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A review by cristina_margarita
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
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
My feelings on this one are a little mixed. It definitely took me the longest to get into of the trilogy.
I found the opening few chapters with Stevie painfully difficult to read as a person who struggles with anxiety & panic attacks.
I thought the story itself was cute once I got into it & I ended up really liking Stevie. Stevie was such a sweet character & I loved the set up of the play. I’m not exactly sure how I felt about their deal/sexual arrangement but that’s probably just my own sensibilities. Also I do think that Ashley should have kept the play a bigger part of the book since it & Stevies friends basically dropped out at the half way mark.
At the beginning I found it odd that Iris had had a big life/career change off screen but once Thayer came in, it made sense why the author made that decision. It did feel super convenient but Iris did not take advantage of it in time to prevent their second third act break up, which was frustrating. But I am glad Iris made a grand gesture herself (it made me tear up) otherwise I don’t think I could fully get behind the story. (She would have been a Landon.)
Part of me thought the epilogue was the perfect way to wrap everything up but another part of me felt that it was too neat & took away from Stevie & Iris’s story to focus on the conclusion of the trilogy.
I found the opening few chapters with Stevie painfully difficult to read as a person who struggles with anxiety & panic attacks.
I thought the story itself was cute once I got into it & I ended up really liking Stevie. Stevie was such a sweet character & I loved the set up of the play. I’m not exactly sure how I felt about their deal/sexual arrangement but that’s probably just my own sensibilities. Also I do think that Ashley should have kept the play a bigger part of the book since it & Stevies friends basically dropped out at the half way mark.
At the beginning I found it odd that Iris had had a big life/career change off screen but once Thayer came in, it made sense why the author made that decision. It did feel super convenient but Iris did not take advantage of it in time to prevent their second third act break up, which was frustrating. But I am glad Iris made a grand gesture herself (it made me tear up) otherwise I don’t think I could fully get behind the story. (She would have been a Landon.)
Part of me thought the epilogue was the perfect way to wrap everything up but another part of me felt that it was too neat & took away from Stevie & Iris’s story to focus on the conclusion of the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Vomit