The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss – Book Review
The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss – Book Review
The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Author – Jenny Bayliss
Publisher – Pan
Pages – 433
Released – 28th September 2020
ISBN-13 – 978-1529027075
Format – ebook, paperback, audio
Review by – Stacey
Rating – 4 Stars
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On the first day of Christmas, a dating app offered me. Twelve tailored chances for perfect harmony . . .
Kate Turner is happily single – a bit too happily, in fact. Since returning to her hometown, the sleepy village of Blexford, love hasn’t really had a look in.
But Kate does love Christmas. So when her best friend insists she signs up to the Twelve Dates of Christmas, a brand new dating app service, she doesn’t need too much persuading. Twelve perfect festive dates with the area’s most eligible men – who could say no?
Amongst the twinkling lights and falling snow, over hot chocolates and glasses of red wine, romance is easy to find. But with each date, Kate learns more about the men, and even more about herself.
As the big day approaches, Kate’s left wondering – is it really the season for true love, or will this Christmas be the coldest yet?
Mid-Thirties fabric designer Kate Turner has been pressured by her best friend Laura to join a festive dating site where throughout December people are matched up and go on twelve dates, a different person each time, with the overall aim to find love.
The dates are all very different and random, including a gingerbread house making competition, and are all very Christmassy. With each date, Kate learns a lot about men and also a bit about herself and what she is really looking for.
If you are after getting in the Christmas spirit then I suggest you read this book. With snow, Christmas trees and jumpers, hot chocolate, and twinkling lights, perfect for this time of year. I loved the idea of a dating agency just for the festive period and the fabulous settings some of them took place in. They were a lot of fun.
The characters, just like the book, were warm and cosy. Kate is happy being single but her friend sees a side of her that could do with a man in her life and after a year of pushing she finally got Kate to join the agency.
As well as Kate, Laura and a whole host of eligible bachelors we also get to know Matt who Kate grew up with who runs the local cafe, her dad who she looks after, and her mum who ran off with an estate agent and is living it large abroad. Plus, the village of Blexford where Kate lives is so divine, a little sleepy place where everyone knows everyone else.
My only little niggles with the book were some parts were a bit too drawn out and I had already worked out where the book was heading from the first couple of chapters, but I enjoyed the build-up to it.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a book to sit by the fireplace reading on a cold winter’s day as it is heart-warming and was a real joy to spend my time with.
Book Reviewer – Stacey
Purchase online from:
Amazon.co.uk – Amazon.com – Amazon.in – Blackwells – Waterstones – Bookshop.org
About the Author
lives in a small seaside town in the UK with her husband, their children having left home for big adventures. After having been a professional cake-baker for many years, she went back to college at age thirty-nine to study part-time for a degree in Creative and Professional Writing.
Bayliss likes long walks, baking days, stationery, and shamelessly wearing party dresses to the supermarket. The Twelve Dates of Christmas is her debut novel.
This sounds a treat, I’m really getting into the Christmas themed books this year.
Sounds perfect for the season. Great review.
This sounds like something I would really enjoy! Thank you for sharing it with me.