In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (Gallery Books)
“We ate breakfast in the old, untasting, gulping, early morning Christmas way, unpacking the stockings, down to the candy mouse in the toe, each made a pile of our things for future gloating. From breakfast we rushed into our clothes and tore down the icy road in the glory of the blue-white glistening alpine morning.” Ernest Hemingway ~Christmas on the Roof of the World (Toronto Star, 1923)
October 21, 2020
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
Please hear me out before you think I am crazy. I am fully aware that it is the middle of October and the fall mums I love to decorate my yard with have yet to be purchased, while plans for this coming pandemic Halloween are still non-existent. Let’s not mention the fact that Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays), is still miles away. As much as I never want to wish time away, I am already excited for the Christmas season. Even though I have been stuck in my house more than usual these days, cozy fires, twinkling lights, and the smell of cookies baking in the oven always bring me peace and happiness. To add a log to my future cozy fire is Christina Lauren’s latest book, In a Holidaze. There is no turning back after reading this winter wonder. A snowy cabin, spiked eggnog, some dreamy “steamy” romance, and a teeny tiny bit of time travel (trust me…this works) is sure to turn any frown upside down. This smile-inducing story will have you dreaming of Christmas.
Maelyn (Mae) Jones hates her job, still lives with her parents and has a mad crush on someone very close to her. The one thing she looks forward to every year is the holidays. For as long as she can remember, Mae has spent every Christmas vacation at her family’s snowy Utah cabin for the holidays with two other families. The story opens up at the end of the Christmas festivities. Presents have been opened, snowy competitions have been won, and boozy bellies can’t fit another bite of turkey. It’s the tail end of the holiday extravaganza and Mae makes a drunken mistake with Theo (her childhood friend) that leaves her head spinning. With no time for closure, she heads to the airport to thaw her frozen limbs and fly back to her regularly scheduled life. On the way to the airport though, Mae gets into a car accident that not only knocks her unconscious, but has her waking up on an airplane heading to Utah to start her Christmas vacation…AGAIN! Guess what? She is the only one aware that she just stepped back A WEEK IN TIME. Will she get to fix her intoxicated mistake, find love with the real man she so desires and turn her unhappy life around? Time and a few resets will tell.
I was so happy reading In a Holidaze. It was the perfect change of pace from all of the October thrillers I have been devouring. Christia Lauren’s latest rom com is not your typical time travel story. If you are thinking of Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander Series or even The Magic Treehousefor that matter, rest assured…this book doesn’t bop through time to that extent. Instead, Lauren’s book is about second chances…a potential redo ( who doesn’t want that option from time to time?). There may be a slight rewind in time, but nothing to stew and fester over. Mae seizes this magical opportunity to make things better and take a much needed chance on life for once. The chemistry between the characters is absolutely fantastic. This book had me grinning from ear to ear from start to finish. With delightful characters, a picturesque atmosphere and a romance that made me swoon, I was in Holiday Heaven reading In a Holidaze!
The Holidays are right around the corner. If you’re looking to get into the Christmas spirit sooner than later, make reading this book happen!
You will not regret it!
Until next time my friend!
Your Biggest Fan,
Kelly
P.S. Click on the book pic below to purchase from your favorite local bookstore.
