I just couldn’t get through this book. The backstory of all the characters overwhelmed me... it made me feel like this was a second book in the series and I missed everything that had originally happened between the main two.

BAH, I'm a sucker for a friends to lovers trope!! This book was a great kick off to the holiday season. I loved that Kate has a cool creative job, is also a baker, and is involved with her community. Also, what on earth was up with this village on a hill that Kate's car couldn't make it up all the time?! LOL, that always made me laugh. The 12 Dates of Christmas challenge provided some amazingly hilarious situations but omg I knew Richard was a creeper since the beginning! There was always something just off about him, glad he got what was coming, despite Kate having a shit situation on her hands. In the end, thrilled with how everything turned out.
3m

I loved the premise of the book and I thought the dates were cute and well written. I definitely needed some angst between the characters as there was no reason for me to root for them to end up together. The quaint English village was adorable and somewhere I would love to spend the holidays. Overall a cute holiday romance

I am so happy that I waited until Christmas week to read Jenny Bayliss's debut novel, The Twelve Dates of Christmas. This adorable, breezy rom-com is a must-add to your holiday reading list, as it will give you all of the cozy Christmas feels. I nestled down with this novel, whiling away the hours over the Christmas holiday, getting lost in Bayliss's enchanting tale of finding love amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Kate Turner is in her mid-thirties and has reached the point in her life where she is ready to give up on finding true love. If the love of her life were to miraculously show up one day and sweep her off her feet, she certainly wouldn't turn him away, but she is also comfortable living her life as a single independent woman. As a print designer for the luxury London department store Liberty and a baker for the Pear Tree Café, her friend Matt's quaint and cozy coffee shop in her charming hometown of Blexford, Kate feels pretty fulfilled in life. But that doesn't stop her from signing up for the "Twelve Dates of Christmas."

The Twelve Dates of a Christmas is a holiday event sponsored by a local dating agency. Participants are paired with twelve different potential love matches and sent on themed dates in the weeks leading up to Christmas in hopes of finding love for the holidays. Surely Kate will find her match in one of these twelve men ... right? As you may guess, everything isn't merry and bright as Kate ventures off on her twelve dates. While some men definitely bring her tidings of comfort and joy, some of these fellows just stink, stank, stunk! Are you ready to dash through the snow with Kate on her twelve dates of Christmas? Be there with bells on!

The Twelve Dates of a Christmas is a wonderfully captivating, quintessential modern holiday read. Set in the delightful village of Blexford, England, this book manages to mix old-world charm with modern day issues. The setting of this novel comes to life and leaps off the pages, making it really a character of its own. Blexford is the perfect place to host a holiday novel, and it definitely got me in the Christmas spirit. Furthermore, the plot encompasses all of the lovely aspects of village life, including a cozy café, caroling on snow-covered streets, a grand manor ruled over by a Lord and Lady, and a collective and shared history of the town's inhabitants. The Twelve Dates of Christmas will definitely leave you wanting to spend the holidays in the picturesque town of Blexford.

Then there are the twelves dates, themselves. Each chapter of this novel focuses on one of the twelve dates. I really liked this set-up because I knew that when a new chapter started, there would be a new guy introduced, which helped me keep better track of the dates and characters. All the horrors and idiosyncrasies of dating are present here in a hilarious and compelling narrative. I couldn't wait to go on Kate's next date just to see what fresh hell awaited her, while also hoping that she would find her life's love among one of these twelve men.

In all, The Twelve Dates of a Christmas is a novel that manages to be both fun and atmospheric, providing a perfect combination of nostalgia and enchantment, with a side of modern day dating woes. This novel will appeal in some way to anyone looking for a jaunty and spirited holiday read.

This is a fun holiday rom-com filled with heart and humor. Kate Turner is 34 years old, single and living in the small town where she grew up. She has a career as an artist for Liberty fabrics which allowed her to move back home when her mother left her father. Along with her art, she also bakes for the Pear Tree Cafe, now owned by her childhood best friend Matt. Coaxed by her other friend Laura, a married mother of two, Kate sings up for the 12 Dates of Christmas. The service is expensive but offers 12 dates ranging from tea, to wine tasting, to salsa dancing. Surely Kate will hit it off with at least one guy. But as Matt teases her about the "12 Shags of Christmas," Kate experiences one disasterous date after another. Meanwhile, Kate begins to realize that love might be found somewhere completely unexpected. Full of laughs and loves this is a perfect Christmas gift of a book

Loved it! Very cute, fun, and romantic story. I liked that it took place in a small village, and that it was at Christmastime. All the characters were fun, and developed well. This is a light, sweet, romantic story that is great for someone who just wants something quick and fun to read!

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss is a hilarious, uplifting and heart swooning romance I enjoyed!

This was a perfect holiday closed door romance read that I needed. Broken down in twelve fun and oh so funny chapters as thirty-four year old, very picky and happy to be single fabric designer and baker Kate Turner, moves back to her home town of Blexford and where she is reunited back with her childhood friends Laura and Matt. Busy with her career and taking care of her dad, best friend Laura encourages Kate to take a chance at love by signing up for a very pricey 12 dates app to find her true love.

Every chapter was hilarious and the dates just keep on getting more disastrous, it was such a fun read. I was so delighted with this book and really loved each of the characters in this heart felt holiday read.

A sweet holiday romance taking place in a cozy English village. You get all the charm of this village as it celebrates Christmas. A sweet set of characters dot this plot as Kate Turner signs up with a dating site and has 12 dates before Christmas. Go o. This journey with her, but ttrue to form it is her best friend that she falls for.

There's nothing like a good Christmas romance, and this one fits the bill perfectly. One of the better Christmas romances I've read this year, with a cast of characters that you'd want to be your friends. The Village of Blexford is the perfect backdrop to a Christmas story, where it seems to snow everyday and the Christmas spirit is in full swing! Our main character, Kate, embarks on a program which involves her attending twelve different dates with twelve different men, all arranged in a different setting, in an attempt to find the perfect man. Of course she doesn't realize the perfect man has been under her nose the whole time. Charming, funny, heart-warming - I can't recommend this book enough as a great Christmas escape from reality! I will definitely be looking up other titles from Jenny Bayliss! Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I did find it to be slow at times, and the chapters were VERY long, but it was a cute and definitely a happy read during the holidays.

While I did find it to be predictable, I didn’t mind because I still liked how the story played out in general.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss is an adorable Christmas romance! I'm fairly easy to please when it comes to holiday romances - give me a character who adores Christmas, a great best friend, and a romance that is bound to blossom around the holidays, and I'll adore it! Add on a quaint village setting like in this book, and I'll love it even more. There's no plot or setting too cheesy for me when it comes to holiday books! ⁣
⁣
This book was surprisingly not cheesy though! The plot was fun and so very Christmas-y, but never felt over the top to me. Our main character Kate is in a bit of a dating rut, but she's not unhappily single. In fact, her life is pretty ok - she's a world traveler, has great friends, and is an amazing baker and artist. Just no partner at the moment. I loved that Kate had some baggage, but wasn't weighed down by it. ⁣
⁣
After some convincing, her best friend Laura (where do I find myself a Laura?! I adored her!) convinces her to get back into the dating scene. Enter The Twelve Dates of Christmas! Kate joins other dating hopefuls in fun, holiday-themed activities, which I enjoyed reading about so much! This book put me in such a festive mood. The author really brought Kate's cooking, art, and dates to life. I wanted a coffee and a cup of mulled wine and Christmas goodies throughout the whole book! ⁣
⁣
The bad dates were both horrifying and hilarious in this book! I wouldn't have stayed as optimistic as Kate. About midway through, I knew where things were headed but it was still a lovely journey getting to the end of the book. And the end gave me all the warm fuzzies! A perfect holiday HEA. ⁣
⁣
If you're looking to add another holiday read to your list this month, add this one! You won't regret it! ⁣

THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Drink rec: Irish Coffee☕️

I have been seeing this one all over bookstagram and was so happy Alison and I picked it for our December #BottomsUpBuddyRead choice! If you’re looking for a cute rom-com to get you in the holiday spirit, this is it!!! I feel like this one totally has Hallmark movie vibes!

I loved reading about Kate’s adventures and mishaps on her dating journey as she participated in The Twelve Dates of Christmas program. In the program, she’s matched with different guys for each date and all of the dates were wintery/holiday themed! My fav was the wine tasting date (obvi💁🏻‍♀️) because it reminded me of the scene in The Office where Michael says “it had a bit of an oaky afterbirth”😂

The only major down sides for me was that I found it to be pretty predictable who she’d end up with and the chapters were SO LONG! I much prefer shorter chapters that I can breeze through quickly, but I liked how it was divided up with one date per chapter.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the funny, heartwarming, holiday romance! If rom coms are your thing, I’d def pick this one up!!

To see the review on my Instagram page, go check out @tipsybookreviews!

I may be a city girl through-and-through, but I love reading about quaint British villages. The setting of this book is its own character: a tiny town where everyone knows everybody. There’s a fancy manor and a knitting club and lots and lots of decorations and twinkle lights; there are descriptions of delicious baked goods and wintry landscapes. Reading this book felt like being ensconced in a warm blanket and drinking a mug of hot chocolate. Our heroine, Kate, signs up for a dating program that matches her with twelve different men through the month of December, embarking on events like winter hikes, disastrous skating, and gingerbread house building. The men Kate meets aren’t half-bad, either! Of course, it’s possible she’s already in love with her best friend, Matt, though he usually drives her crazy…

This was such a cute Christmas novel! I loved seeing Kate go on all her dates! This book was sweet, funny, and a little cringe—but all in good fun! (I mean what do you expect when dating 12 different men!) This book made me want to pack my bags and move to a quant village in the U.K.

Thank you @putnambooks for a gifted e-copy of this fun holiday read 🎁 If you’re looking for a fun British holiday romance, this is your book! ⁣
⁣
Kate Turner is done with relationships. She’s thirty-four, single, has her dream job, lives in a sleepy but close-knit town, and has her best friends by her side. But when her best friend signs her up for a dating agency, she thinks “What’s the harm?” And so she embarks on a journey of twelve dates with twelve different men. ⁣
⁣
This one was fun and lighthearted, and although I found myself disliking some of the characters at times (why can’t characters in romances ever COMMUNICATE 😂), Bayliss does a wonderful job of getting you in the Christmas spirit. I have never had a mince pie, nor do I think I’d really like it, but I am dying to taste one now!!! The diversity of the characters also left something to be desired.⁣
⁣
If you’re looking for something light and fun to read this holiday season, I recommend checking this one out 🎄

Twelve dates of Christmas! Thank you to the publisher G.P Putnam's Sons for sending me this book in exchange for promotion and review. I will make an Ig post of this for promotion purposes.

Kate Turner is at a point in her life where she is ready to let love in. So what better way than a dating service where she might fin her perfect match. This service pairs her up with 12 different men on 12 different dates. She goes on these dates and some were good, bad, lousy, and funny but Kate never lost hope. She kept the spirit of love and Christmas alive. As thing develop she realizes that maybe she was looking at love in all the wrong places!

This book was really cute and funny. The premise of the story caught me from page one. I was in love with Kate and her character. I enjoyed the dates and the different outcomes each date offered. What fell a bit short for me was the predictability of the book. We are hinted at the potential love interest early on and the book became a hallmark movie. For some this might be a selling point, but I would have liked for there to have been more mystery and less obvious predictability. Memorable character however is Kate's mom! She was my favorite person out of the whole book! Can we get a sequel just with her?

This was a perfectly cute Christmas romance! Kate’s friend Lauren, and her father Mac, convince Kate to sign up for the Twelve Dates of Christmas – an event which hosts 12 adventures with 12 different partners. Though Kate is happy with her life and her career, she considers this a chance to see if there is someone out there for her.

Kate is a likeable character. I enjoyed her passion for her job and her involvement in her little community. Her relationships with her family and friends are sweet, and often funny. I also enjoyed the small town atmosphere and interactions with fellow town members.

Each chapter is a new date. Kate does everything from cooking classes to escape rooms and each one is an experience! I did find that it was a bit unrealistic for Kate to connect with and find so many of the guys attractive, but that didn’t stop me from immensely enjoying the date portions. And she makes some new friends along the way which I thought was sweet.

The only negative I have for this one is that it was incredibly predictable. It almost felt like we were following a formula for perfect Christmas romance. But overall, I really liked The Twelve Dates of Christmas and would recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet romantic read.

This was such a cute Christmas romance. I liked the main characters and their path to a relationship. The date failures were funny. I will recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and happy book.

I just finished up ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴡᴇʟᴠᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇs ᴏғ ᴄʜʀɪsᴛᴍᴀs ʙʏ ᴊᴇɴɴʏ ʙᴀʏʟɪss. This was a cute holiday story and while it was pretty predictable, I still enjoyed following Kate on her 12 funny, sad and crazy dates. Thank you to @netgalley and @putnambooks for providing my review copy! 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ....
This was such a cute title, and a perfect fun & quick read for getting in the holiday spirit! I loved that a bakery was the setting, everything sounded so yummy and Christmasy! With the snow and all of the great date ideas, the setting was everything you hope for when thinking of the Christmas season. Tfast paced storyline and funny characters made this story easy and fun to read, and I just wanted to know more about the first date fails! It seems like everything that can go wrong will for poor Kate, from being stood up on date one, to the dinner date with the weeping vegan, and finding Mr. Perfect (only to find out he does NOT want kids), and I just wanted to see the man she falls in love with! Her finally finding Mr. Right was so satisfying and heartwarming, and it was a great end to this really cute story.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC!