i loved the conclusion to this series! Iris is a great character and fake dating was the perfect trope. Loved the queer Shakespeare!

Well worth the wait - though I am devastated for this series to end. These friends are so involved with each other's lives - loved it!
Claire and Delilah are engaged. Astrid and Jordan a lovely pair. And Iris is alone. Desperate to jump start something, Iris agrees to join a local Shakespeare production of all queer cast. And there she is - the woman who vomited all over Iris. Her character's love interest.
Stevie and Iris strike a deal beneficial to both - romance, sexy, lovely and so cute.

Dare I say the best in the trilogy??!! I loved Delilah, liked Astrid, but LOVED Iris… and the audio narrator really was perfection in this one… I gotta find more from her.

Iris Kelly, a romance novelist who can't seem to find love in real life, is suffering from a serious case of writer's block. Enter Stevie, a charming actress with crippling anxiety. These two opposites collide (literally, at a bar) and end up in a hilariously awkward one-night stand. To make things even more complicated, they're then cast as girlfriends in a play together. Forced to fake-date for the sake of art (and Iris's dwindling bank account), they find themselves in a whirlwind of awkward encounters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a surprising amount of genuine connection. Will their pretend relationship blossom into something real?

Iris and Stevie - ADORABLE. Stevie and the first date umm issues… RELATABLE (LOL) Idk something about this one just had me right there with them in Seattle and Bright Falls. I loved so much of it.

I enjoy this entire series and look forward to each book that comes out. This one did not disappoint!

The last entry in the Bright Falls series was repetitive and, honestly, a bit disturbing (sex lessons???)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I am probably the most impatient person the planet, so waiting for these two to get together was absolute torture. Iris Kelly Doesn't Date was cute, but, to be honest, I was bored halfway through. I liked the framing device of the play and understand why that was necessary to get to fake dating, but it felt like there wasn't a strong commitment to either one and they were both abandoned towards the middle. Like, all of a sudden, it was closing night and we hadn't heard about the play for a bit. Overall, the book was well written, just not for me.

The third installment in the Bright Falls series. Another sapphic masterpiece with a queer retelling of Much Ado About Nothing. I related with Iris' inner struggle with dating and being vulnerable with someone, and the way that she overcame that struggle was chefs kiss. I will read anything this author puts out.

Of the three books in this series, I would say that this is my least favorite. However, that does not mean that it wasn't enjoyable. I'm still chasing the high that Delilah and Claire gave me.

This was by far my favorite book in the series. I loved both of our main characters so so much and I am absolutely a sucker for a fake dating trope. Some may think it is overdone but for me it absolutely never will be. I will say this is the best book I’ve read with said trope, it was written so beautifully and just made me want to jump in the book and yell at our characters. This is one that I will be picking up again when I want to feel all the warm fuzzies and I wish everyone would read it!

Ashley Herring Blake's "Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" is another breath of fresh air in the rom-com genre, offering a truly authentic and heartfelt take on the classic fake relationship trope.

Set against the backdrop of Portland, the story introduces us to Iris Kelly, a romance author with a commitment phobia and a serious case of writer's block. Surrounded by loved-up friends and family, Iris is content with her no-strings-attached lifestyle, until a disastrous one-night stand with a stranger named Stefania throws her off balance.

In a bid to shake off her troubles, Iris auditions for a local play and is stunned to find Stefania—actually Stevie—among the cast. When Stevie suggests they pretend to be a couple to save face, Iris reluctantly agrees, hoping the charade might spark some inspiration for her stalled writing.

What follows is a hilarious and heartwarming journey as Iris and Stevie navigate the complexities of their fake relationship, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and tender exchanges along the way. Blake's writing crackles with authenticity, drawing readers into Iris's world and making them feel like part of the gang.

"Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" is filled with vibrant, relatable characters, from Iris's meddling friends to her quirky siblings, all of whom add depth and humor to the story. The chemistry between Iris and Stevie is electric, and their banter is as sharp as it is endearing, making their slow-burning romance all the more satisfying.

What sets "Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" apart is its genuine exploration of vulnerability and connection. As Iris and Stevie grapple with their feelings for each other, readers are treated to a tender and honest portrayal of love in all its messy, complicated glory.

With its witty humor, engaging characters, and heartfelt romance, "Iris Kelly Doesn't Date" is a true gem of a rom-com that will have readers laughing, swooning, and cheering for love. After being disappointed with Astrid Parker's book in the series, I can't recommend it enough—I rated it 4.5 stars.

A charming and sweet (but steamy) romantic comedy. Especially loved the local theater setting and how both of the characters grew together by the end of the novel.

I loved the conclusion to this fantastic trilogy!

It's probably my favorite of the three, just because I love Iris so much and I find her so relatable. She's got a lot of trauma from previous relationships, and even though she loves love, and wants to be loved, she denies herself that. I also love Stevie (excellent representation of anxiety disorders, btdubs) and enjoyed her journey as well.

One of my favorite messages of this book is that your safe space is not always where you need to be- Iris loves Bright Falls and the people in it, but she needs to be with Stevie. Stevie has her friends and a steady life in Portland, but she needs to be pursuing acting in a bigger city. Want vs. need is big in these books, and I love seeing the characters get to where they need to be.

I also loved the plot- Stevie getting intimacy lessons from Iris, and Iris getting romance from Stevie was fun and I like how it intersected with Stevie's growing need to be independent and find her confidence. There's a point at the end of the book I love, where Stevie gets asked out by a pretty girl she likes well enough, and at the beginning of the book, she might have just said yes, even if she wasn't ready to date. But, because of her growth, Stevie knows she's too emotionally raw, she has found where her boundaries need to be. That was a nice touch.

The places where the book didn't work for me are small, but notable. I felt it was a bit too meta, I am a known hater of romance novels with romance novelist protagonists. I love the parts where Bright Falls characters come in organically, and how Iris interacts with her friends, but I didn't love the way Iris' nearest and dearest deal with her meltdowns. Her family seems to just treat her like a joke, and even when they're supportive they find a way to screw it up. Her friends give her space, which can be good, but it did feel a bit like they weren't seeing the real problem. Iris' issue is that she is afraid of being hurt by love again, and she needs to open up to romance. I didn't see any of her friends really addressing that, just kind of nagging her, which never works. I feel that this is realistic, certainly, but I didn't like it.

Lastly, the third act breakup/romantic gesture. I am a noted grand gesture hater as well, though this one isn't one I hated, I just hate it on principle because I think it's kinda lazy writing. I already believed in Iris/Stevie as a couple, and Stevie didn't need a gesture. I like this gesture in theory, but I would have much prefered Iris get her head out of her ass earlier and make it unnecessary.

This was the most memorable of the Bright Falls books. I thought Stevie and Iris were so well matched, and I spending a bit more time with the whole gang. Overall, a great romance series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was another excellent entry into the Bright Falls series, and a very satisfying conclusion to the story of these friends. The romance, as always, was top-notch and I related a lot to Stevie's struggles with anxiety and Iris' struggles with intimacy. While third act breakups are never my favorite, the reasoning behind this one felt more believable and justified than you sometimes see in romance, which redeemed it a bit in my eyes. Overall, this was such a fun series and I look forward to reading more sapphic romance from this author.

I keep picking up this series and finding myself more disappointed than I expected. I've read more interesting varieties of this story of fake dating, even of "sex lessons," which is not a trope I want to see happen. I loved the play idea, but there wasn't enough of that. It was Stevie who vomits over tits because she's so nervous becoming a top in the bedroom? This felt full of things I would like.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one so much! I’ll be honest, I had mixed feelings about the very first book in the series and I wasn’t sure that the author would be able to stick the landing but I am happy to say that I’m really satisfied with this one.

I have to say I am a huge fan of Ashley Herring Blake ever since picking up Delilah Green Doesn't Care. Her characters are so relatable and I just love that she handles the spectrum an nuances that can come with queer identity and sexuality. Iris Kelly Doesn't Date was no disappointment! Blake seemed to get bolder and steamier in her intimacy scenes but the representation is just so fire! I really appreciated the meta aspects of Iris being a romance author trying to get over writer's block, too... although I hope that Blake wasn't experiencing writer's block when she wrote this one... in any case, it works! Write what you know, right?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for getting an advanced read on such a gem of a book!

I think this may be my favorite in the Bright Falls series. Iris was my favorite character in the previous two and it was lovely to see her so much more flushed out.

What can I say about this book that likely hasn't already been said? Bright Falls is a fictional place that I would visit in a heartbeat, wow. And this friend group?? I don't think it gets much better than this.