Birthday Girl

By: Penelope Douglas

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden, Jennifer Mack

From New York Times best-selling author Penelope Douglas comes a new forbidden-love story....

Jordan:

He took me in when I had nowhere else to go. He doesn't use me, hurt me, or forget about me. He doesn't treat me like I'm nothing, take me for granted, or make me feel unsafe. He remembers me, laughs with me, and looks at me. He listens to me, protects me, and sees me. I can feel his eyes on me over the breakfast table, and my heart pumps so hard when I hear him pull in the driveway after work.

I have to stop this. It can't happen. My sister once told me there are no good men, and if you find one, he's probably unavailable. Only Pike Lawson isn't the unavailable one. I am.

Pike:

I took her in because I thought I was helping. She'd cook a few meals and clean up a little. It was an easy arrangement. As the days go by, though, it's becoming anything but easy. I have to stop my mind from drifting to her and stop holding my breath every time I bump into her in the house. I can't touch her, and I shouldn't want to. The more I find my path crossing hers, though, the more she's becoming a part of me.

But we're not free to give into this. She's 19, and I'm 38. And I'm her boyfriend's father. Unfortunately, they both just moved into my house.

Birthday Girl is a stand-alone contemporary romance suitable for ages 18-plus.

Cover design by Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs.

©2018 Penelope Douglas (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

I really enjoyed about 85% of this

This book is what you'd get if a Mariana Zapata novel and a Carian Cole novel had a baby. More specifically, ‘All Rhodes’ and ‘Torn’. It’s definitely slow, but at least it's slow out of necessity, not because the author knows we crave character intimacy and stalls just because. Obviously it’s going to take quite some time for a 38yo man to give in to the temptation of his son’s 19yo girlfriend 😏.

The story starts really well, with a meet cute. Then it slows right down into a slice-of-life kind of thing. The author lets you live in the mfc’s skin - Jordan (h) is a small town student, and bartender. She has a good head on her shoulders... mostly. On the plus side, while you wait for the main characters to give in to each other, their heads are filled with lots of shameful yearnings and secret lust. Yummy.

Cons? Their 3rd act separation was a huge letdown after such an intense love affair - in the last 45min the author introduced like 3 new NPCs and tons of irrelevant, frivolous bullshlt. The energy felt completely different. And Cole (h's ex/H son) ! 😤. Throughout the whole book the guy was a dumpster fire and a real 🍆. He never got the parenting or karma he deserved. He felt like a loose thread, more catalyst than character. I wanted to see an emotional showdown between him and those he’d hurt the most. When he ducked it all and joined the Navy I had my fingers crossed that he'd die in a war. No such luck he also gets an HEA.

PS. there's bonus material for this book on the author's webpage, it’s the post-breakup we deserved

I love Penelope Douglas her writing is great .

enjoyed it as always. Penelope Douglas never disappoints me . I live her story lines and the characters are very well developed . She also knows what is really sexy . She does a great job building up to the intimate moments . She doesn't get in too big of a hurry to rust to the steamy parts which I love because the wait and Chase is so much better . 😉 can't wait for her next book . I have listened to them all.

Angsty, steamy, everything I love in a romance!

I have had this on my TBR since it released. I saw all the praise it received in posts from fellow readers. I have been trying to get to it. So when I saw it on audiobook, I decided to listen to it while I did housework or got ready for the day. Of course, I usually ended up simply sitting and listening because it swept me up in the story. Loved it! Jordan & Pike's story is tortured, steamy, sweet, angsty, and sooo good!! I see where the praise for Pike comes from. A very enjoyable listening experience.

Taboo love story definitely worth reading!

Do not get discouraged by reading the summary. The natural feeling is to be put off by this (son’s girlfriend!!!). But please give this a chance!!!!
This story is steamy and the characters were well developed. Their attraction was magnetic.... I love the slow burn!!!! This is a must read!

I finally jumped on the Birthday Girl wagon….

Audiobook
Andrew Eiden (Teddy Hamilton) and Jennifer Mack

To be honest Jennifer make took some time for me to get used to as Jordan.
Andrew rocked it as Pike though (and maybe I’m bias because I’m a huge Teddy fan)

Jordan is dating Pikes son, he’s having a hard time finding himself and just wants to party all the time. Jordan has a job and goes to college trying to better her life and do well given the childhood she had.

She’s got an amazing sister, who might be a stripper but still always there for her. Besides that she only has her boyfriend. Jordan and her boyfriend because dependent on each other for comfort and being best friends for so long.

Till he cheats and now daddy Pike is ready to swoop in.
lol jk he was ready before he even knew she was with his son.

Pike is there for her, to talk to her. To feed her to pick her up when his son fails her.

She’s brave and strong and confident In herself and what she wants in life.
Pike is a hard worker, caring, has struggles but knows everything he has done right or wrong was to give his son a good life when he became a young parent.

I loved that pikes son got his life together and went after something greater than expected of him and that brought joy to his life.

Jordan and Pikes are hot and I am always here for a ex boyfriend’s dad, age gap romance.