Book Review | In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

In a Holidaze is a romance novel by Christina Lauren.

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.

 

I loved the beginning of In a Holidaze so much! It was cute and hilarious and just what I needed in 2020.

The problem is the book shifted away from all of the things that I loved in the beginning. At first I thought I was no longer enjoying it because the rom-com had lost it's comedy and shifted to simply being a romance. As the book went on, however, it was definitely more than that for me. In a Holidaze wasn't delivering on any of the promises it made in the beginning. The Christmas version of Groundhog Day was only a hook. There were also things that just didn't make sense. (And no, I'm not talking about the time travel/Groundhog Day stuff. That's not supposed to make sense.)

It's worth noting that I'm not a romance reader, and I can't speak to the expectations of the genre. I can only speak to my own experience with In a Holidaze, and it just wasn't a good fit for me. I like the idea of reading a Christmasy rom-com this time of year, though, so I think I will still give it another try next year with a different book and see how it goes.

In a Holidaze seems to be a big hit with a lot of people right now so definitely seek out other reviews - especially from people who read romance way more than I do. As for me, I was expecting all of the things that hooked me in from the beginning to continue on throughout In a Holidaze, and I was left disappointed and confused with the way things wound up progressing.

⭐⭐★★★
2/5 stars

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