Review: Birthday Girl

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has to be right up there with my all-time favourite reads. The story had everything that I hoped for!

This, as seen in the blurb, is another delicious forbidden romance from Penelope Douglas. The sexual relationship between the key protagonists was incredibly slow to develop but it picked up quite a pace once the reins were released. Pike was the perfect partner to complement Jordan and despite her young age and relative innocence, her character was penned in a way that came across as much older than her years.

Despite being her boyfriend's father, Jordan finds herself spending more time with Pike as her Cole distances himself from her and their life together. When she realises that their relationship is over Jordan once again finds herself facing more impossible situations but the ever-reliable Pike is there to offer her support and friendship.

The way the developing relationship between Pike and Jordan was written allowed readers the chance to come to terms with their love affair and although they both resisted it, it was Jordan who came to her senses first and realised that there was nothing that they couldn't overcome if they handled their relationship carefully. Unfortunately for her, Pike found accepting their romantic feelings for one another more difficult and delayed the inevitable talk with his family and it was that delay which brought about the biggest fight of his life.

This was definitely a story to love and it was made even more enjoyable via Audible.




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Review: We Are Us

We Are Us by Tara Leigh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was another extremely well-written story by Tara Leigh and you could really feel the author’s blood, sweat and tears, from start to finish.

From the first page, I cherished the story of young Poppy and Gavin. The bond they formed through their hardships was incredibly sweet and when that friendship turned to love, their connection felt complete. That is until it was time for them to go to college.

Told in three parts, this story covers Poppy’s childhood, college years and early adult years. The problem with telling books over a number of years is that the storylines tend to jump around a bit, well, it’s either that or the story resembles War and Peace! Whilst the first part of this story was to die for, I loved young Gavin and Poppy, the later stages felt a little sour for my taste, probably due to the unpleasant sequence of events which plays out.

This was romantic suspense which covered a number of sensitive topics and readers will no doubt feel every moment of Poppy’s pain as she grows up. I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Poppy though but could appreciate her need to better herself after growing up with nothing. I struggled with how she accepted Tucker back into her life after what happened between them and feeling that she had never really recovered from “that night”, she still allowed him to play a huge part in her early adult years just so she didn't have to do without ever again.

For me, the epilogue seemed a little strange, and whilst I can see the author trying to wrap up Poppy and Gavin’s story, and to give readers more of the sweet that I loved during their younger years, I ended up skimming over most of the ending but, hey, who doesn’t love a second-chance romance!


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