
Member Reviews

This was a lovely book. I so enjoyed the characters and the storyline and just everything about it!
I often don’t connect with sapphic romance and I’m not sure why that is… maybe because there just isn’t as much of it available, so I’m not finding the really good stuff? idk… Anyway, that wasn’t the case with this one. I thought it was well written, the main group of characters all had depth and were actually significant to the story. And, while I am not a lesbian photographer, I felt a connection with the MC, Delilah Green, with her feelings of loneliness and friendlessness and how that can really shape who you are and how you interact with the world.
Would definitely recommend and I’m so glad it was recently recommended to me!

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you!)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
Oh. My. God. This book is EVERYTHING. It made me feel so happy and seen and spoken to as a queer person that I literally hugged my kindle to my chest on several occasions while I was reading it.
So this is pretty complex stuff, okay? I know I’ve discussed the queerness of queer romance in various other reviews and let me just make very clear yet again that I am not trying to position myself as any sort of gatekeeper of queerness. Queer is not a monolith, we all see ourselves reflected in different ways and in different things, and that’s how it should be. But I will say that I have a sense that queer romance is in a complicated place publishing-wise at the moment: it’s been comprehensively proven there’s a market for it, but I think there’s a natural conflict at the heart of this market concerning the needs of queer readers versus the expectations of the dominant cishet audience. All of which is to say that I personally (and I am speaking purely personally here) can often find reading queer romance quite an alienating experience. This has nothing to do, I hasten to add, with the identity (or even the skill) of the author. It’s purely about my perception of who the book is speaking to.
And I think part of what’s extraordinary about Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is that the book delivers everything you’d want in a romance (it’s sexy, it’s funny, it’s heart-wrenching, it’s tender) alongside a sensibility that feels, to me, effortlessly and unabashedly queer. For example, there’s the fact one of the protagonists—Claire—is bisexual, and it feels genuinely like part of her identity, rather than a word on the page, shaping how she understands herself and relates to the world around her. Or there’s a throwaway line that I personally found so well-observed, which is when Delilah (who is not attracted to men) is at a bar, and the (male) bartender keeps hitting on her, and she’s irate that she’s probably going to have to come out to this random stranger to make him leave her alone - that sense of coming out as a permanent state imposed upon you resonated with me so hard. And, now I come to think of it, there’s the fact an entire subplot concerns Astrid (Delilah’s sister and Claire’s best friend) and her impending marriage to a dreadful cishet guy. That just feels like … the queerest thing in the world to me. That half-bewildered, half-alienated sense of watching your heterosexual friends make terrible romantic decisions with other heterosexuals, wondering to yourself are the straights all right, and is there anything you can do about it. The book is full of little moments like this, from the profound to the trivial, that make the fictional world the characters inhabit feel familiar and real and—to me, at least—recognisably and undeniably queer.
Anyway. The actual plot here concerns Delilah Green, a thirty-ish photographer, currently trying to make it in NYC having fled the small town where she grew up. Tragically orphaned at a young age, she was cast upon the care of her emotionally distant stepmother and her apparently perfect daughter, both of whom made no attempt to make the grieving Delilah feel welcome in their family. The perfect daughter, Astrid, is now getting married and Delilah has been summoned back to Bright Falls to be the wedding photographer. While Delilah has come along way from the lonely, insecure girl she once was, returning to the place where she grew up can’t help but stir up old memories and old hurts, particularly when it comes to Astrid and her close-knit friendship group who always contributed to Delilah’s sense of rejection.
There’s a lot going on in Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, including some Bridesmaids-style hijinks involving champagne glass towers, but I think what struck me most forcibly about its storytelling is its generosity. It’s very kind to its characters, allowing them plenty of scope to be as complicated and as damaged as they need to be, while simultaneously letting them shine in their relationships with each other, their deep needs to love and be loved. Hell, even Iris who is like Friend Trope #2673 (loud and red-headed) has her own shit going on that gives her depth and nuance beyond the usual “saying the thing” role such characters tend to be relegated to. Ruby, Claire’s pre-teen daughter, is exactly as endearing and frustrating as you’d expect from a girl of that particular age. And Claire’s irresponsible but well-meaning ex-husband gets his own little maturation arc that feels genuinely earned. Yes, there are a couple of villain figures in the narrative who come across as slightly cartoonish in their awfulness, especially compared to the rest of the cast, but by the end of the book their general irrelevance has become its own significance.
Because ultimately this is a story that is far more interested in how we show love to each other, than taking revenge on those who have hurt us, and I absolutely adore it for that. It is a gorgeous sapphic romance, a celebration of found family and a beautiful exploration of the way home and freedom, in the right context, with the right person, can feel like exactly the same thing.
A thousand heart-hands for this book. You all need to read it.

I had high expectations and this lived up to all of them. Great tropes, great chemistry, amazing cast of characters. I love to see this kind of romance with fleshed out adult characters with complicated lives and pasts who are just trying to get their shit together. Plus it was funny and made me cry.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
CW: death of a parent (past), grief, toxic relationship with step-parent, teenage pregnancy (past)
I would recommend if you are looking for (SPOILERS)
-f/f insta attraction
-only one bed
-best friend's sibling
-single parent
-grumpy/sunshine
-elements of second chance
-great friend group
I adored this book so much. Delilah Green coming home and getting a second chance at finding family and home. About being your authentic self, finding love and how easy it is to think you are putting yourself out there or misinterpret things.
Delilah was just herself, artistic, goal oriented and prickly. Her sexual tension with Claire was crackling from the moment they were first on the page together and I was cheering these two on so much. I love a good single parent romance and these two just got each other in a lot of ways. The wedding hijinx, some parent trap elements, and just a lot of fun all while Claire and Delilah try to pretend that its nothing more than sex.
Steam: 3.5

This book is SO GOOD. The characters were well developed and the chemistry between Delilah and Claire was just perfect. I also loved that the book wasn’t just about romantic relationships, but also family and friendships. By fleshing out these other aspects of the character’s lives, I felt like I really got to know them and it made the romance more believable. I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can buy a physical copy. I can already tell it’s going to be one of my comfort reads.

Well this was a refreshing little read! While I don't normally stray to romance, I was drawn into Delilah Green doesn't care by a cute cover and a fun blurb. Good news, it was as cute and fun as I'd hoped it would be. The characters have fun personalities without being Too Much and you get invested in the relationships well beyond the main heroines. But man, I loved the heroines.
It's not changing the game, but it was sweet and fun and a very happy read!

I loved this book! It was so steamy. I loved the characters. i also loved the side plot between Deliah and her sister.

I really liked this book! I thought the setting and stakes were clear and well-designed, and I liked Claire and Delilah a lot. I was less sold on Astrid and I'm not super sure I want to read a whole book about her, but I will give her a chance in 2023!

Delilah Green Doesn't Care tells a familiar romance story that feels expected and trite. Built on undeveloped writing and stereotypical characters. The benefit of this story is it's unrelenting upbeat nature and sickly sweet feelings.

Drama! Queer photography! Weddings!
I thought this was a fantastic, sarcastic, witty, queer romcom that I cannot wait to have the entire world discover. Delilah and Claire were full of depth and personality, and the plot flowed seamlessly from one point to the next.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment of Bright Falls so I can see what our MCs get up to next!

Incredible story based around romance and sisterhood. Alongside the budding romance is an exploration of family complexities and different loves and affections we can feel for one another. Absolutely buying this one when it releases!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an eARC.
5/5⭐️ This book was EVERYTHING!!
This story was such a delight to read. I aspire to be as confident as Delilah, as sweet as Claire, as outspoken as Iris, and as strong as Astrid. I enjoyed every single second of this story. This is exactly want I want when I read a rom-com is was the perfect balance of humor, swoony/spicy moments, and drama. It had moments when I started tearing up and moments where I felt like I was learning such important life lessons. The love that Claire and Delilah shared was so beautiful and sweet!! AHHHH I love them soo much. I can’t wait for more people to read this book. You definitely won’t be disappointed! ❤️

Just a delightful queer romance that got me right from the beginning. Such fun and I look forward to the next book in the series.

This! Romance! I'm such a sucker for the trope of "the grumpy one likes the sunshine-y one." I love how fully formed each character is, including all of the side characters. The romance was fun but believable, and you couldn't help rooting for them against the odds. If you're looking for a super cute queer romance with fun small-town and tight-knit friend group vibes, this is totally it. I want, like, 100 more books just like this.

Looking at the cover alone was enough for me to want to dive headfirst into this romance! Delilah Green Doesn't Care follows- no surprise- Delilah Green as she reluctantly returns to her hometown of Bright Falls to be her stepsister's wedding photographer. After a childhood spent feeling unwanted and unloved by her stepsister, Astrid, and stepmother, Isabel, Delilah is content with causing some trouble for her dear sister.
What better way to get under Astrid's skin than to romance her best friend? Claire and Iris have always been Astrid's best friends, and the group is used to ignoring Delilah, thinking she doesn't care to be involved. Trying to raise her moodier-by-the-minute daughter Ruby while also struggling to have faith in her ex's fatherly duties doesn't give Claire a lot of time to put herself first, resulting in Iris demanding that Claire find someone to help her relieve her stress.
Cue Delilah Green in Bright Falls. Claire doesn't recognize her at first, but when Delilah and Claire meet (again), sparks fly. Slow-burn seduction follows, and suddenly Claire is doubting she can handle a casual relationship while Delilah is second-guessing her desire to be with Claire only to irritate her sister.
Even though the whole plot occured within a month, making the romance more of an insta-love story, I entirely enjoyed reading this novel. Throw in some family drama, hilarious banter between girlfriends, a shit-boot of a fiancé, and an "accidental" champagne tower fiasco, and you're set with the perfect light w/w romance.
Special thanks to NetGalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

There was something about the writing that felt forced, unfortunately. I can enjoy rom coms but this one wasn't for me.

This book was just wonderful. There was so much I appreciated and admired about it: the setup was perfect, the setting charming as heck. But most of all, I love how complex ALL of the characters and relationships were, how much growth was accomplished not just in the main romantic coupling but in side characters, as well. (Except for Isabel, of course. And Shit Boot.) The plot line between Astrid and Delilah was really compelling and moving (and made me super excited for the next book). I especially appreciated the character of Josh--that he wasn't just an evil ex, but a decent human who had made poor choices in the past. Even if Claire's frustration and hurt with him was completely justified and relatable, you still knew that he wanted to be a good dad, and were secretly rooting for him to succeed, too. I also just really loved having a parent of a tween as a romantic interest, without that being a hindrance to the romance whatsoever. Just a delight!

First of all, I’m a sucker for sapphic books and I totally adored this one.
I’ve read the authors work before and I wasn’t a fan but this one really grabbed me since I saw the book cover which is gorgeous.
Then the story and the characters just made me fall completely in love with the book.
I can wait for everyone to read this so we can fangirl over it.
One of my favorite LGBT reads of this year.

My god, does Ashley Herring Blake know how to write a love story. I was instantly hooked on Delilah, bad attitude obviously covering up soft-and-squishy, easily wounded parts from the start. The side characters were compelling and unravelled neatly into full characters. I have basically been hounding my search bar, desperate for the second one already, and this one doesn't even come out to the public for months. This is everything you want a romance to be: heartfelt, hopelessly romantic, steamy, sweet, and an electric shock of chemistry.

This was sexy, funny, and touching. The central romance was fantastic, but so were the friendships, and the explorations of strained family relationships (from multiple angles). When Delilah Green returns to her hometown and her estranged family to photograph a wedding—almost entirely for the money—she quickly encounters Claire, a high school crush and best friend of Astrid, Delilah's much disliked stepsister. Sparks—of attraction and of lots of other, less healthy emotions—fly. Claire's caring, involved single-motherhood, and her worry over her daughter's well being, is contrasted strongly with the parenting Astrid and Delilah received from their own single mother, and the effect on both women's happiness and social development. The relationships, romantic and otherwise, are all stellar. There's a back ad for a sequel and I wishlisted it **immediately**.