Well we all know where this one was going, but what a truly lovely way to get there. Filled with the frosty bite of a winter in the country and the decadence of gorging on sweet treats as the nights draw in and Christmas approaches, I found the foodie bits vivid in my own imagination. As a nature lover I was pleased that it found it’s way into the narrative in so many ways and the scents of the woodland remained with me.

I found the dates fun and engaging with some menfolk proving their worth. The perils of online dating still on display despite the safe zone implied by the service which serves as a timely warning that all that glitters is not gold and I enjoyed all the characters who interacted in Kate’s orbit . A bit of festive fun with enough romance to keep this chicken hearted soul well satisfied.

A lovely, light hearted festive book. It was predictable but I find that doesn't matter with this kind of book.
The story is centred around Kate and her friends.. Kate signs up to a dating agency to take part in the 12 dates of Christmas and naturally it doesn't go very well!
An easy and enjoyable read.

I loved this Christmas book!
Kate, Laura and Matt have all been friends for years. They have been through lots together and their lives have brought them back to the village they live in.
Laura, married with two children persuades Kate to sign up for the 12 dates of Christmas - 12 dates with 12 different men.
I loved all the tales of each date and enjoyed the way Kate's story turned out!

On the whole, this was a nice enough book. Kate has returned to the small village where she grew up and where her best friends and dad still live.
One of Kate's best friends, Laura, convinces her to sign up with a dating agency for The Twelve Dates of Christmas. There are 23 days until Christmas and Kate gets to go on 12 dates with 12 different men. Surely one of the men will tick all of Kate's boxes?

Personally, I found this to be a very predictable story. I don't think I was much more than a quarter of the way through before I figured it all out.

I think this will be a massively popular book for Christmas 2020 and there is no reason for it not to be - I found it very well written, with lots of light -hearted moments, full of well rounded characters who I would love to know.

A very festive read oni deed. The characters were a little on the young side for me but the storyline was lovely. Well recommended x

What a great book. I loved Kate and the dates were so well described that it was easy to feel for her. Such an unusual theme but one which brings so much fun to the reader. Not my usual genre but I loved the nonsensical humour throughout - I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions and telling my husband what had happened. I think that it was obvious what would happen at the end but the twists getting there were certainly not expected.
A fab Christmas cheery read.

A cute story and the writing gave you lots of details, many too much at times because they didn't really add to the story. Like the process the main character goes through to create her Liberty fabrics. At 30% I worked out how the story ends, so for me it was a ok read but not one that I was most excited about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for a honest review.

Kate signs up to a new dating idea called the twelve dates of christmas. Twelve men, twelve christmas dates, what could possibly go wrong? Kate is excited and nervous maybe she will find the one but she's about to learn its never that simple.

Aww what a cute, funny and sweet story this was. I loved this story so much and the ending was perfect. I did figure out who she would end up with, its an age old story but it was written so well. I enjoyed the dates and the different ways they turned out. I love how Kate is a strong character but has her moments of real emotion. The other characters in this, really help make the story. They are all so relatable and fun especially Drew. The imagry in this is just so well written, you can easily picture eah location. This has made me want to get baking again. A fun, festive read that will make you laugh and cry.

This was the perfect book to curl up with on a crisp November evening, with the fairylights sparkling from the tree (we're in a pandemic, Christmas is allowed to start a little earlier). This book is full of brilliant festive delights, it's got all you could need in terms of painting a wonderful Christmas setting.

The concept of the book and the setup were really interesting, the dates were all fun to read, though some of them felt as though they could have been a little funnier and relatable to bad dates that we've all been on. Kate though was a terrific heroine and I really enjoyed watching her character arc, it was pacy and effortless and immediately, as a reader you're invested in the story.

This was one of my favourite reads this Christmas, it brought lots of festive love and laughter at a time when we all definitely need some. A 5* read, and one I recommend to anyone looking for a good book to curl up with over the holidays.

Another good reason to stay up late, catching up with @imacelebrity & finishing this festive feast!

When Best friend Laura persuades Kate to participate in 'The twelve dates of Christmas' will she find the one or is her Mr Right closer to home than she thinks? Full of festive fun, knitted jumpers & everything to make you feel all warm, festive & fluffy inside 🎄 🎁

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

𝗜 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 5 🌟 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

☆☆☆☆☆
I absolutely loved this book. It's the first one I have read by Jenny Bayliss and I will definitely keep an eye out for more of her books. It had a festive feel and I loved the different dates. I think this would make a great movie too! Definitely a must read for the festive season.

This is a 3.5 for me. It was super cute and I loved the plot but the writing was a bit clunky and there were too many mini info dumps that often added very little to the story.

Overall it was an adorable Christmas read. Very festive and entertaining, perfect December read!

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a cute unique rom-com and I couldn’t wait to curl up with this one.

kate Turner has long given up trying to find her perfect romance. She is happily settled into her career as a designer for Liberty and enjoys a quiet life in the small commuter town of Blexford, where she grew up. But when her best friend Laura signs her up to a dating agency, she finds herself embarking on twelve dates over 23 days, leading up to Christmas. Surely she’ll find her soulmate amongst these eligible bachelors?

Kate is a genuinely lovely person and this made it really easy to root for her and wish her happiness. On her second date, she is matched with a man who is still very hung up on his ex and she encourages him to get back together with her. Throughout her dates, she meets men who have various issues with people from their past and she does everything she can to help them. I went through all of her emotions with her and that’s one of the most magical things that authors can do with their protagonists.

There are a few descriptions of Blexford that made me stop and simply enjoy the village for what it is, in all of its winter glory. I grew up in Bromley, which I think is very close to where Blexford is supposed to be, so I couldn’t help but inject some of my own memories into what those South London towns are really like in December. It held a special, cosy quality for me and I have to thank Jenny Bayliss for that.

Kate’s mum is a free-spirited woman who enjoys trotting around the world after unsuitable men. I pictured her as a much less endearing Moira Rose-esque character and it made me like Kate even more for somehow managing to not inherit any of her mother’s qualities. I’m not sure whether I was supposed to feel any sympathy for her at any point but I definitely didn’t. I can only assume her presence was included to boost Kate’s character.

I would love a spin-off novel focusing on The Knitting Sex Kittens. I have a special love for books that feature communities of older, eccentric people and I know that there are more than a few fantastic stories amongst these women. I wanted to see more of them in this book, so if they could eventually have their own, that would be even better!

Ultimately, like many festive romances, the book follows Kate’s journey to realising that she has been closing herself off from love but actually what she really needed was always right in front of her without even realising it. Her childhood best friend Matt runs The Pear Tree Cafe in Blexford and Kate's relationship with him may appear to be sibling-like to the untrained eye but it really isn’t. They bicker constantly but there’s a strong sexual tension running underneath it. I knew from the very beginning that Matt was who she was supposed to be with and of course, with this being a Christmas rom-com, I had no doubts it would eventually transpire.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a smile-inducing, cosy, festive blanket that requires copious amounts of hot chocolate and gingerbread to accompany it. It’s a Hallmark movie without the atrocious acting, so if you’re looking for a wonderfully written, perfectly predictable romance, you’d be hard-pushed to find a better one this year!

📚 Book Review 📚

So, when I got to about 30% of the way through this book, I thought to myself that I could probably already write my review as I could work out the ending and so that was that.

It wasn't being able to predict the ending that was the problem, this genre of book always has a fairly clear storyline (unless the author throws in a curveball.) It was more that I didn't like the ending that I could foresee happening! I liked Kate, the main protagonist, and at this point in the story I wasn't that keen on who she was probably going to end up with. (I felt she could do better!) However, by the time I got to 50% I was fully invested in the storyline. 🤷‍♀️

The title gives away the plot; Kate is single and joins a new form of online, blind dating - 12 dates with 12 men in the lead up to Christmas. These were my favourite parts of the book; each date was so wonderfully festive - gingerbread houses, ice skating, snow, tree decorating to name a few.

Reading about each date reminded me of dates my friends have had over the years and reading this book was like sitting with a friend and laughing along to their 'date debriefing'!

One of my favourite Christmas books in a really long time 🎄

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Instagram: @whatamiedid

Christmas seems to have started much earlier this year. Some of my neighbours have had Christmas decorations up for about three weeks already in an attempt to alleviate some of the gloom of the Winter lockdown in England. So if you're looking for a little festive escapism this could well be the book for you. Just reading about people going out on dates to crowded restaurants and pubs etc - such fanciful notions!

Kate Turner has returned to the small countryside village where she grew up to keep an eye on her divorced elderly dad. She loves living there and still works part time from home for the Liberty stores as a designer. Its the best of both worlds but the combination of sleepy village and working from home make it difficult for her to meet anyone and it feels like she will be single for ever.

Best friend Laura convinces her to sign up to a new dating service called The Twelve Dates of Christmas. Twelve perfect festive dates with some eligible men who have been specifically matched for her. It sounds like a dream come true.

The beautifully organised festive dates are filled with fun activities and twinkly lights that are all conducive to a little festive romance but as the dates progress Kate discovers more about herself than about her dates and soon realises that it may not be quite the romantic Christmas season that she was expecting.

Twelve Dates is a fun read - if a little predictable - and sometimes it is just nice to be able to pretend that life goes on as normal with dates and socialising and trips to restaurants.

Supplied by Net Galley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re in the mood for a cosy, Christmassy contemporary romance you need to put The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss right at the top of your festive wishlist. It put such a huge smile on my face and was EXACTLY what I needed this week!

Kate, a successful fabric designer, is convinced by her best friend, Laura, to sign up for an expensive dating service called “The Twelve Dates of Christmas”. As the name suggests, in the run-up to Christmas she agrees to go on 12 dates with 12 different men, where she is met with varying degrees of success. Some of the dates end up being pretty funny and cringy, and some more romantic, but through each one she learns a little bit more about herself.

Kate is a really likeable and relatable character. She’s actually pretty happy on her own but she sees the 12 dates as a final experiment before potentially pursuing the idea of having children by herself. She has 2 great friends in Matt and Laura and I love her relationships with both. She’s strong and proactive, never really wallowing in any misfortune, quickly dusting herself off and setting off on new adventures. I was really desperate for her to find her happy ending, whatever that might end up looking like.

The setting is wintery and festive, full of snow, mince pies and fairy lights. So so cosy and uplifting and just completely and utterly lovely! Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for gifting me a digital copy of this book to review.

o This was a light and fun story about someone who signed up with a dating app for 12 experience dates. Each experience was designed such that she would get a different partner. Sometimes this worked well. Sometimes it didn’t… and sometimes it was best to swap with your gay friend as he was a better dancer!
o It all sounded very hard work as the 12 dates took place in a very few days but also was a way to experience a lot of potential partners and decide what makes a good one. Of course, sometimes that didn’t work out. But as this was a romance, a happy end was experienced.

I thoroughly enjoyed this funny, easy read. A perfect book to get you in the right spirit. for the Christmas break. Excellent chic lit book, I thoroughly recommend it

I absolutely loved this book. Even the predictability adds to the charm.. It has a Bridget Jones for the modern day feel about it and you can't help but really feel for the main character and root for her on her dating journey. My favourite Christmas read for 2020 so far, it certainly didn't disappoint and I zipped through it I was so hooked. With thanks to #JennyBayliss #panmacmillan and #netgalley for my arc.

This is one of those books where you know going into it that it's going to be cheesy, it's probably going to be predictable, and it will probably get a bit silly, but who cares?! After the year we've had in 2020, I personally am looking for a bit of Christmas magic in my life. Indeed, to quote the great Kate Winslet in The Holiday - I like corny. I'm looking for corny in my life. And I found it in The Twelve Dates of Christmas!

Kate has a wonderful job, lovely friends and family, and lives in a beautiful little town. The dates she goes on are funny and thoughtful and unique, and the romance element of the plot was so sweet it made my teeth ache. What more could you want? I found it to be a really enjoyable read, very lighthearted with no drama, and thoroughly festive - exactly what you need to get you in the Christmas spirit! I would especially recommend it if you're a fan of Hallmark movies, as I got the same sort of vibe from the book as I do from Hallmark's festive offerings!

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.