OR

Kindle Price:	$5.99
	Price includes tax, if applicable
Sold by:	Amazon Australia Services, Inc.

promotions apply when you purchase

Add Audible Narration to your purchase for just $3.49

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your memberships & subscriptions

There was an error! We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the author

Lauren Blakely

Follow

Birthday Suit: A Friends To Lovers/One Who Got Away Standalone Romance (The Guys Who Got Away Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lauren Blakely (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 1,587 ratings

Book 1 of 6: The Guys Who Got Away

See all formats and editions

The one unbreakable rule in the Man Code is this: no matter how beautiful, smart, and clever she is, do not fall in love with your best friend’s woman.

Yeah, so I screwed up big time when I fell for her.

I might have let my sin of unrequited love slide, given everything that went down in the last few years, but Lulu just walked back into my life as vibrant as ever.

And the cards are stacked against me once again. We’re working together, and the last thing I want to do is mess up her life with a forbidden office romance now that she’s finally got the fresh start she deserves.

Trouble is, she’s even more irresistible than ever, and this time around I’m not sure any code can hold me back.

Even if I stand to lose everything...

Book 1 of 6

The Guys Who Got Away
Print length

322 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publication date

17 January 2019
File size

844 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Report an issue with this product

Next 3 for you in this series See full series

Total price: $17.97 + applicable tax

By clicking on the buy button, your order will be finalised and you agree to the Kindle store terms of use.

Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.

Next 5 for you in this series See full series

Total price: $29.95 + applicable tax

By clicking on the buy button, your order will be finalised and you agree to the Kindle store terms of use.

Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.

All 6 for you in this series See full series

See included books

Total price: $35.94 + applicable tax

By clicking on the buy button, your order will be finalised and you agree to the Kindle store terms of use.

Sold by: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.

Lauren Blakely
1,005
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Lauren Blakely
1,261
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Lauren Blakely
1,755
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Lauren Blakely
846
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Lauren Blakely
1,785
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99
Lauren Blakely
2,065
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $5.99

Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

Sometimes life gives you a second chance at love, and if you’re lucky enough to spot it and wise enough to seize it, you better be strong enough to keep it.
Highlighted by 68 Kindle readers
I learned I wasn’t responsible for other people’s choices. I discovered that I couldn’t fix another person, no matter how hard I tried.
Highlighted by 59 Kindle readers
“As I like to say, I never put anything in my mouth that I’ll regret later.”
Highlighted by 40 Kindle readers

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07MMJNP9R
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lauren Blakely Books (17 January 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 844 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1732575525

Best Sellers Rank: 127,542 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 931 in Workplace Romance eBooks
- 1,058 in Workplace Romance
- 5,115 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 1,587 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Lauren Blakely

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

You can find Lauren on TikTok at @laurenblakelybooks! A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

Review this product

Write a customer review

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from Australia

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

paddlefoot1397

He's Leo, I am a Leo - we are meant to be!

Reviewed in Australia on 16 January 2019

Verified Purchase

A hero who works in the chocolate industry? Let me at him!

I mean, his name is Leo, I am a Leo, we are meant to be, right?

Alas, Lulu is all that this sweet, adorable man can see :(

I adored Birthday Suit so much. It was full of tender, sweet moments, along with a lot of sad and heartfelt moments.

I am a sucker for a good friends to lovers book, and when you throw in years of unrequited love, well, stick a fork in me, because I am done!

Leo and Lulu's story is not always a happy one, however you just know that they are going to have to find their way to a HEA, they just have to.

I was left with a smile on my dial after reading Birthday Suit, and now I am impatiently awaiting what Ms Blakely brings us next.

Please don't leave me waiting too long!

Helpful

Sandra R

Great audio version of this romance, using a full cast of narrators.

Reviewed in Australia on 2 July 2020

Verified Purchase

This book was very well written. Probably if I had been reading it on the kindle though, I would have given it a 3 or 3.5, as the story is very strongly driven by dialogue, and there are lots of characters; which I don't really like in a romance.

I listened to the audio version and that deserves 5 stars. There's a large ensemble cast and the multi person narration really suited this book to perfection. The full audio cast was wonderful to listen to and was really entertaining. Especially as each bit of dialogue was spoken by individual characters, instead of one or 2 narrators changing their voices. Some fabulous voices were among the mix! Great job. 🙂

Reviewed in Australia on 5 March 2019

Verified Purchase

I loved this story of Leo and Lulu, it was sweer and funny. I loved the audio book with all the characters and various voices, it was the best audio I have ever listened too.

Reviewed in Australia on 30 January 2019

Verified Purchase

Let me start by saying this was a fun read. It sits right in the middle of the 'best friend's girl' romance trope, in that Leo and Tripp met Lulu at the same time, but it was Tripp who got the girl while Leo remained silent, just wanting his friend happy. Lulu had no idea how Leo felt, and he wanted to keep it that way - even if no girl could ever really take her place in his heart.

The banter between Leo and Lulu is fun, witty and cute. I loved the riddles and games that were woven throughout. The supporting characters were fun, and I loved seeing some of them get their HEA in parallel to Leo and Lulu's story.

My gripe - Tripp and what happened to him. The storyline jumps back in time to when they first met Lulu, and then to various points throughout their past. While it showed how into Lulu Leo was, I didn't feel that it showcased either Tripp or Lulu very well. I didn't get to know Tripp at all, nor understand what drove him to alcoholism. Lulu supposedly put up with his behaviour for years, but aside from a few passing comments, I didn't feel that she was as affected by her love one destroying themself as she should have been - her mention of being let down was more just that - missed dinners, anniversaries and appointments, rather than her feeling devastated at what he was doing to himself. It was almost like she was more lonely than anything else. And then the mention of her divorce was a single line at the end of a flashback: "Three months later, I served him with divorce papers." That was it! I didn't see her have to get over him, nor when he ended up in the car accident that killed him several months after their divorce. The one chapter from Tripp's perspective towards the end just served to confuse the issue - as while he was now separated from Lulu, he wasn't pining after her or seemingly upset about it. He was hanging with Leo and wondering when Leo was finally going to make a move on Lulu. What was the point if the relationship between Lulu and Tripp? I really didn't see any evidence if them being in love, so then the guilt that Leo felt was really misplaced. As was the fact that Lulu didn't even consider Tripp when she went after Leo - even said he didn't factor into it and that she felt no guilt or similar - that's great on the one hand, but when she only knew Leo from when Tripp was around and hadn't seen him since Leo's funeral I expected her to have to do some sort of processing, or go through some sort of sadness.

I love this author, but to me this wasn't her best work. I'll still read other books she puts out, but would recommend other books over this one.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

sharon jones

Leo & Lulu

Reviewed in Australia on 18 January 2019

love me a Lauren Blakely book. Happy to say I have read just about every book she has released. As much as I enjoyed this book, it wasn't my favourite of hers. That still belongs to Big Rock!!
There is an underlying sadness in this book, and unfortunately it is something that I am personally familiar with. Maybe it just hit a little too close to home. But what I took away from this story is that you can't live in the past, instead you have to move forward. No matter how hard that seems to be. Leo and Lulu do just that. They find something together that may have just been there all along. They just had to wait for their time to be right.
This story was heartbreaking and yet uplifting all at the same time. Lauren is a master storyteller and I look forward to jumping into her world again.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Mary Anne

an enjoyable read

Reviewed in Canada on 3 October 2023

Verified Purchase

Very lighthearted. I really enjoy Lauren’s books. Very well written. I was worried that this was going to be an unrequited love. But it worked out for Lulu and Leo in the end when she fell for Leo

Thingymajig

Good story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2023

Verified Purchase

A lovely story, a little slow in places but enjoyable nonetheless. I’d have quite liked a little more detail on Tripp and his battle with the bottle; how/why it became a problem and also how it ended.
Leo and Lulu are absolutely lovely though and deserve their happy ending.

MJLovestoRead

A wonderful tale of a years long love that finally finds its way home! 5+ stars!

Reviewed in the United States on 17 January 2019

Verified Purchase

Birthday Suit is vintage Lauren Blakely. I'm not sure there is anyone else who can combine heartwarming characters with the sights and sounds of NYC quite like she does. Right from the very start, Leo and Lulu grabbed my attention and their story of a years long unrequited love hit all the right notes. I'm forever enamored with the way Blakely practically insists that many of her heroines have a culinary talent that is unmatched. Lulu's chocolate confections had my mouth watering right along with whoever might be the lucky one to taste test one of her decadent treats. It's no wonder that Leo, a marketing genius in all things chocolate, fell hard once again for the woman who is his match in every way possible.

I loved that we got the entire story with chapters dedicated to the 3-sided friendship that started 10 years prior between Lulu, Leo and Leo's best friend, Tripp. There is a sad tale that slowly unfolds as to why Lulu ended up with Tripp and not Leo. Despite the fact that they had so much in common and felt at ease with each other right from the start. But it's Leo's desperate love for Lulu that he had to keep hidden all these years that made my heart ache. I just wanted him to declare his love for the girl that got away and have her realize she made a mistake when they were young. His pain truly became my own.

The words flow effortlessly as Lulu and Leo begin a work relationship that is filled with crazy team building exercises, using NYC as the answer to riddles that determine the winner of a week-long vacation and prize money. I just loved their easy rapport and how they saw each other in a new light, desperately wanting to leave the past behind. They each battled their memories in different ways but there was never a lack of respect nor affection when it came to the other.

This is a tender kind of romance and it was hard not to root for our couple to find that perfectly imperfect rhythm they could call their own. With wonderful secondary characters in Kingsley, Ginny, Noah, Cameron and even George, this book is rich with emotion and has the perfect balance of humor and love.

There is a comfort in Blakely's words that continue to put a smile on my face long after that last word is read. The forbidden aspect is well thought out and never feels over the top nor unreasonable. Leo and Lulu are smart and witty and only have eyes for each other. Getting over their shared past is not easy but is necessary to reach such an uplifting conclusion.

Starting off 2019 beautifully, I happily give Birthday Suit a huge 5 stars!

15 people found this helpful

Cindy G

4.5 stars - Lulu and Leo

Reviewed in the United States on 24 April 2023

Verified Purchase

A friends to lovers, best friend's ex, workplace, contemporary romance.

Leo fell in love with Lulu when they first met in a class. When Leo's best friend, Tripp, met her, he immediately asked her out and told Leo how lucky he (Tripp) was to have met her (Lulu). At that point, Leo hid his feelings for Lulu. When Tripp and Lulu married, Leo occupied himself with keeping Tripp's parents apart so they wouldn't ruin the wedding. Throughout the marriage Leo was a constant companion to them both. Tripp's alcoholism led to their divorce and his eventual death. What did Tripp make Leo promise him shortly before he died? Why did Lulu move to California? Who enjoys and is good at riddles? How does this help at work? When did Leo find out about her return to NYC? Did Lulu know of Leo's feelings for her while she was married to Tripp? How does Lulu react when she learns of it? Is there any hope they will find their HEA? An emotional story of denied feelings, guilt, forgiveness and learning to live in the present, leaving the past behind.

SM

What’s meant to be, will be...

Reviewed in Canada on 28 January 2019

Verified Purchase

So, I really enjoyed reading Lulu and Leo’s story.
I am a little upset Ginny and Noah didn’t get their own book! I was so into their story but just didn’t get enough of them! I think that I just had a hard time wrapping my head around Leo and Lulu because I just wanted Ginny and Noah. Once I got into the meat of the book it was good. Leo was genuine and very endearing and Lulu was a strong women who had to learn to stand on her own after losing her husband to Alcoholism and a terrible accident. The three were inseparable while trip was alive but Leo did his best to hide his love for his best friends wife, not only from him but from her. After the accident, Lu needed space and Leo found a new Love but as fate would have it, a few years later he’s her co-worker and she’s decided Leo’s her future and she’s not going to waste any more time!...but she’s not willing to be second anymore to anybody or for anything. Leo’s always loved her but can he love her without Trips approval? Should she accept that he needs her ex husbands approval? Fate has a way of stepping in and helping true love find its way in this story for both couples... ahhh happiness

OR

Image Unavailable

Follow the author

Birthday Suit: A Friends To Lovers/One Who Got Away Standalone Romance (The Guys Who Got Away Book 1) Kindle Edition

Customers who read this book also read

Product details

About the author

Lauren Blakely

Customer reviews

Review this product

Top reviews from Australia

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top reviews from other countries