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!

this book was truly everything to me, we got such a wonderful close to this series!
we get so much chaos, sweet moments, and personal growth
iris and stevie are made for each other and i just love them so bad

I've been enjoying the Bright Falls series from Blake immensely so I was thrilled when I received an arc of Iris' story! And it was fantastic! It was so fun and I enjoyed how Iris and Stevie's relationship developed from fake dating. It was also very steamy which was very, very nice~ Besides that, the romance was so fun and truly had me rooting for these two to get together in the end. Also, very well done on the generalized anxiety disorder representation!

Another great installment in the Bright Falls series! The novel centers around Iris Kelly, a vibrant and independent woman who has sworn off dating after a series of failed relationships. Instead, she focuses on her career and friendships, maintaining a seemingly content single life.

Blake's writing is engaging and humorous, making Iris a relatable and endearing protagonist. The author's portrayal of Iris's journey is both heartfelt and realistic, avoiding the common tropes of the genre. Instead of a simple, straightforward romance, the story delves into Iris's personal growth and her struggles with vulnerability and trust. This deeper exploration adds layers to the narrative, making it more than just a light-hearted rom-com. As always, the cast of characters are diverse and delightful.

This is actually the first book in the series that I've read. While it can absolutely be read as a standalone, I am super happy it is not and that I can go back and read about the rest of Iris' friends. This book left me wanting to read the first two and desperately want to see the all queer re-write of Much Ado.

I listened to this as an audio book and I had such a good time. It was light, charming, and just the kind of surface level rom-com that I wanted from this. Cheesy romance, denial, and both characters felt very human. They were both scared (in different ways) and watching them learn to be braver together was a really fun journey for me.

This is a cute sapphic dating story. Iris dates but ends up having one night stands. One night, she meets Stefania on a blind date that ends terribly, with tears and vomit. Iris decides to try out for a local play and is surprised to see Stefania there, who now goes by Stevie. She’s even more surprised when Stevie asks her to say Iris is her girlfriend. As their fake relationship goes on, they become more and more attracted to each other until their feelings aren’t pretend anymore.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Much like the rest of the series, I find myself enjoying this much more than I thought I would. I'm generally not a romance reader, but I find these characters to have the perfect amount of relatability, intrigue, and humor for my taste. :)

Super cute conclusion to the Bright Falls series! I think Stevie might be one of my favorite protagonists in this series—she’s very relatable and dynamic. Sad this series is over!

This romance by Ashley Herring Blake was very good, this was my first time reading anything by Ashley and I know I will read more by them.

Thank you NetGalley for the read.

We first meet Iris Kelly in book one of the Bright Falls series. She is the quirky, bubbly, and fun best friend in the trio that each book in the series is based on. Unfortunately through each book you get glimpses of her life changes from unexpected breakups, business challenges, and what leads to book three - writers block. She owns her own business and is a romance writer.

This was a fun read that had many romance tr0pes thrown in, but you know what, they all worked. Iris meets confident and fun Stefania at a bar, but sparks do not fly. Their second meet cute is when Iris decides to take up acting and runs into Stefania aka Stevie who is also in the play. Their chemistry didn’t feel genuine at first, and I was having a hard time digesting all the different scenarios they were finding themselves in. I also did not love Stevie’s friends. Even their supportive moments did not feel supportive. As the book progressed and the two main characters came out of their shell I thought they were a delightful pairing. They balanced each other out of outgoing vs quiet and confident vs reserved. Through their acting, fake dating, and friendship blooming they connect and I found their romance sweet. I loved how Stevie found her voice at the end, and I’m a sucker for grand gestures.