Iris Kelly Doesn't Date: A swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud queer romcom

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I really enjoyed Delilah Green Doesn't Care, I thought that it was a great deconstruction of the tropes that plagued the romance genre. Then I read Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail and realised that the cliches weren't deconstructions at all, but the features of the story. I really wanted to have hope that this book would turn the cliches around, but it took all of the things that were wrong with the series and solidified them. The diversity felt like pandering, the side characters felt like cardboard cutouts, and the plot points were constructed entirely out of cliches. My selection for this week is IRIS KELLY DOESN’T DATE by Ashley Herring Blake. This is the third book in Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls series, following Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail. I adored those first two books and all of the characters in them, so I’m beyond excited that Iris is now getting her own book! IRIS KELLY DOESN’T DATE by Ashley Herring Blake

Snappy banter and seriously scorching chemistry; you'll need a very cold shower after this read!' Lana HarperBlake’s third and final Bright Falls romance sends the series out on a high note with more spicy sex and genuine emotion…Blake also does an admirable job of wrapping up the series, bringing all the past couples together one last time in a touching finale. This is a treat.”— Publishers Weekly Being on the stage is easy for Stevie - she's a whole other character, one that doesn't have her anxiety and brain that won't stop spiralling. It was so fantastic to see snippets (and they were few and far between, sadly) of my OTP, Delilah and Claire. And, of course, Astrid and Jordan. A hot, frothy romcom with a relatable heart beating at its centre. I can’t wait for the rest of the series! ‘Talia Hibbert I found it here, and Stevie found it in Iris. Crazy, over the top, energetic, kind, understanding Iris. All things I didn't realize until I watched her soften her pointy feelings over Stevie's too-rounded ones. I felt it every time Stevie lost the ability to breathe, and felt it ten-fold every time Iris did something silly to combat it.

I can't believe this series is over. It's so bitter sweet. I fell in love with these fictional characters! First, Delilah and Claire, then Astrid and Jordan, and finally Iris and Stevie.Stevie Scott is fresh out of a long term relationship that had fizzled out long before the relationship had officially ended, and she is in a rut with her acting career. She loves the stage - is an amazing theatre performer. She just wishes she could channel that confidence into her every day life. I'll say first that I loved reading this novel and basically didn't put it down until I finished. I loved Stevie, who is kind and brave and who is often crippled by anxiety. I loved the first moments between Iris and Stevie. I was invested in their romance working out. And I definitely loved Iris and really felt for her--with the way her family treats her, with her feeling like the 5th wheel with all her loved-up friends, with her insecurities and feeling of not being worthy of romance. I wanted only good things for her. Eighteen-year-old Mallory Greenleaf is no longer interested in chess, not since her hypercompetitive dad left—the game calls up painful memories. But she grudgingly agrees to play in a charity tournament as a favor to best friend Easton Peña. After she unexpectedly beats current world champion Nolan Sawyer, she’s offered a fellowship that will prepare her to play professionally. Even though Mallory doesn’t want to play anymore, she needs the money that winning would provide; she’s delayed college to support her family, since her mother is chronically ill with rheumatoid arthritis and is unable to work regularly. The more time she spends with Nolan, the more Mallory comes to like and respect him—and the more time she spends playing chess, the more she remembers how much she loved it. But when she learns that Nolan has been keeping a big secret from her, she isn’t sure if she’ll be able to move past it to build a relationship with him. Filled with the author’s signature humor, well-developed characters, and realistic conflicts, plus the fully realized setting of competitive chess, this captivating romance will delight teen readers as well as Hazelwood’s adult fans. Mallory and Nolan are both cued white; there is some racial diversity among the supporting cast. Mallory and Easton are queer. A fake relationship after a horrible one-night stand is anything but an act in this witty and heartfelt new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake. A fake relationship with a one-night stand is anything but an act in this witty and heartfelt new romantic comedy that is perfect for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur, Casey McQuiston and Rosie Danan.

A bisexual romance author burned by love and an anxious actress fake-date in hope of keeping their meddling friends at bay.Ofc the characters have a "disdain for literary fiction" and think it's pretentious. Boohoo a book makes you think and doesn't rely on tropes but i'm feeling generous. annnnnd this is the first book i've read in ages so that's lending itself to a higher star rating. A hot, frothy romcom with a relatable heart beating at its centre. I can't wait for the rest of the series! ' Talia Hibbert And she’s happy for all of them, truly. So what if she misses her friends and family, who are busy with their perfectly paired partners. At least she has her brand-new career writing romance novels (the irony), right?

Yes, I chose me, but I choose you too. That’s what love is, right? I want both, and I know you do too.” I struggled with the third-act misunderstanding/breakup that is so common in contemporary romance, and I struggled with reading the self-sabotage on both sides, but even still, I was so invested in their love story that I was able to push through for that happily ever after.

Success!

I am a big fan of Ashley Herring Blake’s Bright Falls series. Delilah Green Doesn’t Care? Five stars, fantastic, made me laugh, made me cry. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail? Started a bit slow, but grew on me to the point where I was yet again a sobbing mess saying “aww” through my tears. So when I tell you I jumped for joy when I was approved for an arc of the final instalment in the series, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, just know I’m not speaking in a figurative sense. The main characters from the previous installments return in this book, again with muted personalities and importance to both the plot and the characters. All of Iris Kelly's friends are in loving relationships but after a failed relationship and being the unknown mistress in another, she believes she isn't built for relationships. One night she goes to her favorite queer bars and meets Stevie Scott from across the room. After a failed one-night stand between the two, they meet up again during auditions for a play. They proceed to enter a fake relationship where Iris gets inspiration for her second romance novel while Stevie gets lessons in how to be confident. Two gorgeous queer women in a fake relationship…what could possibly go wrong? I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to the amazing ladies from this series! Their friendship, drama, strength, and love will always hold a special place in my heart! ❤️ And she's happy for all of them, truly. So what if she misses her friends and family, who are busy with their perfectly paired partners. At least she has her brand-new career writing romance novels (the irony), right?