Light and fun without being too saccharine - a perfect distraction! ( )

So sweet, so much fun. Loved it! ( )

In a Holidaze is a romance by Christina Lauren set during the holiday season.

I'm not gonna lie, I expected a bit more out of this book. I figured this was going to be a kind of Hallmark-esque holiday book, but it was just a romance during the holiday season. It did have a unique concept - the main character is basically living the Groundhog Day movie over and over again until she ends up with the right guy.

This book felt... bland. Maybe because I went in with high expectations? But the characters also felt so typical. One brother is the one you want to fall in love with while the other is that jerk face guy who makes you feel all special in the moment then acts like you don't exist. The families have unique dynamics but don't have anyone that sticks out. It felt very cookie cutter to me. I wanted... something more? Normally romance tropes are fine with me, but this one just had me bored.

The book didn't really get interesting until the last third, so having 2/3 of a book be boring and not keep me connected is not a good thing. Yet, I can see many book lovers diving into this book and loving it. It just wasn't for me! Add in the fact there is never any reason given for the time travel (why not some Saint Nick type guy to make it seem like Christmas with the Kranks meets Groundhog Day?), it just didn't work for me.

The romance between the leads also felt... dry. It didn't feel like these two should end up together other than the trope itself. We didn't see their relationship beforehand to know if they were really good friends. It felt like they just got mashed together like barbie dolls to kiss, smooch and make up. Plus, our lead Mae acted like she was 16 and I think she's supposed to be an adult?

Overall, this book wasn't for me! I'm trying to grab more holiday books during the holidays, so I tried! Other readers will absolutely love it though.

One out of five stars. ( )

This was a light, funny read involving repeating a holiday vacation until happiness was found. I probably wouldn't have read this had I read the book description because I don't really like time travel books but this one worked for me and stayed enjoyable. ( )

This was a cute holiday romance about a woman who finds herself caught in a Groundhog's Day style time loop. She has to relive the week leading up to Christmas over and over until she finds out what makes her happy. I liked the story and how the main character grew throughout the story. The main love interest was good in an almost too perfect way. I liked the rest of the friends and family that she was visiting with that week and was a bit sorry we didn't get more of their stories. Overall it was an entertaining holiday story, full of Christmas traditions and romance. ( )