The Twelve Dates of Christmas

By: Jenny Bayliss

Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden

'Tis the season for finding romance in this hilarious and uplifting holiday read—soon to be a Hallmark limited series!

When 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 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. . . .

Cover Art © 2025 Hallmark Media. Used with permission.


*This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of recipes.

Critic reviews

"[A] cheerful tale . . . All the holiday charm made me smile…I found myself rooting for Kate to find her happily ever after!" —Woman's World

“Fans of The Holiday will adore this quaint English countryside set romance….Feels like getting a hug while sitting under a thick blanket with a cup of tea on a wintry afternoon.” –Refinery29

“With its cozy, small-town setting and adorable premise, The Twelve Dates of Christmas is the perfect book for anyone looking for a charming holiday romance.”—PopSugar

“We can't get enough of this twist on the ‘12 Days of Christmas’!”—Country Living

“Bayliss delivers delightful holiday atmosphere and believable romantic tension in her cute and cozy debut. . . By turns tender and hilarious, this adorable rom-com is sure to satisfy.”—Publishers Weekly

“Charming. . . This slow-burn rom-com set in a small British village at Christmas will be the perfect cup of tea for fans of Marian Keyes or Helen Fielding.”—Library Journal

“Fans of the best-friends-to-lovers and second chance tropes will savor this.”—Booklist

“[A] nice cozy rom-com novel, one with a bit of an edge, a larger meaning, and a satisfying ending.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

Love for the holidays

Gosh, I’ve listened to this story a few times and I just love it. Funny sweet and well written. I’m a sucker for anything written in the English country side. Also love how the author describes winter, the village and paints a picture of life there.

Fun romance & adventure.

Excellent narration & fun, light story. enjoyed the detailed description of the characters art work. Creative & entertaining.

12 dates with 12 different men-what could go wrong

I don’t normally read holiday theme books, but I so enjoyed A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss I thought I would give her debut novel The Twelve Dates of Christmas a go.

Kate Turner is back living in the little town Blexford, England where she grew up in. While she has a great career as a textile designer Liberty Fabrics, she bakes part-time for the local café owned by an old old friend and ex-boyfriend Matt. But at the age of thirty-four, she is ready to give up on any relationship – you see this town is not overflowing with lots of eligible men. Her best friend Laura has different plans for Kate – she signs Kate up with a dating agency for a program called the ‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas’ - twelve dates with twelve different men and maybe just maybe Kate would find her soulmate. With each new date comes with its challenges and disappointments. What Kate does not realize that sometime the most obvious is right under your nose.

3 ½ stars for this solid debut novel and get you in a little holiday spirit. While I found the story charming and sweet it was predictable – but I was okay with that. I loved the idea of all the different date – they were fun and inventive. More enjoyable was the narrator Elizabeth Knowelden – she had a lovely English accent.

What a fantastic Christmas story!!

This author is brilliant! her descriptors were so awesome. I could not listen to it around my children, but other than that, it was freaking awesome, I could hardly wait to get back to listening to this book when I had to take breaks from it. Facebook was so satisfying to listen to, being read by a British person!! it was funny, and I even listened to a chapter more than once just to laugh so hard at it again. This book also made me cry, so that was satisfying! ❤️😊😭😂

Entertaining, but predictable.

I like the premise of the story. The main character is very likable, but who she ends up with, although very predictable, is not. But it is a fun story, and easy listen, and the narrator is great with her beautiful British accent. So overall, I enjoyed the audiobook.