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boba_nbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️ / 5
Ashley Herring Blake has delivered one beautiful sapphic romance after another in the Bright Falls series, and Iris Kelly Doesn't Date is no exception.
Iris Kelly is a woman surrounded by friends and family who have found their soul mates. She's happy for them, but she's also getting a little tired of being the stereotypical "good lay" and bitter single friend. Stevie went through a terrible breakup six months ago. But her ex is still in her friend group, and Stevie watches as she falls in love with another one of their friends. Another of Stevie's friends thinks all Stevie needs is a one night stand to get her ex off her mind. Iris and Stevie have a disastrous one night stand but are forced to work together in a Shakespearean play which leads to their fake dating scheme. Both women start to feel that this fake dating might just be starting to feel real.
I love how these characters felt like opposites but really had so many things in common. Both of them felt as though they couldn't be who their family and friends wanted them to be but found solace and realness in each other.
I'm going to miss the Bright Falls crew so much! Seeing all the characters from the other books come together was a ton of fun and made me realize how important it is to have your people.
Ashley Herring Blake has delivered one beautiful sapphic romance after another in the Bright Falls series, and Iris Kelly Doesn't Date is no exception.
Iris Kelly is a woman surrounded by friends and family who have found their soul mates. She's happy for them, but she's also getting a little tired of being the stereotypical "good lay" and bitter single friend. Stevie went through a terrible breakup six months ago. But her ex is still in her friend group, and Stevie watches as she falls in love with another one of their friends. Another of Stevie's friends thinks all Stevie needs is a one night stand to get her ex off her mind. Iris and Stevie have a disastrous one night stand but are forced to work together in a Shakespearean play which leads to their fake dating scheme. Both women start to feel that this fake dating might just be starting to feel real.
I love how these characters felt like opposites but really had so many things in common. Both of them felt as though they couldn't be who their family and friends wanted them to be but found solace and realness in each other.
I'm going to miss the Bright Falls crew so much! Seeing all the characters from the other books come together was a ton of fun and made me realize how important it is to have your people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Infidelity
fanboyriot's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
♡ Fake Dating
♡ Gay Theater
♡ Opposites Attract
I really this book. The queer rep was amazing and the anxiety rep was written so well. I really love the fake dating trope and that plays such a lovely role in this book. If you like actress x romance author then I highly recommend this sapphic read.
The characters worked well together and I really loved getting to see Delilah and Claire again. It was so wholesome and heartwarming. I would have liked to have more of the theater moments though. I really enjoyed those. The small town vibes were great, this book was a comforting read.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (4/5)
Angst Level: 💧 (1/5)
POV: Duel, Third Person
Release Date: 24, October 2023
Rep: Bisexual (Main Character), Lesbian (Main and Side Characters), BIPOC (Main Character), Non-Binary Japanese-American (Side Character), Agender (Side Character), Pansexual (Side Character), Transmasc (Side Character) Anxiety
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Minor: Toxic relationship and Alcohol
khymihr's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Alcohol
abby_can_read's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
📱
I had a good time reading this book and the series. I thought Iris and Stevie were cute together and their relationship was sweet.
I had a good time reading this book and the series. I thought Iris and Stevie were cute together and their relationship was sweet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
bzliz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
After reading Astrid’s book, I had no intention of continuing the series. Iris was by far my least favorite of the friend trio and I didn’t think I’d be able to stand her brash personality. However, I’m glad I read this. I had a good time and I gained a new appreciation for Iris hiding behind bravado and innuendos. Iris and Stevie work through a lot of personal issues to come out on the other side.
The reason I didn’t rate this higher is because I don’t think the way their loved ones treat them was resolved. Iris really needed to have a sit down with her family and explain to them that being single doesn’t make her less of a person and the way they treated her made her feel. Stevie had some resolution but the way Adri acted was completely out of line. It seems like it was pretty toxic and Adri was very controlling, which she’s continuing with Vanessa. I needed a good confrontation scene so Adri can start to turn her life around.
The reason I didn’t rate this higher is because I don’t think the way their loved ones treat them was resolved. Iris really needed to have a sit down with her family and explain to them that being single doesn’t make her less of a person and the way they treated her made her feel. Stevie had some resolution but the way Adri acted was completely out of line. It seems like it was pretty toxic and Adri was very controlling, which she’s continuing with Vanessa. I needed a good confrontation scene so Adri can start to turn her life around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
llams's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I loved this final iteration of the bright falls trilogy! I feel like the characters choices were true to themselves. I loved the honest mental health rep as well as the normalized (albeit brief) normalization of exploring the ace/aro spectrum. Ashley Herring Blake continues to be an auto-read author!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol
fleur____'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia and Infidelity
nightworldlove's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Alcohol
somelesbianwriter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sweet, hot, but also bored me a little with how cliché and predictable a lot of the plot was. however, that's largely down to me not being so much of a romance-novel person, and for romance fans this book seems pretty perfect!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Alcohol
chase0w0's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
this one is hard to rate for me b/c it will have the most beautifully written chapter of stevie trying her absolute fucking best followed by iris bumbling around making all the obviously-this-is-the-dumbest-choice choices … so prepare for whiplash?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity