In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
in a holidaze
arc review
official blurb
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.
2.75 out of 5
🔥🔥 out of 5 steam level
DuxSignature smallercopy
Wow I am having the hardest time rating this book. First of all, I need to describe how I felt when I was reading it. In one word: stressed. Like so stressed that the second night I started to read it, I decided to pick up an entirely different book because I didn't want to fall asleep stressed. Now, I feel I must confess to you that I find the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles incredibly stressful - that's the kind of stress I was feeling in this book. You might be wondering from the description if I was feeling Groundhogs Day stressed... but like the main character, Mae, I have never seen that movie. (Keep that gasp to yourself, not every classic is really a classic!) Shall we talk about the things that stressed me out? As Lorelai Gilmore says, "Let's shall!" Mae made a lot of questionable choices in her communication or lack thereof. That's right, folks, this book features major communication issues (my least favorite trope in a book). Remember my other least favorite plot device- the love triangle? Yup, this book also featured a love triangle. Did I mention I was stressed when I read this book? I did? Okay...well, I was. I even resorted to sending multiple texts to a friend demanding she tell me if this book was indeed a romance novel (did you know that for a book to be considered a romance novel it is required to feature a "happily ever after" or an HEA as we like to call it?).... it was. So are you wondering how this book got almost three stars for me after this stress?! I know, it's hard to believe- especially for me, after I almost declared it a DNF (did not finish). But there's a point in the book when Mae decides to start communicating... and I fell in love. I loved the whole section that moved forward from the communication! I was happy with the ending and finally felt all of the drama fall into its rightful place. And for that, it almost got a full three stars from me! I also loved the family that was written in the book- I liked the traditions and the close knit crew. They were well written and likable. I think one of the reasons why the book is so stressful is because it's written in a way that really pulls you into the world- the life with all of these families living together in a cabin over Christmastime. And because you're so into it, you find yourself grinding your teeth!This is one of Christina Lauren's low end steam books. They really write very fluctuating steam level books and I love that about them! (If you're new to these authors, it is two women who write under the pen name Christina Lauren).Thank you to netgalley and Gallery Books for the advanced readers copy of this book!To see a holiday books that I recommend check out my reviews of Faking Under The Mistletoe and Christmas on Mistletoe Lane