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The Birthday Party
Secrets, rivalry, glamour - it's time for the party of the year... Delilah has lived out her tempestuous marriage to hell-raiser Raf in the glare of the media spotlight. Now planning a milestone birthday, she has more on her mind than invitations. Raf has been offered a part in a movie he can't refuse. But will he succumb to the temptations he's struggled to resist for the last ten years? Delilah's three daughters are building careers of their own, only too aware that the press are waiting for them to slip up. For the Rafferty girls might look like angels, but they are only human. It's the perfect recipe for a party like no other...
389 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2010
49 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Henry
68 books1,600 followersVeronica Henry was a television script writer before turning her hand to fiction. She has published sixteen novels which she describes as realistic escapism - her setting are gorgeous, but her characters have problems and dilemmas everyone can identify with.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 12, 2025
A decent chick lit; a lot better than the other title I read of hers. Especially good as a sunbed read. Recommended for easy reading.
Three stars.
Three stars.
January 14, 2015
Following the fictional Rafferty family, well known film and tv personality parents and high flying career children, The Birthday Party gives each chapter over to a different family member and the troubles they are currently experiencing in their lives.
Sadly, the whole thing, characters and plotlines, are dreadfully stereotypical making for quite an exhausting read. I nearly gave up with it but persevered right through to the highly disappointing end. Not much else I can add really.
Sadly, the whole thing, characters and plotlines, are dreadfully stereotypical making for quite an exhausting read. I nearly gave up with it but persevered right through to the highly disappointing end. Not much else I can add really.
August 30, 2018
I agree with others in that there is a definite element of smut, which isn’t in her other books as far as I am aware... If you don’t like smut then don’t get the book..
That being said, I really enjoyed this book and loved hearing about the three girls adventures..
I found the story VERY absorbing... returning back from my lunch break late on a couple of occasions.. A lively and engaging story..
That being said, I really enjoyed this book and loved hearing about the three girls adventures..
I found the story VERY absorbing... returning back from my lunch break late on a couple of occasions.. A lively and engaging story..
April 16, 2018
Caveat: Due to global chaos - this is my time of magical reading: reading the light, the hopeful, the friendly.
I loved this book! Yes there were some gratuitous sex scenes and oh aren't we shocking we've mentioned *that* bit of the anatomy... But despite this - an engaging and warm-hearted tale of a family preparing for the mother's fiftieth with elopement, sexual experimentation, gentle debauchery and a touch of running away to Ireland. Of course, this is no ordinary family - we have TV chefs, actors, knicker executives and rock stars - but despite all that, we also have all too human stories of love and loss and longing.
I loved this book! Yes there were some gratuitous sex scenes and oh aren't we shocking we've mentioned *that* bit of the anatomy... But despite this - an engaging and warm-hearted tale of a family preparing for the mother's fiftieth with elopement, sexual experimentation, gentle debauchery and a touch of running away to Ireland. Of course, this is no ordinary family - we have TV chefs, actors, knicker executives and rock stars - but despite all that, we also have all too human stories of love and loss and longing.
December 18, 2019
I didn't hate it. I still needed to know what happened at the end, so the problem wasn't with the writing. I just didn't really like any of the characters... There was no one who I could identify with. Maybe being that a lot of it was about fame, and the idea of me personally being famous is my idea of hell, but I got annoyed with the selfishness of it all. Although maybe that was Veronica's point? It definitely evoked emotions in me, so although I didn't enjoy reading it per se, it was written well.
September 13, 2020
I have to admit that in the beginning of the book I was getting confused on who the characters were because there were just too many but eventually got the hang of it. I don’t particularly like any of these characters except for Delilah and Polly. Everyone else were so self-cantered and selfish. Some parts of the book were draggy but it did get slightly better in the second half. There were not many memorable moments in this book but I like that they included a lesbian couple! Huge LGBT supporter here 🏳️🌈 But overall, it’s readable once, just need a bit of patience.
Rating: 6/10
Rating: 6/10
September 12, 2017
I read The Forever House by this author earlier in the summer and really enjoyed it so decided to seek out her other works. I was disappointed with this novel, there was no real depth to the story. The characters were stereo-typical and very self-centred, I didn't like any of them and the dysfunctional family storyline was very unoriginal and over the top. So, I'm sitting on the fence with this author, one good book, one not so good........
October 22, 2024
Narrative fizzed and was a fast read. Wanted something light and this fulfilled that. The words glossy and fluffy spring to mind. However two things really bothered me, the shameless product placement didn't make me think of a glamourous lifestyle but just the author getting freebies.
Also would a high profile media couple be shocked at a daughter's lesbian relationship? In 2010? Really??
Also would a high profile media couple be shocked at a daughter's lesbian relationship? In 2010? Really??
February 3, 2024
Unfortunately, I did not like this Veronica Henry story. I just couldn't get into it or relate to the characters. I find her writing is very hit or miss with me. I either love the story or I don't like it at all; never an in between for me.
March 16, 2024
Absolutely loved this, although it wasn’t really about a party. The family were all well drawn and the story raced along. Couldn’t wait to see what happened, even though I didn’t want to get to the end.
August 5, 2025
I loved this book. Loved the story about the actors and all the different characters. Loved the naughty actor who got caught in bed with his on screen mistress by his real wife. I cried buckets in parts even though this was such a real feel good story. I would highly recommend this book.
April 13, 2018
A good straight-forward read. No surprises or twists. Predictable but nicely written.
November 17, 2019
Wonderful read
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Couldn’t put it down. Loved the characters, the storyline kept me enthralled & it left me with a lovely warm glow.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Couldn’t put it down. Loved the characters, the storyline kept me enthralled & it left me with a lovely warm glow.
December 25, 2019
"Violet and Justine were doing what girls do best: shopping."
What the hell.
What the hell.
May 20, 2020
Irish saga, with a mystery thrown in for good measure.
July 12, 2020
Lovely story about a celebrity family. Shows that we are all human and we all get stressed and make mistakes, famous or not. Really enjoyed it.
May 28, 2021
Speeds along at a cracking rate. Despite me thinking a couple of the characters would get on my nerves, they didn’t. Highly enjoyable.
October 25, 2021
I really struggled with this book and nearly gave up half way through but didn't and read to the end. It is not my favourite Veronica Henry book. I do not know why but it could have just been me
September 17, 2022
Took me a while to warm to the characters but when I got into the story I couldn't stop reading. Finished in 24 hours!
November 20, 2023
I just love her books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Her amazing style is one that is solid, creative and full!!!!!
One of my favorite authors ever!!!
One of my favorite authors ever!!!
May 30, 2025
Not my favourite Veronica Henry book but a very easy chic lit holiday read
September 8, 2025
A good read but the ending seemed very rushed and a bit simple!
October 18, 2010
When Delilah Rafferty’s 50th birthday begins to loom, she decides that she is going to throw herself a huge birthday bash and invite lots of people to make it even more fun. However, Delilah doesn’t bank on the strife her family manages to get themselves into just before her birthday, and when it threatens to ruin her birthday altogether, Delilah realises she has had enough. Her husband Raf, an actor, has got his first acting job in 10 years but Delilah is sure it’s going to drive a wedge between them once more. Her daughter Coco is struggling with a secret problem with her job on a soap, youngest daughter Tyger is hiding a secret that is going to shock the Rafferty family to it’s core when it comes out and middle daughter Violet is a budding musician but is keeping a rather surprising romance secret from her family. How are the Rafferty’s going to heal their rifts, and will they do it before Delilah’s special birthday party?
I am a huge fan of Veronica Henry’s books, and her last book, The Beach Hut, which was a short story collection was one of my favourite reads by Henry of them all! Therefore, when I was sent this book to review, I was really excited to read it and hoped that it would live up to The Beach Hut which was just brilliant. The cover is really striking, I love the purple and pink images and it would certainly be a book I’d grab in a shop, so I think the cover designers have done a great job with this particular book. It is quite a thick book, but the story moves along at a good pace and there’s always something to keep your attention, so you don’t notice the pages flying by.
The book focuses on the Rafferty family, and they are a great bunch of characters who really entertain us for the duration of the book. Delilah is probably what I would define as the main character, because most of the action features around her, and of course the birthday party from the title of the book is in Delilah’s honour. She is a lovely character, a woman who is happy with her lot – she has a great career as a TV chef who has several cookbooks to her name, 3 lovely daughters and a doting husband too. But when her marriage is threatened by Raf’s career revival, Delilah suddenly feels unsure in her own shoes, and I think Henry writes her fear and nervousness really well, you can feel everything along with Delilah and I felt so sorry for her.
On the other hand, I couldn’t really warm to any of Delilah’s daughters at all because they are such selfish brats you just cannot like! Coco, the actress from the soap, is so self-pitying it verges on pathetic, and I found myself getting annoyed at her quite a bit as I read her scenes. Her solution to her nerves is a bit shocking but to be honest, the whole book is quite outrageous so it doesn’t feel too out of place! Violet is a singer determined to make it on her own and not use her family name to get any connections which is admirable, but I found her to be a bit of a user and not particularly likeable. The only one I even slightly liked was Tyger, a young girl determined to succeed with her lingerie business, and hiding her secret from her family too. They are 3 very different characters, all dislikeable in their own ways but they certainly make for some interesting reading.
What surprised me the most about this book was the rudeness! When I’ve picked up a Veronica Henry book in the past, I don’t expect to read graphic and quite rude sex scenes. Don’t get me wrong, they can be in the book but be quite tastefully done and not too in your face, but I found this book was far more graphic than I remembered in the past. Actually, it felt in parts like I was reading a totally different author because it felt like a whole different direction for Henry. Quite a few authors lately have seemed to be writing for a new audience and I wonder if Henry is one of those. That isn’t to say I didn’t like the book because I really did, but I’m not quite as comfortable sending this book to my mum after reading some of the things in it than I have been sending her these books in the past!
This is a great and absorbing read with a storyline that will certainly keep you hooked to the final page. Henry’s writing style is so easy to read, you find yourself getting brought into the story straight away, and I didn’t have any problems starting the book at all. The book is told in the third person tense, and this works well due to the amount of characters within. Despite the amount of characters, I didn’t struggle with working out who was who at all, and followed the individual stories with ease, something that shows off how good Henry’s writing is. There are some important issues covered in the book, and they work well with the more shocking aspects of the book. Overall, it’s a great read and one I would recommend to fans of Henry’s work, although do be aware of the sex scenes in the book! Recommended!
I am a huge fan of Veronica Henry’s books, and her last book, The Beach Hut, which was a short story collection was one of my favourite reads by Henry of them all! Therefore, when I was sent this book to review, I was really excited to read it and hoped that it would live up to The Beach Hut which was just brilliant. The cover is really striking, I love the purple and pink images and it would certainly be a book I’d grab in a shop, so I think the cover designers have done a great job with this particular book. It is quite a thick book, but the story moves along at a good pace and there’s always something to keep your attention, so you don’t notice the pages flying by.
The book focuses on the Rafferty family, and they are a great bunch of characters who really entertain us for the duration of the book. Delilah is probably what I would define as the main character, because most of the action features around her, and of course the birthday party from the title of the book is in Delilah’s honour. She is a lovely character, a woman who is happy with her lot – she has a great career as a TV chef who has several cookbooks to her name, 3 lovely daughters and a doting husband too. But when her marriage is threatened by Raf’s career revival, Delilah suddenly feels unsure in her own shoes, and I think Henry writes her fear and nervousness really well, you can feel everything along with Delilah and I felt so sorry for her.
On the other hand, I couldn’t really warm to any of Delilah’s daughters at all because they are such selfish brats you just cannot like! Coco, the actress from the soap, is so self-pitying it verges on pathetic, and I found myself getting annoyed at her quite a bit as I read her scenes. Her solution to her nerves is a bit shocking but to be honest, the whole book is quite outrageous so it doesn’t feel too out of place! Violet is a singer determined to make it on her own and not use her family name to get any connections which is admirable, but I found her to be a bit of a user and not particularly likeable. The only one I even slightly liked was Tyger, a young girl determined to succeed with her lingerie business, and hiding her secret from her family too. They are 3 very different characters, all dislikeable in their own ways but they certainly make for some interesting reading.
What surprised me the most about this book was the rudeness! When I’ve picked up a Veronica Henry book in the past, I don’t expect to read graphic and quite rude sex scenes. Don’t get me wrong, they can be in the book but be quite tastefully done and not too in your face, but I found this book was far more graphic than I remembered in the past. Actually, it felt in parts like I was reading a totally different author because it felt like a whole different direction for Henry. Quite a few authors lately have seemed to be writing for a new audience and I wonder if Henry is one of those. That isn’t to say I didn’t like the book because I really did, but I’m not quite as comfortable sending this book to my mum after reading some of the things in it than I have been sending her these books in the past!
This is a great and absorbing read with a storyline that will certainly keep you hooked to the final page. Henry’s writing style is so easy to read, you find yourself getting brought into the story straight away, and I didn’t have any problems starting the book at all. The book is told in the third person tense, and this works well due to the amount of characters within. Despite the amount of characters, I didn’t struggle with working out who was who at all, and followed the individual stories with ease, something that shows off how good Henry’s writing is. There are some important issues covered in the book, and they work well with the more shocking aspects of the book. Overall, it’s a great read and one I would recommend to fans of Henry’s work, although do be aware of the sex scenes in the book! Recommended!
May 28, 2019
Having discovered Veronca Henry last year with The Family Recipe, I've been catching up with her other books.
I was given a copy of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting characters and a little more racy than her other books I've read so far. A good way to spend a relaxing weekend.
I was given a copy of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Interesting characters and a little more racy than her other books I've read so far. A good way to spend a relaxing weekend.
October 16, 2016
Delilah Rafferty has lived out her tempestuous marriage to hell-raiser Raff in the full glare of the media spotlight. Now from the luxurious comfort of her beautiful kitchen Delilah is planning her birthday party a night that will see a star-studded gathering of friends and family celebrate in traditional Rafferty style. But she has more on her mind than just invitations. Raff has been offered a part in a movie he can't refuse. But will that mean he'll succumb to the temptations he's struggled so hard to resist for the last ten years - beautiful women and to much wine? And Delilah's three daughters Coco, Violet and Tyger are building careers of their own only to aware that the press are waiting for them to slip up. For although the Rafferty girls might look like angels they are only human. As with all families there are secrets and rivalries bubbling away and on one gloriously starry night it all comes spilling out. This is your invitation to the party of the year.
Veronica Henry is back and it is what she does best family saga's!! The Rafferty are headed up by a TV Chef and an Actor who following a drink dependency has been offered his film in many years. They have three daughters an actress, a musician and a underwear designer who has just married a rock star.
Once I started reading this book I was grabbing a chapter or two whenever possible. In true Henry style the story moves at great pace the characters are current and the issues they are up against are modern. There are many issues mentioned in the past including drug addiction and issues relating to sexuality to mention two.
I really enjoyed this book. This book had a strong story throughout of family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found myself wanting to read just a few more pages each night to see what would happen next.
The characters reminded me of some people who grab headlines today however this was only a faint representation they all have their own personalities and stories which kept me wanting to read more. All the characters were likeable and I found myself warming to each one - although I was shocked to discover Coco's secret vice but I thought Tyger was a great girl slightly misunderstood and had a good heart.
Delilah who's birthday party is that of which the book is titled is a women who goes through much throughout the book and I was in two minds what she would choose at the end of the book but I think she made a great decision. A television chef who finds herself passed over by the television company for a younger who disappears for a life of privacy and a complete opposite to what she is used to before her family emergency leaves her having to go back to her old life will it all work out for the best?
I would recommend this book to Veronica Henry fans and also fans of a good family saga. It is a great and one which Veronica Henry fans will not want to put down.
Veronica Henry is back and it is what she does best family saga's!! The Rafferty are headed up by a TV Chef and an Actor who following a drink dependency has been offered his film in many years. They have three daughters an actress, a musician and a underwear designer who has just married a rock star.
Once I started reading this book I was grabbing a chapter or two whenever possible. In true Henry style the story moves at great pace the characters are current and the issues they are up against are modern. There are many issues mentioned in the past including drug addiction and issues relating to sexuality to mention two.
I really enjoyed this book. This book had a strong story throughout of family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found myself wanting to read just a few more pages each night to see what would happen next.
The characters reminded me of some people who grab headlines today however this was only a faint representation they all have their own personalities and stories which kept me wanting to read more. All the characters were likeable and I found myself warming to each one - although I was shocked to discover Coco's secret vice but I thought Tyger was a great girl slightly misunderstood and had a good heart.
Delilah who's birthday party is that of which the book is titled is a women who goes through much throughout the book and I was in two minds what she would choose at the end of the book but I think she made a great decision. A television chef who finds herself passed over by the television company for a younger who disappears for a life of privacy and a complete opposite to what she is used to before her family emergency leaves her having to go back to her old life will it all work out for the best?
I would recommend this book to Veronica Henry fans and also fans of a good family saga. It is a great and one which Veronica Henry fans will not want to put down.
January 21, 2012
Imagine Jackie Collins, Ian Fleming, Sebastian Faulks, a couple of soap opera writers and the person who writes the "readers wives" tales for a lads mag all getting together. They decide to play a parlour game - and the loser of each round of the game has to swallow an alcoholic drink - and then they have to write another paragraph for a book. It starts off when they're all relatively sober, and they compete for aesthetic and intellectual credibility. But the more drunk they get, the more ridiculous the book gets. Long before the end, Ian Fleming and Sebastian Faulks go home - the red toppers have the run of the last third of the novel....
The net result would be... "The Birthday Party". A multi-personality book if ever there was one. It tells the story of the Rafferty family - the actor father, the celebrity cook mother, and the three daughters who are respectively a sopa opera actress, a singer songwriter beginning to make her way in the world and a young business magnate. There are drugs, there is sex, and there is rock n roll - one of the daughters is (secretly) married to a rock star. And then in between it all, there is some really poignant stuff, particularly around hitting middle age, reforming bad habits and the nature of relationships.
How old is the author? A lot of younger women fall for men in their mid-50's here. Is that what real life is like? One can but hope - and I'd love a 20-something lady to explain this to me. Is it all about some clever, intellectual, complex, sex thing? Because then there's some soft porn, some not so soft porn, some clandestine, nefarious activites, some completely ludicrous attempts to re-write "Mission Impossible 6 meets Rocky 8", and then the plot lines just go completely crazy after that. Is it all actually quite clever? Or is it just random libidously driven sop?
There is a wonderfully sensitive novel hiding away in here amongst all the tat - maybe next time the author will ditch the help of all her slightly dysfunctional alter egos and concentrate on producing a work of note. Or maybe she'll just produce another frivolous, vaguely entertaining and diversionary bit of fluff like this.
The net result would be... "The Birthday Party". A multi-personality book if ever there was one. It tells the story of the Rafferty family - the actor father, the celebrity cook mother, and the three daughters who are respectively a sopa opera actress, a singer songwriter beginning to make her way in the world and a young business magnate. There are drugs, there is sex, and there is rock n roll - one of the daughters is (secretly) married to a rock star. And then in between it all, there is some really poignant stuff, particularly around hitting middle age, reforming bad habits and the nature of relationships.
How old is the author? A lot of younger women fall for men in their mid-50's here. Is that what real life is like? One can but hope - and I'd love a 20-something lady to explain this to me. Is it all about some clever, intellectual, complex, sex thing? Because then there's some soft porn, some not so soft porn, some clandestine, nefarious activites, some completely ludicrous attempts to re-write "Mission Impossible 6 meets Rocky 8", and then the plot lines just go completely crazy after that. Is it all actually quite clever? Or is it just random libidously driven sop?
There is a wonderfully sensitive novel hiding away in here amongst all the tat - maybe next time the author will ditch the help of all her slightly dysfunctional alter egos and concentrate on producing a work of note. Or maybe she'll just produce another frivolous, vaguely entertaining and diversionary bit of fluff like this.
May 6, 2013
The Birthday Party (also published as Starstruck) is the sixth stand-alone novel by British author, Veronica Henry. Delilah Rafferty, celebrity chef and driving force behind the famous Rafferty family, is planning her fiftieth birthday party. But things rarely run smoothly with the Raffertys: husband Raf has his first acting job in ten years and the paparazzi will no doubt be waiting for him to fall off the wagon and take another mistress; daughter Coco has her first major role in a TV series , but will she be able to handle the nerves; daughter Violet has a successful singing career but is hopeful of composing her own work; and daughter Tyger has a successful underwear empire, but what is she doing bringing bad boy rock star Louis Dagger to the family lunch? While her agent, publicist and PA do their best to keep everything flowing well, is it any wonder Delilah feels permanently coiled, waiting for the cracks in their lives to widen? Delilah begins to wonder is she is the tower of strength her family needs, or a megalomaniac matriarch. Before the party finally happens, the cracks do indeed widen and Delilah’s life falls apart. Henry takes her time to introduce the sizeable cast of characters that inhabit this novel: it takes eighty pages just to acquaint the reader with the main characters, but this is time well invested, as the reader comes to care about each of the main characters despite their flaws. The plot is original, and manages to include a myriad of events: alcoholism, animal cruelty, lesbians, adultery, an Irish Guest House, a broken hip, a cocaine addiction, a dramatic air ambulance dash and brain surgery, as well a dose of irony in the form of life imitating art. Another great Henry read.
November 26, 2013
i wonder if i was overwhelmingly rich, eye-boggling-ly gorgeous, had a fickle and frivolous life full of parties and soiree's (and cocaine?!), and was famous to boot, would i read a book like this and think differently? (if i was all those things, would i even read books? haha) although this book was a fun, fast paced read, i found it an excessive version of same - old, same - old as far as modernized girlie stories go. once again, Sir Good - Old - Crutch - For - The - Wealthy - Cocaine was a main character, and his mate Mr. Vodka - Scotch - Martini's - and - Anything - with - Alcohol - Percentage - Above - 30% was right there beside him. Mrs. Cursing - Worse - Than - A - Sailor, and her daughter, Ms. It's - OK - To - behave - Like - This - If - You - Wear - Prada - And - Gucci, were playing their roles perfectly as usual. i think i would enjoy reading a modern girlie story without quite so much emphasis made to the drugs, and alcohol and free sex in such crass terms. could we not find a way to describe these things, without seeming less classy?
anyhoo..... the story is of an extremely wealthy and famous family, and the lead up to the mother's 50th birthday, as she finds out some ghastly things about the daughters and husband she thought she knew; and in doing so, learns a lot about herself and how to become a much nicer person. i think that the author tried to add a bit of emotional depth to the story-line, by giving almost all of the characters some genuine everyday - person problems to face, on which level i could relate to the characters and enjoy the story... even so far as, at times through the story, to be imagining myself in their shoes (Milano Blahnik's if you don't mind)....
anyhoo..... the story is of an extremely wealthy and famous family, and the lead up to the mother's 50th birthday, as she finds out some ghastly things about the daughters and husband she thought she knew; and in doing so, learns a lot about herself and how to become a much nicer person. i think that the author tried to add a bit of emotional depth to the story-line, by giving almost all of the characters some genuine everyday - person problems to face, on which level i could relate to the characters and enjoy the story... even so far as, at times through the story, to be imagining myself in their shoes (Milano Blahnik's if you don't mind)....
December 20, 2011
The Birthday Party is a book about a family who could easily outrun The Osbournes! This book is packed full of unique and vibrant characters with exquisite detail. There is quite a bit of jumping about at the beginning but Veronica Henry weaves the characters and their lives together seamlessly to create an enthralling story that you can’t help but get sucked into. It might be a little difficult to relate to the actual lives of the Raffertys but their feelings (in particular their instincts and insecurities) will be easily related to by most readers! On top of all that, there are a few steamy moments buried within this wonderful story.
June 22, 2012
Absolutely awful! Too many characters - each one as hideous as the next - The author seemed to think that by telling us the characters were decent people numerous times (Raf and Delilah in particular) that we would believe it and the characters could then act as appallingly as they wished!! There are too many cliched plot-lines that are presumably meant to shock (drug use, lesbianism, adultery) and then some absolute randomness - I skipped through the whole puppy farm bit as can't stand animal cruelty - but a puppy farm?? Where the hell did that come from? The sex scenes are embarrassingly bad. I will never pick up another book by this author.
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