BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

Ellie is one of the elite with friends who are billionaires. She has a career as a fashion designer that has thrived to the point she has three houses and a glamorous life. That is all topped off by her personal life: a good looking husband, a stepdaughter, who she makes sure everyone knows is at Stanford, a ten year old daughter and two very active six year old twin boys.
Ellie has decided she is going to go all out for her fortieth birthday with a huge party at her new Palm Springs home. Things don’t go as perfectly as she planned. She worries about her husband and her business in the midst of all the fun and frivolity. Ellie remembers another birthday 24 years ago that didn’t turn out to be “sweet sixteen”.
The author tells the story in alternating chapters from the present and 24 years ago. The reader slowly learns about the past and how it impacts the present. The characters from the past, Mish and Leo, are fully developed and, even if you don’t care for some of their choices, you can feel empathy for the poverty they are stuck in as teenagers.
Author Melissa de la Cruz is best known for YA fiction and I loved her Blue Blood series, even though I am well past that demographic. With THE BIRTHDAY GIRL she returns to adult fiction. Domestic fiction is extremely popular now and Ms. de la Cruz is certainly a pro at writing this genre with twists and turns that make this novel a true page turner. I read this book in a little less than two days and could have done it in one if life hadn’t gotten in the way.
THE BIRTHDAY GIRL is the author’s fiftieth book. I look forward to dipping more into her back list and reading anything she writes in the future. I also hope to try to hunt down some of her novels that have been made into TV shows or movies.