In a Holidaze

In a Holidaze is a 2020 romantic comedy novel by Christina Lauren, the authorial duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. Lauren is an acclaimed name in the genre, with 20 of the authors’ novels becoming New York Times bestsellers. The authors have also been honored with the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year awards from RT Magazine. Their most recent novels are The True Love Experiment (2021) and The Paradise Problem (2024).

This guide refers to the Kindle e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide depict a car accident.

Plot Summary

The novel opens on December 26, with 26-year-old Maelyn “Mae” Jones confronting various emotional and existential crises during her family’s annual trip to Park Slope, Utah. Mae recently kissed her childhood friend Theo Hollis, even though she remains deeply in love with his brother, Andrew. Mae’s parents have had a decades-long tradition of gathering with their found family of college classmates at the Hollis family cabin. Now, Mae confides in Benny, her parents’ close friend, and tries to restore peace with Theo, only to find that Theo is ignoring her. To her horror, Andrew knows that she kissed his brother and seems to regard it as an unsurprising development since Mae and Theo are so close in age that their parents have always joked about the inevitability of their future relationship. The vacation ends with Ricky and Lisa, Andrew’s parents, announcing that they will be selling the cabin because the upkeep is too expensive. As Mae tries to process her shock and grief, she wishes for clarity from the universe about how to find true happiness. Soon afterward, the family car is hit by a truck.

Mae is surprised to wake up on a plane rather than in a hospital. Her brother, Miles, informs her that it is December 20, and Mae is surprised to realize that she is now repeating events that she remembers living through once already. She tries to use her knowledge to prevent various minor mishaps, such as her father breaking a tooth, but is unsuccessful. She has a flirtatious conversation with Andrew and confides in Benny that she has lived through these events before. He suggests that she have her father, a doctor, check her for neurological symptoms. On her way to find him, she falls down the stairs, only to wake up on the plane once more.

As Mae restarts the vacation again in Groundhog Day fashion, she gradually realizes that Andrew is becoming her emotional anchor. She speaks to Benny again and decides that it is likely her mission to prevent the sale of the cabin. Mae helps Andrew find the sleeping bags that he will need to be comfortable in the family’s outdoor structure, using her prior knowledge of current events. The outbuilding is nicknamed the Boathouse, though it has never held boats. Andrew is spending the holiday there because he refuses to sleep in the bunk beds that he used as a child. He and Mae partner up for the family’s annual snow sculpture contest, but Mae triggers another reset on the holiday when she angrily tries to prevent a snowball fight because it is not a traditional event.

On her third repetition of the holiday, Mae rapidly and insistently tells the others how to avoid mishaps, including her father’s broken tooth and Lisa’s unfortunate music choices. The others are slightly stunned by her brusqueness, but Andrew seeks her out. Mae and Andrew flirt almost immediately. This time, during the snow sculpture contest, she confides her dissatisfaction with her job and with her living arrangements with her parents. Mae also lets the snowball fight happen, realizing that her family is truly joyful thanks to this small break in their years of tradition. Mae similarly departs from tradition when she and Andrew go shopping for a Christmas tree rather than letting their fathers do it. They also have a frank conversation about Christmas and the financial burden of the cabin. Mae confesses her feelings for Andrew and spontaneously quits her job. She later tells Benny that her new fearlessness feels liberating. As they let the young children at the gathering decorate the Christmas tree, Andrew confesses that he always imagined that Mae would choose Theo; he assures her that they will remain friends. Theo is clearly seeking Mae out, concerned that she is avoiding him, but she struggles with her prior memories of his callous behavior.

The next day, Mae is relieved to see that she is still in the same timeline, and she finds that Andrew is still flirting with her. As they go sledding, Andrew confesses that he never imagined that she could see him as a partner. When they play sardines with the children, Mae and Andrew share a passionate kiss in a closet while waiting for the others to find them. That night, they do the dishes together, realizing that their easy companionship is turning into an intense romance. They retreat to the Boathouse for a night of passion. The next day, Mae is overjoyed but struggles to confess her fears about her unusual situation and begins believing that the holiday will restart if she ever becomes unhappy. During a scavenger hunt, Theo catches Mae and Andrew kissing and is furious. Mae and Theo are nearly hit by a car, leading Mae to assume that the time loop is about to restart. When her family finds her, she urges them to stay away from her, explaining the time loop with help from Benny.

Mae retreats to a diner, where Benny finds her and suggests that she return to the others and confess her situation to Andrew. He also admits to being wealthy since he has been a longtime investor in Spotify. When Mae returns, she and Andrew have passionate sex, and he confesses to falling in love with her. Mae, for her part, explains her chronological adventures, including her kiss with Theo and her fears that the time loop will restart. Andrew is hurt and assumes that Mae secretly wants his brother; he concludes that he cannot trust her current choices, given how many others she has made. Mae tries to convince him that she returns his feelings, but he asks her to leave. The next morning, Ricky, Andrew’s father, assures her that all the conflict will be resolved somehow. Mae is grateful for the sense of security and trust, especially from her mother, during the family’s Christmas Eve preparations. Andrew gives her a sentimental gift that evokes their night together, but he is still not speaking to her.

On Christmas Day, Mae goes to church with her mother and realizes that whatever the purpose of her time travel has been, it has shown her the value of making decisions more freely and fearlessly. Her mother and Lisa reassure her of their unfailing support. Her brother, Miles, suggests that their parents could buy the cabin. Mae rushes to find Benny and asks if he can help her buy the cabin. He explains that after reflecting on her experiences with the time loop, he decided to buy the cabin himself. Mae reconciles with Theo, who apologizes for his anger and says that he merely needed time to process. Mae forgives him and decides not to burden him with her memories of their awkward kiss. She works on a Christmas gift for Andrew with help from her mother and Lisa. She takes it to him in the Boathouse and reveals that it is a painting of the two of them as an elderly couple. She confesses her love and apologizes for misleading him, maintaining that loving him has always made her life better. Mae goes for a walk before he can respond, resolving to move and find a new job even if Andrew does not forgive her.

Upon her return, Mae finds a trail of her favorite candy leading to the closet where she and Andrew had their first real kiss. Andrew admits that he now believes her story; he reassures her that he never intended to end their relationship, but Mae assumed the worst because of her family’s inability to argue. They commit to a relationship. 

In the Epilogue, Andrew and Mae visit the refurbished cabin, which includes a remodeled Boathouse that is now a small cabin in its own right. Andrew proposes to Mae, and they celebrate with their families.