In A Holidaze | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: In a Holidaze

Author: Christina Lauren

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 10/6/20

Publisher: Gallery Books

Categories: Romance, Adult Fiction, Groundhog’s Day, Contemporary

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

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. 

My Attention: had it for the most part

World Building: Salt Lake, Utah – annual Christmas trip

Writing Style: flows quickly, great character dialogues

Bringing the Heat: 🔥🔥 

Crazy in Love: friends to lovers

Creativity: it has a Groundhog’s Day movie time loop

Mood: ready for the holidays

Triggers: car accident

My Takeaway: Be careful what you put out into the universe – you might really get what you want. And I mean that in a good way.

  • The bonds between the families is awesome. Mae’s parents and their best friends have a tradition, they meet up in Utah and spend Christmas together. They’ve been doing it for years and the bonds are evident.
  • It’s so hard to hate a Christmas book – it just puts you in a happy mood and this book definitely made me feel like I was watching a Hallmark Channel holiday movie!
  • Andrew and Mae are so cute together. She’s crushed on him forever, since they were kids and now as adults her love has endured but he’s never reciprocated his feelings until something happens – and Mae finally has the guts to tell him. They are friends who become lovers, so there is heat in their touches but laughter too when things get awkward. It’s wonderful!
  • Benny is awesome, he’s the family friend/Uncle figure who is a great listeners and knows Mae’s secrets. We all need a Benny.
  • The groundhog day’s aspect of the story threw me off a little. I was getting into the story and then bam! Haha…it’s not my favorite kind of trope to read but I went with it.
  • Theo, Andrew’s brother is supposedly the closest to Mae. They sounded like they were besties and yet…it didn’t come off that way in the book at all. So I think I wanted to see more of her interaction with Theo.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, lighthearted holiday romance story that would totally make a good Christmas movie. I look forward to reading more books from this author!