I had previously read and loved Ashley Herring Blake's first novel, but her latest two haven't worked for me at all.

A wonderful third instalment, though not as strong as the previous two. All the trappings of a cute queer romcom.

I love Iris Kelly so much!! I’ve loved this series so much! I’m sad to say goodbye to this cast of characters.

If I thought Delilah was my new crush, it’s because I hadn’t read Iris Kelly! This had everything I could have asked for! Spicy scenes, pining, hilarious banter, and adults trying to figure their life out. The one trend I’m loving in romance these days is messy adults trying to navigate a messy life and that romance is not their savior but something that makes their life just a little sweeter and helps them see what hasn’t been working out until now.

This will be a series I revisit time and time again!

Absolutely loved this adorable fake-dating journey. The more I read from Ashley Herring Blake the more I appreciate these stories being out in the world. I've been along for the whole journey of this group of friends so it was really nice to see Iris meet her perfect match! I absolutely fell in love with Stevie. I now have a huge crush on this completely adorable fictional person. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the other two romances in this universe and for anyone searching for a gay romance that features characters who are not teenagers (something that is sadly in short supply). Thank you Ashley Herring Blake! I look forward to reading much more from you!

I hate that I'm in the minority on this one and honestly this whole series. I just didn't love them. I think that my expectations were through the absolute roof because Ashley Herring Blake's middle grade and young adult books are truly exceptional but the same level of vulnerability and emotions doesn't translate as well for me to her adult books.

If I had to list this series in order that I enjoyed them, Delilah Green would be first, and then Iris Kelly, and then Astrid Parker which is so interesting to me because I really thought that Astrid Parker was going to be my favorite. It's not even that I didn't enjoy this one I just didn't feel it as much. I'm going to struggle to give details because it has been a few weeks since I finished this but I think what a lot of it comes down to is that Ashley Herring Blake relies on a lot of sexual tension and the explicit scenes to give her adult books the same level of vulnerability and emotions as the middle grade and young adult and it just didn't work for me. I would have loved to see more conversations and more emotional connection versus physical connection. Some of this might be the ace in me but that's just what it is. It's not a bad book and if you look at other reviews, this book is exceptional and that people loved it I unfortunately was not one of them.

This was an amazing end to the series and I loved every second of reading it. I have a personal grudge against HGTV and HGTV-type shows that slowed the second book down for me and made me not enjoy it as much as the first, but I think this book absolutely hits the mark again. The romance is fantastically written and who doesn't love a fake-dating trope?

I loved this book: the third in the Bright Falls universe. The F/F character work is excellent, it builds out a world we've known and keeps them close while welcoming in a younger group, and centers the narrative in an empowering love on their own timeline.

There's also a lovely chastising of the meddlers, which in my opinion the romance genre often leaves unchecked to its detriment, that shows one of the main characters maturation and self-respect. I love when a book demonstrates the nuance to elevate relationships - and their necessary growth - beyond the primarily romance plot. Sometimes to grow we have to move on, but we always have to move forward.

Iris and Stevie find their power within themselves and the other helps to honor and nurture it. Iris and Stevie's love story feels like mine, for which I can only be grateful.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved this on its own and as a conclusion to the trilogy! I thought the meta elements were charming and found that even the "loose ends" kind of worked.

Perfection 😍 I love Iris so damn much. She's my favourite character in this series and I couldn't wait to get to her book. She's bi, she has rainbow bookshelves, she has ginger hair, she's curvy! She's perfect. Her story was so beautiful and I couldn't be happier with the ending of this trilogy.

While you could technically read Iris Kelly as a standalone, I highly recommend the whole trilogy as Iris is present throughout, but now she’s finally our main lady.

I absolutely loved Iris and Stevie right off the bat. Their meet cute was both adorable and hilarious, and I’m not spoiling that for y’all.

I’m always a sucker for fake dating, so I loved that aspect of this story. Iris teaches Stevie how to relax and let herself enjoy some incredible sexy scenes while Stevie teaches Iris about romance and emotional intimacy.

There’s so many great conversations about anxiety, past trauma, and queer identity that I relished in. I felt so seen in so much of this book especially when it comes to queer found family.

I’m going to miss Bright Falls, but I can’t wait to see what Ashley Herring Blake creates next!

I adored this fake dating sapphic romance.
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Stevie is looking for love and romance. Iris doesn’t believe in love. They decide to fake date to help each other. What happens when things get real?
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I loved their story! Stevie’s anxiety was so realistic and I loved watching her come into her own. And watching Iris realize she had room in her heart for love.
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Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour and for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The irony in this is Iris is a romance writer but there is no romance in her life. Everyone in her life is in love, except her and she needs some material for her next novel. She sets off to find some inspiration and had the worst one night stand of her life.
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Stevie is so embarrassed by the terrible one night stand and she needs to find a solution to overcome her extreme anxiety. There’s fake dating, personal growth and diverse characters. This was such a fun series!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads @prhaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this as a finale to Ashley Herring Blake's sapphic romance trilogy! I've been looking for a cozy, "Gilmore Girls"-esque series for queer women, and since fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, I had a great time with this one.

Ashley Herring Blake doesn’t write bad books!

It was insta love for me when I read Delilah Green Doesn’t Care last year. I settled even further into the love affair with Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, and I’m now in a deeply passionate relationship with the Bright Falls series after reading Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

Everything about these books is so swoony! I want to hug these books and never let go. The relationships, the friendships, the settings, the side characters - ALL SO GOOD!

Every book in the series has been a 5 star read for me, although reading Iris’ story was bittersweet since it’s the last. I want more of these books. I want more of the laughs and the tears and the sex and the self discovery.

The latest book is as inclusive and welcoming and heartwarming as the first two. The characters span the gender and sexuality spectrum, and every reader will feel the warm embrace of being accepted exactly as they are.

The steam level is deliciously high and there are many scenes you’ll want to reread under the covers. The author writes sexy scenes so well, without a cringe in sight. They’re relatable, funny, consensual, and spicy . I hope this isn’t the end of adult romances for Blake, because as I said above, I want and need more!

I also need to check out her YA and middle grade books. I’ve loved her writing in the Bright Falls books and I bet it’s equally as good in her stories for younger readers.

I recommend this one 100000%!!

Five stars, my interview on While You Were Reading, a podcast for contemporary romance readers is here:

https://www.whileyouwerereading.com/episodes/if-you-love-sapphic-fake-dating-romcoms-youll-iris-kelly-doesnt-date-by-ashley-herring-blake

- IRIS KELLY DOESN'T DATE, the final installment in Blake's Bright Falls series, delivers. I loved Iris and Stevie, each trying their best to put up a front in a different way, and each realizing they've found someone they don't have to pretend with.
- One of the things Blake does best is give her characters realistic, messy, queer as heck in a variety of ways backstories and past relationships. It really makes the roadblocks they meet make sense.

I am obsessed with the entire Brightfall series but I think this one might be my fave!! I was hooked from the very beginning and it only got better. I am swooning over Iris and Stevie!

After two failed relationships Iris doesn't believe in romance anymore. She's built a wall around her heart, doesn't intend to let anyone in and is happy to be on her own. One problem though, she's writing a romance book and can't seem to get past the first page. After a disastrous one night stand she unexpectedly meets someone who might be able to help her so they come up with a deal. What could go wrong?

My favourite part about Iris was how she had this mask she wore in front of other. The wild, confident I don't care mask that hid a lot of her true feelings and insecurities. I found this so relatable! And Stevie! Sweet but awkward Stevie! I loved her sweet to balance out Iris's sass. They were the perfect mixture.

You'll love this if you enjoy:
*Sapphic romance
*Small town romance
*Found family
*Fake dating
*Opposites attract

Thank you Ashley Herring Blake, Berkley, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Ashley Herring Blake, Berkley, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I love the Bright Falls series so much! I have been looking forward to reading Iris's book. I loved getting to see a different side to Iris and learning more about her character. I will say that I was slightly disappointed that she wasn't as sassy as she has been in the previous books. However, I do think it was for the purpose of showing some insecurity and that makes Iris even more relatable. I loved Stevie's character and seeing her character growth! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by Ashley Herring Blake!

This was a good conclusion to the series and I love a fake dating trope.
I thought that Stevie and Iris were both complex with lots of issues to work through. I think that their difficulty communicating and expressing themselves felt real and relatable. They had a really complicated dynamic that I found unique for a romance novel. My main complaint was that Stevie's group of friends were awful and this was never resolved in the book. Her friends almost seemed like a plot device to add conflict rather than a way to help Stevie grow. I wish there was some resolution with them because it would have added to Stevie's character development. Overall this was a steamy sapphic romance with complicated charaters who show a lot of growth.

If I'm reading back to back Romance/RomCom's, you know it must be that time of the month...

Ashley Herring Blake has entered into my heart and has taken my soul prisoner. Gosh dang it, this little lady is GOOD!

I am ashamed to admit, I had not read this authors previous work but when I came across this cute and spunky title, I knew I had to check it out.

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date

Let's first point out that this cast of characters are ones I would love to be friends with in real life. Iris and Stevie, clearly favorites of mine, won me over instantly. I couldn't help but root for them. The tender moments exchanged between these two had my eyes welling with tears and hearts radiating from my soul.

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail and Delilah Green Doesn't Care were instantly purchased after I concluded reading this banger of a book. Iris Kelly Doesn't Date is the third installment in the Bright Falls series and although I wish I would have done my research and known this prior, it did not ruin the storyline for me. This book can be read as a standalone.

Big thank you to Berkley, Ashley Herring Blake and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this sure to be bestseller in exchange for an honest review!

Kudos to Ms. Herring-Blake, she slayed on this one!

Check out this teaser :

A fake relationship after a horrible one-night stand is anything but an act in this witty and heartfelt new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake.

Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love. Her best friends are all coupled up, her siblings have partners that are perfect for them, and her parents are still blissfully married. And she’s happy for all of them, truly. Iris doesn’t want any of that—dating, love, romance. She’ll stick to her commitment-free hookups, thanks very much, except no one in her life will just let her be. Everyone wants to see her settled down, but she holds firmly to her no dating rule. There’s only one problem—Iris is a romance author facing an imminent deadline for her second book, and she’s completely out of ideas.

Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life. To get her mind off everything, Iris tries out for the lead role in a local play, a queer retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, but comes face-to-face with Stefania, whose real name turns out to be Stevie. Desperate to save face in front of her friends, Stevie asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend. Iris is shocked, but when she realizes the arrangement might provide her with some much-needed romantic content for her book, she agrees. As the two women play the part of a happy couple, lines start to blur, and they’re left wondering who will make the real first move....