Photo from amazon.com
Publisher’s Description for In a Holidaze, 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.
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4/5 stars
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Christina Lauren and a fan of the holidays, so when In a Holidaze appeared on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to review. I was thrilled when my request was granted for this holiday offering from the prolific writing duo who puts out some of the best light, fluffy romantic fiction with heart. It’s the best escapism and we all need that now more than ever. I knew a holiday book from them would be a warm, cozy treat and indeed it was. I devoured this in a couple of days, and I love how they captured family dynamics and holiday nostalgia so perfectly. This is a book you’ll want to sink into in front of a fire place with a festive holiday drink. My small quibble is that I don’t think it actually needed the time loop plot line. It didn’t really add to the story, which is at its heart about the relationships, and about Mae figuring out who she is and what she wants. The authors are so good at drawing characters, it’s one of the reasons I always come back to them. And I think a little more of that and less of making the plot device work would have taken this up to five stars for me. But it was fun and delightful and if you’ve been waiting for a Christina Lauren holiday book, this it! It would make a fun gift for a friend or a stocking stuffer.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
