The Twelve Dates of Christmas audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
Kate Turner signs up for a dating agency’s twelve dates in the run-up to Christmas, and her village is watching.
Short answer: for The Twelve Dates of Christmas audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). The book is long and nothing points to print. Only one check could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65%.
Listen on Audible
A long, straightforward countdown romance: only the length is confirmed, and it points to audio.
Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.
Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Laura Kirman) | US edition (Elizabeth Knowelden) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Laura Kirman | Elizabeth Knowelden |
| Length | 11 hours 31 minutes (11h 31m), unabridged | 10 hours 24 minutes (10h 24m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 7h 41m | about 6h 56m |
| At 2x | about 5h 46m | about 5h 12m |
| Audio publisher and date | Pan, 12 November 2020 | Penguin Audio, 13 October 2020 |
| Audiobook price | £8.61 on Audible UK | $18.00 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £4.99 on Amazon UK | Not confirmed |
| Pan paperback, 432 pages | Putnam paperback, 384 pages | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.51 from 109 ratings | Performance 4.69 from 1,471 ratings |
| PDF companion | None | Recipes PDF |
| Why Kirman is scored | Both are single narrators; on a tie the newer recording wins, and it is also the UK edition |
These are two different recordings, with different narrators, publishers and lengths. The cover shown is the UK audiobook’s.
Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Twelve Dates of Christmas
Jenny Bayliss
- Genre
- Christmas romance
- First published
- 2020
- Length
- 432 pages (UK Pan paperback)
- On audio
- 11 hrs 31 mins, Laura Kirman (UK)
- On screen
- Twelve Dates ’Til Christmas, TV series, December 2025
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: long book (3), 3 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 3 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Laura Kirman, Pan Macmillan, 2020, 11h 31m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found for the UK recording
- Alternatives
- Elizabeth Knowelden (US), 10h 24m, with a recipes PDF
- What you miss
- The recipes PDF comes with the US recording only
What this book actually is
The Twelve Dates of Christmas is Jenny Bayliss’s first Christmas novel, published in 2020. Kate Turner, back in her home village, signs up for a dating agency’s twelve dates in the weeks before Christmas. Who she ends up with is not covered here.
It was made into a six-part series, Twelve Dates ’Til Christmas, starring Mae Whitman, Jane Seymour and Mary McDonnell. It started on Hallmark Channel in the US on 5 December 2025 and on ITVX in the UK on 20 December 2025, according to trade press. Whether it is still streaming is not confirmed.
The case for reading it
Nothing in the book favours print on the checks. It is a light romance told in order, and the UK paperback is 432 pages, a few evenings’ reading.
The case for listening to it
At 11 hours 31 minutes, Laura Kirman’s UK recording comes down to about 7 hours 41 minutes at 1.5x, which fits the weeks before Christmas.
The US recording, read by Elizabeth Knowelden, is shorter at 10 hours 24 minutes and comes with a PDF of recipes. UK listeners do not get the recipes.
The audiobook in detail
Pan publishes Laura Kirman’s unabridged UK recording at 11 hours 31 minutes (12 November 2020), rated 4.51 from 109 on Audible UK. Penguin Audio publishes Elizabeth Knowelden’s unabridged US recording at 10 hours 24 minutes (13 October 2020), rated 4.69 from 1,471 on Audible US, with a recipes PDF.
Both are single narrators. On a tie the newer recording is scored, and Kirman’s is newer and is the UK edition. Three other books share this title, one of them also read by Laura Kirman, so check the author on the listing.
Who should ignore this verdict
Lean towards print if you want the recipes and are in the UK: the UK recording has none. Lean towards the US recording if you can buy it and want the recipes PDF.
Audiobook
- Read by Laura Kirman (UK)
- 11h 31m, or about 7h 41m at 1.5x
- Unabridged; no recipes in the UK edition
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
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One Day in December
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The Christmas Bookshop
No criterion could be confirmed on either side, so neither format is favoured.
The Christmas Appeal
A Christmas read with the opposite pick.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Twelve Dates of Christmas audiobook?
Laura Kirman in the UK and Elizabeth Knowelden in the US. They are two different recordings.
How long is it?
11 hours 31 minutes (Kirman, UK) or 10 hours 24 minutes (Knowelden, US).
Is it abridged?
No, both recordings are unabridged.
How many pages is it?
432 in the UK Pan paperback and 384 in the US Putnam paperback.
Does the audiobook come with recipes?
Only the US recording, read by Elizabeth Knowelden, which comes with a recipes PDF.
Is it a TV series, and where can I watch it?
Yes: Twelve Dates ’Til Christmas, a six-part series, aired on Hallmark Channel in the US from 5 December 2025 and on ITVX in the UK from 20 December 2025. Whether it is still streaming is not confirmed.
Should I read or listen?
Listen, at 65%. It is a long, straightforward romance, and only the length could be confirmed.
Do you agree with this verdict?
We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: Audible UK and US, Amazon UK, Pan Macmillan, Penguin Random House US, Open Library, All About Romance and trade press on the series.
- Verdict last reviewed: 30 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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