A review by cassiealexandra
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

I had a blast reading this book. Maybe it was the time of year, maybe it’s that I had not read something quite so light and funny in a while. Whatever the reason, my immediate gut feeling was to rate this 5 stars. I loved the found family and the idea of friends from college going to a cabin every December 20-26 to spend the holiday together, raising their families together. I liked Maelyn and her journey of figuring out how to do what was best for her life instead of trying to keep the peace with everyone around her, feeling responsible to hold up the world. The Groundhog Day-esque time travel and the lessons Mae learns along the way about herself, her loved ones, and her longtime crush were presented with humor and just the right amount of absurdity.

Reflecting back, though, there are a couple of items that I wish had more information. The car accident that initiated the time travel seemed unnecessary to me. I also was surprised/thought I was missing something when the timeline didn’t do what I expected by the end. I was also mildly irritated by the miscommunication, third-act near breakup, and the love triangle that was not actually a love triangle.

In the end, those things push my gut feeling of 5 stars down a bit, but I don’t regret a second of this lighthearted festive read. I want a cabin and a tradition like this with my best friends now. Please. Who wants to loan me the cash? (Should have gotten in “early” with Spotify like Benny did in this book).

The bottom line: This is a fun, Christmas-y story with a bit of magic and time travel, a loving and funny found-family, and of course, romance.

 — NOTES — 
Genres: romantic comedy
POV: 1st-person, singular
Content: moderate language, car accident, divorce (side-character plot in past)
Romance: considerable steam in chapter 18, open door scenes in chapters 19, 23, and epilogue

— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS — 
(all out of 5)

Pace: 5
Enjoyment: 5
Craft: 3
My Gut Feeling: 5

Total Stars: 4.5
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