A Weary World Rejoices

Authors: Sara Davison, Angela D. Meyer, Johnnie Alexander, Eleanor Bertin, Stacy Monson
Genre: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Pages: 313
Release Date: October 16, 2024
Publisher: The Mosaic Collection

With nothing going as planned, will Christmas be a complete disaster this year?

The people in these stories are tired, weighed down by the struggles and cares of life. In the midst of their challenging situations, each receives an unexpected letter.

❅ The Christmas Kiss – Stacy Monson
❅ Unremarkable Sue – Eleanor Bertin
❅ Love, Christmas – Johnnie Alexander
❅ Gifting Christmas – Angela D. Meyer
❅ The Back Door Christmas Tour Company – Sara Davison

Songs like "O Holy Night" are filling the airwaves and promising hope for a weary world, but what will it take for the men and women in these stories to experience true joy this Christmas?

A Weary World Rejoices is a collection of five stories about discovering joy in the midst of life's challenges—at Christmas and every day of the year.

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Reviewer: Laura Thomas

This collection of five inspirational Christmas short stories was a delightful way to ease into the festive season. Written by five different authors, they all have a theme of finding joy amidst weariness and struggles, and offer heartwarming cheer to the reader:

The Christmas Kiss by Stacy Monson

Unremarkable Sue by Eleanor Bertin

Love, Christmas by Johnnie Alexander

Gifting Christmas by Angela D. Meyer

The Back Door Christmas Tour Company by Sara Davison

I especially enjoyed The Christmas Kiss, a slow burn romance between a chocolate shop owner and her landlord… I feel like this could even be developed into a Christmas novella, as I grew to love the main characters, Piper and Finn. 

The last story, The Back Door Christmas Tour Company, was also an intriguing read—mysterious and a little magical, with a beautiful depiction of answered prayers.  

If you like bite-sized nuggets in your Christmas reading, this anthology is well worth reading. 

I received a complimentary copy from the authors through Interviews & Reviews.  

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

A Weary World Rejoices is a Mosaic Christmas anthology that exemplifies the spirit of community, love, caring for others, and giving that the Christmas season is all about.

Some stories were short, which makes this book a quick read. It also makes you wish the stories were longer because just when you want more, it ends. 

The Christmas Kiss, by Stacy Monson, shows what happens when a community pulls together after a chocolate store is broken into. I liked the blossoming romance between Finn and Piper and how he and his church show Jesus in action to someone who doesn’t believe.

UnRemarkable Sue, by Eleanor Bertin, follows Sue Roundell, who goes above and beyond to help an elderly couple enjoy the Christmas season. The author did a fantastic job of dealing with mental illness. I was touched by how Sue cared so much for this family she didn’t belong to. 

Love, Christmas by Johnnie Alexander, is a reminder to bring joy to others during the Christmas season. The premise of the story is awesome, but with four brief chapters, I felt this book needed more story development. 

Gifting Christmas by Angela D. Meyer, finds a husband and wife welcoming people into their closed bed & breakfast for the holiday season, during a horrible snowstorm. Unfortunately, their guests were selfish and somewhat mean and didn’t seem to appreciate what the owners were doing for them. 

One mother with young children needed Christmas to be a memorable occasion. And while it was nice to see how this story ended, it left me wondering how the selfish characters in the story changed overnight. While the message was clear about helping others instead of thinking of ourselves, this story, while good, still felt like it had some loose ends. 

The Back Door Christmas Tour Company by Sara Davison was my favourite of all the books in this anthology. This well-developed story was magical, and I loved how the characters grew and how prayer was a major factor in the changes in their lives. 

Overall, A Weary World Rejoices is an excellent book to read to prepare yourself for the Christmas season as many of the stories are reminders to think of others before yourself.

I received a complimentary copy from the author for my honest review.

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