Some how, this book is even better than the first! I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic and struggles of the main characters. Loved them being forced to work together, and their development with previous characters. It was such a rewarding experience to read.

Ashley Herring Blake has once again written an impossible-to-put down romance! Astrid parker, months after ending her engagement to a less-than-stellar man who tried to control her life, is trying to put her life back on track. She is hopeful that her spot as lead designer of the Everwood will help her once again score clients for her interior design company, Bright Designs. Of course, it would be a whole lot easier if Jordan Everwood, granddaughter of the owner of the bed and breakfast, would stop thwarting her efforts at every turn.

Jordan, for her part, wishes Astrid Parker would stop making plans to ruin her childhood home. The inn has always been Jordan's place of safety and she needs it more than ever as she grieves her marriage. These two women, seemingly at odds and definitely polar opposites, need to get along if this renovation has a chance. However, their unwanted attraction to each other just might bring them closer than they intended.

Herring Blake creates an inclusive world in her novel where queer folks are welcome and have the support of their families and found families. With this feeling of safety and acceptance emanating form the setting itself, this saucy enemies-to-lovers romance is all the more delicious!

4/5

Personally I would have enjoyed this more only from Astrid’s POV. I didn’t care for Jordan as a character. It should go over well in our libraries.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Introduced in Herring Blake's first book, Delilah Green Doesn't Care, Astrid Parker (step-sister of the aforementioned Delilah) takes center-stage in this LGBTQ romance on the set of a home improvement show. Astrid has been hired to decorate the interior of her town's historic inn, and the owner's granddaughter Pru is the lead carpenter. After a bad first impression, the two continue to butt heads and step on each others' toes, both personally and professionally. When lines are crossed--personally and professionally--too many secrets are hidden.

I love this book, I love this author's style, I will read anything she writes. Astrid was such an interesting character in the first book, so set in her prim and proper (and straight) ways, I was curious to see how the author would handle her story in this book when I first heard about it. While Astrid is an amazing character to work around, I appreciated that this book also had a drama-filled plot, with the renovation of the inn, the reality show, and more. There was always a lot going on--in a good way. I can't wait for more books in this series!

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

3.5

I thought this book was adorable from the meet-cute to the end. Astrid Parker is a seemingly uptight career woman who seeks to please her over-bearing mother. She meets Jordan Everwood when restoring her family home. I really like Astrid's friend group. I didn't realize this was the second in a series, but I'll have to go back and read Delilah's book. I hope Iris is next!

I wasn't head over heels for Jordan or Astrid, but I do like them together. I didn't rate higher becuase the "confrontation" part of the book annoyed me. Overall I think it's a solid, enjoyable weekend read!

Thank you to Ashley Herring Blake, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Ever since I read the first book in the Bright Falls series, Delilah Green Doesn't Care, I have been chomping at the bit to read Astrid's story. Delilah Green is one of my all time favorite contemporary romances and I recommend it to pretty much everyone, so my hopes were high going into Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail. I was not let down in the slightest!
Astrid Parker is a character archetype that I really love -a buttoned up woman who is hiding her soft insides with an aloof exterior. The walls she has up around herself are about a mile thick, and while we see the beginnings of those walls crumble in the previous book, she is still so trapped at the start of this book. The thing, of course, I love most about this kind of character in a romance is that obviously someone is going to come along and break right through all those walls. Someone is going to get inside and see all the soft goodness she keeps hidden away and once they're in, it's permanent.
So enter Jordan Everwood, a woman with her own relationship trauma and self doubt, who slams into Astrid at the coffee shop and ruins the uptight woman's dress right before a big meeting. Sparks fly, Astrid loses her temper, and Jordan flees. They think they'll never see each other again. But this is a romance! Of course they will! Because they will actually be working together on a renovation of the Everwood Inn, Jordan's family business -a renovation that is not only important for both their careers, but it being filmed.
Shenanigans ensue, feelings develop, barriers break, and love blooms. It's al the good stuff you want in a romance. Plus, it's super hot! These two are crazy attracted to each other and the sex is electric.
Ashley Herring Blake's writing is sparkling. Her dialogue feels real and bright and the way she weaves words is seamless. But my favorite thing about her writing is the clear understanding she has of her characters and the grasp she has on the range of emotions we have as humans regarding ourselves and our relationships and how messy it can all be. Nothing in her characters and their emotions feel forced and their lives and relationships feel real.
I finished this book in a day and a half and enjoyed every second of reading it and now I'm just desperately waiting to get my hands on the next book. I hope that after this series is through that Blake will continue to write queer romance because I think she is one of our best right now, especially for sapphic books. Enthusiastically, five stars!

Ashley Herring Blake is such a gift! Her books are tender, emotional, thoughtful, and romantic as hell! Seeing Astrid figure out what she wants for herself after the tough lessons she has to learn in DELILAH GREEN is a delight; Herring Blake builds her Bright Falls series with a stronger linearity than a lot of romance series (while you COULD technically read these books out of order, I wouldn't recommend it, not in the least because DELILAH GREEN and ASTRID PARKER are both wonderful), in a manner that lends itself to exceptional character work. Don't miss this charming, lovely sapphic romance.

When I found Delilah Green around this time last year, I thought I had read my favorite sapphic romance of all time. And then Astrid Parker said "hold my wine." This book was all the compulsive heterosexuality healing that I've ever needed. As someone who figured out her sexuality rather recently, I saw so much of myself reflected back in Astrid.

And Jordan was just the perfect lesbian to shake up tidy Astrid's world and get her a little messy. I adored these two and how they had to work together to renovate the house, but also to get Astrid out of her shell.

This book was truly a masterpiece and I adored it. I cannot wait until Iris get her HEA next.

As someone who came out as bisexual as an adult, this book was SO RELATABLE to me. Astrid is trying to restart her life after calling off her wedding in the last book. She's an interior designer and runs into (literally) the granddaughter of the owner of the local inn. They end up having to work together and butt heads more than once. But also... she's cute. Astrid has such a relatable bisexual awakening and I love her.

Ashley Herring Blake's character development continues to tantalize in this second installment of the Bright Falls series. More than a romance novel, Blake's characters strive for self-awareness and self-acceptance -- a refreshing dose of reality all readers can relate to while also enjoying Astrid and Jordan's steamy dynamic. I especially appreciate Blake's portrayal of sexuality as an evolving spectrum and her care to not fetishize queer sex: Astrid wants Jordan as Jordan -- not Jordan as a sexual novelty. I love that Blake incorporated this consideration into Astrid and Jordan's love story (and that delay made the pantry scene all the more gratifying!).

One difference between "Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail" and "Delilah Green Doesn't Care" is the development of characters beyond the two protagonists. Perhaps it was because "Delilah Green..." was the first in the Bright Falls series but Blake showed closer attention to building up the characters surrounding Delilah and Claire without distracted from their arc. Blake did continue to develop Delilah and Astrid's relationship in "Astrid Parker..." as well as Astrid's relationship with her mother, but I found myself wanting to hear more about Ruby and how she felt about the new dynamic in her home life. Ruby's disclosure about her sexuality was not necessarily a surprise but did not have great context.

Three editing notes, two that may be a bit nitpicky:
-When Astrid is baking for Jordan on page 658, she describes measuring yeast but nothing she made would have required yeast. Muffins, cakes, cookies, and brownies all rely on baking soda and or baking powder (I am a professional baker so this stuck out to me).
-On page 586 during the pantry scene it says "Astrid had the overwhelming urge to rip off Jordan's shirt" but Jordan is only wearing a sports bra and overalls.
-Page 547 there is a "the" when there should be a "to" in this sentence: "What she and Astrid did do, however, was spend at least half the night, every night, making out to the point that Jordan felt like she was about THE explode."

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book!

Honestly, this was very very fun. I read it in a few hours while stressing out about something else, and it was an incredible distraction while I worked up the nerve to do what I needed to do. I'm also not normally a romance person, so it was so interesting coming to this book where it was, even though it's outside of my general wheelhouse.

Considering all of that, again, it was very fun! It's also very much a specific kind of upper middle class twee queer romance, which, if that's what you're in the mood for, is lovely, but also can feel so jarring at points if that isn't what you're after. I also really enjoyed the plotlines of both Astrid and Jordan, and having them have to deal with personal journeys outside of the main romance, as well as how the main plotline of the home reno intersecting with their relationship was fun! Again, it's just fun!

Not illuminating or life changing, but a genuinely enjoyable experience that let me have a nice brain break!

"Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail" is a fantastic follow up to "Delilah Green Doesn't Care." It's a powerful and realistic portrayal of coming out late in life. The relationship between Astrid and Jordan grows in a believable way but at a bit of a fast pace for dropping those three little words. I was also surprised by Jordan ending up with a career as TV designer. Becoming a TV personality didn't really seem to fit with what the readers learned about her character within the book.

While I thought Delilah Green Doesn't Care was just fine, I really really liked Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail. It just vibed with me a lot more I guess, and I really liked Astrid and Jordan. I can't wait for Iris's book.

I loved this book! Astrid is such a fabulous character. I loved how Jordan got past her tough exterior and cracked her open. I enjoyed this book so much. I thought it was even better than the first one. I can’t wait to read Iris’ story next!

Really happy to know what happens with Astrid after meeting her in Herring Blake's first book. The two main characters are really well-developed, and I liked how their issues complemented each other, bringing both more fully into themselves as they explored a relationship.

Astrid, Irish, and Claire are some of the best written female friends I have had the pleasure to read in books. Their friendship is phenomenal and their relationships that tend romantic are amusing to read too. Each human in Herring Blake's stories is fully formed and complex and amazing to learn more about.

Rivals to Lovers fans, this one is for you! Astrid Parker and Jordan Everwood get off on the wrong foot, but when they realize that they are slated to work side-by-side on Jordan's family's Everwood Inn televised renovation they have to put their differences aside for the good of both of their careers. Astrid is still healing from her breakup with her ex-fiance and reeling from her reconciliation with Delilah, and as the renovation and filming begin, she begins to feel things for Jordan that she has never felt for a woman before. Jordan moved across the country to help with the Everwood renovation after the unfortunate dissolution of her marriage. She is not interested in being an experiment for ice queen Astrid Parker, but as they start to collude on a design that evokes the spirit of the Everwood, she might find that Astrid makes her feel truly chosen, and vice versa.
Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail is an incredible story of queer awakening, rivals-to-friends-to-lovers, and letting go of familial expectations. Astrid and Jordan both find healing within and outside of one another through the course of this story, which was really a great heartline for this fun rom-com. The added theme of interior design and hotel renovation was also a very engaging sub-plot. It was great to see the ensemble from Delilah Green Doesn't Care again, as it is clear that female/queer friendship is deeply important to all of the characters. Usually, I find coming-out stories to be somewhat trite and overdone, but this felt very authentic and gave representation to those of us who discovered our queerness later in life. Overall I gave this book a 5/5 stars and am greatly looking forward to Iris Kelly Doesn't Date! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the second book in the Bright Falls series! Another great queer romance with funny characters. I wasn’t sure how much I would like Astrid’s story because I wasn’t a huge fan of hers in the first book, but the author made her so likable and relatable. Can’t wait for Iris’s story next!

5 stars

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail was such a fun sapphic romance. Astrid is a character I found irritating in Delilah’s book, but after reading Astrid’s story she has turned into one of my favorite characters.

I loved that rivals to lovers plotline. Jordan and Astrid’s relationship is just to die for.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it definitely lived up to my expectations.

Thank you to NetGalley for give me an e-ARC!

Love to be able to add this to the new wealth of GOOD same-sex romances out there! Astrid and Jordan seem at first to be so opposite, but the spark they feel for each other is enough to push them to think hard about their lives. Both Astrid and Jordan spend a good deal of the book working to reclaim themselves, figuring out what they really wanted in life. I loved that Blake didn't make any of the "villains" truly terrible people: they changed too, because Astrid and Jordan each found the courage to confront them. A very satisfying romance.