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. Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark “downright hilarious” (Helen Hoang, author of The Bride Test) hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays. Synopsis from Goodreads PERSONAL REVIEW I discovered Christina Lauren last year and have found myself enjoying all of their standalone romances, so of course I was excited for this holiday love story to come out! I finally took the time to read it...and was done within a day. This is such a fun Christmas romance and I'm so happy it came out in October so that I have another two months to reread it leading up to the holidays. New Favourite Holiday Book Normally I find "Christmas books" cute but rarely find myself going back to read them a second time. They are like Hallmark movies - enjoyable, but not a lot of substance so it's hard to give my full focus too. In A Holidaze is definitely a step up from this, although it's set during the Christmas season. The authors have written a wonderful story about family, love, and second (third? fourth?) chances. Plus, it's actually really funny. Who doesn't like a little time travel mixed into their love stories? I love that this is a holiday story that I'll actually reread in the future. Focus on Family Although this is a romance, the focus of the book is definitely more on family and the different relationships between family members. Mae is connected to each character in different ways and it's lovely to see that unfold. Benny, in particular, is an excellent example of the favourite uncle/best friend you can tell everything to because he'll never judge you for it. I loved that Christina Lauren took the time to give us a big family with multiple relationships to witness instead of the sole focus being Mae and Andrew. They definitely are stronger writers when they include these layered relationships. Love All the Characters Besides really enjoying Mae and Andrew (and yay, it's not another "quirky, awkward but cute" female lead) and their relationship, I fell in love with this whole group of characters. I honestly could've spent more time with the twins, laughing at Aaron's wardrobe, to just enjoying time spent with Benny. This felt like the first time the authors had included such a large cast, but also took the time to develop each character, and I loved it. Although it was definitely confusing at first to figure out the connections (thank you for laying it out for us Andrew - it was obvious, but it helped!), ultimately, I loved that there were so many because it led to funnier moments between Mae and Andrew. Overall, this is definitely one of my new favourite Christina Lauren books! Yes, the "fight" between Mae and Andrew is pretty flat (ah, the classic climatic flight to determine if the couple will overcome and be together), but the rest of the story is really funny. I would recommend this adorable holiday story to anyone who loves Christina Lauren books, to those looking for a sweet Christmas story, or for anyone who just wants a feel-good happy ending novel. I know I'll be rereading this book come the holiday season - will you? FINAL RATING: 4.5/5
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About MeHi, I'm Alexandra! I love reading (largely YA fiction, but sometimes I'll read "adult" books), playing board games, Nutella, and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix with my husband. Follow Me on Instagram@AllCharactersWanted
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