Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: 12 Dates of Christmas
SERIES: Christmas Falls: Season 2
AUTHOR: Brigham Vaughn
NARRATOR: James Edward Jones
PUBLISHER: Two Peninsulas Press
LENGTH: 6 Hours and 15 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: July 2025
BLURB:
Leo Fenner needs a Christmas miracle …
Charmed by the small town, and weary the big city dating scene, Leo moved to Christmas Falls in hopes of finding love like his college friend, Hayden.
Nick Morgan had the love of his life and lost her, but is determined to help others find their happily ever after with his matchmaking service.
His website needs work though, and Leo is just the man for the job.
The web developer signs up for Nick’s matchmaking service to get a feel for what the process is like, all while secretly hoping it’ll bring him the love of his dreams.
But as Nick and Leo work together, the sparks between them are impossible to ignore.
Too bad there’s a few little problems.
For one, Nick’s never fallen for a man before. And, oh yeah—those dates he’s planning for Leo? They’re supposed to be with other guys …
Christmas Season 2 revisits a small town that thrives on enough holiday charm to rival any Hallmark movie. It’s a multi-author M/M romance series.
Content Warning: This book contains scenes discussing the unexpected death of a spouse, grief, and moving on.
REVIEW:
I absolutely loved this story when I first read it in November just *chef’s kiss*! It has everything you could want in a holiday romance and honestly, who couldn’t use a dose of good cheer right about now. I feel like this would make an excellent Hallmark Christmas movie (hint, hint – why are they NOT looking for more/better MM romances!). In this case we have a widower who isn’t sure he’s ready to move forward in this life with someone new. He’s been grieving his wife for a while and despite support from his sister and friends, he’s still dealing with some bumps in this day to day life. Then we have an adorable new guy in town who works closely with said widower on the website for his newish matchmaking service. Nick really does want other people to have the kind of love he found with his wife. Leo, the web developer, has been unlucky in love and now that he’s moved to a new town, he tries his hand with the matchmaker. Unfortunately he goes on some pretty awful dates before he goes home with the matchmaker.
Then one night, they end up together. But the Nick is afraid. He knows he’s screwed up. Leo is sad because he really likes the Nick, but he feels like he’s setting himself up for heartbreak since the Nick doesn’t seem to know what or who he wants. For his part the Nick realizes he screwed up but it takes him a while to get his act together. And let the wooing begin!
So so so cute these two. Leo is such a sweetheart. I love his friendship with Hayden and how he fit into Christmas Falls after leaving Chicago. I loved getting to see Hayden and Joel again too 🙂 The other couples are around as well. Nick’s sister Heather is the best! I loved all of the small town feel of this book and the happy and cheery Christmas vibe that this series brings. There is a lovely balance of humor and romance and serious reflection in this book that in my mind makes it more realistic. I loved that Leo didn’t just roll over when Nick came back with hat in hand so to speak. I loved that Nick really put in the work to convince Leo that he wasn’t going to go hot/cold on him again. Truthfully I just love everything about this book and tis series. There are cute pets! There are fun and creative Holiday themed activities, places and events. Small town Illinois never looked so good!
I particularly loved how the audio version of this book put me right into the story. I loved hearing Nick and Leo and their faltering steps to being together. The family dynamics of trying to find the way with other family members who are missing Nick’s wife too were really important here. All the voice choices were perfect and I thought the right emotional pitch made the story that much more enjoyable. I’m a fan of this author/narrator duo and this is another wonderful offering. I highly recommend this feel good story of moving forward with new love and happy holidays!
RATING: 
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