In a Holidaze audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
A time loop replays one Christmas week in a cabin full of family friends. One narrator reads the whole book, and Kirkus called it a standout audiobook.
Short answer: for the In a Holidaze audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). Patti Murin reads the Little, Brown edition in 7 hours 40 minutes, unabridged. A second listing has the same narrator and length, and whether they are the same recording is not confirmed. One protagonist and one narrator point to audio, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Listen on Audible
One protagonist and one narrator point to audio, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Little, Brown) | US edition (Simon & Schuster Audio) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Patti Murin | Patti Murin |
| Length | 7 hours 40 minutes (7h 40m) | 7 hours 40 minutes (7h 40m) |
| At 1.5x | about 5h 7m | about 5h 7m |
| At 2x | 3h 50m | 3h 50m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged | Unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Little, Brown Book Group, 28 October 2021 | Simon & Schuster Audio, 6 October 2020 |
| Print length | 307 pages (Piatkus paperback, per Blackwell’s; Open Library lists 336) | 336 pages (Gallery Books paperback) |
| Price (snapshot) | £14.35 on Audible UK | $14.99 on Audible US |
Both listings have the same narrator and length, and the Simon & Schuster Audio edition is also sold on Audible UK; whether they are the same recording is not confirmed. With the two otherwise equal, we score the newer Little, Brown edition. A German edition is read by Sandra Voss.
Lengths checked 17 October 2026. Speed times are calculated from the listed length. Prices are a snapshot from the same day.
In a Holidaze
Christina Lauren
- Genre
- Romantic comedy
- Published
- 2020
- Length
- 307 pages (Piatkus paperback; Open Library lists 336)
- On audio
- 7 hrs 40 mins, Patti Murin
- On screen
- Netflix film, due 2 December 2026
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), 7 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 7 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Narrated by
- Patti Murin, solo, unabridged
- Two Audible listings
- Little, Brown Book Group (UK, 28 October 2021, our verdict) and Simon & Schuster Audio (US, 6 October 2020), both read by Murin and both 7h 40m
- Listener ratings
- 3.8 from 56 ratings on Audible UK and 4.2 from 3,665 on Audible US, as of October 2026
- What audio adds
- Murin’s comic timing and distinct voices for the cabin ensemble
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed; possibly whatever marker print gives each reset
What this book actually is
In a Holidaze is a Christmas romantic comedy by Christina Lauren, the writing duo Lauren Billings and Christina Hobbs, first published by Gallery Books in the US on 6 October 2020. The UK paperback, from Piatkus, runs to 307 pages on Blackwell’s listing (Open Library says 336). Emily Henry’s blurb calls it “pure, irresistible magic from start to finish.”
Mae spends Christmas week with her family and their oldest friends at a cabin in Utah. The book opens on 26 December, and then a time loop sends her back to the plane landing on 20 December, replaying the same week at least three times across 24 numbered chapters and an epilogue. A Netflix film starring Maddie Ziegler, Graham Phillips and Rob Lowe, directed by Tiffany Paulsen and co-created by the authors, is due globally on 2 December 2026.
The case for reading it
The one question for print is the loop. Each reset returns Mae to 20 December, and in print a reader can see a chapter break or a change of scene, but a listener has to notice it from the audio alone. We could not confirm how the book marks the resets; if it uses headings or set-off lines, the case for reading gets stronger.
Beyond that, the printed book has little that the audiobook lacks. The cabin holds Mae’s family and several family friends, but no source calls the cast hard to follow, and no reviewer singles out the prose. For those who prefer print anyway, the Piatkus paperback runs to 307 pages.
The case for listening to it
A time loop sounds hard to follow on audio, but this one stays simple: Mae lives each pass in order, and every reset starts at the same place, the plane landing in Utah on 20 December. With one romance to resolve and one loop to break, there is a single storyline to follow.
The performance is the strongest argument. Kirkus’s audiobook review praises Patti Murin’s “joyful and animated narration”, her comic timing and her distinct voices for the many family friends, and calls it a “standout audiobook”. At 7 hours 40 minutes, it is short enough to finish in a week of commutes before the film arrives on 2 December.
The audiobook in detail
There are two Audible listings, both read by Patti Murin, solo and unabridged, and both 7 hours 40 minutes: Simon & Schuster Audio’s from 6 October 2020 and Little, Brown Book Group’s from 28 October 2021. The Simon & Schuster Audio edition is sold on Audible UK as well as in the US. Whether they are the same recording is not confirmed, so we score the newer Little, Brown edition. At 1.5x the book takes about 5 hours 7 minutes, at 2x 3 hours 50 minutes.
Kirkus’s review is of Murin’s performance, and we could not tie it to one listing; both have the same narrator and length. Listener ratings differ by store: 3.8 from 56 ratings on Audible UK and 4.2 from 3,665 on Audible US, as of October 2026. A German edition is read by Sandra Voss.
Who should ignore this verdict
Readers who like to see each turn of a time loop marked in print, or who expect to flick back and check which pass they are on, should start with the Kindle edition. Anyone choosing it for steam should know reviewers describe it as light.
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
A Christmas Carol
It is another Christmas story in which the main character is shown Christmas more than once, and our verdict is to listen.
People We Meet on Vacation
Emily Henry wrote a cover quote for In a Holidaze. Our verdict on her own romance, told across ten summers, is to listen.
The Love Hypothesis
It is another rom-com adapted for streaming in 2026, and either format works.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
❄ See every Christmas book, read or listen →
Questions people ask
Who narrates the In a Holidaze audiobook?
The In a Holidaze audiobook is read by Patti Murin, solo and unabridged. A Kirkus audiobook review praised her “joyful and animated narration”.
How long is the In a Holidaze audiobook?
The In a Holidaze audiobook is 7 hours 40 minutes (7h 40m) long. At 1.5x it takes about 5 hours 7 minutes; at 2x, 3 hours 50 minutes (calculated).
Is the In a Holidaze audiobook abridged?
No. The In a Holidaze audiobook is unabridged on Audible UK and US, read in full by Patti Murin.
Should I read or listen to In a Holidaze?
Listen on our checks (65% confidence, leaning). One protagonist and one narrator point to audio, and nothing confirmed points to print.
When is the In a Holidaze movie on Netflix?
The In a Holidaze film is released globally on Netflix on 2 December 2026, starring Maddie Ziegler as Mae, directed by Tiffany Paulsen.
How many times does Mae relive Christmas in In a Holidaze?
At least three times. Each reset sends Mae back to the plane to Utah on 20 December, the start of the same holiday week.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.
Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.
How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: the Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster Audio listings on Audible UK and Audible US, Piatkus and Gallery Books edition details from Blackwell’s, Simon & Schuster and Open Library, Kirkus’s audiobook review, SuperSummary on the chapter structure and the loop, and What’s on Netflix and TVLine on the film.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
Deciding about a different book?
Search for it. If we've written it up, we'll take you to the verdict. If not, we'll add it to our list of books to check.