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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4.5 stars
Poppy and Jamie were inseparable since they met in college, but one night of being in the wrong place at the wrong time brought Poppy’s whole world crashing down around her. For five years, she has been grieving and barely moving forward in her life, but she has found a new motivation to help her cope: finishing up Jamie’s birthday list. Think of it as a bucket list of things to do but with an item assigned to each birthday year coming up rather than waiting until he was old and grey to work on it. Most of the things on the list are goofy and she would never consider doing them herself, but for Jamie she will do it in the hopes it will finally bring her a little bit of closure. Now that she has accomplished the biggest one- opening up the restaurant they always dreamed of- she can focus on checking off the rest of the items.
When she walks into a dojo to take a karate lesson, her world comes to a screeching halt again when she lays eyes on the officer who delivered the news of Jamie’s death to her. Cole’s world is sufficiently rocked too, but they find a way to get through the class. They are both a bit shaken to realize there is an attraction there, but Poppy manages to make an escape before guilt over that attraction can overwhelm her. When Cole walks into her restaurant and that awareness slams into her again, she is on the receiving end of an honest pep talk from her best friend and sister-in-law Molly along with a subtle reminder that finding happiness again is not a betrayal of Jamie’s memory.
The Birthday List is a wonderfully emotional journey as Poppy works through the list and starts to come back to life. She has some difficult moments along the way but she remembers how to smile and find joy in the little things again. Guilt threatens to overwhelm her now and then, but she works through it with help from Jamie’s grandfather Jimmy (who is an amazing addition to the story) as well as Molly and Cole. The heavier moments are offset by some really fun ones too, especially when it comes to a pool of green Jell-O and paint fights being crossed off the list.
As for Cole- well, he is easy to love! He lends her strength and determination when she needs the support, but he also has an instinctive understanding of how far and how fast to push things between them that speaks to the connection they have. Add in that he is smokin’ hot and he is the complete package that any woman would have a hard time resisting!
When I initially read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to read it and Ms. Perry didn’t disappoint at all. This author is definitely on my must-buy list, and her stories keep me engaged from the first page to the last with the excellent characters, wonderful writing and the little details and twists and turns that come our way as a reader.
When is it time to move on…
This is my first Devney Perry Book after hearing so many positive about her last year and I’m so glad I found her because she makes a great addition to my must-read author list. I was totally blown by The Birthday List and can’t wait to read more by this new romance author.
This novel doesn’t start out very happily – and with the blurb giving away that Poppy is a widow, you know it’s going to be a tough journey for her to find love again. But despite the fact that you’re reading about Poppy making her way through the grief that is losing her husband Jamie, there is a quite big beacon of hope in the form of Cole. In a series of coincidences, these two find themselves running into one another and the attraction and chemistry is palpable. But as Poppy has only ever loved one man, the thought of being with someone other than Jamie brings with it a lot of guilt and fear. But Cole is one of the most patient and understanding men ever (and his past connection with Poppy will help explain why) and the slow burn romance that builds over the course of the story is absolutely beautiful. I love that Devney let the relationship build naturally and realistically. It never feels like Poppy and Cole have been forced together and this is what makes this romance such a brilliant one to read.
Devney has a way with words that draws you into her story, gets your emotions tangled up in those of her characters and creates a whole world that you can’t help her fall in love with. Not only was I captivated by the budding romance between Cole and Poppy, but the secondary characters were just as enjoyable. From Randall and Jimmy to Finn and Molly, I was just as intrigued by these characters and their side plots as I was by the main story. And this is the sign of a fabulous writer, because when I develop an attachment to all of the characters in a story, I know I’ve found a an author whose talent is worth following.
I’m very much looking forward to reading Devney’s next series as well as catching up with her debut series too. And I’m so glad I’ve found yet another one-click author (even if my TBR and bank balance might disagree )
nicandbooks
Amazon/Goodreads
What a wonderful story. Poppy’s husband is taken away from her, a horrible tragedy. He had this birthday list and she’s determined to finish it for him. She meets Cole there’s undeniable attraction and lust, he’s exactly what she needs. I loved Cole the way was so understanding and loving and allowed her to grieve in her own way and space showed he’s a special guy. Loved Poppy and Cole together.
Every one should read this book. Every. Single. Person.
For a book that starts out in the most heartbreaking way, The Birthday List turns into the most beautiful and romantic second-chance story. It is one of those books that makes me fall back in love with the romance genre.
Poppy is a strong and resilient character. She had to learn to take life “minute by minute” after she was left having to find a way to “stand tall” as her world fell apart around her.
“Then she took another step back, standing tall. Damn. Even blotchy faced, she was beautiful. She let her grace—her incredible strength—shine through her sad smile.”
The Birthday List is a sweet, emotional, slow-burn romance that I just wanted to wrap myself up in the story and cuddle with it. I wanted to stay with these characters and not let go or let the story end.
-5 Stars!-
The Birthday List by Devney Perry brought me an emotional down pour of feelings right from the beginning. This book puts me in the mind of PS I Love You and held my heart in its hands.
Poppy’s happy marriage and happy life was shattered by tragedy. The loss of her husband brought her life to a stand still. After years of mourning she is ready to move on with her own life. In order to reconcile and truly say goodbye to Jamie, she takes it upon herself to complete his birthday list. The list is a bucket list of sorts and Poppy hopes that completing it will help bring her the closure she needs.
Poppy is prepared for heartache and difficult times, what she isn’t prepared for is Cole and her pull toward the man that delivered the news that forever changed her life.
Tears, lots and lots of tears. This is an emotionally charged read, the synopsis warns you but I don’t think that anyone can be ready for the intensity of Poppy’s story. I cried as I said, but I also smiled and cheered for Poppy. I was excited to be along for the ride of the birthday list and for the unexpectedness of Cole.
This was my first Devney Perry book, but definitely not the last.
5 stars
**Review by Amy W., Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night w/ Books**
This heartfelt sweet romance is so worth the read!!
Poppy has lost the love of her life and she feels lost.
Can she find happily ever after again?
Poppy’s character comes to life as we go through her journey of fulfilling a birthday bucket list. The story flows easily as we try to uncover the results of Poppy’s birthday list. This uplifting story is full of humor, sexiness and hope.
Well written, the backdrop of Montana is beautifully portrayed and becomes a secondary character.
4.5 stars!
A beautiful and heartbreaking emotional journey. Finding love after a great loss. Finding closure and picking up the pieces. How coincidence might really be fate. Definitely worth the read. All the feels! Cole is an amazing, one of a kind and perfect for Poppy. Highly recommend this book!
The Birthday List by Devney Perry is an emotional romance that spans love, loss, redemption, second chances and acceptance. Told in dual POV between Poppy Maysen and Cole Goodman, this story was amazing. I have come to expect nothing less than stellar from this author and The Birthday List was no exception.
Poppy has been struggling for years to put the death of her husband behind her. Her last ditch effort to move on involved completing his “Birthday List” before the year is out. A list that he had begun planning for future birthdays for the rest of his life, leaving her a short time to complete a lot of his items. The most expensive one is done – opening The Maysen Jar restaurant is a dream come true for both of them and a huge success. But what about the rest…
Cole Goodman is shocked by the coincidence of running into Poppy Maysen again. The last time he saw her was on the night her husband died, over five years ago. He is even more shocked be the ridiculously strong chemistry between the two of them. Deciding he’s going to help her complete her list he walks the fine line between respecting Jamie’s memory and her love for him with building their new relationship along the way. Real life men should take a page or a hundred from Cole Goodman’s book.
LOVED IT!!!!!!!!! Enjoy!
‘Minute by minute…’
That’s how Poppy Maysen has lived every day for the last five years since the night she lost her husband, and as life around her continues to move forward, she’s doing her best to ‘crawl out from underneath the weight of Jamie’s death,’ working through the list of things Jamie wanted to do/accomplish before certain birthdays, which gives Poppy a purpose and hopefully will help her live for herself once the list is complete.
‘In a heartbeat…’
That’s how Cole Goodman willingly responds to anything Poppy asks of him, not because he feels sorry for her, but because she’s a witty, beautiful, and compassionate woman who he can’t help but be attracted to and want to spend time with, even though he knows she’s still grieving over her husband’s death and anything happening between them would take time and patience on his part, and it’s more than obvious that Cole’s committed to standing by Poppy’s side as her friend, as her list partner, and as anything else she wants or needs him to be.
‘Let the happy outweigh the sad…’
That’s what Poppy is struggling to do as her attraction to Cole becomes a palpable thing, and while she’s both terrified and guilty over her growing feelings for Cole, she’s learning to open up her heart again, and Cole’s the perfect guy to help her because he handles her guilt, her grief, her pain, and her tears with absolute care, proving that Poppy’s found the one to help her move forward…minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.
Poppy and Cole’s story is an emotional journey of loss, healing, and finding the strength to move forward despite the guilt that comes with it. Denvey Perry takes great care in illustrating Poppy’s struggles and heartbreak as well as the conflicted feelings she has over what Cole begins to mean to her. Perry doesn’t hold anything back when it comes to her characters’ maelstrom of emotions; Poppy is not the only one suffering over Jamie’s death, and Perry is as honest and real as she can be with all characters’ reactions because not everyone can move forward after a loss of that magnitude.
Cole Goodman is a hero who some readers might think is too good to be true, but because Devney Perry provides us with Cole’s perspective as well as his internal thoughts, it’s clear that he’s everything he seems to be and more. He’s an amazing detective, a wonderful son, a compassionate man, and one hell of a sexy alpha male. There definitely needs to be more Cole Goodmans in the world.
I absolutely wish there was a small cafe like The Maysen Jar in my hometown; not only does the food sound amazing but the way the restaurant is described makes it seem like the perfect quaint little meeting spot, and it’s clear that the residents of Bozeman, Montana, know a good thing when they see it.
There are so many things that make The Birthday List a must-read romance. Its unique story line, witty banter, endearing supporting characters, and crazy birthday list antics will keep readers highly entertained and deeply invested in Poppy and Cole’s slow and steady road to happiness.
4.5 Poison Apples
I received a copy of this book from the author.
As you can tell from the blurb, Poppy’s beloved husband is deceased. She’s lived in a fog for five years since. The one thing she’s readied herself for is to complete her husband’s “Birthday List.” A list he made of things he wanted to accomplish by each of this future birthday’s.
One of those was to buy Poppy her restaurant. She accomplished this and opened the Maysen Jar. I bet this place would be the cutest place from the description in the book. Plus I love Mason Jars so the fact that the food is served in them makes it even better!
As she’s learning to live again the man who delivered the news of her husbands death walks back in her life. It feels wrong to notice how *hot* Cole is though. I think it would be awkward. Not to mention it’s the first form of attraction she’s had since her husbands death. Would that be cheating? Rebound? New start?
Poppy and Cole work together on the Birthday List. Their friendship then subsequent relationship is so cute. There’s little to no drama between them.
I enjoyed reading this book. There’s very little drama and no angst. I was really hoping for some more of each in here but it was a good story regardless. I think you’ll like reading this contemporary romance.
Devney Perry is one of my favorite authors and I thoroughly enjoy devouring all of her books. I have been anxiously awaiting her newest book, THE BIRTHDAY LIST and preordered it so I could have it ASAP. I savored every minute of this heartwarming and sexy book and never wanted it to end. Cole is a detective and he falls hopelessly in love with Poppy. Cole is an alpha male with a strong protective streak. He is also patient, loyal and a wonderful lover. Cole understands that Poppy cares for him but she needs time and patience and he is willing to give her whatever she needs. Cole is the perfect boyfriend and I fell in love with him myself. This is a captivating story with realistic and unforgettable characters.
Breathtaking and beautifully written! I’m going to be in a book hangover for quite a while
I have no words for how amazing this book is… Everyone needs to read this book. Be in this world. Fall in love with these characters. Experience everything.
This romantic contemporary novel had me in tears just reading the prologue. It grabbed my heart and never let go till the last page, and I didn’t want it to end.
Poppy Maysen met the love of her life, Jamie, in college, and has been married for a year. Getting ready to celebrate their first anniversary, Jamie is headed to do some last minute shopping and promises to be back shortly. He never makes it home, killed in an armed robbery. She soon wished she was dead also. But life has a way of going on.
After five years she is poised to open her dream come true restaurant,
The Maysen Jar. Poppy and her partner, best friend, and sister-in-law Molly are overjoyed and ready to open. Their shop is unique, everything is served and cooked in mason jars.
Before his death, Jamie had been working on what he called his Birthday List, something crazy/fun/dangerous to do on each of his birthdays. Poppy decided it was time to try and move on with her life, and accomplishing each item was part of her goodby. Next on her list was Karate, and she had her first lesson that night.
Cole Goodman, police officer and black belt Karate instructor is totally shocked when he see’s the woman’s whose life he devastated five years ago after informing her of her husbands murder. He remembers her quiet grief, and had ended up staying with her till her brother arrived. He has never forgotten her, and is now face to face with her. Poppy immediately recognizes him and is shocked by the electricity that seems to arc between them during her Karate lesson. He wants to see her again, but knows she’s not ready. He will be patient.
The love story grows with the fun of time spent together as Cole helps her with the Birthday List. There’s laughter, passion and a love that Poppy never thought possible again. Most of all is the heart and soul Ms. Perry surrounds all her characters with. If you haven’t read any of Ms. Perry’s works, what are you waiting for? The Birthday List is already one of my favorites of 2018!
A special thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this amazing novel.
Pat Fordyce
I have a few very favorite books on my top list and The Birthday List has been quickly added! This book was such a sweet, beautifully written, and moving love story. Be prepared to fall in love with Cole and Poppy and the emotional pull that it will have on your heart. Poppy lost her husband, Jamie tragically 5 years ago. She’s still mourning him, but is attempting to move on and find closure. She is hoping to achieve that by fulfilling Jamie’s Birthday List. One of the items on his list is to go to a karate class, which is where she sees Cole for the first time since he knocked on her door 5 years ago and told her that her husband was killed in a robbery. Cole is charming, genuine, and determined to help Poppy with Jamie’s list. He was so patient, kind, understanding, but he couldn’t deny the spark and chemistry he and Poppy shared. I could go on and on but I will jay say that I HIGHLY recommend this book and y’all NEED to read it!
This book is easily one of my top 3 reads EVER!! Poppy and Cole’s story was so touching and REAL!!!! When Poppy’s young husband dies suddenly, she tries to complete the “birthday list” that he had started before he died. He believed in living life to the fullest while you are able to(not when you are older/retired..like most people do). So….she starts out to do all the things her husband had wanted to do. ENTER COLE GOODMAN…..OH MY….could there be any more perfect man??? He is patient, he is HOT, he helps her (without pushing her) check off so many of the things her late husband had on his list….and in doing so, he falls in love. She is torn/guilty. He waits…and the journey is breathtaking!! I LOVED IT!!
Once I started reading The Birthday List I could not put the book down. I was sneaking away to read a few more pages, a few more words, or hopefully a few more chapters.
The characters pulled me in. Poppy was the perfect widow, if there is such a thing. She loves her husband and wants to finish his wish list and hopefully be able to move on with her life. Then I met Cole. Sigh, talk about the perfect man. Not only is he instantly attracted to Poppy but he is the most accepting, understanding, welcoming man I have ever read about. He understands that Poppy has to do the wish list in order to be open to a relationship with him. I LOVE that he willingly agrees to help her with the list.
While the restaurant Poppy opens is not the focus, it is a major place in the book. I could easily relate to the crowds, the quirky customers, the customers who become friends, and the hard work put into running it. My family has owned a family diner for many years and I have firsthand experience at the hours, the work, and the fun of working with family.
The lesson I learned while reading The Birthday List is that it is okay to not forget the love ones who passed away but it is just as okay to keep living. Life is important and if those who passed love you they would want you to keep living. I am lucky enough to not have a lot of experience with the death of loved ones but I am hoping this will stay with me as I continue living my life.
While this could have been a sad, poor me story I found it more uplifting, loving, and a living story. I recommend picking up your copy. The Birthday List will be a book that you will not be able to put down and the story will stay with you long after you are done reading.
“The list is a good thing, you know I support you in that. But marking off all Jamie’s check boxes isn’t going to be enough. At some point, you have to live for you too. That’s how you’re going to move on.”
It seems like the last half dozen books I’ve read have gone beyond giving me escape, and headed straight to my soul. This book … it was real. Loss is something we have all dealt with on some level, but having a book that directly deals with loss and how you move on from that was, well, I think it literally shredded my heart into pieces. Don’t worry, though, it puts all the pieces back in just the right places <3
Poppy loses the love of her life unexpectedly, and I mean completely unexpectedly. She has absolutely no idea how to deal with this tragedy, and carries her grief with her everywhere. There is no moving on, there is no going forward, there is simply ... existing. At some point, Poppy decides that fulfilling all of the items on Jamie's birthday list (something of a bucket list, or list of things he wanted to accomplish by each birthday), will allow her the closure she needs to feel alive again. Little does she know ...
Cole. This man completely caught me off guard. He's just so ... amazing. I don't think there's a word to accurately describe just how wonderful he is and how perfect he is for Poppy. They come across each other by accident, as she is fulfilling another item on the list, and then Cole makes certain they meet again. He wants to pursue something, anything, with Poppy, but he knows that she isn't ready. So when she tells him about Jamie's Birthday List, he grabs that opportunity. "You'd really help?" Cole's eyes were sparkling again. "In a heartbeat."
They begin the list, together. Unbeknownst to Poppy, she is actually beginning to open herself and her heart up again. So when she begins to feel that spark, you know that beginning of a relationship butterflies and giddiness, with Cole ... let's say, she doesn't just roll with it. She pushes it back, denies, focuses on anything and everything else to make sure it doesn't become something more. Her brother recognizes the signs, though.
"It's okay to always love Jamie."
"I always will." Always.
"But maybe you can love someone else, too."
This book took me on a ride. Seeing Poppy's pain and genuinely broken heart, well it gutted me. Her devotion to Jamie, even after his death, was something so admirable. Then, even with this devotion, recognizing that she was moving forward and that she could love someone else and not forget her love for Jamie, oh man ... that moved me.
This book was something beyond just good or great. It's not just a love story. It's a story about healing, learning to lean on others, recognizing the good and bad in life, and embracing all of life's twists and turns. Read it.
A beautifully crafted story
The beginning was heartbreaking–yes, I knew from the blurb it was coming but it was heartbreaking nonetheless. What followed was a story I’m not sure I have the words to do justice to. There was joy and laughter and tears as Poppy worked her way through the list with Cole’s help, and I loved watching their relationship grow.
This was a story filled with characters that I quickly grew to love; not just Poppy and Cole, but so many others as well, each adding layers and complexity to the story. The plot was like that as well, with several different threads coming together to make a wonderful whole.
This was my first book by this author, so I didn’t know quite what to expect, but now I can tell you I have a new author to stalk…err, follow. A beautifully crafted story about love, loss, grief and second chances, but most of all, about living your life. 5+ stars
B2B Kelly