‘The Twelve Dates of Christmas.’ TNS

Gulf Today Report

In bleak times like these all you need is a nice cosy rom-com novel, one that’s not too preachy but poignant no less, and one with a satisfying ending.

And the good news is "The Twelve Dates of Christmas" meets every mentioned criteria.

Set in the charming, sleepy town of Blexford in England, our titular character Kate has been unlucky in love.

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Kate has all the trimmings of a perfect heroine: she's a very nice person, rather pretty, has a great job designing fabrics for Liberty of London, is a wonderful daughter to her whacky remarried mother and her ageing dad, and is a devoted friend to her gal pals.

It's clear from the get-go that her best-friend-turned-foe-turned-friend-again Matt would be her ideal match.

But, alas, it’s a rom-com, and a twist is inevitable.

 Author Jenny Bayliss poses with her romance novel.

The affable hunk Matt, who runs the local café (you will instantly be reminded of Stars Hollow and "Gilmore Girls" and Luke and Lorelai and you would not be far off) has a sweet (if rather one-dimensional) girlfriend who Kate likes very much.

Basically, he’s off-limits.

So Kate’s friend signs her up for a dating service that fixes her up with 12 different men (one at a time) during the weeks before Christmas, and the fun begins.

However, one disastrous date after another, Kate muses that sometimes love, just like mistletoe, shows up where it's least expected.

And maybe, just maybe, it's been right under her nose all along. . . . 

"The Twelve Dates of Christmas" is a satisfying romance novel that endorses the worthy ideals of fidelity, respect, self-actualisation and maturity without getting all preachy.

Who does Kate end up with for the New Year? Or — maybe no one? You just might be surprised.