***May contain spoilers***

***Scroll to the bottom for my rating***

They have done it again! And if you're asking yourself who "they" are, you must not know that Christina Lauren is the pen name for two kickass best friends who write excellent books together, Christina and Lauren.

In a Holidaze is my second read by Christina Lauren, and I was not disappointed. Having read The Unhoneymooners a few years back, my expectations were high since that book quickly made my top 10 list. 

In full transparency, I went into this book blind. I had seen it on Instagram as the holidays started amping up, and knowing I liked the authors, I bought it to read during Christmas. I never even looked at the synopsis.

Considering someone gifted me a copy the same day I bought it from the store, I think it was meant to be that I read it. Which, hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge, is ironic considering the story's premise. 

In a Holidaze is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy with some magic interspersed. Centered on the point of view of Maelyn, more affectionately known as Mae (or Noodle by long-time family friend Benny), you get a look into Mae navigating a Christmas wish come true. A wish that leads to a do-over of her week at the cabin for her annual holiday festivities with family, friends, and lifelong crush Andrew Hollis. 

Any time Mae makes an effort to find the answers to her Christmas wish and is wrong, she ends up significantly injured, waking up back on the plane heading to Utah. It's a very Groundhog's Day-type time loop. One that she fills Benny in on each time she returns to the cabin. 

Benny is a middle-aged hippie, smoking one-hitters, who vibes in the attic and is Mae's biggest confidant. Being the only single adult in the cabin out of the large gathering of family friends, Benny becomes a choice pick for venting and brainstorming how to end the time loop. Because regardless of how crazy it may sound coming from Mae that she's traveled back in time, Benny doesn't question her for a second. 

Coming to grips with the fact that she needs to go after the things she wants, Mae quickly turns from being scared and apprehensive to having an idgaf attitude. With that, she makes Andrew aware of her feelings for him. Although slow to respond, he reciprocates, making her overjoyed.

But it would hardly be a contemporary romance if there wasn't some bullsh*t to follow after the love interests finally get together, would it? So, after dealing with obstacles and even some heartbreak, Mae finds her answers and is able to get past the holidays and return to reality. 

Living in a romantic Christmas bubble and getting closer to her dream man than Mae ever thought possible, the tone of this story is lighthearted and fun. I found myself laughing, smiling, and even a bit giddy as the relationship between Andrew and Mae reminded me a lot of my boyfriend and me. 

In a Holidaze was an enjoyable read, which I ate up in a couple of days. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue between characters, the Christmas elements, and the overall joy this story emitted. However, for me, time-loop aside, things for Mae worked out a little too cleanly and left little to be surprised about. Due to the lack of surprise, I've rated this story 4 out of 5 stars, with a spice rating of 2 out of 5. 

Although this is not a perfect rating, this story was very close to one for me. As the holidays have finally come to a close, I highly recommend adding this title to your TBR for Christmas 2024. 

As always, thanks for reading! 💜

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️