Poppy Maysen carries a journal in her purse. Its pages were filled long ago by a man who craved adventure, lived life to the fullest and never failed to make her laugh. The journal is his birthday list—one she vows to complete.She’ll do the things he wanted to do most. Because maybe, just maybe, if she can finish his list, she can start to live again. Poppy expects going through the birthday list … through the birthday list will be hard. She expects it to hurt. But what she doesn’t expect is Cole. Could the man who watched her heart shatter be the one to put it back together again?
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Loved this emotional coaster ride. Only thing is the swear words were not necessary, you can feel the emotions without it. To me the swear words were distracting.
A wonderful story of resilience born in tragedy and how life can go on on different and eventually better.
Loved, loved this book….
Ah another five star read from Devney Perry! Poppy is beautifully heartbreaking and finding Cole five years later was her heeling balm. All of Devney’s books make me want to move to Montana, each town and detail she uses paints a clear picture of each scene.
Beautiful story, I really love how slowly we get to meet Poppy’s and Coles story both of them have a past and memories that keep hunting them.. poppy is trying to move on but the birthday list keeps pulling her to her past and her memories but someone is new in her life and she will have to decide when to finally move on and start a new episode in her life..
I love how caring and protecting Cole is with poppy and those he loves, I really like his character he was really a true gentleman always taking care of the woman he cares and love…
Great story great characters I really love how Devney took us in a slow journey meeting these wonderful characters and getting to know more about their past and the way they were. I cry and laugh.. it was a roller coaster of emotions… I really felt all the emotions and thought these amazing characters were feeling and going through.
This is not my first book by Devney and it won’t be the last I can’t wait to know more about Molly’s story it really had me intrigued what happened between her and the love of her life..
I can’t believe I finish this amazing story, I really want to keep knowing more about them.
Poppy was devastated when her husband was murdered just before their first wedding anniversary. Poppy feels like she is to blame since he was on an errand for her. Cole was the officer who delivered the news to Poppy’s front door. 5 years later Poppy is determined to finish her late husband’s birthday list when she meets Cole once again. Can Cole help Poppy learn to live her life again?
I loved this beautiful story. Poppy was such a strong woman and her determination to honor her husband’s memory is heartwarming. I loved the characters. This was a story that I couldn’t put down until the last page. Had to jump right into Letters to Molly.
I didn’t like anything about this book. It was predictable. I always knew what was happening next. There were no surprises. This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I would be embarrassed to tell anyone that I have read it.
Widow finds love, completing a book of dead husbands. Good story. Too much explicit sex.
3,5 stars
Poppy’s story is on the one hand a difficult story full of grief and heartbreak, but on the other hand it shows you how easy it all can be when you fall in love (again). All the contradicting feelings Poppy goes through are written so well. I could really relate.
Cole is one of the most patient guys you’ll ever meet. I love the way he respects Poppy’s feelings and put’s her first every time again. Even though it isn’t always easy for him either.
Definitely worth mentioning is the setting of this book. I love how Devney Perry describes all the places (especially the Maysen jar). It feels like you are really there looking in.
The secondary characters are great too. Now I really want to read Molly and Finn’s story.
If you are looking for a book that is full of emotion a love story that feels real, this is the book for you!
Get out the tissues…and I don’t just mean one or two. This story is going to require the whole box.
I had wanted to read this for awhile but just wasn’t sure my heart could take it. It took a group of friends, doing a group read, to get me to do it. My only regret is waiting so long to fall in love with these characters and the incredible journey of growth and healing that they took.
Poppy was sweet. Doing her best to pick back up and go on. To let go of the pain and begin to let go of her deceased husband Jamie, she was going to fulfill his unfinished Birthday List.
The journey was emotional. It will tear out your heart. But it was also a time of self-discovery and healing. The best part of the process was sharing it with someone else. Letting them share your burden and help ease your pain. In the process she opened her heart to a future that she never expected to have.
This story sticks with you. I am not a fan of story’s that make me cry, but this was worth it. It was beautifully written with characters that embed themselves your heart. You feel their pain and rejoice in their happiness. I am an undisputed fan of this series and immediately one-clicked book two.
I loved this book. It was truly inspiring
I’m so pleased a book buddy of mine called my attention to this full-length standalone, and being a first-timer to Perry’s works made me even more excited. Not only did it quickly become apparent that The Birthday List was my kind of read, but also what I needed to get myself out of the book slump I’d been in for a while. Ooh my, the prologue! My heart twisted and devastated, I read on. I found myself getting lost in the author’s words, her characters, and the really well-thought-out storyline so easily, I couldn’t put it down. Put two and two together and you’ll probably come up with the right answer regarding the title and the cover, is isn’t it simply stunning? Depicting the female protagonist’s name, Poppy, it’s certainly a refreshing change from what we’ve been seeing of late.
As long or short as it may be, most of us have made a mental list of things we’d like to do if we can. Someone very dear to Poppy had one, they laughed and joked about it and in the split of a second, everything changed. But here is the thing. What I really and truly liked was the structure of each chapter. Some are told from Poppy’s point of view, others by Cole. But what stands out in each and every one of them has a wish from the list.
“Please think about stopping this list thing. I hate that it makes you cry.”
“I have to,” “I have to do this. Even if it takes me years.”
You can’t get more original than a restaurant where the food’s not served on a plate, now can you? I’ll keep you guessing about how Poppy presented her mouthwatering recipes! Actually, I was hoping for a couple of them to appear in the story but more important, the life-changing decision she’d make would help her become mentally and emotionally stronger. Making new memories meant she’d do some crazy things and what a joy it was reading all about them.
‘I didn’t have a list of things I wanted to do in my life. I had a wall of memories of the things I’d already done.’
How Cole Goodman met Poppy was tragic. Now he’s back in her life and I could see the wheels turning in their heads. I felt as if I’d grabbed the best seat in the cinema and didn’t even need popcorn to relish watching their friendship grow. Yes guys, it’s slow burn romance not difficult to comprehend under the circumstances. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for Poppy to fight her attraction towards Cole. Letting go of an all-consuming guilt, trying to cope with everyday life wasn’t easy, but she knew she had to move on.
‘Guilt. Guilt was a heavy beast. It settled like a dead weight in my chest.’
Cole adores her. Down to earth, he’s the perfect guy to guide Poppy back into the land of the living. His pursuit of her was by no means overbearing and brought a smile to my face. There’s one scenario that had me grinning from ear to ear and although Cole didn’t find it as amusing as I did, him telling her off and then trying to make things right showed me he was there for her. Him taking control when he thought necessary was done with sensitivity and yes guys, it definitely looks like his gorgeousness is swooning material, doesn’t it? Family and friends play a huge part in their story which I really appreciated. And then there’s a couple of characters who will have you laughing out loud. Moments of angst, there are; however, quite low-key. When emotionally-charged issues arise, they are dealt with sensibly, with trust and respect.
“The rest of your life is still unwritten.”
One thing I’d like to mention are the inner-thoughts. Obviously, there’s less banter; nonetheless, when the dialogue does start flowing, it’s really good, more often than not light-hearted, yet many times you’ll be drying your eyes. Fortunately, I went in blind and highly recommend doing the same. After finishing the book, I read the synopsis and have to say it did feel as if a little too much had been given away. Despite this detail, The Birthday List is without a doubt for lovers of heartwarming romances who enjoy all the feels. Ooh, Molly and Finn’s story. Now that would be a real treat! Bravo Perry!
I love this series. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Can a book be both sweet and steamy? This book has both, it’s a really sweet story that starts sadly, but woah there are some steamy bits! I found it an enjoyable read and I loved the whole idea of the book. And as for the restaurant, it’s fabulous. So many bits made me laugh out loud, the characters are so well written. Really enjoyed it.
A birthday list is like a bucket list but instead of things to do in this lifetime, a birthday list, a list of things to do before each birthday, fun things, crazy things, and illegal things.
Jamie Maysen had such a list that he kept in his journal and shared with his wife Poppy, his friends and family. Jamie and Poppy were college sweethearts preparing to celebrate their first wedding anniversary when tragedy stuck. Jamie was running errands while in the liquor store when he was murder!
Five years later, Poppy is trying her best to move on with her life, she starts with checking things off Jamie’s birthday list. She thought if she did these things on Jamie’s list it would help her with the pain and sorrow she endured every day. Poppy was also looking for closure on her husband’s murder case.
No one ever thinks about becoming a widow on their wedding day. When you say your vows you think you will only say them once, to one person, for the rest of your lives. But what happens when life leaves you a widow at a young age? Leave to up to serendipity, coincidences, or the universe, it always has a way of changing your life.
A bucket list don’t even compare. Read it.
Unexplained events, de ja vu, fate, planets align, Halet’s comet, whatever happens when two people’s lives coincide has been dramatically and perfectly created in this heartfelt story.
What a lovely story! As heartbreaking and tragic the death of her husband is, Jamie’s birthday list acts as catharsis for Poppy and leads her to a second-chance with Cole. Believable, quirky characters with lots of humour thrown in. A sweet and uplifting story.
Interesting premise and the alternating points of view were well done. However, there was, for my taste, too much concentration on sex and that increased as the story progressed. I ended up skipping a lot of writing that, frankly, did nothing to advance the story.
A really creative idea to pass through sorrow