Title: Birthday Suit
Author: Lauren Blakely
Series: The Guys Who Got Away #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019
I’ve been really wanting to dive into this series since reading Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend. But, sadly, I’ve always read on the kobo and it’s been sitting in Kindle Unlimited. Which, ultimately has meant that I pulled the trigger and decided to get KU as well as Kobo Plus. On this book alone, there are no regrets for that decision. Birthday Suit was a wonderful book and I couldn’t put it down from the very first page. It was everything that I loved in a really good romance, the angst, the characters and all of my joy.
I love that even though Birthday Suit is a second chance romance, but not really of the typical kind. Rather, instead of having a romantic history that they both stuffed up, it’s all about Leo’s unrequited love and Lulu’s ability to move into a whole new future. The complications of their past and the tangled webs of Tripp are kind of intense at times. And then, to keep up with the emotional rollercoaster that Blakely takes you on, there’s one tiny insight into Tripp’s views on Leo and Lulu. And it just… honestly destroyed me.
All of the tangled web that is Leo and Lulu’s relationship turned this into a wonderfully, enjoyably intense romance. I love that it’s a combination of Leo’s guilt for coveting his best friend’s wife for years. And Lulu’s confusion about her sudden feelings and moving forward with her life. Rather than glossing over these details and the emotional confusion that turning from a trio to a duo inflicts upon Leo and Lulu, Blakely is able to highlight this as part of their character journey. The very angst that is experienced is what makes the two so relatable and wonderful.
As with all heroines that I love, Lulu is ridiculously strong and independent. I love that the strength she shows doesn’t involve suppressing or hiding her feelings. But, rather, she revels in them. It’s a reminder that committing to love and embracing how you feel isn’t a sign of weakness, rather, it is a strength in and of itself. I also love that Lulu was historically able to away from relationships that weren’t healthy for her. And pursue her own desires and needs.
Earth and Skye 
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