The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hapka

Title: The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Author: Catherine Hapka
Pages: 272
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: October 7, 2008

Lexi's feeling a little holidazed this winter. . . . .

Lexi's been going out with Cameron for way too long. Sure he's a nice guy, but there's a spark missing between them. So she comes up with the perfect plan: get him to fall for another girl so she'll be free-and guilt-free, too.

But when Lexi sees Cameron looking awfully cozy with Jaylene, her heart melts, especially when her budding psychologist best friend tells her that once a new couple has gone out a dozen times, their relationship is pretty much set. Cameron's twelfth date with Jaylene-the Christmas Ball-is coming up. Can Lexi find a way to rekindle her relationship with Cameron in a (saint) nick of time?

The Twelve Dates of Christmas was a big improvement from Love on Cue (Hapka's other book). If I had to choose two words to describe this book, it would be scintillating and entertaining. Hapka did a great job here. The plot was unique and original, as was the title (I loved the title). It was clever and obviously well-written.

The characters were what made this book stand out from the rest of the Romantic Comedies. They were just so different, and yet, Hapka was able to make them fit perfectly with the plot. My favorite character was Allie, Lexi's best friend. She was wacky and eccentric. It was a nice change of scenery if you catch my drift. She made the book more engaging and eventful.

The events that happened throughout the book were hilarious. Allie's 'twelve dates' theory was one of the funniest. And when Lexi tried to stop those twelve dates, she always found herself in a compromising-but nonetheless funny-position.

The Bottom Line: This book is memorable in every way. The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a funny and entertaining read. I would recommend to read this light-hearted book just before the holidays. For this one, Hapka is worthy of an A- :-)