Published by Simon and Schuster on October 20, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Holiday
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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.
Today, we are going to skip a couple of holidays and head straight for winter. I am thrilled to be sharing my review of In A Holidaze with you all because I think this might be one of my top reads of the year!
Entirely too much fun and exactly the delightfully heartwarming holiday read that I needed in my life, In A Holidaze gives us a friends to lovers romance that is every bit the swoony sweetness I have come to expect from duo Christina Lauren. I was a bit nervous going in since their last book wasn’t a home run for me, but once I picked this gem up, I couldn’t put it down.
Christina Lauren absolutely delivered on the feels delivering not only a sweet romance, but an important lesson on taking action and going after what will make you happy even with the risk of failure. Maelyn starts as a fairly passive character. She isn’t happy with her lot in life but at the same time she takes no steps to change her work or romance situation. After some serious groundhog day time shifts, Maelyn’s character growth truly takes off.
A healthy dose of holiday cheer, authentic/flawed characters, all mixed with a sprinkling of secret crushes and pining for Andrew, and we have all the ingredients for a great romance. With a relatively low steam level and a comfortable level of tension between Mae and Andrew, their romance felt comfortable even though it was a relatively short read. It made this read feel like a cozy blanket.
I loved the romance between Maelyn and Andrew, but by far my favorite part was how lively and rounded every character, no matter how small a role, felt. They each had quirks and flaws that made the family feel familiar. It was like watching an old home movie rather than meeting new characters!
In A Holidaze is definitely going to be a book I revisit when I’m in the mood for an uplifting holiday read! Absolutely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About Christina Lauren
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced sixteen New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)
