In A Holidaze – Christina Lauren

This book was absolutely amazing for this time of the year. I had been struggling to get into the holiday/Christmas spirit because of all of the schoolwork that has been piling up, however, after reading this book, I’m ready for Christmas and a holiday like no other!

Plot

Maelyn Jones has spent her entire twenty-six years of life going to a Utah cabin with her family and their friends every Christmas week. This year, however, maybe her last. As Mae and her family drive away from the cabin, she throws a mental plea out into the universe asking to show me what will make me happy. 

The next thing she knows, she’s in a plane on her way back to Utah redoing the same holiday week over again. Mae is sent back to the plane after hilarious tragedies occur with her family and their friends, and Mae realizes that her purpose is to save the cabin, be herself, and find what makes her happiest in life. 

This book was such a hilarious start to my holiday, and honestly, I feel like every holiday season is just as hectic as this one which makes it that much better!

“I’ve loved you my whole life, but this new thing…” He sucks in a deep breath. “It’s amazing and scary.”

Characters

Each and every one of these characters made me laugh my (reindeer) socks off! Mae was such a sarcastic, but real character, and her mini mental breakdowns were kind of hilarious. Her character was childish for a twenty-six-year-old, but it fit perfectly in the setting, and it seemed like every other character was just a kiddy as she was. 

Along with that, I loved her relationship with Andrew’s character. The old couple thing they have going constantly made me laugh and adore their friendship and how natural it felt when they were together. Mandrew and Maisie will forever make my list of adorable friendships!

Theo is also an honorable mention. It was kind of predictable that Theo had a crush on Mae from the start, however, Mae only had eyes for Andrew. I definitely think that Theo had built a bit of a reputation for himself when, in actuality, he was such a sweet guy and only wanted to be close with Mae. His only concern was really spending time with her and when she didn’t have time for him, he was clearly not as happy as he could be. He was a genuinely good character and I really loved him. 

There was also every other character at the cabin. It was clear that Andrew and Theo’s Mom sucked at cooking, but loved to do it anyway. Ricky, her husband was also really sweet when he helps Maelyn understand her feelings. There were also her two gay uncles, (loved that representation!), and they had twins that were absolutely adorable! Finally, there was Mae’s uncle Benny who was definitely one of my favorite characters. He seemed genuinely trustworthy and good which I loved as an addition to the story. 

Setting

The setting is one of the most beautiful parts of this story. The cabin in Utah was described beautifully and I loved how worn it seemed. It was a loved home and the fact that Lauren mentioned things like the tarnishing on the banister, or how the floor creaks in certain places, but everyone knows exactly the step that makes noise, was just so sweet to read about. It made the book so homely and cozier than it would have been without the loving addition of having a cabin that is so loved by so many characters. 

Writing

Laurens writing was really nice. I haven’t read any of her other books, but I’m definitely going to check them out. Her writing style was so easy-going and I really got into the book pretty easily. I feel like it was just such a chill read and it’s perfect for this time of the year. 

Along with all of this, I could really feel everything going on in the book. Since the story was pretty dramatic and a romance too, that’s exactly the kind of thing you want in this type of book. 

In Conclusion… 

I definitely recommend this book for the holiday season. The writing was so easy to follow and I was captured immediately by the story and hilarious plotline. The characters were so funny and I definitely laughed out loud and cried a few times throughout the book. This was able to get me into the holiday spirit super fast and I was constantly entertained by Laurens writing and her interesting and unique style. 

Rating: 5/5⭐