Every year, three families gather for the Christmas holidays at a cabin in Utah owned by the Hollis family. They all met in college and their children have celebrated together since birth. Maelyn (Mae) Jones, however, isn’t enjoying this year’s festivities. She’s moved back home, hates her job and learned that the Hollis’s plan to sell the cabin. Even worse, in a drunken holidaze moment, she made out with Theo Hollis late the previous night in the mud room. They’re more like siblings and if that wasn’t bad enough, she’s had a hopeless crush on his older brother, Andrew, for years and he witnessed the make out session. On the way to the airport with her family to return home, Mae sees them about to crash. She closes her eyes and when she opens them, she’s on the airplane going back to Utah…back to the beginning of the trip!
If this sounds like Groundhog Day you’d be right but this has a neat twist. There’s a finite number of times this reoccurs but I’ll leave that to your discovery. It’s rather whimsical in approach and the hilarity ensues upon each repeat when Mae knows what’s going to happen leading up to her departure date as she tries to figure out what she needs to do to make it stop. What I loved in addition to the humor is the dynamics of the group. If you could imagine the ideal holiday experience it might look like what these three families have created. It’s not all perfection but the affection they have for each other is undeniable.
I really enjoyed this story and thought the narrator captured the pleasing nature of Mae Jones with all of her wry humor, neuroses and adoration of all things Andrew. Every character was well developed and I felt I knew them intimately by the end of the story. I’m glad I chose the audio version as the storytelling was fun and put me in the spirit of the season. I can always count on these writers to just get everything right.
Book Info
- Release Date: October 6, 2020
- Narrator: Patti Murin
- Audio Length: 7 hours, 40 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Blue Mood Café 
I am glad you enjoyed this one as much as I did Jo. It was a fun, festive story.
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Thank you, Carla💜 I agree!
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I didn’t quite understand the blurb, but this book has garnered very positive reviews from many book bloggers. Will check out this one. Thanks for sharing, Jonetta. 🙂
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Thank you, Debjani💜 The blurb is deliberately vague and once you get into the story, you get why. Since I never read the blurbs for books by this author as I read anything they write, I hadn’t a clue where this story was going.
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Wonderful review! I definitely can’t wait to read this one. xx
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Thank you, Yvo💜 It’s so much fun.
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Wonderful review Jo. I love the clip you included, Patti Murin’s got a great voice!
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Thank you, Nicki💜 Murin did such a great job with this story.
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I might get myself to finally read a holiday book. These ladies usually do a fine job with their stories. Excellent review!
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Thank you, Marialyce💜 This is a fun one to begin the season!
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I have this one on my TBR list for the holidays! Thanks for the great review!
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Thank you, Julie💜 You’ve got a good one to look forward to.
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Damn, I so want to see the Tv movie of this one, never mind reading it. I think this sounds like the perfect Christmas movie, where’s the popcorn? ☺️
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You are SO right about this being ideal for a TV movie, Alexandra💜
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I was picturing it so vividly when reading your review and thought it would be great fun.
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So fun to thoroughly enjoy a book! Thanks for sharing!
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Thank you, Carol💜
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When I started reading your review, I thought “I know where this is going”. The time-loop feature took me by surprise! Great review, sounds like a fun story!
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Thank you, Stargazer💜 That was my exact reaction when I was listening to the story! Never saw it coming.
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This sounds like a fun holiday story. Thank you for sharing it and your wonderful review ❤️
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Thank you, Tessa💜
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It sounds like the audiobook was terrific! I really enjoyed this book, but I’m sure I would have liked listening to it too. I loved the dynamic between the families and the traditions at the cabin. I just wish I had something like that in my life!
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Lisa, I come from a big extended family and we used to spend our holidays together. It was very similar to this story and was wonderful.
I switched to the audio format for CL books a couple of years ago and am determined to continue. They nail the narrators.
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That’s great — maybe I’ll try the next CL book on audio!
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I’ve not come across this one before but it sounds like it should be on my December reading list!
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It’s a fairly new release by a writing duo I’ve come to admire. I’ve read everything they’ve written in the last few years. They never let me down.
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I now have it!! I just spent one of my audible credits 😀 😀
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Woo hoo💜 I hope you love it, Jules.
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I really loved this too with its camaraderie in the family group, and the honest emotions that happened. I like that Mae was honest about how she felt even when it made her vulnerable. Fantastic review!
Anne – Books of My Heart
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Thank you, Anne💜 I loved the same things, too!
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