I Heart Reading Review: Birthday Experience
Book Review: Birthday Experience by Simone Freier
DECEMBER 15, 2014 [LINK]
Title: Birthday Experience
Author: Simone Freier
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided to Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
Birthday Experience is the third book (fourth if you count the prequel novella) in the “Experiences” series. I previously read and reviewed the first book, First Experience, and the second book, Weekend Experience. I enjoyed both of the previous books, so I was curious about the next book.
In this installment, Kelly’s twenty-fifth birthday is coming up. Sam invites a few of her friends and hosts a party for her birthday, complete with a theme, games, and the atmopshere the reader is used to in this books: one of openness, adventure, and exploring sexual experiences. Sam has planned most of it, including some games that will push the boundaries of the other guests, and in particular Kelly’s boundaries and courage.
To any reader, it’ll be obvious how different Kelly and Sam are. Kelly is a young woman, Sam is an older widower, old enough to be her father in fact. And whereas the series starts out with a mutual attraction between the two of them, and them deciding to take things further and have some fun, it’s now clear that there’s something more between Kelly and Sam than just being attracted to one another. They share a deeper connection, a more intimate relationship. They’re on a journey together, to find themselves, to learn more about the other, to explore the edge of their own desires. It’s not just Kelly learning from Sam anymore – Sam learns a great deal from her as well. And it’s this relationship, this bond, that forms the core of this book, and that makes it unique and different from other books in the same genre.
Of course there’s also fun, BDSM, role-playing, fantasies, and all that, and while there’s definitely an erotic element, the focus is on intimacy, trust, openness.
Writing is, as usual, quite good. The plot is imaginative and creative, and even the secondary characters come across as real people. This is an enjoyable and entertaining read, but more than anything, it’ll make the reader think about boundaries, about intimacy, about the meaning of love, of bonds, of the unique relationship people can have with one another.
