Book Review: In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren

I bought this book with my own money. There was no obligation to post/give this book a certain rating. This gifting in no way alters my review and I remain impartial.

Published: October 6th 2020 by Gallery Books
Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
Genre: Adult, New Adult // Romance, Contemporary, Christmas
Quick Thoughts: A contemporary time travelling romance with friends-to-lovers and all the festive feels

About The Book: 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 hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

First Thoughts

As a typical YA reader, I don’t stray all that often to New Adult/Adult reads, but I’ve been seeing Christina Lauren books all over social media, especially TikTok (which, for the record, is now BookTok in my eyes!) I had been wanting to build my Christmas reads list and after seeing In A Holidaze on Goodreads, I bought it on a whim and dove in.

My Review

Maelyn (or just Mae, sometimes Maisie) spends every Christmas at her favourite place in the world, a picture-perfect cabin with her family and family friends, the ones she’s grown up with all her life, including her long-loved crush Andrew. Even though life has been terrible for Mae and she’s found herself stuck in a persistent rut, the cabin is her saviour. But when she does something she deeply regrets, it puts her in a spin. And when her family drive away from the cabin for the last time, she sends out a message to the universe to show her what will make her happy. Then, the car crashes – and she wakes up, back on the plane, headed for the cabin, as she was at the beginning of the holiday.

Faced with redoing the holiday all over to find out what makes her truly happy – and to fix whatever “mistakes” she’s made – Mae sets out to redo it with careful consideration. But after getting pulled back a few times to the plane, redoing the days again, she has to find a perfect rhythm to fixing things – and getting her happily ever after. Mae has been in love with Andrew – Theo’s brother, her closest friend at the cabin – for most of her life. But, alas, he’s blind to her affection. Mae sets out to show him her truest feelings whilst also balancing careful acts of not messing up time and trying to save the cabin from going up for sale. But things get tricky, and Mae finds herself trudging through treacherous waters: does she focus on her own happy ending or the happiness of everyone?

Overall, I fell completely and utterly in love with In A Holidaze. I started just reading a few chapters here and there, but then one night I picked it up and didn’t put it down until the last page was turned. I was internally in awe at 2 a.m. reading the sweet romance between Mae and Andrew, getting to picture the beautiful cabin, seeing how all these families blended so magically together and incredibly effortlessly. This was such a unique spin on time-travel and I absolutely adored the setting and atmosphere the authors created. If you’re after a contemporary time travelling romance with friends-to-lovers and all the festive feels, it’s right here. Five stars!