Customer Reviews

Theodora's Baby

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's a surprise bun in Theodora's oven. Theodora's Baby is the third book in the series by Penny Culliford, with Theodora's Wedding and Theodora's Diary being the earlier two. Theodora loves writing in her diary, but her husband Kevin isn't so fond of being replaced by a book with blank pages. He doesn't understand why she can't spell out her thoughts and concerns to him. This doesn't stop Theodora's journaling, though. Whether she's faking a bowel problem or simply lying through her teeth, she just keeps writing and readers won't want to stop reading.

Readers can't help but feel like an important part of this vibrant woman's life, being able to read the secret diary not even her husband is allowed to touch. She's a convincing character, brutally honest, and three-dimensional. The dialogue is snappy and true to life. Each character Theodora comes across is memorable. Expect to meet loveable, fun people as Culliford finds witty ways of introducing the characters into her story. The author portrays married life the way only an experienced individual can, with high energy and genuine humor.

If you've ever been afraid of asking God for direction in your life, or if you can sympathize with the demands of a chocolate addiction, or you need a good laugh, then Theodora's Baby is right for you. Penny Culliford's creation is a literary work after the Christian woman's heart, as she addresses the everyday struggles of Christian life. Readers won't need to read the previous books to lose themselves in this one, but I don't see how it could hurt; especially if Culliford's earlier works are as enjoyable and clever as this one. Expect high quality entertainment and nothing less. - Stephanie Simpson, Christian Book Previews.com

I've read the two previous books in the Theodora series and was eagerly anticipating the release of the third. Theodora's Baby was everything I was hoping for and more. Kevin, Theodora's family, and the people from St. Norberts were all back and as quirky as ever. I was also pleasantly surprised to see how much Theodora had grown; I'd always enjoyed reading her funny journal entries, but was glad to see that in this book she seemed to be maturing somewhat, both spiritually and personally. A fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone.

Theo and Kevin have just gotten married and now are expecting a baby! Being pregnant isn't all fun and games for the couple. It means Theo can't stand the sight of chocolate! The couple are going through their first days of marriage and already they are having issues. From Kevin not wanting Theo to write in her diary to Theo leaving for a few days because Kevin wouldn't fix the bathroom, the newlyweds sound like their having lots of fun in their new life. With Theo's pregnancy comes cravings for weird food, having to wear Charity-like maternity clothing (gasp!), trying to find a job that will take her in her "condition" and her sister-in-law getting pregnant at the same time. Plus Declan keeps showing up. Thank goodness Kevin lets Theo have her diary back. She'd be lost without it.

Theodora is one of my favorite characters as of lately. I love everything that she goes through and how she handles situations. I thought it was pretty arrogant of Kevin to refuse Theo to write in her diary. His reason is that he wants her to talk to him instead of writing. Really though, guys stop listening after a while. If Theo had really stopped her diary and talked to him all the time, I guarantee Kevin would have gotten fed up and been like "why don't you talk to you friends about this stuff?" I mean Theo gets frustrated with him and football but she never asks him to quit it completely. Arrgh, men. I do like how Theo and Jeremiah finally sort of get along. Although I really didn't like his earlier viewpoint on her especially when he think they've gotten married after she got pregnant. I hate people who jump to conclusions and especially Christians who think they are better than everyone else. I'm glad she took a stand though and I'm glad they were able to make up. There's not much Charity in this book but her and Theo have settled down and are more friendlier with each other. It's also interesting to read how Charity's oldest son has started to rebel against their conservative lifestyle.

I hope this isn't the last we'll hear from Theodora and her diary. I want more!

Theodora and Kevin return from their honeymoon with more than trinkets for the family and Theodora can't eat chocolate. What is a newlywed to do?

I have read all of the books in this series and I must honestly say that I have enjoyed all of them. I think that each book gets better partly because you know the characters. Everyone is up to their usual antics and there is hilarity that ensues as a result along with lessons for the characters. It was also good to see Digger return briefly. Of course, we are left with a slight cliffhanger which lets me know that there will probably be another book which I will happily buy when it comes out.

I have always loved these books, the pace, the humor, the characters. And although this book still had all those elements, it lacked a real story that kept you into the book. Usually I can't put these books down, this one was a little harder to get into. Nonetheless, it was a great read, and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to the next installment of Theodora!

I am not a big fan of Christian fiction, but for some reason, got hooked on this series.

The best word to describe this story is "sweet". There are no sharp turns or harsh words here. The storyline is cute and quite predictable.

I actually quite enjoy the character of Theodora.

So, why 3 stars. Because, as with her last two books, I feel myself getting completely agitated as I read the books.

WHAT I HATE is the fact that the author seems to feel the need to ensure that the "man" of the story be the "man" of the story. By that I mean that although Theodora is quite fun and interesting she appears to be nothing without Kevin. This came out in the previous book and is in full force in this one.

Take the opening chapter. Theodora likes to write in her diary - but Kevin feels threatened by this so he TELLS her not to do it anymore. So, Theodora "pretends" to comply. As if this is not enough, Kevin actually checks her diary to see if she is "listening" to him and it all comes apart, of course, when he discovers that she has been writing in her diary against his wishes. AAGGGHH!!!

There are so many things wrong with that - I can't even begin to start explaining it.

Hence the 3 stars.