This audiobook, plus another by this author, took me a while to get through and I could not understand why. Well, it finally dawned in me about 1/2 way through this audiobook that I did not like the narrator . There was something about her voice and the way she read that just did not agree with my ears, but I am sure she will be wonderful for others.

Onward to the story....

This book has religious themes and plot points. I was raised in the Church and have chosen to no longer attend. There was quit a bit of Religion in the book, but I expected this with the title being '"12 Days of Christmas "

I feel the concept of the story is strong but it needs cleaned up. It didn't flow well, which took away from me wanting to read the book .ore. i don't fell that all the stories chosen for each of the 12 days were necessarily applicable to the main character. Some .ade sense but not all.

The stories for the 12 days were short, but I feel like this made them rushed and storing telling points were missed.

I felt that inkg a few of the stories were applicable to the MC, which means I wasn't surprised when she didn't react as people would have expected. I won't say anything else as I don't want to spoil the book.

This is definitely one to pick up, but don't hold out high hopes. It seems that this book has people very divided.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publishing company forum for the ability to listen to the audiobook and review.

Good audiobook, very festive story, narrated well.

Nothing mind blowing but an enjoyable listen over the Christmas period.

Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas by D.P. Conway and narrated by Danielle Gensler is the first book in the Christmas Collection series.

Barbara DiSanto is on top of the world in business and life. The people all around her, though, are suffering from her relentless drive to the top.

One night just before Christmas, a mysterious message begins to haunt her, telling her she must do something, ‘before it is too late.’

It was an interesting audiobook and a great start to the Christmas season.

A Modern-Day Rewrite of A Christmas Carol

SUMMARY
TWELVE DAYS is a modernized version of Dickens’ timeless The Christmas Carol. Replace Ebenezer Scrooge with the advertising business owner Barbara DiSanto, and the story is similar. Barbara is driven by money and appearances. Her demands and arrogance are unsurpassed. Everything must be perfect, and if not, she becomes angry, aggressive, and hateful. Her family, friends, and employees are afraid of her. As Christmas approaches, Barbara’s guardian angel appears and takes Barbara on a soul-rectifying journey of twelve visions.

REVIEW
Barbara DeSanto’s character is a great modern Scrooge. I loved how this classic role has been updated, and I am sure many readers will find it relatable, eye-opening, and inspiring. While the writing is not quite on par with the traditional story, the attempt to modernize it is applauded. We can all use a little reminder to “Keep Christmas well’ any time of year.

I listened to the audio version of the book and enjoyed the narrator's voice, although the pacing seemed a little slow. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher BookGoSocial Audio
Published October 30, 2023
Narrated Danielle Gensler
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

This book is one of a series by this American writer. He put pen to paper during the Covid pandemic but the books read as if they are tales of old, passed down the generations.
Different from the others in the series which are based on the biblical telling of Christmas, this one is based in the modern day with a take on the story of A Christmas Carol. Barbara is a high-flying boss of a family business in the US which is doing well, mostly thanks to her loyal staff. However, her attitude towards them is boarding on comically diabolical. On Christmas Eve she comes face to face with an ‘angel’ who shows her 12 visions all linking to the way she has/could behave towards others.
I really enjoyed this audio book. I understand the reason for 12 mini stories but had stopped concentrating by the end. However, all in all I really like this and will listen to it again sometime soon so as to take in more of the ‘sets’ created. A good festive read!

This was a very good audiobook! I really like the narrator and the way the author writes! I plan to read more by this author!
The story was beautiful!

Twelve days : a tale of Christmas is a new take on a Christmas carol, Barbara DiSanto is a at the top of her game and to get there she hasn’t always been the nicest of people or boss, her family are told what to do so as her plans are not disrupted but when she has a massive heart attack an Angel try’s to explain how she could of lived her life better, I did feel the story went on a bit but it was an okay Christmas story.

This is the first of 5 books I listened to pre-Christmas. Every year I listen to at least one Christmas story. These 5 books were solid & seemed to be based on stories you may be familiar with.

Barbara is not a nice person. She’s a high powered jerk of a business woman who is about to live through 12 Scrooge-like lessons. Stick with it. There’s a bit of a religious tone but it’s not preachy.

A quick fun read!

Thank you NetGalley & Day Lights Publishing House.

The short stories/lessons were good but what made me give this a two stars is the sudden change in the main character’s personality. She was a dominating, workaholic and an aggressive character and she suddenly changed to a good, sweet hearted women at the end was drastic change for me. If with each lesson her character was changed a little good, it may had been more digestible but it changed so quickly which I didn’t like.

Twelve Days, Nava, The Ghost of Christmas to Come, Starry Night and Home for Christmas are five novellas part of the Christmas Collection by D. P. Conway. I listened to them as audiobooks and overall enjoyed the stories (some a little more than the others). We can sense the strong faith the author has in the way he has written each story filled with hope, miracles, second chances and happy endings.

I received an ALC of each book by the publisher BooksGoSocial Audio and the author via NetGalley.

Twelve Days (A Tale of Christmas) (narrated by Danielle Gensler) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nava (A Tale of Redemption) (narrated by Danielle Gensler) ⭐⭐⭐
The Ghost of Christmas to Come (narrated by Danielle Gensler) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Starry Night (Not all Who Wander are Lost) (narrated by Randy Hames) ⭐⭐⭐💫
Home for Christmas (narrated by Steve Corona) ⭐⭐⭐💫

Twelve Days by D. P. Conway felt like a vintage, throw back to traditional Christmas and it made me feel nostalgic for the past. It was well-written with great characterizations.

I absolutely loved this Christmas book, which is about a woman called Barbara, who is like a Christmas Scrooge. She is not really a nice person, and she doesn't have much empathy for others. Something happens to her which wakes her up to how she treats others, but will she learn from this and change her ways?

The audiobook narrator was amazing, and I loved her voice. This book really drew me in, and I really enjoyed listening to it. I recommend it highly!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Twelve Days: A tale of Christmas - D.P Conway

No doubt a Scrooge copy. I personally didn’t like the attitude of Barbara in the beginning but as the story progressed she had the realisation that she can’t be better than everyone else. An okay concept except it’s already been done. The original story was better in my opinion.

The premise of the book sounded great! I was very excited to get a free audiobook version. I'll be honest, I didn't get through the entire thing. What I did listen to, the story was good. However the narrator was not. She often read with this type of rythmn.... "Barbara. pushed. through. the. doors. of. her. office. building." It was very punctuated and not a smooth narration. While the narration wasn't monotone, there was lackluster inflection and sounded flat. I think a good story was disserviced by a poor narration. I would like to try a printed or ebook version & see if that is better.

Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas by D.P. Conway is a Christmas Carol like story but instead of using Christmas ghosts the stories and lessons are told through the original twelve days of Christmas. The business driven main character is led by her guardian angel through these lessons towards her ultimate judgment. Or is she? Well told story that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

***This review, expressing my honest opinion, is voluntary, and I extend my gratitude to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for providing the ARC of "Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas.***

The "Christmas Collection" series comprises five books, The narrator, Steve Corona, added to the charm with a stellar performance, enhancing the overall experience of this captivating story. The characters came to life through his narration, elevating an already great narrative.

Despite the non-sequential nature of the stories, I felt compelled to explore Book #1. This installment introduces Barbara DiSanto, a 57-year-old ad agency owner, whose journey mirrors the familiar path of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." DiSanto, akin to Ebenezer Scrooge, has risen from humble beginnings but is now consumed by the pursuit of profits and business success. A mysterious voice forewarns her before Christmas, leading to a health scare and the arrival of an angel bearing twelve transformative lessons.

The narrative cleverly weaves in the twelve lessons, drawing parallels between the traditional twelve-day Christmas celebration and the glimpses into the past that the angel reveals to Barbara. However, the sheer number of lessons, while understood, makes the storyline somewhat predictable. The simplicity of the events contrasts with the occasionally convoluted links to overarching life lessons. Unlike Scrooge's personal redemption, Barbara grapples with lessons derived not only from her life but also from the experiences of unrelated individuals in the past.

Religious themes permeate the narrative, potentially deterring those averse to explicit biblical and Christian references in Christmas tales. The author's intention to impart a message of genuine Christmas spirit is evident but might come across as preachy to certain readers. This turned me off. I most likey will not read the other books.

Barbara's character, initially portrayed as dominating and rude, undergoes a sudden redemption that feels abrupt and fails to evoke a genuine sense of liking or forgiveness. The limited focus on supporting characters impedes deeper exploration and development.

The writing style, marked by repetition and exacerbated by recurrent journeys into the past, contributes to a monotonous reading experience. Despite the commendable message of "Keeping Christmas well," the narrative falls short of the timeless impact of "A Christmas Carol." While suitable for those seeking a contemporary interpretation of the classic, it is not recommended for a younger audience. Despite positive moments, the book emerges as an average, one-time read.

Thank you net galley for my arc.
Pleasant story of a self centered woman who comes to appreciate the people she knows through a Christmas centered event. Very Christmas Carol like story

Barbara DiSanto needed this mashup of Scrooge's experience and 12x around that block rather than just Scrooge's 3. She's a hard case.

Lucky for her there are a few powerful beings on her side, sorta. She's always stepping on her own toes, though, but isn't that all of us?

A fair-to-middlin' Christmas read, one that gets the Christmas juices flowing.

*A sincere thank you D. P. Conway, Danielle Gensler, BooksGoSocial Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TwelveDaysATaleofChristmas #NetGalley

A very enjoyable Christmas story that highlights how much of an impact can our actions make on somebody's life.
This audiobook was longer compared to the rest of the Christmas collection by D.P. Conway and at some points it felt a bit dragged to be honest. It's a more elaborate version of A Christmas Carol, the main character being a veritable Scrooge, but as per usual, the author gives us a heartwarming story with a great, but simple lesson about kindness.
Compared to another audiobook, the carols are not sung, and it would have made the story more magical

This was too religious to me. I liked two other books in the series but this one and another were just too Christian agenda. Thanks