In a Holidaze

I have two favorite kinds of books: the sort that demand to be read in one day, and the ones that move into your heart and build a little nest there—books I know I will happily reread a dozen times. For me, Christina Lauren’s In a Holidaze is both. The powerhouse writing-duo behind the pen name have become known for their signature humor and wit as well as their incredible knack for writing characters with chemistry. You’ll find that their many talents are on full display in this latest holiday-themed outing.

In a Groundhog Day-esque turn of events, our narrator Mae Jones finds herself reliving the same semi-disastrous annual holiday trip with her family and friends, over and over again. Why does the universe keep sending her back in time? Mae has no idea, but she tries to make the most of the do-overs by trying to fix the cracks in her found family and shoot her shot with lifelong crush Andrew. She also encounters plenty of hilarious opportunities to make things a whole lot worse.

If this sounds like a zany plot, it is, but I think you’ll settle into Mae’s strange new reality quickly enough (even if she won’t). In a Holidaze is funny, sexy, big-hearted, and absolutely brimming with wintry charm. This is the romance-lover’s perfect December read.

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.