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Single in the City #3
The Twelve Days to Christmas
Hannah's in a bit of a pickle. In twelve days she flies from Hong Kong to the US with Sam, where he's finally going to meet her parents... and ask to marry her. Since overcoming a rather rocky patch in their relationship (which was totally his fault), he really is a new man, and they're completely in love. The problem is, she feels panicky every time she contemplates matrimony. Which is perfectly normal, isn't it? Isn't it?! She has no idea but she's got to find out before he pops the question... because she's not 100% sure she's going to say yes. Which will make for a very uncomfortable family holiday. He's got to ask her before they go. So Operation Proposal begins. As time ticks down to their flight, Hannah realizes that her own secrets are threatening their future. Before she can be happy with Sam, she's got a lot to learn about herself in the twelve days to Christmas.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
66 people are currently reading
633 people want to read
About the author
Michele Gorman
33 books368 followersMichele writes books packed with heart and humor, best friends and girl power. She also writes cozy comedies under the pen-name Lilly Bartlett. Lilly’s books are full of warmth, romance, quirky characters and guaranteed happily-ever-afters.
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She is both a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author, raised in the US and living in London with her husband.
Three-emails-a-year NEWSLETTER here: http://eepurl.com/dr5RGX #prizes #freecontent #giveaways
FACEBOOK here: https://www.facebook.com/MicheleGorma...
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MicheleGormanUK
INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/michelegorm...
She is both a USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author, raised in the US and living in London with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 1, 2017
Hannah has moved to Hong Kong from the USA to be with her boyfriend Sam, the only trouble is he almost immediately got sent to work in Vietnam. Now, its coming up to Christmas and she thinks he is taking her home to the USA to propose (after getting her parents' approval of course). The only trouble is, Hannah isn't entirely sure whether she wants to marry Sam! The trouble is, right from the start Hannah has been trying to impress Sam and find things in common when really they are like chalk and cheese, now she is faced with a lifetime of pretending she likes adventurous food and sporty activities.
This is the third in a series and although I read it as a stand-alone novel I think maybe some of the nuances were lost on me. Hannah strikes me a little like Bridget Jones, all dead-end job and incompetence with lots of cleverer, wealthier friends. I also clearly misread the signs early on and was rooting for Hannah to dump Sam and find love with her best friend Brent - I find that always disorientates me when I'm shipping the wrong couple. Also, the Hong Kong setting clearly works as a common thread with the other books but it kind of felt superfluous in this novella.
Anyway, it was fun, amusing and holiday themed - just right for reading while sitting on the sofa eating Quality Street.
This is the third in a series and although I read it as a stand-alone novel I think maybe some of the nuances were lost on me. Hannah strikes me a little like Bridget Jones, all dead-end job and incompetence with lots of cleverer, wealthier friends. I also clearly misread the signs early on and was rooting for Hannah to dump Sam and find love with her best friend Brent - I find that always disorientates me when I'm shipping the wrong couple. Also, the Hong Kong setting clearly works as a common thread with the other books but it kind of felt superfluous in this novella.
Anyway, it was fun, amusing and holiday themed - just right for reading while sitting on the sofa eating Quality Street.
February 8, 2021
Great series
October 17, 2012
This review was originally posted on Melissa's Midnight Musings on October 13, 2012
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
A few months ago, Michele contacted me to review the previous novel in this series, Misfortune Cookie. (You can read that review here) So when she contacted me about The Twelve Days to Christmas I was happy to say yes because I wondered what had happened to them.
I have to admit that I wasn't all that thrilled by the ending of Misfortune Cookie only because I had hoped that Hannah would stick to her guns and not get back together with Sam because it seemed like he didn't care about her enough. But at the end of the book you could already tell that she was considering letting him back in. In this book. it's very obvious that he cares for her a lot. It seems as if they've flipped roles a little in that regard because Hannah doesn't seem quite as needy as she was before (this is a very good thing).
But, as she starts to suspect (and worry) that Sam is going to propose to her, she starts to plan Operation Proposal to ensure that he does, even though it's clear that she's having second thoughts about the whole idea. I was a bit disappointed about this, more on a personal level than one with the book itself. Hannah knowing that Sam is going to propose just takes all the fun out of it. In terms of the story though, it's perfect because it's reason to throw Hannah into a frenzy and get her all worked up which is typical of her character.
It's a bit fun to watch her go to the length to ensure that Sam proposes, but I did feel kind of bad about the fact that she had her own secrets to keep from him in this book. It's almost like payback for the secret he kept from her in Misfortune Cookie.
One thing that I want to note that was really fun about the structure is that at the beginning of each chapter there's a set of lines that's repeated and grows with each chapter, that's very similar to The Twelve Days of Christmas song. That was a cute touch to the story.
If you're worried about the fact that this is a series, don't be. Each of these work well as standalone books too. I didn't get a chance to read Single in the City before I read Misfortune Cookie and I didn't really feel like anything major was missing. I don't think anyone who reads just this story will feel that way either.
I do have to say that I was slightly disappointed by the ending. To me, it just felt a tiny bit cliche, I was hoping for something more. There was also an issue with the names of characters at the end (I won't say what this is because I don't want to spoil it) but I felt it was slightly unoriginal.
Those are really personal issues though, nothing to do with the book itself, which was excellent. This is a wonderfully sweet story that's perfect for the Christmas season.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
A few months ago, Michele contacted me to review the previous novel in this series, Misfortune Cookie. (You can read that review here) So when she contacted me about The Twelve Days to Christmas I was happy to say yes because I wondered what had happened to them.
I have to admit that I wasn't all that thrilled by the ending of Misfortune Cookie only because I had hoped that Hannah would stick to her guns and not get back together with Sam because it seemed like he didn't care about her enough. But at the end of the book you could already tell that she was considering letting him back in. In this book. it's very obvious that he cares for her a lot. It seems as if they've flipped roles a little in that regard because Hannah doesn't seem quite as needy as she was before (this is a very good thing).
But, as she starts to suspect (and worry) that Sam is going to propose to her, she starts to plan Operation Proposal to ensure that he does, even though it's clear that she's having second thoughts about the whole idea. I was a bit disappointed about this, more on a personal level than one with the book itself. Hannah knowing that Sam is going to propose just takes all the fun out of it. In terms of the story though, it's perfect because it's reason to throw Hannah into a frenzy and get her all worked up which is typical of her character.
It's a bit fun to watch her go to the length to ensure that Sam proposes, but I did feel kind of bad about the fact that she had her own secrets to keep from him in this book. It's almost like payback for the secret he kept from her in Misfortune Cookie.
One thing that I want to note that was really fun about the structure is that at the beginning of each chapter there's a set of lines that's repeated and grows with each chapter, that's very similar to The Twelve Days of Christmas song. That was a cute touch to the story.
If you're worried about the fact that this is a series, don't be. Each of these work well as standalone books too. I didn't get a chance to read Single in the City before I read Misfortune Cookie and I didn't really feel like anything major was missing. I don't think anyone who reads just this story will feel that way either.
I do have to say that I was slightly disappointed by the ending. To me, it just felt a tiny bit cliche, I was hoping for something more. There was also an issue with the names of characters at the end (I won't say what this is because I don't want to spoil it) but I felt it was slightly unoriginal.
Those are really personal issues though, nothing to do with the book itself, which was excellent. This is a wonderfully sweet story that's perfect for the Christmas season.
October 20, 2012
A good conscience is a continual Christmas. - Benjamin Franklin
Hannah suspects her boyfriend, Sam, will ask her to marry her when they both fly from Hong Kong to her parents' home for Christmas. In the days leading up to their departure, Hannah has a battle of conscience - she moved to Hong Kong to be with Sam. But her life in Hong Kong has expanded her horizons and she wonders if Sam will accept the imperfect side of her.
Oh, this may seem to be a heavy story, but it is not. It is a laugh out loud adventure in the "final chapter" of Hannah's story. Readers first met Hannah in Book 1, SINGLE IN THE CITY (full length novel) with Hannah moving to London and falling in love with fellow American Sam. I joined the fun with Book 2, MISFORTUNE COOKIE (full length novel) when Hannah followed Sam to Hong Kong. It was not quite the "romance story" that I expected but rather Hannah's self discovery - a story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book 3 (a novella) continues in Hong Kong with a self assured Hannah. As she considers what may be her reaction to Sam's expected proposal, Hannah comes to realize that her friends accept her, quirks and all. But she has not allowed Sam to see those quirks in fear of his disapproval. Hannah finds herself in conflict. The ending was not what I expected but one that brought the series to a plausible conclusion.
I give it a three star rating because I felt a novella was too short for reintroducing Sam back into Hannah's life to the point of proposing. I thought the pace was too fast as Hannah considered her predicament. Plus Gorman had to use precious space to recap Hannah's life for new readers.
That being said, Gorman delivered a fun read with Hannah at her best ... because she accepted herself. My children wondered why I was singing "Wang Chung Tonight":
I'll drive a million miles
To be with you tonight
Ev'rybody have fun tonight
Ev'rybody Wang Chung tonight
Oh, you have to read the novella to understand how Gorman leads into this situation with Chinese cloth manufacturers. And that is where Gorman shined - allowing Hannah to have fun in Hong Kong. Fans of the Hannah's two first books will want to read this novella. I recommend readers new to the series consider the first and/or second full length novels before ending the series with this novella.
I received an ecopy from the author for this review.
Hannah suspects her boyfriend, Sam, will ask her to marry her when they both fly from Hong Kong to her parents' home for Christmas. In the days leading up to their departure, Hannah has a battle of conscience - she moved to Hong Kong to be with Sam. But her life in Hong Kong has expanded her horizons and she wonders if Sam will accept the imperfect side of her.
Oh, this may seem to be a heavy story, but it is not. It is a laugh out loud adventure in the "final chapter" of Hannah's story. Readers first met Hannah in Book 1, SINGLE IN THE CITY (full length novel) with Hannah moving to London and falling in love with fellow American Sam. I joined the fun with Book 2, MISFORTUNE COOKIE (full length novel) when Hannah followed Sam to Hong Kong. It was not quite the "romance story" that I expected but rather Hannah's self discovery - a story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book 3 (a novella) continues in Hong Kong with a self assured Hannah. As she considers what may be her reaction to Sam's expected proposal, Hannah comes to realize that her friends accept her, quirks and all. But she has not allowed Sam to see those quirks in fear of his disapproval. Hannah finds herself in conflict. The ending was not what I expected but one that brought the series to a plausible conclusion.
I give it a three star rating because I felt a novella was too short for reintroducing Sam back into Hannah's life to the point of proposing. I thought the pace was too fast as Hannah considered her predicament. Plus Gorman had to use precious space to recap Hannah's life for new readers.
That being said, Gorman delivered a fun read with Hannah at her best ... because she accepted herself. My children wondered why I was singing "Wang Chung Tonight":
I'll drive a million miles
To be with you tonight
Ev'rybody have fun tonight
Ev'rybody Wang Chung tonight
Oh, you have to read the novella to understand how Gorman leads into this situation with Chinese cloth manufacturers. And that is where Gorman shined - allowing Hannah to have fun in Hong Kong. Fans of the Hannah's two first books will want to read this novella. I recommend readers new to the series consider the first and/or second full length novels before ending the series with this novella.
I received an ecopy from the author for this review.
September 20, 2012
This is the third book in The Single in the City series. I have not read the first two books and felt like it stood alone nicely. This is also my first read by Michele Gorman. I do want to read the first two books as they are all connected. Hannah she is great and cracks me up. I like that she is excited yet a bit jittery about a possible proposal from Sam her boyfriend. I found her self evaluation funny and real. I felt that she worked things through and grew in the process. Her friends are amazing and help Hannah figure things out. A story of love, lies and will things work out? My favorite parts are the jellyfish scene and the epilogue. The Twelve Days to Christmas is a wonderful read that I will be reading again! I am hooked on Michele Gorman and I love to find new authors and she is on my must read list.
Just FYI~ This does contain one swear word and talk of sex toys but no sex
Just FYI~ This does contain one swear word and talk of sex toys but no sex
September 6, 2013
The Twelve Days to Christmas is an easy-to-read story about a woman who finds out that her boyfriend is going to propose to her at Christmas while visiting her family but isn't really sure how she feels about that or what her answer will be. This story highlights the importance of trust, honesty and being yourself in a relationship. Though sometimes the story was a little predictable overall it was a very enjoyable read and I really liked Ms. Gorman's writing. A great story for anyone who has ever felt conflicted in a relationship.
This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads.
FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers
This book was received for free through Goodreads First Reads.
FTC Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers
December 5, 2012
Having read both Single in the City and Misfortune Cookie, I couldn't wait to see what mischief and mishaps awaited Hannah in The Twelve Days to Christmas - and I wasn't disappointed! In typical bubbly, fun fashion, Hannah manages to find her way to what's really important and negotiate her own happy ending. A wonderfully warm, fitting conclusion to a great series.
December 6, 2012
A wonderfully delightful novella with a great cast of characters! I enjoyed being on the journey with Hannah while she discovered what she really wanted and how sometimes life works out just the way it was meant to! Pick up this Christmas novella and enjoy a quick, fun read! 4.5 stars!
*note this book is part of a series
*note this book is part of a series
December 30, 2017
A sweet conclusion to this series! Hannah is back with Sam and she believes he’s going to propose to her at Christmas. Hannah is in a panic remembering all the times she told little white lies to impress him. Does he know the real Hannah? Would he love her if he knew? Meanwhile, Hannah’s boss is dating her friend Stacy and trying to sell the company.
Hannah was way overthinking things and not being open and honest again. It annoyed me after I thought she had matured more in the last book. However, I loved the ending to this story. I also liked the format as each chapter title went with the 12 days of Christmas song. I was honestly not sure how the story was going to end. I appreciate that this series hasn’t been predictable, which is a rarity in a chick lit. Everything is tied up nicely at the end, even with secondary characters. Overall, I would recommend this series to fans of travel chick lit.
Hannah was way overthinking things and not being open and honest again. It annoyed me after I thought she had matured more in the last book. However, I loved the ending to this story. I also liked the format as each chapter title went with the 12 days of Christmas song. I was honestly not sure how the story was going to end. I appreciate that this series hasn’t been predictable, which is a rarity in a chick lit. Everything is tied up nicely at the end, even with secondary characters. Overall, I would recommend this series to fans of travel chick lit.
November 21, 2025
I love the chapter theme for this quick holiday read. You’ll be singing along t the start of each chapter!
“♪ On the Twelfth day of Christmas my fortune gave to me…
faith in my future
the eleventh hour deadline
bosses a-staying
merry ladies dancing
trouble deciding
jolly friends a gambling
sneaky people meddling
clever new plans
champagne for two
the good friend
two second thoughts
and a ticket home to see my family ♪”
“When you hand your heart to someone, you’ve got to hope they won’t drop it or crush it or kick it into the long grass.”
“nobody is perfect. And nobody expects you to be perfect.”
“The absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence.”
“I would not be anyone but myself, for anyone, ever again. If I wasn’t loved for who I was, for exactly who I was, warts and all, then the relationship wasn’t for me.”
“♪ On the Twelfth day of Christmas my fortune gave to me…
faith in my future
the eleventh hour deadline
bosses a-staying
merry ladies dancing
trouble deciding
jolly friends a gambling
sneaky people meddling
clever new plans
champagne for two
the good friend
two second thoughts
and a ticket home to see my family ♪”
“When you hand your heart to someone, you’ve got to hope they won’t drop it or crush it or kick it into the long grass.”
“nobody is perfect. And nobody expects you to be perfect.”
“The absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence.”
“I would not be anyone but myself, for anyone, ever again. If I wasn’t loved for who I was, for exactly who I was, warts and all, then the relationship wasn’t for me.”
October 3, 2017
Three stars. Entertaining but probably the weakest book in the trilogy.
November 27, 2019
Ohhhhhkay. Skip. Not romantic, not fun, not really Christmas. Just skip.
December 8, 2024
This was a very light Christmas read in 91 pages that might be a fun read for a single, young gal but for a retired public and Christian school teacher - not my cup of tea!
November 1, 2013
The 12 Days to Christmas is a novella that follows Misfortune Cookie. Misfortune Cookie ends with Hannah thinking about second chances and 12 Days starts off with Sam and Hannah back together again. Hannah has decided that Sam deserves a second chance and they’re working things out. I never doubted Sam’s love for Hannah, I just thought that he was a bit greedy with his pleasures. Technically, he didn’t cheat on Hannah but what he did was still a betrayal and just like Hannah, I felt it. In this book, Sam is the model boyfriend and Gorman really puts both Sam and Hannah through the wringer in this short story but it was still an enjoyable read.
Hannah is still up to her old tricks in this story. She overthinks things, she under shares things and she’s all over the place but by now, I was like Stacy. I took all of her quirks in stride because at her core, Hannah is a good person. She means well and well, she’s Hannah.
In this book, she’s got a secret that she’s keeping from Sam. She thinks that if Sam finds out about it, it’ll be the end of things for the both of them and she worries herself silly over it all and her friendship with Brent is all up in the air because there are feelings there. For such a short book, lots of things are happening in this one. Hannah’s dealing with her feelings about taking that next step with Sam. Sam ready to take those next steps. Hannah coming to terms with her friendship with Brent. Stacy and Josh and their relationship. Going home for Christmas with Sam meeting Hannah’s family for the first time. The potential sale of Josh’s company and well, Hannah’s secrets. I thought that Gorman did a great job of riding these different storylines out. While everything is happening, the reader is front and center. One of my gripes with Hannah is actually something that Josh finds comforting in his assistant and that’s how much she talks. She babbles on and on about everything under the sun and there were plenty of times when I wanted to skim ahead because well, when Hannah went on those tangents, I tuned her out anyway. But aside from that, this was a cute read.
It wasn’t as interesting to me as Misfortune Cookie but I’m glad that I read it because this novella serves as the ending of this series of stories. In this story is where we say goodbye to the Single Girl in the City and got over the Misfortune Cookie. Everything wraps up in this story and I was happy with the way that it ended. We went through the wringer with these characters and if you stuck with them, they repaid you with an ending that puts your mind at ease. It ended the way that it was supposed to end and I was glad for it.
Thanks for the entertaining hours that I spent with these characters Michele Gorman. I came to love them even though I had my doubts early on.
Hannah is still up to her old tricks in this story. She overthinks things, she under shares things and she’s all over the place but by now, I was like Stacy. I took all of her quirks in stride because at her core, Hannah is a good person. She means well and well, she’s Hannah.
In this book, she’s got a secret that she’s keeping from Sam. She thinks that if Sam finds out about it, it’ll be the end of things for the both of them and she worries herself silly over it all and her friendship with Brent is all up in the air because there are feelings there. For such a short book, lots of things are happening in this one. Hannah’s dealing with her feelings about taking that next step with Sam. Sam ready to take those next steps. Hannah coming to terms with her friendship with Brent. Stacy and Josh and their relationship. Going home for Christmas with Sam meeting Hannah’s family for the first time. The potential sale of Josh’s company and well, Hannah’s secrets. I thought that Gorman did a great job of riding these different storylines out. While everything is happening, the reader is front and center. One of my gripes with Hannah is actually something that Josh finds comforting in his assistant and that’s how much she talks. She babbles on and on about everything under the sun and there were plenty of times when I wanted to skim ahead because well, when Hannah went on those tangents, I tuned her out anyway. But aside from that, this was a cute read.
It wasn’t as interesting to me as Misfortune Cookie but I’m glad that I read it because this novella serves as the ending of this series of stories. In this story is where we say goodbye to the Single Girl in the City and got over the Misfortune Cookie. Everything wraps up in this story and I was happy with the way that it ended. We went through the wringer with these characters and if you stuck with them, they repaid you with an ending that puts your mind at ease. It ended the way that it was supposed to end and I was glad for it.
Thanks for the entertaining hours that I spent with these characters Michele Gorman. I came to love them even though I had my doubts early on.
March 1, 2016
I previously read Michele Gorman's, Single in the City (Single in the City series) and Misfortune Cookie and liked both books. There were some things that needed to be worked on in both novels but ultimately I did enjoy reading about ex-pat Hannah living and working in London (Single in the City) and then moving to live and work in Hong Kong (Misfortune Cookie).
Her newest and last novella starring Hannah, is "The Twelve Days to Christmas". I would recommend that readers read both books in order to not be spoiled by this review. In "Misfortune Cookie" we find Hannah single again after breaking up with Sam though the novel ends on such a note that you wonder if they get back together since she starts thinking about forgiveness. Now in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" we have Hannah getting ready for her return back to the States to visit her parents for the holiday with Sam.
There was so much that ultimately did not work for me with this novella that I marked it down to two stars.
First, the character of Hannah I always loved since she tried so hard and tended to babble. However, in this newest novella you have her doing a 180 pretending that she can't commit to Sam not because he doesn't ultimately know the real her. It made absolutely no sense since ultimately there are plenty of reasons that Hannah wouldn't want to commit to him, after what happened in Misfortune Cookie. I wish that both Hannah and Sam had more time to discuss what was going on in there relationship rather in just 12 days for them to figure it out. Also many of the other characters such as Stacy, the twins, and her boss just felt flat to me. There was no time to sit back and enjoy anyone.
Next, I think that very few authors out there can write short stories or novellas these days. The reason why is that you have to be in my opinion a deft storyteller in order to impact the reader in a shorter time frame. I felt as if Gorman missed this by spades. The whole novella felt rushed to me and we were handed information on what has been going on in Hannah's life fast and furious. The resolution when it came didn't feel earned.
I also think that due to the novella Ms. Gorman was not able to write Hong Kong as well as she did in "Misfortune Cookie". She seriously made me want to eat the food and go and visit Hong Kong due to her descriptions. I ultimately felt as if this novel could have taken place anywhere in the world.
Last, the epilogue was really awful and I wish that Gorman had just left that part out and left it to the readers imagination on what happened next with Hannah and her life. Or even wrote another novella down the road to pick up her story. To have it end as she did felt very cheap.
I would only recommend to fans who want to find out what happens with Hannah and her relationship with Sam.
I received this novel for free in the Amazon Kindle Lending Library.
Her newest and last novella starring Hannah, is "The Twelve Days to Christmas". I would recommend that readers read both books in order to not be spoiled by this review. In "Misfortune Cookie" we find Hannah single again after breaking up with Sam though the novel ends on such a note that you wonder if they get back together since she starts thinking about forgiveness. Now in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" we have Hannah getting ready for her return back to the States to visit her parents for the holiday with Sam.
There was so much that ultimately did not work for me with this novella that I marked it down to two stars.
First, the character of Hannah I always loved since she tried so hard and tended to babble. However, in this newest novella you have her doing a 180 pretending that she can't commit to Sam not because he doesn't ultimately know the real her. It made absolutely no sense since ultimately there are plenty of reasons that Hannah wouldn't want to commit to him, after what happened in Misfortune Cookie. I wish that both Hannah and Sam had more time to discuss what was going on in there relationship rather in just 12 days for them to figure it out. Also many of the other characters such as Stacy, the twins, and her boss just felt flat to me. There was no time to sit back and enjoy anyone.
Next, I think that very few authors out there can write short stories or novellas these days. The reason why is that you have to be in my opinion a deft storyteller in order to impact the reader in a shorter time frame. I felt as if Gorman missed this by spades. The whole novella felt rushed to me and we were handed information on what has been going on in Hannah's life fast and furious. The resolution when it came didn't feel earned.
I also think that due to the novella Ms. Gorman was not able to write Hong Kong as well as she did in "Misfortune Cookie". She seriously made me want to eat the food and go and visit Hong Kong due to her descriptions. I ultimately felt as if this novel could have taken place anywhere in the world.
Last, the epilogue was really awful and I wish that Gorman had just left that part out and left it to the readers imagination on what happened next with Hannah and her life. Or even wrote another novella down the road to pick up her story. To have it end as she did felt very cheap.
I would only recommend to fans who want to find out what happens with Hannah and her relationship with Sam.
I received this novel for free in the Amazon Kindle Lending Library.
October 11, 2012
This is the first book that I have read by Michele Gorman. She has written a few other books like this one and I am anxious to check them out. This book was a Christmas story, how fabulous I know, and took place in Hong Kong! I was really thrown by the location at first but once I started reading I was really pleased with how Michele worked Hong Kong into the cozy Christmas setting. She even describes some of the more favored traditions of the Christmas season as it takes place in Hong Kong and I was so into reading parts like those. It is always fascinating to see how someone else represents a holiday that is widespread here. That was probably my favorite part of the book!
Hannah was a very believable character and her flaws were something that I could relate to, most of the time. Hannah did drive me a little batty at first because she was constantly questioning her relationship with Sam, who was supposed to be proposing to her soon. It was almost like she had to talk herself into the fact that he really and truly loved her. Their relationship had comes through a few rough spots in the past, but I felt like they weren’t completely finished with hitting that prickly patch just by the way Hannah talked. For the most part, however, I did love and value her sense of realism. She was just like any other woman would be in her current situations. Hannah had a lot of major events happening in her life and I thought that she handled them all well.
Christmas was a reoccurring theme throughout this book and that was fine by me! Michele does an awesome job of incorporating Hong Kong traditions, like I mentioned before, but also by allowing our main character, Hannah, to talk about her American Christmas traditions as well. There was a paragraph where Hannah was going on and on about her Dad’s annual tradition of making eggnog for everyone! How could something so small captivate me? It was amazing!
I also loved her relationship with her best friend, Stacy. Stacy is an in your face type of friend who speaks nothing but the truth. She is bold and blunt and I would understand if some people didn’t like her, but I was thrilled with her character. I have a friend like that and I am a firm believer that everyone needs a friend to tell you when you are being a little ridiculous.
This is a quick and highly entertaining read. If you are ready for just a taste of Christmas then please go and check it out today!
***An e-copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review***
Hannah was a very believable character and her flaws were something that I could relate to, most of the time. Hannah did drive me a little batty at first because she was constantly questioning her relationship with Sam, who was supposed to be proposing to her soon. It was almost like she had to talk herself into the fact that he really and truly loved her. Their relationship had comes through a few rough spots in the past, but I felt like they weren’t completely finished with hitting that prickly patch just by the way Hannah talked. For the most part, however, I did love and value her sense of realism. She was just like any other woman would be in her current situations. Hannah had a lot of major events happening in her life and I thought that she handled them all well.
Christmas was a reoccurring theme throughout this book and that was fine by me! Michele does an awesome job of incorporating Hong Kong traditions, like I mentioned before, but also by allowing our main character, Hannah, to talk about her American Christmas traditions as well. There was a paragraph where Hannah was going on and on about her Dad’s annual tradition of making eggnog for everyone! How could something so small captivate me? It was amazing!
I also loved her relationship with her best friend, Stacy. Stacy is an in your face type of friend who speaks nothing but the truth. She is bold and blunt and I would understand if some people didn’t like her, but I was thrilled with her character. I have a friend like that and I am a firm believer that everyone needs a friend to tell you when you are being a little ridiculous.
This is a quick and highly entertaining read. If you are ready for just a taste of Christmas then please go and check it out today!
***An e-copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review***
October 1, 2012
Warning: this review contains some spoilers. Proceed at your own risk!
Michele Gorman's novella continues the story of Hannah Cumming, an American expat who moved to Hong Kong to be with the man she loves and almost lost. The series began with Single in the City and continued in Misfortune Cookie. In this final novel in the series, Hannah believes Sam Parker is going to propose to her over the Christmas holidays, when they're at Hannah's family home in Connecticut and surrounded by her family... and the prospect frightens and thrills her, in turns.
There's no doubt Hannah love Sam, but she hasn't always been, well, herself with him. Now she's as afraid that he might not want to marry the "real" her as she is that she might have to keep up the pretense that she's an adventurous nature lover for the rest of their life together. She wants to be honest about her couch-potato preferences, but doesn't quite know how or where to start.
Over the twelve days leading up to Hannah and Sam's trip to the U.S., Hannah struggles with her dilemma, supported by her quirky friends (all of whom know her true nature much better than Sam) and nearly swamped with love and desire when she's with Sam.
As if that weren't enough, Hannah's boss is trying to sell his party-supplies business, his longtime secretary is trying to get Hannah deported and her first-ever bikini was came out, um, uneven.
Despite the heavy themes, this novel is funny and sweet, with unexpected moments of hilarity. I laughed aloud several times and, to use a cliché, felt Hannah's pain more than once.
Although I am not generally a fan of holiday-themed romance novels, where the ending seems assured and the tropes of the holiday are predictable and formulaic, I highly and without reservation recommend this book. Perhaps because it is set in Hong Kong, the traditional American Christmas activities do not intrude. And while I expected a happy ending, given the genre, I wasn't sure what that would be until Hannah herself decided it in a climactic airport scene. The outcome surprised me, as I could see it easily going another way, but it was entirely logical and satisfying.
(Disclosure: For review purposes, I received a free advance copy of the eBook.)
Michele Gorman's novella continues the story of Hannah Cumming, an American expat who moved to Hong Kong to be with the man she loves and almost lost. The series began with Single in the City and continued in Misfortune Cookie. In this final novel in the series, Hannah believes Sam Parker is going to propose to her over the Christmas holidays, when they're at Hannah's family home in Connecticut and surrounded by her family... and the prospect frightens and thrills her, in turns.
There's no doubt Hannah love Sam, but she hasn't always been, well, herself with him. Now she's as afraid that he might not want to marry the "real" her as she is that she might have to keep up the pretense that she's an adventurous nature lover for the rest of their life together. She wants to be honest about her couch-potato preferences, but doesn't quite know how or where to start.
Over the twelve days leading up to Hannah and Sam's trip to the U.S., Hannah struggles with her dilemma, supported by her quirky friends (all of whom know her true nature much better than Sam) and nearly swamped with love and desire when she's with Sam.
As if that weren't enough, Hannah's boss is trying to sell his party-supplies business, his longtime secretary is trying to get Hannah deported and her first-ever bikini was came out, um, uneven.
Despite the heavy themes, this novel is funny and sweet, with unexpected moments of hilarity. I laughed aloud several times and, to use a cliché, felt Hannah's pain more than once.
Although I am not generally a fan of holiday-themed romance novels, where the ending seems assured and the tropes of the holiday are predictable and formulaic, I highly and without reservation recommend this book. Perhaps because it is set in Hong Kong, the traditional American Christmas activities do not intrude. And while I expected a happy ending, given the genre, I wasn't sure what that would be until Hannah herself decided it in a climactic airport scene. The outcome surprised me, as I could see it easily going another way, but it was entirely logical and satisfying.
(Disclosure: For review purposes, I received a free advance copy of the eBook.)
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February 25, 2024Warning: May contain spoilers for earlier books in the series.
Well now. I wasn't expecting that. At the end of Misfortune Cookie we saw Hannah make a break from Sam who was just too hurtful to her. Yes! That was a great thing! I was so happy to see her liberate herself but then between then and The Twelve Days to Christmas, I don't know how this happened, but suddenly Sam is going with her to meet her parents and she is positive that he's going to propose but wants to be sure before he asks her dad's permission so proceeds to try to convince him in various hilarious ways (the trip to the Chinese sex shop was my personal favourite) to propose beforehand so that she knows how she will react and not waste a journey.
It's a very quick read being a novella at only 120 pages long and features a strongly happy ending which every Christmas book needs. I enjoyed reading it a lot and felt the rewritten 'Twelve Days of Christmas' lines at the start of each chapter really added to it. Not only do they provide a festive feel that I wasn't sure I felt with the main story, but they made me giggle.
I am quite sad that there won't be any more books in the Single in the City series but I am glad that we saw more of Hannah than just what we saw in Single in the City. There are too many chick lit standalones that leave me longing for more so thank you to Michele for that! And The Twelve Days to Christmas progressed and wrapped up Hannah's story fantastically well.
The Twelve Days to Christmas can be read without having read the first two in the series, in fact if you look towards the end of the post I have linked a review from somebody who has done this, but I honestly think that this series is best as a whole and you'll enjoy it much more if you've read all of Hannah's expatriate adventures.
Well now. I wasn't expecting that. At the end of Misfortune Cookie we saw Hannah make a break from Sam who was just too hurtful to her. Yes! That was a great thing! I was so happy to see her liberate herself but then between then and The Twelve Days to Christmas, I don't know how this happened, but suddenly Sam is going with her to meet her parents and she is positive that he's going to propose but wants to be sure before he asks her dad's permission so proceeds to try to convince him in various hilarious ways (the trip to the Chinese sex shop was my personal favourite) to propose beforehand so that she knows how she will react and not waste a journey.
It's a very quick read being a novella at only 120 pages long and features a strongly happy ending which every Christmas book needs. I enjoyed reading it a lot and felt the rewritten 'Twelve Days of Christmas' lines at the start of each chapter really added to it. Not only do they provide a festive feel that I wasn't sure I felt with the main story, but they made me giggle.
I am quite sad that there won't be any more books in the Single in the City series but I am glad that we saw more of Hannah than just what we saw in Single in the City. There are too many chick lit standalones that leave me longing for more so thank you to Michele for that! And The Twelve Days to Christmas progressed and wrapped up Hannah's story fantastically well.
The Twelve Days to Christmas can be read without having read the first two in the series, in fact if you look towards the end of the post I have linked a review from somebody who has done this, but I honestly think that this series is best as a whole and you'll enjoy it much more if you've read all of Hannah's expatriate adventures.
December 20, 2012
Rated 3.5 Star
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes
The Twelve Days to Christmas is the third installment in a series beginning with Single Girl in the City and Misfortune Cookie and it is just as easy and enjoyable to read Hannah's continuing adventures in life and love. I had anticipated reading more of Hannah's adventures while this novella sat in my to-be-read pile, but I found myself a tad disappointed that this was just a novella of about 150 pages, especially when I discovered that there was much repetition of what occured in the previous novels. Other than wishing it was longer, and that we were treated to some more new material, I enjoyed this fun read.
There was movement forward in Hannah's life, but it wasn't quite as developed as I think I would have liked due to a lot of backstory being slotted in. The great part about this novella was that I didn't find The Twelve Days to Christmas at all predictable and it kept me on my toes - almost too much - to the point where I wasn't certain of the ending. I was just as confused about Hannah's impending proposal as she was and I couldn't figure out whether I wanted him to propose or not - or have her say yes. To be honest, I'm still not entirely sure about how everything unfolded.
Overall, The Twelve Days to Christmas is a short and sweet read and anyone with a sense of Christmas adventure should love, it or anyone looking to catch up with Hannah. I just wish it had been a bit longer and little less repetitive, although anyone who hasn't read the first two novels in the series definitely won't be lost.
Thank you to Michele Gorman for our review copy! All opinions are our own.
October 11, 2012
When Sam suggests to Hannah that he go home with her for Christmas she is ecstatic. But when he said he had something important to talk to her parents about, Hannah’s nerves kick in. Would she say yes or no? She was unsure. Hannah knew she loved Sam, I mean she did move to Hong Kong to be with him. She had no doubt Sam loved her, he told her daily. So why was she unsure of her answer?
Hannah decided she had to get Sam to ask her to marry her before they go home for the holiday, I mean how awkward would it be if she answered no when they were thousands of miles from home. With every failed attempt to get Sam to ask, Hannah gets more and more nervous. As the nerves kick in she realizes that it isn’t Sam that makes her nervous, but it is the things she has either kept from Sam or that he just doesn’t know about her.
The Twelve Days of Christmas read just like a Debbie Macomber story. Easy and so entertaining. Hannah’s indecision made me smile, made me laugh, and made me tear up. Same is the type of guy every girl dreams of. Handsome, caring, loving, and wanting to marry the love of his life. There were times in the story that I wanted to yell at Hannah to get over her fears and say YES! But as the story unfolded, I realized the truth behind her anxiousness. I was glad that this went a little deeper then just fall in love and get married.
Any romantic at heart should read this and the other books in this series, although this one could be read as a stand alone also. I loved this book and will definitely be reading the rest of her books
April 19, 2013
Michele Gorman writes like no other! I really really fell in love with Hannah in the first book, and I was sadden each time they ended. So to get my hands on this one, was utterly delightful! Hannah tried to mask who she really was to Sam, even chasing him across the country. Hannah is one of the neatest, most down-to-earth characters I have EVER had the pleasure of knowing. (Can you even say that?? I think most of us true readers can!!) And I gobble up each word, you can't help but laugh with Hannah, and cheer her on.
Each time it seems like she is doing the chasing, but not this time maybe! It seems as if Sam is going to propose to Hannah this Christmas vacation when they fly home to the US. But is Hannah ready to say yes? After they broke up, and Sam went on another date, Han seems to think that maybe she isn't what Sam needs. She has a secret though, her and Brent kissed. Also, she thinks he doesn't know the real Hannah.
So will Sam want to still marry her, even if he finds out the truth? Read this one. Although, I think this is goodbye to this set of characters, I hope Michele leads us to a new cast, SOON!!!
Each time it seems like she is doing the chasing, but not this time maybe! It seems as if Sam is going to propose to Hannah this Christmas vacation when they fly home to the US. But is Hannah ready to say yes? After they broke up, and Sam went on another date, Han seems to think that maybe she isn't what Sam needs. She has a secret though, her and Brent kissed. Also, she thinks he doesn't know the real Hannah.
So will Sam want to still marry her, even if he finds out the truth? Read this one. Although, I think this is goodbye to this set of characters, I hope Michele leads us to a new cast, SOON!!!
October 17, 2012
I received a copy of The Twelve Days to Christmas in exchange for an honest review. Michele Gorman’s novels have delighted me, so I was super excited to be reviewing her latest, and another in the Hannah series – The Twelve Days to Christmas. It was great to catch up with Hannah and company again, including Hannah’s boyfriend, Sam. The big dilemma is that Hannah believes Sam is going to propose to her – why else would he be flying from Hong Kong back to the States with her to meet her parents? This is what Hannah’s always wanted – to be Sam’s wife. Or is it? With the countdown to Christmas and flying home to see her family on, Hannah has to dig deep to figure out what she really wants.
Great read! Light, fast, fun – and I adored the ending. It was fabulous to see Hannah starting to find her footing in her relationship with Sam. She finally understood that she could show him she wasn’t as adventurous as he was, and maybe everything would still be okay. There were a lot of little sub-plots going on as well that kept things moving along and interesting, and I would definitely recommend Michele Gorman and her novels to chick lit lovers!
**4.5 stars**
Great read! Light, fast, fun – and I adored the ending. It was fabulous to see Hannah starting to find her footing in her relationship with Sam. She finally understood that she could show him she wasn’t as adventurous as he was, and maybe everything would still be okay. There were a lot of little sub-plots going on as well that kept things moving along and interesting, and I would definitely recommend Michele Gorman and her novels to chick lit lovers!
**4.5 stars**
October 13, 2012
Christmas is just around the corner and Hanna is feeling giddy not only because she is going to fly home and see her family after two years but because she believes that her boyfriend Sam is going to propose her or why he would be flying back to US with her to meet her family? This is what Hanna wanted, to marry the love of her life but whenever she think about the moment he would pop the question , she finds herself in dilemma and has often asked herself in low voice if she wants this? She has to be sure about this whole thing and by hook or crook has to convince Sam to pop the question before meeting her family. She doesn’t want to stand in any awkward place just in time for Christmas and family reunion. This book is third book in series of The Single In The City and I dare to say it’s the best in the entire series. I have this thing for Christmas and as soon as I read the title I knew I was going to love it and I did. A perfect novella to kick start the Christmas season.
October 11, 2012
The Twelve Days to Christmas is the third and final instalment in Michele Gorman's Single in the City series. I've already read Misfortune Cookie but it doesn't matter if you haven't read any of the other books as everything is explained within The Twelve Days to Christmas. The Twelve Days to Christmas picks up a few months down the line from Misfortune Cookie and although Hannah loves Sam, she isn't so sure their relationship will last, especially as she has been keeping a big secret from him.
I liked the beginning of each chapter, which parodied the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' with the words changed to fit each chapter. It was fun and also acted as a countdown to Hannah's plan.
The Twelve Days of Christmas is an unusual Christmas read as it takes place in Hong Kong where there isn't any of the typical snow and freezing weather and the first scene takes place on the beach but it was a fun, quick read that rounded off the series nicely.
I liked the beginning of each chapter, which parodied the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' with the words changed to fit each chapter. It was fun and also acted as a countdown to Hannah's plan.
The Twelve Days of Christmas is an unusual Christmas read as it takes place in Hong Kong where there isn't any of the typical snow and freezing weather and the first scene takes place on the beach but it was a fun, quick read that rounded off the series nicely.
February 6, 2013
Single in the city and Misfortune Cookie are definitely on my top 10 list of favorite books. I couldn't believe this one had come out and I didn't even know! So as you can imagine I didn't even think twice before buying it.
On this book we continue reading about Hannah's adventures in Hong Kong and we get to find out what happened right after Misfortune Cookie ended. It doesn't really matter of you haven't read the first two books because this one explains everything very well and you won't get lost but I highly recommend you read the first ones!
Once more ill say I loved Hannah and her sense of humor. One of the best things about this book is that even if the main character is going through a tough situation it will still make you laugh out loud. The dialogues were smart and and witty.
This book was totally amazing and the ending was spectacular. I have to admit though I did not expect it at all!
On this book we continue reading about Hannah's adventures in Hong Kong and we get to find out what happened right after Misfortune Cookie ended. It doesn't really matter of you haven't read the first two books because this one explains everything very well and you won't get lost but I highly recommend you read the first ones!
Once more ill say I loved Hannah and her sense of humor. One of the best things about this book is that even if the main character is going through a tough situation it will still make you laugh out loud. The dialogues were smart and and witty.
This book was totally amazing and the ending was spectacular. I have to admit though I did not expect it at all!
August 12, 2019
This is the last in the series about Hannah, Sam and friends. For those who've read the previous books (Single In the City, Misfortune Cookie), this is a nice wrap up to her story. But it also works as a stand alone. There is enough background info on the characters and their history to give a new reader enough of a back story to care about them and what happens to them. Although, because of the history of these characters, you might find yourself wanting a different outcome than what actually happens if you're just now jumoing in. (Hard to explain without getting into spoiler territory.) The setting is unique as you don't find many stories set in Hong Kong. The Christmas/Holiday theme is present here but not overwhelming. I happen to love the holidays myself but I don't think it will bother those who don't. This is a quick read (120 pages I believe?) and is definitely worth it.
September 22, 2012
This book was the third in the series and I recommend them all but if you haven't read the others, you will still be able to catch up. It has kept up the momentum throughout the series, which is exciting.
It is funny right from the start.
The main character remains someone I can relate to and I think a lot of people will relate to her. She is flawed but likable.
If you like "Friends" the television show, you will like this.
I like the clever way the chapters are set up.
I feel like I was able to know Hong Kong a little more, so that makes it interesting.
I really got teared up at the ending - it moved me. I also feel satisfied and happy in how the series ended - loved the ending, and it surprised me in a good way (NOT predictable!).
It is funny right from the start.
The main character remains someone I can relate to and I think a lot of people will relate to her. She is flawed but likable.
If you like "Friends" the television show, you will like this.
I like the clever way the chapters are set up.
I feel like I was able to know Hong Kong a little more, so that makes it interesting.
I really got teared up at the ending - it moved me. I also feel satisfied and happy in how the series ended - loved the ending, and it surprised me in a good way (NOT predictable!).
September 22, 2012
If you have read either of the two other books in this series (I have read one Single in the City) reading The Twelve Days of Christmas will be like meeting up with old friends. If you have not read the other books the characters are still very easy to get to know and love. From Hannah the main character to the supporting characters of twin ginger haired Brits living in Hong Kong, Brent and Stuart, you quickly become attached and really want everyone to be happy. The books in this series also show what it is like to be an American living in a foreign land. Things that are common place in “the States” are completely outlandish across the pond and in the Asian world and vice versa. These books are definitely fun reads.
October 1, 2012
Fun and easy to read....
When I say easy to read, it doesn't mean that it's (in my opinion,) not a good book. This is the third book in the 'Single in the City' series by Michele Gorman. I'm new to this series, having only read The Twelve Days of Christmas.' A book about Christmas, well it had me hooked from the beginning but it soon became clear that this was a light hearted (very welcome,) and fun story too. Hannah is a good heroine and seems to have real, relatable flaws but is still likeable. The pace was good. I read it in one sitting and left it with a smile on my face. I'm going to go and read the first two books in the series.
If you want something light and fun and a nice escape then I recommend this book.
When I say easy to read, it doesn't mean that it's (in my opinion,) not a good book. This is the third book in the 'Single in the City' series by Michele Gorman. I'm new to this series, having only read The Twelve Days of Christmas.' A book about Christmas, well it had me hooked from the beginning but it soon became clear that this was a light hearted (very welcome,) and fun story too. Hannah is a good heroine and seems to have real, relatable flaws but is still likeable. The pace was good. I read it in one sitting and left it with a smile on my face. I'm going to go and read the first two books in the series.
If you want something light and fun and a nice escape then I recommend this book.
October 25, 2012
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A wonderful holiday novella that will you get you in the mood to find the person you love and tell them why you are glad they are the one by your side through the holiday season. Sam is a young woman from the United States who has lived in London and now currently resides in Hong Kong - she moved there for a boy (that part of the story hit close to home!). She is getting back together with the guy she moved for and is trying to decide if this is the relationship that can last a lifetime.
A wonderful holiday novella that will you get you in the mood to find the person you love and tell them why you are glad they are the one by your side through the holiday season. Sam is a young woman from the United States who has lived in London and now currently resides in Hong Kong - she moved there for a boy (that part of the story hit close to home!). She is getting back together with the guy she moved for and is trying to decide if this is the relationship that can last a lifetime.
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