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In a Holidaze

Pages
307
Published
2020
Language
English

Synopsis

Twenty-six-year-old Maelyn "Mae" Jones is in a rut: living with her parents, stuck in a job she hates, and dreading the end of a cherished tradition -- her family's annual Christmas at a snowy cabin in Park City, Utah, shared with their tight-knit found family, the Hollises. This year is made worse by a drunken misstep: Mae kisses Theo Hollis, even though she has quietly loved his older brother Andrew for nearly two decades. As the family drives away after the holiday, a despairing Mae begs the universe to show her what will make her happy. The car crashes, everything goes black -- and she wakes up back on the airplane at the start of the same trip. Caught in a time loop, Mae relives the holiday again and again, using each reset to mend the fractures threatening her found family, undo her mistake with Theo, and finally act on her feelings for Andrew. Each loop forces her to consider what genuine happiness actually requires. Warm and lighthearted, the story blends a magical premise with a holiday-cabin setting and an ensemble of family friends.

About the author

C
Christina Lauren

Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings write together under the combined pen name Christina Lauren. The two met online in 2009 through the Twilight fan fiction community and decided to write a novel together in 2010, signing with literary agent Holly Root in 2011. Their debut, Beautiful Bastard (2013), began life as a Twilight fan fiction titled "The Office" before Simon & Schuster acquired the series. Since then the duo has built a career in contemporary romance and rom-coms, with titles including...

Characters

Maelyn "Mae" JonesProtagonist

A 26-year-old in a life rut who becomes trapped reliving her family's Christmas holiday after pleading with the universe.

Andrew HollisProtagonist

The older Hollis brother and Mae's nearly two-decade-long crush.

Theo HollisSupporting

Andrew's brother, whom a tipsy Mae kisses and immediately regrets.

BennySupporting

A middle-aged family friend who becomes Mae's confidant during the holiday.

MilesSupporting

Mae's younger brother.

All characters in In a Holidaze

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the premise?

    After a miserable Christmas, Mae begs the universe for happiness and then wakes up reliving the same holiday trip in a time loop.

  • Is it a Groundhog Day-style story?

    Yes. It is marketed as Love Actually meets Groundhog Day, with Mae repeating the holiday until she gets things right.

  • Who does Mae actually love?

    She has had a roughly two-decade crush on Andrew Hollis, but drunkenly kisses his brother Theo, which kicks off her regret.

  • Where is it set?

    At a snowy family cabin in Park City, Utah, where Mae's family gathers each Christmas with their found family of friends.

  • Was it a bestseller?

    Yes. It was an instant New York Times bestseller, published in October 2020.

  • Is the found-family theme central?

    Yes. The Hollis cabin gathering of the parents' longtime friends forms a found family, and mending its cracks drives Mae's loops.

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