In a Holidaze
Ratings122
Average rating3.7
Love Actually meets Groundhog Day in this quintessential holiday romance.
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.
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This book? Pointless.
The 30-going-on-14 year old characters? Pointless.
The plot? Pointless.
My time? Wasted.
Disclosure: I received a digital ARC from NetGalley.
Lately, Christina Lauren has been hit or miss for me; there are some books I loved - Autoboyography and The Unhoneymooners - and then others that missed the mark for me (The Honey Don't List). In a Holidaze is somewhere in the middle.
The premise is fun, especially if you liked The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver or other books with a touch of magic in them. At first I thought we'd rehash the same period over and over but the authors manage to pass the time in the alternate versions in a way that feels authentic.
I also love the setting of this book; I actually live IN Park City, where this book is set. While there's not an excessive number of references, there was a subtle nod to the neighborhoods and businesses that have been here a long time. And I can vouch for the beautiful mountain winters. Given that Christina Hobbs lives in Utah, I'm not surprised to see this well-depicted.
The book starts off in a bit of a weird fashion, with the female protagonist going to an uncle-like figure to talk about something that happened the night before. But that aside, the plot continues in fun and zany ways. I do get a little frustrated with the protagonists in recent Christina Lauren books; the female protagonists are almost always zany, hate their jobs, aimless, or self-described as “quirky” while the male protagonists are almost always either perfect or awful. I think that's why Autoboyography being a queer YA love story felt fresh and different in a good way.
Overall this book was a great break from everyday chaos - and there's a lot of it right now. When it comes out in October, it's going to feel like a cozy and warm afternoon reading Groundhog Day meets The Family Stone.
