Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas on September 26, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Coming of Age, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / New Adult
Pages: 464
Format: eBook
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“Birthday wishes don’t always come true, so I don’t waste a chance when I blow out a candle.”
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. When Jordan and her boyfriend, Cole, can’t afford their apartment anymore, they find themselves moving in with Cole’s dad. The very man who makes Jordan feel cared for, cherished, desired. While they both know their feelings are wrong, it feels too good to not be right. Thus begins a forbidden love story between a 19-year-old girl and her boyfriend’s 38-year-old father, who live together under the same roof.
I thought I would be uncomfortable reading it, because really, who would want to get themselves into a predicament where they develop feelings for their boyfriends father? It’s not even something you think about. I fell in love with the main characters. The development of their stories and their characters made sense to their story. I loved the dialogue, their individuality, the tension, and the romance. This is a slow burn and the romance honestly feels really genuine and sweet. You find yourself rooting for Jordan and Pike from day one, and it just gets better as they grow accustomed to one another’s company and conversation and learn to be friends and companions before acknowledging their budding feelings for one another.
I rated this novel four stars. It was an addictive read and the biggest problem I had with this book is Pike’s attitude. While reading the book, he irked me a bit but didn’t upset me too much, but by the time I had given myself a few days to think on it, I realized I was actually incredibly annoyed by how he treated Jordan through most of the story. He’s a very overly dominating, possessive, temperamental “father figure” telling her what she can and can’t wear, who she can and can’t hang out with, and where she can or can’t go. I’ll say that for the most part, Pike is super sweet and caring and mature, but his temper comes and goes so fast that it gave me whiplash sometimes. Other than that, LOVED IT