A former professional cake baker, Jenny Bayliss lives in a small seaside town in the UK with her husband, their children having left home for big adventures. She is also the author of The Twelve Dates of Christmas, A Season for Second Chances, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, A December to Remember and Kiss Me at Christmas.

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What’s the strangest thing you searched for on the internet for your novel?

When I was writing my children’s book series – the Malice in Underland Trilogy – under my other name (Jenni Jennings) I did a lot of research into plant poisons. They were ghostly, gothic mystery books and my internet searches would be things like ‘Plants that can poison you slowly’ or ‘Common deadly poisons you can find in your garden.’ Had my husband searched my browsing history at that time he would have felt rightly nervous.

What book (or author) made you fall in love with the romance genre?

Ooh that’s a tough question! I think I was falling slowly for years over multiple books. I suppose Jane Austen started it. Gosh darn that Mr Knightly and his swoony ways! But the author who made me fall in love with the Christmas romance genre was Trisha Ashley with her book, The Twelve Days of Christmas. It’s about a young widow who works as a house sitter and private chef, who is asked to house sit a manor over Christmas. The holidays are her least favourite time because that’s when she lost her husband, so she takes the job as it’s in the middle of the countryside and no one will bother her with their Christmas joviality. But very soon due to heavy snowfall and power-cuts, random relatives of the owners begin turning up at the manor – because it has a generator – and Holly finds herself cooking up a slew of festive feasts and being the hostess with the mostess. And when the grudging but handsome owner of the manor returns, well, need I say more? It had absolutely everything I wanted in a holiday romance – close proximity, an excellent cast of characters who are snowed in for Christmas, food for miles and a two gently thawing hearts…ahhhhh.

What is your favourite trope? Why?

Cripes, another tough one! I am a huge fan of the friends to lover’s trope. There is something wonderful about two people who may or not yet know that they love each other romantically but equally already have a deep love and high regard of one another. Watching the slow burn of their love unfold like the petals of a flower is delicious. Or feeling the ache and longing of one friend who has been in unrequited love with the other forever and then experiencing their joy as they discover that their love is finally reciprocated. Having said that, I am equally a fan of the enemies to lover’s trope. Nora and Charlie in Emily Henry’s Book Lovers was absolute chefs kiss perfection for me! And my goodness it’s a fun trope to write!

It’s the morning after, and a lover is making your main character the perfect breakfast in bed. What is it?

Oh, that’s easy – smashed avocado with sun blushed tomatoes and coriander on sourdough toast with a side of hash browns. Because every breakfast is made better by a side of hash browns.

What book are you reading currently?

I am currently reading A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh. I wanted to read it last year and time got away from me, so I made sure to keep it at the top of my TBR this year. And I’m so glad I did. It’s a sweet, funny, slow burn from two POV’s and I am just loving it. Courtney is such a great writer and not only that she’s a lovely human too!