In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren Book Review
“Cocktails are poured, music is put on, the fire roars. It is everything I love in life, but I can’t enjoy it. What a good life lesson: be careful what you wish for.”
(pg. 257)
About
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
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Other Christina Lauren Book Reviews
The Soulmate Equation
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.
Jam-packed with yuletide cheer, an unforgettable cast of characters, and Christina Lauren’s trademark hijinks, this swoon-worthy romantic read will make you believe in the power of wishes and the magic of the holidays.
Review
Spoilers Contained Below
To those stuck in the holidays,
This was one of the books I was excited to read last year, but I just didn’t order it until I was not really in the mood to read the book. I ordered In a Holidaze in January and I think it came in March or something and then, I wasn’t in the festive mood. So here we are, a year later, understanding why In a Holidaze was a wholesome holiday read.
I went into In a Holidaze not knowing what it was about because it’s more fun when you don’t know what a book is about before you read it. So I wasn’t expecting the whole Groundhog Day plot, but having a twist of magical realism during the most magical time of year, was fitting. Also, I couldn’t help but think of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas with the Ducks and they relive the same day over and over again. I loved that short!
Photo credit to Disney
Mae was an older woman who never said what she wanted or felt. I don’t judge because I’m the same way too. She didn’t enjoy her job because people took her ideas and used them, which is a very shizzy thing to do. It’s sad that I. know that actually happens in the real world, but that broke my heart because how was it fair to her that it was her idea to do this art thing at the hospital with kids, and she didn’t even get to work on that?! That’s ridiculous. She wasn’t respected at her job and she should quit if it wasn’t making her happy. She also lived at home, which there was nothing wrong with. It’s not talked about enough, though—how some adults live at home. I live at home; I didn’t move out of the house when I was eighteen.
“The thing about moving home is that I went from independent adult back into kid mode. Mom still does most of the cooking because she loves it. She does most of my laundry because she uses the activity to unwind while she’s thinking about how to fix one of her paintings. Of course, I love these perks but they mean I can’t complain that she also never thinks twice before giving me her two cents on every aspect of my life.”
(pg. 213)
I did dorm in college for one and a half years after I graduated, so I had a taste of living on my own. But when you move back home, it feels like you’re a kid again because you follow the rules or expectations of your parents; their roof and their rules. Sometimes people feel embarrassed or they shame someone if they move back home, like it’s some sort of fail to not be on your own. There is absolutely nothing wrong with moving back home or staying home to figure out your next step, save up for your next move, or have a place to land. Home is where you can go if you need somewhere and there is no failure in that. But it’s also really hard when you’re an adult and you want to do your own thing, but you feel like you can’t. It’s weird. But that’s how I feel because I live at home—-like I’m an adult but who doesn’t get to be an adult. I just wanted to mention this conversation because we need to normalize that staying or moving back home is okay. It’s nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Sometimes you need help or a place to go.
Also, for the longest time, she never spoke up or did anything about her crush on the family friend’s eldest son, Andrew. Instead, she was closer to the younger son, Theo. So, everyone thought she liked Theo, which it’s hard not to assume she liked Theo based on how much time she spent with him instead of Andrew. But as someone who has had passive crushes, I know what it’s like to avoid a crush because you don’t want to spend time with them and embarrass yourself; Mae avoided Andrew as much as possible because she liked him. Then she had to go and kiss Theo one night, which was a big mistake because it wasn’t the brother she actually meant to kiss. But Andrew saw Theo and Mae coming out of a closet together, so it’s like, what was he supposed to think.
Here’s the thing, if in this first reality where she kissed Theo in a closet, Andrew had no reaction to what happened. I think he was acting because in all these other realities, it seemed like he cared about Mae as more than a friend, but he too, never acted on his feelings. I believe he never said how he really felt because he always assumed Mae liked Theo, and bro code says, don’t chase the woman that your brother likes and who he thought also liked his brother. I could understand how he thought he had no chance with Mae. It was this whole miscommunication thing. Andrew was being a good brother, but to be honest, I think if they wanted something to work, they BOTH could have been honest and upfront with their feelings. It’s tricky with Andrew’s part because he was Theo’s brother and he got the wrong message, but Andrew could have also talked to his brother in this first reality about how he really liked Mae if that was how he felt. I just didn’t feel like it was completely Mae in the wrongdoing here about not speaking up about her feelings because he wasn’t talking either 😅, you know?
I digress.
Mae’s unhappy because Lisa and Ricky, Andrew and Theo’s parents wanted to sell the cabin that Mae and her brother, Miles, and the other family friends, Aaron and Kyle and their twins, and the resident attic person, Benny. All of them would meet at this cabin every year and do the same thing because it was tradition. I don’t know what it’s like to have a huge tradition like the one they had, but I could understand how devastating it would feel to lose that tradition because that means things would change. Change is scary because you don’t know what will happen—-whether it is good or bad—and how. They would only get together at the cabin and I could see why Mae did not want to lose that.
When leaving the cabin, Mae made a wish
“So I ask the universe, simply: Can you show me what will make me happy?”
(pg. 30)
Well, that was sad.
Whenever people say that they aren’t happy in their life, it makes me sad because I know exactly what it’s like to not be happy. This sounds like a deep thing to talk about, but sometimes I think the same thing about what will make me happy or what would bring me happiness? I ask myself this a lot when I’m sad or I don’t know what’s wrong because I know I have a roof over my head and things are not terrible, but I still find myself unhappy. I don’t know if it’s an unconscious comparison, but sometimes I get into this head space where I just feel sad because I don’t know what happiness is. I know happiness comes from inside and only you can make yourself happy, but it’s so much easier said than done when you have piles of baggage behind you or you don’t know where you’re going and you’re tired of traveling the long road to figure out where. Last year and earlier this year, I was really sad. I went through a hard time mentally with the pandemic and feeling burnt out and everything made me sad. When Mae asked this question about happiness, I just thought about how hard things have been because it’s natural for us to feel unhappy right now and to have many pinpoints to that reason. I’m not saying you should always be sad, but it’s okay if you are tinged by sadness and don’t know what’s wrong. But where was I going with this? I think what I’m trying to say is that we can find ourselves unhappy and not really understand why unless we step back and wonder what brings us happiness. Maybe that means thinking about the past and what made you happy—waking up late on a Saturday morning and watching cartoons, reading a book, taking a walk. Simple things that make you happy or make your day better is what matters.
“We are now celebrating the small victories.”
(pg. 66)
It’s all in the little things.
Your life does not need to be grand to feel grand.
It’s the way you think about it and act on what you know is bringing you joy.
When Mae took hold of her life, I could see how much happier she was because she was doing things she always wanted to do, and that made her happy. It made her brave.
It’s brave to live the life we always wanted.
I kind of laughed with how she went back in time and she had her crazy moments of feeling dazed. I would feel the same way. I liked that she had Benny to confide in because I think she would have felt even more bonkers if she had no one to help her navigate why she was stuck in this day or to stop her from going back. That really sucked—when she felt like she was making progress to only go backwards. It’s like when you’re typing on Microsoft Word and then it glitches and you didn’t hit save recently. SUCKS 😅.
I liked how everyone did notice a change in Mae because she seemed more intense than usual. Her change was also in a good way because she wasn’t just sitting back, letting other people decide how her life was going to go, she knew how things played out and she took charge of the situation. I liked how no matter when she got thrown back in time, she would have this porch conversation with Andrew, and he seemed very flirty and nice. That’s why I wondered if he had liked her all this time because he had such easy banter with her, but he was just holding back all these years. I don’t know. It just seemed really sweet.
You know, the best moments in life are the ones you least expect—the most spontaneous.
“What about tradition? We won’t be able to keep doing this together if we don’t respect what we built.”
(pg. 88)
Mae liked things the way they were—she honored tradition. Tradition meant expectations, and that was comfortable for her. But when we become too comfortable with something, it gets kind of boring because we grow so content with it. We don’t branch out to try something new because we settle for the comfortable feeling—-the feeling of safety. This could also be said about society in how we have stuck and still stick with traditional ways because people are scared of change and not knowing what will happen. They would rather stick to what they know and are comfortable with rather than explore the possibility of what if. And we all become comfortable at one or more points in our life. But are we going to allow ourselves to be content with how things are and not see how things could be?
And I think that’s why the Groundhog Day worked perfectly with In a Holidaze ✨.
When Maisie went back after being hit with a branch and she got to the snow creature day again, I loved how we saw her realize that doing the same thing was boring.
“It was time. I hope it changes things.”
(pg. 122)
Because there are also points in our life where we should change things up—shake it up if you will. If we become stuck in a routine we are so used to, it’s almost like living a Groundhog Day without really knowing it. I mean, aren’t we all living in a Groundhog Day to some extent without really knowing it? When everyone was so focused on building their snow creature—no laughter, conversation, jokes—-Mae saw how drained of life everyone looked. Comfort and contentment can do that. So, when she started a snowball fight, I loved loved loved that 💚. They all had much more fun, they laughed, they had something new they could share with each other. Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It doesn’t even have to be a big thing. It can be the little things we change up so we don’t get bored or stuck with tradition or a routine.
“How many things like this do we do without thinking, just because it’s the way we always done it?”
(pg. 115)
We don’t realize how sad or bored we are when we do the same things, and start to wonder why we feel sad or bored or weird, when it’s this voice in our heart that feels like it’s too comfortable or stuck in a loop, that it wants to break free. It wants change.
On a personal level, I know I get stuck in ruts and routines a lot. Especially as a student, I had depression as a freshman in college. Part of the reason was because I felt like I was in a routine that made me sad and I didn’t know what or how to change to make me happy, so I stuck to what I knew. I would wake up, go to class, go back to my dorm, study, take a run, shower, eat dinner and watch a show on my laptop, repeat. Each. And Every. Day. I was sad. I had no friends, no one to talk to, I was away from my family. I was angry and sad all the time. I wasn’t happy. I never changed anything even if I knew how unhappy it made me, and that’s sad to think about now. I can’t tell you more about this anecdote because I was just sad, but I wanted change without consciously knowing how much I wanted it.
“Maybe we should do things because we love them, not because we’ve always done things that way.”
(pg. 117)
I loved that 💚.
Break the tradition. Break the routine. Break the rut. Break the loop.
Do things because they make you happy, but not because it’s always done that way. Change things up with things that make you happy. Do what you love. Step out in small ways to spice up your day or your routine. Don’t feel like you have to be stuck in a loop because you don’t know how to change things or you’re scared of what will happen if you do.
I liked how Mae knew it was time for change because she saw how livelier her family became with the snowball fight—how they liked the change. We can make new traditions and routines.
I liked the spontaneous, tradition-breaking Mae.
“. . . I decide to channel Fu**-It Mae.”
(pg. 146)
She was funny and confident and bada**. That’s not to say I didn’t like Mae before she went through this time loop, but I could tell Mae liked this version of herself better because she wasn’t afraid to chase her dreams or do what really made her happy. I guess, when you think that time doesn’t matter or what you do doesn’t make a difference because you’re just going to go through it again and again, you don’t really care what you do. Maybe that’s the attitude we should adopt—to say or do what we really want to and not care (ethical actions and sayings, of course!). But I loved how she was at the table and she just ate all the food because she was like, “Hey, let’s not let the food go to waste because after today it probably won’t matter.” I also liked how flirty she was with Andrew because she was projecting her feelings on the right guy this time. I also liked how she wanted to do new things because she was given this time to change things up.
What I loved too was when she quit her job just like that 👏🏼!! I was like, go Mae!!! Past Mae would have never quit her job, let alone at that moment. But one thing I noticed was how Andrew noticed how sad Mae was in her job. Most guys don’t notice anything, so the fact that he could pick up how her job made her unhappy, was another tell that he was also holding back how much he liked her all these years.
So it made no sense to me why he rejected her under the Christmas tree. Mae was upfront to Andrew about liking him, which I must say encourages me to be upfront about my feelings now. It’s scary to put yourself and your emotions out there, but gosh, it’s tiring to play the games and the chase, when we can all be honest. When Mae basically got friend zoned, I was confused because Andrew liked her. So, this goes back to how I think Andrew was holding back because of Theo. I liked how Mae didn’t beat herself up about Andrew not liking her the way she hoped because past Mae would have been devastated and mortified. But she said her piece and I think that’s all you can do. You can’t tell someone how to feel about you, and she should be prod of herself for owning up to how she felt rather than playing the whole, “Does he like me?” or “What do I do to figure out if he likes me?” thing. Been there, done that.
Andrew was also surprised to hear how much and how long Mae had liked him. I guess he was clueless or reminded the signals wrong because he was too focused on his brother’s happiness. But he should listen to his heart now because by how hard it was beating around Mae was certainly a tell.
“I just want to be under the tree with you.”
(pg. 137)
Andrew liked her and it was obvious. The way he flirted with her and then clutched her as they rode down the sled together. They had some chemistry or friction there 🤪. He probably was feeling a bit horny that day. It was cute—albeit a bit creepy— how he watched her sleep and didn’t want to wake her. Don’t even get me started with how they stood under the mistletoe 😏. Thank goodness for Lisa and always moving the mistletoe. If he wanted her cheek, I was going to lose it. I wanted mistletoe action! I freaking laugh when Lisa and everyone watched Andrew and Mae under the mistletoe and were basically screaming at them to give them a real kiss 😂. I love to hear it. I felt kind of bad for Theo because you could tell how much he didn’t want them to kiss. He gave off angry and distant vibes because Mae no longer spent time with him, which I could understand. But there was also the part where he liked Mae as more than friends, so it had to be painful to see his crush and older brother hang out.
“Do the Hollis men have some sort of closet fetish I should know about?”
(pg. 186)
I loved the whole Sardine hide-and-seek game they had. Mae found Andrew easily because she knew him the best. He was in his room in the closet. They really formed a closet and curtain fetish in this book 😂. But I loved every second of it because it felt like they were the most flirty and honest in a closet. Also, the most steamy and I love the steamy moments. I really kept telling myself, I hope no one opened the closet because I could feel like something was going to happen 😂. Freaking Zachary. I couldn’t blame the kids because they were playing a game, but Andrew’s hands going up like he was being arrested, was freaking hilarious. Good thing he was too young to understand what could be happening between two adults in a closet. Don’t even get me started on the second time they were in the closet and Miles caught them. FREAKING Mae picked up an old salsa bowl. I doubt she was feeling that festive to eat midnight salsa 😂. She had a different idea of what she wanted to taste that night 😏. YIKES, someone cleanse my dirty brain. HAHAHAHA.
“The problem is, I don’t know how to do that, either. I’ve essentially handed my heart over to the person who’s had it on reserve for half my life, and I’m terrified that he doesn’t realize what he’s holding.”
(pg. 210)
Poor Miles, that had to be another awkward conversation with him too. But It was also cool how Miles was okay with Andrew and Mae, but worried about Theo. I think it says a lot how much they worried about their dynamic—it showed their love.
I loved seeing them develop a cute dynamic. I liked the cabin talks and the Christopher Walken. I also loved their inside jokes. I loved when they walked into the store together during the scavenger hunt and saw a Christopher Walken shirt. They just seemed so happy
“I am happy. I have never been this happy in my entire life.”
(pg. 186)
When you live your life being brave about what you want and you make changes, I think you also feel a lot happier. You let go of your fears, your worries, every (or most) heavy thing(s) that made you sad. You learn to walk lighter and let people in and ideas go. I loved that Mae was happier because she asked the universe to show her what would make her happy, and ultimately it showed her a version of her life where she let go of tradition and holding back, and going for it. That’s what made her happy—living the life she wanted if she went for it.
“It can’t be a coincidence that the moment I stopped being passive and followed my instincts, everything seemed to fall into place. I know what makes me happy—trusting myself. What a gift, right? I found happiness.”
(pg. 263)
I think it all goes back to how happiness is inside us and we need to let ourselves unlock it. Because she had happiness in her the whole time, but she was worried, scared, passive about what she wanted. But when she followed her heart and trusted herself, everything fell into place the way it should be. We need to trust ourselves and know that things will work out how they should be. But we also have to trust that there’s something more and better out there and to keep going because one day we’ll find what we’re looking for or be where we are.
When Andrew and Mae started kissing, I had a feeling someone was going to catch them. When Theo walked in and saw them being all couples, I was like this is not going to go well 😅. Theo didn’t like it at first, which I could understand. It was a lot. But once he processed how happy Mae and his brother was and how comfortable/natural they fit together, he was okay with their relationship and could understand it. I think he felt weird because he always thought Mae liked him and that deceived him. But I knew Theo was going to be okay and he just needed time to think about things. I think he still harbors hurt because maybe he did like Mae that way, and it’s not easy to have an unrequited crush and realize it’ll never be reciprocated.
Andrew on the other hand, needed time to cool off too. After Theo found out about him and Mae, he was quick to declare his love, which he said he loved her his whole life. So, I’m going with the whole bro code thing, and if that was the case, he still should have said something in the first reality where she kissed Theo because he was also lying to himself about the life he wanted. When Mae came out to him about the Groundhog Day and kissing Theo in a past version (which I don’t think happened anymore), I was like, sis, he really didn’t need to know something that didn’t happen anymore. I mean, that version of reality was non-existent, unless it was and we are in some multiverse level Avengers thing 😅. But he didn’t need to know because it wasn’t a thing anymore, but Andrew made it a big thing despite it not happening in this timeline. I get it, it was a big revelation that she kissed his brother in another life, but I thought he would come to the conclusion that it didn’t happen and they could move on. But he was angry about it because he didn’t know if things would have happened with Mae if she hadn’t changed.
“So which Mae is real? The one who goes for what she wants, or the one who makes out with my brother when she’s afraid of facing her real feelings and then wishes it away?”
(pg. 244)
Both Mae’s were and are real, but the Mae who was brave, was a version of herself she unlocked once she allowed herself to be free and happy. I just thought it was unfair that he was angry at her when he should have also owned up to his feelings. She wasn’t the only one running away, buddy. I will say, I respected how nice he was to still walk her back to the main cabin even if he was angry with her. An idiot? Yes. Chivalrous? Yea.
I liked how everyone was there for Mae, Andrew, and Theo when they went through a rough patch of not talking. I liked how they didn’t want to make things feel super tense, but they wanted to give them space.
I liked that conversation she had with Ricky about how Benny and Lisa used to date, which is weird to me when I think about who Benny was. Ricky dated Lisa before ending things with Benny—they were all still friends at the time. Things were weird between Benny, Lisa, and Ricky, but they were still friends because of all the history they had together. I liked how Ricky mentioned that Benny was more angry that Ricky and Lisa weren’t honest with him because of how close they were. This made me think of Mae, Andrew, and Theo and how Theo probably was only angry because Andrew and Mae weren’t honest with him. I could understand that. Many times it’s the not-telling that hurts more because it feels like the other person doesn’t trust the other person enough to say something.
But I liked when Ricky said:
“It’ll be okay. Things always look worse from the inside.”
(pg. 152)
I thought about how things could look worse from the inside whether it is mentally or with a problem. We can spiral in making a situation more complex than it is, or maybe a problem looks worse from the inside because you feel stuck or torn in the middle.
I also liked Mae’s heart to heart with her mom. The mom seemed like a lovely woman who just wanted her daughter to be happy. I wish we had more moments with her 💚.
I barely talked about Benny, but he was almost like a Julie Andrews from the Princess Diaries in how he knew just the right things to say to Mae. I loved loved loved that he bought the cabin. I’m still curious how the heck he’s rich 😂—something about buying stocks or knowing something about Spotify. I don’t know, that didn’t make sense to me. But I’m happy he bought the place they loved because that meant they could return for years to come and have a place to carry on and start new traditions. I read Float Plan by Trisha Doller this year (book review coming soon!), but it said something that stuck with me. It talked about how we can build the old with the new. I loved that because sometimes we think we have to demolish the entire past, but we don’t. We can build with the new to create something of the two. It’s like when you lose someone or when you move on, you carry parts of that person with you. The cabin was their history—their past and a new, exciting future. A fresh start. So I loved how Benny renovated the place to embody the new and old sentiment.
Now, the whole thing with Andrew, was a mess because he was still avoiding her for I don’t know WHY 🙄. Bro, in this life, she chose you.
When Mae strode into the boathouse to say what she wanted, I was like this is F***-It Mae at her FINEST 👏🏼👏🏼!!!!
Let’s go!!!
You tell him!
Her whole speech felt more like she was popping off for herself rather than Andrew and I loved that. Way to go her! I love a queen who speaks up for herself and says what she needs for her!! Live for you, sis!
“And even though I wished for it, I worked for it too. . . But I’m proud of myself for telling you. Do I wish I’d explained it better? Sure. But I told you the turn because I wanted to start whatever we have by being perfectly honest.”
(pg. 279)
Yea, she worked on herself for herself and she should be immensely proud. GOSH, when she gave him her painting called Happiness, the waterworks show came on 😭 . The picture was titled Happiness and it had Andrew all old and looking kind and loving and he was with Mae on a porch and they were laughing at something with each other. Happiness in her life also meant happiness with Andrew in growing old together and sharing a life together. The universe said, happiness was not with his brother 😂. They did her a solid. But I loved the painting because it captured her heart for such a long time 💚.
“And it wasn’t just romantic in theory; it was romantic in reality.”
(pg. 279)
The fact that he didn’t go after her when she said her speech AND gave him that painting????? I was like, is this BRO an IDIOT 😩!!!!! What a LOSER!! He’s watching the love of his life walk away and he’s not going to at least try???????
Bro, she be running away, but at least she ran knowing she fought as hard as she could. I don’t know what his excuse was ✌🏼.
I loved that Mae took a walk in the woods to clear her mind. When she was walking, I loved how she thought through all these possibilities she wanted in her life—where she could live and what she wanted her next career move to be. It was such simple thoughts that made a big difference because she was finally thinking about what would make her happy, and she was going to chase it. Life is too short to spend it not doing what makes us happy. She wanted to move somewhere cold because she loved the cold and had no idea why she chose to be in California. She was going to do her own thing for her business without the ties of a job. The world awaited her, and that was the most uplifting thing I could imagine.
“I can figure out who the [heck] Maelyn Jones really is. I took my shot with Andrew, and it’s out of my hands now, but it doesn’t then I have to let the other threads of bravery fall away.”
(pg. 283)
Absolutely not.
She was already living her best life by choosing to live it.
When she got home from her walk, I knew something was up 😆. The whole family didn’t have a discreet bone in their body! Go upstairs they said inconspicuously. When she saw the Hershey’s peppermint kisses trailing on the stairs and to his room, I was like, GRAND GESTURE TIME 👏🏼! I LOVE 💚. Better late than never.
I thought he was going to sing her a song or something because he played the guitar and that would have been a romantic gesture, but of course, DUH, they met in a closet 😂. Andrew was just flustered the first time around and didn’t know what to say to Mae, which I could understand. But bro should have still chased after her or something in my opinion. But we love to hear a guy say there were wrong 🤪. I’m joking, but not really. He knew how much Mae loved him and wanted to start a life with him and I loved how they were slowly planning this future together—the future they both wanted. It was funny though how they really haven’t been dating all that long and just had a huge fight, but that did’ mean they were over. You know, my book brain thought they were O-V-E-R over because of everyone who has written things like that. This is what you get for being a reader—thinking of the worst case scenario. I’ve been made a skeptic 🤪.
If a book doesn’t have an epilogue, I don’t want it.
I mean, I’ll still read it, but books with epilogues are superior.
When he proposed to Mae 🥺💚♥️????? I had a hunch he would. I mean, he wouldn’t just return to the cabin with no family and then not use that time to propose! But I loved how it was actually a surprise and everyone popped out after Andrew proposed. I loved that they were there to witness a new memory at the cabin. I also loved how Benny kept the closet intact amid the renovations. We love to see it. He knows what’s up. Andrew and Mae should get married in a closet. He should have proposed in a closet. We love a closet. Maybe they should live in a closet 😂. Okay, I’m done. But I loved how the cabin always felt like her home, but so did Andrew. She had all she needed right where she was. And it’s wild to think about how everyone has a different center of their universe because it puts things in perspective about how we’re all living different lives and home differs.
I really enjoyed this wholesome and magical holiday read. It truly puts you in the romantic spirits ♥️. I also loved the touch of blended or extended family. I haven’t read many books with blended or extended families, but I liked how we had this group that loved each other and had a fun dynamic and you could feel that. Not all families these days are what we used to think as “traditional,” and we need to see more of that represented. I also liked Andrew and Mae’s cute moments because there were many. I would have loved to see their first date because we went from let’s get back together to getting married. A sis, needed to know how a first date would have gone. I think the only thing I wanted more of was to understand the magic system because I didn’t know if all the other versions of Mae’s life never happened because she was not living the life she always wanted. If that’s the case, she had never been in a car crash, hit by a big branch, or fell down the stairs. Good for her 😅. When you put the whole back-in-time plot into the mix, it can get messy, so I understand why there’s not much about the magic of the time loop, but I was just curious.
II also have come to appreciate Mae the more I wrote this blog post because I think about how we all want to be happy and we may not all be living our happiest lives. Maybe that’s because we’re too busy with work or we’re stuck in a routine or we’re just not feeling excited about anything right now. But reading In a Holidaze, reminded me that I need to spice it up, do something different. I should get out of my routine and make little changes each day that make me happy—consistently do things that bring me joy. Because that’s how we get through life—-we enjoy and make time and celebrate the little things because those are the bigger things that matter. I was also reminded of how we should stop holding ourselves back from what we want. Stop letting fear or worry get in the way of our happiness. Quit the job. Find a new job. Tell someone you like. Tell someone that they are not being nice to you (in a nice way). Learn a new hobby. Revisiting an old hobby. Do all these things because this is your life to live and the more we take a backseat role, the more we’ll find ourselves unhappy because we don’t feel like we have control over what happens to us. When Mae told the Universe to show her what made her happy, it gave her a gift. We don’t always have that. Mae kept getting thrown back in time because she kept doing things that didn’t make her happy or didn’t allow for change. She wasn’t in control. But when she was “Crazy Maisie,” when she took control of her life, the Universe stepped back and let her lead. How beautiful is that? Be in the driver’s seat of your life, and trust yourself and your heart. It’s not going to lead you wrong. Also, don’t be scared to change things up because it’s from those moments that the most growth or the best moments that are going to come.
I want to end with this quote:
“It’s hard to know which choice is right until it’s all over, I guess.”
(pg. 122)
This is said about the time loop. But I think it can also ring true for different stations. I’m indecisive as ever, but there’s something I heard recently about how picking one choice doesn’t mean the Universe punishes you for the other. It means, decide what you want and stick it because it was what your heart chose first. And if it wasn’t the “right” choice, you can always have other choices to pick from. But you’re not going to know unless you try. So go with what your gut or intubation says, and trust that. Trust you. Live your life for you.
You deserve it.
Happy holidays everyone 🎄♥️💚!!
What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part?
What did you think of the book? Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕.
What is your favorite holiday tradition? Mines is driving or walking around to see the lights ✨.
I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.
And as always, with love,
Rating
4.88 Full Bloom Flowers
Characters: I loved Mae and to see her become the woman that was always inside her.
Writing: Christina Lauren can do no wrong
Plot: I really enjoyed this wholesome and magical holiday read. It truly puts you in the romantic spirits ♥️. I also loved remembering that we should trust ourselves and do what makes us happy.
Romance: Cute banter, sweet holiday fun, and closests