Book Review and Giveaway: The Twelve Days to Christmas

By Kathryn Hamilton

The holidays are supposed to be a wonderful time of year. Hannah Cumming should be even more joyful. She is going home for the first time in two years with her boyfriend, and she suspects that this lovely boyfriend is going to propose. However, Hannah is feeling anything but excitement. She is keeping secrets and the guilt is weighing on her. On top of that, there are major changes on the horizon at her workplace. Will Hannah come clean? Will she still get the guy? Will everything fall into place at work?

Michele Gorman brings us the delightful holiday novella The Twelve Days to Christmas. For fans of Single in the City and Misfortune Cookie, this wraps up the (mis)adventures of Ms. Gorman’s quirky protagonist. However, readers new to Gorman’s writing need not worry; this story works brilliantly on its own without making you feel that you are missing a huge part of the plot. Ms. Gorman fills in the gaps when necessary, and for readers already familiar with Hannah’s story, it is not a redundant retelling of facts. It is refreshing to hear Hannah’s version of past events now that she has had time to reflect.

The novella is separated into twelve chapters, with an introduction to its theme in the form of one of the more well-known Christmas songs (and I dare you to not sing it in your head while reading the title). This is one of my favourite parts of the novella. It is so simple, yet creative and completely in tune with the witty voice that I have come to associate with Ms. Gorman’s writing.

The tricky thing with novellas is that by nature, the author isn’t afforded the luxury of time when it comes to character development and descriptions. This is not an obstacle for Ms. Gorman. Her writing is solid and smooth, and she draws the reader in instantly. Readers connect with Hannah because she is the epitome of the "every woman."  All supporting characters are vibrant and have strong voices, and they are incredibly likable.

I only have two qualms. First, I honestly wasn’t thrilled about who Hannah is dating. After the way things unfolded previously, I believed she would make a different choice. I warmed up to the idea a little bit, but I wonder if Hannah would have gone another way had Ms. Gorman given her a full novel to explore. Speaking of Hannah, I actually found myself frustrated with her and her “secrets.” I understand that one of her character flaws is that she over-thinks everything, but I felt that she was blowing the situation out of proportion. On the other hand, I wanted to ask her, “Why would you do that in the first place?” Without wanting to give too much away, I suppose Hannah had simply fallen prey to a common mistake many people (but more particularly women) make while dating.

In The Twelve Days to Christmas, Michele Gorman gave to me, a festive chick lit story (try singing that out loud....I'll wait). So give yourself the gift of reading that you will enjoy during the holiday season and beyond!

Special thanks to Michele for the e-book in exchange for an honest review. She also has an e-book for one lucky reader anywhere in the world! (If you can't wait till the giveaway ends, it's also 99 cents for Kindle through December 6th.)

How to win The Twelve Days to Christmas: Tell us something you're looking forward to this holiday season. (One entry per person.) Please include your e-mail address or a way to reach you if you win.

Giveaway ends December 10th at midnight EST.

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