Delilah Green doesn't care. Or, at least, that's what she'd prefer you to think. But the truth is, she does. She cares a lot. But she's got a whole lot of emotional baggage to sum up why she shouldn't care, so she flies home for her estranged stepsister's wedding (hired as the photographer, of course, because why else would she go?), she needs to keep hold of those reasons in the face of Clare Sutherland, an adorable single mom with an eleven year old daughter, and one of Astrid's (said stepsister) best friends.

Going into this book, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I knew I was in for a fun, queer romance, and I knew to expect a few of the usual romance tropes. (Including, of course, miscommunication, which I despise, but actually worked very well in this book given who the miscommunication was between.) And it definitely lived up to those expectations! It was a fun, cute, quick read, and I enjoyed all of the characters thoroughly (except, of course, Shit Boot and Mommy Dearest).

What I think I appreciated most was Clare and her dedication to her daughter. Not just in parenting a pre-teen that she had when she was young, but also by refusing to discourage a relationship between said pre-teen and her flighty father. Clare's anxieties were realistically and deftly displayed from worrying about her kiddo staying with a man who had a history of taking off after a few weeks and breaking said kid's heart, and wanting to keep her kid from meeting any romantic entanglements until she's sure of them.

What I wished we'd gotten more of was Delilah and Astrid. Their dynamic is extremely complicated and riddled with misunderstandings and expectations built on those misunderstandings. I was pleasantly surprised by Astrid being the one to show up in NYC for Delilah's show rather than Clare, and them beginning the slow start of building up their relationship.

Definitely a good book, and I'm excited for the next one!

*3.5 stars*

If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud, steamy and heartfelt queer romance book, LOOK NO FURTHER! I have to say, it took me some time to get into the book, but once I got to better know the characters and see the plot develop, I was HOOKED. The book mainly follows Delilah and Claire, but I found myself being compelled by all the characters. There's multiple storylines taking place which makes the book very interesting. It's a book about discovering oneself, love, family and friendship. Sure, it's a romance book but it's also much more than that. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!

Such a great romance and both lead characters are also fleshed out with their own arc. Family aspects in both of their lives were explored as well. I just loved that there was a great balance.

Delilah Green comes back to her hometown for her stepsister Astrid’s wedding. She doesn’t have the best memories of living there, from her father passing away, not getting the parental love she needed from her stepmom, and feeling excluded by Astrid and her friends - Claire and Iris. Delilah has a tough exterior but she’s also longing for good relationships in her life.

Claire Sutherland is now a single mom to a pre-teen and also works at their family bookstore. She’s warm and tender-hearted and is able to get through Delilah’s walls. Through the time spent with them towards Astrid’s wedding preparations, the romance between them develops. It was sweet, steamy, and full of heart.

Basically: this book has characters with depth, a sapphic romance, gradual development of friendships, and a heartfelt reconciliation between siblings - all of which are great. Highly recommended!

Content warning: toxic relationship with a parent, death of a parent (past)
Thank you Berkley for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

It took me awhile to really get invested in this story, which I think was more me than the book, but once I hit halfway, it picked up momentum and I cruised through the rest.

Pick this one up if you want:
-Sapphic romance
-Sort-of enemies-to-lovers
-Sort-of second chance romance
-Attempted healing of old emotional wounds
-🌶 🌶 🌶

I loved that Delilah in particular is allowed to be prickly and messy and not totally grown up yet. And all the characters are allowed to stand on their own and move forward carrying what they carry with them. The evolution felt believable at every step.

💁🏻‍♀️ Overall Impression: I did not expect to love this book as much as I did! Might be my new fav LGBTQ romance.

📖 Synopsis: Delilah Green left town at 18 to live in NYC as a photographer. When she goes back to photograph her stepsister’s society wedding, she has to finally deal with her difficult childhood as the weird orphan girl.

💭 Thoughts: I loved Delilah. I loved Claire. I loved Iris, Ruby, and maybe even Astrid. I felt like I related to each of them in a different way.

I loved that this book was definitely a sapphic romance without it being a big deal. You know Delilah is a lesbian and Claire is bisexual but it isn’t about their journey in their sexuality but their journey as people through life, if that makes sense.

I loved seeing Delilah’s growth throughout and how she had to confront her past to help her see what she wanted for her future. I also loved hearing her talk about her photography and how she took her time to teach it to Ruby, Claire’s angsty daughter. I’d love to have seen her gallery. ❤️📷

This book had humor, pranks, backstory, single parent, precocious kid, romance, sex, and one bed 😁.

Did I mention it has a dual perspective from both Delilah and Claire? 🙌🏻

Did I also forget to mention this is a series and the next book is about Astrid?!? I’m very intrigued based on the teaser first chapter.

My only critique is how frequently the author used ‘the other woman’ instead of saying her or a name. It got annoying, not to mention confusing at times. BUT, I had an advanced copy and am hoping that was fixed during editing.

Thank you so much @netgalley and @berkleyromance for the arc of this fabulous book. I’m definitely preordering this one for my shelf.

So go order this adult romance debut by @ashleyhblake cause you won’t regret it!

I LOVED Delilah Green! Part sapphic romance, part sister story DELILAH GREEN shows Delilah returning to her Pacific Northwest hometown for her sister, Astrid's, wedding--hired as the photographer for money she desperately needs to keep up the hustle as a working artist in New York City. On her first night back, though, a woman approaches her to flirt in a bar--and not just any woman, but Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid's best friends, a group that excluded Delilah throughout her lonely childhood.

DELILAH GREEN is fully of prickly characters--Delilah and Astrid are both difficult and both cling to the offenses of the past--zany hijinks--because Astrid's fiance is NOT right for her--with single-mom Claire as a balancing emotional center. This book is fun to read and just GOOD--I can't wait to read the next from Ashley Herring Blake.

So great to read an adult romance from this author; I really enjoyed her earlier children's work. Delilah is a fantastic character, and her issues with her family and past are easy to sympathize with. Throw in some sizzling UST, a great setting, and you've definitely got a winner.

Reading this book feels like holding tight to your crush’s hand. Warmth and excitement, never wanting to let go, and knowing it’s going to hurt like hell when it ends. Honestly, these characters are beautiful, multifaceted, hilarious people and I wish they were real so I could be friends with them. Delilah and Claire are heartbreakingly tender. As a reader, you will identify with both of them, root for them to get together, and cross your fingers they’ll get to be happy forever. I will be buying a copy of this book for myself and at least one copy for a friend. I’m very much looking forward to Astrid’s book and hoping for this to become a full series because I’d love to see more of everyone in Bright Falls.

Ahhhhh, I REALLY wanted to love this. But overall, it was just okay. I seriously considered DNFing around the 30% mark but ended up pushing forward because, out of everyone, Astrid piqued my interest.

I finished this book a few days ago and I still can't decide whether or not I think Delilah is a likeable character. She wasn't terrible, she's not really a ~bad person.~ Sometimes her quirks were funny but overall I found her way too edgy and rude for a woman nearing 30. I found her obsession with Claire weird for a grown woman as well.

In regard to her obsession with Claire, I also feel like that kind of came out of nowhere. At the beginning of the book Delilah describes Claire as her "sister's best friend" and makes no big deal about her, only later to have it said that Claire is Delilah's teenage obsession and inspiration for her life's work. That wasn't the only plot point that seemed to be shoehorned in - the whole "dare" thing between Astrid and Delilah felt so unnatural. It was hardly brought up throughout the story, did not fit either of the characters personalities, and was clearly just there to start shit in the last few chapters of the book.

I enjoyed the family dynamics and drama, and I really did like Astrid's character. I see that the next book focuses on her and I'll admit that I'm curious, I may check it out. I gave Delilah Green Doesn't Care 3 stars on my goodreads, many thanks to Netgalley for providing me a ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

Delilah Green Doesn't Care is a delightful small town queer romance between a single mom trying her best and an edgy artist who has returned to her hometown for her sister's wedding -and I think everyone should read it. I've never read any of Ashley Herring Blake's other work so I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, I just went in with fingers crossed that she would deliver on a romantic, sexy, and fun queer romance, and she absolutely did. I loved every second of this book. The hardest trick to pull off as a romance author is making the love story believable. The characters have to feel real and their connection has to feel strong and inevitable and Blake pulls it off fantastically. All the relationships, whether romantic, familial, or platonic, all felt real and emotional. I was invested in all these characters right from the beginning, and that's what I want from a romance.
Also, I cannot wait for the next book! Delilah's sister, Astrid, is such a fascinating character and I can't wait to get into her head more and see her grow and find happiness.

3.75⭐ I'm not generally one for "steamy" reads as sex scenes give me intense second hand embarrassment BUT I enjoyed this book for the most part. I liked the realness of the characters, especially Iris and Delilah and fact that as a 29 yr old bisexual woman, they reminded me of my own friends. Honestly, I think I was more invested in the wedding storyline than the romance of Claire & Delilah.

I would, however, for sure read a book about Iris.

5 stars - Loved it!

Wow!

Just wow! I've been seeing this book making rounds on bookstagram and I fell in love with the cover instantly, I decided I needed to read this book everyone's been loving ASAP! I basically went into this book blind, maybe skimmed the synopsis because I wanted a bit of surprise about the story, and I'm glad I did! This book is a full experience and it is the best. The characters are so well developed, the writing is spectacular, the story was fun and intriguing and passionate, what's not to love??

Delilah is forced to come back to her hometown after leaving many years ago to photograph her stepsister's wedding. When she arrives into town, Delilah sees Claire again after years, and there's an instant attraction between them that builds throughout the book. Their relationship bring built along with everything that was happening in the background made for such an amazing read! These characters are so full of life that you'll just want to keep reading and reading to know more about them and who they are.

Ashley Herring Blake is officially on my radar, I can't wait to read Astrid's story next!! That little tid-bit at the end definitely caught my attention. Colour me intrigued and super excited!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the earc in return for an honest review.

This was one of my highly anticipated 2022 romances and it did not disappoint! I was hooked from the first chapter. Delilah's voice and attitude flew off the page and offered up a different kind of heroine. I love a character who isn't always their best selves, maybe has a bit of an edge, and while not the nicest, is never cruel. This made it all the more satisfying when Delilah was vulnerable and did, in fact, care.

Delilah and Claire's shared history, the complicated sister relationship between Delilah and Astrid, and all the hijinks were so my cup of tea! I appreciated the single mom representation and hope we see more of it in the genre. I'm also grateful the only one-bed trope is in almost every romance of late. The story did get a tad too dramatic towards the end, but ultimately, I found the ending highly satisfying.

I'm so happy this sapphic romance is receiving lots of love and attention--I hope it takes off!!

Thanks to Berkley for the ARE!

This was delightful! A sapphic rom com that hits all the marks. This is the type of book that you can somehow see yourself in every character main character.
Delilah Green gives the attitude of not caring. An artist, living in New York, but from Oregon. When she was young her father passed away leaving her alone with her stepsister & stepmother who she instantly felt distant. The moment she turned 18 she fled to New York to start a life she could thrive in. Now her stepsister is getting married and she is being paid to be the wedding photographer. If she didn't need the money she wouldn't go.
The antics, the relationships, the character development. This was a fun and soul filling read. I laughed at the beginning and cried happy tears at the end, and I never cry. I LOVED seeing myself in Claire. A bisexual mother as one of the main characters in a story. That alone is absolutely wonderful.
Thank you Berkley for sending me this advanced copy. It is a new favorite. Highly recommend.

Have you ever read a book where you loved and cared deeply for all the characters? Well, DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE did that for me.

As much as this was one of the most perfect sapphic romances I've ever read, it was also a story about family and friends that made my heart explode and tears pour down my face. The way the multiple storylines were woven in and out of the main plot with these incredibly complex characters was something to admire. Ashley does such an incredible job fleshing out each of her characters - making them personable, full of life, and people you genuinely want to root for and see succeed and be happy.

At first, I didn't think I would love Astrid or Iris - but Ashely proved me wrong. She perfectly showed how there are always two sides to every story, and how everyone can be the villain in someone else's life story.

The story has real heart. All of the relationships and interactions between our characters are so authentic and genuine, I felt like I really knew these people for years and years. I have never wanted to see every single character (minus Astrid's husband-to-be) end up with a HEA the way I did with everyone in DELILAH GREEN.

What really hit close to home for me (and made me so emotional) and what I think part of what’s extraordinary about Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is that the book delivers everything you’d want in a romance (it’s sexy, it’s funny, it’s heart-wrenching, it’s soft) alongside a sensibility that feels, to me, effortlessly and unabashedly queer. Words like bisexual, thoughts on coming out, and everything between weren't just words on a page to fill a diversity quota. They were real, tangible, honest things that actually mattered to the story, and to our characters. And that made this book all the more better.

Also, the chemistry between Claire and Delilah was absolute perfection. The sex scenes in this story were phenomenal - perfectly sensual and enticing, and capturing every important and intense emotion between our main characters.

Overall, such a stunning, incredible sapphic romance that is everything and more I could ask for. A must read for romance lovers everywhere!

“…something else nudged at the back of her mind. A different wish. One where family meant more than awkward encounters and avoided text messages. One where friends meant more than an acquaintance or a colleague or a one-night stand. One where home meant more than a fifth-floor walk-up and IKEA furniture. But it was too late for that. Wasn’t it?”

DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE is a swoony, deeply touching sapphic romance about healing your childhood wounds and finally finding the person you belong with. Delilah Green is an aspiring artist living in New York City, paying her bills with waitressing and keeping all of her hookups strictly casual. She’s been avoiding going back to her small hometown of Bright Falls, Oregon, for years. When her stepsister Astrid gets engaged and hires Delilah as her wedding photographer, Delilah reluctantly agrees and arms herself with a prickly attitude and some shenanigans to keep her uptight, cold family at arm’s length. But when Claire Sutherland, her stepsister’s best friend and Delilah’s childhood crush, hits on her at a bar the first night she’s back in town, Delilah’s time in Bright Falls takes a turn that will irrevocably change them both.

I started falling for this novel the moment I saw that cover and my affection for it only grew the more I read. It’s a sapphic romance, yes, an utterly compelling and sexy and sweeping romance too, but Blake also absolutely nails the emotional intricacies of family, home, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what our relationships mean. I was captivated by both women’s character arcs: Delilah working through her feelings of losing her dad at a young age and growing up as a quiet, artistic kid in a family and a town that didn’t make space for a girl like her to thrive, and Claire, raising a kid mostly by herself, dealing with an unreliable ex and coparent, and left with little time for relationships and a persistent fear of being abandoned yet again. As their relationship deepens over the course of the novel, becoming something undeniably not casual, Delilah and Claire dream of finding in each other what they’ve both always wanted - a consistent, loving, accepting, and passionate partner - while fear and pain from their pasts threatens to get in the way of finding that belonging with each other.

Blake captures the dream so many of us small-town folks living in big cities have of returning home: that relationships with family will be healed, that a feeling of community will be reignited, that your high school crush will finally fall for you (and perhaps most realistically, that you can actually afford to buy a house). Delilah and Claire’s story really wrestles with the emotional interplay of all of these things, and there’s so much attention to healing the wounds of childhood and changing the narratives that you’ve always had about yourself, your family, your ability to find love. For many of us queer folks, homophobia (or at best, bare tolerance of non-heterosexuality) is also a reality that prevents us from seeing our small towns as a viable option. While I like stories that deal with that, this narrative’s fantasy of acceptance, where being queer wasn’t a huge barrier to overcome, was a breath of fresh air.

Other things to love: a sharp sense of humor, Iris the snarky best friend, Claire communicating exclusively by flailing her hands, Delilah leaning on everything and constantly raising one eyebrow, and tender and extremely hot intimacy. DELILAH GREEN DOESN’T CARE is the best sapphic romance I’ve read since ONE LAST STOP, and that’s saying a lot. I already can’t wait for the standalone sequel about Astrid. Thanks to Berkley for the eARC! This book comes out 2/22.

Content warnings: loss of a parent, some unhealthy relationship dynamics

You know you're gonna give a book a 5 star rating when your absolutely hooked into one of the chapters, then look down and get pissed when you see you're 80% done with it, and thats exactly what happened to me when reading Delilah Green Doesn’t Care. There's really not much more to say besides that this book completely captivated me. Any lover of romance will be lucky to pick this one up, and the sheer joy I felt when I saw that there will be another novel about Bright falls and these characters I've grown attached to.

This was such a lovely romance! I love a queer story that isn't about the tragedy of being queer or coming out. It was spicy enough to keep me interested and didn't rely on the third act breakup in a traditional way; the plot felt real and believable.

I will forever love anything Blake writes, ever. I have loved every previous book she's published and when I heard she was publishing an adult sapphic romance? I knew I needed it from the first announcement. Y'all, this book DID NOT disappoint. It's truly amazing. I loved Delilah and Claire. I love Blake's ability to create fully fleshed out characters that are battling their own histories and concerns and learn how to grow and love each other.. And this book is SO steamy and wonderful. Already excited for my physical copy to come in the mail! Blake has knocked it out of the park again!

This book was so hyped up but it fell a little short for me. I can’t stand toxic relationships and I know that wasn’t the focal point of the story but the plot wouldn’t be there without it. It’s really hard for me to read about them so please take this review with a grain of salt as it’s for very personal reasons.

The romance was so stellar. I love Delilah and every other one of the characters. It’s amazing how much can go unsaid in familial relationships that turns out to be untrue. I would love to visit Bright Falls & Claire’s bookstore! Also Ruby deserves her own book imo.