𝕭𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖍𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝕲𝖎𝖗𝖑 𝖇𝖞 𝕻𝖊𝖓𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖕𝖊 𝕯𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖑𝖆𝖘

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5 stars

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• Standalone novel

• Dual POV, in first-person.

• A small-town Romance!!!

• Age gap Romance (19 years)—“MY ALL TIME FAVORITE TROPE. An older man and a younger woman. There's something magical that cooks between the duo. The fact that almost all books I have reviewed are age gaps, says a lot. ” 😩❤️

• Forbidden and Taboo— “  Boyfriend's dad should be OFF-LIMITS, right?*smirks*”

• Female protagonist gives a Disney princess vibe—in terms of her values. 

P.S If you made it this far, I already love you! YES, YOU! Buckle in your seat belts for this crazy ride of a review from my perspective. Hopefully, it'll encourage you enough to pick up the book! Anyways, let's roll!

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“ Small town vibe+forbidden age gap+ taboo bf's dad romance= Elixir. Period.

The whole concept is so fucking wrong but I can't help but love it like it's nobody's business.

Jordan Hadley, our 'birthday girl', goes to the cinema on her birthday night to watch the midnight showing of her fave 80s movie, cuz her "oh so responsible" boyfriend failed to pick her up from her night shift at the bar. She ends up stumbling upon the one man she shouldn't have. On her 19th birthday. Turns out, the mystery guy is none other than her boyfriend's daddy, Pike Lawson, leaving them both with feelings that couldn't be labeled. They seem to connect on a level they didn't think was possible. The story kicks off with this revelation and there's so much more chemistry and drama in this small town, slow-burn age gap romance that you will be left drooling!

My thoughts: 

 I really do suck at writing synopsis of books so you stick with the blurb and the tropes of this book and you'll be in a good position to understand my review—without spoilers. Bear with me—please!

The fact that this is the second book that I have re-read—like EVER—says a lot. A fucking lot. (I don't like re-reading/re-watching because it is lame; unless it's something like this book)

It's hard to find female characters who have a drive like it's nobody's business and Jordan is that girl. There isn't a single evil bone in her body. Her grit and perseverance are way beyond her years. She has the power to wrap the people she cares for; tightly in the folds of her heart. That's a major major turn-on—not in a sexual way!— for me, hands down. She believes in the people she loves and would go hell and back just for them. There's something so DISNEY about her, you have to agree! I am certainly not implying that she's perfect as a Disney princess, but that she is flawed with one of the purest souls I have ever read about. Falling for your boyfriend's dad couldn't get more difficult...

Pike Lawson. The single dad piled with a hill of misunderstandings. A loner—a sexy one at that. At 38, he's still struggling to live a comfortable homey life. A workaholic, yet he is not immune to Jordan's charm. Anybody who reads the book knows that Jordan and Pike had an instant connection— more than a spark. It takes several drops of rain to make its presence known— that's what you see happen with the duo. 

Since it's a slow-burn, you don't get to see as much of the "action" that you expect from a romance...but whatever Pen Doug gives you; it is OFF-THE-FUCKING-CHARTS. Trust me. My first Pen Doug book and I couldn't think of anything except this book for a while after I finished it for the first time. 

Should you read it? Well, didn't I just answer your question above? I don't know what more I can do to convince you to read this book other than this review! Seriously!

The aesthetic of the story was also appealing. The candles, her cooking, her interest in Instagram, and her homey vibe, but her strong grip on her pride and morals altogether left me awestruck.

I honestly didn't care about her boyfriend. or rather ex-boyfriend by the time real " action" actually started between Pike and Jordan. Cole Lawson is a complete son of a bitch. His mom is one, too. He's an entitled prick who just doesn't care about Jordan. I hated him for the things he did. He broke Jordan's heart and I am glad that Pike didn't excuse Cole's "entitled" behavior. He stood by Jordan's side when she needed a support system the most.

I loved that we— readers— get an in-depth insight into the inner conflicts going around in each of their heads. All of their actions were controlled until there was nothing left to stop them from wanting to do what they wanted to do— claim one another. They naturally stop thinking of Cole, the people of the town, and its consequences when they were together because their bond was natural as it comes. It was more powerful than what the world would think of them— and that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a relationship should be. A healthy one. Others shouldn't matter. Only family.

Although I have said this enough times to the people I know; I'll say it again: The book has the potential to be a classic. Take my word for it. No book in the market is as beautiful and forbidden—under this sub-genre— like this one. Time is a piece of evidence that every new concept in a book has been revered and this book is the first one of its kind in the contemporary world. Fabricating a slow-burn was the only way Penelope Douglas could do justice to her characters and plot. There are plenty of books out there with a "boyfriend's dad" aspect in them, but none as delicately fabricated— most of which are Erotica. Some authors make it pure KINK. They don't realize that this topic is VERY SENSITIVE. To play with it and make it only about "sexual pleasure" demeans the idea of love. It stains the purity of an already difficult relationship. Authors make it about the sexy times and the "experience" an older man has over a younger and innocent woman. Having an age difference and a weird "pre-relationship" label does not make it easy to love one another. And dump stinky eyes and judgments from the "people" over that. It can't get more complicated. To trust one another is the greatest gift and anybody who can withstand the scrutiny of dogma is trustworthy.

There's still a part of me that craves more from this couple. I really want to know more from them about their family and kids and all that, but the rational part of me knows that wanting more will only spoil the flavor.

You haven't even gotten to the bottom of the crust with this review. There's so much more to see and feel. But before you leave, I must clarify this for y'all: the protagonists of this story do not indulge in Cheating/Infidelity of the physical kind. 

A personal preference: the listening to the audiobook wasn't as great as the reading experience. 

PPS. I did not re-read this book because Jardan gave me Disney princess vibes. I don't even like Disney thatttt... much. Her grit and their chemistry are what attracted me towards them, once again. ”

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Until next time,

Cheerio!

🌛

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Check out this link for the e-book version: Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

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