TMNT Party

Since I'm playing a good deal of "catch-up" on the new blog, here's a look at the boys' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle birthday party from last February:

Since the boys are only 22 months apart, and mostly have the same friends and interests, we decided to do a joint party this year.  We had it at our local gymnastics place, which saved me the time and stress I usually spend cleaning and decorating my house ...and was worth every last penny!  

The staff provided basic decorations (banner, table cloths, plates, utensils, etc.), which were luckily mostly primary colored, and thus went well with the TMNT theme the boys requested.  

Here are some of my favorite details: 

 Pizza cookies (of course!)

TMNT jello cups

 and Rafael cupcakes!

And just to prove how much fun everyone had...

Woodland Baby Shower

A few lovely ladies and I threw a woodland-themed baby shower this weekend for an absolutely adorable little man.  Here's a little peek.

Our dessert collection was pretty yummy...

complete with fox-shaped cookies...

and chocolate toadstool cupcakes!

We also put together a hot drink station...

with delicious add-ins ...

for our guests to make special creations...

in their own party-favor mugs!  

And let me just say, those mini-chalkboards from Hobby Lobby are awesome, and worth every penny.

Guests also had a chance to write a special prayer for baby E. and hang it on our tree.  

We finished up with (an obligatory, but luckily on-theme) baby shower game!  

Always Watching

When popular psychiatrist and radio host Wade Savage starts receiving suspicious gifts at his home, his father secretly hires the Elite Guardians Agency to protect him from a potential stalker.  Suddenly, the stalker begins to target everyone closest to Wade, including the body guard assigned to him.  Agency owner Olivia Edwards takes control of the case when her employee is drugged and critically injured in the line of duty.  Will her skills and expertise in the field be enough to outsmart a clever opponent, and will her emerging feelings for Wade prove to be a blessing or dangerous distraction?

Lynette Eason’s Always Watching takes readers on a fast-paced, suspenseful adventure with plenty of twists and turns.  While the story itself was most definitely action-packed, Eason’s characters were still well-developed and complex.  Additionally, Olivia’s journey back to her Christian faith was compelling without being overtly preachy, and the love story between she and Wade was entertaining without taking over the plot.  At times, however, the dialogue seemed awkward, and the nearly constant and poorly marked changes in narrative perspective caused some confusion.  That said, this novel will keep the reader guessing and engaged until the very last page.  

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah's Choice

Will obedient, hard-working Hannah Yoder manage to keep her family together along the banks of her beloved Conestoga Creek in 1842 Pennsylvania?  Will she give her heart to the best friend of her youth, who will allow her to stay in Pennsylvania, but expects her to embrace his Mennonite faith and illegal anti-slavery activities?  Or will a new, Amish farmer convince her to follow him into the wild unknowns of Indiana?  In Hannah’s Choice, Jan Drexler presents a deep and complex cast of characters whose choices each impact the others in significant ways. 

Firstly, the complicated issue of slavery brings a depth to the novel that many works of Amish fiction tend to lack.  Drexler delves into the struggle many in this time period must have faced: whether civil laws and authorities deserve obedience when they clearly oppose God’s laws. 

In many ways, several of the secondary characters in the novel proved more compelling than Hannah herself.  Annalise Yoder’s struggle with depression, her husband’s need to protect and guide his family, Liesbet’s willingness to do anything to escape the confining Amish faith of her childhood, and Adam’s God-given calling to fight slavery even though in involves breaking the law, all beg the reader to turn another page.  As a glimpse into a fascinating historical period, and a as a story with real and relatable characters, Drexler’s work is excellent.  

The central love story, however, leaves something to be desired.  While the choice Hannah must make between her two suitors is interesting enough, the story itself lacked passion.  While Drexler makes the point that true, lasting love grows out of friendship and shared faith, this reader would have enjoyed more opportunities to see this process in action.  The result was a somewhat unsatisfying conclusion, and the question as to whether Hannah truly did make the best choice.  

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Toward the Sea of Freedom

Star-crossed lovers, Michael and Kathleen, plan to flee the famine and poverty of 19th century Ireland to start anew and raise their unborn child in far away America.  Fate, however, has other plans, and the pair find themselves separated by prison bars, an ocean, and Kathleen’s marriage to another.  When both of their separate adventures lead them to New Zealand, will their young love of decades ago prove strong enough to allow them to start over, or will they have found true love elsewhere? 

The historical portions of the novel are captivating, authentic and accurate.  From the plight of Irish tenant farmers and trials of exiled prison laborers in Australia, to the unique personalities found in the whaling villages, sheep farms, native tribes, vineyards and gold-mining camps of New Zealand, Lark takes her readers on a vivd adventure.  

Unfortunately, not a single one of the main characters make the adventure worthwhile.  While readers can easily grow tired of overly-perfect characters, the three main characters in this case were mostly irredeemable.  Kathleen may be beautiful, but she is weak, pliable, and usually frustrating.  Lizzie, while endowed with an entertaining amount of gumption, is fickle, aloof, and often vulgar.  Worst by far is Michael— and inconstant degenerate without much intelligence or any shred of self-control, and a complete failure as a romantic lead.  

As the extremely long story comes to a close, and the reader sees the solution to the complicated love triangle is finally close at hand, one cannot help but wonder if any of them deserve any sort of a happy ending.  Many of the secondary characters— namely Peter Burton and Claire Edmunds— provided a bit of spark and likability, but dealing with the others felt like drudgery.  What had the potential to be an epic love story with an enchanting backdrop, ends up as an unsatisfying waste of time.  

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Worthy Heart

 A Worthy Heart continues the story of the O’Leary family of Long Island, New York.  This second installment of the Courage to Dream series follows Maggie and Gabe Montogmery as they arrive in New York from Ireland, Adam O’Leary upon his release from prison as he attempts to rebuild his life, and Aurora Hastings as she overcomes a broken engagement and finds the courage to pursue her dream of nursing.  Will each of these characters manage to let go of their past disappointments and mistakes in order to fully embrace the future God has in store for them? 

Without having read the first book of the series— Irish Meadows— it took several chapters to grasp who each of the four main characters were, and how they related to one another.  That said, Mason did an admirable job filling the reader in on each back-story without rehashing her entire previous novel.  Unfortunately, most of the main characters, namely Gabe and Aurora, still felt one-dimensional.  Gabe is a strapping Irish fireman, and Aurora an heiress with an overbearing father, but their characters never truly evolve past these basic types.  Gabe rescues Aurora a time or two, and they are clearly attracted to one another, which is apparently sufficient reason to get engaged by the end of the book.  This lack of character development caused this particular love story to fall flat.  

The one redeeming exception, however, was Adam O’Leary.  Witnessing his struggle to understand his own failures, forgive his hurtful father, and finally accept the blessings God has put in his life made for a compelling story.  While his love interest— Maggie— could have used a bit more depth, her fiery personality and dedication to her loved ones made this story-line the most entertaining of the novel.  

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Luther and Katharina

In the year 1523, Martin Luther’s writings and reform are sweeping through Germany, and even seeping into the most regulated and protected monasteries and convents.  When nun Katharina von Bora reads his words, she begins to dream of a life full of love, family and freedom outside the abbey walls.  She and several fellow nuns escape the Marienthron convent, and eventually find themselves under the care of Martin Luther himself.  As the other nuns gradually return to their families or marry, will Katharina be able to fully embrace Luther’s messages of freedom and equality and let go of her ingrained notions of wealth and nobility?  Will Martin Luther finally learn to trust God’s plan for his life and the Reformation, and allow himself to love? 

In this historical novel, Jody Hedlund excellently blends romantic fiction with compelling historical drama.  She shows the reader just how corrupt the church of the 16th century had become, and how necessary the Reformation was.  She also highlights the unique plight of women having virtually no control over their lives whether inside or outside abbey walls. 

Both Katharina and Luther are complex, believable characters who struggle to find contentment and overcome their pride.  While Hedlund clearly— though understandably— glosses over some of Martin Luther’s more controversial attitudes and tendencies (anti-semitism, foul language, etc.), she shows his passion, temper, and zeal for the Church.  Similarly, the reader slowly sees Katharina’s pride break down as she learns to fully embrace Luther’s teachings, and the love he offers despite his lack of money or title.  

A fascinating backdrop full of actual historical events, relatable characters, and a passionate love story make for an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.   

I received a free copy of Luther and Katharina from Blogging for Books in exchange form my honest review.