‘Tis the season for finding romance in this hilarious and uplifting holiday readWhen it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say “Bah, humbug.” The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn’t exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate’s found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt’s neighborhood … neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?
Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before–and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures–Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it’s least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it’s been right under her nose all along. . . .
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I absolutely adore Christmas stories, When I saw the cover for THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS, I knew this would be a book that I needed for the holiday season and it did not disappoint. Sure, there were a few things that didn’t work well for me but when I take a moment to think of the story as a whole, I can’t help but get those gooey, happy feelings. Therefore, I think this book is a and I recommend it to fellow readers looking for a festive read during the holidays.
I enjoy British chick lit novels and while this one DID have romance in the plot, the story still focused on the heroine and her journey to finding love. This one had all the British mannerisms and saying that I have come to love (think books from authors like Sophie Kinsella and Bridget Jones’s Diary) and I felt like I was in the U.K. right with them. It also helped that it had all the small town feels which is another thing I love in all books.
Another thing I loved was that this book felt festive. You could practically picture the gorgeous decorations, smell the mince pies and mulled wine, and feel the snowflakes dancing around you. Settings are important and being able to transport your readers and make them feel as if they are IN the novel is important. Jenny Bayliss nailed this.
The heroine is a wonderful character. Not only is she a good person (you can just tell by the way she treats others) but she’s fierce and doesn’t take crap from ANYONE especially the men who may have dishonest intentions within the dates.
Now onto the things that did’t work well for me (personally).
The point of the book is TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS. That’s the title, that’s what we go into the story thinking about, and that’s what the blurb talks about. However, I felt like these dates weren’t displayed enough. We don’t get to see these dates in a large part of the story and when we DO get to them, they seem to get glossed over too quickly. I would have liked to see her with her dates a lot more than we did.
This book is described as a romantic comedy and I honestly didn’t laugh while reading. This book wasn’t funny and lighthearted like other romantic comedies out there. I was bummed too because I really wanted a book that would give me the full belly laughs.
The heroine doesn’t end up with who one would think she would. Of course, many readers WILL know straight away who she ends up with (it’s no shocker) but again, it doesn’t feel fitting of the title.
Other than these small issues I truly did enjoy this story and I know it’s going to be one I bring up around the holidays every year. It’s a full on, festive read, with a setting you can visualize and characters who will warm your heart.
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Twelve Days of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss a five-star read that brings Christmas to the yard. This made me feel so Christmassy that I want to put my lights up now, what I would give to live in the setting of this story, I would love to suck up the atmosphere of the Village. Jenny Bayliss has a way of describing things that makes them so real, its nicely done. I was so surprised to find out this was a debut novel; it shows real talent, so I know I can’t wait for more. The dates are funny, and I mean laugh out loud funny, but there is a real aspect to the story as well. Do not miss this story no matter the time of year, but if you need any help getting into the Christmas spirit then pick this up as you cant help but he swept up in the seasonal spirit.
This was a lighthearted, entertaining read. Kate, now 34 years old, is looking for someone to be ‘the one’. Hence she has signed up for 12 dates. The date venues are varied, as are the men she meets. Kate is a very creative person and the reader is taken on some of her thought processes and inspirations for her designs. Kate is also an enthusiastic baker and works through her recipes. Kate has two best friends in her village, Laura and Matt. Some of their back stories are told, also village life. There were some very vivid descriptions that formed a picture in my mind. This is a story of friendship, love and humour. It is a story to read curled up in a warm wrap with a mug of hot chocolate. It really left me with a feel good factor. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss is an excellent modern and romantic novel dispersed with Christmas cheer, awkward situations , and laugh out loud moments throughout.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the main characters Laura and Matt. I loved their personalities, shared history, imperfections, and their chemistry. I also enjoyed the full array of secondary characters within the little village of Blexford. They were all so down to earth, like able, realistic, and fit perfectly within the plot and novel.
The descriptions of the village, Christmas decorations, food, landscapes, and detail really helped sell this book (adding to all the other wonderful selling points!). I really felt as if I was there part of this wonderful extended family.
I also truly enjoyed the 12 dates plot. There were moments I cringed, laughed, felt my heartstrings pull, and also stressed (ugh that icky Richard). The author did a superb job creating a wonderful novel with excellent pacing, plot, characters, and a prose and dialogue that was smart, witty, sarcastic at times, and yet realistic and smooth.
It was perfect. 5/5 stars enthusiastically
Thank you EW and G.P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Publishing for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.