Barbara DiSanto is an advertising executive who runs her own firm. She expects everyone in her life to live up to her high standards. She has no patience with her employees and no time for Christmas festivities. The night before Christmas she is fallen by a medical emergency. Much like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, her guardian angel shows her twelve vignettes illustrating how she should change her ways. This was a solid Christmas tale but Barbara was very unlikeable from the start and the story was quite predictable. I thank NetGalley and Books Go Social Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

Title: Twelve Days: A Christmas Tale
Series: The Christmas Collection Book #1
Author: D. P. Conway
Audiobook Narrator: Danielle Gensler
Publisher: BooksGoSocial Audio
Genre: Christmas Family drama
Audiobook Release Date was October 23, 2023 Archive Date December 9, 2023
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 166

There are five books in ‘The Christmas Collection’ series.
I recently listened Book #5 " Home for the Christmas' which I loved – in fact, loved everything about it. The narrator Steve Corona performance of ALL the characters made the great story even more enjoyable.

I listened to "The Ghosts of Christmas Past" which is Book #2 in the series. Books # 1 & 2 are both narrated by Danielle Gensler. (Although I liked both books,- I am a narrator snob and have a high level of expectation .Ms. Gensler’s .performance of some were great other not so much; )

The stories are not sequential so may be read in any order. However, I thought perhaps I should read Book #1.

In this story fifty-seven year old Barbara DiSanto is the owner of an ad agency. Coming from humble origins, she has achieved success by determination, and now she is focused on profits and more business. (author: D.P. Conway wrote these stories inspired by Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. And of course Ms. DiSanto sure seems like Ebenezer Scrooge!).

Just before Christmas, a mysterious voice starts filling her ears with an ominous message: “before it’s too late.” Soon, she discovers what this message is a health scare. An angel visits her with twelve lessons.
This as well as all the stories in this series has a message- true it takes Barbara a while to ‘get it’.

Want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date was October 23, 2023.

This was a perfect timing read. I just lost my mom and this book at this time is like a big warm hug. I loved the ending. Yes, it is taken from A Christmas Carol but updated. It is heartwarming and needed.

Nice holiday dtory. Excellent narration. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas by DP Conway is a sweet new holiday novel with Dickensian and biblical influences.

Instead of Scrooge, we find Barbara DiSanto in need of the lessons that will make her heart grow 3 times as large. She is greeted by her guardian angel one day after Barbara has chosen not to heed the needing to change “before it’s too late” warning set around her. Because Barbara is determined to continue making money and amassing business “power”, her angel must show her the error in her ways within the 12 gifts brought by the angel.

This was a touching story, and a sweet way to encourage acts of kindness and generosity, especially during the holidays, and not to wait until it’s too late.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this audio ARC!!

Barbara is a Scrooge. In fact, this story is clearly an updated version of A Christmas Carol by Dickens. Barbara runs a successful company, but she's driven by money and she's a ruthless boss. She even holds her family at arm's length and Christmas isn't filled with joy and love, but instead, with obligation.

Barbara has a stroke and she's guided to look not only at her life, but other situations, through 12 gifts under her tree. She has a difficult time learning the lessons that her guide is trying to teach her.

This is a great Christmas story and not as scary as the Dickens story. I listened to the audio version of the book and the narrator was very good.

This is a modern day retelling of the Christmas Story. There is not a scrooge in this story, but there is the bossy Barbara. She will get twelve lessons in twelve days and maybe she will learn that there is more to life than work and profits and she will remember what is really important in life.

Thank you Netgalley for the audiobook of Twelve Day: A Tale of Christmas.
I gave this a strong three stars.

I really enjoyed the audio version of this story and highly recommend to all! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new type of telling of the classic Christmas Carol that incorporates the 12 days of Christmas. Barbara is a strong willed leader in her company and is known for being strict and getting things done. She lives her life to the minute and cannot stand lateness or laziness. She demands perfection, because that is how she would do it. She loves her life and has no regrets about not including people who don't contribute to her ideal. Strong religious story.

Pleasant story of a self centered woman who comes to appreciate the people she knows through a Christmas centered event. This was a light and pleasing audiobook.

This is a twist on A Christmas Carol. Barbara DiSanto is the main character. She has to open twelve gifts that are meant to teach her lessons to hopeful change her before it is is too late. These events are at times related to her (people she knows) and others completely unrelated. Each event helps to Barbara how far off track she allowed her life to get.

I am glad I found the Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas By D.P. Conway on NetGalley. I plan to get this one in physical form.

When I first started the book, I hated Barbara. Yes, I know you are supposed to. At times, I did find some of the stories a little too long and I, myself, was questioning what she was supposed to learn. However, in the end, the story wrapped up beautifully. Morally inspiring, not everyone gets a second chance. Live life how you want to be remembered.

This was a great way to start the holiday season. This audio book was really good. I like the voices used to tell the story. There were a few parts of the story line that were a little slow.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. This is the second book I have read from this author. If you like The Christmas Carol you will like this version of it. I have enjoyed his books so far. I will say they lean really on the catholic side of Christianity. There are some things in the book I do not agree with. Clearly in the Bible it says that Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable... not a cave. There are other very catholic things mentioned but all in all the Christmas story was good and about redemption. It was a very short listen to and that I why I have enjoyed most about this authors books they are really considered short stories but the way he writes they don't not feel rushed. So if you are looking for a Christmas redemption type book (Like Christmas Carol) you will enjoy this novel.

Perfect audiobook that follows the story of A Christmas Carol. I enjoyed the narrator and the pace of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for the purpose of this review. I look forward to listening to more from Conway.

This was the first book I have listened to by D.P. Conway. This book had a Christmas Carol vibes. The narrators voice complimented this story so well and I found myself enthralled with the story. Twelve Days makes you think about how well you are doing Christmas and life and made me want to change that and maybe even start some new traditions to hopefully pass on. I would highly recommend this audiobook for the holidays!!


Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for my copy of Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas by D.P. Conway Narrated by Danielle Gensler in exchange for an honest review. It published October 30, 2023.
First off, I really enjoyed Danielle Gensler's narration, it was very well-done.
Second off, I could not stop listening to this book! I found it so interesting and inspiring. It was a great tale for the Christmas season. It does have a strong Catholic bend, which I am not, so I am sure there is some significance there that went over my head.

Beautiful, heart warming story in the same line of Scrooge/A Christmas Carol, but, the main character is female.
Her name is Barbara and she is a workaholic.
We are introduced to her life and work style, and it will make you cringe...

And then her whole world is upended!

She is brought thru many stages of life...some her own, but many thru others eyes...with her own personal angel.

It is a very touching story, one that would be a nice read before Christmas...but know that it brought me to tears multiple times, but also caused me to THINK and REFLECT...which are both GOOD THINGS, especially at this time of year.

Yes, it is Catholic based.
Yes, there is prayer involved.
Yes, it might get on your nerves if you are not Catholic...
But, Yes, IT. WAS. BEAUTIFUL!

If you are in the mood for a short, beautiful and ultimately uplifting story that revolves around the 12 days of Christmas leading up to Little Christmas, please do not miss this one!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGally and #BooksGoSocialAudio for an ARC of the book which was released on October 30th.

#TwelveDays: A Tale of Christmas by #DPConway

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Thanks for reading! 📚📖

Lovely book, reminiscent of A Christmas Carol. Narrator suited the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas by D.P. Conway(first in The Christmas Collection) was a heart-warming tale of hope. I enjoyed it so much but it felt a little bit too long. I loved the lesson learned but somehow felt that small stories took over the main character Barbara. I don't know why but I loved her from the beginning and yes she needed to change but in some cases was like "I didn't catch the message as well!"
I loved the concept of the book and I loved how Danielle Gensler did narration! She definitely has a Christmas voice! It was just perfect all together.

Barbara doesn't believe in Christmas and anything you can give to make others happy. She learns the hard way that giving is not a weakness but a strength!

I would love more Barbara in this story but in general - beautiful!