PopSugar 2020 Reading Challenge Prompt: A book by an author who has written more than 20 books

Other PS 2020 reading prompts this would satisfy: A book that's published in 2020, A book you picked because the title caught your attention, A book with a three-word title



I’ve heard so much fanfare for the dynamic duo of Christina Lauren (which is actually two authors who write stories as one - so cool! I just found out recently). But their first book I ever stopped and picked up is In a Holidaze. I was first sold by the cute cover on NetGalley, and then declined a review copy. But lo and behold, the book made its way to Book of the Month, and I snatched it up for my BOTM pick that month.



Mae just found out that her favorite place in the world is leaving her life. For her entire life, her family and two other families they're close with have spent the holidays at this wonderful family cabin in the mountains. But that's all going away. And it's the only thing that really brings Mae joy. She leaves the cabin distraught and asking the universe for happiness. Then she and her family get in a car crash, and she wakes up... back on the airplane on the way to the cabin again. There she starts living over the same few days over and over again. What will make this time loop stop? And what will bring Mae the happiness she so hopes for?



What I didn’t realize (because I’m notorious for not reading synopses before reading books) is that this story is a Groundhog Day-esque tale set during Christmas. HELLO! That description absolutely would’ve have sold me if the cover hadn’t. I love a story of a repeated day/time sequence that only ends when the MC finally changes their ways and makes the “right” choice. It’s so fun to me to see how their actions and the impact of those actions change each time they live the same day over and over. There’s really just something about considering the consequences of your actions and how what you do and say can really change people’s lives, for better or worse. I read the whole book in a matter of hours. I was immediately sucked in and fell in love with the story. This one was a bit unique, because Mae isn’t stuck in a one-day time loop. Every time her loop starts over, she goes back almost a week, to the start of her family’s annual holiday trip.






In a Holidaze is laugh-out-loud funny, a bit of a tearjerker, a whole lot of romantic, and just the right amount of steamy to bring a blush to your cheeks. I absolutely loved this book, and will definitely be reading more books from this dynamic duo.




Goodreads rating: ★★★★☆