Unwrapping Christmas

by Lori Copeland

It's that time of year again, and with excitement and high expectations, Rose has planned the perfect Christmas for her family and friends. But when she feels them drifting away during a time that should celebrate togetherness, Rose is forced to slow down in the most unexpected way. In this whimsical, uplifting story, she discovers the true meaning of giving.

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Holiday, Romance, Contemporary

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2007

About the author

Lori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.

Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Reviews

[Sharon Huether · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose is getting ready for Christmas; she is trying to get her relatives to have Christmas Eve dinner at t their homes. After four years of having it at her house. Rose is also busy with the church thrift shop, shopping for Christmas and calling on friends. She is just to busy for her own good.

God steps in after she took a hard fall on the ice, letting her rest and having faith to let others take over for Christmas dinner. Rose has time to think and realize the true meaning of Christmas

[LadyCalico · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story just didn't work but it still needed a lot of editing. The story felt as if it had been thrown together, and the author needed to exert more effort into creating a sense of realism. We've all gotten overbooked at times and shown a poor sense of values and priorities when committing our time and efforts, but the protagonist took it to such foolish extremes and was so callous toward her family's needs, that instead of feeling for her, I was feeling that she was a disturbed individual whose neglect of her husband and children would probably have destroyed her marriage long before this story could have taken place. It was hard to understand or care about a character this bizarre and situations that could have been easily avoided with a simple,"I have to decline, I need more family time." This novella clearly shows why Lillian Hellman warned future writers,"don't exaggerate, the truth is bad enough." All the too, too much didn't work for me; it made what could have been a sympathetic heroine into a parody with whom I could neither identify nor sympathize. The hyperbole was so poorly done that it didn't help make the author's point but detracted from it.

[Effie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can understand why and how the main character thinks she needs to do it all, but she had a seriously case of being unable to say no. She acted like she'd be letting down the entire congregation of her church if she admitted she couldn't do it all. Even after her husband and kids complain, she willfully keeps going and going, ignoring family for the sake of others. Service is important, but not at the cost of your family. For that reason I found Rose to be unsympathetic. At one point I wanted to yell at her to go home and make her family dinner, for goodness' sakes!

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unwrapping Christmas by Lori Copeland is about a woman who loses her way. She spends all her time trying to please others and serve the lord, that her and her family’s needs fall behind. That is until something happens that makes her realise that she has forgotten the most important thing of all.

“She was so busy doing Christmas, there wasn't time to experience Christmas”

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because of the synopsis, but I certainly didn’t find that Rose was planning the perfect Christmas for her family. She was too busy running at everyone else’s beck and call to even have time to feed them dinner except tuna from a can and pizza for an entire week. She doesn’t have time to grocery shop, she doesn’t have time for her kids, her husband, her home because she’s busy volunteering for this or that and can’t say no to anything. Her relationship with the Lord and her family are not good. I get that we do have a tendency to overbook ourselves, especially around Christmas time, but this wasn’t just a seasonal thing. Rose did learn her lesson. I hope.
I did like the message that we are not called to try to be everything for everyone, but to serve those God has placed in our life out of love not a mistaken sense of duty.
I did like that it did feel like Christmas time, and that Rose seemed to be changing by the end.

[Robyn Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I only started this book because it was short and it would help me hit my goal. 🫣😂 I LOVED IT!! What a sweet reminder of what Christmas should be. It was such a blessing and just what I needed. ❤️

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little novella to remind us to slow down and not let busyness take over. That's not what is important in life.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. I will be looking for more from this author!

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "The Christmas Lamp" by this author and enjoyed it very much but this one was a disappointment.

Rose is a very busy woman who never says no. She volunteers for everyone but has no time for her family. You just want to reach through the pages and slap her. Her husband Joey tries telling her to maybe give up a few things but she just won't listen. While planning a family Christmas Eve dinner for all her family, she has an accident that finally makes her see the light. This is a Christian fiction that is just a bit to syrupy for me.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. I have never been much of a Christian novel reader but I figured with the holiday season I would give this one a try. It was a very easy and quick read. The message in the story is great (slow down and enjoy what you have) without being preachy. I found myself identifying with the characters and seeing places where I could learn from the book.

I would suggest this book to anyone that likes Christian novels, it is very good.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm usually hesitant on novellas because of their shortness and that oftentimes the stories are hurried because of it. This was the case in some points.

The overall theme of getting wrapped up in the busyness of the holidays can get to us, overwhelm us, and make us go crazy. However, when God wants to teach us a lesson it will be either with or without our help.

[Etta (Chonky Books Review) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unwrapping Christmas is my first novella by the author. After finishing the novella, I saw that this story does fall under the Christian fiction category. While this is not my usual genre, it was something different to experience. The story follows Rose Bergman who wants Christmas to be perfect for her friends and family. She spends all her time trying to please others while balancing many priorities, including volunteering at her church. As she takes on more and more responsibilities for fear of letting others down, her family’s needs suffer. At home, she has two active teenagers and a very busy husband who runs his own business. Her friends are also in need of her support as they are going through their own obstacles, including a possible cancer diagnosis and drug use. While shopping, she slips on an icy sidewalk and twists her ankle. Through this experience, Rose begins to rediscover self-care and that she may not be able to do it all.

For me, I had a very difficult time connecting to Rose. While everyone at one time or another has tried to do it all and it becomes overwhelming, it was difficult to connect to her family than doing more to help out and leaving it all on Rose. This may be the dynamics for some families, but just was not one that I could personally comprehend as the three other members of the family all had the capability to help more instead of letting Rose run ragged. It was still a very heart-warming story about learning to slow down. There is a nice message of remembering the true meaning of Christmas within this shorter novella. Overall, it is a sweet story.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sure hit home with something I am trying to improve on. Rose is the mother of two active, busy teenagers, a wife to a husband who runs his own business, and an active, overly booked housewife and Chrisitian. She does not know how to say no to anyone. The end result is she is neglecting her children, her husband, and her home. All of her family keep trying to indirectly let her know she is overbooked, but it doesn't hit home until she takes a spill on an icy sidewalk and severely twists her ankle.

Too many parties, too many Christmas activities, shopping, cleaning, etc. etc. etc. We all get too wrapped up in Christmas and lose the true meaning and spirit that was intended by that first simple Christmas when our Lord and Savior was born. I am trying very hard to cut back on some of the Christmas goings on and focus my time and energy on what is truly important. How can you unwrap Christmas and focus on the simple and deep meaning of what happened that day thousands of years ago? Let's all unwrap Christmas this year and find the Christ Child at the manger.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this a neutral rating because I couldn't get through enough of it to give a true rating.

I tried listening to this one twice, at different times, thinking that my inability to get through it might be owing to a reading mood.

I just couldn't get into this book. Immediately, I found the protagonist to be someone that I couldn't connect to at all. In addition, the problems she seemed to have were very much of her own making. I'm certain that she probably resolves those by the end (though I wouldn't know, because I didn't get there), but I just couldn't finish because I didn't want to spend any more time with her.

I'm certain, though, that this would be the right book for someone. It simply wasn't the right one for me.

[Michelle C Lidtke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and a fast reminder we need to take a breath and slow down.
This is something I struggle with especially during Christmas to the point I'm burned out and as I sit here physically ill the week before and into the New Year.
I will re-read this book for the following Christmases and duly try to balance my time for myself on the calendar like I make the time for others and work. Schedule 20 min for a hot soak. Schedule that 30 min time to read before bed. Schedule that 20-30 min play/ walk with dog. Because if you don't take care of yourself, then what does all that work you put in worth.

[~kat~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick feel-good once you get through the drama of it all......
simply to say, FAMILY... what is that saying: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER.....but then when it comes right down to it, FAMILY shows up when they are TRULY A FAMILY.

This little Christmas tale gets you ready for the holidays while giving you a few little mind-thoughts to think about...... those questions asked during a story that seems to be asking of YOU the same thing?

An enjoyable Christian Christmas story, if you like Christian literature, I am sure you will enjoy reading this one......

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Christmas read of the season. I have read so many of Lori Copeland books throughout the year, I truly was excited to research and discover a Christmas book. Now the rating - it did not bring out a holiday spirit in me at all. Rose is the reason why I am not a “church lady”.
This book would be a great read for a ladies church group to read - lessons to learn and to take a good look at the importance of the Christian spirit.
The letter that followed was a great way to end the book - a “just in case” the reader didn’t get the meaning of the story.

[Rev Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book for the Christmas competition because it was a novella and I could read it quickly. It is really a book with a lot of meaning of how we put a lot of busy work in place of family and others. Being a pastor I realize I have done this way too often, not only in church meetings but also in community meetings cause I believe they need me. Time to step back and enjoy.

[Silje · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book because of a reading challenge and didn't realize it was a Christian story before I started.

If you like not too-long morale stories with a heavy touch of religion, you should try this book. I'm not religious, and reading about the family's behavior made me stressed and frustrated, so this was far, far away from my cup of tea.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose is super busy with preparing for Christmas and doing volunteer work. She finds herself too busy for her family, even. Something has to give, and that is exactly what happens. The story is interjected with advent meanings, to add to the book's special meaning. Also, it does not take long to read!

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t realize it was a novella when I started listening. I loved the premise and idea behind the story and felt I could relate, but with it being a shorter story it was too face paced and unrealistic to capture the moral we’ll.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love God Above All, Neighbors as Yourself

This is a very good book and it is very well written so the readers can really learn from it. It is an easy read, not over powering and I would suggest it to all ages.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a story about a woman struggling to help everyone but herself and her family. She has to learn the true meaning of Christmas the hard way unfortunately, but she learns what she needs to do for her family.

[Sally Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good thought. But the main character needed to put her thoughts into action sooner. Listen to yourself! If you’re stressed and neglecting your family, do something about it! She was slooow.

The kids’ characters weren’t developed much.

[Rachel Sides · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read quite a few books by Lori Copeland over the years. The subject matter was heavier in this one. More thought provoking. It isn't that I didn't like this book; I just miss the sparkle and humor that were in her other books I've read.

[Susan Marie Ballain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose spends all the time planning the perfect Christmas for her family that she forget real meaning of Christmas! But when fate takes over and makes her take a step back and see what she what was really missing!

[Bobbie Monroe Boyne]

The main character was so frantic in her activity out of her home that she was neglectful of her family and she was unlikeable. She was doing so much and terribly ineffective in it all. Although she did make a change, it seemed a small change and not a real heart change.

[Jessica Nunnally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt too relatable, albeit a bit exaggerated. I found myself feeling very much like Rose this last holiday season: pulled in too many good directions and skipping the most important ones. This was such a good reminder to slow down and refocus my priorities.

[Rachel Teasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great cute little Christmas story about a mom who does too much and needs to slow down. I appreciated the Christian aspect of it and it reminded me of myself around the holidays. We need to stop and slow down and spend time with family and what really matters.

[Jolynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate that it’s a book that can be read or listened to any place and anytime with a Christian theme. Nice little story for some easy, fluffy, and appropriate messages to slow down, especially during the holidays.