Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas

Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas
D.P. Conway
I adore this book! It reminded me of A Christmas Carol.
Barbara DiSanto is a successful and talented businesswoman if you judge success by dollar signs. She is driven and expects everyone else to keep up with her. She is a tyrant at work and home. An employee makes a mistake, she fires him on Christmas Eve. Everyone is expected to work on Christmas Eve. Health insurance has gone up and Barbara is determined not to pay the cost for her employees. If her accountant can’t find cheaper insurance there will be no bonuses. Christmas at her house is on schedule. Her children HAVE to be on time. Dinner is on the best China. Her servants must stay until the kitchen and dinning room are clean. After dinner everyone moves to the living room where a dazzling tree is on display. Lots of gifts are under the tree, adorned with shiny paper and bows, all courtesy of Barbara’s assistant who purchased and wrapped them all. One of Barbara’s grandchildren asked her to attend church with the family, but Barbara didn’t have time for such nonsense.
A phrase is beginning to haunt Barbara, she hears it and knows it has meaning for her and yet what, “before its too late.” Before what is too late? Before whom is too late? Barbara has a dream about her grandmother what was the meaning of such a dream?
Barbara lives in a stress-driven world until it catches up with her. Her guardian angel Seraphin attempts to show Barbara the true meaning of the twelve days of Christmas. Will Barbara finally understand.
This book put me in the Christmas spirit. I may not be wealthy, nor a businesswoman but I am one of those people have a picture of Christmas in their head and the day never lives up to their/my expectations. Christmas isn’t about gifts, it isn’t about the fancy dinner, it isn’t about dressing up in fancy clothes. Christmas is about love that came down from heaven, humbled, born in a manger so that we would experience and understand true love. This tale showed me my expectations must change. It doesn’t matter where we have dinner as long as we are all together. It doesn’t matter where or when. We should cherish each moment before it is too late.
Thank you, D.P, Conway and Netgalley for sharing this tale with me. My reviews are my unbiased opinions.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Twelve Days - A Tale Of Christmas
DP Conway

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Oh I loved this story as it was definitely giving me Scrooge vibes!

Barbara is a really unlikable character - just like Scrooge - always demanding the best, the most work, hates Christmas time and is really rather horrible to her employees, even sacking one on Christmas Eve.
I really like morally grey characters or unlikable ones as I feel that the journey is then really worthwhile.
Sadly, even after her 12 gifts - or lessons of Christmas - she still doesn't understand and is still rather rude!
I was about to despair (given there wasn't much book left) and thought, what an odd twist to this story!
But Barbara does actually emerge eventually and make things good - so it was a lovely happy ending after all.

This got quite spiritual and with some degree of religion - not 100% my kind of thing, but it actually fitted beautifully with the true Christmas story, which we all know and love.

I loved that the 12 lessons were spread over a huge timeline.
Each story portrayed one part of the true meaning of Christmas.
Some were set in the near past and others further back to wartime. There was even one right back at the beginning, the nativity.
All the stories were well written and quite thought-provoking.

My only real complaint about this (audio)book was that throughout, there were some lovely mentions of carols being sung. But the narrator just read the lyrics as part of the story. I'd have loved to have heard them sung.
Let's be fair though, I'd have hated to sing them on an audio book myself, but would definitely have been singing them out loud and proud in the seclusion of my own home, had I been reading the physical book.
So only a teeny minor grumble.

Otherwise, a really festive read. A great take on A Christmas Carol and if you love the original.Christmas Story, this one will make a nice change to many of the festive reads out this year.


💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

This was an easy, quick listen. The narration was great. The story wasn't bad, but it was very predictable, as it was basically a retelling of The Christmas Carol with religious aspects. Although the story was enjoyable, I did feel like 12 lessons were a bit much to endure. Out of the three stories I have listened to out of this Christmas collection by D.P. Conway, this was by far my favorite.
Thank you, NetGalley and BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy.

I loved this cover. It has all the Christmas vibes. The narration was so good. I am such a fan of the Christmas Carol. I loved this retelling of it. I wanted to shake Barbara a couple of times. The feel of family in this story was so warm and welcoming. I teared up a bit while reading this one. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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.

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.

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

Keep up with all my upcoming reviews on Instagram @BookReviews_with_emsr

Thanks for reading! 📚📖

⭐⭐⭐⭐
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!

Probably my favorite story out of this collection. I felt so many emotions while listening to this story. Following this women’s journey from being major Scrooge to learning the error of her ways was quite the journey. The narrators voice complimented this story so well and I found myself enthralled with the story on a soul deep level.
Which is the key to a great story. Highly recommend as a Christmas story with heart at its center. Enjoy life while you have it, you never know when it will be gone.
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for an audio copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

I really enjoyed this book! It was in the vein of a Christmas Carol, but I really felt that it had its own unique spin on it.

The story is about our Scrooge character Barbara, who is met with her guardian angel. Her angel has her open 12 gifts and each gift is to be a lesson to her. In most a Christmas Carol retellings you only see the POV’s of characters surrounding the Scrooge, but, in this book there were many characters that Barbara had never even met.

Each gift when opened transported her to a certain date and time and they spend across so many years and so many different situations.

There was some really cool history in the mix. In my opinion and it was just a very Christmasy , beautiful, wholesome read and I really enjoyed it. I would definitely pick it up again and I can’t Wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

Barbara is so busy being a boss (literally) that she runs every facet of her life based on efficient schedules and the look of the moment, rather than the feeling. Her demanding ways make life difficult for those around her... until Barbara dies and has a divine intervention a la the 12 days of Christmas meets a Christmas Carol.

It was a very quick listen to a relaxing narrator to remind everyone about the real meaning of Christmas.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: religion, death

**Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

A wonderful story, and a good reminder of what really matters in Christmas and life. Inspired by a Christmas Carol, but way more relevant to today and with more multifaceted characters, angels instead of ghosts, and 12 Gifts of Christmas with precious lessons. I loved it!

Twelve Days: A Tale of Christmas by D.P. Conway was a captivity book during the holiday season.

It’s about a grinch boss who is hard on everyone in her life. The way we grow up can manage how we behave as adults and this is a perfect connection. A tragic occurrence causes the lead character to have to follow her “angel” through 12 situations of her life that hope to create a better outcome should she receive a second chance.

It’s a feel good book with lots of reasons to stop and think about how you approach things moving forward in life!

I highly recommend!!!!

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