TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS - Debbie Macomber
Ballantine
ISBN:  978-0-553-39173-2
October 2016
Contemporary Holiday Romance

Seattle, Washington - Present Day

Julia Padden has worked at Macy's for seven years, struggling to get both her degree in communications and pay her bills.  She opted not to get student loans, and even though she hasn't yet landed the job of her dreams, she is debt free.  Finally, when she interviewed for a job in social media at a leading software company, it comes down to who will be the most popular choice.  The job is between her and another candidate, and the challenge:  whichever candidate can generate the largest following on social media by the end of December will win the job.  So far, Julia has not started her blog, she hasn't yet come up with that killer idea that will attract reader interest in droves.

Cain Maddox hates Christmas and he doesn't trust women, especially women wearing sunny smiles.  Today, Cain's newspaper was missing from his mailbox, so he takes a paper from another mailbox, which turns out to belong to his neighbor across the hall, a cheery woman named Julia something.  Caught in the act of taking the newspaper, Cain tells Julia to take another, gesturing to the row of papers in their assigned mailboxes, but Julia persists and he grudgingly hands over the purloined booty.

Julia is appalled at the nerve of the man, and later she complains to her friend Cammie about the Scrooge next door and her stolen newspaper, and Cammie suggests that Julia use the incident as a theme for her blog.  In Cammie's words, she can "kill" Cain Maddox, i.e. Scrooge, with kindness then write about it.  Cammie insists that Julia can generate a large following with simple acts of kindness and writing about Cain's reaction as she bombards him with smiles and nice-ness.  She can title the blog TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS.

And so the fun begins after Cain pounds on her door demanding she turn down her Christmas music.  That is all the incentive she needs, so she sits right down at her laptop and begins blogging about her neighbor, and since she would never violate his privacy by using his real name, she calls him "Ebenezer.

And so the days fly by while Julia types out her blog detailing her numerous encounters with Cain/Ebenezer.  In the process, Julia and Cain become friends, once Cain actually gets over his anger and begins speaking pleasantly to Julia.  But there is trouble in paradise when the blog becomes wildly popular and a reporter wants to know the identity of the real Ebenezer.  They want to televise Julia's story!

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS is a wonderful holiday romance full of laughter, warmth and love.  Dynamic and lovable characters, including Cain's Irish Setter, Schroeder, and his grandfather, Bernie, make this a heart-warming novel for any time of the year.

Diana Risso