The Twelve Dates of Christmas

by Andi James, Lila Wilde

One lonely lawyer. Twelve blind dates. Finding his special someone will take a Christmas miracle. 

Aiden would rather eat an entire fruitcake than face his ex and his ex’s new boyfriend at their company holiday party — especially by himself. So when his best friend suggests he find some arm candy, Aiden reluctantly agrees to a few blind dates.

Aiden doesn’t expect a dozen perfect matches, but one disastrous night after another is killing his Christmas spirit, and time is running out. There has to be a special guy out there Aiden can kiss under the mistletoe. Right?

The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a 31,000-word MM romance featuring five horny singles, four garlic cheese fries, three IPAs, two naked trees, and a jingle bell head injury. This feel-good story is filled with humor, heart, and a happy ever after perfect for the holidays.

Genres: Holiday, M M Romance, Christmas, Romance, Contemporary, Novella, LGBT

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2019

About the author

Andi James has been in love with books and words her entire life. She writes about people finding things — themselves, happiness, love — and edits all kinds of stories. Her two dogs and three cats are her favorite co-workers. She adores coffee, the night sky, and horror movies.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this story more than I thought I would. It was super sweet and funny.

I really liked both MCs right from the start, loved the friendship and connection between them. Surprisingly, the female best friend didn't annoy me. Yes, she was pushy, but it totally worked here.
Even Aiden's terrible dates were fun to read about.

The epilogue was so adorable. Loved it.

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Re-read 12/2020: 4.5 stars So sweet! I enjoyed it even more this time around.
Re-read 12/2021: Definitely one of my favourite holiday reads.
Re-read 12/2022
Re-read 12/2023
Re-read 12/2024 Still a favourite. 🥰 Finally rounding the rating up.

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plain and simple, this was the tale of what happens when you allow thoughts of your no-longer-single ex to control your happiness.

Aiden and his ex, Justin, had broken up over a year ago, but he couldn't seem to move on, because said ex now worked at his law firm and had been trying to reconnect.



Add to that the firm's must-attend Holiday party and Aiden's thoughts of attending without a date set his very last nerve on edge.

But when Aiden's personal assistant and best friend, Chelsea, took matters into her own hands by signing him up for several online app dates, in hopes of garnering a Plus One for the event, Aiden decided to give it a shot.

Big mistake. Huuuuuge. Or was it?



You see, Chelsea was not only running the show, but also completely AWFUL at picking his dates, so there were a whole lotta frogs to kiss along the way, with my personal favorite being Millennial-extrordinaire Wyatt.

"I'm sort of in between jobs. I'm really into photography right now, so I've been focusing on that."

"That’s cool. What kind of photos do you take?"

Wyatt pulled out his phone and started scrolling, then handed it to Aiden. "I made it a goal this year to really up my selfie game, and I gotta say, I think I've been nailing it recently."

#HipsterNonsense

Aiden's one bright spot along the way was the bartender, Liam, at the pub where Chelsea always scheduled the terrible dates.

Liam was all kinds of awesome and continually supportive, but the sad thing was that Aiden never once seemed to see the amazing guy that was right in front of him. A "forest for the trees" kinda thing, if you will. : (



The one thing that made me think a bit less of Aiden was how he saw Liam in a different light only after he discovered that Liam *owned* the bar, instead of only bartending there. Shallow attorney much?



But through it all, date after horrific date, Liam was there for Aiden, without fail, so once they finally got together, I was pretty stoked.



However, Liam's confession afterwards felt heart-wrenching to hear.

"I realized I was starting to get worried you would connect with someone who wasn't me. But every time I worked up the courage to ask you out, I got interrupted."

And OMMFG, yes, the interruptions happened way too often for my liking.

The interruptions got to the point where they were approaching "The Big Misunderstanding" level of annoying for me.



But everything worked out in the end, with an epilogue (and a little extra) from a year later, which made me extremely happy about their HEA.

The angst was pretty low, along with the steam, but the humor was spot on, so I'd rate this story at around 4.25 stars and recommend it as a darn good filler read.

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[Mia.Mi.Jou (on hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story, it was written in such a charming way, with just a little touch of the holiday spirits. It was funny, heartwarming and so adorable from the beginning to the end, and it definitely left me smiling. A delightful read!

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this warm, funny story. It's super sweet and adorable, and you don't have to wait for next Christmas to read it. The focus is more on the romance than the holidays, although holiday decorations and Christmas trees are integral to the plot.

Chelsea, Aiden's best friend, was so pushy, but I loved how committed she was to Aiden's happiness. And, of course, there was Liam: bartender extraordinaire if only Aiden would stop dating the wrong guys.

The epilogue had me smiling.

[Elisa Glendenning (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set-up by his bestie, Aiden ends up on a string of hilarious bad dates, in the hope he’ll find someone to take to his works’ Christmas party - the same party that his ex and new beau happen to be attending. Little does he know that the perfect guy might have been in front of him the entire time.

Not only did I have a blast, it reminded me of my own disastrous date, one Christmas many moons ago; I’d tried to climb through a loo window in a pub and got stuck, trying to escape a guy who’s idea of a party trick was to remove his dental bridge, right after eating crisp crumbs that had fallen onto my chest 😅 Happy Days 🤭😂

Liam & Aiden were luckily a much better fit 😊 A lovely Christmas read and just what I needed!
*************************************************

Re-read 12/24

Still as cute and laugh out loud funny 🥰

Re-read 12/23

What a perfect way to end out the year - Thanks, Snjez for putting this back on my radar 💗

[Lisazj1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute, and I loved Aiden and Liam and laughed at the terrible dates. And some of them were truly cringe-worthy, LOL!

I did, however, want to smack Aiden’s bestie, Chelsea, in the beginning. But by the end, seems she really did know best. 😂

Thanks again to Tiny Twinkle Bulb 🥰 for adding sparkle to my day with this sweet, funny story! 😘

****

As soon as I added this to my wishlist, Tiny Twinkle Bulb *cute!* sent it right to me to put a twinkle in my day, and you did that in a big way! Thank you so much, I can't wait to read. 💖✨

[~Nicole~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww this was so cute . 😍

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

I originally fell in love with this writing duo with their sweet tale Teddy and His Bear, and it looks like they keep getting better and better--I loved this holiday treat!

As the days grow darker and the snow gathers higher, I gravitate toward cozy, sweet, comfort reads. This story was a perfect fit. I found myself laughing so often that I closed my eReader with a happy chuckle when I was done.

Both MCs are such genuinely sweet people; watching them interact was a pure pleasure. Aiden has a sense of humor that meshes with mine; he is a little bit awkward, a little bit obtuse, and a whole lot of fun. The romance is slow burn, and the two MCs develop a warm friendship that feels authentic and sincere.

I read this story via KU, but it was such a comfort read that I am going to buy my own copy to keep as a favorite comfort re-read. Thanks to Wally for sharing such a fantastic review (and bringing this story to my attention)!

Highly Recommend.

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Genuine, Laughing Out Loud Story

Hilarious, playful, feel good, vibrant, quirky perfectly describes The Twelve Dates of Christmas a charming and convincing , slow burn, holiday short story that had me laughing from the first page.

Three chapters into the story and I had to stop, regroup and continue reading , every other sentence, because I literally couldn't stop laughing. Book had me giggling, snorting , crying out of laughter and almost soiling my knickers.

The Twelve Dates Of Christmas has one steamy sexy time at 85% of the book. It also has a romantic and satisfying epilogue set one year after the end of the book.

Full disclosure: I usually, gravitate towards stories with a high amount of steam and sexy times . Yet, in this instance, it didn't matter one bit . The witty and comical dialogue; tongue in cheek , good nature and jesting banter , more than, made up for the lack of smutty and naughty times.

In my opinion, The Twelve Dates Of Christmas by Andi James and Lila Wilde is the funniest holidays book I read thus far. I truly enjoyed this entertaining tale. Highly recommend it.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

I really liked this, right until the last 20%. Then it got frustrating.

The near misses and not getting together were cute at first, but it started to annoy me when it went on too long.

I liked the crazy dates Aiden went on, but I guess I wanted a bit more of a gradual romance between Aiden and Liam. Now it felt like these two were in an instant relationship as soon as they finally got together at the party.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, I wasn't really blown away by this one.

A guy who needs a date for a work Christmas party so he doesn't have to face his ex alone takes on a dating marathon to find a suitable date.
He dates a series of strangers in a bar, one date worse than the next.

And in the end, he falls in love with the bartender?

Seriously, this didn't impress me much.

2.5 stars.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fab fun read and I really enjoyed it but…

I’ve read it before. I know I have. I knew exactly what was going to happen as I was reading. But I review every book I read and there’s no review. Not on Amazon and not on Goodreads. So I’ve no idea what’s going on.

Okay so the fault is mine 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️
I apparently originally read this 18/12/2019 but for some unknown reason never posted my review.
So here it is…

This is a cute little Christmas romance.
Aiden is single. He’s been single since his ex broke things off with him. To make matters worse said ex now works at the same firm. The holiday company part is looming. Ex has a new partner and Aiden doesn’t want to face them alone.

So his friend sets him up on a series of blind dates.

It’s entertaining. Yes we all know how it’s going to end but it’s a fun ride

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I think this was my favorite holiday story this year.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3*** stars


* .･☆ﾟ*･ﾟ There is not much to go on when you read the blurb but when I started I somehow thought this story would take a very different route from the one it actually took.

So I honestly feel a bit confused and I’m not sure I was a fan of this. And if you’re looking for a little bit of heat, well… I wouldn’t call the quick handy at the very end anything to write home about.

What’s left was a sweet and mildly entertaining story with a lot less holiday vibes than I expected. Though I loved the actual meaning of the title for both MCs when we finally get it at the end.

━━━━━━━━━ * .･☆ﾟ*･ﾟ━━━━━━━━━



But as there wasn't really anything wrong with this book other than my expectations I won’t rate it any lower than I did despite me not really enjoying it.

[Gustaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely Christmas read. Aiden is dreading going to the office Christmas party. Especially since he's going to have to face his ex's new lover. So his best friend is setting him up on different dates with different guys every night to find him someone to bring to the part as a buffer. Let me tell you. It's one hilarious disastrous date after the other. I laughed like crazy reading this book. The perfect guy for Aiden to bring to the party and spend his life with is right before his eyes the whole time though. Bar owner Liam. Who's witnessing one disastrous date after the other. Aiden can't see it clearly yet but Liam can and he's trying his very best to get a date for himself, however there's always something coming in the way for him asking. I wanted to scream at the authors at this point. It was annoying and hilarious at the same time.

I loved this book, and I can totally see it being a Hallmark movie. Then again, I'm really easy to please when it come to my Christmas reads.

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really thought I was going to love this one but it just got too carried away with the dates and not so much on the actual romance.

It was funny at first, probably until Aiden actually liked one of the guys he went on a date with, even though that was the turning point.

I think my biggest issue was that anytime Aiden thought about Liam like that he immediately discounted him. It truly felt like there was no attraction.

I guess it ended up super cute and I liked the Christmas tree tradition but the rest, I don't know, I just wanted more with Aiden and Liam.

[Teal]

Sure, this is just fiction, but people treating each other like this is not funny. At 14% I've already been furious twice, and that's not what I'm looking to get from a book titled The Twelve Dates of Christmas. I suspect your enjoyment of this -- or lack thereof -- will hinge on your sense of humor. It is not compatible with mine.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, cute holiday story.

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Cute.
That sums it up nicely.
All in all a pleasant, easy read with some good banter and a nice dose of humour.
Aiden's cluelessness is rather amusing, as are his horrendous dates, while Liam is a thoroughly nice guy.
Only thing that bothered me was the behaviour of Aiden's friend Chelsea who seemed to 'overreach' quite a bit in her actions, but then, being Aiden's best friend, she probably knows that he's ok with that. (whereas I wouldn't have been).

Enjoyable.

[mich ⚘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES YES YES!!

This book right here is everything I absolutely ADORE wrapped into one single book. The MC who to appease his best friend goes on countless dates meanwhile the perfect person is sitting there right under his nose and he’s completely oblivious about it. The guy who is super charming and swoon worthy just sitting there being supportive all while pining over our sweet MC.

I’ve read a lot of good Christmas romance holidays these last few weeks but I gotta say : this is a GREAT one. It’s very soft, has the sweetest characters that just deserve their happy endings and has just a little touch of the holiday spirits that make it that Christmas romance type of book.

I loved the friendship between the Aiden and his Prince Charming. I loved all the side characters who really helped make this story as lovely as it is. And, I loved the way this book made me feel. Definitely would recommend for someone looking for something short, sweet and guaranteed to make you smile.


5 stars for this one <3

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

LOVED this one. From the hilarious fail-dates to the character growth, along with an awesome female bestie and one hell of a slow-burn romance, it was a great read.

[Ele]

*3.75 stars*

[Rosabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One lonely lawyer. Twelve blind dates. Finding his special someone will take a Christmas miracle... Just reading that you know this is gonna be a blast! 🤣❤

I laughed a lot with this lovely Christmas story, the characters were so funny without it being too much, it was just the situations and a good sense of humor that made this so lovely, fun and a warm holiday read.

The romance was slow and sweet as candy, the characters were also really sweet and funny and the plot was really unique, loved it! 🥰❤

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute winter holidays story.

[Jenny Lovez Bookz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh I was bored.

[Lori¸¸¸.•*❀Ɍɛɑɗs̱LɪƙɛIʈs̱H̱ɛɍJɔɓ 유❤유 · Rating 4 out of 5]

So friggin adorable! This is what I have been waiting for as a Christmas story, an MM Hallmark movie in a book. Andi and Lila never fail to make me laugh and warm my heart! Liam and Aiden were sweet and hilarious together.

[Caipi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable and funny! :)

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet holiday novella!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so freaking adorable, what more can I say?
Okay, maybe I can say a little more. The Twelve Dates of Christmas was so fun and just delightful. Aiden was darling in his cluelessness when it came to Liam, and Liam was a true sweetheart.
I got a kick out of the dates Aiden went on- trivia night had me laughing out loud.
Chelsea is such a great friend. Maybe a touch overbearing, but you know she always had Aiden's best interests at heart.
This was the perfect way to close out Christmas, with a huge smile on my face!


***Borrowed through KU, but I might have to buy this one!

[Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very cute.