Today it is my stop on the blog tour for It’s My Birthday by Hannah Pearl – thanks for joining me!

It’s My Birthday

… I’ll cry if I want to.

Oh boy, another birthday …

Karen could be excused for crying on her birthday, especially as it’s the first one since her husband got on a plane to the States and never came back. Then there’s the fact that her workmates were practically bribed to attend her birthday meal. But when a restaurant double booking leads to her sharing a table with single dad Elliot and his daughter, things start looking up.

As Karen gets to know Elliot she experiences feelings she thought she’d never have again. But is it enough? Or will the thing that destroyed Karen’s previous relationship also ruin things with Elliot?

I was really looking forward to reading this – the premise of this story felt realistic, covering real life topics.  Whilst reading fiction is definitely for escapism, it is sometimes nice to read about people dealing with real issues, and discovering how they work through them.  It gives you the opportunity to compare yourself with others in a safe environment!

Karen is struggling with turning 40.  Her husband has left her, getting on a plane to the States and not coming back.  She is not where she thought she would be at this point in her life; married with children, enjoying life with her own family.  Instead she has spent years in turmoil, going through emotional and physical changes that ultimately pushed her and her husband apart.  When her best friend Sally forces her out for her birthday (having bribed her work colleagues to attend), Karen is at rock bottom.  A chance meeting with single dad Elliot and his daughter Sophie, forces out of the dark hole she has dug herself, and makes her evaluate what is really important to her.

This story isn’t just about a blossoming relationship.  It is about learning from your past mistakes, being open to making new mistakes whilst also discovering what you really want from your life for your future.  It’s about working for what you really want from life, and creating the opportunities to achieve them.  This is a story about a strong woman who manages to rescue herself from the darkness she finds herself in, with a little help from her friends.  It’s about love, it’s about forgiveness and it’s about learning from your past to ensure your future is filled with the things you really want from life.

This novel deals with some emotive topics, but I am more than happy to recommend it to you all.  It’s a lovely novel that deals with some emotional issues.

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖

Thank you to Hannah Pearl and Rachel at Rachels Random Resources for asking me to take part in this blog tour and providing me with a copy of this novel.

Purchase Links:

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-My-Birthday-heartwarming-romance-ebook/dp/B07N5LXS93

US – https://www.amazon.com/Its-My-Birthday-heartwarming-romance-ebook/dp/B07N5LXS93

Author Bio

Hannah Pearl was born in East London. She is married with two children and now lives in Cambridge.

She has previously worked as a Criminology researcher, as a Development Worker with various charities and even pulled a few pints in her time.

In 2015 she was struck down by Labrynthitis, which left her feeling dizzy and virtually housebound. She has since been diagnosed with ME. Reading has allowed Hannah to escape from the reality of feeling ill. She read upwards of three hundred books during the first year of her illness. When her burgeoning eReader addiction grew to be too expensive, she decided to have a go at writing. In 2017 she won Simon and Schuster’s Books and the City #heatseeker short story competition, in partnership with Heat magazine, for her short story The Last Good Day.

Hannah is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association.

Blog – dizzygirlwrites.wordpress.com 

Twitter – https://twitter.com/HannahPearl_1