Birthday Shot

by Rilzy Adams

Shae Abbott has always had a soft spot for her older brother’s best friend, Kofi. But that is old, old news. It was just a childhood crush. When Kofi returns to Antigua for her brother’s engagement party, Shae realizes maybe her crush isn’t such old news after all. But could Kofi be interested in the woman who used to follow him around with hearts in her eyes? Shae’s thirtieth birthday is approaching and she wonders if maybe it is finally the time to shoot her shot. After all, everyone knows birthday sex doesn’t count. Or does it?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, African American Romance, Adult

190 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2020

About the author

Rilzy Adams needs only five things to survive: sushi, coffee, Prosecco, cuddles and words (though not in that order).

She's a lawyer by day - writer by 'whenever she can get the free time' and believes that love makes the world go 'round. It is no small wonder, then, that she can't help but pen tales of people falling in love.

Reviews

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just cannot go wrong with reading Rilzy Adams. I adored this so much! Even though one particular side character drove me insane.

I always love how well of a story Rilzy Adams can create and fit into a novella. I’m getting everything that I want and need and I’m always left satisfied, always left happy.

[Fadwa]

LOVED this one!! It made me want to marathon all the Rilzy Adams books I owned but then I decided to be a reasonable adult because I read all of them in a go I'll have none left to read and that's unacceptable.

[menna · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love this so much!! it was so fun to read and i adored both kofi and shae so much!!

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You birthday sexed your way into your happily ever after."

Watch me finish two books in two days! And hopefully tomorrow I can finish another, because I'm in the zone right now. It's the perfect opportunity to read all the books right now because I am not stopping. But ok let's talk about Birthday Shot, one of my most anticipated releases for the second half of the year.

Birthday Shot made me swooned so freaking hard. Rilzy Adams has become an instant buy for me; if I see she's about to publish a book, I leave everythind behind (the book I'm currently reading, the show I'm currently watching, anything) and read the book. I did it right now and I don't regret it because Adams gave me a romance that I won't be able to forget ever. Shae and Kofi are one of my favorite couples now. They are epic and have won my heart VERY EASILY.

Shae is about to turn 30 but before that, she has to attend her brother's engagement party. Kofi has been best friends since forever with her brother so obviously he is invited. These two have wild chemistry. There had been moments where Shae thought this would become into something more but nothing had happened. Until now. The thing is Kofi has been told time and time again not to mess with Shae by his best friend aka Shae's brother, Sheldon So he hasn't done anything but he thinks they might be great together and decides to take a chance, finding out that yup, these two ARE FIRE.

This book is super hot. There are like four scenes where they have public sex? I think, or almost sex in maybe two of those scenes. If they are found out, they might as well give them a very good show. Their words, not mine LMAO. I love these two and yes, they do have very good sexual chemistry but they also fit together so well and they understand each other perfectly. It's like they finally came home or I don't know, they welcomed something so natural that it feels like it was meant to be. These two get into a relationship that feels like has been going on since forever, they are that good!

It was the kind of fuck that majored in the Arts of Good Dicking and earned straight A's. Summa cum laude.

Also Kofi is a king. Man, he cares so much about Shae. Truthfully where can I find one? I need that type of goodness in my life!!! He cares so much about her job, being an influencer, taking pictures in perfect places so her instagram feed looks beautiful. He wants to watch her videos as soon as she publishes them, to help her. Shae is treated like a queen for real and she deserves it!!!

Thank you Rilzy for writing this book! I'm so enamored with everything that you write. I will be a forever fan!

[Olivia]

I liked how or main character Shae is a youtuber, and Kofi is so thoughtful- relationships like theirs are so sweet!
A quick (very) sexy read, but my main issue is the 'best friend's sibling drama' that I have come to the conclusion is a trope I can't STAND. In this case, Sheldon is the brother of Shae and best friend of Kofi and the type of person I wish would step on legos or lose their winning lottery ticket, like, begone!

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best Rilzy Adams book I've read so far. It worked for me the most, and I liked the characters. The nicknames (Shae Butter, Care Bear) were so cute too.

It's a brother's best friend story, where the brother is a bit too protective so when Shae and Kofi finally get together they have to keep their relationship a secret, or all hell will break lose.

Also it's very steamy, and that made it feel a bit long? And I guess it is longer for a novella, but because of that there was more time to develop the characters and the relationship so it felt more believable.

I still want to try Go Deep, hopefully it'll work for me as well as this one.

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

She shoots she scores

Rilzy Adams is Steph Curry with it. Sis never misses. I loved this from start to finish and that’s surprising because brothers best friend is one of my least favorite tropes, but this was done in a way I loved. I think of the books I’ve read this probably has the lowest heat, even with all the public smex. But it’s also the most romantic so I’m not complaining at all. It’s a fast but steady burn, solid writing, beautiful moments , with funny and great side character moments. Great chemistry and relationship development, that I felt and believed.

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rilzy Adams has been a very fun author discovery for me - thank you, Twitter. I love how I can spend a few solid hours with her stories thoroughly entertained and satisfied. Birthday Shot was especially a must-read for me since I'm a big fan of the older brother's best friend trope when done well. Yet again, the author delivered with a solid story that had me swooning and fanning myself.

The protagonist of Birthday Shot, Shae, was terrific. She had an easy-going and fun-loving personality that I effortlessly vibed with. I could totally see her being an awesome person to hang out with in real because she had a positive energy to her, She had worked hard to build her career as a social media influencer, something Shae was very passionate about. I enjoyed seeing all the behind-the-scenes of her shoots and just how much work and effort she put into it. Perhaps the only aspect of her life that wasn't thriving was her love life. This was where her 30th birthday bash and her older brother's best friend, Kofi, came into play. Shae has always had a bit of a crush on him and while Kofi has also been attracted to Shae, neither had acted on their feelings because of Shae's brother, Sheldon. Kofi was 100% romance hero material. He was a hunk who had some seriously swoony moves he easily dropped. Growing up, Kofi was in an emotionally abusive environment, so he found solace with Sheldon and his family. He underwent a journey of emotional growth in Birthday Shot, finally confronting his mother for her ignorance and lack of action against his stepfather. I loved Kofi and his arc and I'll be side-eyeing anyone who tries to steal this man from me. 😤

The chemistry between Shae and Kofi was FIRE. I swear it's an artform how Rilzy Adams is an absolute pro at nailing all the romantic tension and sexy vibes between her couples. I was genuinely surprised that these two hadn't given in to their attraction sooner because of how palpable it was. These two were verrah kinky and into public sexy times 👀, but for me, what made their relationship memorable was their understanding of each other's emotional sides. They were super cute as a couple- I loved their little dates - and they showed great support for each other throughout the story. As you probably guessed, Sheldon did cause a bit of a scene with his overdramatic and overprotective brother act. You'll probably want to shake him a few times, but Shae and Kofi handled him well, so his actions didn't feel particularly obstructive to their relationship. Besides the romance, I also really loved Shae's friendship with her bestie, Jada. These two were trouble when they were together, but I loved how much they would hype each other up. They were such a fun duo! Also, the Antigua setting was divine! I especially loved all the insight into the Caribbean culture. I would be lying if I said that a holiday to Antigua isn't on my bucket list now just because of this book - post-covid, of course!

Birthday Shot was a quick read and it was so much fun that I was actually let down when it ended. If you're in the search for a great contemporary romance with a couple that has fantastic chemistry, this one is definitely for you.

[chichi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is only my 2nd Rilzy Adams and it just confirmed I need to read more from her. She managed to pack fully realized characters, a taste of Caribbean culture, and a sweet romance into this novella. It's just really impressive. Shae and Kofi were both great, and I loved seeing them grow closer together. Kofi especially had a deeper background story than I expected for such a short page count, and I appreciated seeing his emotional arc. Also, the sex scenes were top top tier, Rilzy knows how to write steam (though I cant lie, the amount of public sex made me nervous😭)

I will say, this confirmed that I am not a fan of the brother's best friend trope if it devolves into "don't touch my little sister" territory. I can see the "forbidden", sneaking around aspect being fun but Shae's brother's reaction just annoyed me. I didn't take a star off for that though, since that's a preference thing. My main issue is there was a lot of telling about Shae and Kofi's romantic development but not a lot of showing. I was still rooting for them, I just wish we could have had snippets of them bonding rather than just being told they did.

The fact that Rilzy Adams has provided this much emotional depth across the two novellas I've read is exciting, and I can't wait to keep exploring her books in the future.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rilzy Adams books are STEAMY - this one probably had the most frequent amounts of steam. Like they were CONSTANTLY fucking. You do you boo.

Another brothers best friend romance between Shae and Kofi, who literally grew up in her house and with her family. She’s had a crush on him her whole life, but after an awkward almost-kiss a few years ago she’s been avoiding him. Now he’s back in Antigua for her brother’s engagement party and… sparks fly. On her birthday!

Rilzy does short stories so well that this one almost felt a little long to me at 181 pages? Maybe because it was just bang bang bang bang bang … if ya know what I mean.

[Abby Diana Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rilzy Adams NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!
This story was FANTASTIC! Rilzy Adams is always able to write a novella filled with so much development, passion, love, and steam!!! ❤️

Shae and Kofi FOREVER! Kofi treated Shae like a freaking queen and I truly couldn’t stop swooning. They had a connection like no other and I absolutely LOVED EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF THIS STORY! 🥹🥰

[Ariel Jones-Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

KOFIIII WAS BDE and he stayed that way the whole book. He knew what he wanted and he got it too. muy caliente

[Tyanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I smiled a lot reading this book. I wish the issues with Kofi's mom had been more developed. But other than that this was a hit for me.

[N.G. Peltier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Rilzy book and I will certainly be reading more. I think I wanna try Go Deep Next.

This friends to lovers rom was so cute. I loved Shae and Kofi. Shae has crushed on him for ages and he finally started seeing her in a new light. How their attraction sparked and grew was really sweet and sexy.

I loved the Caribbean-ness of this book. Different island from mine but the vibe was so relatable! The house party. The dancehall and soca. The food set up just the overall feeling of the books felt so familiar to me. The opening scene caught me right away with Shae grooving to one of my favourite soca songs by KES (Wotless) Drew me right in as someone born and raised in the Trinidad. KES is a Trini btw ;)

Anyways, Shae and Kofi were just having a good old sexy time all over and I won't fault them for that. I think my fave was the pool and the cinema LOL. These reckless sexy people. I also loved how much it was obvious that Kofi cared about Shae. How he planned a an date on taking her to a place where she could get photos that went with her Instagram aesthetic like...:D Honestly, it's the little gestures like this that wins me over. And it's something so specific to Shae. Not just some slapped on thing for anybody. he put thought into it.

I loved Shae's bestie Jada. She was too much and just perfection all in one. she dropped some now fave one liners that had me rolliiiin!! I would like her to get her own book please and thanks.

Now let me say this about Sheldon. He was trippin! Shae's brother and Kofi are besties, which leads to Sheldon telling him not to get involved with his sister. Obviously Kofi didn't listen and when they finally tell Sheldon he flips out. Like man you needed to chill. Also, to me, he gave Kofi terrible advice about going to see his mother. Kofi definitely did not need to have that chat with his mom. Their relationship was rocky for a reason and honestly just because someone is family doesn't mean you *have* to try to repair it. Especially since Kofi's first meeting with her does terribly and leave him feeling even worse. I just felt like he didnt need to hash it out with her and could have just done the therapy he said he was gonna do. But eh that's just me.

Another thing I felt a bit iffy on was that they start out using condoms and then those just disappeared. No discussion about it at all. It just sort of happened??? I mean have your fun but I felt like some sort of talk re: STIs, birth control, anything should have taken place at some point.

It didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book but I did notice it.

[Annette Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

When shooting your shot goes all the way right! Shae is a social media influencer who has had a not so secret crush on her brother's best friend for the better part of her entire life. Kofi was very aware of Shae's crush on him but, didn't take it too seriously. That is until Shae grew up then, all bets were off. Kofi and Shae's chemistry was seriously intense. It was cute how he was just as smitten with Shae as she was with him. They made a great couple. That brother of hers was ridiculous. It was borderline creepy how upset Sheldon was about Kofi and Shae getting together. Almost to the point I had to ask myself, "Well damn! Is he in love with Kofi?!!!" I get wanting to protect your little sister but, Sheldon took it too far. My only complaint about this book would be the scene that played out between Kofi and his mama. I really feel like that scene could've been written better. There was a lot that should've been addressed between Kofi and his mama that wasn't. I felt like her apology was insincere and weak as hell. And, honestly, how are they suppose to move forward and have any kind of relationship when she's still married to the man who treated him like trash for 14 years?!!! Jada is the best friend we all deserve. She was absolutely hilarious! Every time she asked Shae, "Did I ever tell you he made a pass at me?" I just fell out! Birthday Shot was funny, romantic, and sexy. Rizly Adams is definitely becoming a new favorite author of mine. I look forward to reading more from her.

[b.andherbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So super sexy, and a quick read. I loved the main protagonists but some of the jealous, overbearing brother stuff was too much for me.

[Jite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

I enjoyed this sexy, fun, brother’s best friend erotic romance novella for what it was- a sexy, fun, brother’s best friend erotic romance. Yes it’s not the deepest, most complex book I’ve read from this author, who is one of my favourite black romance authors, BUT it was engaging and fun and sexy and it was an enjoyable short read.

The premise is that Shae is turning 30 when her lifelong crush, her brother’s best friend, London-based Kofi, returns to Antigua for her brother’s engagement party, which is happening around the same time. Kofi has secretly had feelings for Shae for ages but buried them because his best friend warned him away from his little sister. But Shae is grown and thirty and when she shoots her shot, Kofi can’t say no to the opportunity for a love of a life time.

I like that this book addressed how problematic it was for Sheldon, Shae’s brother, to be in her business. I think a little bit of older sibling overprotectiveness can be cute, but Sheldon took it way too far. I liked the depth added to the story by the relationship between Kofi and his mother, and how we see the depth of Shae and Kofi’s relationship in the way she’s there for him when he’s re-traumatized by his childhood. I enjoyed this quite a bit and recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a breezy, black erotic romance.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shae has had a crush on her brother's best friend Kofi for as long as she can remember. As far as she knows, this is not reciprocated, but after some encouragement from her best friend, she decides to shoot her shot. At her 30th birthday party, Shae propositions Kofi and is shocked to find out that maybe his feelings for her aren't so platonic after all..

I absolutely love Rilzy Adams' books. They're always so full of steam and I truly believe she cannot write a bad book. The chemistry between Shae and Kofi is so fucking charged and I found myself falling in love with them both during this. And all the public sex scenes? Had me blushing non-stop!

A few times I wanted to smack Sheldon across the back of his head to smack some sense in him, but I'm pleased he stopped acting like a butthead in the end.

Also, is it too much to ask for Jada to get her own story?? She was absolutely hilarious throughout and I loved how much she hyped up Shae and encouraged her to go get some. I believe Jada deserves a HEA too!!

[Janani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooo swoony omg

[bookishzo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[sammira✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ugh this was so fun & cute and I LOVE them together!! rilzy adams delivers quality friends-to-lovers content yet again

[Jen (mrs-machino) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very steamy brother’s best friend, lots of hot fun

[Shades N Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried to tell myself that I was going to wait and read this new release from Rilzy. I failed miserably. Rilzy once again had me engrossed in a story and a trope that I wanted to explore more

Rilzy never fails to embrace her Caribbean culture and I love that. From the pum pum shorts, dancehall music, coconut from the nut, stew oxtail( I don’t eat it) to my personal favorite tamarind drink, I was taken back to my life in the Caribbean. Different country, but similar culture. Shae is also a successful and dedicated Caribbean influencer. I was impressed with the way she used her influence to work with her country. That was dope. Plus,I also enjoyed reading about the struggles influencers face when it came to dating, the dedication it takes to be an influencer and the negativity influencers face.

Okay, so I think I now have a new book bae since Kofi was everything. When he realizes his feelings towards Shae has changed, he pursues her with everything. He was attentive, loving supportive and a super FREAK! Shae and Kofi didn’t hold anything back when it came to sex . They did it anywhere and I enjoyed how hot they were for each other.

The author did not shy away from heavy themes either. While I didn’t like Kofi meeting up with his mother(who disgusted me by the way), I did like how it was stressed that abuse is not always physical and how therapy is a great necessity to use for healing from childhood trauma.

It was refreshing to see how easy it was for Kofi Shae and Kofi to fall in love. No drama, no bullshit. Just two people committed to giving love a try. This story was soft, romantic , enjoyable and very easy to read. I highly recommend it.

[Sara (onourshelves) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. It was a steamy brothers best friend trope that fluctuated widely from soft and sweet to steamy public sex and back again very rapidly--and it was done well. I loved how comfortable Shae was in her sexuality, and I loved how Kofi was so sweet, smitten, and supportive of Shae's influencer work.

Also Rilzy Adams knows how to write a fucking line. Some of them are swoon-worthy, some sad, some absolutely hilarious, but they're just so good. I absolutely love her writing, and the characters she creates, as well as the plot--theoretically, the plot is overdone, but she really made it new imo.

I do need to knock it down to a 4.75/5 because there was never any mention of birth control, which is a personal pet peeve of mine in books because I am always worried that the girl is going to get pregnant, but I feel like the lack of birth control in this one was less grating on me than in other books because it wasn't like a "I was so into it I forgot" or a huge deal later, and Shae seems like the kinda girl who wouldn't let an accidental baby happen, so it wasn't a big thing, just a tiny, personal pet peeve of mine.

Overall, if you are okay with smut, this is a really good book!

[Ryan - Sweet Red Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one so hit me in the feels. I loved it so much!!! 5 out of 5 wine glasses.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was ~phenomenal~ and I need to check out more by this author!!! Super sexy but it still has really excellent emotional growth (particularly for the hero❤️)

[Dédé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Shoot Your Birthday Shot!

Birthday Shot by Rilzy Adams is about social media influencer Shae Abbott and engineer Kofi Matthews. As a teen Shae had a crush on her older brother Sheldon’s best friend Kofi. Shae has always felt that the attraction was one sided. When Kofi visits Antigua for Sheldon’s engagement party, Shae realizes her feelings may not be one sided after all and with the encouragement of her best friend Jada she shoots her birthday shot!!! 90’s and early 2000’s Dancehall house party (YES.) that is a BASHMENT! Before I really get into this review can I just say Rilzy had me at wotless 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽! I could hear the music, taste the food and feel the vibez! I really enjoyed this read, I found myself laughing, wining and cheering Shae and Kofi on! Their chemistry is undeniable not even a buzzkill like Sheldon can extinguish it! I love that Kofi supports/encourages her work! I like that Kofi’s relationship with his mother or lack of relationship does not cause him to mistreat Shae and that he is open to therapy! That’s an important image! Also Kofi’s mother and stepfather are something else 😒 I can’t stand parents choosing spouses over their children! But back to the beautiful erotic love story, I love that in midst of all their passion, the love and friendship isn’t lost. This is definitely a book I’ll be rereading.
P.s. Shae and Kofi got IT poppin 🔥 🥵 I mean these two are something else. Everywhere and anywhere it don’t matter, all they need is each other! It’s always the right moment!
P.s.s. I would like to see Jada get a story, help her get from DAP to WAP! 
 
 

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know why, but this Rilzy Adams book just didn’t grip me the way some of her other ones have. Don’t get me wrong, it was still good, but it took me waaayy too long to finish it considering its length.

I think the main thing here is that the chemistry between Kofi and Shae was fantastic, but I felt like the lulls in the story made me not want to pick it up again. I can enjoy a good brother’s best friend romance, and this definitely delivered on that front, but I don’t know. I kept being distracted from the reading.

I have to say, though, that like in another romance novel I’ve read recently, the best friend side character was my favorite. Jada is my QUEEN. She’s iconic. She has some of the best one-liners!

P.S. The only smut scene that really felt foul was when they had sex at a movie theater with literal children present. Like wtf? The public sex isn’t the issue. It’s the clear mention of children in this setting while they’re doing this 😩

P.P.S. I’m glad that this included a male mc agreeing to go to therapy! Kofi has a fractured relationship with his mother because she was not in his corner when she should have been, and so there’s a lot of tension there that Kofi agrees to process in therapy 👌🏼

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here I am again giving friends to lovers rights once again thanks to Rilzy Adams. Kofi and Shae are literally the cutest. So we've got friends to lovers, we've got brother's best friend, we've got fine black men and Dancehall music. WHAT ELSE DO YA'LL WANT IN A BOOK???? Rilzy was in her bag with this one.

I'd also like to say that I love the communication in this book. There weren't any unnecessary miscommunications, no hiding what you thought from the person you love and it blowing up in your face later...well unless you count Shae's brother, but that even that was handled well. Kofi and Shae were able to express their wants, needs and feelings like adults to each other, which just further proves that you don't need the big third act drama to make a great romance happen.

Also this was steamy AF.

[martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birthday Shot is a brother's best friend trope and god, this book reminded me why I don't really like that trope - the brother is always so annoying. The brother always has to tell the hero to stay away from his sister, the heroine. And sometimes I understand if the heroine is under age but omg Shae was thirty years old, she is grown woman and can make her own choices. Besides the annoying brother, Shae and Kofi were really cute and I enjoyed this. It was short, sweet and sexy. Shae and Kofi had an amazing connection and I wish it was longer. Rizly adams is definitely becoming a new favorite author of mine, her writting flows easily, she always has amazing diversity and plus her smut is really good!