Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Birthday Girl

The slow build-up to Jordan's and Pike's relationship was intense; you could feel their attraction from the start. However, when they finally got together, the story became a tad dull and repetitive; if they had communicated, they would have caused less heartache, especially for Jordan.

Also, I had a problem with how Pike was described as "one of the good ones" because he was not. He referred to Jordan as a "toy" and treated her like a child; if you think of someone as a child and too young, don't get into a relationship with them when you are a fully grown adult, it's creepy. He was over-controlling too. So, my point is, should he really be described as "one of the good ones"? Because, in all honesty, Jordan deserved better.

That being said, Pike did, at times, reflect on his controlling behaviour towards Jordan, but although he gave a good apology, he should have looked to change that behaviour. In the end, we saw some change, but there needed to be more to show that type of behaviour is never acceptable in any relationship and that there should never be a power imbalance.

While on the topic of men's behaviour towards women, Cole needed to be called out for his toxic behaviour. He may not have been violent like Jordan's ex, Jay, but Cole still treated Jordan like dirt. I don't recall him ever owning up or apologising to Jordan about his actions and behaviour; he ignored her for months and thought he had a right to be mad at her for moving on from that toxic relationship.

All that said, Birthday Girl was an enjoyable read, and the references to the song "Guys My Age" were a fun touch. Plus, Jordan's character development was good to read. She took back her power from all those men that treated her like dirt. It was good seeing Jordan taking control and proving to everyone that she is stronger and more capable than Pike and everyone else believes her to be.

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coligmueller's review against another edition

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4.25

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whatjasread's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5/5

My instant thought is that Praise by Sara Cate is everything this book tried to be but didn't succeed at.

My next thought is that this wasn't bad, it was just... okay. Not eventful in any way, none of the characters were all that likeable, there wasn't much by way of plot... it was just an excuse for some ex-boyfriend's dad smut, let's be real. Nothing wrong with that, just wanted a bit more depth to it. I don't really like the whole 'I'm nineteen but I'm mature for my age because I can cook lasagne' vibe in my FMCs, but that's just a me thing.

Like I said - not bad, not exactly mind-blowing.

I also just think the ending was so rubbish. Surely they would've spoken about having kids before he bloody well proposed to her, considering the age gap. It just all felt so rushed, like she wanted it to happen but couldn't be bothered actually writing it all. Not my vibe at all.

TWs: alcohol consumption, sexism, ref to domestic abuse, physical violence, cheating (on page), parental neglect, ref to teenage pregnancy, smoking, strained family relationships, toxic relationship

Tropes/rep/themes: age gap romance (19 v 38), ex boyfriend's dad, i see how they look at you

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lavxna's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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agustdefault's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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nelumboreads's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I have nothing against the trope, but the characters gaaahh they can kiss my ass.

If only this would have been a novella I could relate to the preposterous situation or the characters without an ounce of maturity.
Smut could've been really good but PD has to go and use vuvla unfriendly stuff to come ತ_ತ

I never really got the lesson after reading her Credence (:

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