Absolutely fabulous! I fell in love with AHB's writing with Delilah Green Doesn't Care and the bar was set pretty high for my next read. I'm thrilled to report that Iris Kelly Doesn't Date was equally as charming with plenty of spice! I loved Iris and Stevie's relationship and the anxiety rep was top notch.

Readers are treated to a bit of fake dating, a queer version of Much Ado About Nothing, a great group of friends and wonderful character development. Highly, highly recommend! I'll definitely be reading this again in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Edelweiss for the DARC!

What can I possibly say about this book that encapsulates all my feelings? Basically, Ashley Herring Blake does it again! This felt like a wonderful third installment and closing chapter of the Bright Falls series and it gave readers like me (hopeless romantics) well needed closure to all of the characters we've come to love from this series. Culminating in a scene that brought tears to my eyes, Iris Kelly Doesn't Date is like the other books in this trilogy--a masterpiece of romance writing.

I personally loved getting to see Iris given the same in depth treatment that Delilah, Claire, Astrid, and Jordan got. We got to see her in ways we hadn't before, getting to see past the mask she has up to protect herself, even with her friends. Iris is a wonderfully complex and flawed person that keeps you hooked from her first chapter until her last. Seeing her character development throughout the book was excited and I found myself cheering for her even in her darkest moments.

Blake also does an amazing job introducing us to a whole new cast of characters through Stevie's chapters, setting up their dynamics and history and weaving that all throughout Stevie's story. I don't have the experience with Generalized Anxiety Disorder to say anything about the portrayal of it in the book, but I will say that it was refreshing to see how a character with that disorder sees the world and navigates it. It was also nice to see that Stevie was not ashamed of her medication and talked freely about it. I really liked Stevie's chapters and her character, she definitely came alive in the scenes where she was comfortable and taking control.

I only had two problems with this book. First, sometimes the descriptions of characters was a bit distracting. I love the diversity of all the characters we meet, but sometimes the entire narrative would stop dead in its tracks to describe a new character which took me out of the action happening. Second, it felt like some of the supporting characters were only set pieces that honestly didn't need to be there. Vanessa was supposed to be one of Stevie's best friends before we pick up in the story and she's dating Adri. And yet we never really see Vanessa and Stevie interact. They don't feel like friends at all, more like Vanessa was just a random girl Adri met and started dating. We're told Vanessa and Adri feel guilty for dating in front of Stevie but that's never shown to us, especially with Vanessa. It felt like she was only there to be a beautiful necklace around Adri's neck and give Stevie a reason to feel pathetic. Jordan was the same way. I know she's not the focus of this book but she could easily have not been in it at all and nothing would have changed, same with Vanessa. Again, a beautiful necklace for Astrid to make Iris feel inadequate and lonely.

But as a whole, I adored this book, and I feel like it was an excellent final chapter to such a great series. I can't wait to see what Blake does next!!

If I could give this book 5.5 stars I would. I loved this book with my whole heart, I thought that it was the perfect end to the Bright Falls saga, with a wonderful ending to wrap it up.

The story is about Iris Kelly, a new romance writer struggling to write her next novel, and Stevie Scott, an actress stuck in local theatre. When they have a one night stand gone wrong, (with crying and vomit in the mix) they think they’ll never see each other again until they run into each other at the auditions of the local theatre’s queer version of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Upon Stevie explaining her situation to Iris they agree to fake date to get Stevie’s friends and ex off her back while giving Iris the chance to practice romance for her novel.

I thought Blake really kept Iris’s character and had her grow without losing any of her personality, which was one of my worries when starting this book.
Stevie was a lovely character with true friends who sometimes make choices FOR Stevie because of her anxiety, but you get to see her grow and her friendships evolve through the story.

This was my favourite of the Bright Falls series and will probably be one of my top books of 2023.



Thank you Netgalley for this free copy of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

This is honestly my favorite of the Bright Falls books. Fake dating and Shakespeare and all of the queer love my heart could handle. I absolutely adored this book!!

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVED this book. It was definitely my favorite of the three and I just couldn't put it down. A lot of the points Iris made about existing as a bisexual woman really resonated with me and I thought the relationship was very sweet and satisfying. I hope AHB comes out with more books soon!

This was a great conclusion to the Bright Falls series!

Iris Kelly and Stevie Scott are both looking for a one night stand but after hook up gone wrong, they do not expect to see each other again. However, fate brings them back together when they both end up auditioning for the local Much About Ado production. Each having their own reason, the two make a pact to fake date and help each other get through some personal barriers. Of course, with time, the line between fake and real starts to blur…

This was a spicy and romantic book filled with a wonderful cast of characters. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and the execution was well done and led to some of the best forced proximity. I loved all the cameos from the previous two books in the series, especially seeing Delilah and Claire get an extra special HEA. I also think the side details about Stevie’s acting and Iris’s romance writing process added a lot of richness to the story. There are a few small reasons why I am giving this 4 stars over 5, but I still highly recommend this!

Read if you like:
-Sapphic romance
-Diverse cast of side characters
-Faking dating
-Sex positivity and relationship lessons
-Mental health rep
-Spicy, open-door scenes
-Cameos from the rest of the Bright Falls series

Thank you Berkley for the ARC! Pub date 10/24

“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” ❤️

I can't believe this series is over. It's so bitter sweet. I fell in love with these fictional characters characters! First, Delilah and Claire, then Astrid and Jordan, and finally Iris and Stevie.

I can't describe how happy I was reading all of their love stories, and just being so immersed in all of their friendships.

Iris's growth was wonderful, it was so hard for her to let go and trust again and fully give her all to Stevie. But when she did...it made my heart so happy.

I related so much to Stevie the anxiety representation was spot on. She honestly inspires me!! She makes me feel like I can persevere through my anxiety as well!
Stevie is so brave and fun and loving, and I truly enjoyed reading everything about her journey.

Iris and Stevie love so fiercely, and I had the best time reading this!

I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to the amazing ladies from this series! Their friendship, drama, strength, and love will always hold a special place in my heart! ❤️

(Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book! 4.5/5⭐️)

This was damn good, possibly my favorite of the series. Iris is a bad ass and I think I have a big fat crush on her. I’ll never get over these ladies or their love stories. Fantastic job.

I would read a hundred books about the Bright Falls crew! Unfortunately, we just get the 3, but they're all equally fantastic. Iris Kelly Doesn't Date wraps up the series perfectly, to the point where when I got to a certain moment in the epilogue I pressed my hand to my chest and audibly said "awww!"

Iris's story features the fake-dating trope and my god I loved it. The tension, the hilarity, it was so good. Iris and Stevie's chemistry is scorching and if you thought the spice in the first two books was hot, this one is next level!

I read a fair bit of romances, bu this one exceeded my expectations! The characters felt real, the romance felt fleshed out and the resolution of the plot was amazing. A definite recommendation to any romance readers. I’m excited to see what Blake writes next.

A heartfelt thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for this eARC

It's done! The trilogy is done, and now I don't know what to do! I don't want to leave Bright Falls! *proceeds to collapse in a crying, blubbering mess*

This was exactly what I wanted for Ashley's three book queer rom-com trilogy. As with the others, it was damned near perfect. Plus, with this one, Iris is working as a writing working on a sapphic rom-com so the nudges to the audience talking about tropes while living the tropes? Romanception. ^_^

I'm going to keep this brief, I'll come back for a fuller review closer to the release date as I've done in the past, but lemme just say I love how she leaves the girls we've come to know and adore, and Stevie and the new arrivals? Chef's kiss. Perfect.

Plus, the snippet from Ashley's next title? Can't wait already...

More to come!

This book was a true personal attack. I loved Delilah Green Doesn't Care, and REALLY related to Delilah. Book 2 was really good, but neither character hit quite as many notes for me personally.

THIS ONE THOUGH? Iris has commitment and inadequacy issues, and Stevie has severe anxiety. ME TOO GIRL ME TOO!! Needless to say, every chapter of this just got me right in the heart and I absolutely sobbed at the end.

A beautiful love story!!!!!

Ever since I read Delilah Green Doesn't Care, I have become obsessed with the Bright Falls characters and books! Iris Kelly certainly didn't disappoint and it was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was so good to be back in Bright Falls with Delilah, Astrid, and Iris. Plus, let's not forget Claire and Jordan. I've always loved Iris's spunk in all of the books and it was really nice to get to know her more in this one. I will admit that it did take me a while to actually like Stevie only because she got on my nerves at first. The Bright Falls books really made me feel like I was actually in the stories and I relate so much to the characters. When I finished this one, I just sat there for a while not knowing what to do with myself. I'm not sure how I feel about the Bright Falls books being over and I will miss reading new books about the characters, but this trilogy ended perfectly. Ashley Blake is one of my favorite authors now after reading this books and I always recommend her!

After reading the first book in the Bright Falls series, Ashley Herring Blake became an auto-read author for me. Now that I've read the third (and-sob-final) installment of the series I can easily say she has become one of my favorite romance authors. I have loved every book in the series and each time thought "this is the best one" only to have Blake produce another book that outdoes the last.

I loved Iris and Stevie's story. I love the way Stevie's anxiety plays into the story. Blake masterfully makes it central to who she is and also deals deftly with the ways Stevie's anxiety makes dating feel impossible. Iris is a fierce and vulnerable character who it's impossible not to love. Together, they are perfection.

All of my favorite tropes! Fake dating! Forced proximity! Healing love! Ashley Herring Blake delivers a beautiful send off to our Bright Falls crew. I was hoping that our focus would shift to the Portland friends we met in this book during her next novel, but the preview chapter is about totally new people. This book is as spicy and romantic as we have come to expect from the other books. The details about acting, Iris’s art and planners, and her writing process all added richness to the story. Goodbye, Bright Falls. Thanks for all the fun.

Iris Kelly doesn’t date was amazing. This is the final instalment in the bright falls series and it concluded so wonderfully. I’ve loved Iris since the first book and seeing her character development was something I enjoyed so much. This was so fun, and stevie was such a likeable love interest, some of her struggles I related to and it was nice to read about. Their relationship was so beautiful, I loved the growth between the two of them!

*Received as a free ARC*
After reading Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail, I had to know how Iris's story ended. Iris and Stevie were adorable. The resolution of all the Bright Falls storylines felt solid. I found it funny how there were nods to the books through Iris's perspective as a romance novelist. It was very tongue in cheek. Over all, it was a fairly light read (as a romcom there had to be a LITTLE angst). Now I really do need to read Delilah Green. Excited for her next book!

A truly delightful conclusion to this loosely connected trilogy. While I do think that a reader could pick up with Iris Kelly, I think the series really benefits from being read in order. I loved the little glimpses into Delilah and Claire's life together, and I wish we got a little bit more from Astrid and Jordan that way.

There is an element of kind of meta-fiction "wink wink" to romance readers, as Iris Kelly is writing a romance novel and using the "fake dating" with Stevie to "research," and those occasionally got to be a little much for my taste, but overall a very small complaint.

4.5 stars rounded up

Once again the Bright Falls universe has stolen my heart! Iris and Stevie’s story was the perfect mix of romantic and sexy!! And that last chapter AHHH MY HEART <3

In this third installment, we return to Bright falls with the third member of the crew. Iris Kelly doesn't do relationships or romance, and she is totally happy that way. But she isn't really. Her friends and family are all coupled up and her mom is always on her case about settling down. Not to mention she can't seem to find inspiration for her second novel.

Enter Stevie Scott. After six years together, Stevie's ex broke it off, which honestly may have been for the best. But that doesn't mean she's loving her ex dating her friend. Plus, her acting career is stagnated. Stevie knows she needs to break outside of her comfort zone, but that isn't easy to do with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

After a one-night stand gone wrong, Stevie and Iris don't think they will ever see each other again. But then Iris shows up at the theatre where Stevie is working.

This book is told through alternating viewpoints and both Stevie and Iris are compelling characters. Stevie's struggles with anxiety and friends that underestimate her are relatable. Iris's struggles with self-worth make sense, given her dating history. I really like that it is addressed that external sexualization led to her internally sexualizing herself, leading to this belief that people only want her for sex. However, she's frustrating at times because she stubbornly refuses to let people in, and she won't admit to her family, her friends, Stevie, and often herself, about how she really feels about things. If she doesn't want to deal with something, she will just refuse to talk about it and leave if people don't drop it.

At times, the fact that the main character was writing a romance novel in a romance novel became too meta, such as when Iris declared she liked the third act break up and reconciliation, right before the book used that trope. I personally felt like the breakup was unnecessary. The characters felt like they had grown past that at that point in the book, however the reconciliation scene was cute. I also wanted Iris's mother's actions addressed. She has no respect for Iris's boundaries and constantly belittles her life choices.

Regardless, I loved this book (especially my queen Stevie) and I would reread every Bright Falls book multiple times, so it still gets five stars. But maybe Iris should consider therapy.