He was barely there when she needed him, always partying and cheating. always makes her do all the chores in the house because he has a hangover or is out partying. I knew the moment his eyes were on me tonight when he walked in and I was at the juke box. I could see him out of the corner of my eye when I walked to the bar, too, and I know that look. Possessive."

Upon finishing it I literally have nothing to say except I don't know💀 there was nothing wrong with it, I simply don't like it. so this book starts where she is dating the love interest son (i know! HIS SON IS THE SAME AGE AS HER! ) And something happens where they break up and Pike (aka the dad/love interest) takes her in because she has nowhere to go at all. And then we get to see how a grown ass man is attracted to a child *shudders* I cannot with this book. Penelope Douglas does many things very well. One of the best of those things is her ability to make something taboo seem irresistibly satisfying. With Birthday Girl, she twists the older man/younger woman taboo and makes it compelling, sensual, and a wonderful treat.” -Eden Butler It’s always the same wish. Every candle. Every time. I want a life I never want to take a vacation from. That’s my goal."I think what really made me connect with Jordan is how well Douglas handled this character's development. There's glimpses into a teenage girl; enough to make you remember her age. But at the same time, she's not sheltered and naive. This is a woman that knows what she wants. She's not shy and afraid to go after it. She's solid. She's mature beyond her years. But yet she's still a young woman. He is playful yet vulnerable makes me want to take care of him, give him a massage when he gets off from his work, make him his favourite desserts, drive away his loneliness, do equally thoughtful stuffs he does for Jordan and people around him. I've been putting off this review because quite a few of my friends on here love this! Apologies to those of you who did love this, please don't be offended, different tastes and all that..... She is strong, independent, natural care giver.I love the way she stood up and she is never shy of her feelings. Douglas also does something that I only really put together in this book, where all of their characters are into things that Douglas was probably into when they were young (80s movies, 80s and 90s songs), which are things I like, but I'm not a teenager, and it always ends up feeling kind of out of touch. Kids these days are into Zendaya and Tik Tok and Billie Eilish, an artist this "not like other girls" heroine would probably like. Even if she would never admit it until someone pried her air pods out of her cold dead ears.

This was supposed to be a buddy read with my friend, Deidra, but the book was annoying me-- and not in a "so bad it's fun" way, but in an "OMG NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN" sort of way, so I ended up jumping ship at 12% because I'm a bad friend. But life's too short to read bad books. Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas blew me away! Once I read the synopsis for this book, I knew it would be one that I would drop everything to read. And I did. I stayed up till 4 am reading this book the night it landed on my kindle. I wanted to slow down and enjoy the story, but I had to know what would happen. I could not put it down. This book was straight up addicting and I loved every minute! There were a few eye roll moments culminating in the final scene, when he goes to the motel looking for Jordan. Dear Lord! That was so cheesy! I love forbidden romance and taboo love stories. I love when there is a great slow burn and the sexual tension is so freaking high your siting on pins and needles just waiting and waiting for that one moment… I love angst and when two people have undeniable chemistry, even when it’s obvious they shouldn’t. When there is push and pull and you are completely on the edge of your seat. Seriously, there is nothing better. This book had all this and more in spades. I never got to understand why a mature girl such as Jordan was putting up with him. That sad little story about the dead friend didn’t work with me, it was not a strong enough reason.I always came across of this grumpy, broody older men who happen to be so control freak, yes I am not likely to be indifferent towards them. After continuously hearing my friends gush and preach about the excellence of this book, I've decided to reread and remember why the hell I gave it 2 stars🤡 Jordan is a strong and independent woman. She may be only nineteen, but she’s a hard worker and wise beyond her years. Her boyfriend Cole... not so much. He gets them in a bit of a tough spot and they end up moving in with Cole’s father, Pike. Oh Pike… I freaking loved Pike. Everything about him. Pike is 38. He’s a great man and wants to help out his son. The sparks between Pike and Jordan fly, even though neither one wants that. Gah. It’s insane. You just need to read it for yourself to see how this one turns out… We're victims of circumstance. At least I can feel confident that I would've liked him no matter what. If he were any other guy who came into my bar, sat down, and talked to me, I would've wanted him..."