Title: In A Holidaze
Author: Christina Lauren
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo
Rating: Book Club It
Disclaimer: Mild spoilers.
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. (Goodreads)
“I ask the universe, simply: Can you show me what will make me happy?”
― Christina Lauren, In a Holidaze
Who loves a romantic Christmas story so sweet it gives them cavities?? This girl does!
Seriously, this book was so sweet and adorable my cheeks hurt from the smile it left.
It was everything I love about Christmas romances without the cheese *cough cough Hallmark*. I do love Hallmark movies even though they’re cheesy and over done and problematic, but this book has all the gooey romantic feelings that Hallmark movies give me rolled into one brightly lit package.
It had friend to lovers (one of my favourite romance tropes), snowball fights and sledding, Christmas tree decorating, family traditions, a cozy Christmas cabin, spicy chemistry, humour that made me actually made laugh out loud, and a cast of characters I absolutely loved.
When Maelyn Jones asks the universe to show her what will make her happy, she gets more that she asked. Thrown into a Groundhog Day Christmas miracle, she gets to relive the disastrous Christmas that passed. In it she hooked up with Theo, her friend and the brother to Andrew (the man she’s been in love with half her life). Granted the chance to do Christmas over, Maelyn learns not just about the love that will make her happy, but about everything in our lives that tally up to true happiness.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the groundhog day concept. Twice Maelyn dies and has to restart Christmas. While this served the storyline, by the third time of reading about what was happening a small part of me was waiting anxiously for her to die again and have to do it ALLLL over again. I didn’t want to read it again. Thankfully, the author stopped at just the point where the dieing and coming back to life idea was getting old.
But other than that I loved everything about this book. It was exactly what I needed to get me in the Christmas mood. I also couldn’t get enough of Andrew and Maelyn’s relationship. I LOVE friends to lovers. I mean, really, how can you not? There’s already a preestablished relationship and history to build the romance off of. It makes it so much more believable and Andrew and Maelyn felt so real. I rooted for their friendship and their romance.
“You’ve never been for me, Maisie. I never knew you were an option.”
― Christina Lauren, In a Holidaze
The cast of characters was also one of my favourite things in this book. Maelyn and Andrew’s parents are best friends along with a couple other people and every year for decades they have come to this cabin. Each character was so unique and the relationships between all of them were really well developed. They really felt like a family and there were all these little nuances Lauren included that gave us history and depth to their relationships. And don’t get me started on Uncle Benny. I loved this man so much. I want an Uncle Benny. Enough said.
If you’re looking to get in the Christmas mood or just read a loveable, cavity inducing rom-com, you definitely have to read In A Holidaze.
Have you read In A Holidaze? Are you planning to? What are your thoughts? Any other books that have gotten you in the Christmas mood lately? Please share in the comments! I NEED more!
Bibliomavens 
I’m so excited you liked it! It’s coming as my book of the month lol
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It was seriously so good! It was exactly the Christmas read I was looking for. I think we’re all having a hard time getting in the Christmas mood this year and this one really helped me. It was definitely my book of the month too! Glad you liked it 😊 – Amber
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I’m so excited now! I’ll start it super soon lol
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Can’t wait to hear what you think!
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