Book Review: Rediscovering Christmas by Mindy Obenhaus
She feels she’s lost everything…
Will love give her hope?|
When a wildfire destroys her home, widowed schoolteacher Tori Stallings finds herself unexpectedly living with her mother- and brother-in-law—and struggling with her faith. With everything Tori owns consumed by the blaze, Micah vows to help his late brother’s wife and son rebuild their lives. The two of them have always been friends, but living under the same roof has their friendship turning into something more. Can love bloom amid tragic loss and shaken beliefs, and give them a fresh start for Christmas?
My Review and Reflections
Tori Stallings is raising her six-year-old son, Aiden, after losing both her husband and her mother. As a third-grade teacher in her hometown of Hope Crossing, Texas, she’s hanging by a thread. When a wildfire destroys her childhood home, Tori loses what little faith she had left and questions God. Forced to move into her mother-in-law’s home, where her brother-in-law, Micah Stallings, also lives, she struggles to ignore the growing pull she feels toward him. Both Tori and Micah wrestle with the idea of starting a relationship—Tori, because Micah is her brother-in-law, and Micah, because he feels he can never live up to his brother’s memory.
This book deeply explores our struggles as humans: believing, questioning, and even being angry at God. It portrays the hardships of enduring tragedy after tragedy, especially for people like Tori, whose one last sliver of hope lies in her son, Aiden. This connection drew me into the story, and I found myself reading it in just a couple of days because I couldn’t put it down.
Tori’s real-life struggles made her relatable, while Micah served as the strong, steady backbone for the two. One important detail is that Tori and Micah had been best friends for many years. And with Micah’s brother looming over both of them it’s difficult for either of them to move forward.
The secondary characters were also well-written, particularly Tori’s mother-in-law, Peggy, and her boyfriend, Hank. Peggy was supportive without being overbearing, providing Tori with a safe space to lean on when she needed it.
The story held my attention from beginning to end. I could feel the tension Tori experienced whenever someone brought God into the conversation, despite her not being ready to hear it. That constant external push felt frustrating but realistic. I could feel her anxiety, fear, and emotional detachment throughout the book.
I’d recommend this book to any romance lover, especially those who enjoy tropes like second-chance romance, friends-to-romance, widow/widower, and single-parent/guardian stories. Rediscovering Christmas delivers all the holiday feels!
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About the Author
Best-selling author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching heartwarming romance movies.
Connect with Mindy visiting mindyobenhaus.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
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I’m Carla
Welcome to Carla’s Book Crush, a thoughtful space for readers who love books, reflection, faith, and the literary life. Here you’ll find honest book reviews, reading reflections, deep dives into reading habits, conversations about faith and thoughtful living, and the occasional look into the hobbies and interests that shape a well read life. From Amish romance and contemporary fiction to nonfiction, Bible study resources, and literary curiosity, this is a place for readers seeking depth, encouragement, and stories that linger long after the final page.
Rating System
Why I don’t do star ratings... All authors, all books, have someone who labored over them and someone who loves reading them. A star rating is an arbetrary system that is only relevant to the person who provided the rating. I’m always honest with my opnions and feelngs about a book and how it resonated with me. You can hear that in the words that I pen. I explain more about this decision in the article For the Love of Books.