In a Holidaze

Maelyn Jones has always adored going to the cabin in Utah for Christmas every year to celebrate with her family and close family friends. But on this December 26th she has nothing but regrets after too much egg nog led to her making out with Theo the night before, an act she really didn't intend to commit especially since she's had a massive crush on Theo's older brother, Andrew, since she was a teen. And then she learns she may never get to spend another Christmas at the cabin. Driving back to the airport with her family, Maelyn sends a desperate wish to the universe asking it to show her what will make her happy. Seconds later a car crashes into their own but rather than waking up in the hospital, Maelyn wakes up on the plane to Utah show more on December 20. Blown away that her wish was somehow fulfilled she now needs to spend the holidays figuring out what really will make her happy.

A cute, time-loop tinged contemporary holiday romance that has all of the coziness and Christmas-y elements while also letting Mae grow as a person beyond her romantic relationships. I was delighted throughout and highly recommend this one if you're looking for a timey-wimey Christmas romance. show less

I’m not a big fan of the Groundhog’s Day premise And at the beginning of this one I thought it was going to get old fast. Fortunately, it got away from the repetitive nature of that gimmick and was just the fun Thanksgiving weekend read I want it. Benny was a great supporting character and the two main people had great chemistry. A fun read for the holidays for sure. The lack of explanation for the time travel was annoying, but I just looked at it as a light romantic read and let it go.

3.8ish ⭐️ Stars. A feel-good, festive read full of humor, love, and a sprinkle of magic.

While the book took some time to hook me, I ended up really enjoying this heartwarming, romantic take on a Groundhog Day time-loop story.

The FMC, Mae, is relatable in her struggles: feeling stuck in a job she hates, living with her parents, and watching her dream childhood traditions fade as adulthood complicates life. Her Christmas getaway at the family cabin in Utah feels like her last refuge—until she makes an impulsive mistake, a car crash turns her world upside down, and she wakes up at the start of the same holiday. This clever twist kicks off a journey of self-discovery as Mae relives her holiday over and over, trying to fix her show more mistakes, embrace her feelings, and find her own happiness.

At first, I wasn’t sure about the romance. Mae’s longtime crush on Andrew felt uncertain when the story began (especially after that awkward moment with his brother, Theo). But as the book progressed, I loved how Mae and Andrew’s relationship slowly unfolded—it felt genuine, sweet, and incredibly heartfelt.

Mae’s bravery to face her feelings, the consequences of her past mistakes, and her willingness to fight for her dreams made me root for her. I especially appreciated the book’s themes of honesty, family traditions, and chasing what makes you truly happy. show less

Cute, charming, and a great holiday romance. I didn't love this as much as the last three Christina Lauren books I read but I only think that's because I'm not a fan of groundhog day or other book/movie tropes where you keep reliving the same days over and over again until you "learn your lesson." Honestly that was the only thing I didn't like about this book. Maelyn Jones and her family spend Christmas every year at their friend's cabin in the mountains. Their parent's friends and their kids come as well and it's like a huge extended gathering that Maelyn looks forward to every year. It doesn't hurt that she also gets to see Andrew, the boy she's had a crush on him since she was 13 (even though he's practically her brother). She show more royally screws everything up though when she makes out with Andrew's younger brother, Theo, while drunk and he witnesses it. She's mortified - if she could only turn back time. On their way to the airport their car is hit by a truck and she wakes up... on the plane headed to the cabin for Christmas. What? It takes a couple attempts at reliving Christmas to figure out what she's supposed to do but soon she realizes she needs to choose which of the brothers will make her happy. Witty and hilarious. I love this writing duo! show less

Christina Lauren knows how to write a story that will make me smile. Their stand-alone adult novels have been angsty, sexy, hilarious, sweet and cosy. In a Holidaze is a holiday themed romance, combined with a Groundhog Day time loop. It’s a lovely story with some bite but it is also familiar and cosy.

I’m not one to read Christmas stories during the festive season (summer Christmas reality and winter book Christmas just don’t gel for me) so I decided to wait until winter to read this novel. It has a lovely snowy feel as the characters make snow sculptures and get cold the instant they go outside and winter felt just right. The main character is Mae, who tells the story in the first person. It’s lucky that she’s the one doing show more this, as she’s the only one to notice that her family and loved ones are repeating the holiday over and over. At the end of the holiday, everyone discovers that this was the last Christmas they would all spend together at the cabin in Park City. Mae feels that all her life is going wrong and frankly, this is the last straw. She just wants the universe to tell her what will make her happy. Suddenly, the car she’s travelling in is about to crash, but Mae wakes up on an aeroplane on the way to her Christmas break. If that’s not freaky enough, every time Mae puts a foot wrong from her journey to happiness, she’ll be sent back to the beginning after a nasty accident. It’s kind of like the end of a life of Super Mario Bros and going again.

But this isn’t a video game, but real life for Mae. As she progresses further on her second/third/fourth attempt at her holiday, she starts to find out things about herself. That she often plays it too safe. That she doesn’t make herself heard, or reach for what she really wants. What she really wants is Andrew, the son of her parents’ best friends (but the first holiday involved her making out with Andrew’s brother). Mae puts herself on the line only to find that sometimes things might just work out for the better, particularly if you plan ahead…

Besides Mae and Andrew, there are a lovable cast of characters that make up the other people at the cabin – friends of Mae’s parents and their children. I loved the inclusion of an Australian character, Benny, who is as chill as can be despite the implausible proposals Mae lays out for him. Mae’s parents and their friends are equal part overprotective parents and extended family. The traditions of the cabin and the group’s Christmas holiday are all very sweet and traditional (with a few twists). While the story may not be as ambitious and angst ridden as some other Christina Lauren novels, it’s comfy like an old pair of pyjamas. The repeat holidays were a little annoying initially, but once Mae got her groove and led with her heart, the story was head over heels fun. It won’t tax your head with complex twists, but just let it carry you along. Sweet without the tooth breaking part (possibly the best part of Mae’s redo – avoidance of major dental work).

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This is the sweetest, most adorable holiday fluff ever. I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for over a year, avoiding it because it seemed so cliche. Out of nowhere I picked it up last night (day after Christmas, so that was appropriate) and just ate it up. So. Stinking. Cute. It’s Groundhog Day as a Hallmark movie in the cozy-sweater-est possible way. I don’t care if it’s a melange of tropes; I love it. The writing is good, the characters are easy to see in the mind’s eye, and while the ending is never up for question, it’s not always clear how much time it will take to get there and which ways the plot will turn on the journey.

Every year as long as Maelyn can remember her family has spent the Christmas holiday with a group of her parents' close friends and their kids at an idyllic, snowy cabin in Utah. It's become a cornerstone of her life. These people, and this place. Until she learns that this Christmas is the last they'll all spend at the cabin. As she and her family drive away on their last day. Maelyn is in despair. She asks the universe to show her what will make her happy. The next thing she knows, tires are screeching, metal is crunching, and everything goes black.

Then, Maelyn wakes up on an airplane. Not just any airplane, the plane she took to Christmas festivities five days ago. Yep, apparently Maelyn is reliving the holidays. Is this the universe show more giving her the wish? How is she supposed to be happy when she knows what going to happen? Determined to get out of this time loop, Mae will take a look at tradition and expectation, and start taking chances on life, especially when it comes to her years-long crush on childhood friend Andrew.

I really loved the tone of this story. The holiday vibes are out in full force and I just wanted to wrap myself up in it like cozy blanket and sip hot cocoa while reading.

The whole Groundhog's Day thing (which let's be honest has been done before) works really well in this scenario, but I kinda wish is was more utilized. I don't know if it's because people already really get the idea of the Groundhog's Day thing so the authors didn't want to inundate us with going back to the beginning too many times, but for me, I wanted to see Mae's growth as she continued to add on to each experience through what she's already lived. While this does happen, I could have used maybe a couple more trips to really solidify the idea that there were still things for Mae to learn.

I did like commentary on breaking tradition which also have a way of being things people blindly do over and over again. Taking a look at those things you love to do (like having a snowman building contest, or decorating the tree a certain way), but have kind of become mechanical, you realize you've lost that spark for these things. Seeing them in a new way or taking the time to get a fresh perspective can not only provide other alternatives to tradition, but also give you the resources to get back to that original loving feeling. This crosses over into our everyday lives as well in how we have the same routines day after day, going to the same job that doesn't excite us anymore (speaking in generalities here). It's a lovely commentary on living the life you want, not the life you think you're expected to have.

Andrew and Mae's romance is sweet and like the perfect childhood friends to lovers story. I did feel like Andrew's younger brother Theo's character was not done justice. Everyone had set up Mae and Theo for eventually getting together since they are the same age. No one ever thought that she had feelings for Andrew, including Andrew. So when Mae starts reliving the holidays, she takes the opportunity to tell Andrew how she feels, which is great. But I felt like it was at the cost of her friendship with Theo. All the children have been friends for ages. Theo and Mae especially because, as I said, they are the same age. So for her to nearly cut him out felt very harsh. And I didn't feel like we get any good kind of closure on that either. It's the reason I took away a star in my rating.

Besides that, though, In A Holidaze is filled with the comforts of the holidays, friends, family, love. It's a great reminder about the time of year bursting with tradition and memories, and reminds you to maybe make a few new ones this year. show less