In a Holidaze Summary: A Cozy Time-Loop Romance That Rewrites Christmas
Introduction To ‘In Holidaze Summary’
Imagine making a desperate wish just as your world goes dark.
Then waking up on an airplane, flying toward the same vacation you already lived.
That is where Maelyn Jones finds herself in In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren, the writing duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings.
In a Holidaze summary unpacks a holiday romance wrapped in a magical time loop.
The novel lands in Park City, Utah, at a rustic cabin called The Hollow, where three families have gathered every December for thirty years. Traditions run deep here.
Snow-creature building, sledding competitions, and scavenger hunts fill each day. But beneath the twinkling lights, Mae’s life is unraveling.
She is stuck in a job she hates.
Her parents tiptoe around their divorce. And the cabin, her emotional anchor, is being sold. One catastrophic Christmas ends in a car crash and a plea to the universe.
Then everything resets.
What follows is a story about second chances, chosen family, and the courage to stop being a people-pleaser.
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TL;DR: Six Days to Get It Right
- The Setup: Maelyn Jones, 26, kisses the wrong brother, learns the family cabin is being sold, and dies in a car crash, all on December 26th.
- The Twist: She wakes up on December 20th, trapped in a time loop that resets every time she messes up or gets injured.
- The Mission: Mae must figure out what truly makes her happy, stop living for others, and act on her long-hidden feelings for Andrew Hollis.
- The Stakes: If she fails, the loop continues. If she succeeds, she gets the life she never had the courage to build.
In a Holidaze Summary: The Full Story
SPOILER WARNING: This section recounts the complete plot, including the ending.
The story opens on December 26th of what readers later understand as the original timeline. Maelyn Jones is miserable. Her accounting job drains her spirit.
Her parents, Dan and Elise, maintain an awkward post-divorce peace for the sake of the holiday.
Then the Hollis parents, Ricky and Lisa, drop devastating news: they are selling The Hollow.
Fueled by eggnog and emotional wreckage, Mae makes a reckless move.
She has been in love with Andrew Hollis since childhood.
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Instead of confessing to him, she accidentally ends up making out with his younger brother, Theo, a known womanizer.
On the drive to the airport, a truck T-bones the family car. In the moment before impact, Mae begs the universe to show her what happiness looks like.
She opens her eyes on a plane. It is December 20th. Everything has rewound by six days.
Confused and terrified, Mae attempts to explain the crash to her family. They dismiss it as a vivid dream. But events begin repeating with eerie precision: a scraped knee, a cracked tooth.
She realizes she is reliving the same holiday.
The first resets are triggered by accidents. A fall down the stairs sends her back. A falling tree branch does the same. Mae consults Benny, a wise family friend, who becomes her anchor.
He suggests the loop is not random. It is a do-over. She must change how she lives.
Mae decides to stop being passive. She quits her job via email. She avoids Theo and finally tells Andrew how she feels during a trip to a tree nursery. Their connection ignites fast.
They begin a secret relationship, stealing kisses under mistletoe and sneaking away to the unheated Boathouse. Mae feels genuine happiness for the first time in years.
But she also works behind the scenes. Learning that Benny has grown wealthy from early Spotify investments, she plants the idea for him to buy the cabin from the Hollises. This would save The Hollow without destroying the friendships tied to it.
The secret unravels on December 23rd. Theo discovers Mae and Andrew together. He accuses her of leading him on. Cornered, Mae confesses to Andrew about the time loop and reveals that in another reality, she kissed Theo.
Andrew is devastated. He cannot reconcile the woman he loves with the version who chose his brother first. He pulls away.
A day of painful silence follows. Then the universe intervenes. Miso the dog destroys Andrew’s sweater exactly as Mae had predicted. The proof is undeniable.
Andrew finds Mae in a closet, their private sanctuary, and confesses his love. He accepts that fear once made her small. She chose him when it mattered.
The loop breaks.
Six months later, the Fourth of July brings everyone back to The Hollow. Benny now owns the cabin and has renovated it beautifully.
Mae lives in Denver with Andrew and works as a graphic designer.
The story closes with Andrew proposing to her in the Boathouse, now converted into a guest cottage, surrounded by their chosen family.
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Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Maelyn (Mae) Jones | A 26-year-old peacekeeper and graphic artist who gets trapped in a time loop and must learn to pursue her own happiness. |
| Andrew Hollis | Mae’s lifelong crush, a kind sound engineer at Red Rocks who becomes her romantic partner. |
| Theo Hollis | Andrew’s younger brother, a womanizer whose kiss with Mae creates the initial romantic conflict. |
| Benny | A Portland locksmith and trusted family confidant who guides Mae through the time loop and ultimately buys the cabin. |
| Ricky and Lisa Hollis | Andrew and Theo’s parents, owners of The Hollow and keepers of the holiday traditions. |
| Dan and Elise Jones | Mae’s divorced parents who maintain a fragile peace during the annual gathering. |
| Miles Jones | Mae’s perceptive 17-year-old brother. |
| Kyle and Aaron Amir-Liang | Close family friends; Kyle is a Broadway performer, Aaron navigates a midlife crisis. |
| Kennedy and Zachary | Kyle and Aaron’s five-year-old twins. |
What Drives the Story
| Theme | How the book presents it |
|---|---|
| Chosen Family | Three unrelated families maintain a thirty-year tradition of gathering at The Hollow, showing bonds that rival or surpass blood ties. |
| Second Chances | The time loop gives Mae literal do-overs, allowing her to correct mistakes and make braver choices. |
| Tradition vs. Authenticity | The rigid holiday itinerary represents comfort and history, while Mae’s new actions challenge whether those traditions still serve everyone. |
| Trusting One’s Instincts | Mae quits her unfulfilling job and pursues Andrew only after abandoning her need to please others first. |
| Honesty in Love | Andrew’s hurt when he learns about Theo underscores that truth, even delayed, is essential to a lasting relationship. |
Summary by Chapter
SPOILER WARNING: Grouped chapter summaries follow.
The Initial Disaster and First Reset (Chapters 1–4)
The novel opens on a grim December 26th. Mae endures a drunken mistake with Theo and learns the cabin is being sold.
A violent car crash transitions directly into her waking up on a flight six days earlier. Her family dismisses her warnings about the accident as a dream.
Testing the Loop and Seeking Counsel (Chapters 5–8)
Back at the cabin, Mae experiences precise déjà vu as minor events replay exactly. She confides in Benny about the time loop.
Her first attempt to fix things ends with a fall down the stairs, resetting the loop and proving the universe demands a deeper solution.
Changing the Narrative (Chapters 9–14)
Mae abandons her people-pleasing habits. She helps Andrew win Snow Creature Day using knowledge from the previous loop.
She quits her job and admits her feelings to Andrew at a Christmas tree nursery, stepping onto an unpredictable new path.
Bliss and the Boathouse (Chapters 15–19)
Mae and Andrew’s relationship accelerates through stolen moments and shared traditions. They spend a passionate night in the Boathouse.
Despite her happiness, Mae fears the loop might reset and erase everything she has gained.
The Crisis of Truth (Chapters 20–23)
Theo exposes the secret relationship, triggering a confrontation between the brothers. Mae reveals the time loop and her kiss with Theo.
Andrew withdraws in hurt disbelief. Mae flees into town, convinced she has failed the universe’s test.
Resolution and the Forever Future (Chapters 24–Epilogue)
A Christmas Mass and a conversation with her mother help Mae realize happiness means trusting her own choices. She sketches a gift titled “Happiness” for Andrew.
Benny buys the cabin. The loop breaks. Six months later, Andrew proposes in the renovated Boathouse during a Fourth of July reunion.
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FAQ
How does In a Holidaze end?
The time loop breaks after Mae acts authentically and Benny buys the cabin. Six months later, Andrew proposes to Mae in the renovated Boathouse surrounded by their chosen family.
Is there a time loop in In a Holidaze?
Yes, the novel uses a magical realism time loop. Maelyn Jones relives the same six-day Christmas vacation multiple times after a car crash, resetting each time she makes a critical error or sustains an injury.
Who does Mae end up with in In a Holidaze?
Mae ends up with Andrew Hollis, her lifelong crush. Despite a brief entanglement with his brother Theo in the original timeline, the loop allows her to pursue Andrew honestly and build a lasting relationship.
Does Mae quit her job in In a Holidaze?
Yes, Mae quits her accounting job via email during one of the loops. By the epilogue, she has built a successful new career as a graphic designer in Denver.
Who buys the cabin in In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren?
Benny, the family’s longtime friend and Mae’s confidant, purchases The Hollow from the Hollis parents. Mae subtly encourages this by recognizing that Benny’s early Spotify investments have made him wealthy enough to afford it.
What is the setting of In a Holidaze?
The novel takes place primarily at a rustic cabin called The Hollow in Park City, Utah, with snowy mountains, pine thickets, and a cozy winter atmosphere framing the entire story.
Is In a Holidaze a standalone novel?
Yes, In a Holidaze is a standalone holiday romance by Christina Lauren. It does not connect to any of their other book series or shared universes.
Similar Books
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: An enemies-to-lovers romance set during a vacation, featuring the same witty banter and strong family dynamics.
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren: A second-chance romance between childhood friends, matching the sentimental depth and long history between Mae and Andrew.
One Day in December by Josie Silver: A holiday-adjacent love story spanning years, centered on a missed connection and the ache of unspoken feelings.
The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk: A British woman relives Christmas Day in a time loop, blending holiday chaos with self-discovery and romance.
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle: A quirky holiday romance with magical elements, featuring a chaotic family gathering and a protagonist forced to confront her unhappiness.
Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey: A Christmas-set romance with a cheerful, transformative tone and a heroine rebuilding her life after hitting rock bottom.
Christina Lauren: The Duo Behind the Magic
Christina Lauren is the pen name for Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, a best friend writing partnership that began in 2009.
The pair has authored over twenty novels across contemporary romance, young adult, and women’s fiction.
Their works include The Unhoneymooners, Love and Other Words, and the Beautiful Bastard series, many landing on the New York Times bestseller list.
Hobbs and Billings met through online fan fiction communities before transitioning to original fiction.
Explore more Christina Lauren book summaries to discover their wider body of work.
