I remember in 2018 when this came out how unsure I was picking this up. I love taboo and forbidden romances, but the thought of the hero being the heroine’s ex’s dad?? I was timid to say the least but once I read it, I never looked back. This is by far and away Penelope’s best work and stands the test of time. I wish she would write more romances like this.

I love this book!!!
I hadn’t read anything else by Penelope Douglas … now I’M HOOKED!!!

SPOILERS AHEAD!
I admit, at the start of the book, I wasn’t sure I would like it.
The big age difference was a bit off-putting. And how Jordan seemed to be a pushover for her boyfriend really bothered me. But the more I read, the more I realized that she’s a spitfire and when she lets someone in, she’ll do anything for them.
Pike is one of my favourite book boyfriends. Big, tatted and grumpy. LOVE
I can’t wait for her next book!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my personal opinion.

I'm a big fan of Penelope Douglas and this book did not disappoint!

I'm not going to lie - when I read the description, I was really on the fence about how I'd feel about this book. A girl hooking up with a man twice her age....literally!? I'm a parent and the thought of someone I know being in this situation made me uncomfortable. But I've known couples with similar dynamics in real life - I mean did any of us think Celine and Rene would last? At my age, I've seen people treat each other terribly and then just live with it. And I've seen the other side to that coin too, where they care so much about one another after life happens. I end up not really caring about the age difference by the end of the book because, really, if people treat each other well and show up for each other, why does anything else matter?

The story is about Jordan and Pike. She's a 19 year old student who's motivated, self sufficient, and grateful for every good thing that comes her way. She's working towards being something other than her non-existent mother and father who still lives in the trailer park she grew up in. Pike was a teenage dad to Cole, Jordan's boyfriend at the beginning of the book. He's also hard working and built his company from the ground up after becoming a young dad and realizing that he needed to provide for his son. He's a simple man who's has a small circle of friends and is desperately trying to connect to his son, despite years of poison being fed to Cole by Pike's ex. After Cole gets kicked out the apartment he shares with Jordon, Pike offers them a place to stay. Rent free, but they have to pull their weight and help out. Jordan ends up spending more and more time with Pike because Cole is avoiding his dad, but it turns out Jordan too. There's been a strong attraction, emotionally and physically, between Jordan and Pike and they're both playing safe with each other, but it's getting harder as time goes by. In a series of events that unfold, Jordan and Pike realize this is more than just attraction but neither of them want to hurt the people they care about.

Of course the heat that Douglas is so good at writing doesn't disappoint either. She's has such a great way of painting a picture that I can just jump into and imagine.
#indigoemployee

This book is one of my favorite ex-boyfriend's dad romances of all time. I love Pike and Jordan so much. I love how their relationship builds and the tension in the book makes everything that much more attractive. Everything about this is a 5 star read for me.

Thank you netgalley for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are my own

4.5!!! this was a reread for me and it was just as good as the first time around! pike is so daddy. i love how he has this internal struggle of what to do with his feelings because it honestly makes the forbidden nature of it even better and makes you like him anymore bc u see what a good guy he is and as always jordan slays she's so sweet and quirky!

This book was everything I wanted and more! It gave me all the feels and hit me right in the heart! It starts off with Jordan, the FMC, going to the movie theater to wait for her boyfriend to pick her up from work. She ends up meeting Pike while at the movies and they instantly have a connection. After the movie she is waiting on Cole, her boyfriend, to pick her up and learns that Pike is Cole’s dad. Soon after that night Cole and Jordan end up moving into his dads house after being evicted from their apartment.

Jordan’s boyfriends seems to never be around so she ends up spending a lot of her time with Pike. Pike knows he can’t have feelings for Jordan because she is too young and she is his son’s girlfriend. I won’t give anymore details because I don’t want to spoil anything! But, if you like age gap, angst, betrayal, heartbreak, character growth and spice then you will love this book!

To start off with, this is a SUPER slow burn. Like the slowest burn erotic (if you can even call it that) romance i’ve ever read. Sex didn’t happen until the 70% mark, and this isn’t even an exaggeration. To make this even more annoying, they got interrupted nearly every time. I’m not a fan of slow burns, which is the main reason for the poor review.

I also don’t understand how so many people loved Pike. He was an awful man. He didn’t fight for what he wanted, he came off as sexist multiple times, and he was so disrespectful. His character left a sour taste in my mouth. It’s hard for me to enjoy a romance if i’m not a fan of one of the lovers.

I did like Jordan… kinda. She was dumb for falling for Pike though. I also can appreciate a good age-gap forbidden love romance; however, this definitely wasn’t a good one imo. So i have nothing against the age-gap. Also nothing against a girl falling for her boyfriends dad. USUALLY this makes for a great story. But not today haha.

2 stars solely for the semi-interesting story line.

Birthday Girl is one of my favorite romance books of all time!

The way Penelope Douglas weaves small-town life in with a sizzling romance, adds a dash of nostalgia, and a perfect sprinkle of taboo... It's spectacular.

Jordan is a wonderful young woman and I connect with her on many levels. I adore her for her commitment to herself and her future, her style and her music tastes are top=tier, and I love how she loves her people.

Pike is absolutely delicious. A dedicated, hardworking, respectful man who doesn't settle for things in life. Who appreciates effort and wants the best for those around him. He's one of my top book boyfriends and after reading this book (more than twice, lol), he's here to stay, for me.

The Berkley edition of this book comes with an excerpt at the end, after the epilogue, and I really enjoyed it. I loved getting a glimpse at Jordan and Pike's first couple months after the last chapter. Their story isn't easy and their relationship isn't one that everyone in town will understand. But it's perfect for them, it's all they want, and the way their sparks fly is everything I could have wished for.

**Thank you Penelope Douglas, Berkley Romance, and NetGalley for an a copy of Birthday Girl in exchange for my honest review!**

THE HYPE IS REAL PEOPLE!!

okay I’m a sucker for older men & holy jesus I need a pike in my life. not only is he HOT, but he’s also caring, sweet and … actually knows how to treat a woman? what a concept!!

and I’m a sucker for slow burn so this icy slow romance was right up my alley!! the will they won’t they back and forth was KILLING ME, but it made it all worth it in the end.

I hated absolutely everything about cole and jay, and how they basically embody the teenage under 25 male species. but that was the point of the book …

the ending was a little rushed for my taste compared to the slow burn of the rest of the story, and I felt like the epilogues were a little too neat and tied up with a bow.

however, I’m so glad booktok and bookstagram got me ready for this one - thank you to berkley and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: piedmont moscato

A SPICY forbidden love/ age-gape romance that was impossible to put down. I loved the storyline, the slow-burn angst, Pike (the hero) and the great epilogue at the end. Def one to read if you are looking to branch out!!!

There was a LOT I loved about this one. I really loved Penelope Douglas's intention in their writing. They were always adding little things that built on each other that contributed to Pike and Jordan's love story in a realistic way. Like, when I think of my favorite scenes in this book, I think of the really small, domestic scenes like them shopping at Home Depot. Also, this book is p e r f e c t l y paced. Perfectly paced. A slow burn, but not one where you're like dying lol.

To me, Pike and Jordan were more than the sum of their parts, meaning that together I really did like them! More than that, I understood why they were connected to each other and why they were hesitant to act on their feelings. That forbidden romance DO be hitting different. But given the tropes, this book was surprisingly lowkey as in like it was just two people's lives, and not this BIG dramatic thing. And I loved that that was Douglas's take on this story! I had a ton of moments where I was like "awwwwww", but then someone would go and say something tone-deaf in my opinion and it would throw me out of the book.

The build-up of their relationship is perfect. We see them lay the foundation of their relationship before they even realized what was happening and it was SO good. I need to remind myself that it was so good haha. Also, there were certain parts of the ending that were lovely and I think were incredibly special to me. Won't say more don't wanna spoil.

Unfortunately, the world just made me feel uncomfortable I wish we could've left the town where everyone was objectifying Jordan and wanting her to work somewhere where she was comfortable.

This book was fun to read. Would this situation ever happen in real life...no. I would have liked a scene where Cole and Jordan at least make up but it's fine. Pike and Jordan were okay. Overall this book was fun and got me out of my reading slump.
3/5 stars

I love this title! I am so happy to see that it is being rereleased. I love how the relationship slowly unfolds and deepens as the characters connect. I especially love how the characters deal with the variety of feelings and emotions that they are having as their relationship deepens.

I really enjoyed this book. This was my first book by Penelope Douglas; so, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I loved Jordan and Pike. Their relationship was filled with so much tension. I loved how protective he was over Jordan and how he wanted to do anything he could to make her happy. I loved Jordan's character; she is nineteen in this book but she was pretty mature for her age. She had a rough history and not much of a loving family. Jordan and Pike got under each other's skin constantly, but it made their relationship so much more realistic. I loved Pike's character; he has a rough exterior and some people form inaccurate opinions about him but he is totally the opposite. This forbidden romance was written so well and was so believable. I loved the relationship between Pike and Cole, even though sometimes it's a little rocky Pike is always there for his son. I also enjoyed the relationship between Jordan and Cam. They are sisters and best friends and she is pretty much the only family Jordan has. These relationships felt so realistic. I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did but I am glad that I gave it a shot. If you like forbidden romance books, this is a good one to try.