This book was different than I had expected. It went between present and twenty four years earlier. I didn’t understand what the plot was until close to the end. Once I got to the end the twist definitely made up for the rest of the book, but I wish there was more substance to the present storyline.

Very slow & confusing. The alternating timeline helped you understand the character somewhat but the book really lacked the thrills and twists you would expect in this day. Even if you didn't realize what the twist was, it is not one that is worth waiting for. I thought the writing style was good but lacked in the interest factor. Hard for me to push through

Quick and entertaining, but not really a thriller like it was made out to be. The plot is intriguing but there was a lot of build up and I ended up feeling let down,

Oh my! This book was so not what I thought! Or was it who I thought? Twists and turns and kept me guessing right to the end. Yes I kept reading until the end.
From past, twenty four years ago to the present, 40th birthday bash, Ellie threw for herself in their new Palm Springs House.
Who was Mish and Leo?
The skeletons start unraveling at the end of her birthday and people show up from her past that she hadn't seen in years.
Melissa de la Cruz wrote a wonderful novel of the rich and famous and the characters were great!

I was given an ARC from publisher and NetGalley. Opinions were my own and I was not paid to review.

To be honest I didn't enjoy this book. Half of it was rich people whining about being broke when in reality they weren't, and half of the book was deliberately confusing due to nicknames. I still have no idea who was who at the end. Altogether not a great book. I'm sure some other people might enjoy it, but I did not. 2.5 stars.

I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review. This one took me a long time to finish. It was just ok. The characters were just ok, the pacing was ok. The idea of the story was interesting. The bathroom scene with Leo during the game of truth or dare is honestly what stuck with me the most out of everything that happened in the story. The way it was described made my stomach turn. I’m sure that is the exact reaction the author was going for...perfectly executed. I can’t say I’d go around recommending this book to everyone but It was alright. I would read something else by this author though...I didn’t hate it. Would probably make a better movie than book actually.

This is a twisted turn type book. I loved that it kept me guessing. Birthdays, especially fortieth ones including surprises. should be banned! If you like suspense extraordinaire you'll love this one!

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The Birthday Girl was released on August 6, 2019 by Penguin Dutton Group.

Ellie looks like she has the perfect life...handsome husband, million dollar houses, and adorable children. Behind all of that "perfection" is a skeleton bursting with closets.

This story follows Ellie on 2 different birthdays, 24 years apart. This is a good enough book. Ellie is annoying. Her husband and children are spoiled and annoying. I spent most of the book thinking that she was a waste of talent and so many others would put her money to good use. The skeletons were truly embarrassing. I felt myself cringing at several points during this book. The ending was as bad as what I was bracing myself to read.

If you like thrillers and suspense, it's an okay book if you need to kill some time. It's not something I would read again. I wasn't overwhelmed, or underwhelmed. This book just left me....whelmed.

🌟🌟🌟 /5 stars

The Birthday Girl is a quick, easy thriller. Think light on the suspense with heavy drama. Highly recommended to readers who enjoy mysteries.

I didn’t particularly like this one. I don’t know what it was but the story was kind of meh. DNFed. Though I may give it another go sometime soon

After receiving The Birthday Girl from Netgalley, I also got a printed copy from the publisher. I guess it was meant to be :)

This is the first book I’ve ever read by Melissa de la Cruz and it completely sucked me in and kept me engaged the whole time I was reading it. I couldn’t put the book down once I had started!
First off, this author really knows how to write about rich people. Her nonchalant style of name-dropping and shameless way of describing the lives of the rich are enough to make you feel a little like a naughty rather starstruck voyeur. On top of that, the story is just really, really good.
The chapters alternate between the past and the present. In the past, best friends Mish and Leo set out to celebrate Leo’s sixteenth birthday. The two girls come from broken families and live in a trailer park. The story builds up to something that happens on Leo’s birthday that seems to be life-changing for the characters. In the present, Ellie, whom we may assume is either Mish or Leo in the future, is a very wealthy lady who is throwing herself a huge fortieth birthday bash. She invites people from her past and present, and the group is quite eclectic.
What blew me away was the ending. Never did I ever guess that ending. It was just so clever. I may need to reread the book. It’s simply shocking, so wait for that twist at the end people. This psychological suspense thriller is the best of the best.

I generally look Melissa de la Cruz, but this book seemed just a bit too scattered to me. It jumped back and forth between past and present, and never became cohesive enough for me to truly enjoy it. Although this particular bo0k was disappointing, it wasn't bad enough to make me lose hope for the author. A solid 3 stars.

Quick fun read, I found the main character to be very 'unlikeable' which sort of added to the fun of this novel!

The Birthday Girl has a great premise. Unfortunately, that's all it has--a great premise. Melissa de la Cruz, whose writing I normally enjoy, seems to have written this either in bits and pieces that were then pushed together into a "novel" or--well, it feels almost as if the author was writing a book that they didn't really want to write. It's a shame, again, because the premise is fantastic.

The Birthday Girl started off a bit slow for me. The beginning was monotonus and made Ellie seem like a whiny spoiled brat. But I think that's what the author was going for. By the end, my opinon of Ellie had totally changed. And there was a HUGE twist I didn't see coming. While the book itself was fairly good, I felt the twist at the end was more confusing than anything. I had to go back and re-read a few chapters to make sure I hadn't missed something.

All in all, it's worth a read, but I wouldn't put it at the top of my list of items I want to read.

The Birthday Girl has the perfect premise - a fortieth birthday party for a woman who has it all, money, family, career - all the material trappings of wealth and envy. Told in two timelines, this is one of my favorite styles of storytelling. Having settled into the book, I kept wanting someone to root for - good or bad. Didn’t happen. However it was a quick read and I overall enjoyed it but was left wanting more ‘oomph’ as all the ingredients were there..

I found this book rather boring. It seemed to have dragged, I almost gave up on it but decided to finish it. The ending was ok. I also don't think that is a thriller either like it's labeled. It was a miss for me.

Rating 2

I have received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you, NetGalley for an opportunity to read this book. I truly enjoyed it. The storyline was set in the present time where the main character was preparing to celebrate her 40th birthday. And on the outside, she has it all. Richies, family, houses.... and then it takes us 24 years earlier and we discover all her hidden skeletons. Great book.

For me this was a middle of the line book. I thought it was okay and we had to wait a long time to get to the turning point of the book. The ending really saved this for me.

Thank you for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is turning forty and in typical Ellie fashion she is hosting a huge celebration party at her newly purchased home in Palm Springs. Ellie has invited everyone she knows and has everything is planned to the smallest detail however .... Things go array at the last minute, the flowers are wilting, something peculiar is up with her husband, her best friend can't make it and her step-daughter has returned home unexpectedly from college, her business is up in the air and let's not forget that someone from her past has decided to drop in and join the celebration.

This thriller is told in alternating chapters flipping back between the ages of 16 and 40. The contrasts between 16 year old and 40 year old Ellie are vastly different in terms of life styles and character. 40 year old Ellie isn't nearly as interesting as 16 year old Ellie. The story and plot gets darker as the story unfolds and and the twist and turns are done in a manner that doesn't reveal the story until the author is ready to tell it.

This is a fun, easy read that will be sure to entertain.