Ashley, Phillipa. Twelve Men for Christmas. Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2020. ISBN 978-1728212500 208 pp. $14.99

*

Once I heard there was going to be a holiday-themed Hallmark movie based on this novel, I kept picturing Kristin Chenowith as the lead in this story about a jilted woman who distances herself from her ex by taking a PR job in a remote location. Emma’s main task is to organize a (tasteful!) nude man of the month calendar featuring the local search and rescue team. She develops a love-hate relationship with a wealthy investor Will, who is slated to be Mr. July.

The single star is due to his character portrayal–Will is nasty and inconsistent–and what I perceived as lack of consent, which is not sexy in contemporary romance novels.