What a perfect romance to lead off 2021 with!

But Delilah Green Doesn't Care isn't just a beautiful romance. It also is about family and friends as well. Ashley Herring Blake does an incredible job at weaving multiple intricate story lines with complex characters in her latest book. The characters are funny, but also have an incredible amount of depth. Readers will root for Delilah and Claire's romance, as well as hope for Delilah to be able to reconcile and forgive perceived wrongs from her past. The book centers around a lesbian and bi woman's budding relationship, but also focuses on friendship between the two, Iris, and Astrid.

I am already excited for the sequel to come out next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review!

I was super excited about starting Delilah Green Doesn’t Care because the premise of this book just sounded so good to me. One of my goals every year is to read more LGBTQ+ books so this was a perfect book for me since it was sapphic. The two main characters, Clarie and Delilah, were so adorable and I loved reading their relationship develop especially since all of the baggage they both have. Delilah’ “I don’t give a damn” attitude was one of my favorite things about this book and seeing her open up slowly throughout the story was beautiful. I highly, highly recommend this romance to everyone!

Delilah Green is a dysfunctional adult trying to make her way in the art world in New York City when she gets called home to photograph her dysfunctional step sister's wedding. This is a great love story about discovering oneself and one's family, in all its forms. A wonderful and touching read.

Announcement: I now believe in love again.

I keep telling people that I don't like romance books, but this book is making me out to be a complete liar, because I absolutely loved it with all my heart!

More than being a heartfelt love story, this book has some really realistic and relatable character development. I found a piece of myself in each character and all the personal issues they had to resolve felt like problems that I had to face at some point in my life as well. They have to deal with a lot of family drama and personal insecurities, and none of it felt forced or unrealistic. I think each character was complex, not one-dimensional, and that made it easy for me to really lose myself in the story. The book made me both extremely happy and completely devastated, so I was crying the entire way through.

Also, the flirting... I don't know if I want to be Delilah so that Claire can take me to bed, or if I want to be Claire so that Delilah can take me to bed, but someone better take me to bed soon or I will explode. It was super well written and had me giggling, blushing, smiling giddily: all the things one does when faced with some top-tier flirting and teasing. I had to put the book down a few times just to take in the giant crush I had on both main characters.

I probably won't stop thinking about this book for a while. It got me through my finals and for that I am eternally grateful. If anyone asks me for romance recommendations, this will definitely be at the top of my list.

I loved this book! It was everything I needed right now - a queer romance, complex characters, and real heart. Besides the wonderful romance at the center of the story, what I truly loved seeing unfold was Delilah and Astrid's complicated relationship. Watching them slowly bond and figure out their misunderstandings towards the end... I was cheering for them the whole time. All the characters seemed real with real problems and real relationships, which I really appreciate. I will definitely be reading more of Ashley Herring Blake's books!

I really, really enjoyed this book. Delilah Green is a sad girl. She lost both of her parents. She feels like her step sister and step mother hate her. Delilah and her sister, Astrid, have a contentious relationship. When Astrid gets engaged she asks Delilah to come home to photograph the wedding. Delilah returns with a huge chip on her shoulder. While back in the hometown she connects with Claire, one of Astrid's BFFs. Instant attraction. The story develops from there and it was very enjoyable.
Highlights-
Delilah Green is a tough sad girl.
Queer AF
Griefy
Complicated sister relationship
Good friend group
Complicated co-parenting relationship that felt very authentic
Very sexy
CW: deceased parents

I really loved this book! The chemistry between the two leads jumped off the page from the first interaction and had me yelling. I really loved the way each character had a full life outside of the relationship, with concerns that the other respects and wants to help with. It felt authentic and healthy. I cared for the side characters and was very happy to read that this will be a series continuing with their points of view. I'll be recommending this to customers. It's funny, sexy, with a strong dose of character growth, and real emotional issues without bogging down the plot.

*FULL REVIEW WILL BE POSTED ON NERDSANDBEYOND.COM CLOSER TO THE OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE*

I absolutely loved 'Delilah Green Doesn't Care'! I am a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story, and this checks that box. It's also surprisingly emotional and sweet. I found myself lost in the romance easily, with a central couple that is very easy to root for.

Delilah is a lesbian photographer living in New York who makes her way through casual hookups like it's her job, determined not to have an emotional attachment to anyone and wearing her tattoos like armor. Claire is a bisexual book store owner living in the small town of Bright Falls with her daughter, who doesn't take chances with love for fear of being abandoned. When Delilah begrudgingly agrees to photograph her "evil" stepsister Astrid's wedding back in their hometown Bright Falls for the money (and the chance to mess with Astrid), their paths will cross. It's sparks at first sight, despite the danger in Claire being one of Astrid's best friends. But will Delilah and Claire be able to overcome their pasts and current hangups to be with each other?

Ashley Herring Blake does an excellent job with her characterization of not only the main pairing, but also the side characters. They are relatable even when they do frustrating things, and it's always easy to see where their issues are coming from. I personally loved Delilah's interactions with Claire's daughter Ruby, and the side plot involving Astrid's terrible fiance is hilarious. If readers don't come away with a crush on Delilah or Claire or both, I don't know what to tell you.

But perhaps the best part about 'Delilah Green Doesn't Care' is how the queerness of its leads is just so skillfully woven into the story. Delilah and Claire are not the only queer people in it, and both are very secure in their identities. The "will they or won't they" aspect has nothing to do with their sexualities and everything to do with life circumstances, which is a refreshing change of pace for the "small town romance" story. And quite frankly, they are SEXY together. All the scenes between Delilah and Claire crackle with electricity, and just to read that sort of romance unfolding between two unapologetically queer women is amazing.

Overall, 'Delilah Green Doesn't Care' is an entertaining and sexy read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a good romance and for anyone who loves those classic Hallmark tropes with a side of spice.

Let me start off by saying that I love a sapphic romance, this one just didn’t do it for me really. I loved the representation in the book but it was odd that they used the word lesbian to describe the main character. Aside from this I felt a connection with the main character being an outsider and coming back to her home town and connect with those that she had strained relationships with in the past. I do wish there had more depth to the relationship with Delilah and Astrid as they reconnected, seeings as Astrid and her friends were kinda awful. This was a good easy read that surface level dealt with issues of grief and depression. Was worth the read but was just lacking something.

This was a fun lighthearted romance, filled with relatable characters, atmospheric descriptions that paint a beautiful picture for the reader, and well-rounded character arcs.

Delilah Green reluctantly returns to her hometown to photograph her step-sister, Astrid's, wedding, and bumps into Claire, a single mom who she knows from her childhood as one of Astrid's best friends. The two hit it off immediately, but struggle with their attraction to each other as their feelings for one another force them to face their entirely different past romantic relationships head on. This read held so much more than I originally thought it might and pleasantly surprised me.
I loved the relationship building that is shown between Delilah and Ruby (Claire's daughter), it was heartwarming and allowed Claire to see a positive and healthy interaction that might exist between the two if Delilah and Claire's relationship went any further.
I did however have a couple of issues with this novel.
The way the story ends leaves much to be desired about Claire's character ARC. While we see incredible growth from Delilah, Astrid, and Josh; Claire is left to the sidelines as the story wraps up. I was incredibly hopeful that Claire would stand up for herself and I felt that Delilah betrayed her trust/privacy in multiple ways that were never fully addressed in favor of wrapping up things with Delilah and Astrid.
I think the book was incredibly well paced, up until the last 15% of the book; where I felt a rollercoaster of vastly different emotions in the span of about 4 chapters. While this might be typical pacing for the genre; there were some emotions, especially when it came to Astrid and Delilah's relationship that felt like they needed a bit more space from the conclusion to Delilah and Claire's relationship.
There were a few oddly placed comments from Delilah's perspective that felt forced and didn't have a full place in the story. Such as "cishet white men and their pet names" after Spencer calls Astrid "babe". This is not me defending Spencer, I do think he's an awful person, but babe is a perfectly normal thing to call a romantic partner.
Overall I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series.
TW for: death of a parent (both mother and father, past, off page), heavy alcohol consumption/dependency, heavy theme of grief, cancer mention, sexual content, parental abandonment, infidelity (past), brief blood mention, gaslighting

I really liked this one! It was steamy and sweet, but what I especially appreciated was that the side characters weren't one dimensional. Herring Blake gives Astrid and Iris, who would typically be villains or caricatures, some depth. Yes, there were some standard romance tropes, but overall, I'll read the next one!

I love everything about this book. This is the perfect sapphic romcom. Both of these heroines are compelling and sexy and complicated. The romance builds so beautifully and is so satisfying.

5/5, 10/10, 100000/100000. This is a romance written with a lot of humor and a lot of heart and I dream of a day when we have hundreds of sapphic romance novels with this level of joy, nuance, steam, and feelings.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

"Delilah Green Doesn't Care", offers a few refreshing twists on the traditional romance. The characters were dynamic and offered comedic relief from the emotional sections when necessary. The main romance was between two women who spent their childhoods misunderstanding each other, making their relationship more meaningful. Overall it was a well-written and enjoyable novel. The three criticisms I have would be, 1. The main character is a lesbian, yet the word lesbian was never specifically used to describe her, which can perpetuate the stereotype that lesbian is a dirty word. 2. For about 90% of the novel, the characters are drinking. 3. There was a noticeable lack of POC (people of colour). One of my favourite little details was that one of the main characters had stretch marks- and was written as a 'fuller-bodied' character- something the romance genre tends to neglect. I gave it 4 stars overall.

It's a fun read- epitome of rom-com. Sometimes the main characters annoyed me, and I felt like some of the plot points were brushed over to move on to wrapping up the happy-ending romance. It wasn't anything I couldn't get over but would've preferred more attention had been paid to it. It also probably would've made me more intrigued to read the next Bright Falls book. I would definitely recommend if you're looking for something light and fun. I found it to be a good break from reading heavier material.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

This was my third Ashley Herring Blake book and I can confidently say that she is one of my favorite authors! I absolutely loved everything about this book! Delilah Green Doesn’t Care was fun, sweet and so swoon worthy! It was exactly what I wanted it to be plus way more.

The main characters were well developed and so relatable! I really enjoyed learning about their lives and seeing them work through their separate issues. Delilah is a photographer who is snarky & confident. She is back in Bright Falls to take pictures for her step sister’s wedding. But being back *home* definitely brings up old memories of being lonely and feeling unloved. Claire runs a bookstore and she is sweet & supportive, She is trying to navigate raising a preteen who’s father is not the best at being present. Both Delilah and Claire’s struggles felt so real and at times I just wanted to give them a huge hug.

Even the side characters were fantastic. I cannot wait for Astrid’s book! She really went through it and I’m excited to see what’s in store for her next! Then there was Iris, my fave! She was hilarious and direct. I loved her a lot! I would literally give anything for her to get a book too!

Okay so the romance…perfection! I swear I could talk forever about how beautiful it was. The chemistry between the two was THERE from the beginning! Their relationship made my heart so happy!

I cannot wait for this book to be out in the world and for everyone to fall in love with it as much as I did!

Such a cute LGBT romance! This book is full of family drama, complicated relationships, and just the right amount of angst!

I should have known any Ashley Herring Blake book would give me Feelings. Honestly, this was almost hard to read for me at times, because it brought back a lot of feelings about toxic friendships and how lonely you can feel as a teenager. The second half of the book, and especially the last quarter or so, really made up for that though, because that's when the characters starting communicating and healing their relationships, especially Astrid and Delilah.

And there is a lot of focus on Astrid and Delilah, the step sisters. But of course this is also still a romance, and I did really enjoy the romance! Delilah is an absolutely irresistible main character, it's impossible not to love her. But I also came to really love Claire and her daughter!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc of this novel :) This novel will be published on 22 Feb 2022!

"When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all." - Ashley Herring Blake

"Delilah Green Doesn't Care (Bright Falls #1)" - Ashley Herring Blake - 3/5 stars 🌟

This is just a really fun WLW Romance set in a small town in Washington focused on healing and connection. I found that the characters seemed really tropey - just in WLW form and I would've preferred to see some changes to the typical "I'm returning to my hometown as the estranged & edgy child" trope. I did enjoy reading a WLW romance because those are still quite rare to find - I do wish that it had just gone beyond this level into something more. It was a super fun and surface-level read, it did what I expected and I enjoyed it as much as I would enjoy a romcom.

This is the perfect novel to read over a glass of wine on a Friday night in during isolation - especially those spicy 🌶 scenes!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc of this novel :) This novel will be published on 22 Feb 2022!

When Delilah Green has to go back to her childhood small town of Bright Falls, Oregon after 12 years of living out her dreams in New York City of creating art for a living, breaking out of the quiet shell she was growing up and flirting with every woman she meets, Delilah Green is a completely different person to who she was when she left right after graduation. So much so that when Delilah is forced back to the small town her estranged family still calls home to photograph her step-sister, Astrid's wedding, after a generous not-so-subtle bribe from her stepmother, Claire Sutherland, part of the coven of evil friends that Astrid has grown up with, doesn't recognize Delilah. Much to both their surprises, Delilah reminiscing on the school-girl crush she had on Claire while they were kids, and Claire so obviously drawn to this stranger that enters their small-town bar that she shameless hits on Delilah only to be horrified that its *the* Delilah Green, the estranged step-sister to her best friend.

With chemistry and memories that bind the two together and the impending doom of a wedding that Claire knows isn't going to end well they must figure out if they really do care.

This book does such a good job of capturing the emotions both Claire and Delilah go through while sorting out their past relationships and how it affects both of them in separate ways. I found myself laughing out loud at parts and crying when the experiences they both go through hit close to home. This is one of the first sapphic reads that did a great job at showing the different issues and challenges the LGBTQ+ community goes through when it comes to dating, relationships, and sex.

Thanks to netgalley.com and Berkley Publishing for the ARC.

Thanks to @netgalley and @berkleyromance I was able to 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 my first read of 2022. (PUB DATE 2.22.22)

This steamy, queer, small town romance was sexy, fun, and substantial.

* Delilah figuring out if she really DOES care
* Claire navigating a co-parent relationship with her preteen
* Years of a not-all-happy history between step sisters who've both lost parents
* Swoony & snarky elements
* Only one bed & best friend's sibling
* Grumpy/sunshine
* A well-established group of friends. Side characters who get plenty of page-time.
* Well-paced story and well-cared for characters
* Emotional complexity paired with vulnerable, sensual chemistry.

This is Ashley Herring Green's first adult romance and I can't wait to read more of it!