Review: In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
I am going to start off by saying that I didn’t love this book and I’m very sad about it! In a Holidaze held a WHOLE lot of potential and was one of the books I was most excited to read this year. I ran out on it’s publication day to get it back in October! I don’t love to talk negatively about books because they are someone’s life’s work and a lot of care has to go into them. I have read two other Christina Lauren books that I’ve loved: The Unhoneymooners and Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. Based off of those, I was ready to fall in love with these new characters.
But ultimately, I just felt like this book was “half baked.” Such a fun concept, such a perfect, idyllic setting, a great cast of characters…but it just didn’t deliver.
I will say I know a lot of people have enjoyed this book and I think that’s great! It just didn’t meet my expectations and I felt like the ending could have been stronger, plus have a stronger message overall.
Synopsis: “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.” —From the publisher
What I Liked:
The Idyllic Setting—Park City, Utah at Christmas sounds MAGICAL and it was really brought to life
The Friends As Family—I loved that these characters were all friends in college and bound together to spend the holidays together through marriages, divorces and children. I truly loved that aspect.
The Idea—I was excited for this Groundhog Day retelling! I didn’t think it was overdone.
What Didn’t Work:
The idea—Coming right back around to this one…the idea isn’t explained. We don’t know why Mae is experiencing this time warp/alternate reality or why she gets to ultimately stay there.
The Ending—I don’t expect cheesy endings from CLo and holy wow, this was cheesy and didn’t feel earned at all.
The Romance—I didn’t buy the romance between Mae and Andrew at all. I really thought it was going to take another direction to show Mae that what she wanted wasn’t what she needed and that did not happen. I also really kind of just felt like Andrew was a jerk?? Just me??
TW/CW: Car accident
Character Authenticity: 2/5 Steam Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 2.75/5