Twelve Days of Christmas: A Christmas Novel

This book was a waste of time. I'm not even sure it could hold the attention of a twelve year old. I skipped parts of paragraphs just to get through it. Should have just dumped it but I always finish what I start. Big mistake this time.

What a heartwarming Christmas romance story! I enjoyed every minute of it and hated to see it end.Julia the happy morning person who lives across the hall from Scrooge. So she decides for her blog,which she is writing to try and get a job that she is going to kill him with kindness for the 12 days before Christmas to see if she can change him into a nice person. Read the book today to see how it all turns out. This would make for a great Christmas movie!

In July when it was very hot and humid here I found myself reading the Twelve Days of Christmas. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was very lighthearted and funny but also came with a deeper meaning.

Julia Padden and Cain Maddox lived in the same apartment building as well as on the same floor. They actually lived across the hall from one another.

Julia was always Ms. Sunshine. She was a very cheerful person, always talking to people and quick with a smile or helping hand.
Cain Maddox was a very introverted man. Never smiling and never talking to anyone. He always seemed to have a darkness to his eyes.

Julian would run into Cain in the elevator in the mornings on their way to work. He never said hello, never smiled and it irritated her something awful. Julia was always too cheerful and tried to always talk to Cain and that irritated him something awful. One morning Julia caught Cain taking her newspaper, she got extremely upset and they had words, at that point she vowed to never speak to him again. He was just to mean to ever deal with.

She called her best friend who lives in Denver and was talking about her problem with Cain, her friends advice was to kill him......WITH KINDNESS. Julia was in need of a blog to get a job she had applied for. So her friend told her to do her blog on this neighbor while killing him with kindness, she could call it the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was after all twelve days until Christmas.

Julia decided to do it. The blog would track what she was doing and the progress she was making with it. She called Cain, Ebenezer. The blog was a hit, so many people loved it, which was great for her job prospect. But as she went forward in this kill him with kindness campaign something was changing. She was unsure if it was her or him but something was. They were becoming friends. They started talking more and more, and not just hello and goodbye. They started talking about personal things too.

I am not going to say anymore about this book, from here it got very interesting. I personally think this is one of Debbie Macomber's better Christmas books. It is warm, funny so heartfelt but it also had some sadness to it. At the end of this book I was thinking of how I too could kill a few people I know with kindness.

“I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.”

The first thing I should raise is the quality of the writing itself. I don't know why Debbie Macomber's books are not edited better. There are the egregious but somehow amusing errors (e.g., "Without him [sic] ever meaning for it to happen, he found himself caught up in the centrifugal force that was Julia" (p. 165)--wait a minute! Isn't centrifugal force away from the center? If you're going to use a metaphor, it should at least make some vague sense), and there are the familiar dangling modifiers, careless uses of participial phrases, and more. I realize that most people don't pay that much attention to writing in stories such as this, but the abundance of errors took me out of the story again and again.

The story itself, however, is the point, and I found it lacking. The basic premise is that a young, single woman has a neighbor who annoys her. He "steals" her newspaper from the apartment collection of newspapers, taking the one with her address when someone else has taken his. As it happens, this act of thievery proves to be wonderful for her. When she complains about his act and his general lack of civility, her friend suggests killing him with kindness--and writing a blog about the experiment.

As a premise for a Christmas story, this one isn't bad, but the treatment is shallow and does not do justice to the idea. Julia's motivation is not actually to be kind; she's more focused on the "killing him" half of "killing him with kindness," though not in a literal sense. Naturally, the two become drawn to each other in a way that seems both forced and rushed. Each is transformed from a general loathing of the other, and the novel lapses into standard romance-novel melodrama.

I recognize that the author loves Christmas and that she has written several Christmas stories, but too often, I find them missing the point, by which I mean not the religious point of the day (which is almost entirely excluded from the novel) but even the goodwill typically associated with Christmas. The twelve days of kindnesses could have, as I suggested, made for a truly good story, one in which both people are transformed by the spirit of giving to others. Instead, the transformation seems driven more by the book's need to wrap up the romance quickly.

I was looking forward to reading this Christmas book, but it wasn't what I expected. It had a great message, however I just couldn't connect with the characters, or the story. Julia seemed too perfect, always upbeat and happy, but at the same time she was judgemental and didn't hesitate to use him for her own gain. She didn't stop to think that maybe there were reasons for Cain not wanting to be happy and enjoying the holidays, and decided that because she liked them that everyone else should too. All the while, she's using him as a test subject for her blog, without his knowledge, trying to land her perfect job. I'm not against helping others get into the spirit of the holidays, but I also don't believe in interfering in others private lives, or using people and their emotions for personal gain. 

These are just my opinions and personal feelings. If you're interested in this book, I suggest that you request a sample of it to see if it's something that you can enjoy. Obviously my opinions are not the same as others, and you may love this book.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

My Christmas reading season begins with Debbie Macomber's Christmas romance. I look forward to them every year. They are a light, happy read that you can read in a day or so and end up smiling and feeling good. The holiday reading season has now begun. Other reviewers have described this book as a Hallmark Movie and that is right on. The ones where you cuddle up under a blanket with a hot chocolate or a Bailey's coffee and just enjoy. The plot was fun and light, although somewhat predictable. The idea of trying to get someone out of their funk or grouch by "Killing them with Kindness" is a great theme and idea for this book.

Julia is a perky, happy single woman who meets her neighbour from across the hall in the elevator. He is rather grouchy and it is obvious he wants nothing to do with her. She gets exasperated when she sees him stealing her newspaper and her best friend, Cammie, suggests she kill him with kindness. She is trying to drum up business for a blog to win a new job and what better topic than this?

We know it is a romance so nobody should be surprised that within the twelve days before Christmas, there are strong feelings between Cain and Julia. As we have come to expect in the Christmas Romance books from this author, there is turmoil. Nothing goes perfectly. There is a time when it looks like all is lost, but fear not.

The characters are great. The only complaint is that we really do not find out much about Julia's past. I would have liked to have gotten to know her better. She is a great person, happy and cheeful to everyone, does charity and volunteer work and is in a job that is only a stepping stone for her, but not much about how this all came about. On the other hand, we learn a lot about Cain's past. I enjoyed the addition of his grandfather in the book, he seems to be quite the character and certainly loves his grandson.

Twelve Days of Christmas is exactly what I expected when I picked this up, a romance with a happy ending set during the Christmas Season. It makes you feel good when you read it and you root for both Julia and Cain to have their happy ending. The publisher generously provided an ARC of this book through Netgalley.

In order to get her dream job, Julia has to write a blog that gets a lot of hits. Problem is - no one is reading her blog. That changes when she decides to kill her neighbor Cain (whom she has nicknamed Ebenezer) with kindness and a friend suggests she blog about it. Not only is the blog an overwhelming success so is her relationship with Caine as the two grow closer every day. But how will Cain feel when he discovers that the relationship started as an experiment - and that Julia blogged about it for the whole world to read?

“Twelve Days of Christmas” is a light, very cute, very enjoyable Christmas romance. No author that I have read quite captures the magic of Christmas the way Debbie Macomber does and she outdoes herself in this book. Julia and Cain make a very cute couple and I love the way they grow closer each time they meet - I read this book with a smile on my face the whole time. Cain’s grandfather Bernie is adorable and as a nice touch to the book. Julie's blog with the underlying message to be kind to others is also fun to read as are the comments (I wish there had been of those in the book. The inevitable seemingly deal breaking situation that threatens to end the romance (even though you know it won't) is handled well by Macomber - by the end of the book I was not only smiling but grinning.

“Twelve Days of Christmas” is a perfect romance to read at this time of year when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

This is the first year I sat down and wanted to read a Christmas book. I used to know like the mushy stuff but I am really changing because now I love it. I loved the concept of killing someone with kindness and having them fall in love with you. However, it's a little crazy to fall in love in only twelve days.

Julia is a bubbly person that is nice to everyone. Her neighbor across the hall, Cain, is not. He'd rather keep to himself and avoid any unwanted chatter. So Julia decides after an unpleasant run-in with him that she would kill him...with kindness and blog about it. Cain has been done wrong in the past so he won't be an easy person to get close to. Will she be able to break the ice that has formed around his heart?

I liked Julia a lot. She was pleasant, caring and so giving. She volunteered her time to multiple organizations and charities, and she was just an overall nice person. She didn't deserve Cain's rudeness towards her. I'm glad that her kindness finally ended up breaking through to him.

Even though I ended up liking them together does not mean I completely got it. I think maybe if there were more parts through his POV it would be better. It just didn't seem like he was changing all that much until the end. I would have liked to see him changing all the way up until the end. All in all, this was an enjoyable read that really put me in the Christmas mood.

This is a super enjoyable little Christmas read that just screams Hallmark movie! If you like them, you will love this. It made for a terrific book for the time leading up to Christmas!

Debbie Macomber sure knows how to write a Christmas story and this book just shows that skill once more. Sure, it's a bit predictable but it's very much worth the reading for everything contained within the pages. I liked reading it in 'real time', each day as written in the book for the actual 12 days of Christmas once that started in the book, which gave it that interactive feel. It was such fun!

The story itself is based on killing someone with kindness or seeing how or if acts of kindness can change a grump (Ebenezer). The main characters are well written (though at times you really want to shake some sense into each of them) and the story is one that keeps you wanting to read more and more. If you don't do what I did and read it spread out over the 12 days of Christmas, you could finish this book up in no time. It's quite short and packs a good punch with it's Christmas spirit all throughout.

This is a fun book and one I definitely recommend.

I always see Debbie Macomber books sitting on shelves at my favorite stores. I always think that the covers are of quaint little towns and about people that seem like the type of people you would see sitting in coffee shops sipping a latte and reading a good book. I also always think of Hallmark movies when I see her name. And there was even a time that I would scoff at these books, roll my eyes, and say that those romances were too clean for me. I liked the sexier stuff.

HOWEVER, that has changed for me. I have matured. I’m in my 30’s now and I realize that there is something beautiful and wonderful about a nice Hallmark-esque romance.

What I loved about this book was that there was a blog involved. It’s a great twist to this holiday romance. I relate a lot to Julia because I absolutely love Christmas. There is something magical about decorating the tree and baking cookies while belting out Christmas carols. What I also love is that the spirit of Christmas down to it’s very core is goodwill towards everyone. You want to help those in need. You want to cuddle your family in a warm embrace. You want to share joy with others.

Cain was very much a Scrooge in the beginning but I could see the desire he had to be a happier person. He had his grandfather who was a great secondary character that brought the story full circle. You wanted Cain and Julia to get together and I loved reading each entry she wrote for the blog. It helped build on the relationship you saw unfolding in front of you.

There were many layers to the story and it was an easy read but not a simple story. This is the type of love story you want to read by the fire around Christmas time.

(read more on sipreadlove.com)

This one was really a yummy and cute holiday story.

Julia Padden was trying to secure her dream job while working retail at Macy’s. One day, she discovered her cold and standoffish neighbor Cain Maddox was stealing her newspaper, Julia’s best friend Camie suggested Julia kill him with kindness. So Julia started the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog, where she wrote everyday about ways she was showering Cain with kindness and it became an overnight sensation. To protect his identity and because she didn’t like him very much, Julia dubbed her neighbor “Ebenezer” on her blog. Soon, Julia began getting insight into Cain’s life and quickly found out that he had been dealt a hard hand in life and was unapproachable because being vulnerable to people was too scary for Cain. They soon began letting see who they really were underneath, like peeling away layers of clothing.

After about a week, Cain asked Julia out on a real date and Julia realized that she had come to actually like Cain. She decided to continue with the blog but see where this new “thing” with Cain would lead. They began to really form a bond until Cain discovered that Julia had made him a project of sorts and he felt betrayed. Would Julia be able to convince him it was all real?

This story was cute, amusing and sweet. I enjoyed it like a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. It was lighthearted reading with a very subtle reminder that we cannot always judge a book by its cover as well as reminding us that a little act of kindness can go a long way to thaw out the coldest of hearts.
Julia was really a nice person who tried to fill her days up with as many activities and good deeds because she was avoiding dealing with her feelings of loneliness. Cain used a thorny exterior to keep everyone at bay since he had severe trust issues. It was nice juxtapose of precociously happy versus grumpy grouch. I loved the interplay with blogging and the holidays. I could picture something like this actually happening and everyone loves a happy ending. Debbie Macomber is an author I discovered with another Holiday book Starry Night and she has a gift with writing heart felt romances. but the message was woven well into the feel good romance story.

This is the best Christmas story I’ve read this yea and I plan to read more by this author soon.

Title: Twelve Days Of Christmas
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher Random House & Publishing Group
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:

"Twelve Days Of Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

My Thoughts...

What a sweet Christmas romance story that this author brings to the readers. The two main characters Julia and Cain were definitely good for each other after it was all said and done. I loved how this author was able to give the readers of a read of one showing kindness that turns into after a few twist and turns a HEA. We find from this story there was a act of kindness coming from Julia to Cain...from delivery of a newspaper to his door, cookies, being quite a challenge .... all of this to see if it would make a difference in the way he treated her. Now, why was Julia doing this? She had gotten this idea from her best friend Cammie to use on her blog page featuring [Ebenezer who was Cain] that Julia needed in order to complete for a position she was working on for social media for 'Havestware.' How will this come out when Julia finds out that her neighbor who had trust issues from a previous situation? Will this experiment prove that kindness did make a different? What will Cain think about Julia especially after he learns about her blog and the feelings they had developed for each other? What happens when a news reporter there in Seattle after seeing her blog page ask Julia about a interview with her and Ebenezer? What will happen when Julia finally tell Cain about this experiment...and her blog? Will she be able to keep this a secret from Cain until after Christmas? Will Julia and Cain finally get the love and understanding they needed from each other? Well, to get all of these questions answered ... this is where I say you will have to pick up "Twelve Days Of Christmas" to find out how this story will come out. I loved the secondary characters who were well developed, portrayed and believable that will keep you turning the pages till the end. I will add that I loved the epilogue and you will too!

Each year I make it a point to grab Debbie Macomber’s holiday book. It always gets me excited for the holidays and I soon find myself singing carols. This year I chose to listen to the book on audio. Twelves Days of Christmas narrated by Suzanne Elise Freeman shared a delightful romance featuring a blogger and her grumpy neighbor. Grab your earbuds and prepare to be captured by the holiday spirit.

Julia Padden is the friendly bubbly sort. She plays piano for her local church, blogs, works in retail and dream of landing the perfect job to launch her career. Julia greets everyone, knows her barista’s name and loves Christmas. Her next door neighbor Cain Maddox perplexes her. The man is downright grumpy, a real Ebenezer Scrooge. When he infuriates her, she shares her frustrations with her best friend who suggests she kill him with kindness. Their conversation sparks an idea for her blog which just might help her land that dream job. Soon Julia is blogging about her efforts with Ebenezer (Cain).

The tale that unfolds shared all that I love about Macomber’s holiday stories. The more Julia tried to do nice things, the more Cain pushed back. The banter and snark were great. We slowly witness a friendship emerge. Macomber weaves in back history and introduced family members. We quickly learned why Cain acts like Scrooge. I wasn’t sure I would like him, despite his charming looks but the more we learned the harder I fell. Of course, he wasn’t perfect but maybe just maybe his heart grew two sizes.

Secondary characters added to the tale and will steal your heart. As these two fell for one another, the blog and Julia’s project loomed over them. Will they find happiness or spend the holidays grumpy? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Suzanne Elise Freeman is a new to me narrator, but she did a delightful job of capturing the emotions of the characters and added warmth to the tale. She made it easy to curl up by the fire and listen to the story unfold.

Oh my goodness I loved reading this book so much! Debbie Macomber never disappoints me when I read her books!

Cain Maddox is a grinch when it comes to Christmas or maybe pretty much life.
His beloved grandmother has since passed away and she was the epitome of love, kindness, and chocolate chip cookies. He had to put his grandfather Bernie in an assisted living home. He also does whatever makes life easier for himself even if that includes stealing his neighbor’s morning newspaper!
His neighbor Julia is miss happy all the time especially in the morning! Cain absolutely cannot stand it! Julia has a best friend Cammie Nightingale who is married and lives in Denver but they keep in touch by phone or text every day.
Julia calls Cammie and tells her about her grouchy obnoxious neighbor and do you know what Cammie has the gall to suggest? Kill him with kindness!
Julia is up for a job with someone else and the challenge for the job is which ever one got the most followers on their blog in December would get the job.
Cammie tells Julia as a last ditch effort for her blog, make her blog about killing her neighbor with kindness for 12 days before Christmas then blog about it. Julia does exactly that with great trepidation.
Day 1 she introduces her neighbor on her blog as “Meet Ebenezer” and tells the world what a grouchy grinch her neighbor Cain is. The one thing she never does is tell the world what his real name is as this is important to her.
After day 1 she has three comments and a new reader.
Day 2 Julia is fairly sure she has Cain gnashing his teeth with her constant cheerfulness! Oh my Julia doesn’t know this but just after two days she is getting to him.
Day 3 Cain turns down Julia’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. What she doesn’t realize is that he hasn’t had homemade chocolate chip cookies since his grandmother passed away. She posted about it on her blog and she got twenty comments, and was told do not give up!
Day 4 Cain keeps running into Julia in different places and he accuses her of stalking him! She feels this is war and he is winning. After that comment she gets two hundred comments! Can you say wowzers!
Day 5 She cannot wait to tell her blogging fans about Cain buying her favorite Starbucks beverage and thinks it is a crack in his grinch filled ways but she says he is not her type.
She had also bought a Christmas tree and their elevator was out so he grudgingly helps her carry it upstairs into her apartment and sets it up for her.
Day 6 Julia has met and talked to Cain’s grandfather Bernie. He has also told her bring me those cookies my grandson turned down as I will eat them☺ Bernie has told her about Cain’s life and she now knows why he is such a grinch. Cain also didn’t turn up at the elevator where they always end up together as they are going to work each day. She finds out Cain is very sick with the flu and she also invites Bernie and Cain to Christmas dinner with her. Bernie accepts wholeheartedly.
Day 7 Julia blogs “Just because I’m nice doesn’t mean I’m falling for you”
Julia took chicken noodle soup to Cain and went back to her apartment and got disinfectant and cleaned his place for him. He asked her to stay and watch some television with him and she did. After blogging about this day she received a thank you from someone who faithfully reads her blog and took it upon herself to bless someone in her life with kindness and the impossible happened, forgiveness and peace.
Day 8 “No good deed goes unpunished” Julia blogs, as in the middle of the night she wakes with the flu! Cain beats her door down and founds out he made her sick and he in turn takes care of her. What does this mean?
There is five more days and you really need to get this book and finish the story for yourself. How does Cain react when he founds out about Julia’s blog and that it is about him? Does Julia get the job that went with the blog challenge?

It is amazing to read about what happens when one institutes kindness to others.
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest to you.” Mother Teresa

I, was given this book, by Netgalley.com for review purposes.

Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite authors and she always has a sweet Christmas book out for the holidays and I enjoyed this one.

Julia is friendly to everyone, but her neighbor across the hall doesn't seem to like her cheery personality. He even stole her newspaper and didn't feel bad when caught. He is a real scrooge!

When she tells her friend about it, she thinks that Julia should kill him, with kindness that is. Julia is trying to get a social media job and her site isn't really doing that well. The person with the best social media skills wins and they have to prove it with their blog. Her friends suggest she write about her neighbor and how she will use kindness.

So Julia decides to blog about the 12 days of Christmas and how she is going to use kindness on her neighbor to see if she can get him to change. Cain doesn't know what hit him when she starts showing up at the elevator at the same time he does every morning. Her kindness eventually rubs off on Cain and she also gets to know him as a person.

Julia is starting to fall for Cain and now she is worried that if he finds out about her blog he might not be able to forgive her.

This was a real cute Christmas story about how a little kindness can really go a long way. It also shows that sometimes we might just not know why the person across the hall is such a grouch till you get to know them and their situation.

Julia is so bubbly and friendly and I could see why that might get on some peoples nerves, but I like her. Cain is really a scrooge but after getting to know him and how things in his life has gone it's easy to understand why he is how he is and once he starts to open up to Julia he really is a nice man. They really make a cute couple.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and it's perfect for the Holiday season. :)

Life is pretty good for Julia Padden. Of course, if she actually was able to land that dream job --- the one that will take her out of department store retail sales and into the social media position she has been dreaming of --- she is sure that her naturally pleasant exterior would bounce into an ecstatic one on a daily basis. (She just has to get that whole blog thing going.)

Not that Julia is perfect. She enjoys needling her across-the-hall neighbor, Cain Maddox. He is just so grumpy and rude, and so ready to rebuff her friendly good mornings with curt, monosyllabic answers. When she catches him in the act of stealing her newspaper (the one that is clearly marked with her apartment number) and, instead of giving it back, tells her to just take someone else’s, that is the last straw. She is furious.

When Julia calls her out-of-state best friend to vent, Cammie is a little suspicious. Is Julia sure she isn’t attracted to Cain? Isn’t that why she is getting so bent out of shape over a neighbor’s rudeness? Julia doesn’t think so, even though she admits the man is handsome. No, it’s that he and his rudeness are downright sinister as well as aggravating. Cammie laughs at that and poses an intriguing question: What if Julia kills him? No, not that kind of killing! Cammie wants her to kill him with kindness, to intentionally set out to make a difference in his life by treating him with genuine kindness and friendliness.

Better yet, what if Julia turns this experiment into a project for her blog? You see, the blog is what is going to gain her --- or lose her --- that new social media job. The short list is down to her and another candidate, and the company suggested that each one start a blog. The blogger with the highest social engagement will win the coveted job at the enormous software company, Harvestware. So far there haven’t been many visits, followers or comments on Julia’s blog. Now, Cammie suggests that Julia blog about her experiences with Cain. She can even call her blog “Twelve Days of Christmas,” and over the next 12 days until the actual holiday, she can extend kindness to her unfriendly neighbor in 12 different ways.

Julia isn’t so sure about this idea. Just how much could a person change in 12 short days? Moreover, what on earth is she going to do differently? She already knows that he has no compunction about taking her newspaper, even as he’s rude and curt in the elevator. Plus, she is already busy with her volunteer efforts at the Boys and Girls Club, and she has a full schedule as pianist for her church’s singing group.

But she really wants this social media job. Macy’s has been so good to her, but she’s not sure how long she can stick it out selling men’s clothing. Maybe there's something to this blog and kindness thing after all. She might get an amazing job even if there’s no change whatsoever in her neighbor. And perhaps she’ll feel less cranky about him if she at least is doing something positive.

And so “Ebenezer” and a campaign of kindness are born. Julia can’t actually use his real name on the blog, after all. (That would be rude, and Julia is trying to be the nice one.) The first steps of the campaign are taken: more conversation, attempts at coffee, and so on. Ebenezer/Cain doesn’t seem too responsive. But the blog readers are: Julia’s blog numbers are skyrocketing, her readers are engaged, and her followers list is exploding. The only thing that Julia didn’t count on is that, as she progresses through her kindness campaign, her feelings toward her neighbor are warming up. And his feelings toward her seem to be changing as well. That wasn’t in the plan!

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS is a delightful, charming read for anyone looking for an enjoyable Christmas novel. What happens when Julia’s efforts of kindness actually begin to yield something relational? And what on earth is she going to do when Cain finds out about her campaign and blog? Settle in with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate, and curl up for some Christmas fun with Debbie Macomber’s latest festive read.

Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley for an honest review.

4 Stars

Twelve Days of Christmas is about a very perky, cheerful woman named Julia that lives across the hall from a grumpy Gus of a guy named Cain. Almost every morning they leave their apartments at the same time, riding the elevator down to the lobby together, and even head off in the same direction, though Cain quickly turns down a side street. During that elevator ride, Julia usually at least greets Cain and sometimes tries to get conversations going, but he usually grunts or just narrows his eyes at her, to let her know he's still not changed his mind about wanting to talk to her.

Now that he's been in that building for a few months and still hasn't had even the smallest conversation with Julia, she's upped the perkiness just to annoy him. It's about two weeks before Christmas when the book starts, and that morning was just like normal, whereas they left their apartments at the same time and rode the elevator down together. When they went to grab their newspapers from the area they are kept, someone had already taken Cain's, so he grabs Julia's! She doesn't appreciate this at all and tells him off. When she gets on the bus to ride to work, she calls her best friend to vent. After discussing it for a bit, the two women decide that Julia should kill him. Kill him with kindness!! Since Julia is trying to get a new job in the communications industry, the company wants her to write a blog and whoever gets the most followers, hits, shares, etc, on their blog, gets the position she'd applied for. So she and her friend decide she should do a Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness experiment and blog about it. That's when the book really starts to take off.

I felt that both Cain and Julia were lonely deep down, and were covering it up in different ways. Cain acted as if he didn't need anyone, that visiting his grandfather once or twice a week and maybe socializing with some old college friends occasionally was enough for him. Julia filled up her otherwise empty hours by volunteering with several organizations. Her one friend that she talks to on the phone lives in Denver, but she is in Seattle, so they don't see each other often by any means. But sometimes this kind of loneliness happens in real life, so it made them seem quite real to me.

If I've read any books by Debbie Macomber before, it's been a while ago, but I may have to check out a few more. Though this book is a decent sized novel, it was a pretty fast read, and I loved how Julia's blog posts were at the end of each chapter, kind of like a "here's what happened today" summary without being repetitive. And the comments that Julia "read" we're pretty great. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a little Christmas Spirit, with a dash or two of romance added in. It's a sweet book that reminds us that sometimes the smallest kindness makes the biggest difference!!

This is a love story that starts with a blog. Julia has a neighbor, Cain, who seems a bit grumpy and very unfriendly. Julia's smile in the morning rivals the sun. They both leave for work at approximately the same time, so they share the elevator several days a week. She always greets him with Good Morning! and he mostly grunts at her and departs the elevator as soon as he possibly can.

But the day he stole her newspaper was the final straw as far as she was concerned. Her best friend made a suggestion .. kill him ... kill him with kindness.

It just so happens that for a job, she must start a blog and run it for a month. She's in competition with someone else, and now is the perfect time to start that blog.

Titled The Twelve Days of Christmas, Julia starts blogging about her neighbor, Ebeneezer, and imparts her plan to kill him with kindness. Day by day, she writes about her attempts to get him to smile, to say Good Morning, to just be a more agreeable person.

But Cain has trust issues, and not knowing about the blog for a job, he assumes she just wants something .. and her Miss Pollyanna attitude is driving him crazy.

Slowly but surely she chips away and finds a totally different man underneath. He does have a heart ... he is caring ... and she's falling for him in a big way.

And even if Cain returns her feelings, what will happen when he learns that he's been used to gain a job?

This was a fast, fun romp. I haven't read a Christmas-themed romance in a very long time and I'm really happy to have chosen this one. I liked the characters, although at times Julia's shiny personality shone a little bit too bright and Cain was a tad too dark. But I did enjoy the way they played off of each other.

I know it's a bit early for Christmas, but this author writes stories from and for the heart. In the mood for some romance ... try this one. You won't be disappointed.

Many thanks to the author / Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Netgalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber is a heartwarming holiday romance that carries a lovely reminder to treat others with kindness.

Julia Padden is blessed with an upbeat and sunny personality but her neighbor Cain Maddox is not buying her friendly act. While venting to her best friend Cammie about his grumpy attitude, her friend suggests that she go out of her way to be kind to him. Cammie also encourages Julia to blog about her experiment to build her following and hopefully secure the social media job she is vying for. So for the next twelve days, Julia redoubles her efforts to be nice to her cranky neighbor and much to her amazement, her blog attracts a huge following who offer suggestions and helpful advice on how to win over Cain. She is also pleasantly surprised by the positive changes in herself as she continues being kind to Cain despite his initial indifference.

After a lifetime of heartache, Cain is standoffish and emotionally closed off. He is devoted to his grandfather but with everyone else, he holds them at arms’ length. He is definitely not a morning person and he resents Julia’s endless chatter and unrelenting optimism. Convinced she is putting on an act, Cain resists her friendly overtures until he realizes that she is genuinely nice. Slowly but surely, Julia begins to chip away at his defenses, but once he finds out about her blog, will his trust issues ruin their chance at happiness?

Although the story takes place over a course of twelve days, the relationship between Julia and Cain is believable and grows naturally as they become friends. At first, Julia does not give Cain the benefit of the doubt as she seethes over his unfriendly attitude and somewhat questionable actions. For his part, Cain is suspicious that Julia is only being nice so she can get something from him, but he relaxes his guard once he is assured she is perky and friendly to everyone. The shift from reluctant friendship to romance is gradual but realistic as Julia and Cain take the time to get to know each other. But trouble awaits since Julia is reluctant to tell him about her blog. Will Cain forgive her once he knows the real reason she was being so nice in the beginning?

With a cast of charming characters, a conflict free, unique storyline and a sweet love story, Twelve Days of Christmas is an absolutely delightful read. Old and new fans of Debbie Macomber are going to love this uplifting romance that perfectly captures the holiday spirit.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

I’ll be honest. My holiday reading marathon never really kicks into high gear until I’ve got Debbie Macomber’s newest Christmas novel in my hands. Oh, sure I’ll be re-reading all of her Christmas stories right up until Christmas Eve, but I always am happy to see that new title on my shelf. This year it’s on a virtual shelf, but that’s okay.

Twelve Days of Christmas is a charming, fun, clean Christmas romance. Two people who seems to be such opposites, yet they share one major trait. They both have trouble trusting others. Oh Julia would deny it. And Cain would just grumble about it, but at the base they’ve been hurt before and they won’t easily allow others in to do that to them again.

Julia has tried to be nice to her gruff neighbor but when she catches him red-handed swiping her newspaper she draws the line. Okay, so maybe people in the building do just grab a paper and expect everyone to do the same until eventually they all get at least a newspaper if not their numbered one – but still he has her newspaper and she wants it back. After Cain grumpily hands it back, and immediately swipes another one she’s done with the man. Later that morning she’ll complain to a friend about her rude neighbor – and will be given the perfect revenge and opportunity. Kill him with kindness turns into a blogging adventure with many followers who will encourage her to continue her quest. It looks like she’s going to win that competition for the social media position – but at what cost.

Throughout the twelve days leading to Christmas, Julia will indeed attempt to kill Cain with kindness. And it’s slowly working as they become more gentle with each other and eventually find a kind of friendship forming. That there might be something more is a possibility that each are a bit afraid to explore but Julia has additional fears now. If Cain discovers her Twelve Days of Christmas blog detailing their growing relationship he’s bound to be angry and find that his trust once again has been used against him. Has she found the perfect for her man… only to lose him over a competition blog? Only time… and reading the book will tell.

I adored Twelve Days of Christmas. It’s full of Christmas spirit, interesting characters, a lovely if mistrustful at times couple and eventually the love that makes it all worth while. I would definitely recommend adding this to your Christmas reading list – for may years to come.

*I received an e-ARC of Twelve Days of Christmas from the publisher, Random House – Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Every year Debbie Macomber writes a new Christmas novel and this year’s book is a wonderful addition to this tradition. In The Twelve Days of Christmas, Julia’s neighbor Cain angers her; she merely is a very cheerful person. He won’t talk to her, barely returning her greetings seemingly wanting her to leave him alone. Then, he steals her newspaper when she is standing right next to him. Julia doesn’t think Cain is in the Christmas Spirit at all and she sets out to change that

Julia has a job at Macy’s, which she has considered a temporary job for the past 3 years, until she can get a job in communications. She is one of 2 finalists for the job of her dreams, but the job will go to the person whose blog has the greatest number of followers and likes. So far, her blog about Christmas decorations is failing. While explaining her problems with Cain to her girlfriend, they come up with the idea of killing Cain with kindness for the twelve days up until Christmas. Cain will be her Ebenezer Scrooge and be the subject of her blog. She writes about all the kind things she can think of to do for Cain like pay for his coffee and delivering his paper and his reactions to her large doses of kindness. Her blog immediately becomes a hit with many new followers. The transformation begins and Cain starts to thaw into a loveable easygoing guy. However, Cain is not the only one changed by kindness. Will Cain forgive Julia for using him? Will Ebenezer change for good?

This is the perfect Christmas themed book, filled with just the right amount of cuteness and happiness vs. hurt feelings and betrayal. The characters are well developed and you find yourself caught up in the story just as Julia’s blog readers were.
And of course, the happy ever after ending every Christmas story requires.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books.

First let me say that I did enjoy this book. I’ve been reading stories by Debbie Macomber for ages but this is the first Christmas book by her that I’ve read in several years. While my tastes have lately leaned toward spicier books it was a nice change to read something sweet.

Julia’s neighbor is grumpy and rude. When she catches him stealing her paper she loses it. Julia tells her best friend what happened and the friend suggests that Julia kill him with kindness and write about it her blog.

Cain Maddox doesn’t trust women. His last long-term relationship ended badly when he found out that the women was using him to get a promotion.

Julia’s mission to kill Cain with kindness quickly shows a positive return and she and Cain begin a friendship that turns into more – until he learns about her blog.

This story is classic Debbie Macomber. While I found it completely predictable that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes I like reading a book that I don’t have to work or think too hard about while I’m reading. This was a really quick read for me; less than 2.5 hours.

the store shows that this book has 288 pages in the hardcover edition. I read an ARC of the digital edition and Adobe Digital Editions shows that the book has 140 pages with 8 of those pages being an excerpt from another Christmas story. Since I read this in less than 2.5 hours I’m inclined to go with the 140 pages that ADE shows this at. Perhaps the hardcover edition has really large print.

I’m commenting on the number of pages because I’m astonished at the price of this book for the Kindle edition. Yes, it’s Debbie Macomber, but in my mind the length of this book just doesn’t justify the price tag (currently showing as $10.99 on pre-order). If you’ve read any of my previous reviews you know that price is something I rarely comment on (unless the book was available for an incredibly low cost), but I just couldn’t do this review without commenting on it. Even the most devoted Macomber fans might want to wait until this book becomes available at their local library.

In conclusion, if you’ve read and enjoyed other Debbie Macomber Christmas stories you should enjoy this one. It’s predictable and sweet but perfect for getting away from it all for couple of hours.

A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Debbie Macomber delivers her annual heartwarming Christmas holiday story, Hallmark style, TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS —when a little kindness goes a long way. From, a creative blog, and two neighbors which have different opinions of the Christmas holidays. A little holiday contemporary romance magic in the most likely of places. Opposites attract.

Cain Maddox is not a friendly neighbor. He, in fact, steals Julia Padden’s newspaper and thinks nothing of it. Neighbors in the same apartment complex, Julia is appalled by his behavior. He also has an Irish setter, Schroeder, the one he had inherited from his grandfather Bernie when he moved into the assisted-living complex. Not only was he unfriendly, he was a thief.

Julia was all about the Christmas, the season of goodwill and charity. Apparently, her grumpy neighbor had not taken the spirit of Christmas to heart. She works at Macys (in the men’s department) and is debt-free, for the last seven years. She had been forced to drop out of college and take night classes while working full time. It took her longer to get her degree in communications. The holidays were quite challenging and got in the way of visiting with her family and other activities. She also volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club to help her friend and the youngsters with their holiday program.

She was thirty-one, and not currently in a serious relationship, after Dylan. She also ran a blog. She was going through interviews with a software company, and because the job was in social media, the company suggested a competition between the final two candidates in the form of a blog. The candidate who could generate the largest following in the month of December would be awarded the job.

Cain thought his neighbor, was a bit "over the top" with her cutesy, talkative personality. Usually, the chirpy and happy ones did not appeal to him. He could sense she was "trouble" the first moment he saw her with her exuberant good morning, “Ms. Sunshine.” Julia’s friend, Cammie suggested she kill him with kindness. After all, it was only twelve days to Christmas. The idea comes to her to generate interest in the blog. The neighbor would be a perfect topic.

She would report the progress. Readers would love it! Her friend said she needed something fresh and fun. A subject to pique interest. The man was annoying, disagreeable, and stubborn (handsome of course, as well). She decided to do it, “Twelve Days of Christmas.” From her creative funny blog entries, Julia begins trying to turn “Scrooge” into some kind of nice person, with the help of her readers and followers. She welcomes their comments and ideas. The comments start rolling in, and at the same time, she begins to notice how buff her neighbor is. Cain also had to admit his irritating neighbor was beginning to "get to him."

From Bah humbug to a little help from his grandfather Bernie at the Manor House, and some holiday baking, Julia begins to learn a little more about her mysterious neighbor and his background. Ebenezer even accuses her of stalking him, when they wind up in the same places. Will" killing him with kindness", be the death of her? She continues on with the help of her newfound social media blog fans’ comments and encouragement--which is a hit.

Soon she finds herself looking forward to seeing Cain, but she could not let him know about her little experiment. From the flu, and possibly falling for the guy, a little mischief and holiday romance may be in store, while at the same time, the blog may be so popular, she may even win the job as December 25 comes to the final chapter.

Will he find out she was using him and risk losing the relationship with her newfound romantic love? Now the TV station wants to interview him for a human interest story for Christmas Eve! She was praying he would not find out about her blog.

With some holiday cheer, unexpected romance, puppies, some fun and witty social media creativity for the ultimate a dream job, and an extra dash of love—Macomber captures the Christmas spirit with a modern day twist.

As an added bonus, savor the magic of the season with Debbie Macomber’s Christmas novel preview: Dashing Through the Snow, (Coming in paperback, Oct 11, 2016) filled with warmth, humor, the promise of love, and a dash of unexpected adventure. (Highly recommend the Hallmark Movie) love Megan Ory.

After a snafu at the airport, Ashley is forced to rent a car in order to make it home to Seattle by Christmas. She ends up sharing the last car on the lot with Dash, a handsome stranger, who also needs to get to Seattle. Little does Ashley know that the "snafu" is because she is on the FBI's no-fly list, and Dash is an undercover agent assigned to trail her.

I also purchased the audiobook, narrated by Suzanne Elise Freeman, for an entertaining performance.

Look for her new book, "If Not For You," Coming March 21, 2017.

JDCMustReadBooks

Can kindness really warm a brittle heart? That's the question posed in this lovely holiday offering from prolific author Debbie Macomber. And this is what Julia Padden, a person with a very sunny disposition, sets forth to find out.

Julia is a very responsible person, having taken the long route through college for her communications degree so she could pay as she went along and not saddle herself with a lifetime of debt. But this had not landed her a dream job and she was making a living working at Macy's until that day came. Now as a finalist for a wonderful position, she and her competitor have been charged with setting up blogs. After a particularly upsetting encounter with her cold neighbor, Cain Maddox, stealing her newspaper, she calls her best friend Cammie to vent. Cammie suggests she kill him--with kindness to see if it will make a difference and use this as the basis for her blog. With twelve days left until Christmas, Julia takes the idea and runs with it, growing her blog from a few followers to hundreds to thousands, as people read her blogs and watched the progression.

As their paths continually cross--at the coffee shop, at Macy's, at the assisted living home where his grandfather lives, Julia is the object of very brutal words from Cain. He accuses Julia of following him to the home, but then must eat his words as she is a pianist accompanying the chorus entertaining there.

He then back peddles to make up for his accusations, first forming a friendship, but could that just be the beginning? Is this a turning point in warming his cold heart, or only a glimmer of the warmth that may reside there? This is a delightful holiday tale that will warm the readers heart as surely as the "experiment" is designed to remove the chill from one grumpy neighbor. I definitely recommend this book.

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
• Kindness
Well this was definitely a twist on the twelve days of Christmas... But my oh my I loved every word! Makes you want to go and spread some kindness... Just make sure there's honesty thrown in too... Now I'm ready for more Christmas stories... Winter holidays are my favorite time of the year, so this story has perfect timing to get the season of to an amazing start. I can't wait to read more. Debbie Macomber has an amazing talent in which she transports us into her world, and when we return we're left feeling lighter and happier. ARC received from Netgalley for a voluntary review.
Favorite Passage ~
• If we are kind, others will treat us with kindness. If we love, we will be loved. If we care, we will be cared for.

Every Christmas I have a few books and movies that I revisit just because I love them, they make me happy, and I love the Christmas season. Some are deeper than others, but more often, these books and movies are lightweight, frequently romantic, funny and/or tender, and they always take place during the Christmas season.  Debbie Macomber’s, The Twelve Days of Christmas, has now joined my personal list of Christmas “must read” books. It has a novel premise—what happens when one person, metaphorically speaking, kills another, grumpier person with kindness.  Julia Padden and Cain Maddox are neighbors who frequently run into each other in the morning as they catch the elevator. Julia is sunny, talkative and Cain is surly and quiet. He would prefer if she left him alone. He is rude and surly, one day even swiping her newspaper to replace the one that someone else had stolen from him. Julia is aghast. Later Julia complains to her friend about it and her friend suggests killing him with kindness. Julia accepts the challenge, and writes about it in a blog that she is writing in an effort to procure a job at a software company doing social media. What follows are Julia’s efforts, the consequences, and includes her daily blogs. Along the way, we get to know Cain’s grandfather, Bernie, who brings sage wisdom and added warmth to the story.

The book is fairly predictable, but that did nothing to lessen my enjoyment. The Twelve Days of Christmas is a feel-good, heartwarming tale and I highly recommend it to those, like me, who enjoy books in this realm. 

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review.

4.5 Stars

“Twelve Days of Christmas” by Debbie Macomber is a heartwarming and fun story that will put one in the holiday mood. I love the contrasts between the bright and chirpy Julia and the stiff and somber Cain, not to mention the personable Bernie and patient Schroeder. The gradual growth of Julia’s blog following is a relevant topic and some of the drawbacks of apartment living are vividly portrayed (and reminded me of my own struggles to get the newspaper I was paying for, lol). I enjoyed the reminder of the power of kindness and delighted in the mood elevation that came from following these folks in their journey to Christmas. This was a sweet and romantic quick seasonal read.

This contemporary romance story follows Julia Padden, a enthusiastic and generous woman who starts a blog as part of competition for a potential job. The decision to document her campaign to “kill with kindness” her stiff and unfriendly neighbor during the twelve days leading up to Christmas has unexpected results. Cain Maddox is a study in contrasts, between his care for his grandfather’s beloved Irish Setter and his blithe usurpation of his neighbor’s newspaper, but his past experiences make him determined to never become vulnerable to a woman again—no matter how persistent she is.

Review by: ELF of Night Owl Reviews
NOR voluntarily reviewed a reviewer copy.

Debbie Macomber hits it out of the park with this one. One of my favorite books of all her Christmas books.

‘Tis the Christmas season and Julia, who has a very bubbly outgoing personality, finds that her neighbor, who lives across the hall, has, on occasion, been taking her newspaper! When she confronts him, he is very gruff and surly towards her. This really irritates her and she sets out to see if “treating him with kindness” during this holiday season will produce a change in his attitude.

She does many things to try to get his positive attention, but seemingly without success.

Julia is trying to get a social media job and the final step to the process is to write a blog. The selection will be made between her and another person. The person getting the most followers to their blog, will get the job. She hasn’t been very successful, until her best friend, upon learning of the problems with the neighbor, suggests that Julia try an experiment of killing Cain with kindness for 12 days prior to Christmas. As Julia documents the various things she has done and the outcome, she gains more followers everyday. Her blog becomes a national social media sensation, but will her actions improve the relationship with her neighbor. Will she find that it is a help, not only to him, but to herself as well?

This was a very enjoyable, holiday read and one I couldn’t put down until I had finished it.
I could easily visualize this book becoming a holiday TV special!

I highly recommend this book . I received a copy of this book from Random House – Ballantine. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I love Christmas and will read books about Christmas or watch Christmas movies anytime of the year. This book caught my eye on NetGalley and I was excited to be given a chance to read and to review it.

Julia Padden is an optimist… she sees the best in everyone and she loves Christmas. She has applied for a job in social media and has been tasked with creating a blog and if she gets the most followers of all the applicants, she will be awarded the job. She has struggled to get people to follow her blog and is becoming discouraged by it.

Cain Maddox is a loner by choice. He was raised by his grandparents and has built very thick walls around his heart. The only person he shows any kindness or emotion towards is his grandfather Bernie. He is Julia’s neighbor and is very annoyed on a daily basis by her “chipper-good morning-smiley face” attitude.

An idea forms and Julia decides to write her blog about “killing” Cain with kindness. She identifies him as Ebeneezer (as in Scrooge) and begins to write about her efforts to change his surly attitude. The blog takes off like wildfire and Julia is thrilled. But as she writes more about him each day, she begins to feel guilty about the experiment. His attitude seems to be softening but what will happen if he finds out about the blog? Will his feelings towards her change? Will she get the job and at what cost?

This is a great story filled with the holiday spirit. I am secretly hoping this will be made into a Hallmark Christmas movie.. it has all the right elements!

I’ve read and listened to many of Debbie’s books, and loved most, or all of them til now. This is my very least fave. I know the story was to be about obnoxious Cain and how he was won over. However, I thought he could be a dangerous person at some point with his very quick to judge temperament. He’s so crabby and with drawn at the drop of a hat. I think Julia would have been much better off w/o him, and happier in the long run with someone with a sunnier personality. Speaking of sunny, she was over the top and too syrupy sweet in the beginning! OMgosh!
It was also extremely irritating the way she went on for a long time, and over and over about that darn newspaper! I almost stopped listening right then.
Almost anyone of Debbie’s other books is better IMHO.
Also, for the overall quality of this story, the price for Audible is way too much.

The main character in Debbie Macomber’s newest Christmas story, Twelve Days of Christmas is Julia. She’s a blogger and I’m a blogger! I was immediately drawn to this story because of Julia. I had high hopes for this story surrounding a favorite time (Christmas) and a favorite hobby (blogging).

Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her every time. She’s determined to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior by killing him with kindness. To track her progress with Cain, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas.

This sweet love story, surrounding the holiday season was an easy, quick afternoon read and lived up to the hopes I had for it. I loved it most because of Julia’s blog idea. In a world filled with so much hate, it was nice to see Julia want to reach out and try to make Cain happy with her random acts of kindness. If you’ve read Macomber before it won’t surprise you that Julia feels herself falling for Cain or that he falls for her as well. There are of course issues getting to happily ever after but I found their love story believable although a bit rushed. I was happy with the ending, finding closure with each character’s story.

Overall, this is a fantastic story for the holiday season. Grab your copy, sit down with cup of hot cocoa and enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Julia Padden is naturally perky. Her neighbor, Cain Maddox is not. In fact, he could be described as “surly”, at best. When Julia needs an idea to blog about to snag her dream job, her friend convinces her to kill Cain with kindness and then blog her progress. Reluctant at first, Julia eventually decides to try it. Little did she know that her little experiment would not only change Cain’s life, it would change hers as well!

Y’all. This book. It was SO good! It was definitely a different take on the normal Christmas romance novels that usually come out this time of year. The idea of doing something kind for someone during the 12 days before Christmas wasn’t just fun to read about, I’m seriously considering something like it in my life! I love when books can touch you on a personal level, don’t you?

Also, can we just talk about Cain for a minute? Although he was definitely a Scrooge at first, he ended up being an endearing, albeit stubborn HUNK! I appreciate that the author keeps the romance clean in this book, but that in no way takes away from the chemistry between Cain and Julia. It was sizzling!

The writing was excellent. The characters were interesting and likeable. The plot was smart and fun. What more can I say? I highly recommend this book!

(I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All of the above opinions are entirely my own.)

Twelve days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
Have read many of the authors other works and know this will be an enjoyable read.
Julia Paddden lives in the same apartment complex as Cain Maddox he's an insurance sales person and she discovers he's got her newspaper.
He's not a morning person and hates bubbly happy people. Somebody had taken his. She doesn't like his attitude and decides she will take matters into her own hands.
She will kill him with acts of kindness. She works at Macy's and volunteers a lot to local community charities. She doesn't have time for dating but her girlfriend thinks she's overreacting.
She's also heavily into her blog postings and hopes with the new theme=12 days of Christmas it might help get her a new job because she can show all the social media interaction that will land her the job.
Illness brings them together and she realizes they are more than neighbors. He is starting to really appreciate her. With their past relationships you don't know if they will remain friends or not. Predictable
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Debbie Macomber delivers another heartwarming, fun, romantic story. We start off with Julia, a young woman who's single, working for Macy's (definitely not ideal job), trying to get ideal job dealing with social media, scorned from a previous relationship. Cain, Julia's neighbor across the hall in her apartment complex, curmudgeon, easy on the eyes, scorned as well, & definitely not a fan of Julia. Julia has to write a blog in order to get a chance at her dream job. Currently she's barely getting a following with her bland blog on decorating at the holidays.
Cain crosses the line with Julia when he takes her paper & doesn't bat an eye when she accuses him of stealing. Julia calls her friend Cammie who comes up with the idea for Julia to kill Cain...with kindness, then blog about it. Julia titles it 12 Days of Christmas, gives Cain the alias of Ebenezer, & gains followers quickly.
Following the experiment of Julia & Cain & meeting Cain's grandfather, Bernie along the way, is well worth everyone's time. This book will put even the most bah humbug of them all in the Christmas spirit. Maybe I need to try to kill someone with kindness today.
LOVE THIS BOOK!!

*Given ARC for honest review through NetGalley

Debbie Macomber proves that she is the queen of light, fun Christmas romance novels. This book is perfect to curl up with on the couch by the light of the Christmas tree. Unless you have the cold heart of the Grinch, this is a fun book for you.

“Kill him with kindness” is what Julia decides to do after a few rough encounters with Cain, her handsome but jerky neighbor. The plus side to her project is that she is going to blog about it in attempt to get a promotion at her job. She buys Cain coffee, bakes him homemade cookies, but nothing seems to work.

She is bent and determined to win him over and eventually finds herself falling for her own personal Ebenezer Scrooge. Fortunately Cain seems to be falling for her as well. Her blog readership and comments explode and she is soon faced with a dilemma. Is getting the promotion at work worth alienating Cain when he finds out he is being used for blog material? Will he understand that he started out as a project but soon turned into something more?

The interactions between Julie and Cain were fun to read. Both characters have experienced pain in past relationships and though both are hesitant they both end up falling for the other. This is a quick, festive read and will leave you with the warm fuzzies of the Christmas season.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Another great holiday read by the queen of Christmas books. It is no wonder she has had so many of her works made into Hallmark movies.

Julia Padden can’t figure out her neighbor Cain Maddox. He is brusque and always rebuffs her friendly attempts at conversation. When he steals her morning paper and then brushes it off as no big deal, she Julia decides that enough is enough. She is going to change his attitude by killing him with kindness in the days leading up to Christmas and tracking her progress on her blog.

After stumbling through the first few days and almost giving up, Julia starts to see light at the end of the tunnel. Cain’s walls begin to lower, revealing a caring man. Julia begins to fall for Cain, but she has a new problem. She hasn’t told Cain about her blog and that she has been exposing him to the world, even though she doesn’t use his real name in her blog.

When Cain finds out, he is hurt and angry and breaks off his fledgling relationship with Julia. Will he be able to find it in his heart to forgive her in time for Christmas?

*I received an ARC copy from NetGalley

Once again, Debbie Macomber gives us a Christmas story that is not only entertaining , but also thought provoking. Bringing about the subject of kindness. Though in the story it happens as a project/blog during the Christmas holiday, it’s something we all should do for others and ourselves.
Julia Padden is a single gal , working in Macy’s but whose real dream job is to work in a software company. An opening has occur in the company and she is one of 2 candidates. The assignment is to create a blog and the one with the most followers , will get the job.
In the meantime, her neighbor Cain Maddox, has been a hard nut to crack, literally. He is unfriendly to her exuberant self, impatient and just rude. She takes it upon herself to drown him in kindness as a means to improve his disposition.
From there the story develops with many twist, turns, ups and downs, deceitful moments, even when they were not done to harm but in fact did .
So, join the spirit of Christmas with another sweet story by Ms Macomber that might have you also embracing the spirit of kindness.

This copy was given to me by Netgalley for an honest review. the opinions expressed are solely my own.

This is such an amazing book! I fell in love from the beginning. I read over half the book in one day and regretfully put it down to go to bed. I loved the characters and how they matured and changed throughout the story. I loved the premise of the story, and I loved how engulfed I got in this, without even trying! This was suppose to just be a book I read to pass the time, but it quickly became one of my all time favorites. There really isn’t anything about this book that I didn’t love.

This is such a wonderful reminder of the power kindness truly has, even though it doesn’t seem like it anymore. This inspired me to try to “kill someone with kindness” this Christmas season! Who knows, it might just make both our Christmas’ better and brighter. The world needs far more of that and you never know who needs a little extra cheer.

I would truly recommend this book to anyone! This is a book you will not soon forget, and with such a powerful message, you won’t want too!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. A positive review was not required, all opinions are my own*

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was another sweet, feel-good Christmas romance that I have come to expect from Debbie Macomber. Julia is a kind, outgoing person, and goes out of her way to help others. Cain is a grumpy man who just wants to be left alone. When the two meet, they clash. With the suggestion of a friend, Julia decides to kill Cain with kindness, as part of a twelve day challenge.

I enjoyed the bickering between Cain and Julia. As an introvert, I wondered if she would push Cain too far with her efforts to reach him or if she would make a positive difference in his life. I didn't think think that Julia would be relatable at first, but I found myself warming up to her.

My favorite character ended up being Bernie. He was so sweet and I adored his friendship with Julia.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS reminded me how important and what a difference it makes to be kind to someone- especially to a person who is not kind to you in return. We don't know how our positive actions may change someone else's life for the better!

Remember, my 2 stars simply means "I don't like it", not that it's a "bad" book. I knew I was in trouble when, on page 10, I read "The shape of his jaw indicated he had a stubborn bent..." Really? Although I'm a real nut for celebrating Christmas, I don't think this book will put me in the mood. Part of the problem is mine. When I heard of this book, I ASSUMED the story was about a young woman bringing the Christmas spirit to a cranky OLD man, sort of a "A Man Called Ove" story. And yes, I'm not big on romance novels.

Julia is a really positive, cheery, happy go lucky kind of gal. She does volunteer work at a couple places and has a really kind, big heart. She meets her curmudgeon neighbor, Cain, and is immediately brought down. She complains to her best friend, Cammie, about Cain. Cammie tells Julia she should “kill him” with kindness and write about it on her blog. If her blog is successful, she will win her dream job.

Cain had a bumpy upbringing. His mom left him and his dad. His dad decided he couldn’t take care of him and passed him off to his grandparents. His grandparents raised and loved him. Grandma has now passed, and it’s just him and grandpa. He has been burned in the past by a woman who used him for her own personal gain. Therefore, he is very leery of all women, especially perky Julia. He goes out of his way to avoid her.

Their relationship develops over the 12 days of Christmas, and feelings change. Both characters are believable and interesting.

While the story is predictable, it is a sweet, heart warming Christmas romance with some humor.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley.

This is another excellent, feel-good story from Debbie Macomber. This book takes place before Christmas, and starts when Julia has several run-ins with the neighbor who lives in the apartment directly across from her. Julia is, by nature, a morning person, with bubbly enthusiasm for each new day. Cain, her neighbor, is crabby and short-tempered. Predictably, they clash when thrown together.
After a friend’s suggestion, Julia begins a blog, and decides to kill Cain with kindness during the twelve days remaining before Christmas. At first, she is met with his predictable bad temper, but in time, both Julia and Cain begin to change in positive ways. Delightful book!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just love reading a book set during the Christmas season when the weather is still warm. It puts me in the Christmas spirit, and that’s my favorite place to be! Since Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite “go to” authors, I always look forward to getting my hands on her book first. TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: A Christmas Novel was an especially fun read. I adore the stories of Scrooge and “the Grinch” and watch the movies every year. Cain Maddox was a combination of both! It was an enchanting read – not to be missed this Christmas season!

This is a character driven story. It is poignant and sweet – with personality. Not to say that there were not conflicts and tension while peeling back the layers that made Cain Maddox the grumpy seeming man that he was. This book would make a great holiday movie! Are you listening Hallmark© channel?

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was a joy to read – so much so, that I plan to read it again before the season ends!

*I was given an advanced copy through NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I know it's only September but I couldn't resist starting the Christmas season early! And what better way than with a Debbie Macomber book! The story is typical in that the main character doesn't like the guy, then falls for the guy, unintentionally of course, then does something to endanger the relationship but it all works out in the end. However, in true Macomber style, the story is such fun! I can actually see this happening! With very little holiday mushiness we are pulled into the lives of each character. There are no twinkling lights and walks in gently falling snow to set a romantic scene and that is why the story is so surprising! I could feel the anticipation and excitement of the holidays as the story unfolded.even without all the fanfare. What starts as an experiment in kindness ends with a sweet story of romance. Yes this is a holiday story but it really is more than that. With references to A Christmas Carol throughout the story. Macomber reminds us we should keep Christmas in our hearts all year long. A little kindness goes a long way!

It wouldn't be Christmas season if I skipped reading Debbie Macomber Christmas themed story. And that's what happened last year! So, I'm on my second DM book this season and the stories while similar, still managed to entertain. Especially the heroine.

Julia's character was one of those unbelievably perfect human beings that you might think it could never be real, until you get to know her a bit better. And then you find out why she is kind and considerate to all, even to those that are not kind in return.

The plot was sun and funny, and the pace just perfect. If you don't walk away with a lesson of "killing them with kindness" then you'd be missing the point our heroine is trying to teach us all about it.

I hate to repeat myself, but this is why I love reading this author. I enjoy her clean, light and inspiring content.

If you’re like me, in a mood for a sweet, light and very entertaining Christmas themed story, this'll be just perfect for you.

Melanie for b2b

I just finished the book and I have to tell you I still have that warm fuzzy feeling all over and a smile on my lips. I don't know where she gets her ideas, but this one was brilliant. I can so see people getting invested and wanting to know what happens next on Julia's blog posts. In this day and time, we hear all the time about something "going viral". Killing someone with kindness and seeing what happens is a great concept. A Biblical concept.

Julia gets way more than she bargained for when she begins "killing her neighbor with kindness" twelve days before Christmas. She might have hoped to vent about her rude neighbor online in the hope she would get enough of a response to win a contest for a social media job. What she found out about herself and her Ebenezer neighbor was life changing.

I loved this book. I hope they make this one into a Hallmark movie. Want to get in the Christmas spirit? Buy this book and cuddle up for a thoroughly heart warming story.

Romance fans all over the country look to Debbie Macomber for an uplifting Christmas story each year, me included. Julia and Cain have a rough neighborly beginning which makes for an interesting blog and story. Of course, part of that is due to the fact that they are opposites personalities. Gruff Cain and perky Julia were such fun and I only cringed a little when Julia used one of Cain’s family members for information. Still it made her more human, not quite so perfect.
The Twelve Days of Christmas has heaping-coals-of-fire-on-the-enemy’s-head type of message; that can only be done with kindness. Along the way both Julia and Cain find love works best of all. A wonderful lesson anytime of the year.
The Twelve Days of Christmas is cute and entertaining. In fact, it has Hallmark Channel written all over it. They should buy the rights immediately, get to filming so we can see it next December. Now who would be just right in the role of Cain?
The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

Having a bubbly and friendly personality, there wasn't anyone that got onto Julia's skin except for her neighbor, Cain. Despite having been spun off by his rudeness, she maintained her courteous attitude. However, catching him steal her newspaper was her last straw and she was ever more determined to break Cain's mean and cold exterior by killing him with kindness.

This is a very typical Debbie Macomber Christmas novel where you have kindness, sweetness, warmth and sweet romance. I really enjoyed how Julia broke Cain's defenses and got to know his side of the story that will just tug your heartstrings. There was a little twist but I glad things turned out well in the end. Well it has to since it's a Christmas book.

Definitely check it out if you like feeling the warm fuzzies, laugh and ending a read with a sweet smile.

ARC requested via Netgalley, provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I admit that I am not the most impartial of readers when it comes to Debbie Macomber Christmas novels. I have been reading them for years and eagerly await each year's volume. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to voluntarily read an advanced reading copy from Netgalley.
I enjoyed the interplay between Cain and Julia from the very start. Julia's witty banter (sometimes one-sided, as Cain was rather taciturn from the start) and determination to carry out her "kindness project" through all 12 days reminded me of the heroines of classic Christmas movies like Christmas in Connecticut and A Christmas Affair. Cain remained suspicious of Julia's good cheer, and the combination provided some great laughter (and eventually tears) as the holiday season progressed. Throw in a humorous grandfather (I swear I pictured Ed Asner in my head while reading this) with no compunction against meddling in his grandson's love life, and you get a delightful tale of love found just across the hall.

This book begins when Julia Padden discovers that her neighbor has been stealing her morning paper, and Cain Maddox is caught with the paper in his hand. He seems to be a real curmudgeon and really isn’t very friendly, thus when she relates all that has happened to her friend, an idea is formed to help her land her dream job, by promoting a Christmas spirit of kindness.
Thus Julia begins her plan to kill Cain with over powering kindness, and Cain seems to thwart every move, by not accepting coffee, cookies and even a friendly hello.
Watch as the twelve days unfold and you will be enjoying all of the happening, especially as Ebenezer begins to thaw, but not quite, and they keep being thrown together, surprisingly at Macy’s and at the nursing home.
Twelve Days of Christmas quickly becomes a page-turner that will make you smile.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and I was not required to give a positive review.

As a blogger, this story was so relatable. This is a beautiful story of Christmas, love, and in finding one's self. If everyone would find someone that they could spend twelve days being extra kind to,it would be an excellent gift to that person and imagine what our kids would get from an experience like that. There are so many moments of laughter and some of sadness but as with most of Macomber's books you'll get your HEA.
This is a pretty fast-paced book and one I easily read in one day, mainly because you can't wait to see what Julia will do next to melt Scrooge's
cold heart. It was so sad at how alone Cain was and all I could think about was the many, many people who don't have the extensive family to enjoy holidays with. So if you know someone like Julia's Scrooge, give them a call and get them involved with your family celebration this year. This book is guaranteed to make your heart grow bigger this holiday season and yes that was a Grinch reference there.

When Julia Padden meets her across-the-hall neighbor Cain Maddox she’s shocked by his rudeness. It’s the Christmas season after all. The naturally bubbly and upbeat Julia is just not used to such treatment. He’s her polar opposite. Never one to back down from a challenge, and on the advice of her best friend, she decides to “kill him” with kindness.

Julia also has a project that is tied into a social media job interview that is down to between her and one other applicant. She must create a blog for a couple of weeks. The person who has the most hits and followers will get the job. So she decides to blog about her kindness project. This has far-reaching repercussions and some unexpected results.

Twelve Days of Christmas is quintessential Debbie Macomber. There’s a bit of conflict, romance, drama, humor and sweetness. I enjoyed it and think her fans will as well.
*I received a galley from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Kindness: it's something I believe in, so the theme of this story is so meaningful on so many levels, especially a book with a Christmas theme.

Julia's neighbor Cain couldn't be more rude and aloof. Most people respond to her cheerfulness. When the opportunity for a job includes social media work, and with a suggestion from her bestie, she decides to shower Cain with kindness and blog about her project. Over the course of twelve days nearing Christmas, she begins the journey. And, it works, until she's in over her head and with her heart at risk. She needs to tell Cain the truth before it blows up in her face. But her project has snowballed and the media has caught on to her work. No longer a secret, Cain is hurt. But a little Christmas magic, combined with Cain's uncle as an ally, might help her save Christmas for all. Sometimes, we all need a little kindness in our lives.

This is the perfect pick-me-up for the Christmas season!

I’m not sure what I expected, maybe12 novellas rehashed from past writings. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find this was about a 12-day mission Julia goes on to kill her neighbor with kindness. Having taken uncomfortable situations in the past and finally turning them around doing something similar, I was surprised to find this as a plot device. This book was an absolute delight. Ms. Macomber never disappoints. It was also fun to see that Julia isn’t always so happy and perky, that she too has her off days. Cain’s character development was fun to watch as he goes from grouch to sweet and back to somewhere in between, which hits pretty close to home with my own Prince Charming.  I guess you could say that I identified with this story. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas story to start off the season, Ms. Macomber!

I received my advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another great holiday read by the queen of Christmas books. It is no wonder she has had so many of her works made into Hallmark movies.

Julia Padden can’t figure out her neighbor Cain Maddox. He is brusque and always rebuffs her friendly attempts at conversation. When he steals her morning paper and then brushes it off as no big deal, she Julia decides that enough is enough. She is going to change his attitude by killing him with kindness in the days leading up to Christmas and tracking her progress on her blog.

After stumbling through the first few days and almost giving up, Julia starts to see light at the end of the tunnel. Cain’s walls begin to lower, revealing a caring man. Julia begins to fall for Cain, but she has a new problem. She hasn’t told Cain about her blog and that she has been exposing him to the world, even though she doesn’t use his real name in her blog.

When Cain finds out, he is hurt and angry and breaks off his fledgling relationship with Julia. Will he be able to find it in his heart to forgive her in time for Christmas?

*I received an ARC copy from NetGalley

Once again, Debbie Macomber gives us a Christmas story that is not only entertaining , but also thought provoking. Bringing about the subject of kindness. Though in the story it happens as a project/blog during the Christmas holiday, it’s something we all should do for others and ourselves.
Julia Padden is a single gal , working in Macy’s but whose real dream job is to work in a software company. An opening has occur in the company and she is one of 2 candidates. The assignment is to create a blog and the one with the most followers , will get the job.
In the meantime, her neighbor Cain Maddox, has been a hard nut to crack, literally. He is unfriendly to her exuberant self, impatient and just rude. She takes it upon herself to drown him in kindness as a means to improve his disposition.
From there the story develops with many twist, turns, ups and downs, deceitful moments, even when they were not done to harm but in fact did .
So, join the spirit of Christmas with another sweet story by Ms Macomber that might have you also embracing the spirit of kindness.

This copy was given to me by Netgalley for an honest review. the opinions expressed are solely my own.

This is such an amazing book! I fell in love from the beginning. I read over half the book in one day and regretfully put it down to go to bed. I loved the characters and how they matured and changed throughout the story. I loved the premise of the story, and I loved how engulfed I got in this, without even trying! This was suppose to just be a book I read to pass the time, but it quickly became one of my all time favorites. There really isn’t anything about this book that I didn’t love.

This is such a wonderful reminder of the power kindness truly has, even though it doesn’t seem like it anymore. This inspired me to try to “kill someone with kindness” this Christmas season! Who knows, it might just make both our Christmas’ better and brighter. The world needs far more of that and you never know who needs a little extra cheer.

I would truly recommend this book to anyone! This is a book you will not soon forget, and with such a powerful message, you won’t want too!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. A positive review was not required, all opinions are my own*

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was another sweet, feel-good Christmas romance that I have come to expect from Debbie Macomber. Julia is a kind, outgoing person, and goes out of her way to help others. Cain is a grumpy man who just wants to be left alone. When the two meet, they clash. With the suggestion of a friend, Julia decides to kill Cain with kindness, as part of a twelve day challenge.

I enjoyed the bickering between Cain and Julia. As an introvert, I wondered if she would push Cain too far with her efforts to reach him or if she would make a positive difference in his life. I didn't think think that Julia would be relatable at first, but I found myself warming up to her.

My favorite character ended up being Bernie. He was so sweet and I adored his friendship with Julia.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS reminded me how important and what a difference it makes to be kind to someone- especially to a person who is not kind to you in return. We don't know how our positive actions may change someone else's life for the better!

Remember, my 2 stars simply means "I don't like it", not that it's a "bad" book. I knew I was in trouble when, on page 10, I read "The shape of his jaw indicated he had a stubborn bent..." Really? Although I'm a real nut for celebrating Christmas, I don't think this book will put me in the mood. Part of the problem is mine. When I heard of this book, I ASSUMED the story was about a young woman bringing the Christmas spirit to a cranky OLD man, sort of a "A Man Called Ove" story. And yes, I'm not big on romance novels.

Julia is a really positive, cheery, happy go lucky kind of gal. She does volunteer work at a couple places and has a really kind, big heart. She meets her curmudgeon neighbor, Cain, and is immediately brought down. She complains to her best friend, Cammie, about Cain. Cammie tells Julia she should “kill him” with kindness and write about it on her blog. If her blog is successful, she will win her dream job.

Cain had a bumpy upbringing. His mom left him and his dad. His dad decided he couldn’t take care of him and passed him off to his grandparents. His grandparents raised and loved him. Grandma has now passed, and it’s just him and grandpa. He has been burned in the past by a woman who used him for her own personal gain. Therefore, he is very leery of all women, especially perky Julia. He goes out of his way to avoid her.

Their relationship develops over the 12 days of Christmas, and feelings change. Both characters are believable and interesting.

While the story is predictable, it is a sweet, heart warming Christmas romance with some humor.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley.

This is another excellent, feel-good story from Debbie Macomber. This book takes place before Christmas, and starts when Julia has several run-ins with the neighbor who lives in the apartment directly across from her. Julia is, by nature, a morning person, with bubbly enthusiasm for each new day. Cain, her neighbor, is crabby and short-tempered. Predictably, they clash when thrown together.
After a friend’s suggestion, Julia begins a blog, and decides to kill Cain with kindness during the twelve days remaining before Christmas. At first, she is met with his predictable bad temper, but in time, both Julia and Cain begin to change in positive ways. Delightful book!
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just love reading a book set during the Christmas season when the weather is still warm. It puts me in the Christmas spirit, and that’s my favorite place to be! Since Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite “go to” authors, I always look forward to getting my hands on her book first. TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: A Christmas Novel was an especially fun read. I adore the stories of Scrooge and “the Grinch” and watch the movies every year. Cain Maddox was a combination of both! It was an enchanting read – not to be missed this Christmas season!

This is a character driven story. It is poignant and sweet – with personality. Not to say that there were not conflicts and tension while peeling back the layers that made Cain Maddox the grumpy seeming man that he was. This book would make a great holiday movie! Are you listening Hallmark© channel?

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was a joy to read – so much so, that I plan to read it again before the season ends!

*I was given an advanced copy through NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I know it's only September but I couldn't resist starting the Christmas season early! And what better way than with a Debbie Macomber book! The story is typical in that the main character doesn't like the guy, then falls for the guy, unintentionally of course, then does something to endanger the relationship but it all works out in the end. However, in true Macomber style, the story is such fun! I can actually see this happening! With very little holiday mushiness we are pulled into the lives of each character. There are no twinkling lights and walks in gently falling snow to set a romantic scene and that is why the story is so surprising! I could feel the anticipation and excitement of the holidays as the story unfolded.even without all the fanfare. What starts as an experiment in kindness ends with a sweet story of romance. Yes this is a holiday story but it really is more than that. With references to A Christmas Carol throughout the story. Macomber reminds us we should keep Christmas in our hearts all year long. A little kindness goes a long way!

It wouldn't be Christmas season if I skipped reading Debbie Macomber Christmas themed story. And that's what happened last year! So, I'm on my second DM book this season and the stories while similar, still managed to entertain. Especially the heroine.

Julia's character was one of those unbelievably perfect human beings that you might think it could never be real, until you get to know her a bit better. And then you find out why she is kind and considerate to all, even to those that are not kind in return.

The plot was sun and funny, and the pace just perfect. If you don't walk away with a lesson of "killing them with kindness" then you'd be missing the point our heroine is trying to teach us all about it.

I hate to repeat myself, but this is why I love reading this author. I enjoy her clean, light and inspiring content.

If you’re like me, in a mood for a sweet, light and very entertaining Christmas themed story, this'll be just perfect for you.

Melanie for b2b

I just finished the book and I have to tell you I still have that warm fuzzy feeling all over and a smile on my lips. I don't know where she gets her ideas, but this one was brilliant. I can so see people getting invested and wanting to know what happens next on Julia's blog posts. In this day and time, we hear all the time about something "going viral". Killing someone with kindness and seeing what happens is a great concept. A Biblical concept.

Julia gets way more than she bargained for when she begins "killing her neighbor with kindness" twelve days before Christmas. She might have hoped to vent about her rude neighbor online in the hope she would get enough of a response to win a contest for a social media job. What she found out about herself and her Ebenezer neighbor was life changing.

I loved this book. I hope they make this one into a Hallmark movie. Want to get in the Christmas spirit? Buy this book and cuddle up for a thoroughly heart warming story.

Romance fans all over the country look to Debbie Macomber for an uplifting Christmas story each year, me included. Julia and Cain have a rough neighborly beginning which makes for an interesting blog and story. Of course, part of that is due to the fact that they are opposites personalities. Gruff Cain and perky Julia were such fun and I only cringed a little when Julia used one of Cain’s family members for information. Still it made her more human, not quite so perfect.
The Twelve Days of Christmas has heaping-coals-of-fire-on-the-enemy’s-head type of message; that can only be done with kindness. Along the way both Julia and Cain find love works best of all. A wonderful lesson anytime of the year.
The Twelve Days of Christmas is cute and entertaining. In fact, it has Hallmark Channel written all over it. They should buy the rights immediately, get to filming so we can see it next December. Now who would be just right in the role of Cain?
The publisher through Net Galley provided a copy.

Having a bubbly and friendly personality, there wasn't anyone that got onto Julia's skin except for her neighbor, Cain. Despite having been spun off by his rudeness, she maintained her courteous attitude. However, catching him steal her newspaper was her last straw and she was ever more determined to break Cain's mean and cold exterior by killing him with kindness.

This is a very typical Debbie Macomber Christmas novel where you have kindness, sweetness, warmth and sweet romance. I really enjoyed how Julia broke Cain's defenses and got to know his side of the story that will just tug your heartstrings. There was a little twist but I glad things turned out well in the end. Well it has to since it's a Christmas book.

Definitely check it out if you like feeling the warm fuzzies, laugh and ending a read with a sweet smile.

ARC requested via Netgalley, provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I admit that I am not the most impartial of readers when it comes to Debbie Macomber Christmas novels. I have been reading them for years and eagerly await each year's volume. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to voluntarily read an advanced reading copy from Netgalley.
I enjoyed the interplay between Cain and Julia from the very start. Julia's witty banter (sometimes one-sided, as Cain was rather taciturn from the start) and determination to carry out her "kindness project" through all 12 days reminded me of the heroines of classic Christmas movies like Christmas in Connecticut and A Christmas Affair. Cain remained suspicious of Julia's good cheer, and the combination provided some great laughter (and eventually tears) as the holiday season progressed. Throw in a humorous grandfather (I swear I pictured Ed Asner in my head while reading this) with no compunction against meddling in his grandson's love life, and you get a delightful tale of love found just across the hall.

This book begins when Julia Padden discovers that her neighbor has been stealing her morning paper, and Cain Maddox is caught with the paper in his hand. He seems to be a real curmudgeon and really isn’t very friendly, thus when she relates all that has happened to her friend, an idea is formed to help her land her dream job, by promoting a Christmas spirit of kindness.
Thus Julia begins her plan to kill Cain with over powering kindness, and Cain seems to thwart every move, by not accepting coffee, cookies and even a friendly hello.
Watch as the twelve days unfold and you will be enjoying all of the happening, especially as Ebenezer begins to thaw, but not quite, and they keep being thrown together, surprisingly at Macy’s and at the nursing home.
Twelve Days of Christmas quickly becomes a page-turner that will make you smile.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and I was not required to give a positive review.

As a blogger, this story was so relatable. This is a beautiful story of Christmas, love, and in finding one's self. If everyone would find someone that they could spend twelve days being extra kind to,it would be an excellent gift to that person and imagine what our kids would get from an experience like that. There are so many moments of laughter and some of sadness but as with most of Macomber's books you'll get your HEA.
This is a pretty fast-paced book and one I easily read in one day, mainly because you can't wait to see what Julia will do next to melt Scrooge's
cold heart. It was so sad at how alone Cain was and all I could think about was the many, many people who don't have the extensive family to enjoy holidays with. So if you know someone like Julia's Scrooge, give them a call and get them involved with your family celebration this year. This book is guaranteed to make your heart grow bigger this holiday season and yes that was a Grinch reference there.

When Julia Padden meets her across-the-hall neighbor Cain Maddox she’s shocked by his rudeness. It’s the Christmas season after all. The naturally bubbly and upbeat Julia is just not used to such treatment. He’s her polar opposite. Never one to back down from a challenge, and on the advice of her best friend, she decides to “kill him” with kindness.

Julia also has a project that is tied into a social media job interview that is down to between her and one other applicant. She must create a blog for a couple of weeks. The person who has the most hits and followers will get the job. So she decides to blog about her kindness project. This has far-reaching repercussions and some unexpected results.

Twelve Days of Christmas is quintessential Debbie Macomber. There’s a bit of conflict, romance, drama, humor and sweetness. I enjoyed it and think her fans will as well.
*I received a galley from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Kindness: it's something I believe in, so the theme of this story is so meaningful on so many levels, especially a book with a Christmas theme.

Julia's neighbor Cain couldn't be more rude and aloof. Most people respond to her cheerfulness. When the opportunity for a job includes social media work, and with a suggestion from her bestie, she decides to shower Cain with kindness and blog about her project. Over the course of twelve days nearing Christmas, she begins the journey. And, it works, until she's in over her head and with her heart at risk. She needs to tell Cain the truth before it blows up in her face. But her project has snowballed and the media has caught on to her work. No longer a secret, Cain is hurt. But a little Christmas magic, combined with Cain's uncle as an ally, might help her save Christmas for all. Sometimes, we all need a little kindness in our lives.

This is the perfect pick-me-up for the Christmas season!

I’m not sure what I expected, maybe12 novellas rehashed from past writings. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find this was about a 12-day mission Julia goes on to kill her neighbor with kindness. Having taken uncomfortable situations in the past and finally turning them around doing something similar, I was surprised to find this as a plot device. This book was an absolute delight. Ms. Macomber never disappoints. It was also fun to see that Julia isn’t always so happy and perky, that she too has her off days. Cain’s character development was fun to watch as he goes from grouch to sweet and back to somewhere in between, which hits pretty close to home with my own Prince Charming.  I guess you could say that I identified with this story. Thank you for a wonderful Christmas story to start off the season, Ms. Macomber!

I received my advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Once in a while I like to read outside of my preferred genre. A book by Debbie Macomber is usually what I turn to, and I am so glad I read Twelve Days of Christmas.

Julia Padden is a terrific character and reading about her and her neighbor Cain Maddox really put a smile on my face.
Julia is a bubbly, outgoing young woman, and her neighbor, Cain Maddox is a grumpy grinch.
When she finds him "stealing" her newspaper, she vents to her bff Cammie who gives her a sure fire solution.
We have all heard the sayings " Kill then with kindness," or, " You catch more flies with honey than vinegar," but are they true?

Find out on October 4, 2016, when Twelve Days of Christmas will be released Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I received an Arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

What happens when one happy outgoing neighbor takes on a challenge to use kindness on her grumpy neighbor? An inspirational Christmas story written by Debbie Macomber is the result. The book “Twelve Days of Christmas” is a well written and inspirational love story. The characters, Julia and Cain are well developed and their interactions are so believable. This is a twist to what Debbie Macomber usually writes as this story includes the use of blogging for the twelve days before Christmas. The character Julia blogs daily about her kindness experiment and that results in inspiring her blog followers to also go out and do random or purposeful acts of kindness. This was an excellent book that I highly recommend to anyone wanting a book to bring you into the holidays.

This advance copy of the book was received from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review.

I know it is a bit early for Christmas. However you don't pass up a book from Debbie! For me it isn't a good book without tissues-sad and happy. Debbie has put a switch up in this story line. Instead of a blog on a book it is a book about a blog. Awesome. Julia is a happy person. Cain is a recluse. Put them in an elevator and watch the sparks.Spoiler. They live in the same apartment.Danger. They don't like each other so she comes up with a spoiler to change his Christmas. Along the way she meets Cain's grandfather in a home. Cain blows his top. Good times turn bad. Cain has finally found she has used him for her blog. Major Spoiler! I liked this book with all the rest of her books. This is quick read. It will become a reread book for me. This is recommended for anyone to read. I h you choose to read this story. Start Christmas early this year. Enjoy this story! I have this book for an honest review for NetGalley.

After reading several books that let me down, it was a refreshing pick up a book by Debbie Macomber.
Again the lady of Happy Endings treats us to a story soften the heart and let a smile.

Julia and Cain are neighbors.
While Julia is lively and friendly, Cain makes a point of keeping silent.
Until they have a problem with the delivery of newspapers and Julia decides to kill Cain ... with kindness.
Her plan, as Christmas approaches, is called Twelve Days of Kindness.
This would also help her get a new job whose challenge was to set up a blog and have the largest number of followers and views.

Cain may seem grouchy but as Julia knows him, she discovers what he hides behind bad mood. And do not fall in love with turns out to be impossible ...

A lot of tenderness, kindness and Ho-Ho-Ho
Read and enjoy.

5 stars

Can kindness change a person? Carrie Maddox is competing for a job and whoever has the most followers for their blog at the end of December will get the job. After several runs ins with her rude, standoffish next door neighbor a friend suggests she kill him. Kill him with kindness, that is and blog about it. Her blog about Christmas decorations isn't getting any followers, so Carrie decides to go for it and starts to blog about her neighbor "Ebenezer". Her experiment with kindness has results beyond what Carrie expected, in her life and the life of people following her blog.

I loved this story. I loved watching the relationship with Carrie and Ebenezer/Cain grow and change. There were times when I laughed out loud reading this book. This is a feel good romance that will warm your heart. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy for a fair and honest review.

I always look forward to a new Christmas story by Debbie Macomber at this time of year and this year was no exception!

Julia Padden and Cain Maddox are neighbors in an apartment complex in Seattle and exchange casual greetings. Actually, Julia is the friendly initiator and Cain reluctantly participates. However, one day after Cain "steals" her newspaper and Julia becomes angry at him, she decides that "killing" Cain with kindness over the next twelve days to Christmas would be an action that would probably drive him crazy. She can also write about the experiment in her blog and request feedback from her readers. It's a successful experiment beyond her expectations and there are unexpected results for both Julia and Cain.

This is a wonderful story and I'm thankful to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Well, I always enjoy Debbie Macomber’s stories.This one was no exception, it is well written, with developed characters.This was a delightful, warm, funny, human story that was perfect as a Christmas story. I don’t know how she continues to come up with unique stories in so many different ways? Always at the heart are the day-to-day struggles and joys that most people experience. Her stories resonate with me and speak to the part of me that wants to be a kinder, better, non-judgmental person. I felt like I was there in the story with Julia and Cain as they go from being annoying/irritating neighbors to friends. I also loved that this story, though there is some romance, the most explicit thing in it were some “curl your toes” kisses.

I received an uncorrected proof e-book version from the publisher, Ballantine Books, through Net Galley, for an honest review.

I've enjoyed a few of Debbie Macomber's other Christmas-centric novels, so I was excited to read this right before Christmas. I ended up not liking this one as much as her other ones that I've read.

I didn't really care for the characters in this one. I found Julia to be slightly obnoxious with her overly-perfect and perky ways. I love Christmas too but she was just way over the top and ended up grating on my nerves. The book is definitely a little too perfect. You know exactly how it's going to end. Usually Debbie's Christmas books are cute and lovable but I almost feel like this was written just to get another Hallmark movie deal out of it.

Happy, bubbly and glass half full Julia Padden likes everyone. Her neighbor across the hall from her, Cain Maddox is just the opposite. He is stern, cold and standoffish and Julia's bubbly personality really rubs him the wrong way. He really gets to Julia with his attitude and relayed this to her best friend, Cammie. It is Cammie's idea that she spend the next twelve days killing Cain with kindness.

In order for Julia to get the job of her dreams she has to write a blog and get the most amount of views and followers. Her and Cammie decide this would be the perfect way to document her twelve days of kindness.

Things really take off from there. The Twelve Days of Christmas is a great holiday story and definitely one you should read. Being a Debbie Macomber fan she never lets you down. Try it....you'll like it.

Debbie Macomber has been famous for years for her humorous and whimsical Christmas stories, and in Twelve Days of Christmas yet again Debbie does not​ disappoint. The story tells of Julia Padden and her neighbor from across the hall Cain Maddox who steals her newspaper because it seems someone keeps taking his. At this point, Julia is so furious with the whole situation she begins to address her neighbor as the Scrooge. The only way she knows how to deal with the problem is to kill him with kindness and write about the injustice on her blog. What continues to transpire through the pages of the book can only be brilliantly written by Debbi Macomber in a way that brings a twist of enjoyment on the classical Christmas holiday

Ms. Macomber has a very distinct style of writing. It is a perfect array of romance and laughter and seriousness. You have Julia and Cain, Julia is trying to get a job and the way she is going to do it is by keeping a blog of her killing.,,,yes you heard me right - killing...her neighbor with kindness - he is not so very nice - Cain is a hard person to get through the walls with. She kills him with kindness for the twelve days of Christmas and in doing so she finds that he is a very kind, sweet, gentle man - he just has been hurt. When he finds out that she has been doing this on purpose to get a job by keeping a blog about being kind to him well you know .....the ending is unbelievable. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

You could call Cain "disagreeable and stubborn." He definitely wasn't a morning person. He wasn't cruel, just stiff. That's how Julia, his neighbor, saw him. Cain saw Julia as too chipper and overly friendly. Truthfully, they both lived behind carefully, self- erected walls. Could the magic of Christmas help take those walls down? Or maybe technology...
A heartwarming holiday romance! To kill someone with kindness isn't a new idea, but enjoyed this twist on it. Enjoyed Bernie and including the elderly in a delightful way! Loved the feeling of involvement in the community groups. Enjoyed the book and would give it 4 stars; due to high price and short length I have to give it 3 1/2 stars. Book free from Netgalley for honest review.

Another great Christmas story by Debbie Macomber! Hopefully this story makes it way into a Hallmark movie!!

Great mix of characters! She was sweet and he was a bit mean! Opposites attract!!

Julia is sweet and everyone's friend. That is until her annoying neighbor Cain is like an ice king. No matter how nice she is to him he's just mean. She reaches her breaking point with him and starts a blog called The Twelve Days Of Christmas. In this blog she takes her readers on a journey of trying to humanize a grumpy neighbor. Can she crack the ice king, Cain? What happens when she finds herself falling in love with him?

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballatine via NetGalley for a copy of this book!

As has been the case with all the other Debbie Macomber books I have read, I loved this book. Once again she has told a beautiful story.

Julia met her cranky neighbor, Cain, in the elevator on her way to work. He was rude and obnoxious and a challenge. She began to. blog about her encounters with "Ebenezer Scrooge". She wanted to kill him with kindness. She began to notice a change in him, as well as in herself. Was it possible to change someone's heart by continually being kind to them?

This is a beautiful story of the power of kindness and forgiveness and how high can change someone's heart.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a light read with an important message about the power of kindness to transform. Julie Padden is an upbeat person who loves the holidays; her neighbor Cain Maddox is an unfriendly Grinch. When she chooses to 'kill him with kindness' and makes the questionable decision to blog about her actions in an effort to get a new job, the results are far from what she expected and the impact is on her as much as him. I enjoyed the compact nature of the plot and the structure of the book - twelve chapters, one for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas. The conclusion was predictable, but not trite. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an uplifting read with a valuable message.

Vintage Debbie Macomber that all her fans will love and have new readers picking up her previous books. A wonderful sweet romance that helps reveal the true meaning of Christmas with the theme of kindness and friendship. Julia and Cain are neighbors that don't share the same attitude for the holidays. Julia decides to "kill" Cain with kindness and writes about it in her blog. I am never disappointed in Ms. Macomber's books. They are full of love and goodness. Wonderful reading for young and old alike. Perfect stocking stuffer for the reader on your list.

I love starting off my holiday season by reading one of Debbie Macomber's Christmas stories. This year I was blessed to have been awarded an ARC copy of this wonderful book. I eagerly set aside time to read it this week.

Twelve Days of Christmas has a great story line, believable characters. The plot is chock full of humor and romance with antics that only Debbie can dream up. This story was the perfect way to start my holiday season and I definitely recommend it to you all!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and Netgalley. I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

I'm not generally a fan of chick lit but for Debbie Macomber I always make an exception. Unlike many books of this genre, hers are always well written and nice stories. Just the ticket for a Christmas novel.

I won't be giving any spoilers to say this book follows the usual pattern of boy meets girl, boy and girl instantly hate each other, something happens to change that, and there's a happy ending. All tied up with a pretty Christmas bow.

I enjoyed the book - a nice break from the more serious ones. Along with the nice story of romance, there is a theme of how kindness can change people - something we all need to remember.

Twelve Days of Christmas is a quick reading, cute romance. Obviously taking place at Christmas time with the theme of kindness and how it can change people. The two main characters are polar opposites...she being nice and sweet, he comes across as an antisocial creep. Julia, a blogger, is determined to change the attitude of her grumpy neighbor from across the hall in the twelve days leading up to Christmas day. She chronicles her attempts in her daily blog and gets input from her readers as to what to try next. Of course what ensues is a budding romance, filled with Christmas cheer.
This was the perfect book to get a reader into the holiday spirit.

I’ve read quite a few romance novels and this is definitely lacking the passion other romance authors create for their protagonists, however, this was a cute story. It’s probably more of a 3.5 stars or 3.75 stars out of 5 than 3 but not quite a 4. Mainly for the missing passion. It was a cutesy story and had a happy ending / was a feel good holiday romance novel, but not one I’d read again. Would recommend it to those looking for quick read to get them in the Christmas spirit!

Absolutely the best holiday book for 2016. Debbie gave us kindness, determination and love all in one book. I wasn't able to put this book down. I fell in love with Julia's determination to kill Cain with kindness. He was a grouchy guy that didn't want to make friends plus wasn't a morning person, which I don't blame him. It was a brilliant idea to have a blog about her encounters with Cain while doing kind things plus being very chirpy. It was such a beautiful story that I am sad it's over. I am hoping that Hallmark makes this there number one holiday movie for next year. Please don't miss out on this fun and adorable read.

I enjoyed this book overall, I did have some difficulty getting into it initially. Going back and forth between the story and the blog posts just didn't thrill me! Once I finally got into the story I did enjoy the characters although it was quite predictable of the blow up once the subject of the blog was brought out into the open! The best character was the Grandfather! Loved him and he was quite the character!!!! Give it a chance and I think once you do you will also enjoy this book!

I love Debbie's Christmas stories. Julia's neighbor does not like her even though he doesn't really know her. She is so cheerful so early in the morning. Cain does not do cheerful. Julia wants a job and after her friend tells her to kill him with kindness she figures why not. She blogs about the experiment and finds.others that follow her blog start doing some kind things for others. It's a feel good Christmas story with the traditional happy ending. I received a complimentary book.

Heartwarming, and such a fun read! OMG, this was just perfect! The verbal sparring between the two leads was just so funny. Though their relationship develops over just days, it didn't feel rushed or like 'insta-love' at all. This is another by this author, along with(This Matter of Marriage), that I will most likely re-read several times!

A very heartwarming Christmas book. I love the whole idea of being nice to someone you don't particularly care for, in the hope that it might change them. It was an interesting take on love thy enemies. Christmas is a great time to be nice to strangers. Debbie Macomber frequently writes books that are completely different from your typical love story, and this is a great one. I love that she thinks out of the box. This book is definitely worth reading.

Twelve Days of Christmas
By Debbie Macomber

Could you treat someone with kindness even after they wronged you? Especially during the Christmas holidays?

Julia Padden lives across the hall from Cain Maddox, however neighborly would be a stretch to define their relationship.

Julia is that chipper "good morning" person, whereas Cain doesn't want to speak to anyone before his morning coffee. Preferably two or three morning coffees. So when he sees Julia coming down the hall toward the elevator he already occupies, he wishes the doors would close before she reaches them. When she reaches it in time, he is abrupt in his answers and rude to her morning glad tidings.

Julia is one of two final candidates for a social media job. The job she has been wanting since she graduated college. The company proposed a blog competition with the candidate earning the largest following would earn the job. With 12 days until Christmas Julia's friend Cammie suggests "Killing Cain with Kindness" as her blog subject.

The next morning Julia caches Cain about to steal her newspaper. Outraged that he would be so despicable, she realizes annoying Cain with kindness just might soothe her ire.

So she plots to find every opportunity to be in his face with Christmas kindness and blog about the results each day of her experiment.

Julia loves the Christmas season as she volunteers to play piano for a church choral group that performs at the assisted living complex; where would you guess, Cain's grandfather, Bernie resides.

She also accompanies the children at the Boys and Girls club and is a bell ringer volunteering to solicit donations in the little red bucket.

She sounds like the perfect person until she realizes her judgement of Cain makes her almost as bad. Cain on the other hand is more than the Scrooge Julia thinks him to be. Can her kindness make him trust again? Can Julia break down the wall around Cain's heart? Will there be a Merry Christmas for all of those involved?

Debbie Macomber weaves a delightful tale sure to put you in the Christmas spirit. Her theme of kindness is a call to action to all of her readers. With rudeness abound, we can all give a little kindness to those who wrong us. Perhaps we can see we need kindness at every turn, even to ourselves.

You can't go wrong with Debbie's Twelve Days of Christmas, you'll be laughing and cheering all the way through!

Be sure to sign up for Debbie's newsletter to get recipes, special event news, book signings and extras at her website (debbiemacomber)

FTC Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this title by Net Galley for review purposes only; no compensation was awarded me.

Received from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Julia meets her neighbor Cain and each instantly takes a dislike for the other. Julia is very bubbly and friendly. Cain is very standoffish and keeps to himself. When Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper after his was taken, she decides she needs to do something. After speaking with a close friend, she decides to "kill him with kindness" and blog about it. Her blog is also this book's title "Twelve Days of Christmas". She goes out of her way to run into Cain "Ebenezer" each day in order to be nice to him. He makes every attempt to keep her at arms length. But as Julia will not be deterred. Her blogs readers encourage her to keep being nice to Scrooge and reporting back. Julia keeps being kind to him and slowly his touch demeanor begins to fade and he begins to be nice to her as well.

This is a predictable cute Christmas love story with the bubbly cute female and the brooding handsome male. The story line is light but charming. Macomber writes sweet clean romances. This is not a bodice ripper. No one will be offended by graphic sex scenes. This book is a light sweet read. I read this in one day. This book is perfect to read while cozying up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate.

I enjoy romance books/novels but one thing I absolutely do not like about them is the ABRUPT endings. The story builds, couples fall in love, there is angst, then someone says "I love you" and they have to get married immediately because their love just can't wait. I LOVE that this book did not rush the ending!! That's right, Macomber did not hit us with a fast abrupt ending. Thank You! The ending did not feel rushed at all and she even gave the reader an epilogue. Nice touch!

I think those how like romance books will really enjoy this. When the holiday season is upon us and you want to read a nice light book, grab this one.

Oh how i look forward to Debbie Macomber's Christmas novels! This one so did not disappoint! Loved this sweet romance between a Little Miss Sunshine and her neighbor, Mr. Grouchy Pants. This story was a great mix of humor, wit, and sass with a plot line that stayed light and upbeat most of the way through. A thoroughly enjoyable read and a great gift idea for friends and family alike this holiday season!

Debbie Macomber has set the standard for heartwarming, romantic Christmas stories like The Christmas Basket, Christmas Letters, Starry Night, or any of the Angels books. That said, several of her recent Christmas books have left me feeling incredibly disappointing. I barely made it through last year's Dashing Through the Snow and it's crazy FBI subplot or the previous year's Mr. Miracle. I was both a little hesitant and a little excited to read Twelve Days of Christmas, this year's Christmas offering from Mrs. Macomber. So, how did it stack up?

Twelve Days of Christmas is the best Debbie Macomber Christmas book in years! It is much more believable than Dashing Through the Snow and in a lot of ways it reminds me of Christmas Letters. It follows the standard Debbie Macomber formula; girl meets abrasive guy, falls in love, jeopardizes love, overcomes obstacles and lives happily ever after. But, it's a really enjoyable read!

This year, the protagonist is a bubbly Julia Padden. The only thing standing between her and her dream job is a challenge between her and a co-applicant to start a blog and gain the most followers in the month of December. So far, her efforts haven't gotten her very far, that is, until her Scrooge-like neighbor, Cain Maddox, inspires her start a Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness Challenge. Not only does her blog go viral, but she starts to thaw the heart of the extremely guarded Cain. I won't give away the second half of this cheerful Christmas story - but it's traditional Debbie Macomber and I absolutely loved it! I can't recommend picking up this quick and charming read enough!

I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting. I LOVED IT! The hero and heroine are delightful and the story is full of Christmas spirit. Yet the book is so enchanting it could be read anytime of the year. If you love a good romance, the Twelve Days of Christmas is a must read. You'll fall in love with Julia and Cain. Kudos Ms. Macomber, this book is one of your best.

I loved this book!!!

Not the world's biggest holiday fan...but the combination of Christmas, AND a romance that started as a social blog experiment? Irresistible!!

Loved both Cain and Julia.....and the way they had to change, both of them a bit, to work for each other.

I dislike reviews with spoilers, so none her. But this is a great, fun read - grab it!!

Well, Debbie Macomber has done it again! This is the best Christmas Book she has written I think. I loved the storyline, especially the way Julia wrote the blog in trying to "kill Case with kindness."

I received this book from Net Galley and Random House-Ballantine.
5 amazing Christmas stars! I LOVED it, it was perfect. I think I smiled or laughed through the whole book, it was lighthearted and such a fun read. The blog was a great storyline and the way they fell in love was perfect. I have to say on think this is my new favorite Christmas Story.

I have never read a Debbie Macomber novel before but I do love the Christmas season, enough to even read a Christmas book in October, so I said yes when NetGalley offered me the chance to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This book moved quickly and was an easy read but I wish the characters hadn't been so one sided which I was worried about from the description. Julia is just too good and Cain is just too mean. How can you fall for a guy lacking even basic civility? Like he won't even say please or thank you. I don't think the idea of the nice guy once you get to know him and he's had some heartaches makes up for the over the top gruffness. Plus once you meet Bernie and hear more about how Cain was raised its really more unbelievable that he is so lacking in manners. I expected this book to have more comical back and forth with the characters being so different but it's really far too saccharin. The whole time I was reading it it felt like a script for a Hallmark Christmas movie. Characters so lacking in depth would play much better on screen. Plus the idea of what is going to keep them apart just is not believable or interesting to me.

I love the story and read it in one day. I didn’t quite like the quick tidy up last chapter but I guess I complain when I don’t know what happens for the main characters in some books.

This was a sweet novel and very well-written.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I love a Debbie Macomber book, especially a Christmas one. This book is a whole lot of fun and perfect reading for the holidays. This is a fast-paced, heartwarming read with a wonderful cast of characters. The perfect book to curl up with, I highly recommend!

This is a wonderful Christmas book from Debbie Macomber! I am never disappointed with her writing. Twelve Days of Christmas has a genuine message in the story. Her characters are relatable and make you feel a part of the book. Certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a great read. I received this book courtesy of Netgalley 5/5

I think we should all try the kindness aspect of this book. If we all were nice to one grumpy person, and it made them happy, think how much nicer the world would be. This was another great book by Debbie. She is one of my favorites, and I always try to read her books. This one is light reading and great for this time of year. Try it.

What a wonderful Christmas story of kindness and how it can change people. It's also a little bit funny as well as full of love, happiness and above all kindness. It reminds us that we should be kind to people even if they aren't kind to us. I love this story. Debbie has a way with her Christmas stories that lightens the heart.

I always look forward to reading Debbie Macomber's Christmas books and this one did NOT disappoint. It was a very sweet story set at Christmas with characters that I found interesting and connected with. If you are looking for a nice Christmas book to read I highly recommend this one.

I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, quick and heartwarming Christmas romance.

We could all benefit from our own "killing them with kindness" project. It would make a wonderful addition to any personal or public library.

Debbie Macomber is correct, one act (big or small) will cause a ripple effect and this world needs more light, more goodness.

Disclosure: I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Reviews are published on Goodreads and the store.

Yes it's predictable but gosh this would make a cute rom com! Macomber has deftly incorporated social media into the classic lives-next-door romance. Julia's blog is adorable and a good inspiration for the season. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is very light and a fast read that will cheer you up.

A great feel-good Christmas book! Not a lot of characters in this book, but not a lot are needed. This story embodies the spirit of the holiday with kindness, generosity, forgiveness, and love. A must-read for Debbie Macomber fans or those who just love to read a story that makes you feel good.

Twelve Days of Christmas is typical Debbie Macomber holiday fare. The plot is predictable, but much like an annual viewing of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the novel is ideal to get you into the holiday spirit. I recommend this short, feel good read with thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy.

Few writers can write with the kind of sweetness that can reach into the heart and make it sing. It takes you back to a kinder time. Not necessarily simpler, but kinder. It's not that it's an old fashioned book, not by a long shot. It's just that it's a kinder book. While there are issues that need to be resolved between the hero and heroine and inside themselves, I absolutely loved the book! I kind of want a friend like Julia and I do kind of want to hug cranky pants Cain. He really did need Julia in his life!

I very much enjoyed this book just as I have all of Debbie's books. I find them very entertaining and I try to collect any of them I find. I especially love my holiday books. This book is really touching, It is about kindness and just how far it can go. I look forward to reading more of Debbie's books.

Nice book to read at Christmas. It deals with acts of kindness and how it can change a life. I reserved this book at the library and it took 8 months to receive it. Not a long story, don't know why it took so long to receive.

Twelve Days of Christmas is a quick, easy, fun, holiday story. It centers around a very bubbly, upbeat sometimes annoying Julia and a real life scrooge, Cain. They clash at first, neither liking the other very much. But many acts of kindness melts Scrooge's icy heart and a cute story emerges.

This book is the type you pick up and love because, although it may be predictable, it draws you towards the characters and you just have to root for them. It was a fast read, and heartwarming mixed with tension. This is why we buy Debbie Macomber's books. It's what we want to read. Hol

A wonderful story how one person can change the life of another and also change in the process. My kids tell me that my motto is "Kill them with kindness " and this book shows how powerful that can be.

I cannot review this as it was erroneously sent to my old Kindle which no longer works. Please resend to my "Jody's second kindle" and I will happily read, enjoy and comment. It is impossible to reach the store anyother way, but I hope this is not an inconvenience. I love the store!

The Christmas season is my favorite, and I adore love stories. Even happy ones make me weep. Ms. Macomber, however, always leaves me with the hope that my life will turn out just as I desire. We all need that on a regular basis.

This was my first Debbie Macomber book. The Twelve Days of Christmas far exceeded my expectations for a Christmas story. What a wonderfully well written story, I could not put this book down. If you're looking for a truly enjoyable read don't miss this one. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little disappointed because from the title I was expecting more of a Christmas feel to it. There was too much about Christmas besides the children's choir. Other than that it was a very well written love story, as expected, from a wonderful author.

I enjoyed the conflict at first and then how Julia and Cain grew on each other. I loved the idea of an experiment and showing Julia's blog posts in the book. I wish her blog post would have been a little more descriptive or contained more details. The posts were very broad bit overall I enjoyed the book format.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed the book but wished there could have been a lot more elements of Christmas. I would recommend this book to a reader who wants a page turner during the Christmas season but does not want a slap you in the face with Christmas read.

Maybe if you have an Ebenezer-like person in your life who needs a nice little shot of Christmasy spirit and love then buy this book, march across the hall or drive or whatever and give this book to them. It might just brighten their mood.

I thought it was okay. The plot line was interesting, but I thought the end was a little rushed and slightly cheesy. However, I don't expect a romance novel to be great literature. It was an entertaining light read.