Review: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
Published by Gallery Books on 2020-10-06
Length: 307 pages
Reviewing Paperback from Amazon
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2020 New Release Challenge, COYER All Year 2020

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) hi-jinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren is a fun, light-hearted, holiday rom-com with a Groundhog Day twist to set it apart from all the other holiday romances out there. I immediately fell in love with this book. From the first sentence I was hooked, and y’all I skipped dinner and most of my sleeping time to finish it in one sitting. I was NOT about to set this one down. Between the family chaos of Christmas to the sweet and tender stolen kisses, In a Holidaze is sure to rank as a new holiday favorite. 

Maelyn Jones is in a pickle. You see, she kissed the wrong brother, and the one she really wanted to kiss witnessed it. As if that isn’t enough to ruin her holiday, the cabin they’ve spent every Christmas in her entire life is being sold. With a careless wish to the universe, Maelyn finds herself reliving her family’s holiday vacation all over again, but this time she is determined to get it right. I don’t know what it is about Maelyn, but I adore her. She is 26 years old and floundering. Her career goals failed, and now she’s back living with her mom and younger brother. There is no romance life to speak of. She’s lost, and the universe decides to give her a little Christmas help with a bit of time travel. 

Maelyn’s reactions to what happens to her are spot on. I fully believe that if this was happening to me I’d have the same reactions. She at first is understandably freaked out, and then comes to accept it for what it is: a second chance to get it right, kiss the right brother and potentially save her beloved cabin. I found myself crying with her, cheering her on, and dying of mortification for her. I lived the story through her, and y’all it was perfect, exactly what I needed during this 2020 funk. 

Theo and Andrew are wonderfully written characters, complete opposites, and I’m not gonna lie I loved them both. I like the “chosen” family dynamic that is set up during the opening chapter and fully fleshed out as the story unfolds. Each character felt real and relatable. The families and their holiday traditions gave my Christmas spirit the boost it needed. 

Overall, I loved In a Holidaze. I really and truly can find no fault in it, other than wanting more of this family and their absolute craziness. Maelyn’s self-discovery leads the way for the romance. And y’all. The ROMANCE *swoon* This is the best and ultimate friends-to-lovers trope I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I love the banter and how it is so easy for these two to flourish. I did buddy read this one with Stephanie @ Once Upon a Chapter who rated it 5 stars as well and said it may be her favorite read of the year. So if you enjoy holiday romances, rom-coms, and don’t mind to suspend reality for a little Christmas magic, In a Holidaze should be at the top of your TBR list.

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