any crap. She’s going to be the first president on the spectrum, mark my words. But hopefully not the first woman.”

Staring at the tree line and the glittering snow is nature’s perfect shock absorber. It real y is gorgeous up here, in the outskirts of Park City at Christmastime. I should pul out my notebook and sketch it; maybe that would calm these frazzled nerves of mine.

The neighbors’ house is more hidden by foliage than it was when I was younger, and gives the Hol is cabin a lovely feel of wintry isolation. 

Like a heat-seeking missile, my attention shifts to Andrew when he crosses the room and sneaks chocolate from the Advent calendar. 

I liked the way that the realisation that she was no longer in the car was executed.

 I am so intensely relieved that he’s not dead. That I’m not dead. That we’re al …

“Not in the car,” I say, releasing him abruptly.

What am I doing with my life? Please. I want…

I’m not even sure how to finish the sentence. I want to be happy, and I’m petrified that the path I’m on now is going to leave me bored and alone.

I glance at the empty Advent calendar on the counter—empty not because yesterday was Christmas but because Andrew loves chocolate and finished it five days ago.

We slept together in the bottom bunk until Theo was big enough to be trusted not to jump off the top.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners. 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 favorite 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. The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe. Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

Courtney Passio

Andrea

Courtney

I would have liked a bit more time travel, but it was good overall.

Michelle Hruby

Amazing! It was a drag at the beginning but it ended up being such a cute and cozy book 🙈

Temi Awani

Jennifer Gosnell

I *DEVOURED* this book in one sitting. Completely adored it. Just a few days before Christmas, and I wanted something cute, festive, seasonal, etc. and this completely fit the bill. Andrew? Andrew. *heart eyes* I loved all of it. It was so much fun and had me kicking and giggling into my hand.

Rebecca Hurd

This is such a cute story for the Holiday season!! Loved the romance part but really enjoyed seeing Mae learn to let go and just live for herself and what she wants not everyone else’s expectations!!

Kellie Davis

Fun read! It honestly felt like a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form. It gave me what I wanted which was a warm cozy read. Perfect for the holiday season!

Bria

** spoiler alert **
           3.5 stars

I loooove Groundhog Day-esque media. And it’s a contemporary romance?? I like Mae and Andrew, but I wanted more from them. They need more character development. Also, Andrew was being stupid about that break up. Like yeah I would’ve been upset for a second, but at the end of the day, she was drunk and it technically never happened.

Elisavet Rozaki 

Cute, but the time-travelling storyline felt incomplete. A shame because the trope had potential!

Mary Lawrence

I could not put this book down. Yes it took me about a week to finish but I listened to the last 4.5 hours of the book in one sitting. I’m a sucker for holiday romance. This almost hit the spot but it was tender and sweet which is exactly what I needed.

Aimee Ardonne

So cute! A feel-good Hallmark movie romance book.

Ryan 

a guilty pleasure to read for the holidays

Keely Calagos

This would make a perfect Hallmark movie  

Samantha 

trixie

this was a lifetime movie but in book form and i definitely didn’t hate it. also benny supremacy

maddie

edit: 

3 ⭐️- thinking back on it, this book was just okay. the plot was actually kinda boring and some events made no sense really. also the ending seemed a bit rushed.

Christmas books aren’t my thing but I’d definitely recommend this book, it’s so cute and easy to get into 

Maria Morales 

Bailey Johnson

Maelyn and Andrew have known each other their whole lives. This is the story about how Mae has to repeat her holiday vacation until she can land her crush. 3/5 smut. It was mostly fluff. Book was good but i would have preferred they went into more detail about Theo and her relationship. It felt not deep enough

This was a cute holiday read that I have been putting off for forever. I finally read it and thought it was a cute concept and was really entertaining. All of the characters really added a lot to the story especially Benny. There were some things I was confused on their being such a strong focus on especially so late into the book but overall it was a fun, quick read. 

Priscilla Stanfield

LOVE this book. Christina Lauren don’t miss, and this holiday romance is no exception. Perfect for anyone who enjoys the “Grounhog Day” time loop premise. 

Alyssa deRaad

Jule

becky oh

She asked the Universe to show her happiness. So it did, but the problem is, she doesn’t know how to get the happiness she asked for.

Maelyn has a wish. She wants to be happy. To catch her own happiness when she doesn’t feel right in the world she’s living in.

She doesn’t like the job she has, or about her parents divorce. And she really doesn’t like how her love life is tangled. The only thing that can truly make her smile is spending time in the cabin when it’s her Christmas holiday, along with her other loved families in Utah. She’s always spent her winter time in that cabin, feeling all of the childhood she had.

But when she’s in a car accident, she is seriously confused when she’s on an airplane, back to Utah. But the thing is, she’s already been to Utah and the last thing she remembers is riding a car to go to the airport with her family then going home. But instead, she’s in her holiday all over again.

So when she sees that the Universe is trying to show her happiness by being in the holidays she had all over again, she’s determined to do it right. And maybe even get her true love under the mistletoe.


To be honest, I didn’t get the 10% of this book because it didn’t really make sense, but when I kept reading, I was like, SO INTO IT. I think the most confusing thing was that Maelyn was time-travelling and going back over and over to when she was on the plane. I didn’t quite understand why her family was acting around her like she’s just grown another eye on her forehead, that they were NOT in a car accident and that it’s Christmas time.

But when I finished the book, I was thinking that it made PERFECT SENSE since the whole story line I was missing clicked into place. It was like, my head just lighted up a light-ball and I was just in awe that Christina Lauren thought of this amazing story. It was heartwarming, cute and definitely romantic. And I was laughing my head off at conversations between characters because oh boy, this author has a talent to write a rom-com.

And just after finishing this book, I felt that ‘In a Holidaze’ showed happiness will be earned but there still will be mistakes that wouldn’t be rubbed off. Because everyone deserves some happy things in their life.

This was such a great book, and thank you so much to Gallery Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed it so much and I am very grateful that I read it.

Briar's Reviews

In a Holidaze is a romance by Christina Lauren set during the holiday season.

I'm not gonna lie, I expected a bit more out of this book. I figured this was going to be a kind of Hallmark-esque holiday book, but it was just a romance during the holiday season. It did have a unique concept - the main character is basically living the Groundhog Day movie over and over again until she ends up with the right guy.

This book felt... bland. Maybe because I went in with high expectations? But the characters also felt so typical. One brother is the one you want to fall in love with while the other is that jerk face guy who makes you feel all special in the moment then acts like you don't exist. The families have unique dynamics but don't have anyone that sticks out. It felt very cookie cutter to me. I wanted... something more? Normally romance tropes are fine with me, but this one just had me bored.

The book didn't really get interesting until the last third, so having 2/3 of a book be boring and not keep me connected is not a good thing. Yet, I can see many book lovers diving into this book and loving it. It just wasn't for me! Add in the fact there is never any reason given for the time travel (why not some Saint Nick type guy to make it seem like Christmas with the Kranks meets Groundhog Day?), it just didn't work for me.

The romance between the leads also felt... dry. It didn't feel like these two should end up together other than the trope itself. We didn't see their relationship beforehand to know if they were really good friends. It felt like they just got mashed together like barbie dolls to kiss, smooch and make up. Plus, our lead Mae acted like she was 16 and I think she's supposed to be an adult? 

Overall, this book wasn't for me! I'm trying to grab more holiday books during the holidays, so I tried! Other readers will absolutely love it though.

One out of five stars.

Well, I definitely read this is one sitting. It was a sweet and quick read. Love all the traditions and chosen family. The actual romance had me a bit confused at first but I ended up really enjoying it. 

Megan BV

Petaco

So boring. (view spoiler)[I didn't like the fact that Throb was implied as the love interest. I felt like Andrew only liked her because she confessed feelings and the tarot reader told him that his true love was there. He has zero feelings for her. No chemistry at all. (hide spoiler)]That said, I would've loved this as a Hallmark movie, lol

Crystal L

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

5/5 Stars! 

Seriously, this book could not be any cuter. I have to start by saying that when I began reading I totally forgot about the premise and when it hit me I actually gasped. Maelyn Jones has left LA and moved back into her childhood home, she's stuck in a job that doesn't value her and is going nowhere, and to top it off she has a crush of epic proportions on her childhood friend who is basically family. So, when she finds out that her favorite place in the world, the cabin where she and her family and friends spend every Christmas together, is about to be sold, it's easy to see why she might have a full meltdown. While crying in the back of her dad's car, she asks the universe to show her what would make her happy and ------ BAM. 

It's days before Christmas all over again and Mae isn't exactly sure what she should do. Mae is trapped in a loop living the same Christmas over and over while trying to figure out why she keeps dying and waking up on an airplane back to the Cabin. 

In a Holidaze made me so happy! The characters are struggling with their own issues but so supportive of each other, it's really what everyone is looking for in a chosen family. I could read so many more stories about Mae, Andrew, Theo, and Miles, and I definitely want to know SO MUCH MORE about Benny! Even though this book starts as a Groundhogs Day story, it's a lot more than that and a MUST READ feelgood holiday story!

3 stars. This isn’t the worst book, but also not the best Christina Lauren. I enjoyed the Christmas holiday, warm cabin, family oriented setting and the traditions the characters indulge in over the Holiday. 

The Groundhog Day vibes was a fun spin for a holiday inspired book. What fell short was the romance. The FMC admits her pining for one of the family friend sons and he’s like “oh wow I didn’t realize you were an option, but hey you’re sexy and cute” all of a sudden…it just did not do it for me. I get that the trope is hard to perfectly execute, but it just doesn’t do it for me. The Male Love interest was nice and there was sexual tension, but the romance- underwhelming.

Courtney &
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

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