Iris Kelly has a reputation - one that maybe she never planned on. Post-breakup, she's decided to only explore commitment-less connections, so to speak. Enter Stevie, an actress who is a friend of a friend and totally not someone Iris was looking for. But there's something about the young thespian who draws her in, particularly as they begin fake dating each other to assist one another out. Little did Iris know, the two would go from fake to more far quicker than Iris expected.

So, this brought to the forefront that the author needs to stay away from creating characters like Astrid Parker. The first book in this series is such a struggle. But the second one and this one, were lovely. I really enjoyed the main characters, the witty banter between them, the way they open up to one another and help each other grow. Just good storytelling overall.

I did take off a star because Stevie and Iris should not be allowed to be this bone-headed about one another, but other than that, I really enjoyed this.

Thanks for the ARC!

I loved every second of this book! The story is engaging and the characters are just so precious! There’s love, there’s intrigue and of course Iris Kelly FOES date! Surprise! The town is adorable and I could not put this book down!

I can't get over how adorable that ending was—I'm literally out of breath!

What I loved: Both Iris and Stevie felt incredibly relatable to me. I’m always here for books with great anxiety representation, and the bisexual rep in this one was spot on! Stevie’s anxiety, while different from my own, hit close to home in a way that was so comforting. My heart broke for her, especially when I saw how her friends took advantage of her and how she shrank herself to fit in. Watching her grow throughout the story was a beautiful experience. Iris also resonated with me, especially with the pressure she felt from everyone around her to live up to their expectations of her life. Both of these characters felt so real and nuanced, and they made mistakes—just like real people do. Watching them together was pure magic. Their love story was sweet in the most heartwarming way, and it made me long for a romance just like theirs in real life.

What I wasn’t as fond of: At times, the lack of communication between them became a bit frustrating. I'm not always a fan of the "miscommunication" trope, and there were moments when I just wanted to yell at them to TALK to each other! But, I do appreciate the fake dating aspect, and I get that the lack of communication added to the buildup, so I’ll let it slide.

Overall: I wholeheartedly recommend this for its rich character development, anxiety representation, and the heartwarming romance that will leave you swooning.

TW: slut-shaming (challenged), biphobia (challenged), toxic friendships

I enjoyed Blake's first installment in this series enough to want to continue it (though Book #1 -- Delilah Green Doesn't Care -- left me not entirely satisfied with its opening promise/potential), and I'm glad I did, because this was my fave of the trilogy! Iris was the character I was most interested in throughout the entire series, and it was so great to finally get to her story. (I also really loved that Blake gave the couple in this a truly disastrous first date/one night stand; it felt very realistic AND gave the gals a rock bottom to build up from, lol.) And I'm so dang glad that more modern romances aren't all shiny and perfect, and star characters that deal with panic attacks, anxiety, depression. Things that are messy and REAL. This was a really solid Sapphic romance.

I loved Delilah Green, but unfortunately, the rest of the series felt kind of flat for me and I wasn’t a huge fan of Iris to begin with and this book didn’t really change that

I was not prepared for how emotional I was going to be reading this story! Ashley Herring Blake really knows how to write romances that are authentic and real, while still having you swooning and dying for more! Iris Kelly was not my favorite at the very start of this series, but by the end of this book, I was head over heels obsessed with her and just so proud of how far she had come, both into her own and amongst her friends.

And don't even get me started on Estefania! I resonated a lot with her character, so it really moved me getting to see her grow and blossom with Iris by her side, and being able to be brave and stand up for herself in the end.

I am a forever fan of Ashley's writing, and I cannot wait to see what is next!

Holy moly. This was perhaps the spiciest book I’ve read in a long time!! Woweeee. The story was great, the characters had amazing chemistry, and the spice was spicin! I have been hand selling this in my bookstore and the feedback has been 👍 👍. Thank you so much for this egalley! 4.5 ⭐️

I adore Ashley Herring Blake and recommend all of her titles to my customers who are looking for queer representation in their romance novels. She writes such great characters who you can connect with and root for!

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake is a delightful, heartfelt exploration of love, identity, and self-discovery. The story centers around Iris Kelly, a charming, witty protagonist who is trying to reconcile her romantic ideals with her personal growth. Iris’s journey of learning to trust herself and others was personally relatable, making her a character that is easy to root for.

What truly stands out in Iris Kelly Doesn't Date is Blake’s ability to create a nuanced, diverse cast of characters that feel incredibly real. The dynamics between Iris and her friends, family, and romantic interests are both compelling and complex, allowing the novel to tackle deeper topics like mental health and the importance of boundaries without ever feeling heavy-handed. The pacing is perfect, blending moments of light-heartedness with thoughtful reflection. Overall, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date is a refreshing, uplifting read that leaves readers feeling hopeful, connected, and ready to embrace their journeys of self-love and acceptance.

By this third title in the series, I’m done reading Blake’s adult fiction. It still reads as YA, except with actual sex. In addition, she tries way too hard to be queer inclusive. It’s clunky and not at all organic.

4.25

I had an absolute blast with the last of the Bright Falls series. AHB does such a good job of making fun contemporary romance books with heart. I adored this book and really thought it capped off the series well, especially with the ending bringing the three friends together again.

I read this book in one day, if that tells you anything about how much I liked it and how easy it was to get into. We've met Iris a few times now in the previous two books and saw her in a relationship with a man, that while there wasn't anything really wrong with him or their relationship, they just wanted different things and ended amicably. Iris goes through a lot of growth and reflection in this book about what she actually wants from life and from a partner, and I really enjoyed seeing her experience this. We also met Stevie, who has some growth of her own in this book. I really loved their dynamics and had so much fun with the fake dating and 'instruction' elements of this book. It was oh so yummy and one of my favorite tropes!

I loved the setting of them together in a play and meeting all the side characters that went along with that. AHB always does a great job with having some fun secondary people in the story, and I'd be really interested in if they get books of their own.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and thought this was the perfect ending to a lovely trio of books!

A romance author with writer's block gets stuck in a romance novel trope. Iris Kelly has written one book and the deadline for her second is approaching. Unfortunately, she has no ideas. So when a fake dating situation presents itself in the form of Stevie, she accepts.

This was a fun return to the town of Bright Falls, Oregon. Many characters from previous books recur, as they meddle and cheer on Iris and Stevie.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Ashley Herring Blake's Iris Kelly Doesn't Date, even though I found it to be a bit long and kind of... messy.

This was my first book in the series, and I think it would have helped if I had read the previous books because there were SO many side characters, and I was just not interested in them. Like... I don't know this random woman and her kid so why do we keep talking about her?? Nevertheless, this fake dating theater-centric romance was still a satisfying read.

I liked how we got distinct voices between Iris and Stevie. I don't love romances where the two MCs felt the same, and they certainly didn't here. I really got the sense of each of them, and I even was able to picture them really well, which I thought was great. Also, we got a nice bit of heat here (though I could have used even more, TBH), and I was thrilled to get some on page action. The romance was slow to develop, but I liked these two together, even if their friends kept inserting themselves in the relationship, which was annoying.

One of my issues, though, was that the plot was too complex and too draggy. They acted together and were tricking their friends and also fake dating and fake romancing? It was too much, and the book felt endlessly long. Clocking in at 400 pages, it felt every bit of that length.

A nice read that will work very well for some readers, I just wish that the book was tighter and a little less messy.

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own!

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE, I had a great time returning to Bright Falls. Iris and Stevie's story was sexy and sweet, and gosh did I love how Shakespeare's Much Ado was woven in! Now to circle back to Bright Falls Book 2, ASTRID PARKER DOESN'T FAIL!

I’m sad that I didn’t enjoy this as much as the first two books in this series but I expected it because Iris isn’t my favorite character and I knew it would be a challenge to read her book.

I felt at times that this book was trying too hard and the characters felt flat at points.

I don’t think Iris grew as a character and with the way she treated Stevie her love interest I just grew more annoyed with her that I didn’t believe their chemistry or love story at all.

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake is a delightful romp that beautifully weaves themes of love, self-discovery, and the challenges of navigating relationships. The story centers around Iris, a bisexual romance author who finds herself grappling with writer’s block and the pressure to conform to societal expectations of love. After a disastrous one-night stand with a woman named Stefania—who later turns out to be her co-star in a local play—she agrees to a fake relationship that complicates her life in ways she never anticipated. The chemistry between Iris and her love interest, combined with authentic portrayals of anxiety and the pressures of family dynamics, makes this a heartfelt conclusion to a beloved series.

The Bright’s Falls series has been an incredibly special series for me. It’s helped me discover much of who I am. And seeing the bits and pieces of Iris in Delilah and Astrid’s books made me so excited for her story. And while I did like this book, I didn’t love it. Stevie and Iris did seem like a good fit, but I think they needed more time with each other. I truly hated every single one of Stevie’s friends though. All of them sucked so hard and Stevie deserves better. Seeing Iris’s friends embrace her was lovely though.

I cannot wait for more sapphic romances form Ashley Herring Blake!

This book lived up to the other books in the Bright Falls world! An amazing conclusion to the series. I loved delving more into Iris as a character. The fake dating trope was used so well. Cute and frustrating and emotionally tortuous. I rooted for this couple the whole time even when I was wanting to shake them like WHYDONTYOUJUSTSAYHOWYOUFEEL!

I will never stop raving about the Bright Falls series. Iris’ book was probably my favourite just because I found Iris annoying at times and saw a little too much of my worst traits in Stevie BUT it was still amazing, funny, sexy and brought me back to some of my favourite characters of all time (Delilah Green you will always be famous, I love you). Can’t reccomend this series enough.

This hit all the right notes for me as an absolute sucker for fake dating. A disastrous one-night stand turns into a fake relationship that blurs the lines in the best way. Iris and Stevie have great chemistry, and watching their relationship evolve from awkward to something genuine was incredibly satisfying.

Blake does a wonderful job of balancing humor and feels, and the fact that this is part of the Bright Falls series makes it all the sweeter. The whole "everyone around Iris is in love" vibe adds to the charm, especially if you've read the rest of the series, but the real win here is how the book captures the messiness of love and creativity. I always recommend this series to my friends who love sapphic romance and this is precisely why!