Unfortunately, nothing like the author's other books. I am surprised by the reviews here. Sloppily written, superficial, rushed, completely childish. It was written just for the sake of it. I am not focusing on the story or its forbidden aspect. I am focusing purely on the way the characters and their (supposed) feelings are portrayed. Like the old romance novels from the kiosk. No depth in characters, very poor descriptions, nonexistent emotion, it doesn't convince you at all. A cash grab. You finish the book and forget you ever read it. What a pity. I do not recommend it.

WOW!! I think Penelope has made me fall in love more times than I can handle!

It is definitely one of the most enjoyable reads of the year.

Jordan, a 19-year-old girl living with her boyfriend, decides on her birthday to leave work early and go to the movies alone. There she meets Pike, and later we discover that he is her boyfriend Cole's father. After that, the couple is forced to temporarily move into Pike's house—and that's where the drama begins! Cole starts to neglect Jordan, who finds comfort in Pike's company.

Warning: this is a taboo romance, with the following tropes: age gap, boyfriend's dad, forbidden romance, so it's not for everyone!

The love develops slowly, naturally, and with depth—it's not just a "forbidden" romance, but a story full of emotion and true connection. A proper slow burn!

Jordan is dynamic and authentic, and Pike... what can I say! Mature, supportive, passionate but also respectful. Their chemistry is explosive, but the most beautiful thing is the way they understand each other.

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas is one of those books I had heard so much about that I wanted to read it even just out of curiosity. I knew beforehand that it is based on the age gap romance trope, something I generally don’t choose, but the hype around the book had excited me as well.

The story follows Jordan, who, after a difficult period, moves into the house of Pike, her boyfriend’s father. As you can imagine, her relationship with Pike gradually starts to change, leading to something more intense and forbidden. For me, though, this idea—that someone starts a romantic or sexual relationship with their partner’s father—is uncomfortable. As much as I wanted to separate fiction from reality, I couldn’t find either the chemistry or the emotional connection to convince me that this story was for me.

Penelope Douglas’s writing is definitely fluid and easy to read. It can draw you in, especially if you like forbidden romance vibes and slow burn. But personally, I didn’t feel any identification, neither with Jordan nor with Pike. I wasn’t convinced why these two people, with such an age difference and so many red flags between them, would enter into such a relationship.

Also, as the pages went by, I felt that the romance overshadowed everything. There was no real plot outside of their relationship, and that tired me.

I understand that many loved Birthday Girl and find it bold, emotional, or “hot.” I’m just not the audience for this kind of story. The age gap generally doesn’t excite me, but when the “her boyfriend’s father” factor is added? That’s where I lose all interest. I can’t support it as a romantic scenario.

So, to sum up, for me Birthday Girl didn’t work, not because of the writing, but because of the basic idea it was built on. Still, I believe that many out there will love it. If you’re a fan of this trope and of intense erotic scenes, then this book is for you.

The Birthday Girl is a spicy contemporary romance with taboo elements, playing heavily with the trope of forbidden age-gap love. Jordan is 19 years old, in a very difficult phase of her life, and finds refuge in the home of Pike – her boyfriend's father. He is 38, responsible, grounded, and fully aware that what he is starting to feel for Jordan... should not happen.

However, living together and the tension between them builds an intense and dangerously attractive dynamic that, no matter how hard they try to ignore it, they cannot stop.

Personally, even though I don't often read this kind of books, I enjoyed this more than other works by Douglas. I read it very quickly – it had pace, intensity, and full smut scenes that were written with confidence and passion. I felt there was chemistry, and the way Pike handles the situation was quite convincing, although it is a rather extreme concept.

I won't say that it didn't seem somewhat exaggerated for a father to get involved with his son's girlfriend, but I knew from the beginning what to expect – and since this is the trope, it didn't shock me that much.

I gave it 3.7 out of 5 stars, and honestly, if you enjoy more "daring" stories with dynamic relationships and intense physical attraction, it's worth a try.