If you aren’t familiar with the sapphic Bright Falls books, Ashley Herring Blake has written two so far, beginning with Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, which I LOVED, and the newest, just released, Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail, another big love. If you are a fan of Alison Cochrun’s books, these are a must-read, too. And if you really like the “com” and witty banter with your “rom,” then look no further.

The home improvement show/interior design angle always intrigues me, and Astrid and Jordan were so fun to watch and each lovable and authentic. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. I also enjoyed Delilah’s cameos. This is a treat of a series, and I’m so grateful it’s continuing with Iris’s story next! Be ready for the steam. 🔥

About the book: “An interior designer learns to rebuild her love life from the ground up with zero blueprints in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care.”

I received a gifted copy.

Ashley Herring Blake knocks it out of the park again! This enemies to lovers romance novel was an absolute joy to read, and more importantly, I feel like the character of Astrid was so fascinating to see grow and change over the course of the book. I identified a lot with her so I found this book to be so reassuring and wonderful. The romance was fun and believable and perfect for the two characters. Also I can never say no to a home renovations project, even if its just in text.

When I heard this gave Schitts Creek vibes, regardless of the fact i was already going to read it, I knew it had to go up higher on my tbr list!! This was another enjoyable read from Ashley Blake! An Interior Designer and Carpenter renovate an Inn for a popular home improvement show and they are constantly butting heads on how it should be. Jordan insists on keeping the history at the Inn while Astrid wants to give a more modern take on it. I thoroughly enjoyed this read, despite my aggravation towards their stubbornness towards each other and their own decisions to not fail.

It took me way too long to get to this one (it was published in Nov 2022) BUT I'm so glad I finally picked it up because I forgot how much I love Ashley Herring Blake's writing! Astrid and Jordan were a delight and it was really fun to watch them grow on their own and together. This was also the perfect mix of drama and HGTV content - it reminded me of Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey in this way. Sometimes love and heartbreak takes us by surprise but things can still turn around if you're willing to work for it. I loved this and I'm very excited to read the story of Iris next!

I've read both of the titles in this series, but I doubt I'll be reading another. Which is a shame because I do like the characters. However, I find myself rolling my eyes so often at the writing. There was so much attention to ceratin aspects of queer culture that it came across as preachy and redundant. I'm queer, so perhaps it read it differently, idk. Anyway, I have adored Blake's middle grade and YA books, but the lack of subtlety is so cringe in these adult attempts. And I'm not referring to the sex, just in the writing itself. Maybe that's the problem - these Bright Falls books read like YA books, which is fine for actual YA books. But mine is obviously an unpopular opinion and our patrons love these books. I'm not unhappy I read this one, but I won't be reading Iris's story next year.

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail and Ashley Herring Blake Doesn’t Miss — another sapphic story from them that has blown me off my feet! The power that they hold in creating lovable, flawed characters and having me on the edge of my seat reading their story is immense. I’ll never tire of this series, that’s for sure and certain!

I loved this book. I wasn't sure how the series could be stronger than Delilah Green Doesn't Care, but this book lived up to the hype and more. It really made me care about Astrid as a person, and the feelings of imposter syndrome and familial tension were so easy to relate to. Ashley Herring Blake is now on my insta-buy list and I can't wait for the third book in the series!

This felt very performative at times, like really trying to prove that the author is Unproblematic and Woke. There’s a whole paragraph of a group of characters announcing what their pronouns are, simply because there was one non-binary character. It felt clunky and awkward and unnecessary. Beyond that, I was just kind of…bored reading it.

I don't know that this worked as well as the first one. I appreciated that this is a universe with characters that make appearances in every book (although I would have sworn the next book was about Iris and Simon, soooooo I definitely guessed incorrectly). To me, I'm not sure that Astrid in particular gets any development, for it being her book I don't know that I like her?

OH GOD, sorry it took so long to do this.

I think what slowed me down was that Jordan seemed childish with her underhanded redesign of Astrid's (albeit boring) interior decorating of Jordan's grandmother's B&B. During filming of a reality show no less! That didn't scream "appealingly sexy lumberjane" to me. But, you know, for romance reasons, Astrid and Jordan grow closer despite Jordan's sabotage.

It's nice to see Astrid develop more from the first book, and her coming to terms with her sexuality and who she really is. (And with lesbians in my family, I definitely understood Jordan's "I'm not a sexual experiment" concern and not wanting to get her heart broken; it happens quite frequently in the dating world.) The steam level is high in this and very well written. Despite the long pause, ultimately I enjoyed this book and the next book in this series (involving Iris) was clearly set up here.

As soon as this book was announced, I was chomping at the bit to read it. I got an eARC from NetGalley for it, and then life got in the way and I didn't have a chance to read this until very recently. It was just as amazing as I'd hoped it would be.

In the previous book, I felt somewhat bad for Astrid, especially after it all came out that so much of what she (and what Delilah) thought was simple misunderstanding, but oof, this book. Ouch. Everything about Isabelle Parker-Greene is awful, and as far as I'm concerned, she is irredeemable. That said, Astrid goes through a lot of growth in this book, and I cannot tell you how much of Astrid's sexual orientation realization I could relate to.

Jordan's entire arc is just. Sad. I hate how beat down she is, and she just deserves so much better. I'm glad that she starts to see and believe that by the end.

However, I was 100% here for the burgeoning sisterly relationship between Astrid and Delilah, and I love the way they interact, and how Astrid depends on her to tell her the truth even as her bffs try to sugarcoat things. Absolute perfection.

I absolutely adored this story - from the friends and family, to the journeys both women had to undergo, to the discoveries along the way. Ashley Herring Blake draws me right into this small town and makes me feel like I am living right alone aide this gorgeous coven.

Astrid Parker has always followed the path prescribed for her. She got the perfect job her mother wanted for her, the perfect fiance, the perfect life. That was until she broke off her engagement. Now her business is in danger of going under and she needs a saving grace, the opportunity to redecorate the local pillar the Everwood Inn on national television. Enter Jordan Everwood, a carpenter who's life has kind of gone up in flames, figuratively and literally. When her brother tells her the family Inn is going to be featured on an HGTV renovation show, he brings her back home to Bright Falls to work as the lead carpenter on the project, but she hadn't expected butting heads with the designer, Astrid. Through working together and getting to know one another they learn that they are not so different and maybe their spark of animosity can be fanned into a more passionate flame.

The Bright Falls books just keep getting better and better. Where Delilah Green is a book about finding your way home and finding the joy in old spaces, Astrid Parker is about discovering the long held pieces of yourself and figuring out what they could mean. Astrid's coming out story, discovering that she likes women is very realistic and touching. She didn't know being attracted to women could be an option. And the romance with Jordan is everything you want out of an animosity to lovers. There's banter, there's spice, there's pantry sex. And through their relationship Jordan learns that she can accept love and that she is worthy of it. Lovers of romcoms need to read this book.

✨ Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail ✨

Anyone else an Ashley Herring Blake superfan after reading her two adult novels?!

When I read Delilah Green Doesn’t Care last year I fell in love with Blake’s writing. I binged the book and couldn’t get enough of the characters, setting, and storylines.

Astrid’s book is *almost* as good. Another 5 star read, but I think Delilah might have a slight edge. Astrid is one of those characters that I wanted to simultaneously shake some sense into while also wrapping her up in a big hug.

Astrid and Jordan…whew!! The angst and build up in this book was chef’s kiss! (I know there is great dislike for that phrase, but it’s the perfect description!) My anticipation as a reader was super high as their enemies to lovers story unfolded.

This book is just as steamy as Delilah and there are scenes that have been living rent free in my head ever since I read the book. 🔥🔥🔥

The parts of the story that show us how supportive female friendships can be had me loving the book almost as much as the romance did. The family relationships added something extra too. Blake really has a way of beautifully depicting relationships in all the forms they take.

I need to get on reading the author’s YA and Middle Grade backlist. I’m so excited for Iris Kelly’s story next!

Astrid Parker has a big gig, designing an old inn on a TV show. But what happens when it turns out that the lead carpenter doesn't like her modern design? Everyone loves her modern designs. Things get more complicated in the small town of Bright Falls and Astrid tries to figure out how she really feels about Jordan, the lead carpenter.

I really enjoyed Astrid's path to her future, and the enemies to lovers trope here. But I do think what made it stand out was both Astrid and Jordan's personal journeys, which allowed for some mistakes and really big failures that they did find ways to come back from (of course!).

Excellent enemies to lovers romance that looks at suppressed queerness and late coming outs. Herring Blake has found an excellent niche for adult romance and readers of Tessa Bailey and Emily Henry will enjoy this queer romance.

I really enjoyed Delilah Green doesn’t care so imagine my surprise that I enjoyed Astrid’s story just as much! I thought the use of tarot cards was clever and fun. I look forward to the third one.

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail" by Ashley Herring Blake is a heartwarming young adult romance that explores the themes of self-discovery and personal growth.

The author crafts a well-paced narrative with authentic characters and believable conflicts. The story of Astrid and Jordan's love-hate relationship is engaging and will leave readers rooting for them to overcome their differences.

The novel also tackles important issues such as the pressure to succeed, the weight of expectations, and the courage to follow one's dreams.

Overall, "Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail" is a delightful and inspiring read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance and coming-of-age stories.

After reading Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, I did not expect to love Astrid’s story even more, but here we are. I love Astrid and Jordan as characters, their individual development and confidence building as well as their relationship development. I also love AHB’s books for the depiction of female friendship/found family — this series’ friend group is one of my favorites in fiction. Also, the inn renovation aspects of this are so much fun!

I am a sucker for home renovation shows so when I found out this one would revolve around the characters working together to renovate an old Inn I was all for it!

I loved Delilah Green and was more than happy to request and read this next installment in the series. Astrid has grown up trying to please her mother at every turn. After her father, and stepfather, passed away when she was a child her mother became colder and more determined on Astrid succeeding in life. When Astrid gets a job as lead designer on an HGTVesk show, she knows that nailing it will gain so much approval from her mother. What she didn't account for was Jordan, the carpenter and granddaughter of the Bed & Breakfast she's set to renovate.

Jordan has been living in a depressive state for over a year and when her brother tells her about the failing B&B they grew up in, she decides it's time to get out of her funk and make sure the design for the Everwood will be exactly how it should be and not what outside designer thinks will be best for it.

I enjoyed the enemies to lovers or opposites attract tropes in this adult rom com. The constant tension and back and forth banter between Astrid and Jordan made for an entertaining read! The setting, characters, and romance was perfectly done! There's definitely some steam so don't go into this thinking it's going to be all hand holding and sweet kisses.

I will recommend Delilah and Astrid's story's to all the romance readers!! Also, I will be picking up any other books by Ashley Herring Blake in the future!