The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hapka

In Claus Lake, the holiday season lasts about one-third of the year. Sure, it’s charming and fun, but Lexi doesn’t plan to stay there forever. She’s practically got the rest of her life planned out, from winning the Simpson Scholarship all the way to becoming a successful and famous medical researcher. Unfortunately, her life plan can’t seem to accommodate Lexi’s long-term boyfriend Cameron who appears to want to stay in Claus Lake forever. In an attempt to make both their lives simpler, Lexi tricks Cam into falling for another girl. And it works—almost too well. The more Lexi sees Cam with his new girlfriend Jaylene, the more she wonders if she made a huge mistake by giving him up in the first place. And now that Cam and Jaylene’s twelfth date is coming up—a marker that solidifies their relationship according to Lexi’s friend Allie—Lexi has to find a way to get Cam back—before it’s too late.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas was a cute and very creative story. The characters, setting, and plot were well-written. I especially liked Lexi’s character, particularly because I could relate to her ambitious drive and big-city dreams. At times, I felt she was a little too conflicted, but her rationality and emotions actually mixed well in the end. The setting of Claus Lake was undeniably cute, especially with all the cutesy and quaint Christmastime rituals. I would have liked some of the smaller characters to have been developed more, because I felt several of them merely made appearances before they were written out. Overall, The Twelve Dates of Christmas was satisfactory, but it didn’t really stand out as particularly romantic or unforgettable.

The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a good read for the holiday season, and fans of Kissing Snowflakes by Abby Sher will also enjoy this story. I personally prefer Catherine Hapka’s Something Borrowed over this novel, and I can’t say The Twelve Dates of Christmas is one of the better Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies that I’ve read, but, nonetheless, it’s a fun and enjoyable read.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from BookDivas