_Lia_Rhyne_
Estella North has always believed in Christmas magic-twinkle lights, snowflakes, mistletoe, the whole package. But chasing her big-city dreams meant leaving her tiny hometown of Winter Hallow... and leaving behind Grayson Miller, the boy who used to be her closest friend, her favorite rival and the unofficial Grinch of the town.
Years later, burned out, homesick and desperate for a reset, Ella returns home-just in time for Winter Hallow's famous matchmaking tradition: The 12 Dates of Christmas. A chaotic, town-run, holiday-themed dating contest meant to guarantee love, laughter and at least three embarrassing public moments.
Ella signs up for fun.
Grayson signs up because his friend, Annas boyfriend, dares him.
Neither expects to be paired with each other.
From disastrous craft nights to two mistletoe mishaps, Ella and Grayson stumble through twelve dates filled with banter, chemistry, long-buried feelings... and the realization that maybe they were never really done with each other in the first place.
But old fears, overheard words and misunderstandings threaten to undo everything-until one final confession under winter lights changes both their lives.
A laugh-out-loud, heart-squeezing, snow-dusted friends-to-lovers romance about coming home, growing up and discovering that sometimes the greatest gift is the person who's been there all along.
It's simple:
Ella loves Christmas.
Grayson hates Christmas.
Winter Hallow doesn't care-they're falling in love anyway.