One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones in In a Holidaze, the quintessential holiday romantic novel by Christina Lauren, the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners..

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.

I don’t know why, but for some reason, I love the “Groundhog’s Day” trope in books – but what’s weird about this is that I hated the movie when I saw it several years ago. Maybe I’ll go back and watch it again someday, but for now, I’m perfectly happy reading about it.

This story follows Maelyn Jones (Mae to her friends and family), a young twenty-something who is at a bit of a crossroads in life. It’s not that she is unhappy; she just feels stuck. Her job is fine, but it doesn’t exactly fulfill her. She’s single and kind of coasting through life, waiting for something great to happen to her. One Christmas night, Mae makes a wish to the universe to show her what will make her happy. Little does she know, her wish is about to come true in the most unexpected way.

When we first meet Mae, it’s the final night of her yearly Christmas vacation at a family friend’s cabin in Park City, Utah, and she’s just made out with a childhood friend. The problem is – she isn’t really into him. In fact, she’s always been in love with his brother, but she’s pretty sure said brother sees her as nothing more than a friend. As Mae and her family are about to leave the beloved cabin, a bombshell is dropped. The family friends who own the cabin have decided to sell it, which means that the one thing that Mae looks forward to every year has been ripped away from her. The families have been visiting this cabin for years, and the news is devastating.

After a fateful car accident while on the way to the airport, Mae finds herself trapped in a time loop, reliving the same holiday weekend over and over. With each repetition, she learns more about herself and those around her, leading to hilarious mishaps and heartwarming moments that will have you laughing one minute and tearing up the next.

The cast of characters in this book is great, and I could totally see myself wanting to spend every holiday in Park City with them. What made this even more magical was the connection that Mae had with not only Andrew (the sweet guy she has crushed on for years) but also the connection she had with her brother, Miles, and Benny, the single, Australian guy who is a friend of the family and spends every Christmas with them.

The book is well-structured and moves at a perfect pace. What was also nice about this book is that Mae only resets a couple of times throughout the book (meaning the holiday only starts over a couple of times), so it didn’t feel overly repetitive. We spend a lot of time with her as she works through things and figures out who she is and what will honestly make her happy in life.

This is a delightful read that is equal parts “Groundhog’s Day” and a Hallmark Christmas movie. While it’s fairly predictable, it’s still an enjoyable read. Filled with Christmas cheer, romantic moments, and plenty of relatable characters, this is the perfect book to add to your holiday TBR.